Interviews About Albums: NIGHTHÄMMER - Land Of Fear (2024)

In this new interview, we sat down with the American Black Metal band NIGHTHÄMMER to ask questions about their album, "Land Of Fear".

1. What can you say about this new EP/CD?

This is an album. Its sons and riffs were written well before the pandemic, however, the color of Land of Fear, its lyrics, themes, and even its narrative came into crystal clear focus during the very bizarre and idiotic turn the world took in 2020. "Leadership" across the globe has always been flat-out depraved and insane, and it inspires NIGHTHÄMMER without end. Land of Fear is just the first step in aurally expressing the reasonable consequences of human beings rutterleslly navigating an ocean of chaos and suffering. Greg Wilkinson managed to help us to craft something extremely heavy and evil. The proliferation of lo-fi (pandemic) black metal is tedious. It's a costume. A pair of clown shoes and totally redundant. Though the conjuration of Land of Fear is completely indifferent to trends and gimmicks, its existence, we hope, emphasizes a real antipathy to that charlatan falseness.

2. What is the meaning of the EP/CD name?

Prince said, "There's a war going on, and the battlefield's in the mind, and the prize is the soul." That war has been essentially decided. It's obvious the party's over. The yuppies won. Endless infomercials for nutritional dust, bad music, worse film, vapid art, and essential brainlessness wherever their empire touches. Where do go from here? The title Land of Fear is a declaration of this failure. Each detail of the record: song titles, lyrics, art, musical imposition, and overarching story provides different and important aspects of this defeat. Be it the weaponization of identity, the desensitization of human impulse, casual violence, coercion, or dependency on leadership; where that leads, when humans shiver in the shadow of these contemporary behemoth omnivores whose only discernable purpose is to divide, dominate, subjugate, and devour, Land of Fear is not just a geographical location. It isn't a territory defined by rulership boundaries. It is a space that occupies many different dimensions and they all lead to the utter defeat of the human soul on earth.

3. Which one is the composer of the CD/EP?

I, Coffin, wrote all the music and lyrics and created the concepts for the record. Frost Tormentor and Grond have lent their insane talents and spent tireless hours helping to assemble the pieces in order to sharpen this curséd blade. Nighthämmer doesn't exist without them. It would be impossible.

4. If you had to pick one song, which one would you pick?

We all have different parts of the record that we think are the absolute best they could be. I personally think Pelt of the Wolf is the one to pick. In regards to genre, it's an abomination. It combines the "wrong" elements and blends them into a blackened sound. It's the most dynamic track on the record, however. All the elements of black and roll and thrash and heavy metal and psych are balanced into a weird bludgeoner of a thing. There is a riff in it that I am very proud of, and one that after writing it I was sure that I had somehow plagiarized it from somewhere. I couldn't put my finger on it. I spent a year continually revisiting my music collection looking for it with the thought that someone else had already written it. Had I found it, it would've forced me to rewrite the entire song. Fortunately, I didn't find it anywhere. Now, it feels like the first real NIGHTHÄMMER riff.

5. Is there a special message in this EP/CD? If there is what it is?

We're not messengers. The only thing worth saying in regards to our approach is LESS BLACK, MORE METAL!

6. Are there some lyrics that you'd love to share?

I loathe the sounds of the human voice especially when it's spoken in my native language. But I think the opening passage from 'Land of Fear (Reprise)' of This is how you end it// slash the belly// puncture the lung// slit the throat// pierce the liver// sever the carotid// anything less and you have lost// I hate killing, but I hate my enemy more is all there is to it, you know?

7. Which inspirations have been important for this album? Like musically or friends, family, someone you'd love to thank especially?

We have a 'thank you' section in the liner notes of the record but realistically, for this album, the one person who musically inspires me that I forgot to mention is Wojciech Kilar.

8. Something to add?

Who could have known how much the internet has leveled civilized society eh? It pumps me up to see the old ethos of 2nd wave black metal become consequentially relevant in its attempt to disengage or detangle itself from popularity trends and blanket methods of delivery. We need to connect sincerely again. That ethos has come to new fruition as a method for sincere personal enrichment, which encourages personal empowerment. The mainstream depends on the disengagement between your thoughts and actions. How can they sell you war and ideology otherwise?!?! Black metal requires only as much interest as anyone is willing to give it and even then it's hopefully interest divined from that person's own reason - if that makes sense. NIGHTHÄMMER will always operate without consent or consideration for anything or anyone but itself. We will do so without care if anyone is paying attention. This is the only true path forward.