Tempers Creature is a two man band. The band is a mixture of many sounds. From aggressive black metal, to depressive, and even hints of pagan/folk and neofolk elements as well. Here I interview, Aurgelmir, the mastermind behind Tempers Creature about the band, the latest release, the future, song writing, and more! Enjoy!
Greetings Aurgelmir. Thank you for taking time out of your schedule to answer a few questions for the Desolation Infinite Blogzine. I really appreciate it. Don't feel rushed to answer the questions. Take your time if need be.
1. First things first. The release of “Lupus Est Homo Homini” was a great one. I'm taking it this is your biggest album yet? Do you feel it has reached the masses or do you still consider the band in the underground? Is it frustrating for the band?
Aurgelmir: "Greetings! At first, thank you for the compliment. We also consider "Lupus Est Homo Homini" as our best output so far, and I'm really happy to hear all the positive responses to it.
You are right, it has not reached the masses - but we don't want to reach masses, we want to reach a group of persons who really can feel our music and our lyrics, who can empathize with our issues. And in my opinion we found such people, not only in Europe, but also in North-and South America and even in Japan in reference to the sales statistics.
Therefore I am pleased with the situation as it is at the moment, I don't mind to "operate" in the underground. So, no, we are not frustrated at all."
2. Listening to Thanatos, it seems the band went in a more aggressive approach with the newest release. What triggered this direction?
Aurgelmir: "Well, at first I found a “permanent” drummer – called Arngrim - for the “Lupus Est Homo Homini”. On “Thanatos” Jalfur, a very talented person who played the piano on “Lupus Est Homo Homini”, played the drums for two songs, but he had a lot to do with his main band and so he participated the project only as a guest musician, so, besides the mentioned two songs I had no drummer, that was the reason why I decided to leave the drums out of the other songs, converting them into Neofolk-tracks.
As I found a “permanent” drummer in Arngrim (I changed the band’s line-up after the “Lupus Est Homo Homini”, now Náttfari is playing the drums), I was able to realize my ideas and to do a full Black Metal record – and so the direction went more aggressive, especially because some things happened in my social life which promoted this direction. So, the more aggressive style was partly a result of a betrayal I have experienced by so-called “friends”, and, as I mentioned, partly a result of the facilities of having a permanent drummer."
3. Going back to 2008, do you feel this was the vision you saw for the band?
Aurgelmir: "As I started “Tempers Creature” in 2008, I never thought I would release a record like “Lupus Est Homo Homini” which is sold in – as I mentioned - North- and South-America, Europe and even Japan. I also never thought that “Tempers Creature” would be a name in the Black Metal underground someday. My visions were very simple – I wanted to play the music I like the most. So, my “visions”, if you want to call it like that, are totally outreached. As I said before, I am really pleased with our current situation."
4. What was the thought process in the name Tempers Creature?
Aurgelmir: “Tempers Creature” is a synonym for humanity. There is so much hatred out there, so much violence and aggression. So many people are full of temper; you can say they are the “creatures” of their temper, because their hate is controlling them. So, the name shall hold up a mirror to mankind, reminding them to the problems of our society.
5. The musicianship of Tempers Creature seems complex. How does one start the writing process?
Aurgelmir: "Well, mostly I just let me guide by my emotions when I write a song. As I start with a track, I don’t have lyrical issues or even a name for it. I play what I feel, and if I am satisfied with the result, I record it. After that I compose some second voices and leads and send the song to my new drummer, Náttfari. He comes up with his own ideas, records the drum tracks and sends them back to me. After that, after the song is finished, I can write the lyrics for it. Now I can feel the complete track, all the emotions in it. This is the perfect requirement for the verses to be written. So, as you can see, our writing-process is not that complex, it’s more guided by emotions, mixed with portion spontaneity."
6. Since the release of “Lupus Est Homo Homini”, what is the band up to nowadays?
Aurgelmir: "We are working hard on our third full-length record, “Si Vis Vitam, Para Mortem”. We’ve finished the instrumental work, at the moment I write the lyrics for the songs. In the middle of February I will record the vocals and search for a good cover-artwork. If it all works as we have planned, “Si Vis Vitam, Para Mortem” will be released in late spring, May or June, via “Sturmglanz Produktionen”, our label."
7. I was surprised with the pagan/folk elements brought out in the newest release. In fact it felt like listening to two different albums. Can you elaborate more on that?
Aurgelmir: "You are right. In fact, “Lupus Est Homo Homini” is split not only into two but actually into four parts – the first part contains raw Depressive Suicidal Black Metal, full of sorrow, despair and grief. The second part is the aggressive one. The songs you can find there are hateful and misanthropic. The third part is concerned with patriotism and the love to our fatherland – Swabia in Germany. For me it was necessary to dedicate some songs to my homeland, we shall never forget our roots. That’s the main reason for the pagan- and folk-elements you mentioned. The fourth part finally is once again a mixture between depression and aggression."
"This splitting is due to the different influences which shaped me and my music. I am listening a lot to neofolk-bands like Sturmpercht or Werkraum, and – of course - I also love classical Black Metal and Pagan Black Metal, especially since I am Ásatrúar. I listen to many different styles, and this is displayed in our music."
8. Any chance we will get to hear neofolk influences in the future like in the previous releases or will you continue in the same tradition as Lupus Est Homo Homini?
Aurgelmir: "There absolutely is more than a chance. We’ve composed two neofolk-songs for “Si Vis Vitam, Para Mortem”, called “Ein Wintertraum…” (= A dream of winter) and “Und die Freud’ kehrt’ wieder” (= When joy reverted). Hvita - the lovely female vocals on “Heimatlied” and “Suebia” on our “Lupus Est Homo Homini” - will once again contribute with her vocals on this two songs. Besides that, “Si Vis Vitam, Para Mortem” will continue the path we’ve started with “Lupus Est Homo Homini”.
9. What bands would you say influence the band most as opposed to the covers on Lupus Est Homo Homini?
Aurgelmir: "The bands which influenced me most were Burzum, Lifelover and Blutklinge, a German DSBM-project which brought me into Depressive Black Metal. We therefore do a cover of their song “The Ghost I” on “Si Vis Vitam, Para Mortem” as a little tribute to this band."
10. How does it feel being a two man band rather than a solo musician in the past?
Aurgelmir: "With another person I simply have more possibilities to implement my ideas, I am not able to play drums, so, as a solo musician I would not be able to finish a metal album – that’s the reason for the more neofolkish records of the past, as I mentioned. But how it feels to be a two man band depends on the person I am working with. To work with my old drummer, Arngrim, was often difficult and time-consuming, also we had no proper equipment to record the drums and we hardly found appointments to record.
But with my new drummer, Náttfari, things are going very well. Náttfari is a very motivated and talented drummer. I don’t have to wait for month to get drum-tracks as I was used to. As I explained, I send him the songs and get them a few days later back, assembled with well-recorded drums. Working with Náttfari is really a pleasure, so, being a two man band feels quite good at the moment."
11. Do you or your band mate Náttfari have any side projects or would like to start something different in the future?
Aurgelmir: "To be honest – for my drummer Náttfari, “Tempers Creature” is a side project. He is playing in two other bands besides “Tempers Creature”, one of these bands is a solo project, the other band is a two man group with him as the drummer, too.
For me, “Tempers Creature” is my only band. I don’t have much time, my job is very time-consuming, and there are no hours to be in another group or project. Also, “Tempers Creature” is everything I need to implement my ideas. I don’t need to start something different to act my music out. I only would help out some friends with their projects as a guest-musician if they need my help, but starting another project or band is no allure to me."
12. Any last words for the fans? New and/or old.
Aurgelmir: "Thank you very much for your interest in “Tempers Creature”! I am overwhelmed by how good things are going, and I want to thank every single of my listeners!
I also want to thank the “Desolation Infinite Blogzine” for this interview and the interesting questions – and I want to apologize if my English is not the best since English is not my mother’s tongue. Best wishes for the future!"
---Interview by Freddy Garcia---
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