Экстремальная музыка для меня всегда была музыкальным вызовом

Hi, Karl! First, I want to thank you for having agreed to be interviewed. This is a great honor for me!

Thank you Asel!

Well, the long-awaited "At The Gates Of Sethu" is out now. Tell us a little about the work done.

We started in May 2011 - and worked long hours every day until the mix was finished in March 2011. The drums were tracked at the Soundlab in Columbia, and everything else was tracked at my home studio - and mixed at Dallas's home studio.

You have used Neil Kernon as a producer to your seventh full-length album again. Is that means that you fully trust him and very happy with his work?

Because Neil is dedicated and hard working man. Neil has been making records for over 40 years, and he has an incredible wealth of musical experience. Neil was also will to do whatever it took to make this the best sounding Nile record ever. We love Neil.

What happened with Chris Lollis? Why did he left Nile so quickly? As far as I know there were any problems with the law... Please, explain the situation... Did he participate in the recording of "At The Gates Of Sethu"?

On this record is nothing from Chris Lollis. He disappeared during the writing and recording of ATGOS. Originally - before he went completely absent without official leave for 4 months - he had been working on some material for the record. But those hopes of band member contributions went up in smoke when he vanished off the face of the Earth.

And now the question that, I think, interest any fan of Nile. Who will take the place of bass player now? It is unfortunate that Chris is gone... well this is my opinion, of course. Is it possible that Jon Vesano will be back?

No, Jon won't be back. Jon left the band to pursue a normal life and career - and he is now a dear friend to us. Jon's career is a conflict with touring. So we have a new guy - Todd Ellis.

Now, let's talk about the new album. Some listeners were dissatisfied with vocal which is certainly different from the vocal which you have practiced on all of your previous albums. These hysterical cries and various unusual voice insert... But I really liked that. Your sounding turned out so fresh and progressive, I can even say "shamanic". This is definitely something new here... What's your opinion about all this?

Yes!!!!!!!!! Fuck yes! That's exactly the point!!! It's supposed to be sick as fuck - like some evil priest so worked up he's drooling and insane in the underworld - casting evil horrific curses. It's not supposed to be nice. It takes a lot of internal torment angst (and at least 3 Sobe energy drinks) to work up to that kind of fever pitch intensity. A lot of casual listeners are not sure what to make of that voice - and it's getting some negative back lash for sure, but we don't care. It's goddamn hair-raising and intense - and definitely you won't hear that voice on any other record. Many fans nowadays always expect to hear the exact same death metal voice all the time. But there are many possibilities for brutal artistic expression besides just the normal classic death voice. There is plenty of normal death metal voice all over Sethu, but we wanted to expand the vocal colors with some different sick stuff.  

I'm wondering why your new album has no epic-length songs? And I thought that "At The Gates Of Sethu" is similar to "Ithyphallic" in something... Do you wanted to go back to something while recording the album or you are focused on something entirely new?

We have many albums already with epic length songs. "Unas Slayer Of The Gods" or "Von Unassprechaalichen Kulten", or "To Dream Of Ur" don't just grow on trees. We're tired of people expecting us to just write epic songs just because that's what they expect - and then bitch when the songs are too long. We wanted to do new stuff. Of course it will still be Nile - but we don't want to write the same album over and over.

What will you do with the remaining tracks that are not included in the album? You will release an EP or use them on the next album?

I don't know. We shall see.

The design of "At The Gates Of Sethu" made by Seth Siro Anton. As far as I know, you cooperated with him for the first time. Why did you choose him as an artist for your last work?

I have been a Septic Flesh fan for many years - and Seth is a friend of George. So when George told us that Seth from Septic Flesh wanted to do our new cover - I was very happy. We let Seth do whatever he wanted.

 I think you know that "At The Gates Of Sethu" was leaked in the Internet before the official release... What do you think about all this? How did it happen?

Journalists leak albums. I hate them. Why must they always leak the record before release date? It ruins all the hard work the band and label put in to make the release date special for fans. It would be much more polite and much less detractive to the success of the record if those assholes that leak the record would just wait until after the album is released. 

By the way, why you have chosen the track "Enduring The Eternal Molestation Of Flame" for shooting the video? (Shooting will take place in Greece, as far as I know)

Because we like that song! It's brutal as fuck - and very challenging musically to play.

I'm interested about DVD. Will there be a concert DVD from Nile? Or maybe something like the anniversary edition, because Nile celebrates 20 years in 2013!

Well I hope so. We shall see what Nuclear Blast lets us do. 

Now, what about your third solo album? In one of interviews you said that it will be. I would like to know some details.

Argh! The details are - I have been busy with the Nile record - writing, rehearsing, recording, mixing, promoting, and doing mountains of press. As soon as I get a free minute - I will get busy working on the next Saurian Project - I promise. 

Tell us why you decided to make a solo project? Are you realize all your creative ideas that do not fit in Nile music somehow? I heard an opinion that "Saurian Meditation" and "Saurian Exorcisms" is the same Nile, but without metal sound.

Well I get 5 or 6 hours of loud death metal every day on tour - when I am at home I desperately need some quiet relaxing music -so the Saurian music was originally just a way to chill out and do something other than Death Metal so I could regain some sanity and balance. Yes, I have many more creative ideas than there is room in Nile. 

You recently worked with the Arab band Nervecell. Namely, you participated in the recording of track "Shunq (To The Despaired ... King Of Darkness)" from their last work "Psychogenocide". How did you meet with these guys? By the way, here's a bit of a funny question... what are you drinking at the beginning of the video "Shunq (To The Despaired ... King Of Darkness)"?? Is this Arabic coffee? =)

It's really through this awesome guy named Fawaz - who approached me a few years ago at Hellfest. So when Nervecell were working on their last disc, Fawaz put them in touch with me about doing some guest vocals; I thought they were super nice guys - very talented and kick ass. We worked together via internet; I tracked my vocals here and sent them the files. It worked out so well, that they brought me to Dubai to hang out with them - and take part in their video for the song Shunq. Great guys - Nervecell and Fawaz and CSM - their management - are some of the nicest people on earth. I hope they contuinue to do well. :-) I have no idea. It was supposed to be like some kind of Ancient Arabic Traditional Hallucinogenic Tea, but it tasted just like apple juice to me. We did end up having an incredible night out there in the desert.

Karl, what do you think about the situation in Egypt? The collapse of Hosni Mubarak's regime?  Egypt is at a crossroads between the military forces, "Brothers - Muslims," and quite influential force "revolutionaries" now.

I stay out of politics as much as possible. Yeah the situation is pretty fucked over there.

Let's talk about you. How are you hooked on extreme music? And when you realize for yourself that you want something more extraordinary? Because at that time (early 90s) everybody liked horror movies or some anti-religious and satanic stuff. And you have unusual and very creative themes - ancient Egypt, ancient mythology.

I thought the world already had enough of those kinds of albums - and I wanted to do something that no one else was doing. Extreme music, for me, was all about the musical challenge - especially the guitar and drumming.

I heard a funny story related to the period when you lived in the house of Morbid Angel in Charlotte. When you lived in a room that was located between the rooms of Trey and Richard, as they say, there was a stereo war! =) Since each of them had just a killer stereo with huge speakers, they liked to turn it on all this time. In general, do you often remember such nostalgic moments? Can you tell something more like that?

Sure I remember those times I also remember getting to watch the early Morbid Angel rehearse right there in the house in the big room. And back then they were pioneering an entirely NEW musical form of metal. They were completely groundbreaking and mind-blowing to watch up close and personal in the same room.

I would like to know why you're just can not come to India because of the ban on entry quite a long time? It has something to do with religious fanatics?

I have no idea why the Indian Embassy denied our Visas. They never gave us an actually reason for denying us - they just kept making us resubmit our visa applications. What assholes.

I know that in 2013, possibly the United Arab Emirates will be the first Arabic-speaking country where you will perform the show.

Jakarta Indonesia was our first ALL Islamic country where we performed. It was great! The audience knew all the words to the songs.

Recently it became known that Nile will participate in the metal-cruise "70,000 Tons Of Metal", which starts on January 28. I think it would be just fucking amazing: the sea breeze, your favorite music, a lot of friends.... Are you glad that you've been invited to this festival?

Yes, otherwise I could not afford any holiday on a Death metal salary. 

In early August, you will play at two shows in CIS - Metal Heads Mission festival and concert on Moscow. Tell me about your expectations regarding these concerts.

It's our first time in Russia and Ukraine - so hopefully it will go well. We get many letters from Russian and Ukrainian metal fans over the years - so I am sure the audience will be ready.

Well, finally, say something to all your CIS fans and readers of the Brutal Carnage Webzine!

Looking forward to coming to Russia and Ukraine and meeting metal fans - fuck yes.