Lord Ahriman (DARK FUNERAL) on Rock Overdose: “We haven’t experienced such a crazy feedback”

We are very honored to present you the interview that Lord Ahriman, the guitarist of Dark Funeral, gave to Rock Overdose and to Konstantinos Sotirelis. Lord Ahriman talked about the band’s new album, "Where Shadows Forever Reign", their next plans and many more! Enjoy!

 

 

Rock Overdose: Hi Lord Ahriman, welcome to Rock Overdose!

 

Lord Ahriman: Hello!

 

Rock Overdose: How it’s going with the band these days?

 

Lord Ahriman: We ‘re working now, we have many rehearsals so as to be ready for the festivals. That’s our main focus at the moment.

 

Rock Overdose: Your latest full length album released a few months ago. So, how do you feel about this release?

 

Lord Ahriman: Well, it’s been a long writing process, it’s being a long since we finished it, so, it’s a big relief to have this new record out. It feels really good to release this record.

 

Rock Overdose: Are you completely satisfied with the final result?

 

Lord Ahriman: There’s always something that you want to change when you finish the album and listen to it again, but I learned to think too much about it. You know, when you are at the studio and it feels good at that time and you record it and everything is absolutely right, then it’s all good. At this time I had a great, great feeling for this record. Of course, always you say a few months later, when you listen to the album again, I should have done this or that but there is always another record in the future so you try to improve yourself in the next record.

 

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Rock Overdose: Tell me a few thing about the album such as how long did it take to finish it, the main theme or perhaps some problems you had to face up during the recordings.

 

Lord Ahriman: There wasn’t any problem during the recordings but, I was writing a lot during the last years but for me, when I finally get into the writing mood I must clean everything around me. I’m just focused on the writing and go away from everything so as not to have anything to disturb me. It took a couple of months just to focus on arranging the stuff that I was writing during the years and I just kept on writing. You try to avoid everything when you want to write, it’s difficult but it’s a big relief now that we have released it, and I have a very good vibe for the new songs. There was good atmosphere, good feeling, good chemistry with the other guys. Of course it was really long working days, but that’s what it is.

 

Rock Overdose: How did the press and the fans react with the new album?

 

Lord Ahriman: It’s just being completely insane. We haven’t experienced such a crazy feedback for a long time or maybe never. This time is just something special. Musicians from all over the world e-mailed me telling me that the new record is very good.  People are thanking us for this record, it’s something crazy at the moment. I’m very happy that people enjoy our music, because music means a lot to us. If people can enjoy our creations so this is a big reward.

 

Rock Overdose: So, is this your most successful album?

 

Lord Ahriman: Still too early to say but, so far it‘s potential to be our most successful album. But we have to keep working hard.

 

Rock Overdose: How the employment of your new vocalist happened really?

 

Lord Ahriman: We met the first time months before. We had the anniversary show and we wanted a support group and we decided to give the opportunity to a younger band to become more known to people and we invited his band and he contacted me again for thanking me for this great event and said that he thought about it and he wanted to become our new vocalist. I knew that he was a great person and had a good feeling for him but I had no idea how his vocal style would fit to our music. We decided to give him a chance and make some auditions. We said let’s keep on rehearsing, without making a decision and see how it will work. It became so natural. We were rehearsing and he got in so natural. He fit with us and it just happened.

 

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Rock Overdose: In July of 2010 Emperor Magus Caligula, and later B-Force and Dominator left the band. What exactly happened back then? And how did you manage to keep alive the band.

 

Lord Ahriman: I always say to myself that as long I have the fire to keep this band alive, the band will exist. I have a very strong dedication and, you know, this is my life. I will continue no matter what. If people follow me, fine and I will help them but if they don’t want my help and want to go to a different direction then it’s fine by me but I’m not going to let the band because I want to continue. I have a strong personality I guess. This is what I do no matter what. This is what I am, this is what I do. I like creating music, playing guitar. This band means a lot to me.

 

Rock Overdose: You have some festivals booked and a tour in October, right?

 

Lord Ahriman: Yeah, we have festivals until October and then starts the European tour. We have shows booked until November.

 

Rock Overdose: Do you have any other plans for a tour? Maybe a second leg where Greece is included?

 

Lord Ahriman: Of course, there are many countries that are not included. We divide the European tour in two parts so as to have good time for ourselves and not to be too tired. Too long tours have no fan so I think it’s better to divide the tours in two different parts, because we want to enjoy what we do.

 

Rock Overdose: In the past, many members of the band including yourself, had declared an affinity for Satanism. What is exactly Satanism for you and by which way d'you, internalize it, in a manner of speech, in your music.

 

Lord Ahriman: I think that part is something that I don’t really want to talk about, I believe it’s boring but I think that through the music and through the lyrics we give a lot of where we stand. But you know, everybody see things different.

 

Rock Overdose: In your own point of view, how has Dark Funeral changed through all these years?

 

Lord Ahriman: It’s hard to say. I personally have changed a lot. For the better I think. I learned a lot about myself. We fucked up many times in the past and couldn’t understand that this means a lot to the fans, too, but nowadays we can understand it and we can deal with it. Music means a lot to people and to us. For me it’s very important to treat our fans with respect. Our always try to be good and to give my best. Nowadays we try to see fans in a different way, with more respect. We are a family, we are doing this together.

 

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Rock Overdose: Do you prefer the early days or nowadays and why?

 

Lord Ahriman: I ‘m proud to be a part of this that happened in the early days, but now I have more self-control. You always have to improve yourself, life Is hard so you always have to work on things in many ways.

 

Rock Overdose: Do you have any expectations and goals for the future with Dark Funeral?

 

Lord Ahriman: I always try to push things to the limits and of course I want to push what we are doing as far as it goes, but I never do compromises. We are doing what we are doing and we try to keep on working.

 

Rock Overdose: Thank you very much for this interview. The last words are yours.

 

Lord Ahriman: We will definitely come to Greece in our second leg of the European tour. We are working on it, we are going to tour for at least two years, so we divide the tour. We want to do it right. Trust me, we will come.

 

 

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