TOMB (CROATIAN) BLACK METAL
1_When and how was TOMB formed? Why did you choose this name?
I (strigoj) started Tomb around 3-4 years ago (my first reason was that I found that no music perfectly matched what I wanted so I made if I made it then I can listen to it and be fulfilled) and played all the instruments by myself on the first demo (lamb), soon due to going around local shows and through connections with friends of the same interest, I found Mač. It began as a sort of black-death mesh with a punk sound and it was very similar to deathcrush or early burzum demos as we didnt have the knowledge to achieve the sound we wanted. The name Tomb was picked as I like to have an atmospheric, spacious and dead atmosphere to all my projects names. It also adds a sort of necromancer, magic aspect to the band and its image.
2_How do you see NS Black Metal in general within your country?
NS in my country is not a common pick for newer bands, thank god, but the scene I am very satisfied with, almost all the ns projects Ive heard from this country are very good and even some of the best stuff Ive listened to. The scene understands the music and the topic very well and ofcourse it adds a personal aspect when listening to these bands as the same problems, imagery and life experiences that impacted them also impact me.
3_Ideologically speaking, are you an activist in any movement that promotes your traditions?
We are in only one group and were not involved with activists that much, Č.H.Č., which is hardly a movement rather more a circle of like-minded people.
4_What can you tell us about the "Pered Svijetom Mertvih" Full Album? Did you manage to achieve what you had in mind in terms of the final result?
We are very pleased with the album and have put in countless hours into the atmosphere, sound, composition and all the types of songs and changes weve wanted to achieve. It might be the purest form of Tomb and our goals and ideas in the sound. As an art project our goals have been fulfilled with it but there is always room for improvement.
5_Tell us a little bit about the song “Esoteric Runic Magic”.
The song Esoteric Runic Magic is what I have wanted to do for a long time, a melodic, ethereal and magic sound, it resonates closely with me as it is in every detail the song that most matches my needs when listening to something. The song speaks of aincent Slavic magic and the world behind us, long gone, the shadows and the darkness of the said magic, such as the realm of Mora.
6_Could you give us a brief overview of the material published to date?
Weve had quite a long run spanning and experimenting with different demos and all kinds of black metal. First demo was lamb and that was just me, then the first demos with mač were black forest (first), transilvanian terror,dead of winter, spirit of war, mortium, ancalagon and the crows, in that order. Those I consider to hold no effect to the idea of Tomb, although interesting the sound varies wildly and theres really nothing of musical construct in these demos,just experimenting and trying to find the way to reach our goals. You can very much hear the influences and techniques from these demos in our newer work as the style has remained with us and mixed with newer ideas. Then come the two demos which were the first sign of success in the sound and theyre called Terrors from the grave and starving ghost, I quite like these demos and theyre the only ones I kept up on sale on bandcamp, before they took down our site ofcourse. Then we released the album Winter Sarkofag, after that we immediately began working on The Roots of The Lightning, which achieved more of the atmosphere aspect as we began to view listening to an album as an experience rather then a bunch of songs with no correlation, and 2 months after that we released Pered Svijetom Mertvih.
7_What is your source of inspiration when you sit down to compose?
Usually its ambition, I have an itch that can never be fulfilled and am constantly in need of making new music that matches my needs. It also comes from a place of understanding black metal in my own way and needing to express everything I know and feel, and ofcourse politics also often drive me to new music, spreading our agenda is crucial and fits to express ourselves through the purest form of music.
8_Which labels were interested in representing TOMB inside and outside Croatia?
Witch cauldron records and Blackmass were the ones that I contacted and quite like, the rest I dont know or dont remember and havent made much attempts contacting.
9_Are you preparing new material to close out this year?
We have two new songs done for the upcoming album Vjetrom Kolovrata, and have a few splits on the way but most of them are releasing sometime next year (probably around the beginning). The album most likely wont be out till 2nd or 3rd month next year as progress has gotten a little slower but due to that we have debated over releasing the album song by song as we finish them, and then finishing the whole thing taping it and sending it out when its done. It might ruin the impact it has on the listener but it would also be a somewhat wise idea.
10_Let's talk about reading. - What writers have you been reading lately?
I dont read much but I have read The Lord of The Rings aswell as The Hobbit and The Silmarillion. Fantasy I love the most but I despise harry potter and game of thrones. I also like Stephen King and horror in general but havent read much of his work in the past year or so. I would like to purchase the nswp books sometime and ofcourse have read Mein Kampf but thats as far as my reading goes.
11_Musically speaking, what Black Metal projects would you recommend? ((((Not the well-known ones, maybe something more underground local from Croatia))))
I have quite a few but some good ones are Volkoten, beautiful project it changed my life although it didnt run for long, BlackSStorm, Totenburg, Nachtkult and Warhead and this is not so much black metal but Ungern Sternberg, and for more popular bm options Stahlfront is one of the best. And as for Croatian black metal I like Prognan, Stribog, Chernobog, Napast, Wolfenhords, Deluvian and Poglavnik.
12_What action do you take in the face of the disgusting modern world and all the pestilence it brings?
I refuse to text people who I know in real life and always prefer going outside and talking with them rather than over the phone and attempt to only use my phone when I need to. I also dont go to certain clubs because of their political ideas and their capitalist consumerist approach to music and bands, and expensive beer. I dont eat much processed stuff and actively am trying to move away from society as a whole and live in ultimate soltitude. I find it better than to live in the poisoned modern world that has no tradition nor respect.
13_Who accompanies you in this project?
Mač, our ideas and musical taste fit well and his drumming and sound work also fit the idea of Tomb very good.
Strigoj - Everything
