Summon: How did the band get started?
Namtaräum: Well, I needed something to do, really. I am a life long music fan. Music is religion with me. So I decided to make some… It has sort of taken over.
Summon: What kind of music do you play?
Namtaräum: It’s a hybrid, really. I typically describe it as atmospheric ambient black drone doom metal. I do not really know any bands that sound like me so that nomenclature will have to suffice.
Summon: How has the fan response been?
Namtaräum: Favorable. I have spoken to quite a group of people from all over the world who like what I’m doing.
Summon: Where did the band name come from?
Namtaräum: Natanas is a combination of the Spanish version of my name Natan (Nathan) and Satan spelled backwards. It is a name I have had kicking around in my head for 20 years.
Summon: Introduce the band members and what they do in the band.
Namtaräum: Vocals, guitars, bass, drums, keyboards, synth, mandolin, violin, mixing, and mastering.
Summon: Who writes the music? Lyrics?
Namtaräum: Once again that’s me (Namtaräum).
Summon: And where do the lyric ideas come from?
Namtaräum: Everywhere, really. Inspiration may come from a book I’m reading, or a conversation with a friend, frustration at work, etc. Life is packed full with things to make songs about.
Summon: What is your view in Satanism and Occultism?
Namtaräum: I am a huge Crowley fan and a red-card-carrying Laveyan. I am an atheist and do not believe that there is an entity named Satan. I belong to the camp that use Satan as a symbol for the self. I do not believe in a power higher than myself. Occult is defined as “that which is hidden”. Those of us that grew up in the satanic panic of the 80s had notions of what the occult entailed. The reality is much more benign. Libraries full of writings on any facet of any branch of the occult are trivial to find these days. I do not think it has any sort of stigma these days. Do what thou wilt…
Summon: How many albums/CD’s have you released?
Namtaräum: Full lengths: 13, EP’s: 3, Splits: 7, Singles: 5.
Summon: Tell me about some the songs on the latest CD?
Namtaräum: The latest full length album is coming out on Cvlminis label (http://cvlminis.bandcamp.com) on pro CD-R on 10 January 2016. It is called “Eram numquam amicum vestrum” which translates to “I was never your friend”. It was mainly inspired by the crash in the oil and gas industry. This changed the lives of myself and most everyone I know for the worse. It made things a lot harder. The main themes are frustration with the elite class, wishing death to the power structure, searching for a haven in the storm, and the like. This is all filtered through an occult-ed lens with a high level of aggression for good measure.
It also marks a step in the evolution of Natanas. The sound is more dialed in, while (in my opinion) retaining the earmarks that have been there since the inception. There is a more pronounced drone influence, more structure in the songs. The atmosphere is dense and oppressive, yet satisfying. It is music that takes you to a place inside yourself.
Summon: Do you have any side projects?
Namtaräum: I have two: Uls De Tol which is my depressive rock one man project. (http://www.ulsdetol.com)
Telerumination a project of myself and Liam Weir of the ambient band Necroennui. This project makes ambient black metal. Heavy on the ambient. (http://telerumination.bandcamp.com)
Summon: Who are some of your musical influences?
Namtaräum: Rush, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Cannibal Corpse, Darkthrone, Xasthur, Idaaliur, Armaghumil, Burzum, Archgoat, Suicidal Tendencies, GG Allin, Motörhead, Merciful Fate.
Summon: Which current bands?
Namtaräum: Ulfrinn, Vore, Unhappy, Dulia, Bukavac, Music Distroyer, Nekroverse, Necroennui, Atel, Dungeoncult, Neo-Noir — a lot of bands I talk to regularly or have dealt with leave a mark when I start laying down tracks…
Summon: What is the band like when you play live?
Namtaräum: Natanas doesn’t play live. Not because it isn’t KVLT, but because I play all the instruments. I feel that having other musicians involved would basically be a Natanas cover band. For this reason, Natanas will remain a band that makes recordings.
Summon: What do you think of the US Black Metal/Death Metal scene?
Namtaräum: There are so very many bands out there playing some top notch music! Experimentation and innovation is everywhere. I am always coming into contact with different people online with bands I hadn’t heard before. This is a golden age. Before the advent of home recording there was a barrier to entry. This is gone now. What a great time to be a fan! There is so much great music being made in the states right now.
Summon: What do you think of the Overseas scenes?
Namtaräum: The same, really. I communicate with people daily – music makers – in Mexico, South America, France, Eastern Europe. So many great bands out there!
Summon: What are some of new favorite black metal/death metal bands?
Namtaräum: Yellow Eyes, Adore, Panopticon, Cold World, Cold Body Radiation, IC Rex, Kostnitsa, Psychonaut 4, Turdus Merula, The Depressick, Falaise, Malcuidant (I tried to pick “new” bands… Still skewed, everything after about 1994 feels new to me.)
Summon: When do you guys plan on writing any new material?
Namtaräum: I never stop. I fully plan on doing some riff exploration this weekend…
Summon: What does the future hold for the band??
Namtaräum: Continued evolution and improvement. That’s all any band can hope for really…
Contact them at:
https://www.facebook.com/xNatanasx
http://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Natanas/3540382144
