Albert Witchfinder, ahead of the release of the bands new album "Crush The Insects" spoke about the direction the album takes and what 2005 will hold for the Nordic Doom merchants.

Hello Albert, how are things with you and the rest of the band?

Hmmm...Well it is easier to start by saying that things with the band are very well when it comes to how we are getting on right now. People seem to wait for our new album and the single has been successful too. I haven't seen other guys for a while so I don't know how they are doing. We are very rarely in touch with each other. I guess Peter is very busy with his job and Void is probably doing thousand things at the same time as always.

When it comes to me...I feel strange to say that I feel very well. I have been down and sick most of my life, but right now I feel I have overcome something. The major depression for a while again. And I actually enjoy the days I am living now. The album has not been released yet Julian. Only the promos are out. So I don't know about the reaction yet. Surely I have heard some comments from some journalists and few friends who have heard it and so on. At least they seem to like it. It will be out next month. I am curious to see how it will be taken....

What is the significance behind the album title, “Crush the Insects”? Is there a profound meaning behind the title?

There are many various meanings…It could mean to crush the whole human race...or maybe only the "enemies" we have. In that cover concept it means to crush those (innocent people who have been accused to be) witches.

I was going to ask you about the cover concept later in the interview, but as you have brought it up. The band has used Francisco de Goya, as cover artwork in the past. Where does the artwork that adorns the cover of “Crush the Insects” originate? How did you decide upon this painting?

I found this painting years ago in one book which I have. No one seems to know the artist. It is just a cheap illustration, but I felt it would match perfectly with our second demo that was meant to be titled "Crush the Insects". Well, we never had to do that second demo.... I guess even before I had decided the cover for our debut album I knew the second album would be "Crush the Insects" and bear this piece of "art". It just felt right. I was looking for...actually hunting, for the picture for all these years. Then when we were finishing the Crush session I found it in one archive. You can imagine how happy I was!

I can only imagine! Imagery appears very important to the band, both in terms of the look of the band and the artwork associated with the albums thus far. Would you say the imagery of Reverend Bizarre is an important part of the band?

Of course...I know exactly how all the cover art and other visuals have to be. I control everything. But I don't know about the look of the band. At least I look just stupid in most of the pictures....Void and Peter look pretty good, but they are always the same and I am always changing.  But yes, visual side is very important for us and especially for me. And it should be more important for other bands too. Some great albums have horrible covers. Don't ask any examples now though....

It was recorded last December/January in Red House studio here in Turku. We have done most of our recordings there. The sessions took about 2+4 weeks.

It does not feel alien, but our sessions are always so hard and stressing that I don't enjoy them. If we would have more time to get really relaxed and easy atmosphere it would be different. But the problem is also us, the people involved in the whole process. The sessions are especially hard for me as I have this extras pressure being the major song writer and my vision is so clear about how things should be that it is a struggle to try to reach for this....But I do enjoy studio work more than playing live. Mostly.

Sometimes it is hard...sometimes easy...But as we don't jam our songs or write them together it is not such a big deal if we have sometimes some problems. We just kind of "work". We concentrate in recording and gigs and that is all. All the other time everyone lives their own lives. Right now I have only good things to say about other guys as we have had a long break. But when we have to be more than two days together it can become ugly. We are all SO different from each other. Everything in us is different. The ways of life, ideological things, social circles.... only thing that we all share is the passion for really heavy Doom Metal!

That brings me onto my next question nicely. Musically “Crush the Insects” is quite a change in direction from that of “Rectory”. The album has an almost NWOBHM feel about it; was this change of direction and intentional one and if so what factors lead to the band wanting to change your sound for this release?

It was intention and actually it is something we planned already before we recorded "Rectory". We decided to put faster songs to our second album. You see we had some of these songs ready back then. So in our case it is not case of evolution but long term planning.

Given that the whole concept for the album was planned long in advance of the recording, how pleased were you with the finished album? Are there any aspects you would change if you had the opportunity?

This is a question I should not answer, as I am never pleased with anything I do. Never.  Ok, this time we got very very close to what I wanted to achieve. And I am pleased with all the songs.  And most of the playing too. Even the vocals are pretty good. There are just few arrangement things we had to change because of some trouble with the sounds and maybe some mixing that I would like to change. Maybe I am more pleased than I have been after other things we have done, but still I can't listen to this....

The fact that I hear the songs in my head just as they should be. On the CD or vinyl there are always some little details bit wrong. And I don't enjoy my own voice and such....sometimes I like to listen to some songs when I am drunk. Then I am always a bit surprised...Oh this was this good. So sometimes I even hear things that are not there.

As the chief writer of the bands lyrics, what influence’s did you take into the writing / recording of “Crush the Insects”?

This time it was less personal. "Harbinger" had some real thoughts of mine but this time it was more fictional. This is also lighter album lyrically because of this. It is hard to say too much about the themes. The lyrics are so simple that everyone can see and hear him or herself what they are about. Of course there are some hidden meanings and discourses too as always, but I don't want to reveal

them and there is one VERY personal song included. Peter's songs, Cromwell and Council of Ten are more like historical and horror themed. Same as my Devil Rides Out.

Given the success of “Rectory”, did you feel there was any pressure when it came time to record “Crush the Insects”? Did you also not feel it was a calculated risk to change the bands sound from a winning formula?

I really don't think about anything else but our purpose to reach for our own vision. Always. So it really does not matter how successful or hated something we have done is. We will still do the things in our own way. Still, I perhaps felt bit of pressure to know that this will be our official second album after all these years. I wanted to do it perfect for us. We always try to reach perfection in a way we feel it, but this time it gave us bit pressure. Harbinger was "just" something in between.

They never tell us to do anything in their way. We have total freedom. Of course if we would record something they don't like they might not release it but so far so good. I have a feeling they are happy that we change a bit all the time. I would not sign a deal where I am not able to control things as I want.

“Crush the Insects” is the second release on Spikefarm Records. Knowing the problems the band has had with records labels in the past, how is the relationship with Spikefarm working out?

Perfect! They also released "Rectory" again with full length bonus disc so actually "Crush" is the third release. So far we are very happy for how things have gone. We trust them and I think they trust as too. We are hard working band with serious plans. And still enough madness inside to get the vibes right. Or wrong.

I'd like to go back to a point you raised earlier in the interview if that would be OK? You mentioned that the band has a number of future releases already pre-planned. To what detail do you plan ahead; are songs written, titles decided or themes agreed?

Ok...well if I say to you we have at least to some point planned all our album releases would you believe? Well, it is true. I have written all the songs for the next album...some of them date back to time before we recorded our debut. Then we have all written songs for fourth album...and I know what kind of album the fifth one must be. I have some song titles for that, but I have decided not to write anything yet. It must be tabula rasa. And when it comes to other songs that come to us we can always do EPs and splits. But we have all the album titles ready...most of there song titles and even the songs.... Now we just have to rehearse them and record them and write some lyrics and so on..

Is that how you came to release the 'Harbinger of Metal' EP, as the songs did not fit within the overall Reverend Bizarre album plan?

Yes! Exactly!!!! We wanted to do that for Spikefarm before the real album just to get those songs out and done. But "Harbinger" is an important release for us

I understand. The band have made no secret of the fact that you don’t enjoy touring, are there any plans to tour in support of “Crush the Insects”? What is it about touring that you dislike?

Well things have changed a bit. I like touring more now. We have had some good experiences. But as I told you it can get ugly when we are too much with each other and tours are also very hard with the budget we have. I don't think there will be a real Crush the Insects tour, but we will go to USA for few shows and in autumn we will play at least three gigs in Europe. Day after tomorrow we will play with Mirror of Deception and Count Raven here in Finland. And second gig on Saturday. I like gigs bit more nowadays but I am still not so fond of that part of making music. It is too stressing. So much to do just for the "pleasure" to play your old songs that feel boring. Maybe if I could only sing it would be more fun. Then I would have slight break and I would not have to worry about the tuning and so on.

Nonetheless being on a bill with Mirror of Deception and Count Raven must be a big thrill?

Well, for sure Count Raven is important band for the Doom scene and whole genre, so it is great to have this possibility to play with them and well, Mirror guys are our friends! I am very happy to see them again! And also to see Fred from Thee Plague of Gentlemen too. It will be great.

On the subject of Doom Metal. The genre has recently gone through somewhat of a resurgence in popularity. How do you view the overall scene and Reverend Bizarre’s place in it?

The scene seems to be healthy right now. I mean the "traditional" Doom Metal scene. I really don't care about that other scene these other guys have, except that I like bands like Bunkur and Moss who are not whining nerds and even Swallow the Sun who represent softer side.... I guess we have that little spot for ourselves in the map of world's Doom now. I am happy to stand there.

Well that's about all of my questions. Before we sign off is there a final message to your fans?

Oh, that went fast....well well well...What could I say. Check out our latest releases and keep your eyes open for some bit more underground things that are coming soon and as always take care and control!