Interview with Endstille!

So a couple weeks ago when I saw Endstille live with Ondskapt and Koldbrann I had the wonderful opportunity of getting to interview two of their members, singer Zingultus and drummer Mayhemic Destructor. In the interview we talk about the road, their ideology and music, I hope you guys enjoy it!

Photos courtesy of E-L-P, find more here: https://www.facebook.com/elpphoto

So how have the two dates of the tour been so far?
Zingultus (Z): It was okay as far as I remember (Laughter)

Mayhemic Destructor (MD): It was an alcoholocaust right?

Z: Absolutely. For us it's a pretty cool tour because we're surrounded by friends in Ondskapt and Koldbrann. That's the special thing about this tour, it's not just a tour its having fun with friends, so, alchoholocaust.

MD: It's been 10 years since we first toured with Koldbrann and this is sort of the anniversary tour. It's really cool to have them back on the tour bus. The first show was really a blast and the second show was cool too. We played better, but the audience was...

Z: C'mon, they're French, Belgium sucks! (Laughter)

So we're pretty early on in the tour, are there any shows you're especially looking forward to playing?
Z: Nothing in particular, maybe the one in Hamburg though, because it's quite near to the city we come from, it's like coming home. Of course that last show is always special. The atmosphere at the club we'lll be playing out is pretty cool. It has a very intense atmosphere, which is what we really like. We don't like big shows because we have no contact with the audience.

You said this tour is basically with friends, is that why it's such a short run?
MD: No, it's due to private stuff. I'm not able to tour a month because of my job.

Now that the last album, Kapitulation 2013 has been out for about five months, how are you feeling about it?
Z: Pretty good, because it's the essence of Endstille in our eyes. On the last album it was like a new foundation, everybody was trying to do some new stuff, but it wasn't complete in itself. But this being the second album with the new line up, we got back to the freedom of Endstille and the freedom to do whatever we want to do. That's the main theme of the record, it fits the lyrics and the people. I think our song Sick Heil will be the new anthem for Endstille because everybody can fuck off. We don't care if you hate us. We don't give a shit.

MD: Before we founded Endstille, Lars Wachtfels and I said, "Let's not play in a black metal band again" and so it was funny because we played black metal. We wanted to play crust punk stuff because that's our attitude. But the only sound we could create was black metal which is why we played that sound. Now that we have a new singer, we can combine this 'Fuck off' attitude with the black metal stuff. This album was the first step in that direction and I think the next album will be more 'Fuck off' than ever. It will be another Endstille album, but I think the next one will be a lot dirtier.

So, does that mean you've already started work on the next album?
MD: We have rehearsals, and when we rehearse we jam, and you can figure out some kind of direction. We don't have to show people that we can play our instruments. We are songwriters and we're just going to bring the atmosphere to the people. But I think this is the direction we want to go in.

But it could be completely different! (Laughter)

Z: But it will be Endstille you know? There are a lot of people saying "Oh they always sound the same" but its those same people who complain about Slayer not sounding like Reign in Blood anymore. They want the old times back but at the same time they want change. It's still us. it's Endstille, and no matter what people say, we are still the same.

Now, you've said for a long time that your black metal is unpolitical and you're anti religious, but I know that a lot of right wing parties are allied with religion. So isn't that a contradiction?
Z: We don't care. We really just don't care. It's funny in Germany. The right wing hates us because they think we are anti-fascist, the left wing hates us because they think we are fascists. We just don't care. There is no politics for us. If we were into politics we would have to follow rules. There are no rules for Endstille. It's the same for religion, we don't have any religion. For us. Everyone can choose, but for us we have no religion.

So would you describe yourselves as pure anarchists then?
Simultaneously: Yes (Laughter)

We talked a little bit earlier about the crust punk elements of your music. How does the punk ethos affect your music?
MD: It's raw, it's basic. This is what Endstille is. We are not technical gods, this is what comes straight from our hearts and why it fits so perfectly. There's no big thing behind it.

In what way would current impact your music? Or do they at all?
MD: I don't know, I don't think they do. We're just doing music you know? We have no plan behind it. We just meet and have rehearsals. Someone says "I have this" so we say "Cool, let's do it".

Z: There are no limits for us. As Mayhemic Destructor said for us, its only about the music. It's not about going on tour or selling CD's. I would be happy doing music on my own or with other people. It's just a need, otherwise I would go fucking crazy. I don't care if anybody is listening.

We had a break that lasted three months where we only did one concert a month, and I totally freaked out! I had to do something else. I just want to do music!

Does that incredible desire to do music make it possible for you to put out eleven releases in fourteen years?
MD: 11 releases? Wow, I forgot it was that many. See, normally bands might write 20 songs but only record 10 of them. We rehearse a little bit, and then we have a feeling, like "This is the new stuff" If someone says it is shit then we don't record it. Everyone stands behind every song. Then when we have nine, ten songs, we go out and make an album. We call the producer and sound engineer, go to the studio, record it and that's it. Some of the songs we play live and some we never play again. Like on the new album, we have a song KDF 511 we just created that song in ten or fifteen minutes in the studio. I did all the drumming right away. The guitarist said I have "This, this and this" and I said "Okay" recorded it, and then we were done, it won't be played live.

That's an interesting way to work it.
Z: It's different for every song, for me it takes a lot of time for lyrics and vocals. Sick Heil took only one rehearsal and for me it took five minutes in the studio. I had the feeling and knew what I wanted to do and it was a one take.
MD: The best songs are created in five minutes. Like Ripping Angel Flesh. It's almost a hit!

Does this spontaneity get at what black metal means to you?
Z: I don't care about the moniker black, it's metal. We  are extreme metal but not really black metal. Their is an ideology behind black metal which fits some Endstille themes, but not everything.

What do you love so much about music?
Z: For me it's letting the demons out. I have to keep myself on balance. There's the one calm guy, whose just being polite and charming (laughter) maybe a bit funny but I can't be that way if I can't let the demons out, it's kind of therapy for me.

MD: Same here. My wife told me that she would never take the music from my life. She knows that I am a musician and she never knew that I was playing in a band like this and going on tours and stuff. She said, I have to accept it, the band came before me. She said you have to do this, it is your life, and it's true it is a part of me. I can't deny it.

Z: It causes some kind of depression when you come back. You're sitting at home and you have nothing to do.

MD: You wake up in your morning and go into your fridge and go "There is no beer!"

Z: It's like, what shall I do? The best thing, go outside with your beer, and watch the people, it's just like being on tour.