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Interview with Frank Harthoorn (Gorefest)

Interview with Frank Harthoorn (Gorefest)
BANDS : Gorefest

 

Hello and welcome into the pages of metalfan.ro. I'm going to annoy you from the start and ask you to provide our readers with some of the most important moments of Gorefest's history.

Ha, there are so much! The addition of Ed and Boudewijn to the band, touring the US, Dynamo '93, all the albums, splitting up, getting back together, the first gig since 7 years... All fine, and not so fine, memories.

How do you explain the death metal ascension at the end of the eighties and the beginning of the nineties?

It was new and exciting. Boundaries were being set, and broken. Great songs were written. Great albums were being made. New kinds of music were being created right in front of your eyes. It was an awesome time to live in for a Metalhead.

I had the occasion to read interviews with many important bands and some of them don't seem to realize their contribution to the death metal phenomena. What was, in your opinion, Gorefest's role in the European death metal area?

Haha, I don't think our role was that important. I think we had a big part in putting Holland on the Metalmap, together with Pestilence. That's about it, I guess.

Was it hard for a band like yours to get the attention of one of the biggest record companies on the market, and I refer to Nuclear Blast Records?

No, not really. We knew what we wanted, and how we wanted it. With Ed and Boudewijn in the band, we knew we could write some really good stuff. Nuclear Blast recognized that.

Now let's talk a little about Mindloss, your debut album. What were its main attractions and how did the media and the fans receive it?

It was pretty much a generic Death Metal record, but I put quite a lot of melody in there, since I always liked that in Metal. A lot of people hooked on to that. We also made sure we wrote songs, as opposed to collections of riffs. Since it were almost all demosongs, we had quite a lot of time to live with them, and shape them up to an acceptable level. Not many bands worked like that.

Did you have the chance back then to do any major gigs? What were the countries you visited and which bands did you share the stage with?

We played mostly in Holland , Germany and Belgium , but we got to do shows with most of the big names then. We toured multiple times with Death, with Carcass, shows with Pestilence, Morbid Angel, Entombed, Napalm Death, you name 'em.

If you look back to the past do you see any major differences between the audiences from back then and the ones from our days?

Not really. People who want Metal tend to act in similar ways, whereverer, whenever. Usually, there's lots of beer involved. There's more girls these days, which is great. That was always a problem 15 years ago.

If we are to make a Top Ten Death Metal Albums, I am sure that False would enter it without any problems. Why do you think it's still regarded as a cult album?

It stands out, because of it's variety of real songs, the melodies, the sound, Ed's drumming. It all fits. It's a kind of journey, even though that sounds a bit pretentious.

More than ten years ago, your country had at least four important death metal acts (Gorefest, Asphyx, Sinister and Thanatos) that provided some magnificent albums. Do you think the competition between these bands had a positive effect and that's why the albums were so good? What's the situation with the Dutch death metal scene right now?

I think it was more a case of each band having it's own, unique sound. All bands you mention, along with bands like Pestilence, Dead Head, Acrostichon, had a completely different approach with regards to Metal. And even though I don't see that same diversity in the current scene, there's still a really good scene in Holland . Probably more good bands now then there were back then.

The Eindhoven Insanity is considered the first death metal live act caught on CD. How did you get such a fabulous outcome? Was it a perfectly planned event or did the chance have its own part in this process too?

It was a complete fluke. The show happened to get recorded, it was an awesome show, we had access to the tapes, we just threw it out there. Even the sleevephoto was a 1 minute decision. It was just one of those things which for some reason just have to be like that. It's become quite a cult-thing, which is cool.

In 1994 you released Erase, a product considered your best up to date. Some non-death metal influences were sensed while listening to it. Was Gorefest starting to change its face or was it a natural progress?

Evolution. That's what happens when you get older, and you keep writing music together. You learn so much more, you start listening to all kinds of stuff, it all creeps in somehow. We can't write the same album over and over, that's just not us.

I often wondered (and I guess I am not the only one around!) how did Jan Chris manage to get all those ferocious vocals? After all he's such a tiny guy!

I have no idea, he just does it, I guess.

Your 1996 album, Soul Survivor, was a little bit shocking. Many seventies influences, doomy elements and monstrous groove parts. Jan Chris' part seem the only thing connecting you with the past. What has really happened?

Another part of the evolution. In retrospect, it might have been better if Boudewijn and Ed had released this record under another name, but then again, I'm still really proud of that album. It's gradually finding it's own audience, and that's awesome!

They said that an important part of your fans were quite disappointed by the new orientation. Was this the cause leading to you leaving Nuclear Blast Records and joined SPV Records?

No, our contract with NB came to its conclusion, and both parties felt we had to part ways. All very friendly and open. We're very glad to be back, though!

I know at least ten people that fully rejected Soul Survivor when it first came out. Nowadays they seem to consider it an excellent album. Is there any chance this disk came out a little bit before its time and people weren't ready for it?

Could be, I don't know. I do know that a lot of people don't really listen to an album, they just skip parts to get to the blasts, or the leads, or whatever. That's their loss, I guess, but I don't think it's very fair. I always hate it when people declare an album crap, when they've hardly listened to it.

Chapter XIII, your next album, pushed the experiment even further. All death metal parts were eliminated and replaced by elements from other metal areas. What do you think now about the path you followed back then? Was it the right direction or just the journey to a dead end?

In many ways, Ch13 sounds a lot more like False then anything else we did. To me, anyway. It's probably my favorite GF-album up to now. We wrote it after we put an end to a lot of quarreling in the band, and we were totally relaxed in writing and recording it. Same as with False. It also has a really great flow, the songs really complement eachother, so much it almost feels like a concept album. It sadly went past most people, and went to the bargain bin pretty quick. So sad, a very misunderstood album, that one.

It has been a seven years hiatus for Gorefest. What have you and the guys been up to all this time? Was it hard for you to stay away from touring, stage, studio and fans?

Well, yeah. We just did our own thing. None of us thought we'd ever get back together again, so we went totally our separate ways. I try not to think about those years, so if you don't mind, next question please.

I read on your site that you re-signed with Nuclear Blast Records. It is an only one album deal or are you determined to go on for many years and release more than just one record?

We just finished recording the new one, so we're focussing on that right now. It's a multi-album deal though, so there's bound to be more Metal from us.

What do you think Gorefest has to offer to the current European metal stage?

I honestly have no idea. We just write really heavy music, and if you happen to like that, then you might like our new album. That's about it, I guess.

I know that Nuclear Blast will reissue all your past albums, which I think is a brilliant plan. Will they be remastered and have new artworks and bonuses too? Whose idea was it?

Lots of bonuses on those, they also come in a wonderful box, and at not too big a price. I think NB came up with the plan.

Let's get to your future album. What can you tell me about it? When will it be out? Will it be a "back to the roots" album or continue the unfinished business as you left it back then in 1998?

It's called La Muerte, and that's also what it deals with, more or less. We recorded it at Excess Studios in Rotterdam , Holland , and produced it ourselves. Tue Madsen mixed the whole thing, and it'll be released late october.

Musically it's totally Metal. Almost Death, I guess. Fast shit, slow shit, it's all there. But most of all, it's HEAVY!

Now please tell me your opinion about piracy and free mp3 files sharing.

I think it's a good way of checking out new stuff, and getting your music around the world. If people really like it, they might even buy the album. I don't see much different with tapes, really.

What do you think about the Internet era?

I couldn't live without it anymore. The world's at your feet with an internet-connection, what more do you want. Answers to all of your questions, a conversation two mouseclicks away. As much porn as you could possibly absorb in a lifetime. Amazing.

Now, as we approach the end of our interview, I would like you to tell me something about Gorefest's future plans.

Well, we're waiting anxiously for the mixed songs Tue Madsen will be sending us. Then we'll be waiting some more for the release. After that, we'll wait even more for some shows. And after that, we'll just wait, I guess. Hahaha.

Thank you very much for talking to us and good luck in the future to you and the guys. Please share a few thoughts with Romanian metalheads.

I hope you're all happy and well, and maybe we'll see eachother one day! Until then, keep those vampires at bay!

Autor: Sake
Vezi galeriile trupelor: Gorefest

   August 29, 2005  | 0 Comments  | 7897 Views « BACK

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