Interview mit Niklas Kvarforth von Shining

With regard to the music and the sound, your new SHINING album „X – Varg Utan Flock“ sounds very much like „V – Halmstad“, and also the artwork looks a bit similar. Was that your intention or where does this come from?
You’ve interviewed me a couple of times by now, right? The reason I ask is because people should know by now that I am not really the crowd-pleaser I sometimes appear to be, and I certainly don’t make art just for the mere sake of pleasing the masses, and I am definitely not interested in intentionally repeating my past accomplishments, no matter how potent they might have been and no matter how much people would be asking for it. “Halmstad” was one of my grandest achievements for sure, but that was eleven years ago.

The reason “X – Varg Utan Flock” might resemble that particular album is because a) I wrote it, and b) just as back in 2006, I had to leave Sweden, and this time around I exiled that disgusting piece on the map once again. However, this time around because of far more serious reasons, and therein might be the link. Also, back when writing “Halmstad” I was kind of angrier than usual, which left a sort of mark on the album which again, this time around, is somewhat similar although ten times more severe. The answer then must be, I was driven by contempt and anger while writing both albums, and therefore they both turned out a bit more sinister and malignant than, say, some of my albums where merely sorrow did lead the way.

For many fans, „V – Halmstad“ is the ultimate SHINING release. What do you think about „V – Halmstad“ personally today, ten years after its release?
Obviously I have very deep feelings for all my albums as I consider them all being like pages torn out of a diary I might have written if I had the time to do something as banal and pointless. “V – Halmstad” is still one of my children I do hold dear and haven’t shipped off to any orphanage yet nor beaten to death, based on her oppressing qualities alone. We are actually releasing an anniversary vinyl through Legions in April and are also considering doing some kind of show based on that very album.

However, “V – Halmstad” itself does hold a very special place in my heart, and several meanings I will never reveal, let alone that anyone apart from myself could ever begin to understand as the void and negativity shaping me into who I am today truly did its filthiest work back in those days of loss and despair. A wonderful thing came out of it, yes, and I hope that “Halmstad” will continue harvesting souls long after I have crossed the bridge to that beautiful land beyond.

Where does this dark, eery atmosphere of the music come from? What made you write darker music again?
You should ask my ex. Nah, I’m not really a people person, you know. And compared to other lowlife peasants making music, or trying to, I am always determined to follow wherever my heart leads me, although that place may be splendidly terrible. I don’t back down, for what I search lies further than where my physical and present mental self can take me.

Once again, you had some lineup changes in SHINING – what was the reason?
People have too much opinions, simple as that. SHINING is what it is and will never adjust according to the will or comfort of others. Just play along or get the fuck out of my way.

The only constant member in SHINING besides you is Peter Huss – why does this cooperation work that well? No other musician was ever as long active in SHINING as him, I’d guess …
That’s true. However, when I asked himself about the matter he simply answered that “I have since day one understood my place in the band and don’t want to be close to Kvarforth apart from when working together.” In hindsight, when looking back at all the flesh that’s been disposed off throughout the years, I kind of get what he’s talking about. Don’t try to get too close to the fire or you will definitely get burned.

>> Read our interview with Peter Huss (SHINING)!

How much influence die he have on the songwriting? What is his part in the creative process for a SHINING album?
Immensely, of course. Back in the days, John Doe was the key I was searching for to complete my vision. But at the end of the day, the guy proved to be wrong for this band, so the Devil interfered and sent me an angel to deconstruct and rebuild into my liking. John might have possessed the skills I were in need of, but Peter understood how to channel these powers and create something monumental instead of wasting his energy on trying to act like a tough guy.

Will Jarle “Uruz” Byberg be a constant member of SHINING or did he just do session drums on “X – Varg Utan Flock”?
Nope, he has other things in life that he prioritizes, and therefore he cannot be a member of this band, unfortunately.

Why did you name the album “X – Varg Utan Flock”? What does the title mean to you, who is this wolf?
Bajskorv („pile of shit“ – a.n.). Stupid question, stupid answer.

Last but not least: About your show at The Shredder in Boise, Idaho, it has been reported that you “used many blatant racist and homophobic slurs on stage, threatened audience members with rape, slapped audience members in the face, and [were] sieg heil saluting repeatedly throughout [your] performance”.

[The accusation was first posted on the Facebook page of the Club Tonic Lounge, where SHINING should play the next day. The post has been deleted, but can be seen here – a. n.]

How do you judge this performance, how do you explain this behaviour?
The information spread by Antifa after this turd of a show was basically accusations based on whatever bullshit one could find online, and therefore their propaganda was built on hearsay rather than reality. But thanks to that, one of our fans, disappointed about this unwise decision, threw a Molotov cocktail into the venue in Portland who had cancelled our show the day after Boise because of… again, fucking hearsay. So at the end of the day, those who opposed us shot themselves in the foot. I will tell you exactly what happened in Boise and you can make your mind up on whether you think what I did was wrong or not.

We arrived at this shit place quite early in the day and once we entered the venue and were trying to figure out how we would fit the drumkit onstage, the owner (and the one who alerted both authorities and Antifa) said after the normal greeting procedure that we would not get any food, but we could drink from his open bar and use his personal stash of methamphetamine. I told him at least three to four times before doing the first line that it was not a good idea, and that I would go a bit crazier than usual if I did it, to which he smiled and said that that’s precisely what people wanted.

The place was disgusting, so me and Benny went to some restaurant nearby where I met some waitress, who I immediately asked whether she was single and if she was interested in giving me a blowjob. She promptly replied she would love to but that she had a boyfriend. None of my concern, I just wanted to cum, and after her shift we went to some fucking punk bar. There I met this idiot LaVeyian “Satanist” – that obviously bothered me as I myself am a Satanist and find their whole hippie-sex-and-love bullshit ideas repelling and ultimately blasphemous to the Lord of Death. I got into some argument with one of them, was thrown out, and on the way to the venue to perform I see on my phone a post by the owner of The Shredder, saying that Revenge were done and that he was waiting for SHITING so he could close up. I did try to not be bothered by his moronic words as he tried to offer me his dead puppy in a jar before I left for my dinner (I wonder what Antifa would think of that), and just went up on stage after I had found the door to the “venue”.

Now, what was I accused of? Let me make a list for you:

1. I drugged a girl? – No, if I had had drugs I would have taken them myself and not shared them with any potential skirt. This rumor had already flourished online three to four years back when me and my bodyguard were in Norway and a girl tried to force herself on me. Her husband found out, and apparently saying that we drugged her would be the only way to justify her filthy mistakes.

2. I groped women? – No, they grope me! I am the rock star, they are the groupies. And trust me, dear friend, I have tons although I wish I had none as it’s so fucking hard to say no when the girl in question wears nylons and six-inch heels… yes, I know I have a problem.

3. I smacked and kicked someone in the chest? – Yes, he spat on me and tried to provoke me, I obviously corrected him. The guy who I had done this to, however, showed up in Las Vegas and we had a long discussion on the bus about the statements that were made against me. He was flamboyantly angry abouth them and understandably felt proud I showed him the way of understanding through physical adjustment. No bad blood whatsoever, he even gave me a couple of gifts. So, all in all, I did whatever his father should have done in his upbringing, and he appreciated being taught some discipline. Thank you, man, you are a peach and I miss you.

4. I shouted anti-homosexual things on stage? – Well, I have always called the black metal people who do not belong to the forces I worship Homosexual Black Metal Mongoloids, and I still do. However, it is to provoke them, not to provoke gays. I have nothing against gays, and in a perfect world I would be one, too, so I wouldn’t have to fuck all your girlfriends. Tough black metal “elitist” motherfuckers always talk down to and hate homosexuals, but has it ever occurred to them that, while they claim the inversion of Christian morals and values, they maybe should get to know their so-called enemy and first study their scriptures and especially the third book of Genesis before opening their filthy mouths? And yeah, Gaahl for example is a very good friend of mine, and so is his boyfriend. I wish the same people would grow the balls to confront him about being gay. (laughs) Good luck and I hope you have insurance.

5. Rape? – They wish… Maybe someone was unhappy that I fucked his girlfriend in the ass and he has a problem coping with that. You know what? There’s plenty of fish in the sea and I suggest you look at yourself in the mirror and realize that this Swedish bloke here just followed his natural urges while your slut of a girlfriend went behind your back. Simple.

6. Sieg Heil? – I wonder what the Hungarian part of my family would think of that? At least two of them were killed by Nazis. Look, I do something we call the “Sieg Hallelujah” sign when on stage. I do that original salute but instead of keeping my hand open like you normally do if you want to salute the teachings of Hitler, I clench my hand into a fist and do my “Thumbs down” thingy. But yeah, I get it, some inbred fucker might have had a few too many lines of meth before seeing the show and thought that that’s what I did. However, the idiot promoter (again, the guy who tried to impress me by showing off his dead pet) of course decided to post a video of me running out to our manager (yeah, the guy who everyone said I attacked was our manager, folks), screaming I did not do this, ENTER: THE NAZI SALUTE to show him what I did not do. I understand that when taken out of context it looks bad, and that is precisely why he decided to do so.

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OK, that’s my side of the story, what really happened, and I have quite a few people who could back it up. Finally, I suffer from bipolar disease and schizophrenia, which on paper would make me handicapped, right? And from what I understand, aren’t people who can’t defend themselves due to, say, a handicap, people that Antifa would be protective of? Instead, we were nearly boycotted in the whole of North America, and all because of a meth head with a dead puppy fetish who decided he wanted some free PR and get other people than his skinhead friends to attend his shit shows and midget wrestling nights (yeah, I am not kidding, that’s his main income and he’s proud of it). End of story.

This is the last time I discuss this. Fuck The Shredder and that attention-seeking asshole who tries to run it, although we all know, meth and sales do not go well together.

Thanks for the interview and thanks for the support.
Thank you for your time and answers!

Publiziert am 23. Januar 2018 von Moritz Grütz