1. Hi Mick, I am really glad that I can interview you. It´s not necessary to chant odes about your greatness, that´s for sure. You are the man responsible for several great and outstanding musical projects. I don´t even know where to start. Well, we can start with the most know project. Anaal Nathrakh. How would you describe the band to someone who never heard it?

Id Say it would be a mix of all things in extreme music condensed down on one big stinking cauldron, to create something new and interesting. We don´t really fit any straight genre, black metal, death metal or grind core. We are a mix of all the things we like from all extreme music

2. You started your career with release of Anaal Nathrakh and Total Fucking Necro demos. Two years after you came with your debut entitled The Codex Necro, which is still for many fans the biggest cult. How are you looking upon those seminal releases now? And can you shortly describe the progression which followed after? And one personal question, how old were you when you started Anaal Nathrakh?

I was 18 when I started AN, but it wasnt my first band. I´ve been doing bands since i was like 12! all of which were AWFUL! When I look back at those older releases i still think they are killer. We have definitly found our own sound now, but still on those older albums, its quite obvious that we definatly had a 'anaal nathrakh' sound right from the start. I guess they are more black metal in style, but they still have the vicsiousness and brutality we have today. And I don`t think back then, black metal bands were doing that, they were concentrating on trying to sound like goblins and wearing funny make up.

3. Anaal Nathrakh could be a synonym for wrath, hate and disgust of this world. V.I.T.R.I.O.L. clearly shows this in his lyrics and vocals. But your music is the main extremity. What makes you to compose such a “sick” music?

I have no-idea. Its just what comes out. I don´t actually spend a lot of time writing AN songs. I pick up the guitar and if it doesn´t flow out then i dont keep it. Most songs usually come together in a matter of minutes. The last album 'Hell is empty' was actually musically written in 8 days!! I lock myself away and just bash it out. I guess it comes with a lot of practice, and also knowing exactly what i want to write, so when the time comes, its a pretty swift excecusion. But as for the sound, i dont know, like i say, it just comes natural.

4. Do you think that you are limited in extremity? Some Anaal Nathrakh´s songs are for sure the most vile extreme in metal music. Do you think that you can push boundaries of extreme metal farther? Or the songs like Pandemonic Hyperblast, The Final Destruction of Dignity, Castigation and Betrayal are your personal limit?

Well, they are the songs from each album which we do pick to try and 'out-do' the previous. We always tried to make a song on each album more brutal then anything on the last album. But i think there will be come a point wheres it not possible without just sounding stupid. I mean we could make somthing alot more butal, but i think it would just go into the realms of NOISE, and i dont want to do that because I dont find it very intresting to listen to.


5. You´re the only composer not just in Anaal Nathrakh. Every band is somehow different and remarkable. We can call you procreative artist for sure. You´re quality is also greater with each release. How you personally appraise “Hell is Empty and All the Devils are Here”, and what are the responses from the vicinity?

I think its the best Nathrakh album to date for sure, That doesnt mean i think the older ones are bad, the just get more reined and progress and become a little more solid and have direction. Weve had a lot of great responses. I thought a lot of people wouldnt like it so much, because its not just continual blasting. But i think alot more people liked this record which is cool to hear.

6. Live video of “Do Not Speak” from your first concert was included as a bonus in a Japanese release of “Eschaton”. Now in the Japanese version of “Hell is Empty…” you will include another live videos. Have you thought about Anaal Nathrakh official live DVD?

Hmm not really, we just used that footage because thats all we had! the japanese always want bonus material, and with anaal nathrakh its kind of hard to have bonus stuff, because we always use every song we write. We might do one one day, i dont know, we dont really make plans in this band !

7. I will ask you also about the drummers. You are now playing live with St.Evil from Theoktony. When looking on Youtube videos I thought that he is quite drumming beast. Would you someday like to add a live drumming to your studio releases? I read somewhere that you combine live drumming with the programmed. If yes, who plays the live drums?

Yes, the AN albums usually combine real drums with programmed drums. I dont like the sound of a drum machine, it sounds to fake, so i play some drums myself. THe next album will probably be live drums though. I might get St.Evil to do them. He is a drummeing beast for sure, when we play live the songs are like, twice the speed!!! he can blast forever.

8. Recently you posted a myspace blog about your other musical projects. I was quite shocked that you put Mistress, Exploder and Frost to ice.

Well, i kind of just felt like i was spreading myself too thin. Although i didnt spend that much time on these bands, it still took up other time, and now i have my record label etc there just wasnt enough time to continue them. Frost has been dead since like 2004, Exploder was just a bit of fun with my friends, and mistress... well, i basically told the guys I dont want to play the drums anymore, and theyall just kind of give up after that. so i guess it was the right thing to do. I can concentrate on my own music now properly.

9. Well then, how you enjoyed the playing with Mistress? Were you playing just drums there or you were also composing? And how you get into playing in “Nevermind the buzzcocks show”? Videos from your performance are so great.

I was just playing drums, and, well i wasnt really copmposing, but I arranged most of the songs It was real fun to do that band though yeah. We all had many awsome times together. Got to the point where i just felt like it was a waste of time and took up too much time and energy for very little back. Doing the buzzcocks show was awsome yeah haha! pretty funny


10. Another project we have to talk about is Frost. Another band where you handled almost everything. This time you had even 2 persons to sing. What made you to start up the project? Anaal Nathrakh were not enough? Your musical manuscript if evident from the first listen, but the music is really different from your others projects. Do you consider Frost dead or you someday might return to them?

Back then It always seemed like forever between anaal nathrakh album releases, and I get bored pretty fast, so I just decided to do another band. I was really into de mysteriis dom sathanas back then and basically just wanted to ripp it off. It gave me a chance to do music that wouldnt have really fit in with ANaal Nathrakhs style, because it was more slower and more creepy, so I just made a new band to channel this stly that I wanted to do. I dont think ill do another frost album no.

11. Our readers are also fond of your another project Professor Fate. Samples which appeared before the release of Inferno promised another musical bomb. Album is out and it met with great responses. But I dare to say that I liked the first demo efforts more. You used the parts from another songs in PF (for example – Walk the path of sorrow by Satyricon). What made you to include those parts in PF music? Have you felt the need to demonstrate your non-metal craft?

Those demos, were just me messing around in my bedroom making music. I dont know how that stuff got leaked out, and i think people take some things a little bit too serious. The old demo things are like 10 years old and just like sketches, or ideas, or even me just learning how to make music with a computer etc. A few years back, i releasised that i had all this music which i had made over the years, so i decided to cut it down and shape it into an album and re-recorded all the tracks. I didnt feel like i had to demonstrate anything no. I just make music for my own pleassure and I release it. I dont really care if people like it or not, But it is pretty awsome when people really do like it. I wasnt sure at all how people would view the PF album, but it seems to be ok. I havnt sold that many copies, but thats ok. I Just wanted to release it and know in my head that that work is Finished.

12. Are you preparing some new Professor Fate stuff? If yes, will you stick to your previous music or you want to experiment more? It´s evident that you don´t like just metal. What you like to listen to in your privacy?

I think in future professor fate music, will be more aimed for TV/Film. So i dont think ill make another actual CD, but who knows. Right now im only working on Anaal nathrakh and one other new bands which is basically a mix of everything ive done in the past. its not really brutal. But its dark and melodic and heavy. Im just trying to find the right vocalsist for it. I think if you just only listen to just metal then that shows your not very open minded, and means you will probably write pretty boring one sided music. I like metal, but i also like everything else aswell.

13. Another band in which you showed up was Exploder. They were quite accessible and heavy. Have you played just for fun or you had ambitions for breakthrough? It was a big honor for sure to play with former Ac/Dc drummer. I thought that you may also say something about Fukpig. All I know about the band is that you played here.

Fukpig was just another fun thing we did back in 2001 or 2002. wasnt really ment to go anywhere, just fun really. Same with exploder. That was us having fun and a good time and kind of taking a break from having to write brutal music all the time. Some people hated it, but well, we dont really care. we had a lot of fun doing it.


14. I once read about the super project consisting of You, Shane Embury and Necrobutcher. That super group had a name “Born to Murder This World”. Do you know that this is also a song title from the mega brutal grinders Last Days of Humanity? Do you wanted to play similar fucked-up music like them? But I haven´t heard about it for a long time. Have you put this idea to ice or simply don´t have the time?

I didnt know about that band no. Born to Murder the worl is a project that me and shane do when we actually get to be in the same spot as each other for more then a day! haha, im usually out here in LA and shanes always on tour! we will get there someday with it though. its pretty fucked up weird shit.

15. You also started the FETO records with Shane Embury. How is it going? I think that it is cool to have a own label, with no interventions from others. But the financial and time side of the matter is not so cool. Are you profiting? Are the FETO rec. preparing something special?

Thanks, I think making FETO was a really good move for me and shane. Shane had always wanted to do a label, and so had i. so i basically kick started it and got it set up.Were not really profiting yet, were not loosing either though so were building the label up with cool bands. Hopefully ojne day it might turn into somthing pretty amazing, but who knows

16. Well, we are finally at the end. I hope that we haven´t embarrassed you so much and you haven´t felt bored during the answering. We wish you luck in your musical efforts and also in your live. Keep us overwhelmed with your great work.

Man that was a lot of questions, lol! I hope my answers are ok, like i said before, im totally busy all the time, so its hard to find time, but if theres anything else you want me to answer then let me know.

Thanks for your time bro!

www.feto-records.com
www.fetorecords.bigcartel.com
www.myspace.com/fetorecordsrock
www.myspace.com/mickkenney
www.myspace.com/professorfate1
www.myspace.com/anaalnathrakh