Troll Interview is up 1/11/2010
TROLL
1.Troll has been out of the scene for close to 10 yrs now . What is the reason for the return
to the Black Metal Pantheon?
Ygg: The reason that Troll is back is that we wanted to play black metal like it once was.
Nagash Vold and I was in a more nostalgic mood that time we met in the rehearsal room the
first time.
2. Your working with Napalm after yrs of working the now defunct Head not found. How did you
come to work with Napalm.
Ygg: We were the only band that even had a record deal left, on the legendary head not found.
Neo-Satanic Supremacy was recorded in terms of release on head not found. We had some
communication problems and things did not go according to set plan, one can say. Then we
realized that we had to switch label to get something done with Troll. Napalm proved to be
right for us after much back and forth with several ohter labels.
3. With Neo Satanic Supremacy to my ears has a very Dimmu borgir element ( Stormblast era) to
the release with a very grim sound all its own did that Dimmu record spark anything for this
Troll release?
Ygg: Both Dimmu and Troll comes from the more melodic part of the Norwegian black metal scene.
Nagash was also a member of Dimmu, so he's written a lot of the older material in the catalog
of Dimmu Borgir. So it is clear that some of his musical references have been included in the
Troll. A little important to remember that Drep De Kristne came out that year Nagsh joined
Dimmu. So the sound and the way we write songs in Troll was alleready there. We have never had
an idea to create something similar to Dimmu. But if people compare the Troll with this Dimmu
period. We have nothing against that.
4. Troll seems to keep the Corpse Paint with the Bands Ideals do you feel this give the band a
power or force live that is much needed in Black metal?
Ygg: Corpse Paint has become part of the tradition of Norwegian black metal. We can certainly
go on stage without corpsepaint. But it is a little like the original Kiss without the makeup.
Are not quite the same experience for the audience I can imagine. (No, I refer not to this
Kiss cover band, Paul and Gene are doing at the moment hahahaha. That is too cynical and
disrespectful for Kiss fans, I think. Alice Cooper does not have to do makeup as he used too,
he does look rather like he was trying to look like in the 70s hehehe.)
But there is something about the tradition that makes us choose to continue with the paint. We
have a more nostalgic, perhaps conservative view of what the Norwegian black metal is about.
What we noticed after our performances is that people who were part of the scene in the early
90's. Says Troll gives them the old feeling, like it once was. The dark raw "necro" feeling
from that period. A black metal concert should not be a happy event. Troll is about anti-
religious, pagan and Nordic mythology in the same brutal package. So corpse paint you will get
if you ever come to a Troll concert.
5. Is Troll your main focus again Nagash or will you be working on a new Kovenant release as
well?
Ygg: I can not answer for Nagash, we'll see what The Kovenant choose to do after the
performance on the Inferno Festival in Oslo, Easter 2010.
6.What is a live Troll show like? is there a stage show or is it just the band down and dirty
on stage?
Ygg: A good question. We have not arranged any special moves for the performance. It is not a
set template for what a Troll concert should be, or act on stage. We are a metal band, not a
theater. It is the classic, plug in, give absolutely everything. plug out. Party on the
backstage after. Get out on the road, and do the same package a new place the day after
Theatre hehehe.
7. Whats your thoughts on the current digital age of media do you miss the days of print
zines, radio and vinyl/tapes???
Ygg: No not really, vinyles are coming back. That is kinda cool.
8. Did you record Neo Satanic Supremacy as a full band in studio as its sound very much like a
group and not piece by piece recording?
Ygg: The music of Neo-Satanic Supremacy album is created and made in the Troll rehearsal room
in Oslo. So the recording has a good old-fashioned band feel to it. The whole point of the
Troll's comeback is that there should be a band. The time when Troll was Nagash solo project
is over. We all contribute both to the text to music in the band. And this I think people
notice when they hear the record. This is not a planned product, put together by musicians in
a studio for someone that wrote and planed it all. It is a record where the music is made by a
band. Recorded by the same members of the band in studio. Really old school way to do it I
suppose.
9. If the members were asked what the continual running theme of Troll was how would your
explain it to someone that has never seen or heard the band?
Ygg: Troll is Norwegian Black Metal. Brutal uncompromising melodic BM. A mix of Norwegian folk
music, classical music. Also, older types of metal, prog, punk that is the melting pot that
made Norwegian Black Metal what it is today. Lyricly Troll is, pagan and mythologica. Anti-
religious, satanic, as in the word satan. based on the pre Arabic meaning of the word satan,
that means: Rebel or opponent. In many ways, Norwegian black metal as we think it should be.
10. Will Troll be touring the USA at all or just going to work the European shores in 2010?
Ygg: We hope to tour as much as possible in 2010, so I hope we will find an opening for
touring US in 2010.
11. The Synths seem to play a large part in all projects with Nagash do you feel the
electronic/synthetic works well with the grim and cult black metal sounds with everything you
have do I really respect the Future vs primitive that all your projects seem to create.
Ygg: Nagash without synths, is not going to happend. At least not these days. Its a part of
how he/we lake to work with the sound of Black metal.
12. Is there a story behind Neo Satanic Supremacy or just a collection of Blistering Black
Metal tracks?
Ygg: We did not have a red line, or template, we worked for when we made the music of Neo,
album. The only thing we wanted was to play black metal the Troll way. So the truth is. We
were a little surprised how well the songs fit together as a package when we made the album in
Abyss Studios.
13. Thank you for your time any closing thoughts here?
nothing answered
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