Dark Funeral, the great band from Sweden is finally back with new material! Four covers and one new song has been recorded and will be released as a MCD, entitled "Teach Children To Worship Satan". We've heard the covers as well as the new song "An Apprentice Of Satan" and this song is just great and in the typical Dark Funeral tradition. This is what Emperor Magus Caligula had to say about it as well as other things...

Interview by Whodan

 

Quite recently Gaahnfaust decided to leave Dark Funeral. What's the background for his departure?

 

Emperor Maus Caligula

I think it was many reasons why Gaahnfaust left the band. He didn't want to play live so much, and put more of his time into Dominion Caligula instead. He also got a new job that will take even more of his time, but if there are any other reasons you have to ask him...

Ok Gaahnfaust, tell us why you left Dark Funeral then...
It has nothing to do with my new job actually, I simply wanted to take a break from playing live, and that Dark Funeral should concentrate to just write new material for the coming album, but the others wanted to continue to play live at the same time as writing new material and then it's best what happened. When Dominion Caligula's debut album will be released during spring we'll surely play live and that's something I look forward to very much.

Again Caligula speaking, have you found a replacer yet?
No, we are still looking. We have a few guys in mind that we will try out, but we haven't found anyone yet.

 

Anyway, you have recorded a new song "An Apprentice Of Satan" that will be on the MCD "Teach Children To Worship Satan" together with four cover songs. What can you tell us about that song and the MCD in general?
It's a typical DF song I think, it has everything a DF song should have in it. But it's a bit longer than any other of our old songs, so we have too see what people think about that. The cover songs were to be released on different tribute albums over the world, but when No Fashion heard the material they said that they wanted to release it insted.

The cover of "Teach Children..." will actually be something one perhaps didn't expect, a picture of Ahriman's daughter with some computer effects on! How did that idea come about?
I think it is a lot of "folk öl" behind that idea, no seriously, I think it looks cool. I mean why should we put shit loads of money on a cover for a MCD, that will end up looking exactly the same as all other bands.

It's almost two years since "Vobiscum Satanas" was released and it doesn't seem as if we'll see a new Dark Funeral album within the nearest future either. Why does it take you so long to complete an album?
Well we have had some problems with line-up changes since "Vobiscum...", and I think that I have to admit that we have been quite lazy. It also take a lot of time because we don't want to release something that doesen't sound like Dark Funeral, we have also been touring alot lateley. But we are working like demons now and hopefully we can start to record in the beginning of next year.

Don't you think there is a risc that people might forget about Dark Funeral when having such a huge gap between the releases?
They might, but when we come back. WE will strike the earth even harder than before. That is always a problem with big gaps between the albums, but I don't think that fans will forget about the strong bands.

It seems like it's only Ahriman who is making the riffs today. Doesn't Dominion provide with any material?
Dominion writes music for DF as well, he takes a riff with him to the rehearsal room, and we might change it a bit but still it's his chords.

There was some talk that you should release a gig recorded in the States as a live album. What happened with that?

 

We recorded all the gigs we did in the states, but the sound equipment were very porely. It was impossible to get a good sound, we decided not to release any of those songs.

I also read in a newsletter from House Of Kicks that the show in Uppsala eventually should be released on video. What is happening here?
It will be a live video of the song "An Apprentice Of Satan". It will be available on the MCD if you have a computer to down load it.

Your debut MCD will soon be re-released through No Fashion Records. What will be special with this re-release then?
That it will be available again??? No actually I don't know. That's all Ahriman and Blackmoon's buisness, I'm not involved at all.

You mentioned Dominion Caligula before, which is a new project of yours besides of Dark Funeral. What lead to the creation of that?

Lord Ahriman

 

Well we had some new material that Dominion made, it didn't suite DF but it was too good to throw away. I was working on my project Caligula but weren't getting anywhere, since Dominion is one of the most talented guitar player I know I asked him if he wanted to join the band. So a one man project turned into a 2 man project, and when he was doing all the music I didn't want to be the only named in the band. We decided to call it Dominion Caligula, we recorded our fullengt album in the beginning of November in Abyss studio. It will be released shortly on No Fashion Rec. We are now a full band as well, since we took in the old members of Obscurity and of course Lars "captain ass" Johansson.

The material I've heard could to a small extent be compared with newer Hypocrisy. Any other bands music you think could give a fair description of what Dominion Caligula's music is about?
Some stuff might sound like some other bands, but I haven't found one category to fit the music in perfectly yet. We slide over from one style to another, so it's hard to say. But of course Hypocrisy is a good band, their latest album is a fucking killer.

What are the lyrics dealing with in here?
The ancient Roman empire, the time when Caligula was in power. It's quite a lot of porn in the lyrics, Caligula was a wierd man, powerfull. Let them hate him, as long as they fear him.

You just returned from Abyss studio in which you recorded your debut album. What is there to say about it?
I want everyone to find out their own opinion, anyone who think it's another D.F album will be dissapointed. It does not sound like Dark Funeral, the only thing that can be linked to DF is the members and the vocals.

Your album will be out through No Fashion Records. But weren't you supposed to have it out on Pavement first?
Yes, Pavement wanted to release it at first. But No Fashion didn't want to let go of it, and they gave us a deal we simply could not resist.

How serious are you about this project then?
Nowdays I don't see it as a project, we are a band. It was a project at first, but the development of our music and style, is far to good to be called a side project.

How did you get in touch with your second guitarist Lars / Blacksmith? You told me he turned down an offer from King Diamond so obviously he must be quite a good guitarist then!
He is one of the best in Sweden, we are very lucky to have him in the band. He has added a great deal of input to the band.The song that he made by himself is one of my favourites "Drink The Royal Seed (Fellatio me scrotum)" He is also the sound engineer for DF live as well as Hypocrisy. Lars "captain ass" Johansson rules.