Another exponent of raw and orthodox Black Metal comes to our pages, this time (as several times before) comes from the deepest guts of the Italian underground. Nurnen, a band formed in 2002 by Quietus, Aborted, and lately joined by Krevads has released just two works at the time; their “Demo MMV” and a split album with the Chilean band Rahovart called “Fleshless Rituals of Devotion / Scorn & Integrity”, being both works a testament of nihilism and hatred…

BB: Thanks for giving us this interview. For those who haven’t heard about Nurnen before, can you tell us briefly about the band history?

 We formed, Aborted and I (Quietus), the band back in 2002. However our formation has been completed only a year later, when Krevads joined the band as our regular drummer.

 BB: Why did you choose the name Nurnen for your band? I understand it has something to do with Tolkien’s imagery… 

 The inner sea of Nùrnen, the sad waters of Mordor...basically we choose this name in honour of the early nineties tradition, as our goal was, and still is, to stay the most "closer to the roots" as possible, be it the musical or the "attitudinal" side of black metal, we choose the name accordingly.

BB: I’ve heard some good comments of your “Demo MMV”. Can you tell us about the general response to this work?

We recorded MMV with the idea of distributing it on a cd-r, we wanted to make the band name circulate around the Italian underground, and with the idea of sending it to a bunch of labels and distros, just few copies anyway, but after a couple of months from MMV first release we got contacted by a small Italian label named "Eyes of the Dead" that offered to re-print and distribute it on cassette, as I've said we did not plan for MMV to leave Italian borders, or to attract so much attention from a label (even a small one) yet thanks to EoD distribution our demo crossed not only our country borders but went far away from the European borders too. Now, after this particular preamble and back on your question: the response to our "MMV" have been generally good, aside those who think that innovation is a crucial part of this music, but we really do not care much about people with this "innovate, innovate" thing going on...

BB: This work sounds, at least to me, very influenced by the old Darkthrone sound (especially “Transilvanian Hunger” era). What do you think about that? What bands influenced the sound of Nurnen?

I think that the album that you mentioned is the "alpha and omega" of black metal, period...If you pass me this expression of course, well I could make a list of all the bands that inspired us in the process of creation, but in the end I think that everything resolves around that particular Darkthrone "era", for us as well as for 99,9% of the bands that play the "orthodox/traditional/old style".

BB: I was greatly surprised when heard you signed with the Chilean label Southern Warfare Productions… How you get involved with this label?

We got contacted by Southern Warfare last year, I believe they got our demo directly from "Eyes of the Dead", anyway they proposed what has becomed the split with Rahovart, the interesting fact is that we had the idea of an split album in mind just immediately after the re-release of our demoand when they contacted us we were already looking for a band.

BB: Tell us about your latest release; the split Cd with Rahovart, “Fleshless Rituals of Devotion / Scorn & Integrity”. Are you satisfied with the final results of this work?

Well, yes...we discovered an interesting band, a very interesting band, and we appreciated working with Southern Warfare pretty much...but I'll probably re-record our "Scorn & Integrity", we wanted to have a very "raw and primitive" sound...yet the result is a bit too much chaotic and uncontrolled, maybe should have used a good old 4 track recorder instead, anyway I'm kinda sure that some people will like "Scorn & Integrity" production as it sounds.

BB: What do you think the main differences between your “Demo MMV” and “Scorn & Integrity” are?

I think they're perfectly subsequent one to the other; there is not much difference in composition since most of songs from "Scorn & Integrity" have been written along the last songs composed for MMV or shortly after them.

BB: How has been the response to “Fleshless Rituals of Devotion / Scorn & Integrity” in comparison with “Demo MMV”?

Maybe it's a bit too early to judge the results of the last release I'll wait at least six or seven months to draw the lines, but from what we've seen so far Southern Warfare is doing a good job distributing it around.

BB: Was “Scorn & Integrity” released only for this split Cd? Or it’s also available separately under some other label, or maybe as a self-release work?

Scorn & Integrity was recorded for the split with Rahovart exclusively, and won't be available in any other way.

BB: The song “Feasting Upon the Flesh of the Seven Eyed Lamb” immediately catched my attention with its bizarre title… Can you tell us about it?

It's a song against Christian beliefs and Christians in general, as Christianity is nothing more than a parasite that has infected and erased glorious cultures all around this planet, substituting to them, weakness and homologation, that shit has been the real "globalization".

BB: Your both works has been released in very limited quantities; “Demo MMV” was limited to 375 copies and “Fleshless Rituals of Devotion / Scorn & Integrity” is limited to 500 copies. Are you satisfied with that? Would you like to remain underground?

Well, it's a matter of choice; working in the underground can give you more than just money, can get you respect and credibility and also gives you the opportunity and privilege to choose your listeners, anyway we don't give a shit about money, and 375 or 500 copies right now are enough for a band whose name has been around for about 2 years realistically.

BB: Since I’m running this webzine I have been greatly surprised by the Italian Black Metal scene… I would like to know your opinion about it.

Some bands, some interesting...of said few interesting bands, many sells out after a good album, to be more explicative...they start playing black metal then get tired, move to play something else but want you to think that they still play black metal, giving the fact that most of the magazines/webzines have this shitty "innovation, innovation" thing going on this is not a big surprise...

BB: What bands are you listening to nowadays?

Lately (a month or so) I'm listening a lot to eighties albums, stuff from Bathory; Sigh ; Hellhammer; Sadistik Exekution; Necrodeath, and the likes Old stuff you know.

BB: Being considered as an “orthodox” Black Metal band, I would like to know your opinion about the so called Gothic Black Metal movement.

Useless shit...My comrade Aborted would say something like: "those human wastes should have used those instruments to bash their own fucking heads instead of playing such shit"...guess he doesn't like it too...

BB: What about Nurnen’s future plans? Have you planned to remain under Southern Warfare Productions? When can we expect a new work?

First of all we'll have to find someone to put behind the drums as Krevads left the band some months ago, drum machines are not an option, not even a temporary one, and musicians with attitude are hard to find. Then we can get back to work on new songs since we're stuck from early this year with many fuck-ups within our personal lives. As for working again with Southern Warfare, it's up to them we're available to new proposals ...

BB: Thanks once more for you time, is there anything else you want to add to this interview?

Thanks to you for the interview. Support Rahovart, really promising band.