- Hello, Glaurung. It would be interesting for us to know the history of the band, the path that got you where you are today. [and why you chose this genre]
First I’d like to apology because of my poor english for this interview, and then to thank you for it.
Well, I founded Orthanc when I was16, with a “friend”, Adhanedel (that wasn’t really a friend, but we were the only 2 persons to listen to that kind of music in the school). I was playing drums for few years in thrash/death metal bands, and was crazy about black metal, not only norwegian, the austrian scene too... and of course the french one. At that time there weren’t so many bands in
So, here begun the story: 1995, a little city in south of France, not so many things to do, 2 teenagers wanted to play black metal because of their fascination for darkness, war, occultism, etc...
We composed some tracks that appear on Orthanc ‘s MCD “7 ans de réflexion”. We have had many musicans that come, but none stayed. For several reasons: 1, we weren’t good musicians, and 2, we had extreme right politic ideas... and that was difficult to understand for french teenagers. Remember: at that time, the most “listenable” music styles were dance and grunge. And that was more politicaly correct to be a communist fashion victim.
Adhanedel and I splitted because we had different view on what to do with the band. So I created my own black metal band: Bugale an Noz, inspired by celtic music, in 1997, that is now a part of Orthanc.
I reformed Orthanc in 2003, with a young guitarist, and we recorded “7 ans...” with the old tracks.
After recording our 2nd CD: “Aux enfants de Thulée”, with Pesttanzer (vocals), and Dracir (ex Crystalium, lead guitar), the kid decided to leave, for personnal reasons... and pesttanzer leaved too, because he prefered drinking beers at a concert than being on stage.
Then came Hrafnagud (ex destinity), and with that line-up (Dracir, Hrafnagud & me), Orthanc played in
Dracir has been fired because of his alcoholism (he wasn’t serious enough, it‘s now pathological). So today we are only two. That ‘s not a problem for us, we can record our coming opus, “L’âge de raison”, and play live, as we did in december with Blessed in Sin and Finis Gloria Dei. People liked it a lot.
Sorry for this story: there is no jail, no burning church, no murder... anyway, that’s Orthanc’s story.
- I saw that you are very fond of the number 732. Please tell us about its connection to your music and the message you want to send through it.
732... that year, in the french History, is a symbol. Arabian were invading Europa, and no one was able to stop them.
So, in november, the frank palace mayor (Dux Francorum), Charles Martel, Karl von Herstal (remember franks are germans) -that wasn’t the king- decided to stop them. The Frank army went to Poitier city (south-west). During one week, the two armies didn’t move, and the 1rst day of the muslim ramadan , the arabian attacked. During one day they fought, and the arabian cavalery has been destroyed by the frank’s “iron wall”. The day after, arabian army went back outside the Pyrenées mountains, in
That is a great symbol for today’s
For us, it’s a symbol too, cause we don’t believe in a multiracial Europa, our ancestors fought to give us a beautifull and rich country, lots of them died for it. The track “732” on our 1st MCD refers to this battle and its consquences.
Orthanc’s concept is also based upon history, that is important for me.
- “Pure French Black Metal”. Would you say it has its regional particularities, would you call your music NSBM?
The german label Christhunt called our music like this. In fact, french BM is special. Listen to Osculum Infame, or Funeral/ Kristallnacht, or some bands like Mortifera or Seigneur Voland! The compositions, the sound, the spirit are special, and different to all other kind of black metal styles, that ‘s why we call it “french black metal”.
As long as I can remember, french BM always dealed with fascism... but that wasn’t NSBM, because it was normal to be fascist and satanist (or pagan). There wasn’t propaganda for NS, but everyone was like that.
I personnaly don’t care about politic, Orthanc is about extreme right values, but that is not politic, that is philosophic. So, I can’t call my music NSBM.
NSBM is to many times a “merchandising” for bad musicians to sell their shit. I don’t care if peoples call my music NSBM, that is better than communist.
Orthanc’s members are also session musicians for RAC bands, like Frakass or Ultimatum, but it is not onOrthanc’s name... Orthanc is a different concept.
In the band, Hrafnagud & I compose together, I write lyrics.
Those are most of the time about decadence of our land, about elitism (not too much, 'cause I don't believe in elitism in black metal), honour and glory of our ancestors, paganism, Tolkien... more than all: hatred of jehova.
- Your band is now incomplete. Is the process of finding a replacement for Dracir influenced by your ideas/message/attitude? Would you say that this scene of ‘white pride’ is something that most of the musicians stay away from?
The band is complete, the band is me.
Dracir didn’t composed a lot. For example, there is only 2 riffs from him on our next opus. With Hrafnagud, we think the same, we work the same, we are Orthanc now.
Of course we are looking for a replacement, and of course, the next guitar player will have to share our ideas, but, more than all, he must become a friend. I prefer playing with friends than with great & antipathic musicians. Orthanc is like a family.
- How well defined is your scene in
Our french scene is ... special. You have 2 sides for it.
First: the commercial shitty scene, with shitty bands like Furia, Destinity, Phazm, and many more assholes. Always looking for money. Bitch spirit. They represent 90 per cent of the french actual scene... actual... well, that’s right! They are all kids thinking they are rock n’ roll stars.
On the other side, you have the veterans of the french scene, like Blessed in Sin, Seigneur Voland, Bekira, Mutiilation or Kristallnacht. Those bands imposed the french BM style! They are the bands that I consider as THE french scene, the other are nothing.
The first politicaly correct scene will never have problem with the society... the second is too subversive . I think we are on the second part... I hope so.
For example, Blessed in Sin and Funeral members went to jail because they made stupid things on a cemetary, but also of their politic ideas.
You told about EU... well, I don’t really know what to say about it. That is good because we can now play in
Orthanc has not so many fans in
We played 2 times with the new line-up: 1 guitar/vocals + 1 drums/vocals, and peoples liked it a lot. I hope we’ll find a good guitarist with the same spirit.
- You played for the first time in
It was a great experience. We met lots of interessant people. Lupii Daciei gave us a good occasion to play. I didn’t expect to see so many people from eastern Europa with such ideas. Maybe it could be explain as a consequence of the communist period... I don’t know. But that is good. If it were like that in
Anyway, we didn’t know what to expect in coming there, in
It was a pleasure for us to meet Temnozor, we didn't know their music, we have had a great night with them and Absurd, lot of alcohol (palinka).
The show was good too. Time goes too fast... We 'll take more time in
- How come you decided to launch an anniversary album of 12 years of existence? You plan any tour for it or maybe another appearance in
The celtic calendar is strange, every 3 or 5 years, you add some months. I calculated that 12 gregorian years equivault to 10 celtic years... This is a kind of pagan calendar.
Lupii Daciei proposed us to play again this year in
- Glaurung, I know you are not only a musician, but also a photographer and painter also. Through this point of view, how was the developing of the band’s releases?
I can’t say that I work to much on Orthanc’s cover, because my graphic views are not the same as the musical. It was the case for Faustrecht, but that is another part of my personnality. I don’t melt music and graphic too much, ‘cause they are 2 different things.
I’ll put some on my myspace page maybe. Music is for me a hobby, but painting is my job. One of my customer is the Oï/ heavy streetpunk band Paris Violence (http://paris.violence.free.fr/).
- What tools of the trade do you use?
My favorite tool is scrapboard, but I also like acrylic painting. It depends a lot of the finality of the job. For musical illustration, it’s often acrylic, for children often scrapboard, for additional jobs like creation of a pressbook for model it’s photo (of course). And for my personnal artistic work: oil painting... and sometimes music (Hemorroidz ov God).
For that work, theme is often the same: female visions, sex, depression,... finally, I don’t really know how to say it, that’s why I paint it. Look at my work, and you will know better than me.
- What is the role of the woman? I see you always enchant us with beautiful females on your covers.
In the semitic religions, female is desecrated, she is less than an animal. But in european pagan tradition, she equals man, she is a queen, a divinity. In lots of my painting, I try to show it.
There is another reason: I love beautifull girls!
- How does your name – Orthanc – reflect your ideals and message? Why Tolkien and not your history, as source of inspiration for the name?
Tolkien had the good idea to create ONE mythology based upon every mythologies of all indo-european traditions. It is also full of metaphors, that strangely reflect the situation today in western Europa. Like the elves, white men are disappearing from those countries because of decadence.
Orthanc is the last release of the Numenoreans, an elitist race of human, born from elves. This tower is undestructible, like our will, like our pride.
- I’ve read that you are searching for musicians that play traditional instruments. Do you plan to change you musical line or just to enhance it? What should we expect from the future of Orthanc?
That’s right. We have found some. Bugale an Noz was based upon celtic music and pagan darkness. For that project, I wanted to mix traditionnal and black metal. Now BAN is a part of Orthanc.
Our musical line won’t change, we’ll only add traditional arrangements. Next Orthanc ‘s album (not the coming opus, the next) will be in the same vein, but there will only be an evolution.
- I must thank you for your time, it was a pleasure getting to know you better. Would you like to say something to your Romanian [and not only] fans and readers?
We hope to go back in your country soon, and discover it better.
