(interview done in summer 2001)
Who
said that true Death Metal is dead? Here is one proof that it is not… Kaamos,
a fucking great Swedish band playing a kind if stuff very near to Dismember,
Grave, (early) Entombed, but even showing a great personality in both the visual
and various musical aspects… I personally think that this intie is nothing
outstanding, but fuck you: read Kostantin, guitarist and founding member talking
with me.
Vanish.
Can you make a short summary of the whole KAAMOS saga (bio, releases, band
members, line-up changes, etc.), first up to begin with the questions? Is
REVOKATION the old name of the band or what? I read it from a flyer...
Kostantin.
Man that’s asking a lot. Well we started out in 98 from the ashes of A Mind
Confused, 4 of the 5 members decided to continue with a new band, i.e. Kaamos.
We recorded 3 songs that we used ua s promo and it was also released as a 7”
featuring two of the three songs. After that Johan left the band and we found
his replacement in Karl Envall from Revokation. After that Thomas left and we
recruited Chris Piss on drums. With this line-up we recorded our second assault
being a demo called “Curse Of Aeons” featuring 5 songs and that’s pretty
much a good summary I’d say. The line-up is Kostantin on guitars, Niklas on
guitars, Karl on bass and vocals, and last but not least Chris on drums.
Revokation is not an old moniker for Kaamos, but is the band that we got Karl
Envall from. They still exist although they aren’t the most active band in the
world. But they should a new release within a near future (I hope).
V.
I think your “Curse Of Aeons” demo is near to be claimed a masterpiece of
true supreme Death Metal in the swedish way... in my opinion your style is a
kind of early ENTOMBED meets the most raging DISMEMBER stuff, with a touch of
GRAVE... what can you say me about this thing?
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K.
We are pleased as hell with the “Curse Of Aeons” demo. It took a lot
of hard work and genuine spirit not to give up with all the shit we went
through record it. Two members leaving, a broken foot, cancelled studio
time, etc.. You name it we experienced it to say the least. I can agree
with your statements concerning the mentioned bands if we talk about
Swedish sounding DEATH metal. But not that we sound like any of the
mentioned bands, nor that we are retro in terms of trying to sound like
the bands did in the early 90’s. We take the old spirit and hopefully
carry it into this new millennium. V.
Since the music you play is radical Death (not Life) Metal: what do you
think about those bands that claim themselves melodic death metal? In your
opinion, can exist any MELODIC Death Metal? K.
There are two sides to the melodic thing. First we have bands that play
Death metal with melodies, for example Dissection (Hmm, I wouldn’t
totally agree claiming Dissection playing melodic Death Metal -V.) and
then some more from the Gothenburg scene. And then there are bands that
base their entire music on melodies. So yes there can be melodic Death
metal, but it ought to be based on Death metal fundamentals. Just like the
first mentioned ones. |
K.
We are pleased as hell with the “Curse Of Aeons” demo. It took a lot of hard
work and genuine spirit not to give up with all the shit we went through record
it. Two members leaving, a broken foot, cancelled studio time, etc.. You name it
we experienced it to say the least. I can agree with your statements concerning
the mentioned bands if we talk about Swedish sounding DEATH metal. But not that
we sound like any of the mentioned bands, nor that we are retro in terms of
trying to sound like the bands did in the early 90’s. We take the old spirit
and hopefully carry it into this new millennium.
V.
Since the music you play is radical Death (not Life) Metal: what do you think
about those bands that claim themselves melodic death metal? In your opinion,
can exist any MELODIC Death Metal?
K.
There are two sides to the melodic thing. First we have bands that play Death
metal with melodies, for example Dissection (Hmm, I wouldn’t totally agree
claiming Dissection playing melodic Death Metal -V.) and then some more from
the Gothenburg scene. And then there are bands that base their entire music on
melodies. So yes there can be melodic Death metal, but it ought to be based on
Death metal fundamentals. Just like the first mentioned ones.
V.
Sweden is the country of european Death Metal... a lot of great bands came from
your land in the past days and of course you’re undenially influenced by this
fact. Are you proud of the old swedish (underground) Death and Black Metal
scene? To which swedish bands you deserve the greatest admiration for?
K.
Yes I’m proud of the old underground and what was spawn out of it. As well as
I think there are some very interesting bands today too. The bands that
impressed me most from the past to name a few would be Liers In Wait, Grotesque,
Crematory, Seance, etc…
V.
What bands worldwide for you have marked the history of Death Metal? What about
your all-time favourite bands?
K.
Morbid Angel has definitely done a lot for the genre. My all-time favourite
bands is always a hard question since I tend to forget a lot of ‘em every
time, but some would be Order From Chaos, Vulpecula, Ares Kingdom, Samael (You
seem having very good musical tastes -V.), Funeral Mist, Mayhem (old),
Metallica (old), the bands mentioned above etc.
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V.
Why have you decided to play that “outclassed”, “boring” and
“out-of-date” musical genre called Death Metal instead of that EVIL,
CHRISTCRUSHING, DESECRATING, VAMPIRIC, SYMPHONIC, and of course (nowadays) trendy
musical genre called Black Metal? What do you think about trends and lack of
personality in general? K. We didn’t decide one day that we wanted to play DEATH metal. We just came to the conclusion that we should play the musick that we feel represents us as persons and which comes natural to us. As well as that we wanted to do it in a proper manner and rather write 5 songs in 12 month’s than two albums in 8 month’s. Meaning that we should have enough selfcriticism that we can through away as much as we can create. Trends in general is something that is being created by the audience in co-operation with labels and usually not with the bands. Although many bands do enjoy being rock stars (sic). When they start releasing recordings they bring quality as well as perhaps something new. The labels see a chance in earning a quick buck and start signing bands that they only thing they have in common with the leading ones is perhaps the label Black or Death metal. And guess what, it works! The buyers spend their money on it and a trend is created on the basis of an easily fooled audience who don’t know how to spell criticism. I basically don’t bother about trends cause I saw the big Death metal boom in the early 90’s as well as the more recent one, in Black Metal. V.
A provokatory question: don’t you think it would be cool to take pictures of
you facepainted, wearing pentacles, inverted pentagrams...? A lot of idiot
teenagers may buy your stuff... K.
No I don’t think it is cool cause we wouldn’t have a purpose in using it. |
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V.
Which is the meaning for the word “KAAMOS”? And what/who/it is “Khem”?
An unknown divinity? Of which kind of matters your lyrics deal with?
K.
Kaamos is a Finnish word that is associated with Darkness. Khem is not an
unknown divinity but an old Egyptian word meaning black. They used it as name
for Egypt since the sands along the Nile were black. Our lyrics deal with the
occult as well as related areas around it. The rest is up to the listener to
read about.
V.
Someone said that death and black metal are musical genres for extreme people...
are you in Kaamos extreme persons? If this yes, would you explain what do
consider extreme?
K.
This is something that is in the eye of the beholder. But generally these genres
are for extreme people. If we are extreme is something I can’t really answer,
but for some people I’d say we are, while for others no.
V.
What point do you want to reach with Kaamos and/or your music? Where do you want
to arrive?
K.
There isn’t a point that we strive towards and when we have arrived can say
that we have reached our goal. As well as points that one strives for are always
redirected when one reaches them. We are basically about creating DEATH metal
and concerned about doing it as good as we can. Other than that we don’t care.
As long as we are satisfied with how the songs turn out, the visual appearance
turns out we are pleased.
V.
Would you like to opening for Morbid Angel, for example?
K.
Yes I would like that very much. Just as long as they aren’t opening up for
Pantera or some other shit like that.
V.
Would you like to gain a lot of money with your music?
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K.
If I could earn good money doing what I enjoy the most then why not. However to
even hope for it is rather absurd and something I don’t feel I’m in a
position in expecting either so I don’t even think about it really. V.
Would you like to sign-up a deal with a big label and gain a lot of money? K.
It depends upon what you mean with big label. If we talk Nuclear Blast big then
no, I wouldn’t sign. But a label that has a genuine interest in their artists
and if they have budgets they can offer the band which are satisfactorily then
why not. However it still has to be on our basis as well as that what we wish
for should be in the deal when it concerns budgets, musick and visual appearance.
And to give you an example of what we mean with it I can say that we have
declined deals from about 6 labels by now. Don’t want to mention names, but if
these labels would approach bands in the underground today, 9 out of 10 have
signed. So we know what we do when do it. As for money, I’m not the richest
man in the world, ‘nor the poorest, so money doesn’t really interest me
beyond the borders of being able to do as I please. So I would never agree to
promote our musick based on a economical basis. V.
What do you think about those bands whose target is only to become famous and
gain a lot of money? K.
I think it shows in their music. V.
I think it’s enough... please state something in the space below, something
that could incite some interest on the readers of my ‘zine and consequently
let you gain a lot of money... (Yez,,
I think I was drunk while filling this questionary… -V.) |
K.
OK, thanks for the interview. The demo Curse Of Aeons is 5$. He who looseth his
life, shall keep it unto life eternal.
Kaamos
Box
605
136
60 Haninge
Sweden
