Behold! The Metal Injection interview with Wrath, high priest of misanthropic black metal ensembles such as Dodsferd, Nadiwrath and (maybe!) NunOnBong! Fucking A! Wrath has been a busy man the past few years, churning out a bottomless slew of full lengths, splits and EPs, primarily under the Dodsferd moniker but also Drunk Earth, Grab, Kampf and – most recently – Nadiwrath. MI spoke with Wrath in the wake of the most recent Dodsferd studio opus, Spitting with Hatred, The Insignificance of Life.
So enjoy! Or don't! We could give two shits about your trendy human whims! Also, all grammar mistakes have been left intact for the sake of integrity, as Wrath does not bow to Strunk and Wagnall's Elements of Style and goddamn it neither do we! [sic sic sic] is the number of the beast!
MI: It's been nearly two years since the last full length Dodsferd album. Previously you'd put out five albums between 2006 and 2009. What have you been working on since Suicide and the Rest of Your Kind Will Follow?
Wrath: Spitting with Hatred album, Nihilistic Stench album with Nadiwrath; we had some live performances with Dodsferd and Nadiwrath, and jamming with my other band Mortovatis!
MI: Already this year you have two full length releases, one with Dodsferd and one with Nadiwrath. How did Nadiwrath come together, and can you talk a bit about the difference in musical direction between Nadiwrath and Dodsferd?
Wrath: Nadir admired my work with Dodsferd and I admired his earlier work with Stellar Darkness. We respected each other as musicians and we had the same way of working with our bands, so we decided to make something together! That’s all. That’s how Nadiwrath were created. Add to these two barrels of beer and you have all the details for the creation of this band! In Nadiwrath, Nadir is composing all the music. Nadiwrath started as a full member band. In Dodsferd I do everything as far as concerns music and lyrics.
MI: A lot of one man black metal acts prefer to work in the studio and abhor live performance. What is your take on this, considering you have in fact worked with several full bands over the years?
Wrath: Working in the studio is as good as performing your music live on stage, under certain circumstances.
MI: What do you consider the pros/cons of working with a band as opposed to going solo?
Wrath: If you know how to work and what you want to do, there are no differences.
MI: Spitting with Hatred retains the spiteful lyrics and abrasive vocals of early Dodsferd, but in general has a more mid-paced feel and is a bit more atmospheric than previous works. This trend began somewhat with the previous album, Suicide and the Rest of Your Kind Will Follow; was it a conscious decision to make the original trilogy pedal-to-the-metal, abrasive raw metal and then explore more nuanced styles on later albums, or did this just evolve along the way?
Wrath: I don’t follow any kind of trends at all! I knew from the beginning how I should work the material I had for my new album! I don’t have certain recipes to please the masses.
MI: You're notoriously private about your personal life and seem to prefer not to get too specific about your personal beliefs. Do you feel like knowing Wrath the individual is a distraction from the music of Dodsferd, Nadiwrath, etc?
Wrath: I am not a fucking rock star, in order to let people know my personal life!
MI: Are there other bands or forms of music that you listen to that don't necessarily inform your bands' material? Ie. do you have any use for styles of music that were intended to be commercial in the first place, or is underground the only way to go?
Wrath: I listen whatever I like! I do whatever I want without caring about others thoughts. I cannot distinguish anymore what is commercial and what is underground! Masses have ruined all the dignity of the underground! I see underground bands releasing their albums in 10 ten different colours! Playing shows for money and releasing shit albums for gaining money! I have my own way!
MI: Is black metal an inherently primitive/retro form of music or do you see any validation in evolving it into new styles? Do you even see yourself as writing/playing in the black metal tradition?
Wrath: I have my own style!
MI: What is the future of Nadiwrath? Do you still intend to produce any material with your other early bands: Drunk Earth, Grab, Kampf?
Wrath: Drunk Earth doesn’t exist anymore! A new band is going to rise from the ashes of Drunk Earth that goes by the name NunOnBong! Pure underground Drown sludge! Grab and Kampf is a one man band since their last releases. I am continuing alone. Soon I am going to record their next release.
MI: Is there any kinship amongst the black metal community in Greece, or is it more like a group of individuals that remain separate and do their own thing?
Wrath: There is only with the other bands that the members of Nadiwrath are getting involved with.
MI: Death Set the Beginning of Your Journey completed a trilogy. Did this trilogy turn out the way you planned it or did it evolve along the way? Please talk about the theme of this trilogy, and whether this theme is likely to recur on future releases.
Wrath: It turned out exactly the way I planned it. The trilogy speaks about the birth of Dodsferd, my philosophy and my everlasting hate for human parasites. They have ruined everything with their stupidity and their weak theories.
MI: You've released a couple of split albums and an EP over the years as well but primarily hew to the album format. Does the full length album better suit your musical presentation? Do you foresee releasing more EPs and/or singles?
Wrath: Full length albums, EPs, split albums still contain my songs. I don’t see any difference. Soon I am going to release a 7” split EP with Necronoclast!
MI: What can we expect out of future Dodsferd releases, and where does Dodsferd rank in your priorities amongst your active projects?
Wrath: Dodsferd is very important for me! They are my priority! Soon I am going to release a 7” split EP with Necronoclast and the first official live CD for Dodsferd! Also, a US tour has been planned in summer.
With Respect,
Wrath from Dodsferd!
