With:	Nocturnus Horrendus
Conducted by:	Lucas (e-mail)
Published:	07.04.2008
Band profile:	Corpus Christii

Hi Nocturnus Horrendus, this is Lucas (a.k.a. Nervel) from the international webzine MetalStorm.ee. Thanks for agreeing to do this e-mail interview, let's get started!

- First of all: how are you doing?

A bit anxious since in few days we'll play live again and this time with Vorkreist and Merrimack in a local gig I am organizing. It's the come back gig for Merrimack and the first time without Terrorizt doing vocals so it's an important date. Also just our 3rd time we play as a 5 piece.

- Your last album "Rising" was received with great appreciation, and got applauding reviews everywhere (including Metal Storm). How does that make you feel?

Always important to have good reviews and see that our work was worth it, that there is people out there understanding our work and assimilating to a higher level. Still when I do something is to please myself above all and that is what the album did. This album is going pretty well, now just hoping more people go to gigs. Selling is already a crisis these days so people might as well show up live.

- You have stated that this year you are going to focus on playing live shows. Does this mean we will have to wait an entire year for a follow-up to "Rising"?

Still this year there will be a new mCD with unreleased material but I will not reveal much about that now. I am indeed more focusing on playing live, trying to go to places we haven’t been before. I think it’s important to attract people live, not that many Underground B.M. bands play and normally it’s always the same bands having some people at gigs. So this year is mostly to focus on that, I might do some new material and some pre-production but not a new album. Besides, I am not in a hurry, I think "Rising" still has a lot to give, still has many places to reach and people to conquer.

- On the album there is a certain Doom influence present. Will this evolution continue in the future?

I don't know, it just happen, not something I think of and then make it happen. It was a normal step during recording, specially since I am a big Doom fan. Maybe I was a bit inspired to do that cos there is presently so many Funeral Doom bands but no really Doom Metal around.
I do think it gave a pretty fresh vibe to the album and most probably will happen again but like said, not something I need to stop, think and see what will happen. I always take things very spontaneously and that is what I will continue doing.




- How does the process of writing new songs, or even a complete album, work for you?

Like any other composer, I pick up the guitar when something comes to my head and I try to pass it into strings, there’s not much more than that, I try to take it as simple and old school as possible.

- On several occasions, you have stated to be a Satanist. Now since the term "Satanism" is used for different types of beliefs and religions, can you explain to me clearly what your thoughts and feelings are?

I don't care for others, I follow my own ways and if it goes against what other think I’m fine with that. I just do not follow any sects or books nor anything that compromises me as an individual. I am my own and as my own I have my own ideas, beliefs, things in which I live for daily.

- Since information about all the ex-members of Corpus Christii is quite hard, or even impossible, to find, can you help me out? With which people have you worked together for CC, when where they in the band and what instruments did they play?

The only two members that were really in the band were Ignix Nox which started the band with me back in 1998, and Necromorbus that was in a later period doing drums in the band, he also recorded 2 of the albums. Besides them there was never any full time members in the band, at least that went into studio with me, all others were session musicians to play live. Still I did have some help with some lose riffs and such from some close friends, but that happened rarely.



- Can you give us all an update on the bands that you are currently involved with, and what they are doing at the moment.

I was for a few years not that active, at least not that involved as before so now once I came back things have been pretty busy. Currently I am working for a new Morte Incandescente album called "…Relembrando Um Túmulo Esquecido". Also a new Storm Legion album, some new demo Coldness material and did vocals for new project with Wraith from Nazxul called Nox Inferi ( www.myspace.com/noxinferi). All these releases will be out later this year through individual labels and different formats.

- What are your personal views on today's Black Metal scene?

There's good bands, there's bad bands. Much less sales, much less people at gigs, always the same few bands being worshipped. Much talk, little doing, many kids that come and go, "veterans" that think only what's old is good, others thinking only what's fresh is good... many things I think of the "Black Metal scene", mostly I just try to not think about any of it and do what I live for. All the rest comes and go, all the rest exists and tends to be forgotten.

- And how is the scene in Portugal doing? Any bands worthy of a recommendation?

There's bands Onirik, Flagellum Dei, D.O.R., Ars Diavoli, Scarificare, Irae and so on, there are many of course but I'm not so aware of what is going around here, I have my share of things to worry about and lose my time with.

- You are also the owner of the label Nightmare Productions. What have you achieved so far, and what are you still planning to achieve?

I mainly have the label so I can release bands I like and that normally have a hard trouble getting a label, that even goes for Corpus Christii.
Right now I think N.P. is the biggest most well spread Black metal label in Portugal so I think things are going alright, still the market here is so small that it doesn't inspire much confidence. Seems people are still up to go to a big shop and pay 17/18€ for one trendy CD than get some real good and cheap Underground records.
I just hope it can keep active and keep on releasing things that I truly appreciate, not cos they sell or not but cos I believe in those releases and am glad to contribute so that they are available to the public.

- Is there non-metal music to be found on your shelves?

Of course, I give much interest to what I grew up with listening, mostly 80’s pop rock but also more modern rock, or indie rock and so on. Not so much ambient stuff though.
I tend to not listen to Black Metal or Metal in general when I am composing, and well, lately I have been composing a lot.
In most cases I just listen to things I get through Nightmare Prod. since I like to know what I am selling.
I try to keep a good catalogue without much bullshit.

- Classic "Desert Island top 10" question: you are stuck in the middle of nowhere and only allowed to bring your 10 favourites albums. Which ones? What are the albums that you absolutely cannot live without?

Not a clue, not a situation I would want to be in nor lose time thinking of it.

- Thank you very much for this interview, in return, you can have the last words...

Rise through your fall!