1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording and release of the new ep?
Hello. At the moment we are messing around with some covers of bands like Sarcófago, Mercyful Fate and Darkthrone with the intention of improving our musical skills on one hand and on the other to get something of a new approach to riffs, vocal lines, lyrics and so on. We don’t feel like writing new material at the moment so we are kind of preparing to get into the writing process again when the time is right. And of course it is always great to play your favourite songs by yourself. And maybe we can do some of them at our live shows. Time will tell…
Additionaly to that we are rehearsing for our appearance on next year’s Raging Death Date as the backband of Front Beast. It is the black metal project of Avenger of Nocturnal. It exists almost as long as Nocturnal but this will be the first Live show.
2.Recently you have released a new ep, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?
On “Where pale winds take them high…” you can hear a raw, fast, bleak and aggressive form of Heavy Metal. Of course this release has his own character and athmosphere but we didn’t do anything intentionally different here. It just turns out different as it is written and recorded in another time and place. By different persons in some extent. I can’t and don’t want to point out particular elements that may have changed over the years. This is up to the listener.
3.When i listened to the music I could easily hear first wave black metal but your music also had a different approach than what these other bands tend to go for when they play the ancient style, do you feel you stand out and offer a little bit more than some of these other bands?
When we are writing music we don't limit ourselves to anything. We never say our songs have to sound this or that way. We have a certain vision about the feeling and athmosphere we want to achieve with our music but the way this vision is realized in the end can be very different. We always try to get as much influences as possible into our songs to keep things exciting. In the first place for us but for the listener as well. I don't know if that is so much different of what other bands do but there are enough bands out there trying to sound just like Bathory, like Hellhammer, like Venom and so on. There are some great records with that intention but for us it would be too one dimensional.
4.This was your first recording in 3 years, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time frame?
After the release of “Past Midnight…” and a number of shows our original drummer left the band and we were looking for a replacement. Since our area is quite deserted in terms of quality people we didn’t find anyone. So Sascha decided to switch from lead guitar to drums as he was the only one who had at least a clue of playing drums. For some time we rehearsed as a trio but it was obvious that we needed a second guitar player to continue the path of Witching Hour we settled with the “Past Midnight…” Album. We had a friend who was playing bass at that time so we asked him to switch to the guitar and join us and as he liked the band for a long time he didn’t think twice and agreed.
So we stood there as a four piece again with a guitar player on drums and a bass player on guitar having to start virtually at Zero again. But after all it works quite well meanwhile.
5.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer music?
“About a curse of a morbid century” is about a vampire dwelling in darkness, despair and melancholy within the old walls of his transilvanian castle. The curse of immortality lying upon his soul.
“From the black crypts of fullmoon” Some black magicians are condemned to the gallows but with sinister rites of necromancy they overcome death and let the moonlight unleash the powers to be reborn.
“So I’ve choosen death” A person who is awaiting his final journey into the realms of death stands on a cemetery beholding a landscape that is in the tight grip of winter. An overwhelming absence of all forms of live.
“Long way off… in silent nights” tells the story of a girl that is attracted to the forest by some obscure lights and voices coming out of the dark woods. In the end all she finds in the darkness is a burning stake waiting for her.
6.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Witching Hour'?
We were looking for a name that evokes an athmosphere of darkness, haunted realms and untold mysteries of a morbid past. A perfect reflection of the music we create.
The fact that it is also to be found on the backcover of "Welcome to hell" builds a relation to one of the most important bands in the history of heavy metal.
7.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?
The show on this year's Raging Death Date was a killer one. We played there with the first line up already and to be back on that stage after those years with a lot of our people watching the new line up for the first time was brilliant. It was also one of our biggest and best received shows up to date.
The aim of or live desecrations is to conjure up the athmosphere and agression of our records on stage and in best case even intensify it.
8.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
No plans for an upcoming tour at the moment but we'd love to do one in the future. Especially playing in foreign countries again would be killer.
9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black and thrash metal?
We received good reactions from all parts of the world. Be it at our shows all over europe or from people that got our records. Our demo tape was released by Witchhammer productions from Thailand so there was an international aspect right at the beginning.
10.When can we expect another full length album and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
new album I also can't say anything about changes in direction or anything. Like i said above it's nothing which is planed in any way.
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?
I think everything you listen to has an influence on your own creation to some extend.
Over the years we developed our musical taste to a broad spectrum of bands and styles. It started with let's say "Kill ' em all" and spread further in both directions. The more extreme bands that came after like Sarcófago, Bathory, Tormentor, Sigh or Master's Hammer as well as the mighty forefathers of Heavy Metal like Sabbath, Priest, Motörhead, Thin Lizzy, Deep Purple, Scorpions etc. And the journey continues every day of our lives with no ending in sight.
12.How would you describe your views on Occultism and Satanism?
It's an interesting and fascinating topic which is perfect for propably every incarnation of Heavy Metal. If we use satanic or occult symbolic or imagery in our lyrics we don't do this to worship a higher might or spread any satanic philosophy. We leave this up to all those pseudo spiritualists out there. We are not interested in any religion at all. We do this in the way of old Venom, Slayer, Bathory, Sodom, Possessed lyrics to evoke a certain feeling or athmosphere in our songs.
Comparable to classic horror movies like Omen, The exorcist, The devil rides out etc.
13.What are some of your non musical interests?
I love classic fantasy and horror literature. The works of Howards, Lovecraft, Poe etc.
As well as horror movies from the 60ies, 70ies and 80ies. Forms of art with asthetics not too far away from those of Heavy Metal I think.
14.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Cheers for the interview. I hope i could give an idea of what Witching Hour is about in the lines above.
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