NECROFIER

I can’t think of anyone who works harder in the metal biz than Christian Larson who not only organizes the Hell’s Heroes Fest and promotes shows in and around the Houston area year ‘round, but also spearheads NIGHT COBRA, TERROR CORPSE, and NECROFIER, which Wormwood sits down to chat about in the interview below. 

WORMWOOD CHRONICLES: Not only do you organize and book Hell's Heroes Festival, you're in NIGHT COBRA and NECROFIER. Are there any other bands you're a member of and where do you find time to do all of this?

 CHRISTIAN LARSON: I'm always working on something. Some would say it’s a problem, but I like to stay busy. I also play bass in TERROR CORPSE and am in  a couple of other things I'm working on. Sometimes I wonder myself how I have time for any of this, but it always seems to work out.

WC: Just riffing on what I asked in the previous question, I'm guessing doing music professionally is your primary source of income, no day jobs, right? Or do you juggle a day job on top of everything you do?

CL: I also book shows through the year at White Oak and a couple other venues in Houston.  Everything I do is related to music in one way or another. 

WC: What or who got you into heavy metal and what was the gateway band / record / concert that hooked you - what year was this?

 CL: I got into MANOWAR and CIRITH UNGOL in around 2000. My friends and I were downloading stuff on Napster, and these really stuck with me. After that I got into SKULL FIST and CAULDRON for new bands, and it snowballed from there. 

 WC: Did you always know that music would be your path in life, or did you consider going to college and getting a degree at some point?

 CL: I always knew that music would be in my path one way or another. It’s too much a part of me not to be. That being said, I actually have a degree. It led me into booking. So even taking a different path at points has always led me back to music. 

 WC: Regarding NECROFIER and NIGHT COBRA, and any other bands you've been part of, at what point do you know these are serious bands in search of a record label as opposed to side projects you're doing for fun?

 CL: It’s hard to say if there’s an exact time but when you know you know. 

 WC: Was black metal always a big interest of yours, musically, or did it grow on you? It can be an acquired taste with a lot of people.

CL: When I first heard it, it really clicked with me. I acquired that taste right away!

 WC: With your other band, NIGHT COBRA, that's more traditional in the NWOBHM style. Is the creative side of lyric writing and coming up with music a different process with NECROFIER than NIGHT COBRA? Does it require you to be in a very different mindset to do so?

 CL: I try not to work on new stuff for any project at the same time to some extent. These two bands require a very different mindset. When preparing for a new NECROFIER album it involves reading on different esoteric topics, Reflection, meditating etc. NIGHT COBRA, I start diving into science fiction and how the world is falling apart. It’s sometimes hard to balance but usually works out the way I need it to. 

 WC: I read this in the bio -- "This album really ended up where I always wanted us to go," vocalist/guitarist Bakka reflects. -- Can you talk about why this new album differs from previous releases in terms of what you've accomplished artistically?

CL: The new album goes into more depth musically and conceptually. Also, it's darker and more aggressive than our previous works. On this newest one the biggest achievement was tying the whole record together as one Journey and then incorporating some personal experience into it. These are both things I haven't done with NECROFIER before. It felt different than before, it's hard to explain. Also, we captured more of how we sound live on this recording. It's more unhinged and has a live aggression feel to it 

WC: The new record is based on the 'Luciferian Dark Night Of The Soul.' For a lot of us that aren't familiar, can you walk us through what this is; is it a religious purification process or is that too simplistic?

CL: It's broken into 3 parts. Awakening, Struggle, Accession. The music also fits each of these parts to embrace the atmosphere. There are also 3 different interludes that let the 3 parts breathe. I am not the same person as when I began this journey, it's a mix of experience and philosophy. Only through fire can we look within and pass through into change. 

WC: Does this reflect your own personal spiritual belief or do you outright reject religion of all kinds?

CL: I would say I am very spiritual but anti-religious. This always manifests in my writing somewhere on each record. I am continually searching for freedom and bend to no religion. I do find aspects of them interesting, and the stories and art can be amazing, but I choose not to live in the shackles of them. 

WC: Was the entire band involved in the writing of this record?

CL: Dobber, Mat and I handle most of it. 

WC: When you're involved in a heavy, very involved record such as this one, does it ever get to you emotionally or spiritually, do you ever feel the need to walk away from it and let things even out inside you?

CL: Absolutely, putting this much into an album takes a lot out of you. It usually doesn't hit me until a little while after the record is finished and I notice something is a little off with me and then I know it's time to decompress.  

WC: In fact, piggy backing on the previous question, what do you do to unwind and step away from the spectrum of music to recharge the creative batteries, so to speak?  Any hobbies or vacations away from it all?

CL: My wife and I travel a lot and it's the best thing to clear my head and recharge. The sense of adventure and experiencing new things on these journeys helps me bring balance back after being depleted.

 WC: What's the plan to promote this record, do you have tours set up after this year's edition of Hell's Heroes?

CL: We are doing San Luis Metal Festival and Maryland Deathfest  coming up and have a west coast tour with KHEMMIS and a European tour with HELLRIPPER in Sept!!! Really excited about all of this, especially getting to Europe for the first time!

NECROFIER