"Old Men In New Cars" (maybe you know that very cool Danish movie) might be a good title for In Aphelion (of course they are not as funny as the movie though). It is a new band which just released a demo (find review here) and will release an EP called "Luciferian Age" in November (find review here). Nevertheless, we don't have any newcomers in this band but two members from Swedish death metal legend Necrophobic (namely Sebastian Ramstedt (voc, git, bass) and Johan Bergebäck (git) and Cryptosis drummer Marco Prij. I talked with main man Sebastian Ramstedt via Skype about the reasons for creating this band, the upcoming releases and plans. Enjoy the interview and check the releases. Thanks again for taking time for doing this Sebastian!

Michael

Hi Sebastian, how you're doing?

I'm fine, thanks!

You've started a new band named In Aphelion. How did it come to this?

It was during the pandemic, and we were discussing to launch "Dawn Of The Damned", the latest Necrophobic album. We had some kind of internal struggle about some issues, and I am not the founder of Necrophobic and so, if the band goes away, I will not have the band name and I've been the main writer and I was thinking that it is time for me to start something that nobody can ever take away from me. Something I have the power over, and I had a lot of ideas that was out of the Necrophobic box. Different tempos, different harmonies and a different approach to the music that I want to try out and I felt now when we have at least a year of restrictions I will have the time to actually do something over this. First, I just wrote songs that were not supposed to be put out on record at all because I normally write music for myself. I have demos of over 100 songs lying around but then I felt that something happened. I got some kind of serious atmosphere. I mean Necrophobic is also serious but it's also a bit cliché at times, metal for the sake of metal. I believed in "In Aphelion" in another way. I didn't have the restrictions of the other band members, it was straight from my heart. There was nothing holding back and when the songs started to form, there were no stops and it ended up with almost 70 minutes of music. So, I felt that I have to release this in some way. This cannot be only for my own sake. I wanted to try it and see what people would think. But I think the main reason was that I realized that Necrophobic is not my name, not entirely my music because I write the songs that they shall fit in but it's not 100% as I want it. I wanted to try what this would be.

What do the other members from Necrophobic think of this project? Are they afraid you may leave the band?

They are supportive in the way that they like the posts I do but it is also like a silent agreement that we do not speak about In Aphelion (laughs). At one time Joakim (Sterner; M.) said that he supports the band but that it doesn't really feel good in the guts. Of course, when people you're working with do something else and maybe you see that it has the power to be successful this may be a kind of a threat. It's like your best friend has a new best friend – it doesn't feel that good (laughs). I think there might be some kind of conflict in this, but I don't think it will ever be an open conflict. I think they will keep it to themselves what they think.

What do you think makes the difference between Necrophobic and In Aphelion? You are quite influential in the songwriting process in both bands.

The death metal elements from Necrophobic are not from me. These elements were how David Parland, the founder of the band, wrote his music and I kinda borrow the death metal feeling from him but I am not a death metal guy. Maybe since 1991 I haven't listened to death metal at all. I like thrash, speed, heavy metal and I like some black metal but rarely death metal. I mean except for Morbid Angel, early Autopsy, Possessed and Death, it's not really my genre. It's kind of senseless aggression, it's like a gore movie with just only the gore scenes put together while black metal has the atmosphere and the thought behind the gore. Death metal is just up in the front, it's like a porno movie without any sense (laughs). With this I wanted to take all my heavy metal influences and create black metal in the way I would like to hear it. It would say it's similar to Necrophobic in some kind but it lacks the death metal elements.

You're going to release an EP called "Luciferian Age" in November via Edged Circle Productions. Can you tell a little bit more about it?

The actual reason I wanted to release an EP before the LP is because that is how it was in the 80s. The first release always was a maxi single or EP and then came the album. I am a record collector so I kind of thought that if I can do this my way, like I want, then I want to do an EP. That's like throwing money into the lake, you don't get rich from it but I want it so I will have it. I think the EP will show pretty much what In Aphelion is about. The first song is very epic; it has this entire emotional atmosphere that is In Aphelion. It has an acoustic part, it has very raw, kind of Bathory-like, black metal parts, it has speedy parts, it has a brilliant guitar solo if I can say it myself but I'm really pleased with the solo (laughs) and it has a very epic ending. If you wonder how the LP Moribound will sound, I think this song; 'Draugr' it's called summons it all. The next song 'Luciferian Age' was the last song I wrote for the album, and it will be also on the full-length. I wrote it because a lot of the songs were very lengthy and epic and had so much on it, so I wanted to do a very simple, raw, strict-down, short track and I came up with this. I mean it's a very driven riff it relies on the bass and the drums and very simple guitars. It's almost Satyricon-it wasn't on purpose at all but when I heard it I thought this is a bit of Satyricon and I even don't listen to them! So, it's pretty coincidental but it sounds like something from the "Now, Diabolical" album or something like that. But we were discussing about releasing this "hit" because this could be one. But is this what In Aphelion is about? No, it's not really but we thought it's a good song and why should we hold back a good song? I not afraid of people who think we're posers, I mean I've been in that game forever and I'm soon 50 and I don't care about that and I felt that it's a good song to put In Aphelion on the map. On the other side we have 'Wrath Of A False God' which is one of my favorite In Aphelion songs. I really like the mid-tempo middle part that has a lot of acoustic atmosphere and I like the lyrics. It's actually one of the songs that Johan (Bergebäck; M.) isn't that fond of (laughs), but Marco (Prij; M.) and me, we both think that it's one of the best songs that we have done. So, we said that we should have this song as an extra that will only be on the EP and not to put a filler there. We end with 'Pleasure To Kill' of Kreator, fantastic song. I always felt that when they recorded "Pleasure to Kill" in 1986, everybody in the band played on their own. It's so untight, so hard to see where they go because everybody is playing on their own direction and a couple of years later when Kreator got better to play, they made a bit slower version of the song that didn't have the aggression of the original. For years I felt what if we could do the original song but strengthen it up a bit and keep the aggressive feeling? So what we tried to do was make a cover of it like Kreator would have played it in 1986 if they would have known how (laughs). Of course, we don't do it better than Kreator, of course not but it's a bit easier to follow our version. I think it came out very good, it suited my vocals, it suited our guitar playing and we had a fantastic guest appearance by Dennis from the Swedish black metal band Avslut who made the bass line for this. I also was important for me to show where our origin is from. Our influences for extreme metal is not from Mayhem or Darkthrone or Dimmu Borgir, they are from the 80s German thrash metal scene. So, I felt like this is how In Aphelion started 40 years ago. This is the seed that is what In Aphelion is now. All in all, I think it's a good EP with 23 minutes running time and not a short thing.

What are the lyrics about? Are they also that metaphorical as on the last Necrophobic?

The last Necrophobic album was very personal because it was about where I was in a really dark place, but lyrics are first of all themes and myths and tales that I think fits the songs. I usually read something, the song 'Draugr' is about the northern mythology, revenants…

…like the White Walker in Game of Thrones…

..exactly. These Draugr are so jealous about the living, they want to make them one of theirs. They come in the sleep and derange you in your dreams and they cross from the cemetery and go into your house, so it's a really cool story. I felt this eerie feeling, it starts hopeful or sad and it turns into this really evil, eerie atmosphere and I felt this is a good theme for the song. But then I always twist the lyrics that it is from my perspective. I mean, would you choose to live forever? These Draugr, they have eternal life, but they also have eternal sorrow. Would you, as a person choose a short lifespan with all kinds of feelings or immortal life on the dark side? I always put in my own thoughts and how would it be if I was one of them. And the lyrics take form both from the living side and from the side of these undead. In the song, I'm sometimes the one that tries to lure more humans into this dark world and point at everyone who tries to stop this. The rest of the lyrics have also a mythological background and then I put in my own thoughts, everything we dwell with – life, afterlife, how we react with other people, and I take something from the literature that matches this, and I twist it into mine.

What would you say, which bands the most obvious influences for the songs? Can the listener hear some clear influences in the songs?

I didn't listen to black metal at all when I wrote most of the songs. But at the very end of the song writing, I had this black metal spree when I listened to Darkthrone, Bathory, Venom, everything and I kind of got the last puzzle together. So, I was influenced by them but also from "Russian Roulette" by Accept. I think on that album they have a really interesting song structure. If you listen to "Heaven Is Hell" (sings the refrain), to take down a song for 2 minutes and they just repeat this one voice and then the answer comes back, that's great. There are even more songs on the album that are so interesting in the arrangements that I actually took notes of pieces and parts and I felt like that I have to do something this good. I have to use these stones to build my own temple but I hadn't thought of switching the chords like that or making the harmonies go down. So, I think that album was very influential for this. Now we will have to see for people will say this – yeah this Accept, "Russian Roulette", haha!!

The full-length will be released in early 2022 and the first two tracks are on the full-length, too….

It could have been done to be just on the EP because the actual album is a double LP with about 60 minutes playing time. It's a pretty strong debut to have an EP with extra songs first and then a double album with everything written within 9 months. We decided that these two songs, 'Draugr' and 'Luciferian Age' are written and needed on the actual album to make the full experience. If we took it away it wouldn't have all the building stones that the album needs. For people who cannot wait until the album, they have the EP first.

How content are you with your label? What I get to read on social media let me guess that they must be pretty glad having signed you.

It was a big decision if we should go to a big label like Century Media as with Necrophobic or if we should go to a small label. The advantage of being on a small label is that you can have pretty much your will. For me, it was important to do an EP and Century Media might have said there is no money in it, so we won't. You can have some digital singles if you want to, but we will not press this expensive LP format with four songs. Stian (Smørholm; M.) of Edged Circle is also a record collector and he said that he wouldn't make any money off of it but I was totally right that there should be an EP. He would like to do this because it's fuckin 'fun and it's the way it should be'. So, he agreed, and he was not greedy. You know, that is important for me, to create music and I don't want greedy fingers on my music. And I felt that Stian is also in this for the right reason, I'm sure Century Media also but they have to make some money. Being a big company, they cannot take any risk. With Stian I have a certain connection and we talk about the artwork and videos, he's on a friendly level with me. Maybe distribution and stuff like that may suffer from being on a smaller label but as for now, I feel it's worth it.

You designed the cover for the EP. What was the influence for this? It reminds me a little bit of "Deathrace King" by The Crown.

Actually, I don't know it. We didn't had any budget for bringing an artist in and I am an illustrator. I've always had been doing stuff like that. And I felt what can I do with what I have that will not be bad. I don't have the time to do an oil painting and I don't want to do an oil painting in Photoshop because people will think that's an oil painting in Photoshop. It's better to keep things simple. If you only have black and white colors, then use that and don't try to mix in some other things – people will see that. I just tried to make powerful and some kind of direct album covers that I felt have a lot of heavy metal feeling. I wanted to look at the cover and see that this is a black or heavy metal album cover. The result is pretty much how I wanted it to be. It's very drawn, if I say cartoonish, people will think it's funny which it's not but it's on purpose. It's not made to look real. I'm pretty happy with the aesthetics and it goes through the booklet, and we did a video for 'Luciferian Age' which is in the same way. It's very simple and I am a little bit afraid what people will think about it. If you put in a lot of money, you can also have a great artist doing the cover, but I wanted to do it by myself. I've written the songs, I've recorded it so this is all how I feel it should be. It's inside in my head.

You had some troubles with the sound of your first demo. What happened there?

I don't know. They printed in Estonia, I think, and Stian had used this printer all the time, and he never had any complaints. But something must have happened to this batch, I don't know if it was in the sun or demagnetized. A lot the cassettes had sound problems like the volume was up and down and it was mono in some and some were fine. We didn't get so many complaints and most people keep it as a souvenir and most people don't have a tape player and just want a physical format instead of listening on Spotify. The company who printed it was nice enough to offer everybody a new copy that needed one and we also made a post that everybody who wanted a new one could get in touch with us. I think we solved it well.

How much were Johan and Marco involved into the songwriting process?

Marco not at all. He did alter some of the drums - I programmed the drums first and he made a couple of choices where to go with the drums but mostly he kept it within my frame so to speak but he added some things. He is a drummer, and he is so much better than me, he is so brilliant. Johan did the title track for Moribund and that was all he actually had time for because he joined In Aphelion so late, and I was just finishing the song writing so I had one song left and said that he could write it. He came up with this riff and it was so good that I felt that this should be the title track. In the future of course he will have more time, but Johan rarely writes whole songs. He is a brilliant riff maker. I think in the future he will provide me with more riffs and more ideas but maybe not so many songs. But of course, he is free to write as much as he wants.

You said that you are going to play some concerts in Sweden. Is it with Necrophobic or with In Aphelion?

It's with Necrophobic. With In Aphelion, we have loose plans how to start when the album is released. We probably will do some kind of mini release fest tour, we also have friends – Jacob Björnfot of Kvaen, I've been talking loosely with him because he will also release a new album at the same time, we will release Moribund that we should do something together. There are no real plans but we're thinking of it. But In Aphelion has to find a way to rehearse because Marco is in Holland so it's not very easy to go to the rehearsal room and just try out things. I will have to rehearse a lot because I am the lead singer and the lead guitar player. I will manage but it will be a lot of work (laughs).

So, what would you think about a tour with Necrophobic, Cryptosis and In Aphelion?

That would be kind of good for the flight tickets and would be a good package (laughs)! Good idea, let's do that, haha!

The last words are yours!

I hope that people will listen to our music, and I hope they will see the honesty in this music because there was no one demanding me to do this. There was no one telling me how to write this. This was only and purely for the music and my drive to create something. I hope this will shine through, also in the not so commercial parts. It is exactly how it works in my mind when I do not do the pieces together easily. I hope they can follow my feeling through this and add their own atmospheres to it. It will be very interesting to see what people think about this.

Genoa's extreme metal masterminds Necrodeath have been infesting the underground with violence and occult subjects for the last 40 years and to this day they have kept their highly respected status as one of the finest bands that hail from Italy. The word came out recently about their upcoming final album Arimortis and their farewell tour in 2025, which is quite unfortunate for all the Necrodeath fans around the world, but on the brightside, the band will definitely go out with a bang. Before the album's release, I managed to get some words from the band's guitarist Pier Gonella and bassist Gianluca Fontana, regarding their upcoming album Arimortis, as well as their farewell tour in 2025 and the overall cult status that Necrodeath has maintained for the last 4 decades. I hope you will enjoy this interview and support Necrodeath on their final year in 2025, hopefully keeping the flame burning after the band's candle lights out.

Vladimir

Greetings Necrodeath, heartwarming welcome and hails on behalf of MetalBite. How are you doing lately?

PIER: Hello! Thank you for this interview. We're doing well, we're receiving great feedback on the two new singles we've released, and everything is going smoothly.

I have recently received your new album Arimortis, which is due to be released on January 17th, 2025. In my eyes, this is yet another heavy banger of an album which showcases how Necrodeath managed to uphold its extreme and relentless attitude 4 decades since its inception. How did the work on Arimortis come about?

PIER: Most of the work was done during the summer two years ago. Peso came up with most of the riffs and wrote the lyrics together with Flegias. Then, in the following months, we worked on the arrangements and also on the graphics.

Although this album is just two years apart from the predecessor Singin' In The Pain, the heaviness and the energy of the band is still present and the energy is just as strong, if not even stronger. Were you guys looking to improve on some significant aspects from the previous album or did you just take on this new album with a straightforward approach?

GL: Since this album can be considered a bit like our testament, so we approached it with a direct approach and without particular arrangements, to bring out the essence of Necrodeath. We have always been a very direct band that transmits its energy and passion both in the albums and live, so we wanted to transfer this into the latest work too, we are happy with Arimortis because it represents what we are.

In some aspects, I felt like Arimortis has taken on an even more atmospheric and death-defying work in comparison to Singin' In The Pain from 2023, and this is what got me so hooked right away in the first place, even though I think both albums are great on their own and should not be compared by any means. Was this something you've wanted to incorporate on this album or would you say it came out naturally that way?

GL: I think we can distinguish the two albums you mention, because Singin' in the Pain is a concept album inspired by Anthony Burgess' 1962 book "A Clockwork Orange" so the lyrics and atmosphere of the album are inspired by this book. Arimortis, on the other hand, is the album of our farewell to the scene, therefore it represents our legacy to future generations and a thank you to those who have always supported us, so I would say they are two different albums although with the same Necrodeath sound.

What really surprised me about this album is that you included a re-recorded version of the song "Necrosadist" from your first album Into The Macabre, but you also made a part 2 of "Metempsychosis" from your second album Fragments of Insanity. Even though I am a firm believer that some classic songs which were great firsthand should not be touched or reworked, I would actually make an exception in this case and say that this is by every right justified since the final output came out so great in the end. What's the story behind the re-recording of "Necrosadist" and also writing part 2 for "Metempsychosis"?

PIER: I agree that re-recording tracks from the early era, which have a very distinctive sound and riffs, is a delicate task. We had this experience a few years ago when we re-recorded the entire album Fragments of Insanity. We simply replayed the tracks with the current lineup and a more modern sound, but we didn't want to alter the structure of the songs. The same approach was taken this time. Necrosadist is a track we always perform live, and we aimed to record it with the same live energy. As for Metempsychosis, the idea was to start from the final riff and continue with a long improvisation, similar to what Venom did at the time with "At War with Satan".

I personally think that this album is a great way to celebrate the band's 40 years of existence, but unfortunately for us fans, Arimortis is said to be Necrodeath's swansong and that the band will disband after embarking on a tour in 2025. Could you tell me what is the main reason behind Necrodeath's plan to cease activity?

GL: Basically we have said everything we could in recent years, we have had fun but also angry, we have received great satisfaction but also disappointments, always facing all this firsthand. For a few years we have felt the need to end our career, having done everything we could with our own strength, so 2025 seemed like the best date to end a career that has lasted 40 years. We have no remorse or regrets, but a lot of experience that makes us end with a smile.

On the other hand, I think that Arimortis as a farewell album would not only be a testament to the band's great work throughout the years, but also an example of the band going out with a bang, alongside the planned farewell tour. Are you guys satisfied to some degree, knowing that Necrodeath's chapter will be ending on such a high note?

PIER: Our idea is exactly this: to end our career in the best possible way. We are closing the Necrodeath chapter, but that doesn't mean we no longer feel like playing. That's why we wanted this album to be a final chapter worth remembering for its significance, and the same goes for the final tour.

So far, what are the plans for this upcoming tour in 2025? Can we expect any shows in Eastern or perhaps even Southern Europe?

GL: Arimortis, the latest Necrodeath album, will be released in January 2025, after which we will no longer produce anything. While for the last live shows, we are planning for 2025 with several concerts and festivals already scheduled, while others are still being confirmed, both in Italy and in Europe. We hope that requests will also arrive from Eastern and Southern Europe, we would be happy to come and bring our sound and greet all the fans.

In my eyes, a band such as Necrodeath is a very rare example of a band which still upholds its qualities and core values in their music, because not so many extreme metal acts manage to stay as strong such as yourselves, while still remaining highly influential to the masses. Since you guys are highly experienced and faithful to your cause, does that sort of mindset keep the engine rolling for the entire band when working on new material and going forward in general?

GL: Thank you, nice words thank you, we have always been consistent with our artistic path. Fortunately we have never been influenced by record companies and we have never followed the fashions of the moment. In all these years it has always been us who choose which direction to take and how to take the next step.

The fact that we had no outside influences or pressures definitely helped maintain our integrity and I think you can hear this in our discography.

We have remained anchored to our underground roots partly because no one has ever elevated us further, partly because it is the territory where we feel most at ease.

I personally consider Necrodeath to be a crucial band in the overall development of extreme metal subgenres such as black, death and thrash metal, and I think you are one of the most important bands that have come out of Italy alongside Death SS, Bulldozer, Mortuary Drape and Sadist. How do you guys feel about the fact that you played a big role in the development of Italy's metal scene and that you are still keeping your legacy intact?

PIER: Necrodeath were born and raised under the influence of bands like "Slayer," "Venom," and others from that era. When we write an album, we always look for new ideas, but it's natural for us to stick to our style because that's what we love, plain and simple. Passion is what drives us, certainly not money.

GL: The bands you mentioned are still on the road, so I think the driving force behind all this is the passion that binds us to music. We consider ourselves part of a scene and for many we have been a source of inspiration, this makes us proud and makes us understand that music has no boundaries.

I still look back when I first discovered Necrodeath with your cult classic debut Into The Macabre back in 2015 when I was still in high school, and I am proud to have your patch on my vest as an important memory of that love at first sight, but also the joy of discovering such a hidden gem at the age of 17. Fast forward almost ten years later and having this album remain so important to me, I still consider the discovery of Necrodeath to be one of the turning points in my musical journey and I just want to say thank you for the great music you have delivered. Did you have many fans reaching out to you and saying that your music played a big role in their lives?

GL: We're happy that a young guy like you approached metal thanks to us too! This is what makes us proud after all these years, having inspired new generations also thanks to our music. Over the course of all these years we have met many people who have thanked us for our music and even now during the concerts the same people continue to follow us, this is beautiful, because it makes you understand how music can unite people and create bonds thanks to the same passion. In fact, the new single "Storytellers of lies" is dedicated to our fans and the puppets you see in the video were created by one of them.

Thank you so much for this interview! Just as closing words, I'd like to say that I am highly looking forward to the release of this album, and I wish the best of luck to all of Necrodeath in 2025 with this awesome swansong of an album and the farewell tour which will bring down the curtains to close such a strong band chapter. Are there any final words?

GL: Thanks to you and MetalBite readers! we are ready to face the last year of the band, which is not intended to be a sad farewell but a party to celebrate our last birthday! So we invite everyone to listen to Arimortis and come to our concerts for a final farewell.