Scorpio: Hello! How are you?
Celtus: Hello Scorpio! I'm fine, thanks...
Scorpio: You're a young band, so our readers need to know your history.
Celtus: SUBLIRITUM was formed back in 1999. At that time, SUBLIRITUM was more or less just a black metal project. The band was started with me and Arcan as the only members. After some months of intense rehearsals, we entered the studio to record our first demo — "The Chemical Bastard" EP. This demo contained two long, epic black metal songs and an outro. We sent it to 4-5 different labels. Shortly after, we got in touch with Evil Horde Records in Brazil, and they wanted to sign SUBLIRITUM. Around that time, some new members joined the band: Torbjorn Schei (vocals) and Sverre Berntsen (guitar). Both had played in my previous band EYRASHION. Tora Næss (female vocals and violin) and Mikal Duna (drums) also joined the band at that time. We started including more elements in our music when the new members arrived — choir parts, symphonic elements, and a more progressive sound. "Dark Prophecies" was recorded in 2001. Mikal Duna left the band shortly after. In 2002, Vegard Larsen (Keep of Kalessin) joined the band. He is a very skilled drummer — one of the best — so he has been a great addition to SUBLIRITUM. Until now, we haven't played much live, but that situation is about to change.
Scorpio: What does SUBLIRITUM mean?
Celtus: When we came up with the name SUBLIRITUM, we wanted a unique name that no other band had taken before us. So we invented our own word. SUBLIRITUM doesn't mean anything, but it refers to us as a band. I think it's important that a band's name is a reference to the actual band.
Scorpio: "Dark Prophecies" was recorded in 2001 but released only in 2003. Were you searching for a record label for almost 2 years?
Celtus: No, we signed the deal with Evil Horde before we entered the studio to record "Dark Prophecies". At that time, Evil Horde had a very busy schedule. They had many releases to put out before ours, like AZAGAHL, UNHOLY LAND, and GREAT VAST FOREST. It also took some time to make the cover artwork. But I must admit that I think it took too long before the record was released.
Scorpio: Are you already composing new songs?
Celtus: We have written all the material for the next album, and we'll enter the studio to record it as soon as possible — probably in May or June. The next album will be more progressive, technical, and varied than "Dark Prophecies." The new songs focus more on rhythm and groove instead of intense blast beats, but it will still be very aggressive.
Scorpio: You signed a deal with Brazilian Evil Horde. Was nobody in Europe interested in your music?
Celtus: After the "Chemical Bastard" demo, we got in contact with Evil Horde very quickly, and they offered us a deal that we accepted. We didn't really try to get a European label in the first place, so I don't know if they would have been interested or not. Anyway, I think it's better to be on a small label that cares about its bands than on one of the bigger labels that only think about money.
Scorpio: Can you tell us what the terms of the contract are?
Celtus: We are signed for two albums (including "Dark Prophecies"). I don't want to go into details concerning money, but we get 15% of all sales. According to the terms of the contract, we have to release one more album on Evil Horde. I don't know if we'll choose to sign for more albums after that. Evil Horde has done a good job with distribution and promotion.
Scorpio: Kristian, are you and Jonas biological brothers? I think so, because you look very alike.
Celtus: Yes, we are brothers (of metal... he-he).
Scorpio: You play great quality music! How old are you? When did you start playing instruments?
Celtus: We're all 21-26 years old in this band. I started playing guitar when I was 10 years old. I think I was about 15 when I started my first band — we played old heavy metal like IRON MAIDEN, ACCEPT, and AC/DC.
Scorpio: What are your musical influences? I think EMPEROR, DIMMU BORGIR, BURZUM — am I right?
Celtus: We have many musical influences when we write music. It's not necessarily metal music that gives us inspiration, but also classical music, old prog rock, and folk music. It's important for us that we don't sound too much like other bands. I think we've managed to create a unique SUBLIRITUM sound. On our next album, this will be more apparent. But of course, bands like EMPEROR, LIMBONIC ART, IMMORTAL, etc. have had some influence on our music.
Scorpio: What can you say about Samoth's new band ZYKLON and Ihsahn's project PECCATUM?
Celtus: I like ZYKLON very much. It's death metal the way I like it. "Aeon" kicks ass!!! Personally, I don't like PECCATUM too much, but they have some interesting elements in their music. I'm curious to hear their new material, so that's something I'm looking forward to.
Scorpio: Do you like the synthetic sound of the last DIMMU BORGIR album?
Celtus: Well... sometimes I think the album is a bit overproduced. The sound is very clear and massive, but it's too synthetic. The drums sometimes sound like a drum machine. I guess many would say the same about our music, so our next album will have a different and more organic production than "Dark Prophecies". On "Dark Prophecies," we had to use sampled drums because our drummer at the time managed to break his arm the day before he was supposed to record the drums. Anyway, I like the music on the last DIMMU BORGIR album.
Scorpio: Your female singer Tora, I'd say, is only a backing vocalist. Aren't you going to add more female vocals in the future?
Celtus: Tora will play violin on our next album. She will also do some female vocals and some choir parts.
Scorpio: Your lyrics are about your ancestors — the Vikings. We can also see Thor's hammers on the necks of band members and in your logo. Are you really interested in Scandinavian mythology?
Celtus: I find our mythology very fascinating because it's an important part of our culture and history. Norse mythology refers to the pre-Christian religion of the Norwegian (Scandinavian) people. In this religion, we have many different "gods." One of them is Thor, god of thunder. He would smash his enemies with his mighty hammer Mjollnir. To wield this awesome weapon, he needed iron gloves and a belt of strength. Mjollnir would return to Thor's hand after being thrown and was symbolic of lightning. Mjollnir (the hammer) became a symbol of the Norse religion when the Christian religion came to our land. I think it's important to keep the Norse religion alive, because it represents values such as honour, hospitality, glory, and pride instead of weakness and subjection. This is also the main topic in the lyrics of "Dark Prophecies." That's why we have Mjollnir (the hammer) as part of the logo. The concept of "Dark Prophecies" is a continuous story from beginning to end. It's about this last war where all future will be settled. The first songs tell about the time before the war, then comes Raging Battles where the battle starts, and the last song tells about the time after the war. In this war, there is no room for fear and weakness. If you want to survive, you'll have to be strong. If not, you die. It's a story about brave men who are willing to fight to the end. Cowardice is a sin. You'll have to die with honour, pride, and glory. All these were ancient values of the Vikings. They believed that this was the only way to reach Valhall (where Odin, the chief god of the Norse religion, lives).
Scorpio: And what about the Satanic stuff?
Celtus: I'm not very interested in satanic stuff at all. It tends to be a religious thing or just another form of extreme humanism (Church of Satan / Anton LaVey).
Scorpio: What do you think about the last GORGOROTH gigs in Poland for their DVD?
Celtus: He-he... Go GORGOROTH!!! Anyway, I don't understand what the big deal is, and why people and the media in Poland got so offended. They should have expected something like that when GORGOROTH arrived. I don't think the reactions would have been so big here in Norway.
Scorpio: Do the band members have other projects?
Celtus: Me, Sverre, Torbjorn, and Tora have this folk-rock-metal project called SCHEZZA. We also participate in other projects from time to time. Vegard, our drummer, also plays in KEEP OF KALESSIN and another project.
Scorpio: Your name is Kristian, like Christian. Aren't you going to change it like Vikernes did? :)
Celtus: No, why should I? :)
Scorpio: Varg vs. Euronymous. Whose side are you on?
Celtus: I haven't met them, so I don't really care. This is something that happened ten years ago, and I don't think the events are very interesting today. But Euronymous was a pioneer in Norwegian black metal, and MAYHEM was/is a great band.
Scorpio: Were people in Norway frightened when they saw on TV last autumn that Varg had escaped?
Celtus: No, I don't think so. I don't think people consider him a threat at all.
Scorpio: Is he really that "popular" in Norway?
Celtus: No... I guess he's way more popular in other countries.
Scorpio: I was searching for your town, Levanger, on the map. I found it and realized it's so little — only around 10,000 inhabitants. Trondheim is nearby. Can you describe your town and the surrounding landscapes? Does it influence your music?
Celtus: Levanger is, as you say, a very little town. The landscapes are filled with fields, woods, and farms. The environment is very natural and scenic, so maybe that has influenced the more national-romantic elements in our music. We've now moved to Trondheim, because there are better facilities for a metal band in a larger city.
Scorpio: If I were a foreigner interested in Viking culture, what places would you advise me to visit?
Celtus: All over Norway and Scandinavia you'll find places and remnants of Viking culture. There are too many to list here. Most of the things found in excavations are now in museums — ships, weapons, tools, etc. In our part of Norway, not far from Trondheim, there is a place called Stiklestad where the last battle between the Christians and the pagans took place. You can find interesting remnants of Viking culture there.
Scorpio: Do you know anything about Ukraine, russia, and Belarus?
Celtus: I must admit that I don't know very much about those countries, besides the information we get from the news and papers. That's mostly politics. I have the impression that you drink lots of vodka there... he-he.
Scorpio: Traditionally, last words for fans. I think now, after the release of "Dark Prophecies" in CIS and Baltic states, you will have many fans in our region!
Celtus: Thanks for the questions. I hope you'll all buy the "Dark Prophecies" album. Great symphonic pagan black metal! Also check out our homepage www.subliritum.tk and leave a note in the guestbook. Hails from the north!!!