Northern Plague übers aktuelle Album Manifesto (English Version)

Artist: Northern Plague

Orgin: Polen

Genre: Death Metal

Label: Folter Records

Link: http://www.northernplague.pl

Bandmember:

Vocals, Guitar – Fen
Guitar – Janus
Bass, Vocals – Ghorakh
Drums – Damye

Time For Metal / Rene W.:

Dear Northern Plague,

We gathered today to get to know a bit more about your band and the actual album „Manifesto“. The band was founded in 2009 and the first EP „Blizzard Of The North” was released 2 years later. Why did you found the band in the first place and how did you shape the first time until “Blizzard Of The North” was finished?

Northern Plague / Damyen:

Hey there. I think the idea was the usual group of friends gathering together to play some covers, have a good time. With time the idea grew to become something more than just a project where friends could fool around. Fen and Saryon ( ex drummer ) wanted to the band to become something more. In 2010 Janus and Gorhakh joined the band and they began writing material for „Blizzard of the North“.

Time For Metal / Rene W.:

Meanwhile, the longplayer „Manifesto“ followed your first work. How do your working methods differ and what experience from your first EP influenced the second one? How do you develop your songs generally?

Northern Plague / Damyen:

After the release of „Blizzard of the North“ we began to play alot of shows supporting great bands such as Vader, Decapitated, Azarath, Pandemonium, Lost Soul and a lot of others. All of those bands have influenced us in some way. We played 2 headline tours, and I feel we got to know each other to a great degree both personaly and musicaly. We generaly wrote the material for „Manifesto“ inbetween tours on rehearsals. Everybody gave in ideas and we had lots of time to shape them in to the form you hear on the CD.

Time For Metal / Rene W.:

Folter Records is a great label, which you managed to win for your band really early. How did this cooperation come into existence and did it influence the way Northern Plague thinks and works?

Northern Plague / Damyen:

The label contacted us showing interest in releasing our debut LP. The material for the album was almost completely writen, we had it recorded as pre-production demo. We were happy with what they offered us, and they were happy with the material so we signed a deal and to this day we are very happy with that decision on both sides.

Time For Metal / Rene W.:

Now that we already heard a lot about you, so we want to know what we will hear on „Manifesto“. There are some familiar sounds from Behemoth and Vader, but also elements which we find in Nile songs. How important are the parallels to the two other polish bands and do you want to differ from them with your own style?

Northern Plague / Damyen:

We do not think about it when we write music. We don’t want to sound like some other band, nor do we want to differ from any band. We gather ideas, and when we like them we turn them in to songs that are 100% ours, and feel good for us. That’s inevitable that people will find some sounds that they already heard somewhere. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it, then again it was never a goal in itself.

Time For Metal / Rene W.:

The cover of „Manifesto“ shows a clenched fist and is held in red and black color. What does it mean and which artist helped to design it?

Northern Plague / Damyen:

It’s a image drawn by Lukasz Radziszewski, a polish artist painter, artist. He helped us to put our vision of the album, the cover into existence. We have symbols carved on the palm, they represent systems, ideologies of the world around us. Most of these symbols are quite destructive, yet they mean so much to humanity that we cannot live without them. Even if we try to fight them, they’re rooted so deeply in our society that we have no choice but to fail.

Time For Metal / Rene W.:

To get a deeper insight in the production process of „Manifesto“, I would like to invite you to tell us more about the time you were recording it. In which order did you record the instruments and did you change some things during the recording process? Is there something special about the way you recorded the album?

Northern Plague / Damyen:

We recorded the album in a quite standard way but with much attention to detail. Firstly we did the drum tracks, then guitars, then bass, solos, vocals and some extras like samples, strings, horns. Most of the music you hear was written and planned before entering the studio. I think that maybe some guitar solo concepts, or drum fills were more the things that we got to change influenced by Arkadiusz „Malta“ Malczewski who worked with us on the album doing a superb job.

Time For Metal / Rene W.:

Your long hoped-for tour through your home country and other places like Berlin in March and April 2014 was cancelled due to bereavement in the family of one of your members. How did you manage the situation as band and are you thinking about a possibility to repeat the tour on a later point of time?

Northern Plague / Damyen:

Yes, we are going to Germany in the begining of may for two shows, as for the polish part of the tour we will wait till autumn. We have some other tours coming up, so keep your eyes opened, because it’s going to be good news.

Time For Metal / Rene W.:

You are also confirmed for the Under The Black Sun 2014. Is this performance also endangered or are you still planning to come?

Northern Plague / Damyen:

Our performnce at Under The Black Sun 2014 is absolutely going to happen. No changes in that aspect.

Time For Metal / Rene W.:

Despite the sad occasion of the last days, I would like to wish you the very best for your future and give you some space to address your words to your fans and our readers.

Northern Plague / Damyen:

Well first of all thank you for the interview. Second, Northern Plague would like to thank everyone that supports and has supported us on our path. We see a definite rise in interest from people around the world in the band, so I think the future is shaping up quite bright. We will see you on shows, cheers!