Rockezine.com interview with Orchrist on Jun 19, 2002

with Orchrist on Jun 19, 2002


		I read that Orchrist have changed their style, from raw thrash to death. Can you explain why this new style works better for Orchrist? When we first started out we tried to play black/trash metal because our former guitarist was really into black and the other three members were more into death/trash. But in 1997 we changed guitarists. The new guitarist liked the same music the rest of the band preferred so the black influences started to disappear fast. As the years flew by we adjusted our songs to the style that fitted all four of us best. This resulted in the death/melodic metal that we play now.
		The name Orchrist reminds me of ‘Lord of the Rings’. Their was a sword in the book that was named ‘Orcrist’. Is their some connection between the two of them or am I totally on the wrong track now? You’re right. When we were searching for a name for the band, one of us was reading “The Hobbit”. Fascinated by the world that Tolkien had created and the relics used in them we went for the sword called “Orcrist”. Orcrist was the sword used for cleaving orc skulls so we liked it right away J. Because of the black influences back then, we added an “H” in the middle so the word “Christ” appeared in it. This way the logo was also more symmetric.
		Can you tell me something about Orchrist, that might interest the fan? We are a straight, steady up your ass, lashing, banging, boozin’, kiss our motherfucking asses, hardrock & metalband hahaaah! …oh well, nevermind … hehehe
		Can you tell me what bands have influenced Orchrist? And what do you think about the present metal scene? Actually there aren’t any bands that really influenced us. We always played our own thing. In the reviews we got on the CD people compared us with Bolt Thrower, Night in Gales, even with Paradise Lost. So decide for yourself… We think that the present metal scene is rising again after the “slower” 90s. Right now we look up to bands such as Children of Bodom, In Flames and more of those metal bands that managed to get to the top in these strange times.
		When you are not busy with music, what things do you do or interest you? Actually we’re pretty boring people, we hang out together a lot. Mostly at one of our regular bars. When we’re not sitting in the bar, Dieter (singer/guitarist) rides his motorcycle a lot. Daan (drums) and Robin (guitar) have irregular workhours so they usually end up working late at night. And Jef (bass) always sits behind his computer.
		When you write a song, where do you find the inspiration? The inspiration for the songs usually comes from heavy metal songs/bands of the 80s-90s. But we don’t try to copy those songs/bands.
		And when you got the inspiration, how is a song born? Is it a real group product, or is their one person who writes all the music? Most off the riffs are created by Dieter, he searches them on his own and then presents them to the band. In a later stadium the whole band puts these riffs together and adjusts them so the whole creation forms one solid song.
		You’re latest release is called ‘Echoes of the Void’. Are you satisfied with this album? Sure, except for some minor mistakes that we think are normal for a self-produced debut album. But all things considered, we are very pleased with the result. We were lucky to work with great professionals from the Harrow studio.
		Are the reactions on the album the way you expected them to be? No, not at all. They’re a lot better then we ever could have imagined. Even from people we don’t know, people from other countries that didn’t know us. We almost had no negative reactions so far. The reviews in magazines and e-zines are always above expectations.
		Can you tell us something about the lyrics on your latest release? Usually Dieter, our singer, writes the lyrics. The songs are based on some of his personal experiences in his life while other songs are more war based. All this is written in his own words, which result in lyrics which require a deeper insight to really understand them.
		What are the future plans for Orchrist? Can we expect you in the Netherlands soon to see you live? We hope to play as much as possible in the future. We are going to write some new songs and hope to make a new release next year. We would love to play in the Netherlands but so far we got no offers yet… so you are always free to invite us! (haha)
		Is there something REZ forgot to ask? Have you got a last statement? When are you guys gonna invite us to play in the Netherlands?
(Pieke Schoonbrood)