interview with greg vocalist,all instruments for necronoclast,done by patrick.

1.hails  greg!! thanks for taking  the time to fill this interview
out.please tell the readers a little about yourself,

I am the sole member of Necronoclast, from Glasgow in Scotland.  I have little
interest in talking about myself, but I'm fairly reclusive and I would say I
am a realist.  Necronoclast reflects and emphasises certain aspects of my
personality and outlook, and shows all which I wish to reveal.


2.at what age did you become interested in metal? when did you become
>>> drawn to black,darker side of metal? who were some of the first
bands you
heard/listened to? who are some of your current favorites?


I think I was probably 14 or so when I first became particularly interested,
soon getting into black metal through Mayhem and Burzum.  De Mysteriis Dom
Sathanas remains my favourite black metal album.  Among more modern
interests are Watain, Xasthur, Deathspell Omega, and I've been very
interested in the new Blood Stained Dusk album.

3.please give a brief history of necronoclast.when did you first get theidea
to create the band? the name is very interesting and original
sounding for a band.does it have a special meaning?

I started Necronoclast in 2003.  I didn't feel satisfied that any other
band or project was producing what I wanted to express, so I decided to create
my own compositions.  The name Necronoclast combined two major influences in
the initial phases, namely religion and death.  Religion is a topic I no
longer address much with Necronoclast... I have nothing more to add.  But death
and existence are two constant, obviously overlapping inspirations which
continue to shape the path of Necronoclast.


4.you are the  sole member for the band/project.when you first got theidea to
create necronoclast.did you plan on staying a one-man band?

Yes, Necronoclast is a vehicle for my visions and my tool to manipulate as I
feel necessary.  I have no interest in involving others in Necronoclast as no
further input is required.

5.what do you feel are the advantages and disadavantages to being the only
member? if you had the opportunity to work with any musicians past or
present who are some musicians you would like to work with?

There is no denying the control of being the sole member.  In terms of
disadvantages, I am limited by my own skill.  This is something which is
constantly evolving and progressing with each step, particularly with regard to
the production of the recordings.  As far as working with other artists, it
would be interesting to see what would result from collaborations with some of
the bands mentioned earlier, as well as the inhabitants of some other sub-genres
of metal such as the doom scene.  But it's not something I would pursue, at
least not at the moment.

6.the new cd "haven" is an amazing piece of blackend metal art!!how
long
did it take to write/record the new songs for this release? do you have a
personal favorite song off of haven?
 for the readers who have never heard necronoclast how would u describe
the sound?


I'm glad you have appreciated Haven.  It took about a year to go from the
first riffs to the completed recordings.  I think of the album as a whole and so
I couldn't really pick a favourite track as such.  I would describe
Necronoclast as being rooted somewhere between the realms of black metal and
doom, with an emphasis on mood and atmosphere.  Musically, I feel that
variation, particularly in tempo, is key to letting songs shift and flow in the
way that thoughts and environments change.  I don't want to create something
static or fixed.  Life and experiences are not composed of isolated thoughts,
but can be complex structures.  For Necronoclast to succeed in its purpose, it
needs to reflect that.

7.besides the music you also write the lyrics.what are some
subjects/topics you write about.where do you draw the most inspirationfor the
lyrics?

As I mentioned earlier, existence and death are two important themes.
"Haven" is loosely based around an eerie, old, run-down house in the
middle of nowhere, which I rented for a while in 2007 and where I wrote much of
the music.  The isolation and the dilapidation were very inspiring and made the
album flow.


8.is necronoclast your only project at the moment? if no please tell us a
little bout the others.

Yes, Necronoclast takes up all my writing time at the moment.

9.we had discussed earlier in the interview how necronoclast is a one-man
>>> band.so i was interested to know what was the hardest instrument
for you
to learn to play? easiest one?

Easiest would have to be vocals, which come partly with practice, but partly
with the mood of the music.  I think that it's easier to learn to play an
instrument (within reason) whereas vocals are often a case of can/can't.
Obviously there is room for development in each area in any individual, but that
is my personal experience.  I think the hardest thing for me to do is to program
the drums.  Without the experience of being a real, physical drummer, the
intricacies of playing drums are difficult to capture and appreciate.  I have
given some thought to trying a session drummer for the next album, something I
continue to consider.


10.do you do anything special to keep your vocals/throat healthy?
Nothing at all other than plenty of passive smoking.
11.what is your opinion of the current black metal scene today? and what
>>> does "black metal" mean to you personally?

To me, black metal is a study of the negatives of life.  It is about reality,
but whatever aspect of reality the individual choses to focus on. Some chose a
political path, some chose a depressive path, some a religious/anti-religious
path.  The musical styles vary, but the focus and enthusiasm are constant.
There is room for fantasy in the genre, but usually with metaphorical reference
to reality.  I think the current scene is saturated, as most sub-genres of metal
have become over time, but there are several active and significant bands and
projects around at the moment.


12.well greg thank you for taking the time to fill this out.do you have
any final comments before we end the interview?

Only to thank you for your time and interest.