The Norwegian industrial metal band has throughout 28 tracks given us a scenario that doesn’t bring much light the human kind. The band’s trilogy is violent, destructive and scary conceptually speaking. The music is not scary, but rather incredibly heavy and brutal, kicking in your teeth, punching in your guts and leaving you with less hope, if you ever had one. Kristoffer Oustad replied to Imhotep’s questions!
Now, tell us, why did you choose to come up with a three-album piece of destruction conceptual creation?
”The whole idea of doing a trilogy was a result of massive brain storming and a bad hung over. However, when we finally sobered up we thought the idea was brilliant, so we decided to give it a try. We had already settled with the name V:28, and being addicted to numbers and cryptic messages, there was no option but to make a trilogy divided into 28 tracks. Numbers rule the universe!”
When you begin such a creation, knowing that it’ll end with 28 tracks, hence the name V:28 (probably origin from V2 if I’m not mistaken), how did you work in order to develop while at the same keep the atmosphere of death and destruction?
”The fact that we have been working with the trilogy for about five years makes it easier to incorporate the element of development. I think it would have been much more difficult do succeed in making an interesting trilogy if we would have recorded everything at once. If you have the same sound and too many of the same elements on all records you’re missing out on one part that is essential in this trilogy; progression and transformation. There are many approaches to death and destruction, and we’ve been very focused on approaching it in a balanced way. The distance between life and death, creation and destruction is minimal, and both are necessary to make the other one stand out and to give the listener a reference point.”
Did you by chance have the ending in mind right from the beginning?
”Yeah, the ending has been in my mind from the very beginning, and I’ve been working with different ideas for the ending track since back in 2003. I was pretty determined how I wanted to illustrate the end of the World, but getting these ideas down on ”paper” wasn’t as easy as I would have hoped. But with a lot of work I think we made it as close to my visions as possible. There’s also a few links between the cover, the logo and the last track for the intelligent listener to reveal.”
You’ve used a drum-computer/machine, and I guess the standard prejudicing towards such an instrument has reached your eyes and ears. In what way have the use of this contributed to the V:28, compared to if you’d used a humane drummer?
”Yeah, if I got 5 cents each time I heard or read something about it, I would have been a millionaire by now. The metal scene is very narrow minded, and each time something new is introduced to the scene, it’s met with a lot of prejudice and a lot of people claiming it will ruin the scene. I mean, if there would be no such thing as musical evolution, we would be listening to the same record over and over again. I’m a fan of mixing different genres, and as long as the result is great, I see no point in just doing what is expected from you. Using a drum computer definitely has its advantages and its disadvantages. For V:28 the advantages are in absolute majority. Back when we founded V:28 we were working towards a more mechanical and industrial sound, so using a drum machine was a natural choice for us. Also the fact that there’s a big lack of competent musicians in our region made it an easier choice to make. I would agree that a drum machine wouldn’t fit any band, but it’s all a matter of the whole package. If you play militant and mechanincal sounding music, a drum machine can be a blessing. Other genres, especially pop and synth based music, has been using drum machines for ages, so to me there’s no point in not them in metal as well.”
You didn’t think of asking HellHammer to join your crusade? He’s competent and does drums for a band here and there?
“I think V:28 is the only Norwegian extreme metal band that Hellhammer never played in, and we like to keep it that way, haha!
Seriously, if we were to recruit a human drummer, he would have to be very dedicated to the band. Seeing that most drummers are playing in at least two bands makes it harder for them to do a whole-hearted job with each band. Not only Frank Sinatra did it his own way, we did as well, that's why we chose machinery before humanity!”
On the final part “VioLution” you invited some guests to do some parts here and there. Why?
“Having guest artists participating on an album has more or less become a tradition for V:28. It's very inspiring to work with other artists, and to some degree it makes you wanna push things even further and twist your mind a second time to fulfill you vision. What I really like about working this way, is seeing how other artist interpret our music and add their trademark to it, yet remain the typical V:28 sound. Even though we have had a lot of different artists participating on the "VioLution" album, i think the over all feeling is very uniform.”
The most significant guest this time is Garm from Ulver-fame. In a twisted way I’m not sure he fit into the track though, but maybe it’s just my head. Nonetheless, was it important that the contributors left their sign on the parts they did? I mean, it’s noticeable which track Ghost joined…
“Yeah, the parts that the contributors did their job were very important for the outcome of the collaboration. We pretty much left that job to the guest artists, and in some cases we discussed it back and forth. However, it shows that they have a good understanding of what we're doing. I think the parts where both Garm and Ghost did their vocals were very natural parts for them to do it... What surprised me the most, was how they did it. I guess none of us in the band could ever have thought of arranging the vocals that way, yet it sounds very natural how it was done by them.”
The music is very heavy, and ranges from somewhat uptempo to midtempo to sometimes slow. How do you write having the dynamic approach in mind, both songwise and albumwise?
“Yeah, having a dynamic approach to the music is essential. Some might say I spend too much time thinking about the band and working on the compositions, and I guess the continuity of the albums is a result of that. Whenever I sit down composing music I don't have any specific ideas about how the song will turn out. Composing is a long process, to some degree the same process a good whisky goes through, only in a slightly different time scale, haha! We don't work with and deadlines concerning studio, release dates, etc, and that is a great way of working. The compositions aren't finished until they are finished, and you know when you've nailed the last detail.”
A track such as “Surrender To Oblivion” begins with a somewhat ambient beginning, being really slow, before it speeds a bit up with the probably best part on the new album, after 1.20 minutes. Catchy and really cool, as well as fucking brutal despite the melodic use of vocals, if you see what I mean. How do you view this, like me now ripping a track apart pointing out one small part of the track? Wouldn’t you prefer that people considered the whole?
“Well, I catch myself doing the same things form time to time, so what can I do? Even though I like people to see the songs as a whole, I think it's great that some parts stick out, especially when different people point out different parts. I choose to take that as a huge compliment, knowing that we must be doing something right.”
My favourite track from the new album is “Surrender To Oblivion”, because there’s so much atmosphere in this song. And it’s really dark, methinks. In what way do you regard the parts without guitars contra those that contain these instruments? I mean, with the guitars it’s more heavy, while without it’s darker in my opinion… The last two and a half minutes are dark, and bear promises of something bad to come…
“I equalise both parts. One part is giving a meaning to the other, and visa versa. The ambient parts has become more and more important over the years, and I think it's a great way to make an album more varied and interesting. The compositions of V:28 are also built on a certain atmosphere, and sometimes other instruments that the basis of metal is required to fabricate that certain atmosphere. There are also a lot of connections between the lyrics and how the song is built up... the closing words are also supported much better with the ambient closing part.”
Do you search for the same atmosphere in every track? I raise this question because I feel that even though each track has its own identity, there’s a choking, claustrophobic atmosphere all over the place. In example, “Desert Generator” contains a kinda of submarine-sound every now and then, which creates to these ears a sublime, claustrophobic atmosphere…
“Well, let me put it another way - I think the atmosphere in each song is related to one and others. The albums are based upon a certain concept, so naturally a lot of the same elements are to be found in each track. However, I think each track stand out as a unique composition and to some degree the atmosphere. Each track is to describe a different event or interpretation of the apocalypse, so we use different elements to underline what we want to communicate to the listener. The sounds you refer to in the song "Desert Generator" is a good example of how we create different atmospheres to fit each composition.”
(This question is answered by Eddie Risdal) You’ve done a few shows, and from what I’ve read the audience is content, right! Besides the three of you and a drum-machine, what can we expect from a V:28 performance? Just industrial metal, or perhaps some video going on as well, like Enslaved has done with much success?
“Since some people always seem to complain about the fact that we don't have a drummer on stage (and we also see that there is a certain visual drawback), we have experimented on adding some multimedia instead. It is of course limitations when it comes to where we can use such, as we don't have an own projector, and also many venues don't have it. Therefore, with our sporadically concert schedule it really doesn't pay off that much to put down a lot of work in a background movie that maybe won't be used more than one time. On the other hand it sure adds that little extra to the show when it's done the right way. As we're three persons with much of the same sick humour we're also trying to apply that to the shows in some or another way.”
The sound on “SoulSavior” is in my opinion just as good as on “VioLution”, but it’s different. There’s not as much power, but it’s rawer, if you see what I mean. How has the response been to the second album? Did people catch it, understanding that it was “The Two Towers”, especially since you had track numbers from 11-19, if I remember correctly?
“The production on all of the albums differs, but the compositions are also a bit different, so doing a different production for each album was just something we felt was right. It's all about progression and evolution, so we had to bring that down to a production level as well. The response to all albums has been great, but due to a lack of distribution and promotion, I guess there's still a huge market for the album. We have been very clear in stating that the second album was a follow up to the first one in press releases and on the albums themselves. The album covers and how they are built up also show a strong connection between them.”
One element that has improved, is the drum-sound, no doubt. And that’s probably the main reason why the latest album feels heavier while “SoulSurivor” rawer. Apart from the sound the whole of the albums are quite similar, as should be since it’s a trilogy. But my favourite from “SoulSurivor” is perhaps surprisingly “Infected By Life”, where the track turns almost into some techno-metal after 2 minutes. I like these kind of turns in the music. How does people respond to the inclusion of techno-elements in your way of metal?
“The response to these kinds of twists and turns varies a bit, but the over all response is definitely positive. It seems like most of our listeners are quite open minded, which is a great advantage. Not only when listening to V:28, but also when listening to different music and being exposed to new things in general. On the other hand you have the true metal elitists that are very narrow minded and seems to be stuck in a small and rather uninteresting world.
There are many similarities between electronic music and metal, at least the way we choose to perform it, and being a fan of electronic music myself, it feels very natural to incorporate elements like the one you mention. In the end it's all about expressing yourself and doing what you like... Artistic limitations have never been an issue for V:28, and we cross any border to reach our goal.”
If we think if a possible destruction of the earth as we know it, do you in any way think that it’s Mother Nature that’ll strike back at us since we’re destroying her? Or perhaps possible war between China, Europe and America? Something closer to the scenario in Orwell’s “1984”?
“It all depend on what you mean by Mother Nature. Its inhabitants do a lot of harm to affect its "behaviour", and at some point I'm sure it will strike back. The climate is changing for the worse, but whether or not that is caused by mankind or not isn't for sure. However, one way for Mother Nature to control the number of inhabitants is causing nature disasters and epidemics. But when it all comes down to how a possible end of the world will take place, I'm sure that mankind is the cause of it. The tension between the eastern and western hemisphere seems to increase by the minute, even though we experienced that the Cold War ended about two decades ago. The real enemy is the global network of terrorism, but it's not easy to point them out. A new enemy with no steady resort that might strike from within is a relatively new problem, and it calls for new methods and understanding of how this world is complied, with different cultures, values and standard of living.”
You name terrorism as the real enemy. But, isn’t indifference even worse, because indifference makes nobody doing anything? And in combination with the Western society’s inhabitants’ incessant desire for more and more, in terms of money and materialism, I fear that indifference and this hunger for more and more is really destroying humanity in the long run, and the soul of humanity in the short run – thinking of humanity as a whole…
“Yeah, but I guess terrorism is a result of the ever increasing difference between the Western and Eastern culture and standard of living. In a well organized society I guess it would have been much harder to recruit people to join these extreme groups. Indifference is also an important source to the increasing differences. A human life no longer has a value compared to the cause one is fighting for. A soldier or human life is just a remedy to reach your goal. I guess it has been this way for centuries, but the dignity has been removed from the battlefield.”
Fear is the killer of minds, but is also a creative monster behind a lot of art. Why the destruction of the world as we know as the main theme of the V:28 trilogy? Howcome you don’t use your energy to create something that betters the world, thinking of themes?
“I've always had a certain fascination for doomsday prophecies and the different approaches to the end of the World. It's an event that has preoccupied humanity since its birth, and it's very interesting to see how different religious movements has used this for the better of their income and controlling a mass of people. Anyway, in combination with a fascination for metal music, it seemed there was no option but to apply this theme to the music I made.V:28 don’t use too much energy promoting death and destruction, we're just here to state the situation of the world and a scenario not too distant into the future. The Apocalypse has been booked, and we've got the best seats to witness it... just sit back and enjoy, as there's nothing you can do to prevent it from happening!”
In “Pattern Of The Weak” there’s an opening line that goes “repetition failure ambition pattern of the weak”. Which makes me think of our society and the world in general! Do you think that humanity (the weak!) will learn from our mistakes? I mean, after World War I there was World World II, and today there are perhaps more armed conflicts than ever, especially since we in the West (US of A specifically) think that everybody should do as they do, with their so-called democracy!
“A quick look into the history books should give you a good answer to this, haha! But yeah, to some point it seems like humanity is stuck in some kind of loop that never ends. The conflicts have pretty much been the same since the dawn of man, only renewed with new weapon technology. However, I think the world faced a new challenge in the beginning of the 21st century, when global terrorism was properly introduced.
Will we learn? No, it seems like we're stuck in this loop forever... as long as there are certain differences between people and no tolerance towards other cultures and religious believes, the conflict will remain unsolved.”
We cannot avoid the tremendous video you’ve done. Tell us all the dirty details? Was it much work to finish it off? And did you use playback when you were playing what we can see in the video itself?
“Thanks! I guess we owe it all to a grout of three students that made this video as a part of their bachelor degree. We gave them a few guidelines regarding the story and what we wanted to express, but the rest is pretty much their work. It turned out amazing, and it's a quite new approach to a metal video. I know they worked with this video 24/7 for about three months, and I think you can tell from the result. And yeah, we did use playback when we did the shooting for the video. However, I would like to state that we worked our asses off, or should I say necks. Constant headbanging for about four hours isn’t' really my cup of tea, so I guess you could imagine how we felt the day after, haha! Nonetheless it was a great experience, and it's great to have a video that visualizes the concept in such a detailed and brilliant way.”
How do you view the industrial metal scene? Does it get the recognition it deserves, or are the listeners alienated by the harshness in the music compared to the more comfortable releases out there?
“The industrial metal scene is definitely among the smaller subspecies of the extreme metal genre. Despite a much higher density of quality bands than compared to black and thrash metal, I don't think the genre gets the recognition it deserves. I'm fully aware of the fact that a lot of the industrial metal bands has a more harsh approach to the music and that it requires more from the listener to fully comprehend the music. Of course this isn't unique for the industrial genre, but I guess there are a much higher potential for the industrial music out there.”
...read older interview with V:28 HERE...
www.v28.com
www.vendlus.com
Composed by Roy Kristensen