Enthroned Mindview oct1997

Here, in Belgium, there's no one who isn't familiar with the name Enthroned. This frosty Black Metal band from nereby Charleroi has its roots in ancient black/death-acts like Blasphereion and Morbid Death and surprised every one with an excellent demo in 1994. Two years ago, when they released their debut 'Prophecies of Pagan Fire', you could easily hear that Enthroned was very interested in the fast Scandinavian black scene and after laboring and battling very hard they signed a deal with Blackened Records from England, early this year. Everything was going very well until just before they were going to enter the studio to record their second album, fate struck them since drummer Cernunnos committed suicide after a very depressive periode (where for we want to support Enthroned again). The others continued and after one week they already entered the studio to record their 'Towards the Skullthrone of Satan'. To gather some information we talked to Sabathan (vocals/bass) and we were interested in how they managed this all in such short periode.


"We had to enter the studio that fast because our recordingperiode was arranged already a long time ago and it was to late to change it. We worked with a sessiondrummer whom is close to Nornagest. The recording went very well despite all tragic events but we managed to deliver a very good result. We're very pleased with our work and in the mean time we gathered a new drummer: Blackthorn, an ex-drummer of Blasphereion and Morbid Death. We're working very hard during rehearsals to pass him into our new songs and the same time we're working on a sodom-cover, 'The Conqueror'."

I suppose it was a very hard job for the sessiondrummer to learn all the new songs within one week?

"We were lucky to still have a rehearsaltape with Cernunnos and once in the studio we analyzed the tape and wrote all the drumparts down. The sessiondrummer worked with a drumcomputer-click to go with the rhythm and afterwards he read all the parts from his papers. He's very talented, because he got his drumlessons in the States, at the same school as Dave Lombardo. So, he didn't have much problems, re-playing the drums. He learned it all in only four days!"

Enthroned with Sabathan in the middle

Did you enter Hautregard studios again?

"For sure, 'cause this is a fantastic studio. Besides everything went much smoother now then the previous time, because we had twelve days to complete all recordings and André Gielen did again a very stunning production. The result is 'crushing'!!!"

How does it feel to work with him (André Gielen) as a Black Metal band, knowning that André become famous with bands like Channel Zero?

"He has no problem at all for entering the studio with a black metal band, because he is simply a specialist in all metalgenres: thrash, death, hardcore, black… it doesn't matter to him. In addition, the Hautregard Studio is the best in Belgium because all available machinery is focused on metal music."

Tell us a bit more on you new CD, 'Towards the Skullthrone of Satan'?

"It contains nine tracks plus intro and outro. They sound a lot more personel and are better played then our debut, how ever we even sound more brutal then ever before. Even some backing vocals are done by Cronos from Venom, because he's an cousin of Nornagest! All tracks have been written by our new line-up, with our guitarists Nornagest and Nebiros. We're not only sounding more original the before but we also added a touch of old bands like Morbid Angel and Possessed. You'll hear our progress when the album is released in September."

Enthroned's no longer under the French Evil Omen Records, but you moved to the english Blackened Records?

"They were interested since our debut and proposed us a very decent contract for three albums. Concerning distribution and promotion, they're doing a much better job here then Evil Omen because the second is very small and ain't doing anything as promotion but Blackened is a part of the big Plastic Head which has the same impact as Nuclear Blast or Century Media in Germany."

Any plans to go on quest as promotion for you album?

"Normally, we'll go on tour with Emperor in November or December, something we would really love to do. These plans are still proposals but if everything works out, this would be incredible for us."