Summon: How did the band get started?
Yngve: The band started in 2002 as Panzerfaust by me (Yngve) and Auren. We wrote a couple of songs, but eventually we split up one year later, when Auren left for Sweden and I joined the army. In 2007, I reformed the band, under the name Mortuus Sum.
Summon: What kind of music do you play?
Yngve: We play old school black metal, but our influences go far more than that, something that you can figure out when you listen to our music. It’s not only Darkthrone, Bathory and Celtic Frost if you know what I mean.
Summon: How has the fan response been?
Yngve: Up to now, we have a very good response from people. For a “new” band, coming from the 3rd wave of Hellenic black metal, we are doing pretty good!
Summon: Where did the band name come from?
Yngve: The name means “I’m Dead” in Latin. When I came up with the name, I was all about darkness, Death and misery, so I wanted something to fit perfectly. Now of course we have other subjects too.
Summon: Introduce the band members and what they do in the band.
Yngve: Current lineup is: Yngve (guitars, drums), Jim Havok (bass), Astraeos (vocals), Ikteros (session vocals) and Banshee (lyrics).
Summon: Who writes the music? Lyrics?
Yngve: I write all the music and lyrics are all written by Banshee.
Summon: And where do the lyric ideas come from?
Yngve: Lyrics are covering a wide field of subjects. We have lyrics for Ancient Hellas, we have lyrics for religion, for demons, for mythology. The lyrics come up from everything that influences our lives in every way.
Summon: What is your view in Satanism and Occultism?
Yngve: Satanism for me, is to believe in your own powers as an individual. It is to believe that Knowledge is not coming from some higher power or something, but from within you. Occultism is the way to expand your spiritual power, your spiritual strength. It’s the way to go to a higher level as a spirit.
Summon: How many albums/CD’s have you released?
Yngve: “Promo 2011”, released in digital format on May 2nd 2011 and in February 2013 in CD-r, limited in 50 hand-numbered copies. “Inverted God”, split EP with Funeral Storm, again released in digital format, October 2012. Both are available for free download.
Summon: Tell me about some the songs on the latest CD?
Yngve: The songs for the upcoming full length album, are basically written between 2007 and 2012. Throughout the album listening, you will be able to listen to different influences, because of the difference in time when written, but all together as one under the “wings” of the Old Ones (Mayhem, Darkthrone etc). I wanted this first album to be a tribute to the bands that made me listen to black metal when I was a kid.
Summon: Do you have any side projects?
Yngve: I wouldn’t call them side projects. I play in several bands (W.E.B., Mors In Tabula, Dizziness, Vetusmora, Archegonos, Funeral Storm, Aphorism). I am a full member for those bands and also I am a live member for Nano Infect.
Summon: Who are some of your musical influences?
Yngve: My influences as a musician, are coming from drummers, such as Lars Ulrich, Igor Cavalera, Vinnie Paul, Gene Hoglan, Hellhammer, Ingo Schwichtenberg (R.I.P.), Nick Barker and many more. As a band, we are influenced by Mayhem, Darkthrone, Dark Funeral, Hypocrisy, Von, Dissection to name a few.
Summon: Which current bands?
Yngve: I play in so many new bands (except from W.E.B., who exist since 2002), that it could be unfair to mention other bands! hahaha! Seriously now, talking about the Hellenic black metal scene, we have A LOT of amazing bands. You can be sure that you will hear from Hellenic bands real soon.
Summon: What is the band like when you play live?
Yngve: We are a studio band, so we don’t do any gigs.
Summon: Have you guys ever played in another country?
Yngve: As Mortuus Sum, we don’t play live. Me as a musician, I have played in the Netherlands and in Germany, when I was playing with Acherontas in 2010.
Summon: How big of crowd shows up at shows usually?
Yngve: I will answer this one in general for Greek shows. It depends on where in Greece are you playing. In Athens, if you have 50-60 people, you must be happy. It’s awful. When you play in smaller cities though, you can have a kick ass big crowd watching you.
Summon: How is the crowd response when you play?
Yngve: Again it depends on where you play, as I mentioned before.
Summon: What do you think of the US Black Metal/Death Metal scene?
Yngve: I’m not into US black metal scene a lot, but I believe Von are the KINGS. The death metal scene on the other hand is awesome. Possessed, Cannibal Corpse, Malevolent Creation, Six Feet Under, all the old ones that still going on and are putting out amazing records!
Summon: What do you think of the Overseas scenes?
Yngve: I believe that along with Hellas, Poland, Czech Republic Romania are the greatest black metal scenes. And Sweden of course!
Summon: What are some of new favorite black metal/death metal bands?
Yngve: From my country, I really like The Darkened Shade. We have a lot of amazing bands here. It’s hard to mention all of them.
Summon: When do you guys plan on writing any new material?
Yngve: Right now, I am not writing any new music, because we already have 2 EP’s and the album ready. When all are released, I will begin writing. Of course I have ideas and riffs, but nothing completed yet.
Summon: What does the future hold for the band??
Yngve: We are planning to release 2 split EP’s. One 4way with Hellenic and Mexican bands and one with us and a band from Mexico again. Then the full length album will be released, as soon as we find a label to release it.
Contact them at:
https://www.facebook.com/mortuussum
http://www.reverbnation.com/mortuussum
http://www.youtube.com/user/MortuusSumBand
https://soundcloud.com/mortuussum
http://mortuussum.bandcamp.com/
https://twitter.com/MortuusSum
Email: mortuussum@gmail.com
