1. Hey Mortifer, all instruments are played by you. Is this a choice, or are you still looking for reliable musicians to complete a solid line-up?
Hi, it is a conscious decision to make this project alone. That´s simply because alone you can fully unfurl your musical desires and ideas which would not be possible if you were in a band with more members.
2. Would we start with the origin of the project, both in terms of ideologically and musically, your aims in shaping the direction of Dark Calamity?
Black-Metal is actually the latest genre I got into. At first I didn´t even like it because it sounded strange and ugly. But all that changed with the “Radix Malorum” by Gorgoroth. I quickly learned to appreciate the disgusting and cold black-metal-sound and I fell in love with the old classics. This is also the musical direction I wanted to push Dark Calamity. It was just because of the music and it had nothing to do with a specific ideological view or anything else. But the decision to start a musical project was spontaneous. It was actually in school during a lesson where I thought: “Ok, let´s write lyrics and start a Black-Metal-project.”
3. What principles, what attitude to life do you personally represent?
I am personally a big fan of “To live and to let live”. But to be more specific: I have my own form of beliefes where I unite some aspects of Paganism, Agnosticism, Satanism and Nihilism. I think that believing in an all-loving god with all the suffering and war that is on our planet is more of an immature children fantasy because people don´t want to see the reality.
4. Let's talk a bit about the debut album, "Welcome to Transilvania" What are we going to experience between the songs?
Since it is the first time I ever wrote songs you´ll get very immature songs with rather funny and generic lyrics for Black-Metal. The only song that is leaping out is “Lauda Satanum” which translates to “Praise Satan”. It is a Latin hymn of praise to Satan himself and it stands out lyrically as well as musically.
5. Do you ever feel any kind of pressure or lack of creating new riffs when writing new material? Does everything happen more in the flow way? Do you have to be in a certain mood?
I have a very unusual method of writing songs. I write my songs always in one. Most of the time it takes me less than three hours. When I have an idea for a riff, I record the riff and then I record the other instrumental stuff like drums and keyboards (If needed). After that I write the lyrics and then I record the vocals. After that I make very few adjustments in the mixing and then I´m done with the song. That might not be the most productive way but that´s my way and I´m very comfortable with that.
6. Have you read any reviews regarding the album? Do you care about what critics have to say about your work?
I haven´t really read review because I simply don´t have professional reviews. Just a few comments from my friends. If I´d have reviews I would definitely care about them in two different ways: I would be very happy if someone would like the album and is writing a good review but I think that bad reviews are way more important because these are the ones you can learn from and only with them you can improve
yourself. I would be thinking very much about the negative reviews and comments and I would be trying to figure out how I could take them to heart and improve the next release.
7. What kind of feelings do you have at the moment when everything is done, the album is coming out, in general are you personally pleased with the way how the album turned out in terms of production and mixing?
I was very happy because I knew that I achieved something great. I was also a bit nervous because as I already mentioned I never wrote songs like that or lyrics before because I started with composing classical music. I was very curious if people would like it or not. Back in January when it was released I was very happy but in the meantime I already found some things that I would change but I don´t think too much about it because you have to start at least somewhere.
8. Talking a bit more in general, what do you find most appealing about black metal and the underground? What can the genre perhaps express more so than other types of music?
I like the pure rawness, brutality and epicness that there is to Black-Metal. I also kind of like the simplicity. I think that Black-Metal is the best genre to express feelings of loneliness, depression, despair and negative emotions the best. Speaking of negative emotions I think that Black Metal is perfect to deal with those negative emotions. All that plus a constant feel of spirituality make Black-Metal an interesting but also mysterious, meditive and evil genre.
9. What advice would you give to aspiring young musicians who want to start their own bands?
Don´t overthink it too much. Just start. And don´t do it because you want to make money. First you don´t make money with Black-Metal and second passion and the love for music should always be more important than money.
10. Whats your current equipment you play? And guitar?
I play with a very cheap equipment including Startone-drums, a keyboard form Roland and a guitar by Harley Benton.
11. How do you see the black metal scene nowadays? So many subgenres, so many bands… Where is the border between the trve and untrve?
I think that Black-Metal today is not as good as it was earlier although there are still very much high-class and talented musicians in Black-Metal today. There are many many subgenres in Black-Metal but I think that most of them are great. I love the classic Black-Metal from Norway from the 90´s. I also love the more melodic, symphonic and black-death stuff. I also think that DSBM is an amazing genre as well as Atmospheric-Black-Metal. I also think that every genre that has the attribute “blackened” in the name does only get better. There is no blackened Metal genre that is worse than it is when it is not blackened. Coming to the expression “trve”. I think that trve lies in the sound. It has nothing to do with the music of Black-Metal or any ideology. The music has to sound raw. It must have a certain amount of atmosphere, coldness and must always keep a certain thrill to it. If we talk about Symphonic-Black-Metal I think that Emperor is definitely a trve-sounding band whereas Dimmu Borgir or Carach Angren aren´t. I consider bands like Emperor, Mayhem, Darkthrone, Silencer, Xasthur etc. definitely as trve. Bands like Belphegor,
Dimmu Borgir, Carach Angren, Cradle of Filth and mid to late Behemoth are simply –as much as I love them- not trve. At least to me.
12. What is the contemporary black metal scene like in Austria? Has much changed in the last few years?
The biggest Black-Metal representation from Austria is Belphegor. Other famous bands from Autria are Summoning, Abigor and Asmodeus. Since 2011 we also have the amazing Post-Black-Metal band called Harakiri for the sky. The Black-Metal-fandom in Austria is rather small. I only know two people who are Metal-fans in general and only one of them is just getting into Black-Metal. The other one can´t really do anything with that. He has nothing against it but he does not really listen to it.
13. How is the mood in Austria these days concerning cooperation between musicians and the relationship between musicians and audience?
Cooperations are often reviewed well and for many Austrians it is very important that the musicians have a good relationship with their audience. I could also talk about some political aspects but I´d rather not because I don´t want to get labeled as something that I am not. I just say that Austrian people are often too stupid to separate the art from the artist.
14. We have reached the end of our conversation, is there something that you want to say still?
Always remind that family is the most important thing in life. Keep your fingers away from alcohol, cigarettes and any other form of drugs. Stay trve to yourself, take care and hail Satan!
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