Phazm Interview

The Gauntlet: Phazm incorporates a great deal of rock influence into the song writing than many bands that consider themselves to be black metal. Where do these influences come from? Are you trying to purposely do something differently with the death metal genre, or is this just a natural style of song writing for the group?

Pierhryck: Well, I've always thought that metal was coming from rock 'n' roll and obviously from blues music. If you think about it, when you listen to BLACK SABBATH or VENOM, you can really hear that the essence of our music takes its roots into this old groovy mood. I would say that the purpose of PHAZM is to combine the dark feelings, the coldness of black metal and the groove of rock 'n roll music. It just came naturally, as I can play a BLACK LABEL SOCIETY album just before listening to some DARKTHRONE shit. It's not that easy, as black metal represents for me the most hateful and darkened music you can play, related to your worst macabre thoughts and nightmare. Rock 'n roll is about plugging your guitar and playing with your heart. If mixing both of these aspects wouldn't come naturally, it would sound like shit.

The Gauntlet: The group has only been in existence for a short period of time. What musical projects were the members of the band involved in prior to the formation of Phazm?

Pierhryck: Three of us are playing with SCARVE as well; I am the vocalist in SCARVE, Pathryck is the guitarist and Dyrhk is the drummer. In PHAZM, I play the guitar and I also sing. We don't wanna talk that much about SCARVE here, as PHAZM is not a side-project or something made for fun, we're a real band. Dyrhk is a very busy guy; he's famous for his percussive work. The last recording he did was for the SOILWORK new album. But let me tell you that PHAZM is NOT a side-project, we're a real band. We're not playing for fun. You know, when I joined SCARVE I was 19, it was 4 years ago. I already had the idea of this band. I need a band to express myself as a guitarist, and PHAZM is the band I've always wanted to be part of.

The Gauntlet: Tell us about the very curious concept behind the album. What motivated the group to use this concept? Does the concept have to do with the band's religion? Will this concept be a continuing theme on future Phazm releases?

Pierhryck: We have that sort of concept around trees, but let me tell you: it's has nothing to do with neither heroic-fantasy shit nor religion. I hate this modern world where the dream is over. Humanity is the gangrene of the Earth; we're just piece of useless flesh. We're doomed, and Nature will get its revenge. I still wanna believe that there's some occult force in the air, that we cannot behave like gods. Today, everything is so over explained that people aren't able to dream anymore. I don't wanna look at the moon thinking that it's just a fucking rock flying around the earth. I still wanna be afraid, I want the darkness to rise.
Let the age of bark begins, let the trees move to war, let the humanity die and rot.
Our next album will continue on this aspect, but we wanna take it to another level, using the voodoo experience and the Louisiana atmosphere.

The Gauntlet: During the short career of Phazm, the band has spent time recording the initial three song demo as well as producing the full length album. Have these recording efforts consumed a great deal of your time? How does the band fit in time to perform with so much writing and tracking going on?

Pierhryck: We are always composing. Always. It's not that big deal for us to record some shit. This demo you are talking was just to see where we were going to that point. It hasn't been distributed, we made it for us. I don't believe in demos, I hate when bands are coming to me giving their fucked up demos. If I had to advise new musicians, I would tell them to save the more money they can and go in a real studio to record their stuff. Maybe they will get signed after this. Not with a stupid demo!!!

The Gauntlet: How would you describe the onstage presence of Phazm? What is it that you feel sets Phazm apart from the rest of the pack in a live situation?

Pierhryck: Well, PHAZM is a band with ATTITUDE. We are killer on stage, believe me, we show on stage what should be a metal band playing live. Let me tell you something, the album has been recorded live: no computers, no pro-tools shit to re-arranged or correct anything. All that you hear on the album is truly played. So when you'll see us live, you can expect from us to deliver the same thing that's on the album. That's a point. And live, PHAZM IS AN EXPERIENCE!!! Before jumping on stage, I'm always dying. I take it very seriously dude, that's my reason of living.

The Gauntlet: Tell us a bit of how the recording contract with Osmose came about. Was it that they offered the best incentives or did the band have other motives for signing on with the label? Will the band be recording more albums for Osmose in the future?

Pierhryck: When we went to Denmark to record the album, we didn't have any contract or proposition. We just knew we had to make this album, as a reason of living. Then, we send the album to OSMOSE PRODUCTIONS, and only to them. I told them we wanted to be signed on their label and not anyone else, because of their great image and job. I grew up listening to Osmose products and it was important to me that PHAZM belong to the crew. Hopefully, they loved the 'Hate at first Seed' and said a big "YES!"
We will keep on working with Osmose as far as we can.

The Gauntlet: Let's speak for a bit in regard to the individual songs on the record. What were the inspirations and emotions behind the following tracks?

"What A Wonderful Death"

Pierhryck: This is the song everybody seems to like the best. It's pure black 'n roll, really groovy and insane. I like the chorus and the madness in the end. The lyrics are about the death of a man which is enslaved by some brambles and roots. Skin turns to bark. Transplantation. The end is near.

"Forest Recipe"

Pierhryck: We did this one as we wanted to have a really fucking fast and chaotic song. It's one of the most blasphemous tracks you can listen to. The lyrics are really gore, it's grotesque and macabre, about a meal exclusively made from human flesh.

"Vicious Seed"

Pierhryck: This is the first song we've ever composed with PHAZM. I like the second part of it, with the strange melody and voices. I remember Jacob Hansen, our producer, closing his eyes while he was mixing it, and suddenly laughing saying: "This sounds so insane!!!". The lyrics are dealing with a woman pregnant from something un-known, something heavy in her belly. A seed is growing inside of her, and it must be enslaved to be born.

"Fleshback"

Pierhryck: This song is maybe the one that works the best on stage. A lot of people told me they loved the solo guitar on it. Also the verse is crazy, singing it is more about acting, I've never, never screamed that way before. A man is de-possessed from his flesh, he has been tortured and skinned alive. He's now covered by resin and he now he wanna die.

The Gauntlet: The band will soon have its official website up and running. What types of things can Phazm fans expect to find at the site? Will there be a way for fans to interact with the band members?

Pierhryck: The site will show some very special things, as for instance pictures from the recording of our video clip (ultra gory stuff), live pictures and more. We yet have interaction with our fans as we have our official forum on www.v-solutions.com but our webhole will contain a guestbook; there will be the video clip as well and we are working on the making of.

The Gauntlet: What do you see as being the greatest challenge for groups playing extreme music in getting their message out to the masses?

Pierhryck: The big deal is to have a message; there are so many bands today that play music without knowing why they are doing it, without anything special to say and to offer. Especially in extreme music, everybody wants to sound the same. How many bands sounding like CANNIBAL CORPSE d'you know? 100? 1000? I guess that by the time a band has something special to offer; people will follow and hail it.

The Gauntlet: You have termed your music as "Black and Roll", which certainly fits your style of music very well. Where did you get the idea for that description?

Pierhryck: Simply while listening to our first demo. We were like 'Yes, we're Black Metal.' And I remembered the 'Rot 'n Roll' song from CARCASS. Then came the idea of Black 'n roll.

The Gauntlet: What are your plans for touring in support of the record? Do you foresee that the group will be coming to the US to perform?

Pierhryck: We've been touring with IMPALED NAZARENE and YYRKOON in Austria, Germany, Slovenia, Holland and France during the last winter. As Dyrhk is also playing with SOILWORK, it's not very easy to arrange everything. He will be in USA with them in April and during the Ozzfest, so we are now working with a session member. I would love to play in USA. I love USA. As a French motherfucker, I'm proud to say that. HAIL LOUISIANE!

The Gauntlet: Please tell us your thoughts on the following bands. Were these artists influential in the music of Phazm?

"Emperor"

Pierhryck: They are (were) one of the best bands in the style, they managed to use keyboards in the proper way, but I'm not that much in this way of playing anymore. I believe their last album was not good enough compared to their older stuff. Emperor is not a major influence. I just used to like their music and way of thinking.

"Motorhead"

Pierhryck: Here you can talk about influence!!! MOTORHEAD is THE BAND! I will always respect and hail them; they are the one, the only, the gods of rock 'n roll. To be simple, I would say MOTORHEAD has never released a bad album. Lemmy was the first one to sing in the extreme way, he's the big brother of death metal, even if I guess he would not be proud of that. Everybody should listen to them and get fucking drunk.

"The Obsessed"

Pierhryck: I don't know that much about this band, just hear some songs here and there, don't know what to say, sorry!

"Immortal"

Pierhryck: I discovered this band when their video clips were released, and at this time it looked killer. Now, when you are watching Abbath running down the hill, I know it looks silly and clich. This is something cult.
They are the investigator of the northern darkness, this strange atmosphere that makes you thrilling when you're listening to black metal. Nobody is able to sound that cold. IMMORTAL is a great band, they became better and better over the years, and Abbath singing really influenced me. If you listen to 'Devoured Tenderness' or 'Fleshback', you will find what I'm talking about.

"Venom"

Pierhryck: I like them but I have to admit that I couldn't be as crazy about them as I used to. They were essential in the Metal history, they opened the doors.
But the "Black Metal" album is still in my top ten.

"Bathory"

Pierhryck: You know, when I'm listening to some good old black metal, I'm not thinking about some musicians recording in a fucking studio, but to something related to your worst macabre thoughts. Black Metal is about darkness, there's no terrestrial feeling, you don't have to think about: 'what tune is that? What is the fucking chord?' There's something more than music, something unique and occult. BATHORY is one of the greatest bands that create this feeling.
PHAZM is working this way, and the track "Resinous Balm" is homage to Quarthon. Let he get drunk at the Valhalla.

The Gauntlet: What do you feel is the greatest thing about using music as a form of artistic expression?

Pierhryck: What I'm gonna say will sound cheesy, but here I go. I saw a TV program about a dolphin in a swimming pool, sick and depressed. At a certain time in his recovering, someone put some music in the pool to see what would happen. The dolphin started to swim and to sing. He was happy and almost safe. What I thought is that music has the power to act on things, people and much more. Playing music is something that keeps me alive, as a reason to stay in this world. Music is the only beauty I see in this world. I'd rather be blind than being deaf.

The Gauntlet: Has the band continued writing material? What direction could listeners expect a second full length to take?

Pierhryck: Sure, the next album is ready to be recorded. More black 'n roll, more groove, still insane and dark. The concept will be around Voodoo, Louisianan tales and atmosphere.

The Gauntlet: Thematic artwork always makes the record a much more interesting listening experience. Tell us about the art which graces the album cover and liner. Who conceived the idea for the artwork and who is the artist that brought it to realization?

Pierhryck: The artist is Thierry Petit, who is also our tattoo artist. He listened to the music and read the lyrics; the cover is his interpretation of PHAZM.
We wanted to have a painted cover, organic and made by hand, not something spawned by some ugly computer.

The Gauntlet: Look into the future. What do you feel the state of the world will be in another five years?

Pierhryck: I think the world will look even more ugly and chaotic. Erase human race and you'll find the antidote.