Några snabba - Eastern Front

Den senaste tiden har jag planlöst jagat runt och letat efter ny bra underground-metal. Vad som slår mig är att av dom bra som jag hittat är den stora delen från Storbritannien. Kan det vara det nya Polen månne?
Nåja, ett av dom bästa banden jag hittade är Eastern Front som vunnit titeln Bästa osignade metalband 2007 av The Metal Underground. På bandets MySpace kan man höra tre låtar och även se en video av låten Blood on snow.
Jag har haft nöjet till en liten mailkonversation med bandets gitarrist Krieg, och nedan följer några frågor och svar. Eftersom jag är en väldigt lat människa så är den inte översatt, men om någon obildad vill ha en svensk översättning får ni höra av er så fixas det vid behov.


* I can´t find that much info about Eastern Front on the web. Can you tell me the history of the band? Where did it all start? Former members? Future plans? etc.

We only started Eastern Front just over a year ago. Now we did not want to just write a few songs and start gigs after a few weeks like many bands. A clear vision was in place that we would develop all of our identity before we do any gig or build our profile. So we had to take time to develop the first songs to ensure they fit within the template of what we had in our "minds eye" as the band Eastern Front.
Now we have done that we all know how each other works and the common feeling that the songs will have however we dont want songs to sound alike just from the same writers.
We have a song that we have not recorded yet but we do play it live called "Where Warriors Once Fell". Now it starts with an acoustic guitar so already sounds very different and its pace is different too, but it builds to a very epic song at the end.

Being from the UK we were very aware that doing "traditional" BM we could be slated by purists of the kvlt BM elite, so Satan and Norwegian Forests were out for us. We all like reading about World War Two and watching films our focus being Europe. I felt I wanted to write songs to pay homage to this period and the people as although it is good to read and watch films nobody should ever be exposed to such violence again. We know what we are doing and it good and honest. However we have already had those who cite us as being Far Right or Nazi.
Now this is really upsetting that people are so stupid.
We do this becuse of what happened in WW2, not to say hail to it and say it was great, as it was not. It was brutal and thus what better subject matter for brutal Black metal!
We would like people to read like we do and learn and discuss with us such things for the betterment of all.
Personally I am "Anti Nazi" but I am also "Anti-Anti Nazi" We already know what the Nazi stand for and I have been exposed to such in Leipzig. Now the "Anti Nazi League" and other such groups point their accusatory fingers as has happened to us which to me is as dammning as the Nazi regeme itself. Was Stephen Spielberg who is a Jew a Nazi just because he made a film based in WW2? So why do they not see our disclaimer? Maybe they only see what they want too, the same as the "Nazi" that sees the "long nose" and states its a "Jew"! We cannot tollerate such things so both are wrong.
Now I dont want to have our band sidelined into something that people can use as a political tool. I just want it to be a good band and be honest to our intentions.
On this point to show we do think about what we are doing. We recorded the song "Blood on Snow" on Remembrance Sunday (Poppy Day).

Band Members: Myself Krieg and the other guitarist Holocaust started the band and tried out another vocalist but that was short lived and in our development weeks. Around this time we brought onboard the other band members and the line up seems perfect as we all contibute to the writing process.

* You were voted the best unsigned band 2007 by The metal underground. How has this influenced your work?

Its not influenced it other than the fact it has "rubber stamped" or given approval to what we are doing to an accolade that we are heading in the right way with what we are doing. We already know its good for us as we feel how good it is when we go into our rehersal studio and play.
We have also been shortlisted for the myspace film "Faintheart" our song "Blood on Snow". So another show of approval!

* You are going to release your first album this year. Are all the songs written or do you still work on it?

We already have songs that are for album number two!
The other songs for the first album are still being fine tuned. We hope to play some of these live before we record them as we feel its a good way to maximise the energy and songwriting. You may create something new in the live situation or have a feeling that changes how you will finally record it. Songs find a better natural tempo when played live.



Krieg

* You are going on tour in Europe sept-oct. How many conserts will there be? And in what countries?

We cannot say much about this other that it will be with some well known bands and will be for 3 weeks starting mid Sept. However our agent who came to us is so crazy about our band he wants us back for more after this tour.

* You play "War torn blackmetal". Are you all interested in historic war? How did you come up with the idea of writing about war and battles?

As above. Historic war we dont know enough about wars other thatn WW2 to do the song writing justice so I would not say it would never happen but for the next five albums I can assure you it will be WW2 Europe as subject matter.

* The video "Blood on Snow" appears to be removed. Why?**

The video was taken down by the administrator of Bloodstock Open Air festival as they had evidence of a large number of views from a single IP. Now I already knew they were using Google Analytics so they have loads of info they can see and as I nknow they can track that we would not cheat as it would waste our time as this could happen. I have now negotiated with them that we can upload it again but will have to get everyone to vote again. They advised: "they must not click through more than once in any day". I have been back to them and I can't understand why they could not think of this. I advised what if I get someone to go on someother video of a band that is winning and I get loads of click throughs to get them removed. Its crazy. So they are taking on bouar my comments as its not being run in a very good way. If they base it on just votes as you can only vote once this will alleviate part of the issue.

** The video is infact up again. Do not miss it!

* Anything else you might want to add?

I thank you and all of the people who have come to us so far as we have not really tried to "market" our band yet. We set out to train our band with live gigs in the north of England so as not to be seen by London media until we fel we are ready. However by our third gig were were doing well as can be seen by the review on our profile page. We are looking forward to being the opening act for Infernal Damnation festival and are excited about having the opportunity of a decent European tour before we approach any record company.
The response we have had at every gig has been fantastic and people tell us we are like a major label band so very humbling for us in this our "fledgling" period!
One other point worthy of mention is the song "Blood on Snow" was inspired by the book "Blood Red Snow" by Gunter Kosshoreck - Memoirs of a Greman Soldier on The Eastern Front. A good read and gives an insight from the inside of what the Third Reich was like and also the Soviet's too.

//Krieg

http://www.myspace.com/easternfrontuk