Canadian's Necronomicon take their use of black and death metal to the next level with their recent tour and new material underway there is no stopping these guys of the occult! Frontman vocalist and guitarist Rob "The Witch" took sometime to discuss the recent touring cycle and upcoming holiday plans.
1. Introduce yourself, tell me what you do in Necronomicon, and tell me how does it feel to have been a band for 25 years? What runs through your mind? Have you guys had a chance to celebrate in anyway?
Rob: I'm Rob the Witch vocal and guitars. Feel like we have seen a lot but we don't have time to celebrate, after all it’s just a number...maybe when it’s going to be 30 years who knows.
2. How has the current tour being going for everyone?
Rob: We are just done with it and back home 24hrs ago. The tour have been really good on our side, some things happened but we are not here to blast or say crap about anyone, even if it would be fair to do so after what other people have been trying to do, but we are not like that. It was an honor and pleasure to share the stage with Disgorge and of course Deicide. The success was of that tour was as good as we expected.
3. What did you do to prepare yourselves for this tour?
Rob: Nothing special really just the usual practice and routine that we are doing for years now. The results are there and that’s what counts at the end. Of course the fact we had to take a replacement bass player didn’t help much, but the show must go on and we thank Chris from Ruins of abaddon for the help.
4. Is there any song that when you play it live on stage makes your adrenaline levels kick in and make you want to go hyper?
Rob: Not really, the adrenaline rush start with the intro and stays high until maybe an hours after the show...well in my case I can't speak for the other guys.
5. When it comes to performing each and every night does the time stand still or does it fly by when performing?
Rob: Every time the show is over it’s like it lasted only few minutes, but in overall it’s more the beat of the tour that affect us if I can say so, you really feel it when you are back home. Take time to get back in a normal life.
6. What is one special effect or stage prop that you would want to use or see during your shows?
Rob: Well we used pyro before, when we headline of course. Right now on that tour we were on an opening slot, so nothing special but our drive and determination. We have some other things in mind but for now it won't be possible to do it before a little while.
7. You guys have toured a lot over the years but where hasn't Necronomicon set foot in?
Rob: We still have a lot to cover. South and Central America, Eastern Europe, Asia and of course Japan. So far we have been mostly touring Canada and US and of Course Western Europe. Looking forward to go back across anytime soon but we really going to try to focus a bit more on the entire America overall.
8. When it comes to your performances you guys come out in your attire and make up - how long does it take you all to get the make-up and dressed up? Do you like wearing the attire and make-up or does it bore you?
Rob: No it’s not boring at all, actually its stimulating because to get on stage on everyday close of just with a shirt and jeans is not something we thing is appealing. From our point of view people pay to see a show and need to have something to watch not just to hear. When we get our entire corpse paint and armor on it help us to get in the proper mind too. We had taken all that of for many years in the past and the feeling wasn’t there too much, and actually became boring to be on stage. So we are doing that for us in the first place.
9. Where do you guys buy your attire? Is it specialty made?
Rob: It’s pretty much self made; we buy some parts and modify it or just create it from scratch. It demands some work and time.
10. Who out of the three of you would win in a head banging contest?
Rob: Good question but it’s not our drummer for sure since he can move much with his in ear monitoring. Maybe me, I don’t know because it’s not the thing we think or pay attention.
11. At shows what do you guys prefer seeing head bangers, mosh pits, circle pits, or hardcore dancers?
A: definitely head banging and the horns, too many people get hurt in mosh pits. We like our fans so we don’t like them to get hurt.
12. Once the tour in the USA is over what do you have planned afterwards?
Rob: We already looking for another US tour for early next year. Might work on some songs during the holiday and looking up for a EU and Mexican tour too.
13. Why did you want this band to be a trio act? Do you ever feel lonely it being a 3-piece instead of the usual 5-piece?
Rob: We tried 4 for a while and we had problems to keep a second guitarist so we went back to 3 that was the original idea. The less people the less trouble and anyway like I said it was the idea from the start to be 3.
14. Can you tell me as to why you called the band, Necronomicon and what is the meaning behind it? Did you know there's another band with this same name?
Rob: Well yes I know but when you decided to be called like that we didn’t. We chose that name for the simple reason that it was the most precise to explain what we would be talking about (beside HPL stories back in the days). ''Things related to death practices customs and laws'' is the real meaning of the word but is roughly translated as book of the dead.
15. You guys have been around for 25 years but are only on album number four, "Rise of the Elder Ones" did you see your act living up to this point and time?
Rob: In fact we have 6 releases, but only 4 full albums distributed on REAL labels. We would had more album if it wasn’t for some out of control events and the hardship of Been Canadian and all the NONE metal music industry that include living here.
16. Can you tell me about the song and video for "Rise of the Elder Ones".
Rob: Well right now we just posted that the clip in on stop because of some people didn’t do their job while we were on tour and doing so pretty much retarded the release. We fired one of the main guy working on it simply because we think he took some time off while we hit the road with Deicide, and some of his work went from ok to really bad ...I can't say why but anyway that created a kind of shitty situation sincere the plan was to have the clip online pretty much right after the tour. I don’t know when it’s going to be done because we have to find someone to finish and re-do some part of the clip now.17. Having done this for as long as you have, think about when you first started up until now, did you think this is how it was going to be and turn out as far as being a musician or did you picture it a whole another way?
Rob: It’s pretty much going where I want, it take a bit more time but I’m not close to be where I want and I will reach my goal trust me. Of course when you start you have a totally different, maybe exaggerated, point of view but the main focus is still the same.
18. Your fourth album came out this past summer do you guys have any new music in the works as far as a follow-up release?
Rob: We have one new song done, not recorded of course but yeah we have some ideas for the next album. But that will be in a little while; Rise's been release only 4 months now.
19. You guys have yet to release a LIVE CD or LIVE DVD will we be seeing a combo or one of those in the works?
Rob: We had 2 LIVE recording done some years ago but decided to not go on with it. Not that it was bad in the contrary, it wasn’t what we wanted for now. Maybe in the future we will work on a DVD instead...I like that idea better than the other one.
20. Do you guys have plans for the upcoming holiday season Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas and New Years?
Rob: Not really, I just came back on time for Halloween and I didn’didn't do anything special but spending it relaxing. This winter we might write new songs during the holidays.
21. If you're on tour during that holiday time period will you be singing any holiday tunes in your Necronomicon fashion?
Rob: Nope.
23. Anything else you'd like to add or say to your fans?
Rob: Thanks for your support keep the spirit high and see you next tour! \m/
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