Interview: Nordicwinter
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Interview by Jeger
Spiritual searcher as a youth, existential Nihilist as an adult… The world sure has its fucked up ways of shaping who we are and how we view the world. Like a river as it shapes a canyon, so too does life dig itself through, cutting out canals of bitterness and running violently through the bedrock of perdition. Until you’d really rather not be here anymore… The frigid solitude of desolation’s spell – sapping any traces of youthful joy – left with nothing but the bleakest outlook to see you off into an inglorious future. Heartbreak, disease and the stark realization of just how meaningless we all are.
These are the thoughts, emotions and ideas that have shaped Nordicwinter – a project solely masterminded by one Evillair. Nordicwinter is an Atmospheric / Depressive Black Metal project out of Montreal, Canada. During my latest interview for This is Black Metal, Evillair of Nordicwinter discusses the inception of the project, the new album, “Solitude”, released via Naturmacht Productions and some of the life struggles that have sculpted his music over the years.
This Is Black Metal: Hails, Evillair and welcome to This Is Black Metal. You know, I have a fascination with Depressive Black Metal. As someone who understands the emotional side of it, I find great beauty in the music. It’s a taxing affair: creating and taking in this form of art. What inspired you to begin Nordicwinter?
Evillair: Hi Jeger, thanks for the interview. Nordicwinter started back in 2005 while Myspace was a thing. I had moved to Montreal from my hometown of Cornwall in Ontario, Canada, and after trying to start many bands, they ended up failing. I thought I would not be able to play music again. I had been in bands since I was 16, but this time I just couldn’t find anyone to start a full band with. It was quite frustrating, as the main reason I left my small town to go to Montreal was to play in a band and create music. While listening to some smaller bands I found on Myspace, I noticed that many of them were solo artists, and I thought at that time, you couldn’t make an album alone. I always figured you create a band, write music, play live and then record an album. That’s the way it was back when I was younger.
But after hearing those bands and looking into ways to record everything myself, I figured it would probably be the only way that I could at least create music, if I wasn’t able to play in a full band and do the live thing. Since I hadn’t done it before, I decided to try and create something simple – a desolate Black Metal song named “Hymn Of The Damned” that I posted on a Black Metal forum to see what the reaction would be to it. The next day, I got a message from a label named Suffering Christ Records, and she asked if I had other songs and if I did, she would want to release them on CD. I ended up recording a full album (“Threnody”) a short time after that. I came up with the name Nordicwinter as just a basic band name that went with the style of music. A bit later, it turned up that she couldn’t release the CD, but found another label that could – None More Black Records. He released it on CD. I think he made 1000 copies and sent me a bunch along with stickers to sell. At that time, Bandcamp didn’t exist, so I ended up giving a bunch of CDs away, as I didn’t play live and there was no real way to sell them locally. When Bandcamp became a thing, that’s when I decided to add Nordicwinter’s “Threnody” to it and finally sold the rest of my CDs. It was really great to get the music out and let people hear it.
Nordicwinter was never meant to be a long-standing band or anything; it was just something I did to create an album. I ended up getting really sick, stopped playing music for a long time, started a family and kind of gave up on playing music for a very long time. Now and then I would work on some musical projects, but never really finished any of them until I recorded “Requiem”, and thought that it would be cool to release it on Bandcamp. I thought maybe I should create a new band/band name and release it with that name, but then I figured I could just use the Nordicwinter name and release it with my previous album, since it was already on Bandcamp. It would be easier than trying to promote a new project. That’s the main reason those two albums sound so different and why Nordicwinter is a pretty basic name for a band. I wasn’t expecting to release more than one album under that name.
TIBM: There’s great beauty in your latest release, “Solitude”, as well, released on November 28 via Naturmacht Productions. You’ve done a great job at capturing a very frigid and isolating vibe. Does this album follow a concrete theme?
Evillair: It does speak more about nature than some of my previous releases. Though it deals with the same type of themes as death, sorrow and solitude. I try and make each album convey as many emotions as I can. Those themes always seem to be the easiest for me to relate to and turn into music. I doubt I could make a happy record even if I tried. I was diagnosed with Sarcoidosis in the early 2000s, and it caused lots of health issues. I’ve missed over three years of work because of it when it was really bad. It causes chronic joint pain and other things.
That’s why, after “Threnody” came out, I tried to get some people to turn Nordicwinter into a band that could perhaps do shows, but I was always too sick to practice, so I gave that up. I try now to concentrate on at least making recorded albums. I’m lucky that I work from home now, but that makes for a lot of time being at home and not with many different people. I do have my girlfriend and my sons here with me, so I’m not totally alone, but I rarely go out anymore.
TIBM: You handle all phases of recording, as far as instruments and vocals. I think I understand why, but can you explain to us why you chose to operate solo?
Evillair: I’ve been in bands since I was 16, and I always wrote all the music. When the band thing didn’t work out in the end, I just concentrated on doing my own thing. Obviously, it’s easier to get a single vision realized from start to finish when working solo, but I do miss the collaboration with others. Perhaps in the future I will try and collaborate with other musicians on certain projects.
TIBM: You’ve experimented with different vocal styles and arrangements subtly throughout your career. What have you done differently with “Solitude”?
Evillair: For “Solitude”, I tried to use more orchestration with melody, guitars and other instruments in the background. Sometimes you can barely hear them, but they add texture to the sound. I don’t like my vocals, so that’s the reason I usually hide them behind in the mix, but this time I tried to bring them a bit more forward. I also worked hard on the sound, trying to make it sound more natural – the drums especially – I think I did it better than I did on previous albums. I know many DSBM bands try to get that raw sound, but I see Nordicwinter as more of an Atmospheric Black Metal band than a DSBM band. It does have a lot of DSBM influences, though.
Nordicwinter
TIBM: Has Nordicwinter ever been a live performance project? I admittedly haven’t researched this, but I feel like some Black Metal is perhaps better experienced personally.
Evillair: As mentioned before, there’s no way I could play live with Nordicwinter, and even if I could, I think the music is better if left to the listener to listen to it in a dark place and alone.
TIBM: I would imagine that the creative process behind “Solitude” was probably a therapeutic experience and music definitely has its ways of shaping how we perceive ourselves and the world around us. How has the creation of “Solitude” impacted you on a personal level?
Evillair: I stopped writing music after my last album. I took some time off. I didn’t feel inspired anymore after “This Mournful Dawn” came out. I felt I said everything I had to say with Nordicwinter. I was thinking of putting Nordicwinter to rest and trying something different, or just stopping writing music. But I had some health issues that began again, and I felt really isolated, having been in my basement working my job for the past four years. I was just messing around on the acoustic guitar and the main riff from “The Howling Void” came out. That riff kind of summed up what I was going through at the time. So after that, I decided to expand on it and then the creative juices started to flow again, as it were. It took me a long time to flesh out the full album, but I’m really glad with the way it turned out.
TIBM: You’ve chosen to immerse yourself creatively into the depressive state of the genre, but do you enjoy the evil side, or do you subscribe to the spiritual nature of Black Metal?
Evillair: I do enjoy all kinds of music and all kinds of Black Metal. It really depends on how I feel at the time. I try not to limit myself to one style, but it ends up being that all the music I enjoy listening to ends up being dark, evil, or depressing. I don’t really subscribe to the spiritual side anymore. I did kind of when I was younger. I’m going to be 55 next month, so I’m at a point in my life, having gone through a lot, that I’m more of an existential Nihilist than anything.
I mean, the planet itself can explode and everyone on it could die and it wouldn’t make a difference to the Universe. Why would I bother wasting my time thinking that special thoughts, prayer, or saying specific words could affect it in any way? But that’s just me…
TIBM: Nordicwinter has been a prolific project to say the least. What continues to inspire you to create under the Nordicwinter banner?
Evillair: I only write music for Nordicwinter when I have something to say, or when I feel the need to get something out emotionally. My music affects me and hopefully it will affect somebody else. I think this is important. I’m not trying to change the world, but I’m trying to express how I feel, and if somebody else feels the same, I did my job as a musician.
TIBM: What’s the future looking like for Nordicwinter? Any ideas for a new LP brewing?
Evillair: The future of Nordicwinter will definitely be different. I’ve started working on a new album, and so far it’s different than my previous works. I’ve changed things up. It will be more aggressive, yet it keeps some elements that make Nordicwinter ‘Nordicwinter’. Very emotional but more grand and powerful.
TIBM: A special thank you to Evillair / Nordicwinter.
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