Darkness, orgies, infanticide and drugs…
Seven years after their formation, Doombringer released their first full length The Grand Sabbath (reviewed here). Bassist/vocalist Old Coffin Spirit took time out to speak to MR’s Jason Guest about the album, its writing and inspiration, the band’s past and future, and wankers on the internet…
It’s been seven years since the band formed and you’ve now released your first album. What did you want to achieve with The Grand Sabbath?
The Grand Sabbath is some kind of coronation of all our efforts. Manifestation of everything this band is about.
Does it mark a progression since the band’s beginnings?
For sure. Some people didn’t like the album because we progressed too much, especially soundwise.
Who designed the artwork for the album? And how much direction did you give them in its design?
Artwork was done by Croatian artist Marko Marov. We have co-operated before, so we knew what to expect from him. Basically, I’ve sent all descriptions and he executed everything in hi-class manner.
What are the lyrical themes on the album? And where does inspiration come from?
There are various themes of lyrics on the album. Some of them are dealing with the ritual performings, other are about the states of mind of the obsessed witches. Dark and obscure themes, no matter how trivial it sounds.
Is there a concept that underpins the album?
Yes. Darkness, orgies, infanticide and drugs.
How did you approach composition for the album? Is there a process that Doombringer follows, such as lyrics first, then guitars…?
Usually lyrics come first and then the music, which is created as a background or manifestation of the atmosphere which is described in lyrics. We are pretty fucked-up when it comes to atmospheres.
When writing, do you work together, trade ideas, or compose by yourselves and present finished tracks to each other?
I am doing all track skeletons at home. Then we arrange everything with a drummer and vocalist. After a while we record everything. All additional things comes as an improvisation in the studio, which is great thing.
Which is more important to Doombringer, the music or the lyrics?
Both. There is no good music without good lyrics and vice versa.
How did you come to work with Nuclear War Now! Productions? Do you plan to stay with the label for future releases?
NWN! is the label of my other band, so we knew what to expect. Yosuke liked our previous EP so he sent us proposal. It’s too early to speak about the future plans, but I don’t think we will be searching for another label.
The band has been together since 2007. What was it that drew you together to form Doombringer and make music?
The line-up was changing few times, but me and Sepulchral Ghoul are the nucleus from the beginning. Nowadays, it seems, we finally found the stable line-up to play live shows. Inspiration for Doombringer’s rising lays in the urge of creation. I wasn’t able to realise all my ideas within my other bands, so I decided to call another one. Simple as that.
How does the Doombringer of 2014 compare to the Doombringer of the early days?
We are much more serious band now. At the beginning, Doombringer was some kind of side-project, but now it’s a full time band. Maybe the main band one day, who knows.
Do you ever revisit your earlier releases? If so, what do they mean to you now?
When we talk about Doombringer I’m proud of everything we done. Sure, not everything is perfect, but it shows how we progressed through all these years.
What’s your opinion of black and death metal in the 21st century? How does it compare to the early days?
Black/Death metal is in a good shape. Tons of great releases each year suggest that everything is in a good condition.
What’s your opinion of the internet and its impact on extreme metal?
It makes lot of things easier, like comunnication for example. It also has bad sides like mp3 madness, forum wankery, no-life entities, etc. I don’t really care.
What does the future hold for Doombringer? Is there more music in the pipeline?
Too early to speak about future releases. We gonna play few gigs and then we’ll see.
Any plans for live performances? Will we be seeing you in the UK?
Yes, as I mentioned we want to play live. Serious UK promoters can contact us.
Thanks again for taking time out for this interview. Do you have any closing words for our readers?
Cheers
