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Hei and welcome to this interview for the Rising Darkness Magazine! Hvordan går det? At first let me congratulate you to your new masterpiece of Black Metal!
Now a while after the release around Europe would you say that you are satisfied with the response you became from your fans and the press?
JONTHO:
It has been amazingly great response from the press and fans. We have gotten almost only good response and the people that have bought the album really love this masterpiece of black metal.
I just hope that a lot more people will open their eyes and check out one of the best albums released in many years now.
As I read you went for the recordings to "Blackdoor Miracle" again to the Abyss Studios of Peter and Tommy Tätgren. Why did you choose again their halls? Why especially did you choose Tommy out of both?
JONTHO:
The reason of why we chose abyss again because we was very satisfied the last time we where there for a recording session. Everything worked out perfect in co operation with Tommy and that was something we wanted to gain once again. It have never been a question of choosing Tommy or Peter because we first talked with Tommy and after working with him the first time it was only logic to choose him again. Peter has been helping us out with some small things on both recordings, but nothing huge to be mentioned. It is also better for us to choose Tommy because he does not use digital mixing, something Peter does. I like more analogy sound on the drums and so on.
You really choose a very strait and brutal cover for your actual artwork "Blackdoor Miracle"! What's the story behind it? Did you try to combine all symbols of Black Metal in one piece of artwork (the pentagram, the flames, the blood…)?
JONTHO:
Sounds like you have some understanding about the cover art actually. This is the explanation of the cover; The cover in it self do show exactly what we mean is black metal.You can find all the symbols of true black metal in that cover.....It is also a symbol to show what kind of music that is inside the album.
The pentagram shows the satanic essence,the naked woman and the candles symols black magic,me with the gun symbols the unleashed demon and total destruction of the weak and the flames symbols the kaos forces of hell.
All in all the cover explains the themes of the lyrics but still it is more to find when you read and understand them.
Right for this album Hoest came as your new singer into Ragnarok! So why did Lord Arcamous quit Ragnarok? Really because of the big pressure as a front man was too much for him as I had to read?
JONTHO:
Lord A left the band mainly because of a girl that didn't understand that to play in Ragnarok is more serious than just play in a band as a hobbie. She was always jealous and totally fucked Lord's brain with false shit all the time. You can then imagine the pressure for him when he was on tour or just even in the rehearsal place and at the same time do his job in the band. This was to much for us and we simply gave him an ultimatum to chose between the band or the girl and as you understand he chose the girl. Anyway it was his decision and we are happy with the line up now so the past is the past.
How did you come on Hoest as the new singer?
JONTHO:
Well I met him at the cult festival Under The Black Sun festival in Berlin when I played there with Tsjuder.I really liked his energy on stage when I saw him with Taake and it just hit me that he would been perfect in Ragnarok.After the gig and still on the festival we got together and talked and I just asked him if it sounded interesting to try Ragnarok.He said that he had to think about it and when we was back in Norway I called him up and he was interested in to give it a try.At that moment we was going to record a cover song of Celtic frost for a tribute to them and he found it very intersting to participate on that song as the first involment in the band .He then came to Sarpsborg to put on the vocals and it worked out very well and he decided to take part as a full time member in Ragnarok.
I was very surprised to read in the biography at your homepage that Kate Bush is one of the favourite singers of Hoest! Why especially Kate Bush???
JONTHO:
I don't know. Maybe you can ask him the next time we are on a tour.
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As I read Hoest lives in Bergen. On my next holiday in June I will stay around this area in Norway for about a week! So what would you say which places of interest or which special parts around there would I have to visit?
JONTHO:
I have just been in Bergen a couple of times and can not help you much there man. But check out the bar Garage and the nature in general who is fucking great over there.
If you would have to describe your home country Norway what would you say makes it really special to you?
JONTHO:
The nature and the changing climate. I think it is great to live in a country that is cold in the winter and hot in the summer. It would kill me to live in a country that is hot the whole fucking year, or cold the whole year. I also enjoy living here because it is a rich country and we live after a very high standard and it is not too much stress. Norway is a relaxing place compared with other big countries with to many people.
Tell me if I am wrong but I think to remember that Shagrath from Dimmu Borgir had some kind of guest appearance on the Arise Album in the middle of the nineties at Ragnarok! So how do you stay to the music they are playing today? Good music but no Black Metal at all?
JONTHO:
Yes he did play the keyboards on our second album called Arising Realm. They are good musicians and know how to make easy listenable music but it is not my style of music. I am more into music that you have to listen a few times and then find new stuff into the music all the time. Then the album does not get boring immediately as the Dimmu albums. I think they have chosen their path to sell albums, but it does not give me too much. If people want some music in a higher level of performance and not just easy listening they have to check out BLACKDOOR MIRACLE.
One thing I was interested a long time for is the bands name! Why did you choose to write it Ragnarok and not in the Norwegian way Ragnarøk with the ø?
JONTHO:
The Norwegian way IS Ragnarok and the German and Swedish way are Ragnarök….. I don't understand where people get the ø from at all. And the funniest thing is that even if we write RAGNAROK to magazines and so on they even manage to write it RAGNARØK or RAGNARÖK… Maybe to hard for people to push the right letter on the keyboard hahaha
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