All Interviews
Castrum
Castrum and Mother North
Posted on Oct 19, 2005
by Anders
When I first heard Castrum, I was quite surprised. Blasting well-composed brutal yet melodic death metal, with diversity and a good punch. This was their 2002 album "Mysterious Yet Unwearied" which I heard the first time earlier this year, but the album was as mindblowing and good that I had to take contact to the band and set up an interview. I also knew the band was working at full speed with a new album, so I hoped to lure some good news from them, and I surely did. I talked to main-songwriter, vocalist and guitairst Cornelius Kontros and he openly answered my questions, both about the band's members, older records, the coming album and the Ukranian metal scene.
Hails, how are things in Ukraine?
Not as well as we'd like them to be, haha… At the moment we're about to prepare our weapons for two gigs. Both will be held in Uzhgorod (Ukraine). The first 15th of October with Dogma and Ambivalence, while the second one 5th of November with Nokturnal Mortum!
Will you please start off by introducing yourself and tell us why you play death metal?
You mean to introduce the band, right? Well, the origins of Castrum came to darkness in September of 1994. Until now we have released the following material: "Burial Of The Affection" (rehearsal demo 1996), "Flames By Impiety" (studio demo 1996), "Pleasure In The Deeds Of Horror" (studio demo 1996), "The Leading Spirit Of Medieval Tortures" (compilation MC 1999, Metal Force Records), "Hatenourisher" (CD 2001, Bloodbucket Productions) and "Mysterious Yet Unwearied" (CD 2002, Bloodbucket Productions). Why we play death metal? It was a willful decision or so to say a definite intention of ours to play death metal. We fanatically admire this style and that’s it! death metal rules supreme!!!!!!
A small introduction of your mates in the band and a bit about their strong and weak sides as well, will be appreciated?
Nowadays Castrum combines from the invincible forces of Doni (39 years, drums), Roma (28 years, bass) and me, Cornelius, (29 years, guitar/vocals). Doni lives in Hungary. He is working at a music-school as a teacher of drums and xylophone. He's strong in drumming and his weak side is definitely alcohol, haha… Roma works in the Czech Republic, though he'll going to leave this kind of job this year, for sure. He works in some kind of factory there, I guess. His strong sides: parties and girls. Weak sides: forgetful and lazy. As for me, I am working as a system administrator/webmaster at a local magazine. Huh, it's hard to say in what I am good or bad. I'm crazy about death metal and metal music in general. I like to listen to it, to play it, to read about it, to talk about it, to review it, to think about it, to dream about it, etc. So I think music is my strong side as it makes me strong as well. Weak sides? I can't hide when I dislike somebody or somebody doesn't speak the truth, lie in your face, etc. These things make me very nervous and I have to choose immediately from two selections: 1: Don't care about the bullshit spoken or 2: With the speed of the light kick the deserved ass, haha…
You released your last album "Mysterious Yet Unwearied" back in 2002… How do you feel about the album today?
We are really happy that "Mysterious Yet Unwearied" turned out the way it is. Of course, with time you aren't content with everything on it, but it’s like you progress and you will always be searching for new formulas and musical solutions. I think that "Mysterious Yet Unwearied" was the album that characterized us back in 2002, it displayed what we were all about then, i.e. the style of Castrum for the 2002 year.
When you look back at it, is there then something you would have done differently?
Of course. First I would change the drum sound and then the guitar sound respectively.
How was the album received and do you still get responses to it?
The reaction to it was simply great! We received tons of cool reviews and I've done a few dozens of interviews for that era. Something we never thought to achieve earlier. And yes, we are still getting responses regarding it, because we still haven't released anything new, ha-ha…
What did you expect of the album back then and was the expectations fulfilled?
We wanted to play live as much as possible, to share the stage with bands we admire and respect. It's something you can't get entirely fulfilled in this life, because there are so many bands we like, haha… We have played with such killer bands as Vader, Krabathor, Pungent Stench, Dead Infection, and Parricide, to name a few. So our expectations are partly fulfilled, but everything is just about to begin…
How would you describe your music to a metalhead that never had heard about Castrum?
Our music can be described as a mix of aggressive and hateful death metal. It's fast, powerful, brutal and yet melodic with a wide range of vocals!
You are about ready with a new album isn't that correct?
Right! We have already finished the recordings of the drum parts.
What can you tell about the forthcoming album, album title, song titles, release date etc…?
It will be an aggressive and sophisticated blend of death metal! The album title isn't fixed yet, sorry. It will contain 9 songs, namely 'Disorder To Keep (Part I and Part II)', 'No More World', 'Don't Make Me God', 'Cold-Warm Dream', 'Mirrored Absurdity', 'Walls Of Deception', 'Never Ending Error' and 'Mentally Cracked'. We will finish the recordings during October and it would be really cool to have it out in the fall 2005. We keep our fingers crossed for a December release!
How has the band developed musically since the release of "Mysterious Yet Unwearied"?
I think there won't be a big difference between the new album and "Mysterious Yet Unwearied". It simply continues the path right there, where we stopped with "Mysterious Yet Unwearied" back then in 2002. It will contain our style of death metal in a 2005 approach. Of course we have progressed since 2002, but it is natural not only for us, but for every metal band that don't like to stop at the same place twice.
Why has it taken this long to get a new album ready?
This massive delay is mainly due to the absence of the 2/3 of the band most of the year. They work in different countries and that makes it very hard to play live and even to rehearse, not to mention studio recording.
What can we expect from the new album?
Death metal at its best! Technical and fast insanity!
Will it be your best album this far?
Definitely yes! But I am sure that most of the open-minded musicians would say the same. We live and progress, thus our creativity also reaches new levels and we transform them into our music. We all aspire to maximal perfection, but that is something that we can't reach in this life I guess.
What do you expect from the new album?
Even more recognition and more gigs with our beloved metal bands! And last but not least world domination, haha…
Do you have any idea of the size of your fanbase and do you get a lot of support from them?
I don't have a clue about their number, but they are everywhere where we go. So they should be enough. Fans are keeping us alive and, of course, without their support we won't be the band we are. So we are very thankful to them! Hail to you, brothers in metal!
Who is the main song writer in the band?
Mainly I compose everything for a song; I mean the guitar parts, bass lines and sometimes the skeletons for the drum parts as well. When I have a song completed then I begin to teach it to the others. And finally we arrange it together.
Where is the inspiration for the music found?
The main musical influences (inspirations) of Castrum are come from thrash and death metal bands and the genres in themselves. For example bands like Destruction, Sodom, Kreator, Holy Moses, Necronomicon, Hypocrisy, Dissection, At The Gates, Morbid Angel, Asphyx, Dismember, Kataklysm, Death, Nile, Hate Eternal, Grave, Necrophobic, Vader and Cryptopsy to name a few that really have influenced us. We admire and respect these bands, but you should take into account that we do not sound like or copy any of them. We create our own music and we are trying to be as more original as possible.
Can you mention 3 bands that have had a huge impact on you and the sound of Castrum?
Sure! Death, Dissection and Destruction have had a big impact on us!
Why did choose to call the band for Castrum, what does it mean and symbolize?
We used this name because of its strong connection to our lyrical conception, which deals with witch-hunts, holy inquisition and medieval things in general. Translated from the Latin language the meanings of the word "castrum" are fortress, tower, castle, etc. But we like to use it as witch-tower. The second point is because this is the old name of the town where we live (Castrum Ungh).
How is the music scene in Ukraine?
Fortunately, the scene in Ukraine is growing day by day. There are lots of talented bands over here. To name a few: Nokturnal Mortum (Black metal), Mental Demise (Brutal death metal), Hyperion (Death metal), Globalised Abstruse (Death metal), Lucifugum (Black metal), Dogma (Techno death metal), Astrofaes (Black metal), Tessaract (Death metal), Soulrest (Death metal), Runes Of Dianceht (Black metal), Ambivalence (Death metal), Fleshgore (Death metal), etc. They deliver quality music on their respective levels.
Can you mention 5 killer bands from Ukraine we all should check out?
Of corpse! Here we go: Mental Demise (www.mentaldemise.com), Hyperion (www.hyperion.zp.ua), Nokturnal Mortum, Tessaract (www.tessaract.org.ua) and Dogma (www.dogma.lviv.ua).
Do you play a lot live and how is it to witness a Castrum live show?
Not too much, but when we play live it is something that everybody should witness. Our live show is a total flow of energy. We give the energy of our music to the fans and they give us 100 times more. So we are about to explode live, haha…
Tell us why we should spend our money on the new Castrum album when it gets released?
We don't force anyone to buy our albums as we are not in a church, haha… If you liked our previous albums then you'll surely like our new album too. If you bought our previous records you'll surely buy our new record too. It is so simple and that's it!
Will you share your 5 all time favourite albums with our readers?
Yes! Here they are:
Destruction - Infernal Overkill
Sodom - Agent Orange
Death - Individual Thought Patterns
Dissection - Storm Of The Light's Bane
Kreator - Extreme Aggression
Thanks a lot for answering my questions, if you have anything to add, feel free to do it now?
First of all, thank you Anders for doing this nice interview and supporting Castrum. It was great to answer your exciting questions. Keep up the good work with Nocturnal Horde webzine!!!!!! For all the readers of Nocturnal Horde: Be part of the music you like! Fans!!! Keep your eyes open as our new record will lead you beyond the gates of the universal mystery soon! Death metal renaissance to be continued…
Not as well as we'd like them to be, haha… At the moment we're about to prepare our weapons for two gigs. Both will be held in Uzhgorod (Ukraine). The first 15th of October with Dogma and Ambivalence, while the second one 5th of November with Nokturnal Mortum!
Will you please start off by introducing yourself and tell us why you play death metal?
You mean to introduce the band, right? Well, the origins of Castrum came to darkness in September of 1994. Until now we have released the following material: "Burial Of The Affection" (rehearsal demo 1996), "Flames By Impiety" (studio demo 1996), "Pleasure In The Deeds Of Horror" (studio demo 1996), "The Leading Spirit Of Medieval Tortures" (compilation MC 1999, Metal Force Records), "Hatenourisher" (CD 2001, Bloodbucket Productions) and "Mysterious Yet Unwearied" (CD 2002, Bloodbucket Productions). Why we play death metal? It was a willful decision or so to say a definite intention of ours to play death metal. We fanatically admire this style and that’s it! death metal rules supreme!!!!!!
A small introduction of your mates in the band and a bit about their strong and weak sides as well, will be appreciated?
Nowadays Castrum combines from the invincible forces of Doni (39 years, drums), Roma (28 years, bass) and me, Cornelius, (29 years, guitar/vocals). Doni lives in Hungary. He is working at a music-school as a teacher of drums and xylophone. He's strong in drumming and his weak side is definitely alcohol, haha… Roma works in the Czech Republic, though he'll going to leave this kind of job this year, for sure. He works in some kind of factory there, I guess. His strong sides: parties and girls. Weak sides: forgetful and lazy. As for me, I am working as a system administrator/webmaster at a local magazine. Huh, it's hard to say in what I am good or bad. I'm crazy about death metal and metal music in general. I like to listen to it, to play it, to read about it, to talk about it, to review it, to think about it, to dream about it, etc. So I think music is my strong side as it makes me strong as well. Weak sides? I can't hide when I dislike somebody or somebody doesn't speak the truth, lie in your face, etc. These things make me very nervous and I have to choose immediately from two selections: 1: Don't care about the bullshit spoken or 2: With the speed of the light kick the deserved ass, haha…
You released your last album "Mysterious Yet Unwearied" back in 2002… How do you feel about the album today?
We are really happy that "Mysterious Yet Unwearied" turned out the way it is. Of course, with time you aren't content with everything on it, but it’s like you progress and you will always be searching for new formulas and musical solutions. I think that "Mysterious Yet Unwearied" was the album that characterized us back in 2002, it displayed what we were all about then, i.e. the style of Castrum for the 2002 year.
When you look back at it, is there then something you would have done differently?
Of course. First I would change the drum sound and then the guitar sound respectively.
How was the album received and do you still get responses to it?
The reaction to it was simply great! We received tons of cool reviews and I've done a few dozens of interviews for that era. Something we never thought to achieve earlier. And yes, we are still getting responses regarding it, because we still haven't released anything new, ha-ha…
What did you expect of the album back then and was the expectations fulfilled?
We wanted to play live as much as possible, to share the stage with bands we admire and respect. It's something you can't get entirely fulfilled in this life, because there are so many bands we like, haha… We have played with such killer bands as Vader, Krabathor, Pungent Stench, Dead Infection, and Parricide, to name a few. So our expectations are partly fulfilled, but everything is just about to begin…
How would you describe your music to a metalhead that never had heard about Castrum?
Our music can be described as a mix of aggressive and hateful death metal. It's fast, powerful, brutal and yet melodic with a wide range of vocals!
You are about ready with a new album isn't that correct?
Right! We have already finished the recordings of the drum parts.
What can you tell about the forthcoming album, album title, song titles, release date etc…?
It will be an aggressive and sophisticated blend of death metal! The album title isn't fixed yet, sorry. It will contain 9 songs, namely 'Disorder To Keep (Part I and Part II)', 'No More World', 'Don't Make Me God', 'Cold-Warm Dream', 'Mirrored Absurdity', 'Walls Of Deception', 'Never Ending Error' and 'Mentally Cracked'. We will finish the recordings during October and it would be really cool to have it out in the fall 2005. We keep our fingers crossed for a December release!
How has the band developed musically since the release of "Mysterious Yet Unwearied"?
I think there won't be a big difference between the new album and "Mysterious Yet Unwearied". It simply continues the path right there, where we stopped with "Mysterious Yet Unwearied" back then in 2002. It will contain our style of death metal in a 2005 approach. Of course we have progressed since 2002, but it is natural not only for us, but for every metal band that don't like to stop at the same place twice.
Why has it taken this long to get a new album ready?
This massive delay is mainly due to the absence of the 2/3 of the band most of the year. They work in different countries and that makes it very hard to play live and even to rehearse, not to mention studio recording.
What can we expect from the new album?
Death metal at its best! Technical and fast insanity!
Will it be your best album this far?
Definitely yes! But I am sure that most of the open-minded musicians would say the same. We live and progress, thus our creativity also reaches new levels and we transform them into our music. We all aspire to maximal perfection, but that is something that we can't reach in this life I guess.
What do you expect from the new album?
Even more recognition and more gigs with our beloved metal bands! And last but not least world domination, haha…
Do you have any idea of the size of your fanbase and do you get a lot of support from them?
I don't have a clue about their number, but they are everywhere where we go. So they should be enough. Fans are keeping us alive and, of course, without their support we won't be the band we are. So we are very thankful to them! Hail to you, brothers in metal!
Who is the main song writer in the band?
Mainly I compose everything for a song; I mean the guitar parts, bass lines and sometimes the skeletons for the drum parts as well. When I have a song completed then I begin to teach it to the others. And finally we arrange it together.
Where is the inspiration for the music found?
The main musical influences (inspirations) of Castrum are come from thrash and death metal bands and the genres in themselves. For example bands like Destruction, Sodom, Kreator, Holy Moses, Necronomicon, Hypocrisy, Dissection, At The Gates, Morbid Angel, Asphyx, Dismember, Kataklysm, Death, Nile, Hate Eternal, Grave, Necrophobic, Vader and Cryptopsy to name a few that really have influenced us. We admire and respect these bands, but you should take into account that we do not sound like or copy any of them. We create our own music and we are trying to be as more original as possible.
Can you mention 3 bands that have had a huge impact on you and the sound of Castrum?
Sure! Death, Dissection and Destruction have had a big impact on us!
Why did choose to call the band for Castrum, what does it mean and symbolize?
We used this name because of its strong connection to our lyrical conception, which deals with witch-hunts, holy inquisition and medieval things in general. Translated from the Latin language the meanings of the word "castrum" are fortress, tower, castle, etc. But we like to use it as witch-tower. The second point is because this is the old name of the town where we live (Castrum Ungh).
How is the music scene in Ukraine?
Fortunately, the scene in Ukraine is growing day by day. There are lots of talented bands over here. To name a few: Nokturnal Mortum (Black metal), Mental Demise (Brutal death metal), Hyperion (Death metal), Globalised Abstruse (Death metal), Lucifugum (Black metal), Dogma (Techno death metal), Astrofaes (Black metal), Tessaract (Death metal), Soulrest (Death metal), Runes Of Dianceht (Black metal), Ambivalence (Death metal), Fleshgore (Death metal), etc. They deliver quality music on their respective levels.
Can you mention 5 killer bands from Ukraine we all should check out?
Of corpse! Here we go: Mental Demise (www.mentaldemise.com), Hyperion (www.hyperion.zp.ua), Nokturnal Mortum, Tessaract (www.tessaract.org.ua) and Dogma (www.dogma.lviv.ua).
Do you play a lot live and how is it to witness a Castrum live show?
Not too much, but when we play live it is something that everybody should witness. Our live show is a total flow of energy. We give the energy of our music to the fans and they give us 100 times more. So we are about to explode live, haha…
Tell us why we should spend our money on the new Castrum album when it gets released?
We don't force anyone to buy our albums as we are not in a church, haha… If you liked our previous albums then you'll surely like our new album too. If you bought our previous records you'll surely buy our new record too. It is so simple and that's it!
Will you share your 5 all time favourite albums with our readers?
Yes! Here they are:
Destruction - Infernal Overkill
Sodom - Agent Orange
Death - Individual Thought Patterns
Dissection - Storm Of The Light's Bane
Kreator - Extreme Aggression
Thanks a lot for answering my questions, if you have anything to add, feel free to do it now?
First of all, thank you Anders for doing this nice interview and supporting Castrum. It was great to answer your exciting questions. Keep up the good work with Nocturnal Horde webzine!!!!!! For all the readers of Nocturnal Horde: Be part of the music you like! Fans!!! Keep your eyes open as our new record will lead you beyond the gates of the universal mystery soon! Death metal renaissance to be continued…
Castrum website
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