A lot of interviews coming up but here is an interesting one! Hail Conjurer had some time to answer questions for Under the Bloody Moon. We made this interview via email almost right after Hail Conjurer’s gig at Varjobaari, Tampere 9.2.2019.
Hail Conjurer, also known as Harri Kuokkanen, started this project as a one man band and for me it turned out to be interesting from the very first days since the first demo came out. I have been following many years Harri’s projects where he is part of. If you don’t know, check out at least Hooded Menace, Horse Latitudes, Ride For Revenge and Pussies to name a few!! I’m flattered to do this interview because it’s just Harri alone and it has been a great ride to listen Hail Conjurer material and I’m totally curious for more of this filthy black metal! Interview down below:
Hail Conjurer! How are you doing right now? I assume there is an EP coming out with some gigs?
Doing fine, thanks! I’ve been working with some new stuff lately, the upcoming EP called “Decadence” being among them. More details to be revealed later on. At the moment there is actually just one gig ahead, 3rd of May in Helsinki with couple of Russian bands (Dekonstruktor!) and local band Slave Hands (miserable sludge).
What can you tell us about the new EP? At least the premiere song is killer one!
The split consists of couple longer tracks and two intro-kind-of shorter ones. As with the most Hail Conjurer music, this EP was quite a fast and spontaneous process. There is definitely some recognisable Hail Conjurer sound to it, meanwhile I personally dig it being a bit different than the previously released material (which has been more or less the case with every release, though). The songs on the EP differ quite much from each other yet they are born from the same soil. For me they represent the different sides of the theme. Aggression, doom and gloom.
How did you came up with this project Hail Conjurer? Was it like a natural choice to do this just on your own?
As you may know, Hail Conjurer already emerged when I joined Ride For Revenge on drums in 2013. Even before that I had had ideas of solo work with black metal, but somehow it took several years to finally get on actually doing it. Since making the first solo recordings as Hail Conjurer early 2017, things moved forward fast and have since been evolving naturally. I wanted the stuff be raw and primitive from the start and including a lot of improvisational and instinctual elements in it was a very natural way to proceed with. Not wanting to try to translate that rough ideas to anyone else, working solely on my own has been the easiest and the most non-compromising way to do it.
In a live situation, what does it mean to you perform alone and how does it feel? I want to know this ‘cos I have seen you performing many times and many years with different groups and as Hail Conjurer it’s just you!
The live situation is a continuum to all the other work under the same moniker. Would be difficult (or at least a lot different) to collaborate with someone else after the stuff is born from the instinctual and improvisational point of view from the start. At least for now I feel this is the only way to keep the spirit of the band the same as on the recordings. But I don’t say it will always stay like that, as I might as well change my mind if I start feeling it should be done other way haha!
How about the songwriting and recording process? You do everything by yourself so how do you construct music as Hail Conjurer?
Like I said earlier, there has been some part of improvisation from the day one. Sometimes I’ve got a riff or few in mind when I start recording, but sometimes I just grab the drum sticks and let the demons in and flow through me. Not always knowing where I am going to sometimes rewards with ending up with killer stuff. Even the lyrics can originate in unconscious levels and thus “written” while doing them. But as well it might be the case that I already have the songs 90% thought through and I leave the 10% to do the magick. Obviously I don’t have band practises for Hail Conjurer and I’ve never been a “musician” as I rarely have any interest in just playing an instrument for the sake of practice, so I guess the lack of technical abilities leave something in His hands too anyway.
What inspires you in this unique sounding project?
Many things I guess.. Besides Ride For Revenge this is the only entity I work on black metal with. Sure there is Hollow Woods (a melodic black metal band I do vocals in), but in that band I am just a singer and I don’t take part on writing the music. As long as I’ve been in the bands, getting the stuff out of the system has always been the main motivational element. Hail Conjurer is a field where I can express myself without limits the way no other project or band can offer.
What records you have been listening to a lot lately?
Judas Priest. A lot of Judas Priest (including the classic stuff but also the magnificent Firepower) and Rob Halford’s solo stuff. And Danzig (always and all the time, the latest album is a modern classic). Carnivore and TON. Vornat (just got home from their first gig in two decades, it kicked ass!!). And the new Fungus Exodus track (hail Hail and Dirtmaster!!).
Thanks a lot for this interview! I’m really looking forward to your next release! Final words are yours:
Thanks for the interview. There are a lot of things in works with Hail Conjurer, so keep your eyes and ears open if you want to keep up on what’s going on. You can follow the social media shit if you like, or not. I understand if you’re not into that kinda crap, but I try to keep people updated with the things going on (in the age of rapid online information things sometimes happen overnight and sometimes over years), as I receive quite a lot messages about missed releases and such.
LINEUP:
Hail Conjurer – Everything
FOR DISCOGRAPHY:
https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Hail_Conjurer/3540425759
LINKS:
https://hailconjurer.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/hailconjurer/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0zp4X94WXqdly964lU-w0w
Under the Bloody Moon... 