PlanetMosh Keeping it Metal
Christian Hector, guitarist from AHAB chats with Planetmosh to tell us about the band, what they have been up to, what you can expect from them when they play at Damantion on Saturday, 1st November at 21.10 on the Plastic Head Distribution Stage, new album, their future plans plus more!
Can you give the readers a quick introduction to the band.
Ahab exists quite exactly ten years. We started out as a Funeral Doom Band with a more riff-orientated twist and as a concept band – initially dedicated to Herman Mellville’s Moby Dick, later on we started to interpret other nautical literature as well. That’s where the expression Nautik (Funeral) Doom comes from (Nautik with “K” as a hint we’re from Germany.)
How would you describe your sound.
Well, nowadays I’d say we’re playing extreme doom with influences from quite different doom genres, such as Funeral Doom, Death Doom, but also some sludgy and classic doom riffing. I think, if anyone would say, there’s a slightly postrocky approach to music in some songs, we wouldn’t deny that. Our drummer also brings some jazzy grooves into our music as well.
What has been the bands biggest achievement so far?
I think, I wouldn’t call it achievement from us as band. But as fans are really dedicated in the doom scene, we as a “special interest music” band were able to play shows in Calgary, Moscow, Lljubljana and quite some other great places around Europe. Of course it was very satisfying to headline Doom Over London and now getting a headliner slot at the PHD-stage at Damnation.
You guys have had a busy summer with re-signing your contract with Napalm Records, playing festivals like Party San, Summer Breeze and your first show in France at the Fall of Summer Festival, what else have you been up to and any particular highlights that you wish to share?
Well beside all these great festivals like Summer Breeze and Fall of Summer for example, it’s great to finally have some new songs written. Hopefully we’ll be able to enter the studio in late march to record a new album. So there are just few shows before that to be able to write lyrics/songs, arrange and record some 5 to 6 new songs.
How is progress on the new album coming along?
At the moment we got the instrumental part of two songs almost ready, I already wrote lyrics for two songs and there are 3 more songs ready to be arranged.
What can the audience expect from you at the festival.
Good question. We’ll try to do our best to get the audience to be as quiet as it gets and just enjoy our music. Hopefully they’ll go mad at the right time, though! ;-) I’ve seen Jex Toth some weeks ago – it was amazing how quiet the audience was, while Jessica was fuming the room with her scent-wood in between the songs. Loved the mood of that concert!
What are you looking forward to most at Damnation?
Well actually to finally play the UK again and to meet all the people. I’m also quite curious to meet the guys of Solstafir – we share the backstage room with them. But mostly to go out after the gig and have some beer with the audience and talk.
What is your opinion of the Damnation line-up.
Probably “great” is a good word for it. There are some old heroes playing, there is some cool weird stuff on the billing. I hope we’ll have the time to watch the show of Monarch for example.
Can you sum up Damnation in one sentence!
As I’ve never been there before, it has to be: Our second show ever in the UK.
How would you describe the metal music scene today. What has changed over the last few years?
Did anything change? It’s the same as ever: The old metal wise guys bitching about the youngsters not being Metal anymore.
That’s why I love the doom scene so much! There are guys like that, too. But not that many, I guess. I always say: Remember the days when you were starting out and f***ing stop bitching about the youngsters.
You have 3 German dates in November as the Further North Tour 2014 and your booked to play Dark Easter Metal Meeting in April next year, what other plans do you have for the rest of the year and next?
Well I can’t say anything about the bookings yet, as they aren’t announced. But we already booked flights to one really big festival abroad and some other nice festivals as well. Our plan for 2015 is to do more shows in France and in the UK. Hope that’ll work out, too!
Any message you wish to pass on to the PM readers.
Live slow, die old! ;-) All the best, Chris
Links:
http://www.ahab-doom.de/
https://www.facebook.com/AhabDoom
https://twitter.com/ahab_official
http://ahab.bigcartel.com/
