GOD DETHRONED – Dutch flavoured, melodic, brutal metal from the Godz
- Posted on 19-03-2007
I en stund har jeg kjørt en intervjurunde med et knippe utvalgte band i ulike genre, og det er det som gjør det hele så spennende. Denne gang er det Ariën Van Weesenbeek, «de magnifique» slagverker i det grensesprengende hollandske Death Metal bandet God Dethroned, som har delt sine tanker og opplevelser med oss, men han var for beskjeden til å nevne at han nå også opptrer på ABORTEDs utgivelsesdatoer, grunnen kan du finne på deres nettsted.
ET: Hi Ariën. How are you doing?
Ariën: Hello! I’m fine, thanks!
ET: How would you characterize the type of music that you create? Has your style changed or evolved over time?
Ariën: I’d call it melodic Death Metal, but with a lot of different influences, especially nowadays. Our latest album is pretty diverse, with a cool fusion of Death-, Thrash-, Black-, and even Heavy Metal. All this with a modern sound that makes the whole album complete. Yeah, «The Toxic Touch» is pretty different from the raw deathmetal from «The Christhunt», or «The Grand Grimoire».
ET: Do you think that the style of the music you create in general has changed or evolved over time?
Ariën: Probably: there are so many styles you can combine as a band, and for the fact that there are a lot of bands who are not afraid to experiment from time to time, you get very interesting results.
ET: Do you think that the sound and style of the type of music you perform express your personal beliefs and identity, if so, how?
Ariën: It’s a flow of energy, and sometimes a release of frustration and anger. For me, it’s an adrenaline rush and a challenge as in sports. I’m always soaked from the sweat when we did a show, and that’s the only way I can play: with total commitment and with the intent to play as perfect as possible, yet with a lot of feeling and power. It’s a release, and it’s great that the audience picks up that vibe.
ET: Do you think that the lyrics in this music are reflective of your personal beliefs? Why or why not?
Ariën: Well, the lyrics from our new album are mostly imaginative little stories: wondering how people in certain states of mind would feel like and think about. It doesn’t reflect on us. We feel good at most times, and enjoy the life with the ups and downs.
ET: Do you believe that the lyrics of your music serve a particular function? Is there a particular reason to the topics?
Ariën: They give an extra dimension to the songs. They complete the songs actually.
The contents of the lyrics don’t have a reason; they are just things that interest us. We don’t want to make a social or political statement. We just want to play and create music.
ET: What first attracted you to the music scene? What captured and held your interest?
Ariën: The beauty of music, and the way some music can inflict on your feelings, whether it’s good or bad, joyful or depressing. The reason why I wanted to play drums was that I was simply drawn to the drums, and I have a dad that plays drums too, so it’s in the blood, ha-ha. But I remember the moment that I listened to «Harmony Corruption» from NAPALM DEATH. I was going crazy!! I was so excited, and that’s the moment I really threw myself on metal drumming and writing that kind of music.
ET: Because the type of music you perform is quite underground, it is difficult to market it and for a band to come widely known and respected. What was it like to establish a name for yourselves? What sort of efforts did it entail? What setbacks did you suffer, and what obstacles have you overcome through the years?
Ariën: Death Metal is a music style for a small mondial group, yet a very fanatic and sincere and honourable one. But, that makes it hard to increase massive popularity. As long as you’re not in the charts, you won’t get a worldwide popularity status. But that’s ok. This kind of music shouldn't be in the charts I think. Then it might loose its credibility. But nevertheless: it was great to be able to tour in the States for a Dutch band! Man, I never thought I’d visit the States in my whole life, ha-ha. We were also lucky that our label Metal Blade Records picked us up, and they have a great distribution system, in the States, and in Europe. That was in our advantage.
ET: Please describe your experience of the Metal scene. What has it been like to perform, both when you first began and at present? How has the scene changed? Are the fans different? Are the shows different? Is the music different?
Ariën: With my old band, it was just for fun in some small clubs or bars, ha-ha. But with GOD DETHRONED, it’s a different game with different stakes. There's more depending on everything now. It’s become more professional and serious, and REALLY into music rather than just for the fun, you know. The shows are sometimes so amazingly insane, ha-ha, but that’s great! There’s no fun like on stage!
ET: What are the factors that you like most about the Metal scene?
Ariën: The relaxation, the atmosphere, the freedom.
ET: What are the factors that you dislike most or would like to see changed?
Ariën: Wannabe-popular people.
ET: What do you think of the «Satanism» that is often attributed to the metal scene?
Ariën: It’s ok, you know. I don’t care that much. But it’s a great thing to shock the «moral» people with, ha-ha. But, Satanism doesn’t mean much to me.
ET: What sorts of personalities do you encounter most at shows? What are the positive trends and the negative trends that you have noticed?
Ariën: I meet all kinds of people. As long as they are nice, than I don’t mind how they look like, or act like.
ET: Is there a «metal philosophy»? If you think so, how would you describe it?
Ariën: I guess it would be: have fun, enjoy the good things in life and be free to do what you want to do with mutual respect to other people.
ET: Do you have a personal philosophy? How would you describe it?
Ariën: I go with the metal philosophy.
ET: Is there a relationship between the Metal scene and society as a whole? How would you describe that relationship? Hostile? Friendly? Indifferent?
Ariën: It’s still a bit of an outcast scene, but there’s more mutual understanding nowadays than in the early days, where everything different or unknown was «evil» or «bad influence». I think society has become smarter in that way.
ET: What do you think makes your band’s music something unique?
Ariën: Our melodic approach in fast and extreme music. And our chemistry in the band.
But it’s hard to do something that hasn’t been done yet. But with Henri’s typical voice and Isaac’s guitar playing, well be fine, ha-ha.
ET: What is your perception of the current political battles over «violent» entertainment forms or films, music etc., which are believed to promote violent behaviour?
Ariën: That’s crap. It’s in the nature of a person and the raising of the children by the parents that make the difference. It’s so stupid to blame a movie producer for criminal acts. SLAYER had a lot of trouble because of shit like this. They just make music, they didn’t start any violence. But hey, someone has got to take the blame apparently… It’s really crap.
ET: Would you want Metal to go mainstream so it would be more prevalent and easier to access? Why or why not?
Ariën: I would like to keep it the way it is now. We play for a dedicated audience who are a part of the scene because of true love for this kind of music. When it would be too mainstream, I don’t know what will become of that purity.
ET: Thank you so much for participating in this interview. Please add any additional comments, reflections, or impressions that you might have.
Ariën: You’re most welcome. If anyone would love to hear Dutch flavoured, melodic, brutal metal from the Godz, buy our album «The Toxic Touch», and enjoy it to the max!!!
See you on tour somewhere, someday!