NOMINON (Eng.)
– Hello, thanks for answering to our questions. What are you currently up to? How is everything doing right now with NOMINON?
PERRA: I’m OK, thank you. Right now we’re rehearsing for the upcoming release party that we will have in our hometown Jonkoping, Sweden, together with UNLEASHED December 15. It’ll be one Hell of an evening.
AC:At the moment we are preparing for war as we are going to do a show with Unleashed. Right now everything is cool with Nominon but I am sure there is a shitstorm around the corner waiting.
-You have always had plenty activity and have unleashed a great amount of EPs, split albums, etc. so, could you please give us a rundown of the material released and the activity you have had since your previous «Monumentomb» came out?
PERRA: Since the last full album “Monumentomb” that was released in 2010 we have released three split EP’s, one with KOMMANDANT from The States (2012), one with EXORCISM (2011) from Germany and one with GRAVEYARD (2012) from Spain. All bands are kick ass friends to us and we are really pleased with the outcome of those split EP’s in general. We also released one 7” EP entitled “Manifestation Of Black” last year through our American label DEATHGASM RDS. Now we’re focusing on the new album “The Cleansing” though.
-You also released a split with the Spanish DM band GRAVEYARD, featuring cover songs of CANDLEMASS. How did everything go? And do you know any other Metal bands from Spain?
PERRA: As I just said, all the split’s turned out cool and to do something together with our brothers in GRAVEYARD was fucking killer. The CANDLEMASS cover turned out as planned and the cover art and everything is just top-notch. Of course I know plenty of bands from Spain, classic ones like BARON ROJO, but also newer ones like DECAPITATED CHRIST, KÖRGULL THE EXTREMINATOR, ERED, THE INSULTERS, ATARAXY and the brutal old act AVULSED. I know most of them also in person since I have been to Barcelona a couple of times. I like it there and have many brothers and sisters in the Catalonia area.
– In fact GRAVEYARD’s Javi mixed and mastered your new album at his Moontower Studios in Barcelona. Are you guys satisfied with the result obtained?
PERRA: When the album was recorded up here I flew down to Javi in Barcelona and we spent one week mixing and mastering the album at his MOONTOWER STUDIO. Everything was just so relaxing and it felt like we really managed to do the best out of the recorded material. We’re extremely pleased with the result, and I think (and hope) that we will be able to record something at MOONTOWER STUDIO with Javi in the future as well. We’ll see?!
AC: Javi did an amazing job with the material, Perra told how much fucking pain in the ass he had to take mixing it. I am totally satisfied with the philthy sound, it´s Death Metal.
– Now you have just released your latest album, «The Cleansing». How has its feedback been so far? And what are your expectations on it?
PERRA: It was actually released TODAY, as we speak, October 31st. So, as you can imagine we haven’t got that much of feedback yet. Besides a couple of interviews and a few smoking HOT reviews. It seems as the people out there finally realise what sort of a band that NOMINON are. We are not another fucking clone of all the old-school Swedish bands, we have heard so many times by now that we sound like GRAVE, UNLEASHED, DISMEMBER etc etc… It’s like people doesn’t get it, doesn’t listen. And it has been like this for years and years. This new one is our fifth album and FINALLY people seems to understand that we are doing our own thing in more ways than one. NOMINON play Death metal, but that doesn’t mean that it stops there, we are eager to bend the rules and boundaries and explore new fields within Death Metal. With this new one I would say that we have taken things beyond even our own imagination.
AC: I have only read the review in the swedish mag Close-Up so far. Those that I have played the record for have all been loving it so thats cool. I am not worried that people wont like it. I hope that “The Cleansing” will fill my pockets with so much gold that I can retire. I hope it will take us on tour so we can hang out with those loyal to NOMINON.
– In fact you unleashed this new opus on the October 31st; was it on purpose?
PERRA: Not really, no, it was our label DEATHGASM RDS who brought that to the table. It’s a nice day to unleash some brutality on though, so it’s all for the good.
– This is your first full-length piece with Henke and Alexander. How has everything been? Anyway they have already done some other material with the band.
PERRA: They are both involved in the band as much as the rest of us. We composed the album as a band more or less, which is a great feeling. It’s mainly Christian, Alex and Juha who is the main riff-writers and I tell them what’s wrong or right. Well, not really, but we arrange all the songs together as a legion pretty much. Henke and myself wrote all the lyrics for the album, but it felt better to write on the album that all music and lyrics are by NOMINON, especially since we all sorted out everything from scratch; From the riffs, to the beats and rhythms, arrangements, the lyrics, to the finalization of the songs.
AC: Playing with those guys is really inspirational. They are great at what they do.
– I personally think Alexander has brought a lot to the band, specially more of those Thrash doses in some riffs and he fits perfectly the inherent’s diversity of the band.
PERRA: Alex is a kick ass guitar player, and you do have a point that he might have brought a bit of more “Thrashy”-vibe to some of the songs, but on the other hand he can be held mainly responsible for a song like “Unholy Sacrifice”, and that my friend is nothing but pure Death Metal.
– In fact if «Monumentomb» was a step further into that diversity, I think this new effort goes even further. I guess evolution is something important for you as it seems to be a constant process for NOMINON but, is this variety something important as well?
PERRA: I wouldn’t say that it’s important for us, but yet it comes natural. We like to push the boundaries and make it a bit more spiritual and interesting I guess one could say. Evolution?! It’s just who we are really and if some people enjoy it, that’s great.
AC: Well if you look at the line up you will see that there has only been a solid one between “Terra Necrosis” and “Monumentomb” (not even that one, since Daniel left before “Monumentomb”). So with all the members that come and go there will be a natural process in the sound changing. I personally prefer the hateful, philthy evil riffs so thats what I try to write. But we mix what we feel like, we are NOMINON so we do what we want! Fuck the world.
– I could say you manage to get it with a great technique and more complex compositions compared to other Death Metal bands still without taking your honesty away. Is this something easy to achieve? As, unfortunately, nowadays honesty or passion and technique or thought out structures seem to be opposite terms in music.
PERRA: It’s not easy to achieve, it’s something that has grown and developed over the years. We have worked really hard at times, to do things our way, even if that means that people won’t get it at all. The most important thing for us is to play Death metal that we enjoy playing and listening to ourselves, and as I previously stated, if anybody out there enjoy our shit that’s just a bonus. After all, if would have been struggeling to become a successful band than I think we would have split up many many years ago. Even if we hadn’t any label that released our albums we would still be recording demos you know. The best thing we know is to write the songs actually, to rehearse, to compose, to breathe in the energy and necrotism in it.
AC: Thank you for that, I dont see us as technical band but more like a ABC riff-band. But you are right, some things are pretty demanding especially for Perra. I want fast grind and double bass drumming all the time when I write songs. I can come up with really weird structures that sounds perfectly right in my head but when Perra and I try it out it just dont work, if he cant play it its just too fucked up cause he is the best fucking drummer. We play what we want without any thought of being some amazing virtuoses, there are bands out there that can have that labelling and thats cool. We just want to smash your face and destroy your lives with our music.
– I also believe this is your darkest and more intense CD to date, in fact you have always had a really dark sound, but it seems until this «The Cleansing» your focus was more on evolving in sound and songwriting terms instead of soundscapes, and with this plus of atmosphere you’ve gained a better final product. Was this something you were striving for? As we can almost touch the atmospheres on the record, and makes the whole album have more passion.
PERRA: It’s really cool to hear that you enjoy the album, and that you understand what’s going on. Yeah, “The Cleansing” certainly are our darkest and most malevolent work to date. It just ended up that way, it wasn’t planned. I think it had also a bit to do with the fact that we chose to record it in another, and more locally based studio, than the previous four albums that was recorded in Stockholm. The songs are a bit more in-your-face this time around as well.
AC: You have noticed things that I have not thought about, maybe you are right. The atmosphere I think come from the fact that the recording was really honest, there were no fancy studio with all the fucking machines to help you out. The final result was way over my expectations, Javi and Perra did a great job!
– On my eyes it’s obvious you are more influenced by American Death Metal than European DM, anyway there are also some European or Swedish nuances, besides Black or Thrash details and I’d even dare say some Heavy touches as well so, what are the main musical influences behind this record?
PERRA: The main influence for “The Cleansing” is the hatred towards most of the humans that are walking on this earth, towards mankind, to the plastic fake garbage fucking people that are not even worthy to walk on this planet. Musically I think you’re right, we do enjoy American Death Metal more than Swedish or Scandinavian Death Metal in general, because most bands over here turned into some fucking stupid Death n’ Roll or whatever they call it. Ridiculous. Take a look at IMMOLATION, INCANTATION, AUTOPSY, MALEVOLENT CREATION etc and you will get a hint of what we enjoy listening to at home.
AC: Everything I write is under the influence of hate for the filth called mankind. It´s no joke, everything is based on pure hate. You are right with the american DM influence, I am glad you said that because most people that interview or review us assume that we are inspired by swedish stockholm bands. I can tell you that it is Not so, I personally don’t care about those bands.
-I’ve seen you have a show with UNLEASHED on December 15th but, do you have any other live plans? Will you tour in support of the new album?
PERRA: The show here in Jonkoping will be more of a release-feast for the new album. It’s bloody cool though that we have got UNLEASHED to play the same night with us, and also support coming from newcomers DETHRONE. It’s a smaller venue, with a capacity of 400 people, so I am certain that it will be sold out. We do have other plans for next summer, a few festivals and shows. NOMINON will also celebrate 20-years as a band during 2013, so expect more insanity to be delivered from us very soon.
AC: I really hope we can go on tour, it has been too long since last time. I hope we can work it out because it is really frustrating not to go play live and meet our friends and get drunk! I am so fucking ready to go.
– And besides this, what are some of your other near-future plans?
PERRA: For me personally, I’m involved in some other bands that I will be playing some shows with in the near future. We will continue to rehearse and write new songs with NOMINON as well, we already got one new song finalized, really intense stuff. We will just continue to work, that’s what we do.
AC: If we dont tour I believe that we will continue writing songs. And there is a video to be recorded, it will be produced by Daniel Garptoft and that my friends is really cool!
– That would be all. Thank you so much for answering our interview. If you now want to add the last words to it, last lines are yours.
PERRA: Thanks for the interview and support! Hope you had a great time reading this one folks, and that you understand a bit better now what sort of band NOMINON are. We have got plenty of Merchandise available, so check out our website www.nominon.com to see that, or just to get further information about the band. Or find us on other alternative websites, and contact us if you feel like it. Hail the hordes!!
