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1. Can you give us a brief intro to the band?
Hello I'm Dolk, the singer and founder of the Norwegian
band Kampfar. This year Kampfar have been together for
17 years, So it has been some years in this so called
"Business".
I had a very clear vision about the outfit and how Kampfar
both should sound like and be like from the very beginning!
I named Kampfar's music back in 94 for "Norse Pagan
Folklore Metal" and to me no one has never been
coming up with any better explanation or labelling of
our music since either!
The main idea behind it all is just as simple as that
I really wanted to do something more real and honest
work in this music scene than these tons of "evil
kind" of bands with no substance!
With Kampfar I wanted to create something that is 100%
real both to myself as a person and musician!
So to me Norse pagan folklore is still the whole ground
principle for Kampfar's music.
2. Musically, what would you say your main influences
are?
Nature, Black Art and History.
3. Tell us about your upcoming/present album/demo
releases?
Where to begin! I have been living with Kampfar for
almost 17 years now. Mare (The new album) is the next
step. For 16 years we/ I have been doing something safe.
We had water to our knees at the most. With "Mare"
We swim in the ocean. With "Mare" we re-define
our black metal roots. Mare is everything but safe.
"Mare" is black metal anon 2011. Old school
witchery in modern sound and cover art with honesty!
I think maybe one of the main things of importance for
me/us this time was to differ even more from the so
called "Folkloric" band around. As explained
earlier. In the very start back in 94 I called our music
"Norse pagan folklore metal" Cause to me at
that time that was just what it was. (And I still think
it is) But today this term is somehow destroyed due
to those "Happy metal" bands around. We don't
want to be compared to that kind of metal cause Kampfar
have never been about that. Mare is maybe or hopefully
a new sharp knife edge that differs us from the "Happy
campers"!
The album is a direct conflict towards or between Christianity
and witchery. Or more correctly what the high priests
thought or claimed to be was witchery. It's very Northern
historical but also a huge Hail to the strong women
in our history who walked their own way! It's a thick
red line from start till end of the album lyrically
this time.
The album itself is more witching and devilish than
ever before and it's a fresh remember able sting for
the Northern historical people and Christians if I can
put it that way.
The album was recorded in Abyss studios with "Peter
Tagtgren" as producer.
4.
What are your upcoming tour plans?
We will start our European tour in May and end it in
June, then its summer festivals during the summer. In
September we're heading for the States and Canada on
another tour so it's looking good.
We're playing Nottingham 30.5 and London 31.5
5. Where is your favorite city to gig, both in terms
of playing and visiting?
That's a very hard question to answer, cause all countries,
cities and crowds have their own special things. But
when we talk about special gigs I guess I have to mention
our first gig in Paris on our tour in 2006, that was
special. This was our first time in France at all time
in fact and the organisers of the gig was nervous about
if there would show up any people at the show. So they
booked a really small club "before this" strip
club called "Le club". During the show the
place was so fully packed with people so people stood
on top of each other in there and all the way out in
the street actually. The street where filled with people
actually. So that was quite special indeed.
6. If you could go out on tour with any band, who
would it be?
Morbid Angel or Immortal I guess. Just for personal
reasons really!
7. Have you ever suffered an onstage/tour related injury?
Others than puke`ing like hell backstage twice before
running out on stage again to do the rest of the show,
I have been lucky enough to avoid the huge scandals.
Even though I almost got skinned and burned during our
show in Wacken Open air last year. When the flames from
the pyro techniques was taking new directions than it
was supposed to do by the outdoor winds and gently burned
my chest. Without injury though, luckily!
8. What's the funniest thing that's ever happened
to you on tour?
Hmm.. Funniest? Well a lot of funny things have happened
during tours of course. All from being dragged out of
bed in the middle of the night in the tour bus by female
border control in Poland, where they almost stripped
you naked, while they had a smile on their face. Another
funny situation was back in 95 when the cops stopped
our bus in Germany. One of the crew members didn't have
a legal passport so he was hiding under the bed while
the cops searched the bus, another cop related situation
was also happening in 2009 during our Europe tour. After
we somehow trashed a bar in Germany and some pottery?
The only problem was that the bar was next to the local
police station so that also had a funny ending…
9. What are the best / worst things about being in
a band?
Kampfar is much more than just audio files and tabs.
It's Family. And family will stick together no matter
distance and problems.
That's why I'm not afraid of loosing the spirit or magic
in this band. It's something that's growing inside.
And we know what we are and where we are coming from!
I think maybe this whole "family" situation
is the reason why we have been so stabile so far. No
one is more important than thee other. And all this
is of course of big importance and one of the best things
about being in this band. The worst thing… well
its maybe the lack of time to do other things. My mountain
trips as an example have been more seldom these last
years, due to a lot of work with Kampfar. But hey..
Kampfar is my life… So I can not complain.
10. What's your personal poison of choice?
Single Malt…. Pure and simple!
11. Which band / album do you love but know you shouldn't?
Haha…. Maybe my David Bowie collection would surprise
some people? Haha… I guess that must be it.
12. How much wood would a woodchuck chuck, if a wood
chuck could chuck wood?
More than it could bare.
13.
Any last words?
Follow the Ravenheart!
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