Interview with 1349

Bass player, Seidemann
April, 2004

by John Haseltine

Steadily making their way through the Norwegian black metal scene, as well as other parts of the underground, 1349 are set out to give you their old school style of black metal. Already making quite a name for themselves. I recently had a chance with bassist, Seidemann, to introduce themselves and find out what has been going on.

JH: Give us a brief history of the band.

Seidemann: 1349 was formed in 1997 by Ravn (drums, Vocals), Tjalve (guitars) and myself (bass). We recorded two demos before Archaon joined us on guitar. With him in the band things started speeding up a lot and when we were ready to record our 3d demo Ravn asked Frost if he could dome some session drums on that demo. Frost reluctantly agreed, and was never very happy with that demo, but when he heard the material for "Liberation" he wanted to join as a permanent member. Since then we have played a lot of gigs and recorded and released 2 full lenght albums "Liberation" and "Beyond the Apocalypse"

JH: Why the name 1349? What is the meaning behind the name?

S: 1349 was the year the black death (a bubonic plague) came to Norway, wiping out 2/3s of the population and ending the golden age of Norway. We felt it was a powerful name and also a name that would make people wonder and maybe think.

JH: Been doing any touring? With who?

S: one tour this far with Red Harvest and Aeternus, playing 10 gigs in Europe.

JH: How have the crowds been responding to you?

S: Mostly with headbanging and generally very well.

JH: Is Frost still drumming? How is that working with Satyricon currently on tour?

S: Frost is a permanent member of 1349. When Satyricon is touring the rest of us rehearse and make new material.

JH: Has there been any issues with him being in both bands yet?

S: We had to cancel two gigs on the tour because of a Satyricon show in Greece, but otherwise things go smoothly.

JH: The new album,'Beyond The Apocalypse' release date was pushed back. Why was this?

S: I honestly don’t know, it was released on the 19th of April in Europe, and will be released in May in the US.

JH: How is the new material compared to that of 'Liberation'.

S: Faster, harder, more complex, but still extreme and grim.

JH: Describe the sound.

S: The guitar sound from "Liberation" is still there, although there’s a "meatier" sound, more bass, clearer drum sounds.

JH: What is the driving force behind 1349?

S: A vision of playing Black Metal the way we want it to be.

JH: I read that you're being hailed as the next big thing to come out of Norway.How does that make you feel?

S: Heh, I don’t believe that, but if people like 1349 it’s good.

JH: Are you ready to live up to these expectations?

S: We don’t actually care much what people expect, we make black metal the way we want it to be, regardless of what others may think.

JH: When writing lyrics, do you tend to write more fictional or non-fictional songs?

S: Our lyrics are mostly visualizations of the images or moods conveyed by the song, and mostly fictional. Some lyrics are dealing with non-fictional topics.

JH: What other bands are any of the other members in?

S: Archaon is playing in the Norwegian doom legend Funeral, and Tjalve and I both play in a band called Pantheon I.

JH: 1349 is doing well in Norway. How about other countries?

S: Really? Actually I believe we’ve sold more records outside Norway than we’ve sold here.

JH: So is there a large fan base behind you?

S: There are people who love us and people who hate us, and seemingly nothing inbetween.

JH: How did you get into black metal?

S: I got there by the long road, through 80’s trash and late 80’s Death Metal until I got a Burzum tape back in 1992. That touched something inside me and made me realize that it is possible to make music for the dark sides of your being. 2 years later Ravn and I started playing Black Metal.

JH: Did you always know this was the genre you wanted to play?

S: I started out on Bass in 1991 in a punk band, but black metal felt right from the first time I played it.

JH: With so many different styles of black metal, do you find yourselves trying to stay within certain parameters? Or is this more of the style that you feel?

S: We make Black Metal the way we want it to be, and don’t care about labeling our style.

JH: How has the record label been to you?

S: This far no complaints.

JH: What do you have to say to those people who don't take black metal seriously?

S: I don’t care.

JH: What kind of things keep you busy in your free time?

S: Free time? I have a job, a girlfriend and 2 bands, so my free time is extremely limited. What little time I have is usually spent reading or in front of a computer or drinking.

JH: What makes the Norwegian scene so strong with such heavy bands?

S: Talented, dedicated musicians, a strong legacy from the bands that were before.

JH: Anything you'd like to add?

S: Hell awaits – Beyond the Apocalypse!