Nephren-Ka Interview

1.      Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days?

Well, after releasing Revenge and Supremacy on Great Dane Records, we had many gigs in France over the last 2 years to promote the EP, at the same we've also worked real hard to come up with new tracks. To release our latest album, we decided to sign with Kaotoxin Records, a very hard working label when it comes to promotion and whose boss Nico is really dedicated to Extreme Metal.

The Fall of Omnius was recorded and mixed by Geoffroy Dury and then mastered at Hertz Studio in Poland and it will be available on 3 September, and to be perfectly honest with you we're eager to have people listen to it.

2. How would you describe the musical sound of the new album and how
it differs from the previous recordings ?

Though it is the logical continuation of Revenge and Supremacy, The Fall of Omnius is somehow different, we still play fast and rather brutal Death Metal but you will find more old school parts, heavy bits that add a little atmosphere and give the music a darker side, with also a few Black Metal structures aiming in that direction.

Actually, the main difference now is that the musicians really immersed themselves in the universe of Dune for the writing of the songs. If I dare put up the following parallel: Nile's debut album had a few Egyptian elements here and there but it's only on Black Seeds of Vengeance that their Death Metal transpired Egypt. I sincerely think that the end result is more personal and that our influences have been incorporated, that we did finally come up with the Nephren-Ka sound, at least so I hope…

3. The song lyrics are based on the Frank Herbert Dune novel, can you tell us a little bit more about in your interest in this saga and also do you have an interest in the film adaptations  of the novels'?

I did bring the Dune virus within Nephren-Ka, but Sébastien, our guitar player became so infected with it that he now knows almost more about the whole saga than I do...

Everything about it interests us, be it the 6 books written by Herbert or the works by his son on the genesis of Dune and its prequels, and a good part of the concept of The Fall of Omnius is based on his works. I still must get Hunters of Dune and Sandworms of Dune written by Brian Herbert and which end his father's saga.

I am also unconditionally a fan of David Lynch's movie, which is just as strange and mystical than the original books are, even though it may have a few weak points and also by today's standards some kitsch feel to it, it has it own charm: just like Darthrone's approximative sound is actually their main strength.

4. The band was named after a demon in the Lovecraft novel's, what are
the things that interest you about this author?

Lovecraft's world is an evil universe where reigns crawling terror mixed with paranoia, the Chtulhu mythos is particularly brilliant in the genre. Nephren-Ka simultaneously pays tribute to Lovecraft and his black sorcerer and to Nile (a band we all appreciate) who used the name in their debut album.

5. What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and
how would you describe your stage performance?

Opening for Napalm Death brings very nice memories, also the gig with Cephalic Carnage, Exhumed and Diluvian (hail Trivette and Bubu!) was also a fantastic concert. Besides those, we enjoy each and every time we're on stage and we give it our all, it's on stage that you can see which band has bollocks, not hidden behind an array of effects that make them sound better than how they actually sound.

When it comes to stage performance, it's not our place to judge ourselves but rather that of the audience. Anyway, we're not here to deliver the same exact song with each note rendered just like on CD, live gigs should have a soul and be the vector of power most and foremost.

6. Do you have any touring or show plans for the new album?

We will play “home” in Clermont on 5 October as a release party for the album together with local and young Death/Black act Lyreside as well as with fellow label mates Antropofago. For the future, a few dates with other bands from the label are being looked on as well as some other things that I will talk about when they actually come true.

7. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by
fans of death metal?

We were actually really surprised, reviews were almost always positive with R&S, and the only negative feedback we garnered was about the drumming being too snappy and the fact that it was too easy to pinpoint our influences, which I can logically accept but which will not be as blatant on The Fall of Omnius. There are still some people stuck in old school Death Metal for which our Death Metal will always sound too modern, but overall fans of Blood Red Throne and Bolt Thrower should enjoy it just as much as fans of Hour of Penance and Hate Eternal. Anyway, otherwise I wouldn't want to be in the band any longer,ha ha ha…

8. Are there any other musical projects going on these days/

Alex (bass) plays in many Jazz bands, Sébastien writes Doom/Stoner songs once in a while but our main project remains Nephren-Ka.

9.What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?

Who knows? Still don't expect Deathcore or German Power Metal at all....

Nephren-Ka is a Death Metal band and shall remains so because it wasn't created to be original at any rate or to come up with a nice label just like advertisers do when they want to draw your attention rather than trying to sell you a quality product.

Still, everything tied to Black / Thrash / Doom may be incorporated in Nephren-Ka's sound, speed and violence are our main interests but our concept also requires darkness, atmospheres and heaviness to convey Dune's mystical universe.

10. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your
music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

We could cite Hate Eternal, Origin, Behemoth, Incantation, Angelcorpse, Immolation and Hour Of Penance as important references of our common background.

On a more personal level, Alex (bass) and Thibaut (drums) listen mainly to brutal and/or technical Death Metal acts. Sébastien and I (mostly I) are more into old school Death Metal, that's also the singular thing about our music since we mix up all of these influences.

Nowadays I listen a lot to old Heavy Metal (or more recent Heavy Metal just played old school) like Manilla Road, Atlantean Kodex, Magister Templi, Running Wild, etc… When it comes to Extreme Metal, the latest releases by Blood Red Throne, Wormed and Suffocation really kicked my ass but I could also tell you about Infinity, Master, Evildead, Horna, Skepticism, Azarath or Polluted Inheritance, to which I listen regularly.

11. Outside of music what are some of your interests?

My wife and kids, my job, alcohol, gigs, football/rugby, a lot of things to manage…

12. Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?

Yes: thank you for your interest in Nephren-Ka. Be ready, the Butlerian jihad will sweep the universe and purify it. You can buy the CD here: http://shop.kaotoxin.com/product/nephren-ka-the-fall-of-omnius-cd