Answered by Barghest (Bass/vocals of Spearhead) 12.12.08
The recording of Decrowning The Irenarch lasted two weeks in the Hertz Studio in Poland, the timing will be certainly very short ? How did your composition? Did you have everything composed before being in studio ? Why choose the Hertz Studio ?
Two weeks may seem a short space of time, but we used every second of time we had there, and were well prepared before leaving for Poland. All the compositions were finalised some time in advance. We chose Hertz simply due to its massive sound and its economic viability for us.
Decrowning The Irenarch is your second opus and the result is very successful. Have you felt a strong pressure to finish this album with the short time allowed for registration and with the challenge to do even better than your first album?
We spent a lot of time writing this album, and our material was naturally progressing and maturing anyway. We didn’t feel under any pressure at all. The process seemed quite natural for us.
You have engineered your album with the Polish metal specialist Wojciech Wieslawski (Vader, Hate, Witchmaster). Are you satisfied with your cooperation and the outcome? Do you like to continue to work together?
We are very satisfied, yes. The album has a very strong and crisp sound, which matches perfectly the precise militant death metal we play. I can’t see any reason why we wouldn’t want to work with them again; it all depends what other opportunities are available for us.
The artwork was realized by Manuel Timmens (Urfaust, Bunkur, Love Lies Bleeding, Alcest) who are generally working in melancholic, cold and dark ambient as in doom, ambient and black metal. By contrast, you are working in a black/death register, why did you choose him for your cover?
Don’t forget the work he did for Pentacle. We chose him for the cover because he produces high quality and original art. Most death metal album covers these days tend to be generic ‘photoshopped’ rubbish, and everything looks the same. We wanted something different.
Your second opus is more death metal than black metal unlike in your first release Deathless Steel Command. Is a style that you would like to develop more in your future tracks ? How do you see your musical evolution?
We develop according to what comes naturally to us. There is nothing more to add that hasn’t been said before in this respect.
You evoke in the title of this release the notion of Irenarch to decrown, Is Irenarch refers to an officer of peace during the period of Ancient Greece? Who are the Irenarch to be decrowned for you?
As the foreword to “Decrowning the Irenarch” states, the word ’irenarch’ is used more its in etymological sense as a “ruler of or by peace”. As stated in the foreword to the album, in the ancient societies of Eurasia (pre-pacifistic societies) the inauguration of an irenarch (in the sense of a “ruler of the peace”) betokens a society that is reaching a stage of self-destruction, whereas a “ruler by peace” can be seen as a facilitator even more detrimental to the health and development of society. The rule of the irenarch in any sense must be destroyed.
You attach great importance to the theme of war, indeed, your first album related to to the first and second world wars and this one operate the themes of ancient wars, warrior philosophy and universal truths. What will be the next universe?
I don’t fully understand what you mean. If you referring to the themes for the next album, expect to see it follow on logically and chronologically from “Decrowning…”, dealing more with the progression of time, the decay of civilisation, and the positive role of war in the Dark Age of Man, referring considerably more to the ideologies and true philosophies of civilisations past.
You have an event in Portugal/Barroselas soon, did you have other lives planned, some events in Belgium?
Yes, we should be playing SWR Fest in Portugal in early May. We are planning to a play a fest in Malta in August 2009 as well. We already played Belgium this year in September on the tour with Impiety. It was a great gig. I’m sure we’ll be back in Belgium sometime soon.
Thank you very much, a last word?
Thanks for supporting the war machine Spearhead. Sic Semper Tyrannis!
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