NECRONOMICON (Rob Tremblay) INTERVIEW
There must be nothing more annoying than having to undertake your first ever European Tour after twenty years of existence while being down with the flu! When hitting the stage of the London Underworld on the early evening of the 12th of April, Necronimocon’s singer Rob Trembley looked to be in total command of himself and his surroundings but the man I sat opposite to on the band’s tour bus looked pretty run down. Passion and devotion to one’s goal, however, tends to overcome all obstacles, as I was soon to find out. Highly enthusiastic and friendly, the experienced Quebecer spoke about his experiences during this short European trek in support of Absu, the band’s latest studio offering “The Return Of The Witch”, the Canadian Metal scene and what we ought to expect from Necronimicon in the not-so-distant future.
By Yiannis (John) Stefanis.
• Hi Rob. Thanks for taking the time to do this interview. I have been listening to “The Return Of The Witch” quite a lot recently and it is quite an enjoyable album. We will get the chance to talk more in depth about its creation along the way but the firs topic I would like to discuss with you is the tour you are currently undertaking in support of the mighty Absu.
Rob: Yes, this is a week and a half long tour that we are talking about. It is our first ever European tour and we are happy to be doing it because this band has been around for quite a long time and we were never given the opportunity to come here (Europe) for a very simple reason. In Canada, and especially the French part, the music industry is really huge but only if you speak French and if you sing in French! As soon as you start trying to do something that is more international you get no support from the music industry whatsoever! There is no such thing as a Metal record label there, only a few people working on productions. Every time a tour passes through you will get some really amazing concerts taking place but for a band based there to have one of their albums released worldwide and start a proper tour around the world…well, there is only a handful of bands which have succeeded in doing that – bands like Kataklysm and Cryptopsy, but that is pretty much it with regards extreme Metal. It is really hard.
• I once had the pleasure of talking to Away (drums) from Voivod, a fellow Quebecer I believe, and he pretty much described the exact same scenario back in the 80s when his band was starting its career. Geographically, French Canada is fairly isolated, of course… Quite a problem indeed.
Rob: Yes, it is exactly as Away mentioned it – it has not changed at all! You’ve got the Americans who like to keep their…culture separate from us…I don’t want to say anything that will end up sounding insulting to anyone but they do tend to lift up their noses a little bit at the Canadians. I mean, they have so many bands over there and some really powerful labels like Metal Blade and stuff like that. I would have liked to be part of that. It was a sort of dream, when we started, to be part of a label like Metal Blade but then we realised how far away we were from them and realised that it would have not worked in the end. To cross over here to Europe, it is…what is it; twenty years as a band and this is the first time that we made it over here? In view of that, being part of this tour is an accomplishment for us even though it is indeed a very small tour – it is still an accomplishment!
• So what is it, you think, about “The Return Of The Witch” that provided you with the opportunities to achieve those things like coming over here to Europe? This is your fifth studio album; why did the previous four album fail to do similar things for you? Is it possible that this was a simple case of being in the right place at the right time?
Rob: Yeah, there was an issue of timing and also of bad luck. There are tons of stories about bad things happening to us throughout our career and I could try to explain them to you but it would take forever. People often ask me “why is it that you don’t have more albums out” to which the response is difficult to provide. It is a very long and unfortunately and not such a funny story! One very important thing that changed this time round is that we knew that by joining Napalm Records the album would become available everywhere in the world and that is something that we did not have before! Most of our previous albums were only available in Canada and the US so going there was one thing but coming here to Europe was another. The Internet helps to promote ones music but having the centre of your distribution in Austria means that the album is readily available.
• Plus you are very close to Germany which has the number one Metal market in the world!
Rob: Yes, exactly, so for us to come here was just the next step, following the signing of a contract with a European label!
• Many artists I have spoken to express the belief that with the Internet becoming ever so powerful and prominent and with bands using all forms of social media to promote their music, the need for a label will become insignificant. What you are saying in a way is the exact opposite as you seem to want the support of a label
Rob: Yeah but, I mean, I think that we still need a label! I don’t know how long this is going to last but through them we build a network of contacts. Even nowadays, people take you more seriously when you are with a label, even though labels are not as important or powerful as before.
• So, it’s like a status thing…
Rob: Yeah, it is! It is a form of approval, a confirmation that you ‘play’ in a major ‘league’.
• I guess it makes some sense, especially as pretty much everyone can build a site nowadays and put some music through to whoever is interested. The very interview that we do now is because a PR guy from your label posed the question to us!
Rob: There you go.
• I answered my own question there! This interview is much easier than I originally expected…
Rob: (laughs) You’ve just used the best possible example there – you’ve got it bro!
• Someone who listens closely to “The Return Of The Witch” will find a few similarities, in terms of feel more than anything, between Absu and yourselves. You don’t share the exact same musical style but I find that there is an underlying theme that connects both bands and atmosphere is an integral part of that union of sorts. You both use slightly technical ideas without going overboard and you both worship massive riffs so one ought not to be too surprised by the fact that you’ve ended up sharing the same stage on this tour. Was it purely the work of the labels that brought you together? Did the guys from Absu asked you personally to join them?
Rob: Actually everything started with the Inferno Festival (Oslo/Norway). I have already said during a few other interviews on this tour that we owe it to the people from the Inferno festival as they were the ones to make an offer to us to join this year’s billing. We told them “we accept as you guys are one of the most renowned extreme Metal festivals in Europe” and, on top of that, the festival was taking place in freaking Oslo! So, we decided to go there and while I was talking to some of my contacts here in Europe I told them that it would be even better if we were to find another band that is currently touring to add a few more dates to the festival, no matter how many dates they were to be! It was then that I thought to myself “let me check who’s touring Europe during the time of Inferno Festival”. I found quite a few bands that I did not have any contact with so I removed them from my list of choices and somebody told me the name Absu, to which I replied “I know these guys”! So I just contacted their manager and said “hey, what’s up bro, it’s been a long time” to which he replied “by the way, you are playing the Inferno Festival and we are playing there too” to which I said “that is interesting; are you thinking what I am thinking? Are you going to be doing any more dates after that? If yes, we could join you” and he replied “OK, just give me a few hours”. He hangs up and practically forty five minutes later he called me back saying “OK you are on”, so it was as simple as that! The guys from Absu were practising at the time and their manager went to them and told them “hey, the Necronomicon guys are going to be at the Inferno Festival so what do you think about touring with them afterwards” to which they said “yes” and that was that! We then booked a few dates with an agency and it all went pretty smoothly!
• Sometimes things tend to happen ‘just like that’, if all the stars are aligned…
Rob: Yeah, it was really meant to be man!
• Ok, I believe that you are meant to be on the road for another three days or so and so hopefully you will get some time after that to recover and find your strength back.
Rob: Hopefully that will be the case! You know, we don’t get to sleep enough and our stage performance is quite physically demanding. I thought that I would be OK after one or two days but no!
• It must be ever so annoying to finally be given the chance to come over to Europe and not be able to fully enjoy yourself!
Rob: Yeah, indeed! I was talking to the other guys in the band and I said that I do not fully enjoy things at the moment and that is really annoying! I wake up and I am constantly sweating and coughing and when I speak I sound like a freaking Megatron (a fictional character from the Transformers franchise) and it is indeed really hard to sing at the moment. Usually I am good at this but these last few songs I have pretty much fu*ked the first couple of songs as I feel that I have no power nor energy and my voice is simply not coming out! The first song on the three last gigs was a real nightmare for me, really hard to cope with, but I really need to find a way to overcome this problem.
• The show must go on, right?
Rob: Yes, the show must go on! This is exactly how I see things!
• I presume that being the first band on the bill means that you are given something like thirty five minutes on stage, right?
Rob: Well, we have forty minutes but so far I cannot really go on for more than thirty minutes at a time. After thirty minutes on stage I begin shaking and it is really too hard for me to continue.
• So, logic dictates that your set list will focus on material from “The Return Of The Witch” but do you plan on also performing some of the band’s older material?
Rob: Half of the set is going to be based on “The Return Of The Witch”. We will perform the title track, “Into The Fire” which so far has been extremely popular with people and we will have, of course, “The Time Is Now” for which we also did a video clip. We will also play songs from the album “Pharaoh Of Gods” (1999) and “The Sacred Medicines” (2003).
• While waiting to meet with you I found myself at some point standing in front of the merchandise stand and I looked at a few copies of “The Return Of The Witch”, all of which featured a sticker that described your music as “for the fans of Dimmu Borgir and Behemoth” and I remember thinking to myself “what an unfair way of describing an album like that”. Such comments will obviously generate some interest in the band, as both Dimmu Borgir and Behemoth are big selling acts, but I just can’t understand such comments.
Rob: This is not something that we, the members of the band, have decided! I was quite, not insulted, but…
• …annoyed?
Rob: I was like “what the fu*k is that”! When we received all the CDs that were pressed and which were allocated to us we found out that they all had that sticker so I am not planning to go unpack everything and remove the protective packaging for the sake of it.
• OK, so if you were the PR guy in charge of promoting “The Return Of The Witch” how would you choose to describe the music on offer?
Rob: Okkultis In Musika! That’s pretty much the best way.
• It is not very commercially viable, in the same way like the description chosen by your label, but I guess it is more appropriate.
Rob: I think that this term describes exactly what we are about. Back in the days when saying Spiritual Occult Metal felt too long, so I believe that Okkultis In Musika is much more efficient. It sounds good to the ear! I just came up with that term one day when we were taking a break from doing stuff and I was just sitting having a beer. I suddenly said to the band “I believe that we are doing Okkultis In Musika” and the guys were like “oh shit – that sounds like a ton of bricks” and that is true – it’s really what we do! We like our mysticism and our occult stuff and for us it is really a way of life, you know? So, in view of that, the title made sense, and now we have it featured on our new t-shirts.
• For somebody who’s enjoyed the album as much as I did I hope you will allow me some constructive criticism. There are some elements that are quite fitting to your music and which I would like to you see you employ more in the future – elements such as female and choral/chanting vocals. The one thing, however, which I believe worked against the album is its production. There were times when I really thought to myself “those massive riffs deserve something much better in terms of sonic quality”…it’s a real shame that this was not the case here.
Rob: I agree 200% with you on this but there are certain things that I do not wish to mention here because I am not the kind of guy that likes to bitch around. I can tell you that we, as a band, never listen to the album! This is the only album we’ve made that we don’t listen to! It doesn’t sound like a Necronomicon album should – it is as simple as that.
• Well, that is a good thing in the sense that you have identified the problem and I guess that you will do everything in your power to ensure that the next studio album does not suffer in a similar way.
Rob: We are currently working on a new album. We started the recording of the new album just before coming here but we did not have enough time to practice anything in order to be added to tonight’s set list. The drum tracks are already all recorded for the album and it is going to be way more…raw and less over-sampled. We are not going to indulge in many layers and crap like that. We played two new songs during our sound check yesterday or the day before. It was the guys from Impiety that were bugging us like you wouldn’t believe, saying “come on, we want to hear some new stuff here” and so we did but without any vocals as I need to manage this problem that I currently have (note: Rob clears his throat again). Yeah, the reaction was extremely positive which was good (laughs).
• Ok, now I am also really looking forward to listen to some new music! Have you agreed with the label on a release date yet?
Rob: No. We still need to talk with the label and all that stuff but we certainly need to finish it first. We will continue working on the album right after we finish this tour.
• There is no reason to feel pressured about such things I guess. The album has to sound good!
Rob: Yeah. It’s not like we are still working on the songs themselves, you know? Everything is done; I believe that I only have one or two solos to finish but certainly nothing like having to compose a whole song. I need to work with people on orchestrations, choirs and all that stuff but I need to have the entire album ready in order to fit thee ideas in all the appropriate places. It’s like…I like to inspire myself by my own music and so the new album is a mix between “The Return Of The Witch” and “Pharaoh Of Gods” but with more orchestrations involved. As far as the production of “The Return Of The Witch” is concerned, once again, I totally agree with you – really (laughs).
• Well, if anything, we all now expect something sonically more powerful next time round.
Rob: It should be! It should be more your cup of tea.
• Rob, I have been listening to Metal for many years now and I do have a soft touch for Canadian bands. Most of the bands from your part of the woods that I grew up listening to whether it was Annihilator, Anvil or Razor…
Rob: …and Sacrifice!
• …Sacrifice, of course! Well, all these bands tend to have a very unique sound which is not quite European but not quite American either. There is a certain element, a secret ingredient of sorts, which is very special and unique to Canadian bands. Do you understand where it is that I am coming from here?
Rob: Oh boy…I don’t know! It’s funny because I have been listening to these same bands a lot. I really liked Razor back in the day when they released “Evil Invaders” and also “Violent Restitution” was a great album of theirs. That album was a blast! I also really liked Sacrifice of course as they are actually one of the indirect influences for Necronomicon. You can hear their influence on our music especially on the first few recordings like “Morbid Ritual” (1992 Demo). You can hear a lot of influences there (laughs). But honestly, I don’t know how to answer your question here. I mean, even when listening to them back in the 80s, I did not know that Razor were from Canada! I was just listening to their stuff and one day I found out that they were Canadian! The first time I heard any stuff from Sacrifice I though exactly the same thing and it was only a few months later that I found out that they were Canadian too.
• Well, you do have some good bands up there.
Rob: Oh, man – we never had a lot of bands but we always had quality! That is what I think. All bands are good but especially these two were phenomenal! I was aware of the importance of Annihilator and I do know their music but I was personally not into their stuff. I met Jeff Waters quite a few times and he is a really nice guy. I also know that he is a really good musician but, as I said, his style of music is not what I would go for. That, of course, does not mean that I do not recognise him as a good musician because he really is! Who knows what the secret ingredient is!
• Well, it is what it is and we like it anyway, right? Anyhow, the band has been around long enough and you have pretty much done all the right things that will ensure a place in the spotlight so it is good that many people finally start to recognise all the hard work that you have put in Necronomicon. How do you see things evolving from now on?
Rob: Well, let’s see. As I said before, labels have screwed us over many times in the past and the same applies to managers. With such things happening I decided a few years ago to take things into my own hands knowing that this will most probably drain me completely. The band, of course, had already reached a certain status prior to that however I said to myself that if we were to move things onto the next level then somebody has to lead things and really hit hard! So I took everything upon myself as far as the band is concerned: I write all the lyrics, all the drum and bass parts and, of course, the guitar parts – everything, and most of the time I also find myself sitting behind the board and work on the production side of things, except in the case of “The Return Of The Witch”! So yes, I took all that upon my shoulders and in a matter of few months we already began witnessing serious changes! Everything was going way better and things were happening much easier. Of course that demanded a lot of hard work and that is still pretty much the case but we are now signed with Napalm Records. They have a contract with a touring agency and so we will hopefully have a permanent agency for Europe, something that would help a lot. There are a few things happening that I really cannot talk about right now but we will also be going with a new agency in the US also which will help us a lot as these guys have a lot of power. So, I am currently only seeing good things for the future. I know that the new album is extremely ambient, extremely brutal and I believe that we came up with some of the most Black Metal songs that we have ever composed. The new material sounds more Norwegian I would say but still it’s not like we are playing like any other band…it’s quite weird; you will need to listen to it in order to understand what I am talking about. We already have a new video clip under way which will be released together with the new album so you could say that we have managed to keep ourselves quite busy – busier than ever before (laughs). We are also going to play in a big festival that we have in Montreal which attracts something like thirty five thousand people and it is called Heavy MTL and we are going to be the headliners of one of the smallest stages. I was told that it is a small stage and when I saw it I said to myself “OK, THAT is a small stage!!?! (laughs). It was huge! That was a great thing to happen and it started other things happening for us. Finally I think that things are heading toward the right direction!
• Great! All there is left to do then is to wish you good luck!
Rob: Thanks! Something that I realised recently and which is probably due to the fact that we have been around long enough, is that most people tend to be really respectful towards Necronomicon and for that I am really surprised! I have seen bands coming here for the first time and being treated like they are the opening band and for us things are exactly the opposite! There is a lot of respect for us here and after all that work that we have put in the band over the years, that is a really good thing to experience!
• Great stuff! Once again Rob, good luck with everything, thanks for taking the time to talk to us and I hope that somehow you get to manage to also enjoy tonight’s show.
Rob: I will try my best to manage to find some energy somewhere and do this show properly for you guys!
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