1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
ANSWER: Greetings! Dr. Doom of Black Sun Brotherhood here! The facts are: three fucked up freaks in Sarpsborg, Norway formed a band in 2013. They called their band Black Sun Brotherhood. This fanatical brotherhood has been on a musical kamikaze mission ever since: world domination or total death!
2.Recently you have released your first full length, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style you went for on the recording?
ANSWER: Sure, the album is called “God & Beast” and it’s now out digitally and on CD via Metal Blast Records in Germany. It’s an homage to the best old school extreme metal bands ever; Slayer, Morbid Angel and Bathory. Their earliest (and best) releases are the high points of the genre of all time – no doubt - and our album is merely a small tribute to these mighty masters of the art. Does our band sound anything like those mentioned bands? Not necessarily! For me, it’s more about trying to capture the “spirit” or the “vibe” of those releases.
3.A lot of your lyrics cover satanic and occult themes, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in the dark arts?
ANSWER: It’s just incredibly interesting. I’ve always been drawn to the mystical aspects of life and death. Why? I think it’s just natural to seek answers to the great questions that puzzle us all. And the so-called “dark” aspects of life are certainly a part of the human condition also.
4.The band members also have experience playing in other bands, what is it that you bring into the music of 'Black Sun Brotherhood', that you have not been able to bring into your other groups?
ANSWER: I think our other bands have played very different styles of music, so it’s hard to say. Different musicians also. And the people who play together will always add their style or sound to a band – and in Black Sun brotherhood we have our mix.
5.The band members have also played in rock, progressive and experimental bands, how would you compare the style of extreme metal that you play to those musical styles?
ANSWER: It cannot be compared. Especially Knegg (guitar) and Lieberknecht (drums) listen to a lot of other types of music apart from metal. I do too, but perhaps to a lesser degree. But I think it’s cool to try to incorporate elements from many genres into our stuff. Its more exciting that way. As I wrote earlier, I really dig old school extreme metal, but that does not mean I am opposed to innovation/experimentation or developing our sound in a novel direction.
6.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name Black Sun Brotherhood'?
ANSWER: The black sun symbol is taken from alchemy. It was inspired by that and the concept of “nigredo”. In psychological terms, nigredo is kind of a metaphor for “the dark night of the soul” - when an individual confronts the shadow within. These types of ideas/concepts inspired the name.
7.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?
ANSWER: The artwork is by Cornelis Galle I, and it’s called “Lucifer” and it dates back to 1595. I thought is was an amazing piece and fit our album concept perfectly. The cover was then later developed by a great designer friend of ours. I think it looks fucking superb.
8.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
ANSWER: I think our first concert was the coolest one. We played with Blodstrupmoen and Execration in Fredrikstad, Norway. Both excellent Norwegian metal bands. It was a cool night. Imagine the Beatles playing live on a lot of acid in the ninth circle of Hell. It was dynamite. All the bitches wanted to fuck us, and all the men wanted to be us. A night to remember for sure!
9.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of underground metal?
ANSWER: Well, so far the reception has been very good – but it’s still early! And honestly, we have not really been very professional about promoting the band or the release yet. Hopefully we will get our shit together (we will see about that!). This day and age it seems everything in terms of band promotion happens via social media, and it’s just so boring really. Now, I am on social media myself so I am a bit of a hypocrite, but I can’t stand this increasing global cellphone addiction going on. I am very ambivalent about social media too. It has some good sides to it, but other aspects of social media are just unbelievably dull.
10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
ANSWER: We are working on a new album already – and its coming along well. I think it’s most important for us to try to write better songs and develop our own sound all the time.
11.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
ANSWER: In terms of extreme metal I like Slayer, Morbid Angel, Bathory and Carcass. Those are my favorites and they have been influential on me for sure. Other than that, I also like stuff like Mastodon, Tool, Danzig, Type O Negative and the like. More rock oriented material like Pink Floyd and progressive acts like King Crimson can be very cool also. Industrial/electronic bans like Laibach and NIN are very cool also. There is a time and place for everything. These days I listen a lot to Ghost and Chelsea Wolfe, both excellent artists, and I think I am a bit addicted to them both.
12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
ANSWER: Thank you for taking interest in the band! Thanks to our amigos in Metal Blast Records, Grand Sounds PR and the metal underground! Keep the underground alive! Also, be sure to check out our internet pages:
https://www.facebook.com/blacksunbrotherhoodnorway
https://blacksunbrotherhood.wordpress.com/
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