ENDEZZMA (Eng.)
– Hi, thanks for your time. What are you currently up to? How is everything doing right now with ENDEZZMA?
Hi. I’m sitting here and dealing with some band correspondence, like answering to your questions. It’s been and still is a busy period for the band preparing everything for the release and we just shot a video for “Junkyard Oblivion”. Busy, but that means things are rolling.
– First off, as you are about to unleash your debut album; could you please make some history of the band?
It was back in 2006 that I decided to bring back my old band Dim Nagel from the dusty oblivion, but time past and thing’s changed so I decided to change the name into Endezzma. I asked Trondr Nefas to join me and help me out creating the world of death and gloom that should eventually dominate the band. We made the EP “Alone” and did some gigs and festivals around and started to work on material for the “Erotik Nekrosis” album. Unfortunately, due to a lot of mysterious challenges it took five years for the album to see the light of time. Quality before quantity became our language.
– And what does «endezzma» mean?
Endezzma is a state of death.
– All of you are also playing in other bands so, is ENDEZZMA a stable band or just a paralel project? What does ENDEZZMA provide you other bands can’t?
Not everyone in the current line up is playing in other bands for the moment, we all have the full focus on Endezzma. Those of us having other bands on the sideline still have Endezzma as their main band with full priority in the band. Endezzma is a serious colossus to be reckoned and far away from a occasional project. Endezzma provide our soul’s with the dark truth, bringing us closer to our inner darkness, which is essential for us to survive.
– In fact we could say you are an «undergorund BM all-star band». Do you think this can be a double-edged sword? As I guess it may be easier for you reach more people but, on the other hand, people will always compare ENDEZZMA to some of your other bands and will demand more and more from you.
In fact people, press and media can call the band whatever they want or categorise us however they like, it really doesn’t matter at all. The fact there are individuals that already have a “name” involved in the process probably draw some extra attention, and like you mentioned it make the expectations be on maximum. Of course people expect more from us, since we inherit such experience and have years of history in the scene, but I think that’s just natural and actually just how it’s supposed to be. We have a very high standard to ourselves as well. I think I’m my own worst criticiser; we only make the cream of the crop reach the surface. We’re strong and know how to deal with expectations; it’s the name of the game.
– As I said, you will son release your first album after several delays. Would you mind to shed some light on this? How long has the album been recorded?
First of all, when we started to make music for this album we did not stress or exactly rushed into any timeframe or timeline, we just slowly started to roll the wheels of damnation. We recorded some demo versions of the new songs, tried them out on stage, made some corrections and recorded again. We also faced some studio difficulties, at one point all our recordings where lost and we had to record again, beside we worked a lot on the sound and the mix, took our time. We also had some personal things going on that made the process stay on hold for awhile. The album have been done and ready for a year now, but since we really have serious intentions wit Endezzma and wanted to fire the band back into the scene with a real blast, we wanted all pieces of the puzzle to be in order and the timing to be right before we released the album.
– This record is entitled «Erotik Nekrosis» so, considering is your first full-length album; what are your expectations on it?
Considered that it by terms is a debut album we expect nothing less than if it was our second or third album, we have delivered and recorded what we think is an epic journey into the darkest rooms of death, if that’s the place for you to go have to be up to the listener to deicide. I can just repeat what I said earlier, we have high demands to our musical capacity, so the expectations are thereafter.
– Into the overcrowded Scandinavian Black Metal scene overall and into the Norwegian specially, what could you say are you bringing new to it?
I think Endezzma stand aside to most of the band in that mentioned scene and any other scene. When it comes to atmosphere and lyrics we present such a genuine truth, it’s all about generating a certain “feeling” and make the listener be able to be absorbed by that certain feeling. We are building up a tool to make the listener fall into an exact landscape which explains we’re we live and in what air we are breathing, we are cheering our personal darkness with you! I think most bands of today’s scene just have a superficial view upon music and their artistic behaviour, they just want to be part of a band and get their music released, no matter if it’s crap or not.
– Anyway I think ENDEZZMA focuses quite a lot into the atmosphere and creating intense soundscape rooted on the good old Norwegian Black Metal. Is this certainly something important for you? As some bands nowadays seem to just concentrate in creating fast material.
This question is much rooted into the one above. Yes, atmosphere is important for Endezzma, letting the atmosphere draw the musical structure into new a direction. On the other hand we never sit down and decide to make a fast or a slow song, the road is created while we walk it. I like the intensity in music, that’s what makes the listener be aware of the music with a different conception and mind, if the intensity is genuine the result often is outstanding.
– Though you have a traditional and honest sound, it caught my attention the production on the album, as it’s quite clear but not overproduced or mechanized. It has a certain old school vibe but not with a poor demo sound. Was this what you were looking for? Are you satisfied with the work done by Robert Blix?
Based on your characteristics it seems like we nailed it pretty good. That’s just what we wanted, we didn’t wanted a blunt and messy sound, but a clear, distinct yet not overproduced sound, and still be able to maintain that certain old-school atmosphere. Blix did a good job, but also our guitarist Thomas spent quite some hours in the studio creating that exact sound from the very start of the recording process, I think the result is outstanding.
– And conceptually; what do lyrics on this effort deal with?
The lyrics are a personal document of inner darkness, human disturbance and eerie transcendental emotions. It’s an honest guided tour through my morbid corridors of darkness.
– On the other hand, the cover artwork was crafted by Alexandr Balinets. Would you mind to elaborate a bit on this (what does it reflect, how did you find the artist, how did you work on the artwork, etc.)?
Yes, the cover image artwork is made by Balinets.I think i came across some of his earlier work and found it appealing. I had a clear vision of what i wanted and he tried to draw the image out of my mind, he made me some sketches and I made corrections and after some rounds back and forth we came up with the end result. The booklet itself is pretty much made by me and Northgrove, or the Beastcraft mastermind, Sorath.
– This album will be released by Agonia Records. How did you hook up wit them? And how is everything working with them so far? Anyway, considering the bands on their roster, it seems to be a fitting label for a band like ENDEZZMA.
I know Filip, the Agonia boss for many years. We released our first Ep at Agonia and choose to try out the album there as well. We have only sign a contract with Agonia for “Erotik Nekrosis”, that leave us the option to see how things work out before we deicide anything for the future. We will see if we will stay there or not, we have some serious interest from other labels as well. But it’s all pretty much up to Agonia; if they want us to stay they do a good job for us now, easy as that. So far things looking good and they are doing their job. Yes, Agonia looks like one of few labels that expand instead of wither away. I don’t care much of which other bands are signed there, I care for the job the label can provide for my band.
– All tis about «Erotik Nekrosis» being said; how could you describe it in just 3 words?
Classic, Morbid, intense
– And finally, what are your near-future plans?
We just finished shooting a video for Junkayard Oblivion, the video will be ready for public viewing 1st december. We will soon enter studio recording some tracks for some special vinyl releases such as a split 7” together with Taake and some other rareities.We’re working on touring Europe start of next year and in general we are for the moment booking shows throughout next year, so things look busy but good.
– That’s all, thank you once more for answering our questions. If you want to add some final words; feel free to do it.
You are all a disease, a disease that gives life through Endezzma!!
