Endstille – “We got a plan for everything we’re doing. We’re strategists and we know, even when we start writing a new album, how it has to sound.”

As one of the most respected Black Metal acts currently doing the rounds in the underground, Germany’s long standing war mongerers Endstille have just returned in mesmerising form with brand spanking new album ‘Endstille’s Reich’. Receiving rave reviews right across the board and with a new label now in tow (Regain Records), bassist Cruror seems more than happy about the bands latest acheivment and much like us here at VM HQ, seems optimnistic about the bands dark future…  

Endstille have unleashed their much anticipated 5th full length ‘Endstille’s Reich’ on the highly celebrated Regain Records, releasing yet another torrent of black fury that far surpasses 2005’s ‘Navigator’. Although very similar in style, there is something even deeper and darker lurking beneath the simplistic riffing and blasting drums that make this a very different album from the last, so what would you say were the biggest differences both musically and lyrically when compared to your previous releases?
We didn’t change so much. Of course we’re getting better and better and we try to perfect our style. But our main interest was that ‘Endstilles Reich’ sounds like an Endstille cd. Also I must say that we had a bit more time to work on the sound.

Considering that three years separate ‘Navigator’ and ‘Endstille’s Reich’ your overall sound has not changed that much. I mean, it sounds bigger and fatter than your previous material but other than that there are very few differences. Do you think this was a case of subconsciously sticking to a formula that seems to work time and time again, or something that you purposefully wanted to achieve?
I think it had been two years between ‘Navigator’ and ‘Endstilles Reich’. But… who cares. It’s like I said: we wanted that the cd sounds like Endstille. That is the reason why we’re not making very big experiments. We got our style and we’ll not change it! The reason why it sounds ‘bigger and fatter’ is that we’re always working on Endstille. If a cd is recorded we recognize what we can make better next time. We don’t stagnate.

Can you tell me something about the concept behind the new album? In the past you mainly focused on war-associated themes in your lyrics and artwork and I wondered if, judging again by the artwork, you have centred the lyrics on the same? With songs like ‘No Heaven Over Germany’, is it correct to assume that the album is based on when WW2 finally ended?
Jawohl! The lyrics are about that moment, when World War Two ended, about zero hour. It deals with chaos, death, destruction and desperasion. The artwork deals with that moment, too. The cover shows our hometown ‘Kiel’, when it was totally destroyed. Also the most pictures inside the booklet are showing ruins and desolated landscapes from the north of Germany. But of course there are again some lyrics about religion and misanthropy.

What sparked the move from Twilight to Regain Records? Was this an amicable split or was there something more to it?
We’re no good friends anymore. Our lawyer had done a good job for us. The reason why we wanted to change our label was, that Twilight didn’t work so good in many countries. So many fans told us, when we were on tour, that it was very hard to buy our cds for them. So we decided to start working with another label.

How are you finding life on a label that supports bands like Marduk, Gorgoroth, Vader, Trelldom etc? Are they giving you the support you were maybe lacking on past labels?
Yes, I think so. Regain Records has got much more possibilities to support us well. The fact that other successful bands are also on that label, illustrates to me that Regain Records know what they’re doing.

How do Endstille as a band tackle to whole creative process? Is there someone who writes all the music and then you all get together and do the arrangements?
No, we’re working completely different. Our songs are developed by the whole band. Every member knows what he has to do. There is no mastermind, who writes the complete songs before.

Another thing that stands out about ‘Endstille’s Reich’ is although your music is still undoubtedly chaotic; there is a more melodic approach on this album that gives the music a bit more depth and power. Again, was this something that you purposefully intended to do?
It’s like I said before, we’re working our style out. We got a plan for everything we’re doing. We’re strategists and we know, even when we start writing a new album, how it has to sound.

You are releasing ‘Endstille’s Reich’ as a vinyl addition as well if I’m correct. What can we expect from this vinyl version? Will there be any new artwork, additional songs etc?
You’re correct. The vinyl will be released at november 11th. For the cover of the vinyl we decided to take the black cover of ‘Endstilles Reich’(you know, the cd has got two covers). Also the vinyl is limited to 666 copies.

You are doing some live dates in the UK for the first time in November this year. Are you guys looking forward to assaulting this small isle Panzer-style? What can we expect from your live shows in promotion of your new album?
Of course I’m looking forward to the shows in the UK. It‘s the first time for us and I hope that we can conquer the island easily. You know many tried it but failed, but I promise you we will not!
The people can expect that we’ll play a lot of new songs, many for the first time on stage. Of course we’ll also play our older songs two, like ‘Bastard’, ‘Dominanz’, ‘Navigator’, ‘Frühlingserwachen’ etc.

As one of the most, or probably the most respected bands in the German Black Metal ‘scene’, you must be very pleased with what you have accomplished over your musical careers so far. How do you view your progression over the years from a small and relatively unknown band producing a few demos here and there, to playing festivals with some of the biggest names in extreme music?
Yes, I’m proud that we’ve got a lot of success, but we’re not finished yet. We set our sights high.

One of the things that really stands out about ‘Endstille’s Reich’ is the very rounded production that breathes a fresh fire into songs like ‘I am God’ and ‘Scars’. Sounding very clear but with that essential ‘live’ sound still intact, this album is able to conjure an atmosphere that a lot of Black Metal bands fail to achieve with their releases. In hindsight, did the album turn out exactly how you envisioned? Do you play a big part in the overall production of your releases when in the studio, or trust the engineer to get the best out of what you have recorded?
We don’t trust our engineer. He was only allowed to work on the sound, when someone of us was there. That is the reason why the cd sounds like that, because we don’t trust in others. So it became exactly what we wanted.

A lot of people have the wrong notion that because you use WW2 imagery in your artwork and/or lyrics that Endstille are NSBM band. This is of course not true in any way shape or form, but you must get pissed off with this ridiculous tag that is always associated with your name. Am I correct saying that a while ago you had some threats from some right wing organisations?
We didn’t had so much problems with real right wing organisations, only sometimes with single persons, but no big things.
Of course often we get a bit annoyed by the subject. Sometimes I ask myself if we’re musicians or politicians, if we’re a band or a party, because we always have to talk so much about stuff like that.
Endstille is neither a nazi nor a punk band!

A lot of Black Metal bands are very influenced by their surroundings, their culture and their history, paying homage to these things either musically or lyrically. Is it the same for Endstille? Do you feel at all influenced by Germany’s fascinating history, aside from the war aspect?
Of course we are. Germany has a fascinating and huge history. I can’t imagine to play in a German band, which lyrics are about Norwegian/ Swedish landscapes or stuff like that. These are subjects for other bands. We’re interested in German history, so we’re dealing with this theme.

Finally, what do you expect/want to achieve overall from the music of Endstille. What is your overall goal as a band?
The next the cd is always our next goal. When we finished a recording we always start to work on the next album. Some people called us workaholics. But to write new songs makes a lot of fun and that is what playing music is about.