WATAIN Frontman: 'The Devil Always Wins'

The October 2008 issue of Metal Maniacs features a special tour preview with bassist/vocalist Erik Danielsson of WATAIN, who will be headlining the Black Metal Magic U.S. tour with WITHERED and BOOK OF BLACK EARTH starting October 3. Excerpts follow:

Metal Maniacs: What sort of rituals /preparation do you do prior to a tour? Do you keep a more vigorous rehearsal schedule?

Erik Danielsson: There is always a lot of work of course, because unlike most bands in this little cesspool of a scene we try to leave nothing of importance in the hands of labels and agencies. The tour is a crusade for us — a march of divine nature — and it is we who pull the strings. Unfortunately it is impossible to stay on top of every decision but in general we are involved in everything from routing to merchandise to the stage show. After all, it is we who are the artists, which is something that most people involved in tours tend to forget. Leaving the tour shirt design up to the label is just as stupid as leaving the setlist up to the light tech… So right now we are in a very busy period mostly consisting of totalitarian training and various ways of summoning the power to bring Hell itself across the ocean.

Metal Maniacs: How do American audiences differ from those in Europe?

Erik Danielsson: European audiences are so used to extreme metal shows that they do not acknowledge the vast difference between us and say DARK FUNERAL; they think we are doing the same thing. They are blocked by pride and the false belief that we are just another metal band coming to town. In the U.S. I had the feeling that people saw the difference and were able to fathom the seriousness of our work.

Metal Maniacs: Other than authentic stage props, what does WATAIN offer black metal, and extreme metal fans in general, particularly those in the U.S., that other bands do not?

Erik Danielsson: Something real; something passionate and genuine. There are maybe five bands within metal that still do that in these days of visionless fast-food music. Bands often seem to grow old and weary the more time passes. We have done the very opposite — we get hungrier and stronger. And the sight of the sorry fucking excuses for black metal these days… to see these myriads of soulless junk-projects and juvenile nonsense rise and fall like puppets, only makes us more confident that we are on the right path.

Metal Maniacs: How did club owners react to the band's onstage use of animal cadavers and blood on your last U.S. tour? That's certainly less common here. Were there any venues unwilling to allow the band's full show?

Erik Danielsson: Most venues had not been informed which obviously led to some rather nasty dialogues and confrontations, but in the end, as we all know, the Devil always wins.

The October issue of Metal Maniacs hits stands on September 30.

For more information, check out www.metalmaniacs.com.

Kerrang! magazine's (web site) Nick Ruskell conducted an interview with Erik Danielsson at this year's Wacken Open Air festival, which was held July 31 - August 2, 2008 in Wacken, Germany. Watch the seven-minute chat below.

WATAIN's third full-length album, "Sworn to the Dark", was released in February 2007 via Season of Mist. The recording of the CD took place at the infamous Necromorbus Studio (FUNERAL MIST, MALIGN, OFERMOD, etc.).