Here you can find a special polish version, promoting gig in Warsaw.
Skyforger is a Latvian folk/pagan metal band,
founded in the year 1995 in Riga. By this time, they’ve got quite big audience
on the scene, spreading the Baltic metal music amongst the fans. In this
interview Peter (vocalist and guitarist) talks about band’s history, cultural
heritage of Latvia, modern pagan metal scene and some other things. The
interview is really long, but also very interesting, so I hope you will make
it! Enjoy.
1. Hail! First question will be light-hearted,
just for a good start. Tell me about two albums that you have bought lately and
made on you big impression.
Hello Nasu!
Well, I
recently got album by our local punk legendary band Inokentijs Mārpls – “Pupu
mizas”. They started out in mid 80-ties and just recently released this third
album. At some point I also was playing in that band hehe. They recently won
our local Gada Balva Awards (similar to Grammies) as best rock band.
But in
general naked truth is that I (and many more of my countrymen) don’t have much
money, which could be spend on buying albums or vinyls. My payment is
considered here as total minimum to barely survive and thus it all goes out for
food and flat and things alike, where the rest , what little is it, I spend on booze and cigarettes. But that’s
not big deal for me – money and wealth have little importance in my life.
As back to
your question – I have friends, who buy albums and give me to listen. I am one
of those, who listens music mostly on mobile telephone on the way to work and
back. As for two albums – I am very critical on music and there are very few
albums lately who can bypass my critique to impress me. But to name two, they
could be two latest Absu albums and Asphyx’s “Deathhammer”, oh well and Venom’s
“Fallen Angels”, though it is from 2011.
2. Ok, let's start the right interview. Firstly
I would like to ask you about the roots of Skyforger - why did you found this
band? You were playing previously in the death/doom band called Grindmaster
Dead, and few years later became a pagan metal band. It was because you have
"suddenly" discovered interested in Latvian mythology, or because of
more and more growing fascination about this?
I think the
second is true. We were already into historical lyrics, but then I thought -
why we, as Latvians, are singing about medieval Europe while we have our own
history and traditions? And that’s why we changed everything in band – name,
lyrics and music style also. We tried to start anew, with this new concept and
ideas.
3. Ok, I will ask you about a scene and paganism
later, now let's talk a bit about your music. Demo "Semigalls' Warchant"
and your first LP, "Kauja pie Saules". From musical side they were
more black metal than folk metal, as it on your modern stuff. Why is that? I
read somewhere that (as I remember) Norwegian scene had big influence on your
music, is that true? What do you think about modern Norwegian black metal
scene?
Yea, that’s
true – we were pretty much influenced by this new black metal stuff at that
time. I was into other styles before. At start it had fresh ideas and
aggression we lacked so far. But at same time we didn’t want just to copy it in
our music - that’s why we tried to join it with some Latvian folk melodies and
metal riffs in Skyforger’s songs. We were constantly looking for our own way to
play black metal. Unfortunately as we know black metal all soon became
mainstream and that wasn’t way for us.
Today I
don’t follow Norwegian black metal scene anymore – it lost its grip long ago.
The old leading acts became boring or changed their style and new bands just
try hard to copy what was already done or play boring music - at least it is
boring for me. It seems that every style in metal genre went this same way –
even pagan/folk has become mainstream today.
4. Aggressive music needs also brutal lyrics -
they are more or less about wars between Order of Teutonic Knights and your
ancestors. How do you think those events influenced Latvia as it is today? Do
people in your country know and care about their roots and history?
Those events
changed a lot for our nation. If Baltic crusades were never happened, who knows
how it would be today for Latvian people - maybe there would be all different
now. Also these crusades stopped our natural evolution as nation and put us
into decline for centuries under German (and later Russian) occupation.
At those
old times our people were free and warlike, we had our own culture and were
just few steps behind central Europe, but suddenly it all was stopped and
destroyed. That’s why that period of time is so important for our people. You
can read more about those crusades in my blog http://history.skyforger.lv/
More or
less Latvian people of today know something about these historical events, but
do they care? I think majority don’t care - especially in this century of
cosmopolitism. But then again, there is still enough of those, who still have
great interest in history and own roots.
For a small
nation like we, Latvians, are, such things as historical heritage, traditions,
folklore and language are very important, because without them and without
keeping them in our hearts we are going to be extinct!
5. Your another album, "Latviešu strēlnieki",
could be shock for all those fans of folk metal, which love lyrics about
"brave Viking which is proudly fighting" hehe. It is about Latvian
soldiers fighting on the fronts of World War I. Why have you chosen this
subject? Is it because Latvia won freedom after it? You know, this topic seems
to be as important for Skyforger as your pre-Christian history...
It is a
long story, but I try to make it short. I was reading a lot of books at that
time about Latvian history and somehow I came across one book which told the
story of Latvian Riflemen in World War I. I knew a little about those events
from school time and never really had serious interest in that period of time.
But when I read that book, it become like a true revelation! I was so
overwhelmed and fulfilled with Latvian Riflemen topic, that I had great urge to
make an album about them “right now”!
I remember
how I was persuading my band mates to change lyrical topic in such drastically
manner, but finally they agreed and we made such album.
Latvian
Riflemen are a legend for our nation and there simply has no other way for
Skyforger, but to have an album dedicated to them!
6. " Pērkoņkalve" was much calmer
than everything you have done before. Why is that? I heard that it's because of
lyrics - they were about Latvian mythology, not about wars. So have you written
all those lyrics before writing a single song?
You are
right about lyrics – the Latvian mythology was main topic of this album and
that’s why songs were not that aggressive and with greater folk music influence
than before. I think every Skyforger’s album is different each from other –
mainly because of lyrics of specific albums and also because we don’t want to
do the same thing in a same way again and again. If it is once done, then it’s
done and we are moving on.
Maybe it
could be confusing for you to hear, but I write lyrics always when all music is
already done or even after songs are recorded in studio! The thing here is,
that when we start to write music for a new album, I have concept for whole
thing already in mind and keep it always in background, when composing songs.
Then I listen to the songs and after my imaginations and feelings try to write
lyrics. But as I said I have the main concept always in mind when writing riffs
and putting them together in songs. In a simplified example, if there will be
something about battles, I try to make some aggressive and fast song and later
after listening to it, write down fitting lyrics. Maybe weird, but that’s the
way I have always worked.
7. And later, in 2003, you released the
strangest thing you have ever made (hehe). "Zobena Dziesma" is in
100% folk album. Can you tell me why you have released this material under
Skyforger's name, and not as a side-project?
And what's going on with this statement: "This record has been
released with the support of the Culture Capital Foundation of Latvia".
This is the organization bounded with your government or something like that?
Also, I know that many people ask about it, but let me be the next: do you
planning to record another folk album?
We released
it under Skyforger name because folk music was always part of our band. I mean,
in all our heavy albums there are some folk tunes. So idea was why not make one
whole album like this. Latvian folk music is a great part of our culture and
for a band, who are making albums about Latvian and Baltic history, it was fine
opportunity to present to our listeners another piece of our Baltic heritage.
Also I
think it helps to people understand how serious we are about what we are doing,
that Skyforger isn’t just another mainstream Viking metal band singing about
beer, trolls, Odin and jolly polkas hehe.
Culture
Capital Foundation of Latvia is a government made council, which financially
supports various musicians and artists here. Of course the sum they gave us was
small one; this was few hundred euros for studio costs. And the rest we covered
by ourselves. But better this than nothing at all! But the truth is they gave
us money because they saw that we had a good aim and why not support it. Our
government still has that programme and everyone with good intentions can
apply.
As for
another folk album - only time will tell. In fact, we’ve got some folk songs
already recorded, but not enough for a full album, but if I will have some
time, inspiration and ideas, then yeah, why not made another folk album of
Skyforger!
8. Could you recommend some folk bands from
your country and abroad? How big is your interest in this genre of music?
Sure, I
have great interest in folk music – how could we otherwise sing those songs and
recorded folk album?! I also listen to some medieval music too.
There are a
lot of folk music groups in Latvia and Lithuania and in times when we resisted
Communist regime and fought for our freedom, folk music and bands who performed
it was a great inspiration for our people then.
One of
greatest is band Iļģi, especially their early music, when they were more to
folk roots than nowadays. Now they are experimenting a lot and using more
modern instruments in their music. Then there is Grodi, Vilki and Vilkači,
Trejasmens, Skandinieki and many more bands. The good site to see more about is
our local folk label Lauska: http://www.lauska.lv/
9. Ok, and now let's talk about
"Kurbads", your last album so long. This is a conceptual album about
a man called Kurbads. Is he a mythological person, or did you just make him up
and bounded with Baltic mythology? What was your intention in showing Kurbads'
story?
“Kurbads”
is our fairytale or legend, so the main character here is some supernatural
hero, like for example, King Arthur, Irish Cuchulain or Sigurd/Siegried from
Niebelung saga.
There is a
long background to this story, but in short our intention was to introduce
people with our Latvian legends and fairytales. Everyone knows (ok, maybe not
everyone) about Norse sagas or Knights of the Round Table, but none knows of
such existing tales from Baltic lands and that’s why we made Kurbads.
When we
were young boys there was even a great book and cartoon movie made in 80-ties.
10. "Kurbads" is again more
aggressive album (even if not so aggressive like the firsts releases). But I
can also feel the influence of, well, hard rock? You even covered an old Latvian
hard rock band's song, called "Kurbads (!)". Do Opus Pro means any special
to you?
You are
right, we were very influenced by old good heavy metal when wrote Kurbads. It
was also intentional, because I felt that such an epic tale will go fine along
with some heavy metal riffs. As for Opus Pro, it was great heavy metal band
here in Latvia, when we were young. They had this song also named Kurbads and
we thought why not made cover of this long forgotten song and include at the
end of our album. At the time it carried a hidden message inside. They also had
some more great songs back then and also with meaningful lyrics against
Communism regime, but today this band do not exist.
11. I also heard that you are working on the
new album. Can you tell me something more about it?
Our new
album will tell about Old Prussians, the third Baltic nation, who was defeated
by Teutonic knights in 13th century, their lands were occupied and themselves
they were lately exterminated or germanised.
In those
times they were most advanced of Baltic people. Prussia also was main pagan hub
with archpriest settled there. Old Prussians took the main blow from European
crusaders and made a bloody stand against them, almost till the last man!
Today as
they are no more, many of Latvians and Lithuanians know nothing about them and
that’s why we are making such album.
Right now
we have all music composed and preparing for studio. And as always I need to
write whole lyrics yet. There will be 9-10 songs with one or two folk tunes
included. We will even try and sing some in Prussian language, which is not
used for centuries as you can guess! There are maybe 1 person who know this
language a little bit here in Latvia.
If
everything will go sound and fine, there will be new Skyforger album out in
autumn/winter – we hope so very much.
12. To sum up band's history - what were the
brightest and darkest points of your career over these 18 years?
All in all
the darkest times was always those when band was on the brink to break up. When
someone left the band or threatens to leave, or when there were no new ideas
and people started to felt that there is no future for band anymore. This is
the hardest thing – to keep band together through the years!
And the
brightest moments always are those when our work is well received, when people
come to our concerts and they say how they like our music. It is great impulse
to continue and then you feel that your hard work was not in vain.
13. What do you think about modern pagan/folk
scene? Don't you think that there are definitely too many bands which play it
and don't really care about the past and the pagan spirituality? For many of
them it's just a "cool topic"... Also, have you noticed that mostly
these problems concern western bands, while eastern bands (like you for
example, Kroda and others) take it more seriously, they talk and write much
about it and they want to follow pagan values in their own lives?
As soon as
pagan and folk metal became mainstream, it lost its value. And as soon as it
became mainstream, then there arrived a lot of bands and organizations who
tried to make some profit out of it. At
one point I felt like now everyone is singing about Vikings, starting from
heavy bands - and ending with death metal bands.
Unfortunately
the big “thanks” there goes to fans, who blindly support and buy all this
polka, beer and Hollywood Viking crap.
If years
ago metal music was something like protest against mainsteam pop culture, then
now it almost became part of it! Unfortunately same tendencies can be seen
almost in every art lately. People don’t want to think themselves anymore; they
fall in for cheap shiny things to have fast entertainment and then move on to
next thing.
And there
is also answer why eastern bands are more serious than western ones – because
they don’t have this mainstream music business approach yet. Though I don’t
know for how long it will last ‘cos more or less their eyes are set on west
anyway.
But then
again there are still a lot of great and serious western bands out there too -
of course most of them are in underground, not the ones who are constantly
rotating on magazine covers and big festival line-ups.
14. What are your thoughts about religion - do
you find it negative or positive? Do you believe in Gods and practise religious
form of paganism, or do you just follow the pagan values in your life (like
honour, courage, honesty etc)?
I am not
religious person; paganism for me is more like philosophy of life, wisdom of
our ancestors. I’m also attracted by mysticism, magic and superstition which
surround these things. But it is very complicated.
Look,
paganism is part of our European culture, piece of our nation’s heritage and
that’s why we must carry it in our heart. Christianity tried hard to tore it
out and forbid paganism, but it is ours and it is very bad that European people
declined their ancestor religion to give a place for some religion, which came
from far south, from Judea!
Also I see
it that there is no way to turn back those times and make paganism as main
religion for Europe again – it is simply gone! The people of today, who live in
cities or industrialized country are very very far from how it was for our
ancestors. People can try and pretend, but it will never be authentic. But I
very sympathize and support everything, which keeps these memories of our pagan
religion alive, because as I said it is part of our history and culture.
15. What is a situation of paganism in Latvia?
Is it strong?
It is
widely accepted here, because as I said above it was/still is part of our
culture. Pagans no need to hide in Latvia nor are they somehow otherwise
suppressed. There are those pagan festivities, like summer or winter solstices,
which are celebrated on nationwide scale.
Many of
those traditions are taught to children along with our folklore in
kindergartens and schools. Here it all is more like “that’s our Latvian
culture” than simply old pagan religion; I mean - it is not religious at all.
Sure there
are also some people or groups, who perform rituals and give sacrifices at
sacred sites (we have a lot of such sites here still standing), but they are
minority.
16. About Christianity - what your thoughts
about it? What do you find especially dangerous in this religion? Or maybe you
just don't care about it, and you don't have any antichristian views?
I strongly
stand against Christianity! Their time has gone - we are not in middle ages
anymore! The truth is that Christianity is just a hotchpotch of many ancient
pagan religions, garnish with later century’s ideas and philosophy.
But the
main thing why it is here is because of Roman Empire, which took this new
religion and turned it into official tool to keep people down and brainwash
their minds. Christianity was forced upon Europeans by the ruling caste, which
followed Roman trails.
Christianity
did so much wrong to mankind through centuries that if there were any sanity
this religion must be forbidden now! How people can hypocritical talk about
Nazis and their crimes, while say not a word about Christianity.
If today
they said sorry about what happened, then in same way Nazis can say sorry too!
This is such hypocrisy. This religion is alien to European people and has no
place here anymore! But no, it is still here and still brainwashes simpletons’
minds, take money from their pockets and even try to influence politics.
17. Nowadays there are more and more people
which become atheists. They break up with Christianity, but they don't find
anything that can be a fundament in their lives so they are getting more and
more depressed and/or immoral. People don't care about anything than money, there
is more and more divorces etc. Why do you think this is happening? Can we blame
technology (especially internet) for getting people more and more alienated
from the real world?
I am happy
to see how church and Christianity is losing their grip over people of today.
That’s mean people started to think more by themselves. I don’t believe that
human beings need any religion to fulfil their life or become happy or
whatever. What they need here is education! But if education is only about how
to get better job with maximum payment, then no wonder that they care only for
money and wealth and nothing more.
In my youth
(and it was in times of Soviet regime!) I was taught about comradeship,
honesty, of how great it’s to help or defend your friends and values like that.
There were indeed a lot of such movies made for kids and youth on TV. Imagine
that the Soviet communist system tried to teach its youth such things!
And what is
today? I see that there is nothing left of it – it is whole new and different
world. Of course race for money was always there, but nowadays it is on hyper
level. If you can’t catch along, you are left behind, become depressed and
lost. I bet if they will teach children that without money there are some
greater values in life, the situation could be different. But then again there
are enough of educated people, who can think by themselves and that’s just
great - only they are still in minority…
18. Ok, now let's talk about everyone's fav
topic - politics. Firstly, I heard that Latvia is very indebted, so the EU get
it a proposition: they will forgive you a part of your indebtedness if you will
take more immigrants from Asia and Africa. What do you think about it? And what
your thoughts about massive immigration in Western Europe and politic of EU?
In fact,
politics are on bottom of my interests. About this proposition - this must be
some kind of bullshit. Economy is growing, Latvia has already started to pay
back our debt and there were nothing about forced immigrants from Asia and Africa,
you are misinformed, friend. We still have very few of them here. [oops, my bad
– Vladyka]
But yes, as
every European, I watch this massive immigration with great worry. And I don’t
think that soft democratic system is in guilt here. I bet as always there is
something shady going on behind the curtains. And I feel that it have close
connection with what is going on in Palestine now. People get massively
brainwashed by ruling caste again for decades. They play their dirty games as
always and we just simply continue to believe everything they told us. Or even
worse! We know what’s going on but remain silent – and I mean Palestine again.
I simply
refuse to believe that European governments are mild sheeps and so stupid to
allow such immigration without any restrictions and all just in name of
democracy! And where was this soft democracy when they attacked Iraq?
As I said
it is all the game and there are great puppet masters behind the curtain
leading this game.
19. I know that you have a big problem with Russian
minority, as they don't have citizenship even if they are something like 25% of
whole society. Can you tell me more about it?
Yes, sadly
there is such thing here. There is many of Russians who live here, but are
disloyal to independent Latvian state. And with them we have some problems.
They are constantly instigated by secret services and Russian TV. They refuse
to learn Latvian language and thus get citizenship, because they still believe
that Soviets soon came back and take this land again. And Russia is trying hard
right now. Their millionaires buy out land from stupid old Latvians on
countryside, buys factories and enterprises – in one word they are silently
working everywhere behind the cover. And the worst part here is our government,
which does nothing about it (I sometimes even think that they can’t really do
anything about it), in some cases they even support those Russian businessmen
here.
Some of local
Russians constantly cry out of how they are oppressed here in Latvia, but the
funny thing is that when offered - they refuse to leave for better life in
Russia and what’s more funny - we have mayor of capital city Riga and he is
Russian! In reality local Russians have fine life here, they have businesses,
schools, kindergartens, private enterprises, they can freely speak their own
language, they can travel all around just like Latvians, but nevertheless they
still hates independent state.
Of course,
there are a lot more of those who love Latvia and can speak Latvian and are
loyal to our state – with them we live nicely along. But yes, the problem is
that other part who hates Latvia and still are dreaming about united Russian
empire and bringing back old Soviet times.
20. Your logo has changed a bit, hasn't it? Why
have you removed a solar sign? And what means this new sign?
It is
another conspiracy running high against old European pagan culture. And World
War II stands behind it. You know – history is written by the victors! We were
in constant trouble because of swastika or as we call it here Thundercross, we
used in our logo – some German concert organizers and venue owners were afraid
to get accused by supporting Nazism. People also refused to print our CD or
just afraid to sell them because of the sign and after a long time we saw that
there is no way to explain it. If we want to play around and spread our music
there were no other options for us left.
I can tell
you that there is no problem with swastika sign in our country and we use it
here, because this sign is part of our culture – on local money, dresses,
architectural designs etc. But in Europe people are afraid of something! I bet
you can imagine who dictates this crap there. The new sign means nothing, it is
just an O letter made in some national style, that’s all.
21. Ok, last three short questions. Maybe it
will sound a bit pathetic, but what do you think about:
- Latvia's future?
It looks
bleak. Right now we are on the verge to be no more as Latvians in future. There
is zero national politics here - no support for growth of birth-rate and new
families, no support for national things, like culture, art or music. No
reasonable education system and so on. And this fault is upon Latvian people
themselves. We allow such governments to operate for years, we allow Russian millionaires
and secret services to buy out our lands, we chose not to fight back but
instead to leave for other richer countries and live there.
We hope
that it will get settled by itself somehow, but it will not!
Though hope
dies last…
- Europe's future?
I don’t
know, but if they will not stop immigration, there will be trouble anytime
soon. As I said for someone it is very gainful to make things to happen this
way and if people not wake up, soon it will be too late! I have nothing against
that there will be no borders in EU and Europeans will feel like they live in
one big country. But specific cultures and languages must be there – after all
this makes people different and interesting and without past there is no
future!
- And of course Skyforger's future?
We will
continue to do our job as long as it will be possible. And our job is to spread
word about Baltic people, their culture and history!
22. Ok, that's all from my side, thank you very
much for this interview! The last word belongs to you, cheers!
Thanx man,
for this chance to introduce Skyforger to Polish metalheads and hope to see you
guys someday in Poland in concert! And watch out for our new album in autumn of
this year! Dziekuje!
Peter /
Skyforger
---
Single from "Kurbads" album:
Photos: band's archieve.
Interview by Vladyka 2013. Please do not copy this interview without HA'Z permission. Respect the copyrights!
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