1. Hello and welcome in this interview, Krall. Well, if we look back to year 2003, a year of "Under the Black Veil", we diagnosing first contact of Funeral Fog with listeners. Your debut album was proceed in token of obtaining experiences, cognition, ... Out of doubt, you can may judge, how you’re standing in Canada (past 4 years)? Pupular/unpopular? What about your feelings in time, when you’re listening debut album? You can return back to times of recording, composing and writing "Under the Black Veil"? How was the period?

KRALL: Myself and Nokturnis (vocals) decided to do something we always wanted to do, which is a somewhat raw, cold and bleak Black Metal after being fans for many years. We decided on the name in December 1999 and started writing in 2000. We took our time with it and approached it as a hobby. I wrote all music and Nokturnis did most of the lyrics, and we finally recorded "Under the Black Veil" in May 2002. We spent the rest of the year sending out promos in a bid to get signed, but with no luck. We finally pressed and released it ourselves in early 2003. Only 200 copies were made and they sold out quickly, and our name slowly started to get out there. I feel we are very well respected here in Canada and have a very large underground fanbase over here.

2. My opinion about "Under the Black Veil" is that; like album is great – melodic, interesting, but somewhat stereotype. Mostly, I don’t like drums which was weakest (stereotype) article... You have similar feeling or not? If not, tell me what’s the worst things on debut for you...

KRALL: Well, we never set out to be an "original sounding" Black Metal band..We had developped a very cold/monotonous type of riffing style and exploited it. When the album was first recorded, it was done with a drum machine, and was not done very well, I have to admit, so the self-released version features the drum machine. After signing a deal with Eclipse Productions a year later, Blacky (from Eclipse) made us go back into the studio and replace the drums. We had just hired our third member "Shithammer" (drums) a few weeks before and he had the very difficult task on overdubbing real drums over a machine..It was very hard to do because drum machines are "perfect" and real drummers are not, but he did a decent job at it, but it does not showcase his talents..You will hear them on the new album!

3. What’s the texts refer, who is their writer? Booklet is in typical vein of black metal cliché, but this pictures will not pall on, I think...

KRALL: Nokturnis wrote all the lyrics on the debut album except one song (Grave Land) in which I wrote. The lyrics touched upon vampyric themes and ancient mysticisms and other dark themes.

4. Well, about new album... Will link on previous question; some lyrical (conceptual) differences are possible? You’re registered any advances in feeling, views beside single members of Funeral Fog?

DEIMUS: For the most part, we have taken a different writing approach from that of the first album in terms of lyrical style and song topics. It was a natural progression for us. Needless to say, we are still dealing with rather dark themes. I will not go into detail about any of the lyrics on the new album except to say that there has been a great deal of thought put into the lyrics and that they have been worked on for a very long time. I would prefer that the listener put his/her own interpretation to the songs.
I will say that there are two songs (lyrically) that were written some time before we started writing for the new album. Musically and lyrically, those two songs (which will remain nameless at this point) are very reminicent of the first album.


5. Could you tell me more extensively some informations about "Channelling Ancient Shadows"? Lay out grand differences, interesting things, shifts, ... Will be in anything conceptual or connected with debut album?

KRALL: Well, the new album now features 4 members, who all contributed a bit of themselves to give the album a little more variety compare to the first album..You have songs that are very similar to the debut, but also some that are quite different in style and feel..We are anxious to see the overall reaction of our fans when they hear it. The biggest difference between the debut album and the new one is in the lyrics, as previously mentioned..They are much better written this time around, and the writing duties were mostly shared by both Nokturnis and newest member Deimus (guitars), and yes some are a continuance that are connected to the first album. I again wrote lyrics to one song (Dawn of the Equinox). The album also features a "soundscape", something we didn't do on the first album and piano and keys are also used for the first time to add variety.

6. In fact that "Under the Black Veil" was released in 2003, it’s possible to assume that you’re group, which working slowly, but carefully – or are you lazy? Hehe...

KRALL: Well, Under the Black Veil was re-released by Eclipse Productions in December 2003, so you could almost say 2004. We are all a bit older with day jobs, wives and families and approach Funeral Fog as a hobby, so we worked on it a bit at a time whenever time was available. Also, we have never, ever rehearsed together as a band..I wrote all the music, showed the riffs to our drummer "Shithammer" then recorded the album. The lyrics were written to fit the music and lyrics/vocals were recorded five months later. This way of doing things also take more time, but it works better with our schedules.

7. It’s so interesting that group from Canada issuing near Czech label. How about cooperation with Blacky – you’re satisfied with his work for you? How many pieces of new album will going to, on what period you’re fixed with Blacky? And, of course, in which way your cooperation started?

KRALL: Our cooperation with Blacky started when we sold one of our first copies to a BM fan in the UK who then contacted us to say he thought we were great and deserved to get signed. He had some "push" in the underground scene and promised to find us a label..Three weeks later Blacky contacted us to say he had received a promo copy from this UK guy and was interested in releasing it if we agreed to re-record the drums and included a bonus track (we added a cover of Burzum's "Ea, Lord of the Depths), and we did. Blacky is an absolutely great label guy; and we are very satisfied with his work and support of Funeral Fog! I recommend everyone reading this to support Long Ago Records (Eclipse)! Our deal with Long Ago Records is for one album per contract, and I believe the first pressing will be 1000 copies, with the option for more pressed if the first pressing sells out.


8. What is Funeral Fog for you? Life, emotions, ideas, new dimension of mind?

KRALL: Funeral Fog is my outlet to spew forth total darkness, aggressions and bleakness to this world...

9. Funeral Fog started in 1999, first demo was released in 2003, how about this delay? It’s relating to question 6.?

KRALL: Well, I explained most of it in question 6, but the current delay for this new album is the front cover photo..We are currently experiencing problems which will hopefully be resolved soon, so we are now thinking a May or June release.

10. What hierarchy is in group? Who have the main word in writting process of your music? All members of Funeral Fog have same music style externalization?

KRALL: I wrote all the music, just like on the debut album with the exception of the "soundscape" which was put together by Nokturnis and Deimus. Lyrics this time around were mostly written by newcomer Deimus along with Nokturnis. I wrote lyrics to one song. Myself and Nokturnis pretty much listen to the same type of raw BM, while the other two listen to similar styles, along with other types of music, such as punk, etc.

11. Could you recommend us some local band of yours? Tell us some news from local underground please…

KRALL: The only other bands that are similar to us locally are "Havengrave" and "Pagan Hellfire"..They are great and worth checking out, especially Pagan Hellfire which have been around a little while now and have a few cds out...Our metal scene is overrun with death and NU metal bands...

12. Can we say Funeral Fog is going along roots of old hateful black metal (I mean mainly on old bands, which spell will be mighty all the time) or do you search something other in music?

KRALL: Hell yeah! We grew up in early-mid eighties listening to Bathory, Venom, Hellhammer, Sodom among many others, and later to Enthroned, Mayhem, Darkthrone, etc and we pay homage to these Black Metal Gods with our music. We sound old-school underground because that's what we grew up on, and we feel it's the only true metal around these days.

13. You belong to younger bands. Did you have any experience from other band, when you were starting with Funeral Fog?

KRALL:Myself and Nokturnis started our first band "Satan's Realm" around 1988 and put out a demo in the early nineties, after that we split up and I played in several bands, both metal and punk and released albums, ep's and singles with those bands throughout the nineties. Our drummer Shithammer is a veteran of the local music scene and has been playing in bands since around 1974. He was in Sub Pop recording artists "Eric's Trip" and "Elevator" before joining us and has toured all throughout North America and Europe with those bands, so he's been around.


14. More and more bands concentrate on visual support of albums. They record video-clips, better, worse...Is Funeral Fog going to something similar? Maybe not, but if you should thinking about theme, which is it? By the way, did you see any clip, which is really great (for you)?

KRALL: Well, we've discussed doing a video using an old 8mm film camera, shot in B&W; and old expired color film, but no concept was ever discussed and I don't think it's going to happen..I personally don't watch much television nor watch band clips anymore..But my old favorites are Celtic Frost-Circle of the Tyrants; Kreator-Toxic Trace; Razor-Evil Invaders and Venom-Witching Hour.

15. Today it's quite trendy thing to create profile on MySpace.com. What lead you to it?

KRALL: Nokturnis suggested for us to have a profile on there to promote us, no more no less. He takes care of it..I never go on MySpace, but I can tell it's good for promotion..Anything that spreads the word is a positive thing, I think.

16. This is all from me, thanks for supporting Mortem zine and I hope you all the best to following years and, of course, best wishes with "Channelling Ancient Shadows"!

KRALL: Thanks to Mortem zine for the opportunity!...and be on the lookout for total audio grimness in the form of "Channelling Ancient Shadows" on Canadian label Abhore Records (North/South America) and Czech label Long Ago Records (Rest of world).