Darkened Nocturn Slaughtercult. Interview with Velnias.

Interview by Jay Parker

1) Tell us about DNS… Why, when and where was the band formed? Who is in the current line up?

DNS: To be honest this when/why question has been asked a tiring amount of times before. D. N. Slaughtercult was spawned back in the cold wintery months 1997. We have been doing interviews pretty much since our debut release in 1999. Basically that’s over twenty years this very question has been asked. Therefore I’ll be brief about the reason why the band was formed. It was simply our intention to call forth a band which would contribute its music to the old traditional vein of black metal. Our line-up has been stable for many years. Onielar and Velnias are two of the founding members, Horrn on drums has been with us since 2001. R.K. has replaced Adversarius on bass, who left the band for personal reasons after many, many years with us. That’s the status quo.

2) Your last release, mardom, 2019, is an absolute better, and has had great reviews all over. run us through your admirable discography...(my personal favorite is Saldorian Spell)

DNS: Well, the debut mCD “The Pest Called Humanity” was released in 1999. The sophomore release or second chapter as we would say came out in 2001. It was the first full length album and goes by the name “Follow the Calls for Battle”. Two years later a split LP “Underneath Stars of the East” was released. The next album “Nocturnal March” followed in 2004. “Hora Nocturna” was birthed in 2006. The aforementioned Saldorian Spell was released three years later in 2009. If I am not mistaken our second split LP “The Legion of Chaos” came out in between that album and Necrovision in 2011. Necrovision itself was unleashed in 2012. The latest release has been Mardom, which was late 2018 / early 2019. Concerning reviews and acceptance by the scene there has never been a bad release, however, there are of course personal favorites. Mine would be Necrovision as well as Mardom as both of these albums feature a vast variety of what a D. N. Slaughtercult song can be like without being repetitious in itself. Obviously it is not really possible to compare a debut album with something a band has released twenty years later. Each release breathes that specific moment in time. A moment that will be gone immediately after it. What I like about a band is that certain catchiness. A specific trademark that makes a band unique. Say you just know the first two albums and skip the next ones and then discover a newer album some years later. If you’re able to immediately say “hey, that’s them” than this band has done everything right. Personal I think that is something we have achieved with every album. We’ve stayed loyal to ourselves and what D. N. Slaughtercult stands for.

3) Tell us about Mardom… When and where was it recorded? How was the experience? What inspired the album?

DNS: The recordings for Mardom started some time in 2018. We’re not the type of band that rents a studio for some weeks – we usually record an instrument for some days and continue at some other time. That definitely slows done the recordings but allows us to really get what we want. There is no need to rush things or make any other compromise. Our producer Armin Rave has recorded all of our material starting with The Pest Called Humanity. Actually that was his and our very first recording. With every new album we returned to his Soundsight Studio. Due to this longtime relationship as friends and musicians it is a very relaxed and productive atmosphere. That’s defi- nitely the experience you get out of multiple recording sessions. Necrovision was the first album with a pre-existing concept. Mardom as the successor takes the idea of the necrocosmic vision yet another step further. So to some extend Necrovision was the inspiration for Mardom.

4) Tell us about composition... Who writes the songs? How do you do it? Do you write together? What is the inspiration behind the music and lyrics?

DNS: It is not really important who is contributing what within D. N. Slaughtercult or for that matter if one person is composing everything or not. Creativity can’t be forced. That’s not how it works for us. So, whoever has an idea is certainly allowed to introduce it to the rest of the band. For instance, nowadays it is easy to do a complete arrangement even without being able to play drums. So, we are always starting with a rough composition arranged for the entire band and moving on to adjusting it with the actual band members during rehearsals. So, in the beginning there is a secluded moment which represents the actual process of stirring up the ocean of tranquility – which is the entry point into the source of inspiration and thus also creativity. Usually the music stands before the lyrics are worked out. The scrolls of lyrical enlightenment have always been equally important, however, especially during the last albums we have put more emphasis on the very shape of the lyrics. It is shifting more towards an anthology of Occult prose.

5) What inspired your sound? Which bands did you listen to growing up in Poland/Germany? Is it strange for you when bands today cite DNS as an influence in their sound?

DNS: The common denominator is Scandinavian Black Metal a la Emperor, Enslaved, Ancient, Immortal, Ulver and so on. Of course referring to their early works. Due to our origin and personal background there are other bands like KAT, Slayer, Kreator and the likes that definitely had an impact on our decision to pick up an instrument. Idolization is a normal process growing up. It is usually defines our personal standards and regulations sort of our own codex of behavior. Perhaps behavior is not the right term for it. It is more something that we value for what we think it stands for and thus justifies our personal beliefs. Having someone say “hey I started my own band because of you” is truly flattering. To inspire means igniting the fire within someone for something that you yourself literally burn for. That can only be achieved through passion and sincerity.

6) As musicians, when did you start playing your instrument? Do you play any other instruments?

DNS: Onielar and Velnias more or less started playing guitar at the same time sometime in the mid-nineties. Horrn has been playing drums for ages. He started in the 80ies. We’re sticking to our main instruments – there’s still plenty of stuff to be learned and mastered. Therefore, there is no need to learn any new instrument.

7) Which tunings do you use for recording? Which guitars/bass/ effects/amps do you use?

DNS: We have been using solely standard E-Tuning on all but albums except Mardom. Mardom features two songs which are tuned down a whole step. Our guitars were made by ES Guitars located in the US. Unfortunately they are no longer manufacturing any instruments. Concerning the equipment you need to differentiate between live and studio settings. For live performances we’re using Engl tube amps as well as Engl preamps. Lexicon is our choice for a slight reverb. Aside that there are no effects. Studio wise we’re trusting our producer. Soundsight Studio is definitely equipped with some high end equipment.

8) It would be impossible to interview you without mentioning Onielar. She is a symbol of inspiration for all female black metal musicians around the world. Tell us about Onielar... What is she like? How did you meet?

DNS: Personally I think Onielar is not just an inspiration for female musicians. It is crazy what kind of fan art you can find of her. What is she like? Well of course she is always the same screaming and blood spilling banshee on and off stage. Jokes aside, of course the artist is one side of her personality but as simple as that - just one side. Our paths crossed in the currently ongoing life span back in 1996 or 1997. I had moved back to Germany from the US and started looking for possible band mates to form a black metal band. Concurrently she and Ariovist (drums on The Pest Called Humanity) were looking for a guitarist. They saw my posting at a local music store and decided to meet. Their first impression of myself nearly lead to them leaving before we even talked. It was very interesting to find out all the details what each of us really thought of the other when we talked about it many years later. Anyhow, from there we grew together both as musicians as well as companions.

9) What is your opinion of the current black metal scene? How do you think it will evolve in the future? What new bands would you recommend for our readers?

DNS: That’s something we never really cared about in all these years. I mean we all have our favorite albums – it is impossible for any other band to top that. It is our favorite album for specific reasons. It is a time capsule. Nothing ever created after it can capture the same spirit. Of course there are great albums being released even nowadays but for some reason they are not as exciting anymore. They are missing nostalgia.

10) What are DNS plans for the future?? Are you writing/recording new material? When will it be released?

DNS: That’s difficult to say. Before the still ongoing pandemic situation we started rehearsing post Mardom material. Currently to some unforeseen events everything is put on ice. For the moment everything is uncertain. Let’s just leave it at that.

11) Do you have any advice for up and coming guitarists/bands that are reading?

DNS: It is an advice in general not just for upcoming musicians. Be authentic and sincere.

12) Do you have anything you’d like to add?

DNS: Not really, this interview has been a welcome change to the otherwise monotone daily routine… thanks.