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file under black/pagan metal
Even though ‘Der Erde Entwachsen (Gewollte Wunden)’ constitutes Kerbenok’s rebirth, these Germans are not yet a big name. With this mini that only has three songs Kerbenok really sounds sincere and convincing with a combination of calm, aggression and beauty. Hopefully, this nature-oriented band will get the attention they deserve in the future. In advance of that happening, we thought it would be nice to ask Kerbenok’s drummer and singer, Christopher Duis, some questions about his promising band.
Text: Roel F.
Greetings. How are you doing? Are you content with the release of your excellent MCD, ‘Der Erde Entwachsen (Gewollte Wunden)’?
Moin and thanks for your interest – I´m doing great, hopefully you too! To make it short (even if I shouldn`t, haha...) – yes we are! Of course there are a few little things we might have done differently, but we´re totally satisfied with the result. I have to say that it has become better than we wished, because we really had little time to get by with the whole recording - for those circumstances it worked very well.
The name Kerbenok is not exactly a usual band name, even though it sounds black metal-like. What does the name stand for, as far as the its meaning for you and the band?
Indeed the name has no real meaning, but a certain character to us. This word carries a kind of native impression, middle-age sounding, like a sacred place where you can find everything what is real, a place where you experience magic and perception, the experience of life and self. We wanted to capture the listeners’ imagination by thinking about possible meanings and let him find his own. At least the music, lyrics and the visual isation speak for themselves...
So, Kerbenok returned as an active outfit in 2006, after having been disbanded for one year. What was it that made the band regroup?
Actually we never wanted to split. It is so hard to get musicians for this kind of music in our region, so we had no choice if we wanted to return making black metal. I was forced to look for other band-projects, to stay practiced and advance my style, but the real essence of being creative lies for both of us in the band Kerbenok. We just ‘grew up’ with this band and got a similar appreciation of many things. An interisting fact is, that all these breaks were refreshing to the own view of the music and in between. It`s a great process wich gives us time to think about what we want. By the way, Stefan will travel to Iceland in August and will stay there for a year for his studies of northern philology. It is absolutely normal to us to have a one year break, to meet again, then do songs, have an output and split up again. It is always a period of time which is declining, when we record the stuff we were practicing throughout a few months. We just do our thing without getting theatrical if we don`t get musicians, or don`t have enough time or stuff like that – its just the way it is and we try to do our best..
Was it difficult to find and enlist the people needed to have a proper resurrection of Kerbenok? Where did you find band members, are they old band mates from 2005?
Kerbenok is Stefan and me, no one else...I think it will stay this way, if nothing really unexpected happens. We practice with guitar and drums, do the structure and add what is needed in our minds and later in the studio. Stefan plays three guitars, bass and voice – I do drums, percussion, voice and else (visualisation, lyrics). In most cases we´re looking for session musicians only. In such short periods in which we got the ability to compose and practice new songs, there is nearly no time to work in new band members. Amier has joined our band just for live gigs, he never wanted to be a part of Kerbenok. We´re best friends and he wanted to play live and help us out. Other musicians usually get a raw mix-down, or a four track cassette recording to improve their parts. We tell them how we would like to have it and then invite them to the studio. Sometimes we practice parts a few times with them... Really sad is the fact that we haven`t got the possibility to perform live yet. This year we could have made a small German/Dutch/Swiss tour with Negura Bunget, because we stay in good contact with them, but Amier had no time and we needed to finish the new album. Another thing is, even if Amier joins us live, especially the new material would sound like less then the half of the real arrangements. And this is, trust me, really raw, hrhr...!
Everything around Kerbenok seems professional: the band’s sound, the CD booklet, but also the website all convey a notion of time being spent to get the best result. How important is professionalism for the band?
Glad you see that! We want to be authentical. I can say that – we got an idea and a personal view of things. We’re no machines; we’re living individuals looking for expression. Our music breathes and should breathe. We try to get the best result possible, if you call this professional, we are and it does really matter a lot to us! The freedom we got is truly amazing; we try a lot and reflect a lot...it’s just a matter of time ‘til we get a final result which satisfies our criteria. At least we’re way too unprofessional for the mainstream, that’s the sacrifice for staying ourselves - never making money but always trying to make friends!
Lyrically and conceptually, but also sound-wise, ‘Der Erde Entwachsen (Gewollte Wunden)’ is deeply rooted in a theme that revolves around nature. However, this particular theme is now very common among bands. What sets Kerbenok aside from all other nature-inspired outfits?
I think it’s really difficult to be aside of all other nature inspired outfits, because we all live among the same big nature outfit. In fact we don’t want to disassociate ourselves from other bands, because we do really appreciate similarities. It’s always great to see people experience and reflect reality. Maybe we’re a bit more “cliché-free” then black and white woods with posing black-leathered guys with evil grimaces. People need an access to nature and naturalness, if this is the way they see a sense of being out in the woods, it’s great. At least they don’t stay at home in front of the TV or computer. As I began to listen to metal and especially black metal, I felt a raging fury, a real deep and captivating feeling which led me to more self awareness and consistency. It gave me the boldness to decide whether no or yes and it taught me the meaning of “positive aggression”. We perform really aggressive music, not to serve anger and hate - getting down to the root of the trouble, but to cherish the freedom we got and to focus on the grievances which surround us. We wanted to bring a quite poetic social criticism into our concept, not only to say how beautiful or cruel nature or life can be. It’s about understanding the complexion of the universe and the great self.
Another thing is that we are absolutely no cliché pagan band because we got no runes, we got no Viking stories, and we don’t even tell a word about the middle ages and stuff...that is quite confusing, because the music sounds like black/pagan metal. The only connection is that the lyrics are written in an old poetic style although they are quite modern in content. I might say that I tried to bringnan archaic view upon things into the nowadays life. I am no poet, but lyrics have to have a really certain character to me, a special pronunciation which lets them don’t seem insincere. So I work very hard on the lyrics even if they don’t seem self contained or conclusive sometimes. Besides that comes all in all the visual aspect. Some beautiful nature impressions (worth more than a thousand words!) and that’s it! I really enjoy being creative, to design and create, it totally fulfills myself and hopefully in one way or the other our listeners!
What does nature really mean to Kerbenok? Is there a specific message you are trying to get across with the tracks on this MCD? Where does nature stand in your personal life?
Nature is all we see, hear, feel, smell and taste. Nature is in every case perception. Nature is indescribable magic; nature is the system we’re living in. I have managed not to loose the childish view on things, see things as it was the first time. Its all about form and content. Nowadays we’re far away from the womb of the earth and nature is too often misunderstood and misused.
Nature is essential for Stefan and me. I definitely feel uncomfortable without green around. A great thing is that every path I choose leads me through wood, fields, lakes and rivers...we got a quite beautiful landscape around Segeberg, and I really enjoy walking everywhere. My luck is that I live in a small village at the side of woods (besides one of the biggest in Schleswig Holstein). Our rehearsal room lies on the one end of the wood, so I often, up to 7 times a week, I walk about an hour to our rehearsal room and back again. I choose to walk, because I need time to enjoy each footstep through the green. These are the happiest moments, to smell hear and feel my surroundings. I usually collect herbs the whole year and use them as medication. Amir, Stefan and I harvest apples, berries and much more each year and make wine and liqueurs and so on... From time to time we celebrate rituals being grateful for life and nature and yes we do drugs, haha!
The second track on our new album is called ‘Heimstatt In Trümmern’, which says that my true home is in the (nowadays distorted) green, cause there I really am! In the woods I am not sidetracked by any advertisement or by machines...it’s just how it should be, self defined growing, development in dependence!
In my review Kerbenok’s mode of playing was likened to the characteristics of nature; one moment there is tranquility and beauty, the other there is utter turmoil and some chaos. Is this something you did because it suited the music and fits a certain vision, or was it something that came naturally?
It definitely came naturally first. We practice two by two and it’s often about compensating thin sound and less instruments with dynamic. We try to keep the music interesting and varied, just like nature – always interesting and varied! We just out our feelings to music. Indeed there is a concept and a certain intention, but it evolves while playing and redefines itself beyond control. Often we record material by tape and reflect on the songs. Really important is that we do not listen to music in our practice room; we totally concentrate on arranging and creating our stuff. It just flows; otherwise our songs couldn’t get that long, hehe. Our songwriting is quite chaotic sometimes, like mixing a bunch of elements to see what happens. But exactly this makes it so natural, like water flowing down a river or (as already said) a walk through the woods. Just as we don’t know what the songs will turn out to be in full instrumentation. We got a picture in mind which leads us; aware of being not hypocritical...it is impossible for us to run the risk of getting implausible, because we live what we do through permanent reflection.
The lyrics in German are somewhat more poetic than those of the average band. Is there a reason they were written and sung in German? Do you think Kerbenok material can work in English as well?
Sure it might work in English too, because the content works. But the other thing is that we haven’t got any real culture left, in fact less and less through the globalisation. It is a pleasure to me, telling in German what is on a (north) German’s mind. I chose German lyrics because that is one of last things which connect me to the place where I live. Although it is rather more interesting and maybe more magical if people got lyrics in another language. I tell much more than just words, as I said, it’s about pronunciation too. Also it fits the character of the music much better, because it’s not a smooth language and quite difficult not to make it sound too swollen. We like to experience the identity and character of the German language, just as the Norwegian or French metal bands (at least from every country with its own language). This is a kind of face we wear, a mentality brought into words. Why do we talk like we talk...this aspect can be really enlightening and has nothing to do with blunt sense of nationality!
Do you think that your new and older material will be reason for a tour in Europe? What bands would like to see Kerbenok tour with and what could the crowd expect from a live Kerbenok show (if you would tour)?
We would have really liked to do a tour, but by now it’s impossible for us. Maybe next year, when Stefan is back in Germany again, if he will be, hehe. Last year we tried to do a small tour with Odeon and Hagal, we even asked a few clubs in the Netherlands if we could play there, but we are not “famous” enough and most clubs didn’t want us to play...shit happens. We had just a few gigs in Schleswig Holstein and Niedersachsen with bands like Odeon, Eldborg, Zeramoth, Zemial and Drengskapur which definitely were great gigs and a lot of fun! If we tour next year, we would do gigs with Odeon, Hagal, Klabautamann, Negura Bunget and Eldborg. Also with any band which would like to, but these are few bands we know that probably would.
The last shows we did with a beamer and a self-made “Negura/Burzum-like” nature movie. It was projected on the stage, onto us and a white background. We needed this kind of atmosphere because we usually got a quite static stage presence, I could say the music is acting for itself.
Are there more releases planned with Northern Silence Productions? Where did the label find you?
We had already contact through the “Av is og ild” Metal-fest in Bad Segeberg, Torsten just evinced interest in new releases of Kerbenok, so we sent him our MCD “Der Erde entwachsen...” There will definitely be more releases on Northern Silence for sure. They do a great job!!! I don’t want to miss that. A full-length album (“Sphere” or “ ° ”) will be released between August and September this year, so watch out, hrhr!
With this MCD, expectations will probably be high in relation to a possible full-length. Is a full-length planned for the near future?
Yes, haha!!
What musical direction will Kerbenok take? Will you retain the same style, or will you incorporate different elements with a new release? Is Kerbenok a band that likes to evolve a lot?
Yes we do like to evolve, but we’ll stay Kerbenok! On the next album there is quite a lot of experimental stuff between the metal parts. For example we used vibraphone, congas, tablas, horn, cello, flute and also female vocals. The songs have become much more consistent and merged together. All in all it has become a colourful musical experience. We’re just comprehending music; in this case styles will sooner or later melt more and more together. We do have more down beat, psychedelic and ambient to create special atmosphere, but we also stay raw, hrhr!
Well, thanks for taking the time to answer these questions. As is custom, any last words are yours.
Thanx a damn lot for being interested in us, we really appreciate this!!! Besides we’re glad that the Netherlands are getting us to know, because we definitely like to do gigs there next year if possible! Skål!
http://www.kerbenok.net
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