NOVEMBERS DOOM Vocalist Reports On DVD Shoot

Vocalist Paul Kuhr of the Chicago doomsters NOVEMBERS DOOM has posted the following message on the band's MySpace page:

"For a small underground metal band from Chicago, we have found ourselves in unreal situations and have met people across the world who believe in us, sometimes more then we do ourselves. Carl Grillet, owner of the metal store chain Metal Zone in Europe, has become one of the best things to happen to us. Without his hard work, and belief in the band, we wouldn't have some of the opportunities we have had, so to us, Carl is a part of the NOVEMBERS DOOM family. Because of him, we were again given an opportunity to travel to Europe and tour. The original plan for this tour was two weeks, and the line-up would be NOVEMBERS DOOM, AJATTARA, THURISAZ, and WOODS OF YPRES. In my opinion, a stunning lineup.

"Then, we had the idea of finally shooting our live DVD we've talked about for years now. We thought about recording it here in Chicago, then considered Toronto, or New York. We wanted to perform in front of the best possible crowd for us. We chose to play where we actually feel the most at home... Vosselaar, Belgium.

"With the DVD shoot, much planning had to go into this, as no one has really recorded like this at the Biebob club, where we played. This would be our second performance at the Biebob, after a very successful tour in 2006 with AGALLOCH, SATURNUS, and THURISAZ. As much of the focus moved towards the DVD shoot, the idea of a two week tour started to weigh on our minds, and we made the decision to put all the efforts into the one performance. We wanted this to be as special as possible, and this one show to have the biggest impact it could. We couldn't have been more pleased.

"We arrived in Brussels Belgium on November 8th, 2007 and after a brief meeting with Carl, we went to our hotel to sleep off the jet lag. Thursday was kept as a relaxing day, to recover from the flight.

"Friday was a unique day. After some sightseeing, and soaking in the fine Belgium culture, we were allowed into the Biebob club to rehearse, since the club was closed for the day. We weren't rehearsing the DVD show, instead we had to work on our set for the following Monday, which was one of the most unique shows we have ever performed, acoustically.

"Saturday, November 10th, the day of the shoot begins early. The equipment is set up on stage, and the long task of setting up all the audio and video recording equipment takes place. Sound check, and being reunited with our metal brother THURISAZ takes place, and good time begin. In the early evening, AJATTARA arrive from Finland, and get settled in.

"Later in the evening, THURISAZ takes the stage first, and crushes once again. Every single time I see this band, it amazes me how much better they get. They work very hard, and it shows. They have really stepped into their own, and if you haven't taken the time to hear these guys, you really need to!

"AJATTARA is next up. What a treat this is for me. Not only being a huge fan of Pasi's past work, I discovered AJATTARA almost 2 years ago, and became a huge fan of their music. Ask my band mates, I've talked about them a great deal. I personally asked them if they would do the tour / shows with us, maybe selfishly because I wanted to see them live, but I knew their form of dark metal would blend well with us. Before they took the stage, the band had a Jägermeister fueled ritual in the dressing room, and I knew the crowd was about to be pummelled. They did not disappoint me.

"So, the time comes, and our into starts. We take the stage, and with my opening statement 'Belgium! We are NOVEMBERS DOOM, and with us, we bring the rain!' Four-hundred plus fans witnessed one of our most memorable career moments, the filming of our first DVD. This had to be one of the very best crowds in our history. We could not have asked for any better, and once you see the final version, you'll know exactly why we chose Belgium. After a quick hour and fifteen minutes, we had finished, ending the set with a fan favourite, 'The Pale Haunt Departure'.

"Metal Zone had set up a meet-and-greet and signing session in the Biebob club after the performance, and it was an absolute pleasure to meet everyone. I wish we had more time, to sit and talk with everyone more, as we were shocked at just how much people brought for us to sign. Items I've never seen before, along with CDs of other projects I've been a part of — it was a pleasure!

"A side note, performing this time at the Biebob, had to be the most humid, and hottest stage we've ever been on. It drained us completely. You'll see just how wet we all are on the DVD! We have scrims that sit on both sides of the stage when we play. It was so humid, those scrims were actually wet when we put the away.

"After some well-deserved sleep, and the big show behind us, on Sunday we headed off to the Netherlands to perform a early afternoon show at Het Kasteel. With the pressure of the DVD shoot off of us, we were able to relax, and enjoy this show. Thurisaz once again killed the room with their brilliance. AJATTARA joined us once again, and this time I got to sit back, and enjoy their entire set. Damn, I love that band. They crushed me live. What stood out to me, was the Pasi remaining silent between every song. He spoke not one word to the crowd. They took the stage, kicked the rooms ass, and walked off. Very powerful. Very cool.

"The crowd at this show was larger, and more energetic then our previous shows in the Netherlands a year prior. It was a solid performance for us, and the relaxed attitudes we had that night, made it highly enjoyable for me.

"After a night in a very bizarre hostel, we headed back to Belgium, this time in Antwerp, for a very special and unique evening. This night, was only THURISAZ, and us, and we would both play an entire acoustic set. This was intimate, and something we weren't sure how would go over. I was really looking forward to this, as I have never performed on stage without the typical death metal growling vocal, so my nerves were a but higher then usual. It also did not help I was suffering from a chest cold and cough, and after growling for the past two days, and trying to sing in a smoke filled bar, my voice was not up to standard.

"THURISAZ played a beautiful and amazing set, showcasing the talent this band has. Not many death metal bands can show a different side of their musicianship like this, and when they do it, you can hear a style that this band would be successful doing if they did it full time.

"We took the small stage, and did our very best, performing many songs we have never played live before. It was a very special evening for us, as well as the fans who came out to see it. We are pleased with how the show went over, and plan on doing something like this in Chicago in the future. Another note for this show, my wife Arline was able to come on the trip with us this time, and we performed 'If Forever' for the first time, which I wrote for her years ago. It was a great moment for me to give her that live.

"After the shows were over, most of the band returned back to the States, and my wife, bassist Chris and his wife, and I all stayed in Europe for five more days to relax, and vacation. We enjoyed cities like Antwerp, Brugge, Gent, and a highlight of the trip for me, was heading back north to the Netherlands to see Anneke Van Giersbergen's new band, AGUA DE ANNIQUE perform live. Stunning performance from the band, and we had a great time after the show, spending time with our old friend Anneke.

"Returning to Europe for a second time was great, as we had the opportunity to see many old friends again. Many huge thanks need to go to Carl and Bieke, two of the greatest people I know, our friends Holger and Vanessa who filmed both the Netherlands show, and the acoustic show for us, Thomas and Dafne Meuleman who share a love Larry and I have for vintage superhero toys, and Anneke Van Giersbergen and her husband Rob who were very hospitable!

"Get ready Belgium, we're coming back... sooner then you may think!"