MERRIMACK
With Of Entropy and Life Denial comes a second blasphemous procreation from French black metal band Merrimack. Despite the commercialization of metal these days, Merrimack manages to lurk past their contemporaries and take the dark incantation off the tongues of men and embody it. The result is a manifestation of disdain and ideological malevolence.

Interview with Perversifier and Terrorizt from Merrimack

 

BAST(B): When did you realize music would be a vehicle to transmit your ideologies? Perversifier (guitars) (P): As soon as I discovered Black Metal, I immediately felt it was the perfect music to express what was rotting inside me. No other music genre was fitting so well my ideology. B: Your name reflects an arcane description. How much knowledge do you have of ancient religions? Terrorizt (vox) (T): We’ve studied ancient religions a bit, but it’s mainly for our personal culture. We first came across the name Merrimack in a book from Graham Masterton. It was the name of a marine monster and it means “infinite depth” or “Hell’s gate”. No we didn’t choose it because of the city of the college, nor for the boat or the river or the valley… B: What was the creation process like on Of Entropy and Life Denial? Typically, do the lyrics evolve around the composition of the music or it a simultaneous process? T: I take some notes regularly when I have an idea I judge interesting, so I always have a bunch of papers with ideas and words haphazardly put down. Then the others record some working tracks in rehearsal and I write the definitive lyrics around this. We’re all very picky with our material so it’s sometimes a very long process. B: Your music propagates heavy themes of misanthropy, how do you reconcile those beliefs with your own existence as a human being? Peversifier (P): We’re not hermits living in a cave. We’re more or less obliged to socialize, when we go at work, for example. We also have no problem with going out and spending time with close comrades for boozing, etc… Misanthropy is not the main theme of our art; we just summon the worship of ultimate evilness. B: Do you feel black metal has lost it’s essential foundations? When do you recognize this as happening (at what time)? T: No I don’t think so. Ok most of the bands truly suck but fortunately we still have a bunch of completely insane bands proposing high-quality material holding frightening streams of pure morbidity and uncompromised fanaticism. As long as there are such bands in activity, everything is ok with me. B: Do you think that digital technologies and the Internet have exploited the fundamentals of black metal by exposing the music to a larger, but purposeless audience? P: Indeed, I regret the old times of tape trading, snail mail, old school paper fanzines and flyers spread via the normal way. It’s way easier now for anybody to have access of the huge database of bands over the Internet, to buy records online, and to start to put online a website before having even composed a song. On the other side, Internet is very practical for the bands, it’s easier to have a quick communication to organize gigs or answer interviews for example. B: As with many countries, religion dictates public policy. Does the French government allow religion to regulate artistic content? T: Not at all. Religion has no power here. That’s sad. I’m eagerly waiting for a nice integrist catholic revival. B: How do you define success for Merrimack? P: No idea. We’ve exist(ed) for a long time, and we stay faithful to ourselves. We’ve never sold out, and we keep on playing the music of Satan. I guess we have a strong fans base that noticed it. B: You have collaborated with Hirilorn and Sargeist in the past, are there future possibilities of releasing more split material? T: We’re currently working on a split release with another great French band whose name will be revealed in time. Expect disgusting darkness and repulsive rottenness! B: You just finished up a pretty extensive tour? What was the reception like from the audience? T: Well, we’re now in late December ’06 when I’m writing these line, and we finished our last tour in March ’05, so we don’t really have “just finished” it. But it was great tour and the response was great, especially in Germany. We’re currently working on the set-up of new tours for 2007. Portuguese fellows will see us at the Barroselas Metal fest in April, and we’re also discussing the possibility of a US tour for next summer. B: Has there been a history of support from the local metal scene for your music? P: Yes, we got pretty good support from the Parisian scene over the years, and we’re a renowned and respected band here. B: I imagine you may have an affinity for Baudelaire, if so what is your reaction to this quote: “Evil is done without effort, naturally, it is the working of fate; good is always the product of an art.” T: It’s our Lord who inspires our deeds. Everything is part of His silent labour, flowing and vibrating towards His throne beyond our world. I agree with Baudelaire on this quotation, I would just add that good is often, if not always, just rooting a tree of greater evilness, iniquity and sorrow. AVE SATHANAS!!! - Kim Riot