Please tell us a few words about the new release, about the music on it as a whole or a few words on each track in part. How are you happy with the final release?
Jegger: So, the new album is called "Blackcrowned Majesty" and is the result of several years of composition and studio work. We are happy with the new album because it is exactly what we wanted to do, hear, and feel. From our point of view "Blackcrowned Majesty" combines the roughness of the extreme metal underground of the 1980s and 1990s. We really wanted to find out why bands sounded so real and natural in those days and we think that the sound on this album is real, clear, and unaffected.
How would you describe/label the music on it? Does it sound like anything we might have heard before?
Jegger: Tristwood have always been difficult to classify stylistically. This was the case at the beginning of our career with the MCD "Fragments of the Mechanical Unbecoming" as well as during our peak phase when we recorded the album "The Delphic Doctrine". Many music journalists have described our style as Avantgarde Extreme Metal, Blackened Grindcore, Industrial Black Metal or even Post-Punk. And even if our new album sounds even rougher, more edgy, and even more original than the older recordings, "Blackcrowned Majesty" noises like a typical Tristwood record.
I find it a bit difficult to name bands that resemble us. Some claim that there are similarities to DHG, Anaal Nathrakh, Zyklon or Napalm Death. I can only say that we are influenced by Killing Joke, Hellhammer, Repulsion, Nocturnus, Skinny Puppy and Nihilist. I think you just must listen to our new album, it has a unique aura, to be honest.
Where was it recorded and how much time did it take you to record it? Any interesting stories from the recording/producing the material?
Jegger: The album was recorded at the Volcano-Studio in Linz by our keyboarder and singer Deimon. He also did the mix. Then it was mastered in the Hellsound-Studio by our guitarist Neru. This division of labour has been going on for 20 years. It might be interesting that this time we chose a new approach for the recording. It was only allowed to record first takes. If somebody played in a bad way, a new, different riff had to be recorded. That was hard because we were forced to give up complex ideas. We were compelled to concentrate on the essential. One thing is perhaps also crucial: We consciously decided against recording a commercial sounding record. We wanted to sound as radical as possible. That was very important to us.
What can you tell us about the cover artwork? Is there a link between the artwork and the lyrics? What are the topics of your lyrics?
Jegger: First, I would like to say a few words about the background story of "Blackcrowned Majesty". After that I will briefly come back to the cover:
The new album deals with the return of a legendary, incredibly cold, dark ruler to the already almost destroyed world of Ma'haxul. Background for this conflict is an old argument with her father Ka'a, who eons ago had banished Ar'ath, his own daughter, to the underworld to hide her from all others, while as a sun disk he illuminated a whole continent and gave life and joy to all but his own child. When Ar'ath and her followers from the Underworld compete against her father and the rest of the world for the first time, she ravages the entire continent and breaks Ka'a from the hinges of heaven, causing it to fall onto the continent of Ma'haxul, breaking it into several pieces and leaving only a shattered remnant of the once beautiful expanses of this world. In this phase of the conflict, Ar'ath, who is torn into the abyss with her father (who burns everything in the face of his demise), melts into thousands of black droplets. The surviving creatures of Ma'haxul initially believe that Ar'ath has fallen to her death, but a prophecy, which is printed in the booklet of the album "Blackcrowned Majesty" by the way, points to her return. And it is exactly this return that is thematized and set to music in this new album.
The album cover is the basis and building block of the story around Rauthra and Ar'ath. It shows the anti-hero of this story and is a hint at his outer appearance as well as his quest. The picture itself, both an oil painting and a commissioned work, was created in the summer of 2019 in the Alps by Ani van Sunnjorck.
What do you expect to gain through this release? What are the band's aims at the moment?
Jegger: Our goals are simple: We want to explore new musical territory. That is the most important thing to us. We think that many people have an interest in Tristwood's albums, but our primary concern is to create music. From a purely commercial point of view, we do not have any real desires. There are several reasons for that: One, we want to create art and not be influenced by sales. This is also the reason why we released our penultimate album "Dystopia et Disturbia" years ago on the Romanian netlabel "Asiluum". It was and still is about the music, not about what's hip and trendy right now. We got great reviews worldwide in the last two months, we have a small fanbase that is real and honest with us and that is worth a lot after 20 years. We make very extraordinary music and our listeners appreciate that. We can’t wish more than that...
Is there a special format the material is released in? Or is it released in multiple formats? How many copies were pressed?
Jegger: So, our new album "Blackcrowned Majesty" is limited to 50 pieces. There are a few special sales formats, but all of them are already sold out. We think that bands in general should limit the physical formats. Now, only very few albums are still available for purchase as CDs. So, we are very satisfied. There are also a few T-shirts that can be ordered directly from us, but I think they will be out of stock until the end of August.
Where and how will you promote this new release?
Jegger: We worked together with Shureshotworx, a agency from Germany, for the promotion of the new album and we are satisfied with the cooperation. Then we work a little bit via Bandcamp and Facebook. That is enough for us for now.
Where can we order it from?
Jegger: If you would like to buy "Blackcrowned Majesty" or our compilation album "Nyx", please contact us at tristwood@gmx.net, https://tristwoodofficial.bandcamp.com/music or via https://www.facebook.com/Tristwood-117030138385682/
August 2020