Interview with Nikola Rajevac (Amon Din)

Metalfan: Hello! Please make a short history of Amon Din for our readers...
Nikola Rajevac: Amon Din as a band started in 1995. when Nebojsa Sarcevic and Sasa Sarcevic decided to make few songs and see what will it look like. And one of those songs is Destiny, which Amon Din still plays. Through the years many people have come and gone from Amon Din, but they all left some influence in the band’s songs. We played all across Serbia, in Bosnia, in Romania… And wherever we played, we got more and more energy to continue with our work.

Metalfan: On the 6th of September this year you will play at Hatework Festival 2 along Nile, Grave, Belphegor and Loudrage, what should people expect from Amon Din?
Nikola Rajevac: Good show, that is for sure. We have new drummer now, Damir Adzic, Sasa and Nikola are back in the band after 2 years, and everything is functioning perfectly. Come to the show, listen Amon Din and see for yourself, after all.

Metalfan: Why did you choose lyrical themes inspired from Tolkien and fantasy? Why not influenced by Serbian culture?
Nikola Rajevac: Actually, only one song is inspired by Tolkien (Into the Mirror from our Dinamoneyezed album), and we have songs inspired by Serbian culture: Blue Tomb (about pains and sufferings of Serbian army in World War One), Nebeska Srbija…

Metalfan: Last year you have realesed your second full-lenght album, Where The Dreams No Longer Exist, please could you explain us the meaning of the title?
Nikola Rajevac: Well, the album will be out this year actually, the release is for Thundering Records/Pervade Productions from France. Most of the songs on the album have been made when the path of the lives of people here was not so clear as it is today (2001-2005). The name of one song on the album is also “Where the Dreams No Longer Exist”, which talks about NATO intervention in Serbia in 1999, and at that time it really looked like Serbia is “no dreams” place, there was nothing certain, you did not know what to expect from the next day. It was really bad time.

Metalfan: Where was the album recorded? Also for how long have you recorded?
Nikola Rajevac: The album is recorded in studio “Cesnjak” in Kragujevac, the recording lasted for about 2 weeks, and the mastering and postproduction is done in D.O.W. in Florida by Juan Punchy Gonzales, who worked with Morbid Angel, Nile, etc.

Metalfan: You have realesed just two full-lenght albums in 13 years, do you have some older tracks recorded for a compilation for die hard death metal fans or for people who are curious to find out more about the history of Amon Din?
Nikola Rajevac: Well, every man in Serbia must go to the army. And the army took away two years from Amon Din (2002.-2004.), and that was the time when we should have made the entire new album. After the army we started almost from the beginning (we had only two concerts in that period, we did not have any possibilities to make new songs together…). As for the compilation, we think that there is no need for that now, maybe after third album.

Metalfan: Let's return to your album Where The Dreams No Longer Exist, could you tell us something about each track? The way things should be seen....
Nikola Rajevac: As I said before, most of the songs have been made between 2001. and 2005. The way things should bee seen? We are leaving that for the fans. Everyone has different feelings when listening music, and as long as our fans feel our music, we will gain more and more energy to continue.

Metalfan: I really like the artwork, it looks like an image from Mount Doom from Mordor... Am I close? :)
Nikola Rajevac: The artwork is done by Zig Skingraver (he worked with Suffocation, Dying Fetus, etc.). It is pure coincidence that it looks like Mount Doom. We gave him the recordings, he listened them and draw what he felt. That’s it!

Metalfan: This year you will play at Legacy Festival in Serbia along Obituary, Vader, Destruction and many more, also you will be on tour with Grave, Nile and Belphegor, you are thinking to film a DVD? I've seen that you don't a have a DVD material so far....
Nikola Rajevac: We will have the crew as all the other band will, and if it turns out to be OK, we probably will make a release.

Metalfan: How are things with Kosovo? What do you feel about that?
Nikola Rajevac: We are the musicians, that is what we do, the politicians do the politics.

Metalfan: How are things going with Butcher Productions so far?
Nikola Rajevac: Our first album was released originally for Butcher Productions, and we had excellent cooperation. We sold about 1000 tapes in Serbia at that time (2000.-2001.) which is excellent result. As I said, after the army we had to start from the beginning, and we almost stopped the cooperation. But Max Butcher and Amon Din are still excellent friends, and will always be probably.

Metalfan: When Amon Din started as a band, which was the thing that made you feel uncomfortable?
Nikola Rajevac: Uncomfortable? I really don’t understand the question. We all started playing in Amon Din because we liked it a lot.

Metalfan: What is the question that you have always wanted to answer in an interview and never had the chance?
Nikola Rajevac: “When will Amon Din have its first interplanetary tour?” J

Metalfan: What are your influences beside Tolkien?
Nikola Rajevac: Tolkien has the least influence on Amon Din. Most of the influences came from the band members themselves (we all listen to different types of music, 90% is metal, but there are some other interesting bands).

Metalfan: Thank you for your time, in the end would you like to send few words to Metalfan readers?
Nikola Rajevac: Stay metal (any kind), and don’t miss Amon Din for anything!