Nergal

| VOCALS, GUITAR |

CAN YOU DESCRIBE THE WRITING PROCESS FOR I LOVED YOU AT YOUR DARKEST?

“We arranged the songs together, but I wrote the riffs and main ideas. I bring the riffs; it’s always been like that. We recorded so much – we have a shitload of other material that may be released eventually, but right now I don’t know. If you like the record, you’ll love that as well!”

WHY DIDN’T YOU RELEASE IT AS A DOUBLE ALBUM?

“I didn’t want to make a 70minute-long record, ha ha ha! It was crazy – we were in the studio tracking drums, and I was sat on a sofa thinking up new songs. I could take the guitar now and write a new song! Back in the day, after every record I wouldn’t touch a guitar for at least two years, because I was so fed up with the creative process, but now it’s the opposite. It’s weird, but it’s the way I’m going. It’s like an ever-flowing stream that you can’t stop – you can try but you’ll overflow; it’ll intoxicate your system.”

DOES I LOVED YOU… FEEL LIKE A REDEFINING STATEMENT FROM BEHEMOTH?

“It does. exactly. It’s reinventing and redefining the whole concept. In the record’s booklet are a bunch of photos, literal interpretations of classic religious paintings by Caravaggio and a few others.”

THE ALBUM’S TITLE IS FROM THE WORDS OF CHRIST. THAT’S PRETTY PROVOCATIVE!

“I know. This title is going to trigger controversy from both camps – the religious camp and the irrreligious camp. If some people don’t read between the lines, they might be like, ‘Fuck, is Nergal a Christian now?!’ let them think that, let them burn our albums! That’s what art is for – to provoke.”