As All Die in the side project of Clint Listing of the symphonic Doom Metal band Long Winters Stare, this band, formed as a solo project but lately joined by Aries, have released several works, being “Victory” their last one and the first I have the honour if listening. This band delivers Harsh Martial Industrial music, full of anger and interesting historical references… I couldn’t get pass this opportunity to ask them some questions concerning to their whole carrier… here are the results.   
 
 BB: First of all, thanks for giving us this interview and congratulations for your album “Victory”… Can you tell us about As All Die beginnings?
 
  Clint: As All Die was born out of my love for Dark industrial and Martial music from labels like Cold Meat Industries, Cold Spring and Tesco. I was in a metal band called Long Winters Stare from 1996-2000 and in 1997 I wanted an outlet for my none metal expression and so As All Die was born.
 
 BB: You’ve got a pretty extensive discography, but I must admit “Victory” is my first experience with As All Die… Can you tell us about your previous discography? What’s the main difference between your split Cd with Veinke and “Victory”? How you music has evolved?
 
 Clint:  As All Die started as a more Gothic / Neoclassic vibe with Neofolk elements.  On the “In vacuum of blackened space“  & “Time of war and conflict” CD, it was myself and my Long Winters Stare partner on synths, contrabass and recording, but grew into Martial Industrial/Neo Folk with my knowledge of my Odinist way and belief, and the addition of Aries. In 2003/2004 we became a much more focused project. I think “Time of war and conflict" was the major turning point, as I found Germanic Beliefs and history a very important part of my life.
 
 Aries: These days there's much more of an industrial edge to our sound, in addition to the neofolk elements.  The change reflects my musical background, but also our love for noise and experimental music.  We like to incorporate a variety of styles, and everything we do is an expression of our personal tastes.
 
  BB: How you define your music?
 
  Clint:  Heathen Martial Industial / Neofolk. Our releases strongly differ from harsher  industrial to straight neo folk. We love to use epic bombastic sounds mixed with lush strings and clean guitars. The vocals can range from Screams to Spoken words, to cleanly sung. You either like us or hate us.  There is no middle ground and we like it that way.
 
 BB: Can you explain me how your music fits in the so called Neo Folk music? I must admit I have never understood much this style…
 
  Clint: If you listen to “Time of War and Conflict,”  that is what I would call Martial Neo Folk. We have a lot of  Neo folk elements on a batch of our releases like “East West Noise Pact”, North American Underground Alliance” etc. “Victory” would be the harshest release in As All Die history . We were in a dark place making this release. Having a lot of label issues and couldn’t find a stable home. Those are behind us for a few releases now, thanks to Flood the Earth.
 
 Aries:  The term Neofolk encompasses a wide range of sounds, from traditional acoustic folk to keyboard-based ambience.  The common thread for most artists in the genre is a Eurocentric worlview and a rejection of modern society's more shallow values.  You find a real sense of connection to the past as well.  These elements are certainly found in our music, wether we're using guitars or harsh electronics.
 
 BB: Your music is an interesting, intriguing and original experience, starting by the unusual name of the band… Can you tell us about the origins of the band’s name?
 
  Clint: The name came from a Long Winter's Stare song,  “He is Insane”.  I wanted it to be a natural progression of my Metal stuff.   The lyric is  “As we all die”  . It fit the grim , warlike feelings that the project brings across.
 
 BB: I’m pretty used to listen to WWII concept based bands, but this is the first time I listen to WWI concept based band… Why you take the “forgotten war” (as someone accurately called) as source of inspiration?
 
 Clint: WWII was a war of greed and insanity, and soiled the Germanic people forever. As All Die is a platform for my Germanic/Odinistic/ Heathen beliefs, which Aries has come to learn about and added his pagan and occult beliefs. I focus on WWI as that was the last great thinking man's war before missiles and jets and major technologies. We also have a lot of  other elements going on.  I just never can or will support the Nazi beliefs.
 
 Aries: I've always been fascinated by WWI.  It was one of my favorite parts of history.  Although the second world war affected the world in a very profound way, the first war planted the seeds for everything that came after.  Most of the weapons and technology that we take for granted today were invented and developed during WWI.
   
 BB: What’s your personal favourite episode of this war?
 
  Clint: The item that shocks me most of this war is that the entire world came to the brink over the murder of a Duke in the Austrian/ Hungerian empire. Not a president  or king or queen. In this day and age it looks like the 3rd world war may start over 2 kidnapped Israelis. It's funny how history repeats itself all the time.
 
 Aries:  It just goes to show that it only takes a small group of people to influence the course of history.  Usually it's a proactive force wanting change, lashing out against an established, reactive power.  You see the same thing happening in the Middle East today.  The group of men that assassinated Franz Ferdinand were poor and in some cases dying of tuberculosis.  They had nothing to lose, and it's the people with nothing to lose that are the catalyst for change.  Just look at 9/11.  19 people caused a fundamental shift in the way Americans live, and brought a huge amount of attention to a part of the world that lives in oppression and poverty.
 
 BB: Why you decide to include Aries in the band? How was your experience as a solo-project?
 
 Clint:  Aries was a friend for years, and a fan of the same music as myself. Der Blutharsch, Puissance, Throbbing Gristle, Coil, Death in June etc. We also had a lot of other heathen bonding beliefs. So in 2003 I was looking for a partner again, as I was stuck in a rut as a solo project. I asked him and he was really into it, not to mention an As All Die fan. We have done 4 releases now together and it gets better all the time. Glad to have him as a friend and ally.
 
 Aries:  I'd been aware of Clint's work for quite a while.   At the time I had a solo project called Burn Unit, which was mainly ambient electronica.  It really wasn't going much of anywhere, then Clint asked me to provide percussion and vocals for a live show.  It went very well and the rest is history.  I'm very proud to work with such a talented artist.
 
 BB: Can you tell us about the composition process of “Victory”?
 
 Clint:  The main Victory track was written while I was still doing “When Joy Becomes Sadness”  with John Reindeau. He knew I wanted to bring As All Die back after the success of  the “Germanic Tales” 3” CD on the Somnambulant Corpse label. Then Aries joined on and we started working on what would be “Victory,” and ” North American Underground Alliance”.  We normally go out and have a few  beers the night before, and talk about  lyrics and arrangements. Then the next day Aries and I get the rough music tracks together, then we work on the words. Aries is a master lyricist, In my opinion.  Then the Grunt / Control tour came to Providence RI, and we were asked to play. We did the full 24 minute track live in its full glory and it went over very well . That’s how that track came to be. The others are normally music 1st then we overlay the vocal track and mix it 'til we're mad with lack of sleep. We don’t move very fast with As All Die, but its important to us we're happy with
the product.
 
 Aries:  Performing "Victory" in Providence was my initiation into As All Die.  The lyrics were mainly improvised, then fleshed out for the studio version.  That was in March of 2004, so this track took two years to see the light of day on CD...thus proving we're not the fastest band in the world.  As for the lyrical process, I have to say that Clint's musical work is a huge inspiration.   He creates incredibly deep and ominous tracks which are great for firing the imagination.
 
 BB: The opening track “Victory” is the most prominent song of the whole album, not only because its duration, but this track seems to delineate the entire style of the album… What can you tell us about this particular song?
 
 Clint: I think I did this song in the question above. The theme of the track was, we had an idea of a fanatical leader bent on world domination but during his assault, he sees the error of his ways and the way it’s destroying is wonderful Fatherland . It makes him insane and there is no way to turn back so it becomes the war of all wars.
 
 Aries: Many of our songs are not about the glory of war, but the horror.  Many people see the overt Germanic themes and think we're fascists or whatever, but we know what happened to the fascists, don't we?  "Victory" is a tragedy in the theatrical sense.
 
  BB: I specially liked “From Rocks to Arrows to Missiles”; it’s my favourite track… Can you tell us about the concept behind each track? I’m especially interested in the mentioned song and “Let Lying Dogs Sleep” concepts…
 
 Clint: “From Rocks to Arrows to Missiles” is just what I think the evolution of war sounds like, with some cool tweeking and effecting by Sir Aries.  As for “Let Lying Dogs Sleep,” my view of the track is that people need to put the madmen away and let them disappear, as if you let them be outspoken then this plague will never stop. We let the rambles of madmen ring in this track as a plea to stop letting these maniacs voice their opinions.
 
 Aries: "Dogs" is mostly my creation, as "Victory" is Clint's.  It started as another live performance piece.  It was originally 15 minutes, and one of our first harsh noise tracks.  I suppose that's where my industrial influence comes in.  There was some upheaval going on in my life when I wrote the lyrics, and it was basically me lashing out at people who screwed me over. It's easy to see how it grew into a political statement, given the massive amount of lies and deception being thrown around in this country right now.  It's a call for people to wake up and see through the illusions.  It's dedicated to the government, the oil companies, the religious fundamentalists and anyone else who fits the profile.  
 
  BB: How are your live shows?
 
  Clint: Our shows are the stuff of chaos and destruction, which include Germanic flags, Fog machines, martial Items. Normally something breaks and someone bleeds. We like to get into peoples' faces . We prefer to not play on stages and play in the center of the room so the audience can in circle us for more of the madness we like to create. Live we do more of the harsh material with a few Neo Folk or Dark Ambient elements mixed in.
 
 Aries: An AAD show is a cross between a political rally and a chaos magick ritual.  Nobody knows what's going to happen, least of all us.  We've had mosh pits, flying chairs, headaches from screaming at people.  With every gig we push to constantly get more out of ourselves and the audience.
 
 BB: What do you think about the renewed interest in history, specially the renewed interest in war by Metal bands?
 
 Clint: Metal bands have always had this belief.  Look at bands like Black Sabbath, Bolt Thrower, Sodom, Marduk,  Jungle Rot etc. Some do it well and others just want to wear camo and look tough. War and history themes work well with Death, Black and Fantasy metal. It has the right aggression and imagery.
 
 Aries: If there is more interest in history than before, I think it's because people are seeing the confusion and chaos in the world today and trying to make sense of it, find some kind of context.  We live in very uncertain times. The past is a source of guidance and in some cases comfort.
 
 BB: You don’t seem to be much interest in modern wars… Why is that?
 Clint: Modern war to me is no longer war in the planning and strategic ways of the old wars, where if each soldier, cannon and horseman was not in the correct spot a battle could be lost.  Jets with laser guided bombs and tanks that can take out cities 5 miles away don’t hold the same majesty to me.
 
 Aries: I do take interest in modern war, mostly because of my interest in politics and society.  I'm a fan of entropy.  When a system breaks down, something new must come out of it.  Right now the world is in desperate need of change.  Conflict is a catalyst for change, which makes war a neccessary evil.
 
 BB:  What’s your opinion about the National Socialist Black Metal? Some of these bands have taken the interest in history to “risky” extremes…
 
 Clint: National Socialism and Nazi beliefs are very different. A lot of people think As All Die are fascist because of what we talk about and believe. I feel that the NSBM beliefs are just, as long as it doesn’t get mixed into White power.  I feel the government or powers that be needs more control, as the majority of the population has no clue and would rather sit on their ass and collect government money and be sheep to whatever their friends tell them. No one reads anymore, no one tries to learn about the past or their political systems. They would rather watch sitcoms than the History Channel or learn for themselves. This view always gets me into trouble with the liberal minded but I’m strongly conservative and will never change this view.
 
 Aries:  I was never a big metal fan, so there's not much I can say on that point.  However, I do agree that society is in a very pathetic state right now.  There is no intellectual curiosity anymore.  Most people go to work, come home, watch TV and go to bed.  That's their entire life!  They learn nothing, create nothing and contribute nothing.  I rarely have an intelligent conversation with my coworkers because 90% of them talk about nothing but sports.  It's very depressing.  As for the government needing more control, I think they have way too much already.  People simply need to be less ignorant.  They elected the worst president in American history, so they deserve what they get.  I have no sympathy for most of them.  As I said before, revolutions start with small groups, not the masses.  That's why I do sympathize with groups like the Palestinian Liberation Organization and even Hezbollah to some extent.  Their methods are not always sound, but they are people
struggling for survival in their own homeland, against a force that has no business being there.
 
 BB: Do you have, as a band, some special ideology or belief? Some pictures at your site, especially Aries pictures seem to be quite inclined toward the Neo-Nazi look...

 Clint: This Neo Nazi bullshit must stop. We have nothing to do with this front. We like to dress proper and in a heathen fashion that is all. I will not talk about this Neo Nazi bullshit anymore. We are Heathens nothing more, with strong political views I’m the Conservative and Aries is very Liberal believe it or not.
 
 Aries: We hold absolutely no racist or Nazi beliefs.  It's funny that you say I look like a neo-Nazi.  Like Clint says, I'm clearly the left wing faction of As All Die.  My choice of clothing reflected the meticulous approach we took to our music, and I happen to like the color black.  Now that we incorporate more industrial and noise elements I tend to wear mostly colored camo onstage.  But seriously though, I judge people based on their intelligence, character and beliefs.  Skin color and nationality are superficial.
 
 BB: What your connection with the European (especially German) Pagan culture? Symbols like Thor’s Hammer seem to have an especial meaning to you…

 Clint: I’m German and Italian, and an Odinist (Thor's hammer is my cross). I believe in the old Germanic ways and Old European life before the damn Christians killed all the heathens in their holy wars, and stole all their holidays from us. Do I sound bitter?  Well I am.
 
 Aries:  I'm mostly Italian, and a devout atheist since age 6.  My ancestors threw Christians to the lions, then somehow Rome ended up becoming the seat of Catholicism!  It's shameful.  All through the ancient world you see proud Pagans forced at swordpoint to accept a religion of weakness and submission.  It's not just Europeans, either.  Africans had their beliefs until they were enslaved and also forced into Christianity.  Just for the record though, we may focus on the scam of Christianity but other religions are just as bad.  Take Islam for instance.  The very meaning of the word is "submission."  It's even more about weakness and superstition than Christianity.  I believe in the powers of nature and will.  The practice of ritual magick has done more for me than any fairy tale god in the sky.
 
 BB: Can you tell us about your forthcoming releases “For Honor of Wodan” and “Failure of Human Spirit”? What can we expect from those works?
 
 Clint:  “For Honor of Wodan” is  4 CD collaboration with 3 other bands. The 3 As All Die tracks are Dark Ambient and Spoken word,  martial music. Its out now and the Chinese (Z-Bugle) label did an amazing job. “Failure of Human Spirit” is our new Dark Industrial/ Neo Folk epic. If you liked “ In Time of War & Conflict” this will be your new favourite. There is a lot of Strings, Sung and Spoken Vocals , Guitars and Simple Percussion. That should be out this late Fall or early Winter on Flood the Earth.
 
 Aries:  The work we've done on these releases is some of our best yet.  We're very proud of them and look forward to getting them out to the world.
 
 BB: Thanks once more for your time and words… These last lines are all yours…
 
 Clint:  Thank you for the interesting Interview.Remember your Heathen ways and check out our website for all new info
 
 Aries:  Thanks to everyone who has supported us.  Decide your fate before someone else does.