Terdor (Netherlands) 11/03/2014

My first contact with Terdor was made with their latest album, Levi II, an album that it caught my attention almost immediately. Terdor come from the Netherlands and the information that someone can find on the internet about them is very few. So this was a very good opportunity to talk with Lafawijn, the singer and the one responsible for the lyrics of the band in order to get that information. I also thank Hass Weg Productions which made the contact possible and helped with the realization of this interview.

1. Hails Lafawijn. Thanks for the interview. You are active since 2005 but I got to know the band by your last release Levi II. Do you want to give me some information about the band and your journey until today? What does Terdor mean and how did you come up with it?

Lafawijn: Terdor is a Dutch Black Metal band founded in 2005. The line-up has been, is and always will be just Elshschappij Tovenaere (instruments) and Lafawijn (vocals). During the early years of Terdor our songs were focused on war themes, hence our slogans, “No Peace for our time!” and “It’s not just music with war lyrics but the war within the music!”, that we still use today on our releases. During 2005 our first demo, called “The combat action of 5 October 1944”, was released by my own label Lafawijn Records (RIP) as 152 tapes. In 2007 this demo is re-released by War Flaggelation Records from Portugal as 300 tapes and by Wolfsvuur Records from The Netherlands as 100 tapes and 48 CD-Rs bringing the total amount of this release at 600 copies. Of note, all editions have different artwork. During the years after the release of our first demo we worked hard on new songs for the first full length album. This album named “Axis Panzerzug anno November 1942” was finally unleashed in 2008 by Thor’s Hammer Records from France as 500 CDs and by Krieg Distro & Productions from Brasil as 333 tapes. Almost simultaneously a split album with Gheestenland was released by Wolfsvuur records as 250 tapes. In 2010 the war inspired period of Terdor was finished with the release of the 7” EP named “No peace for our time!” by Negra Nit Distro from Spain, limited to 525 copies. With a different approach, both lyrically and musically we started working on our second full length album, titled “Levi”. This album was released as a co-release by Negra Nit Distro and Stunde Des Ideals from Germany as 1000 CDs and 250 digi-CDs. Our latest album, titled “Levi II” was released in 2013 by Pesttanz Klangschmiede and Hass Weg Productions from Germany and France as a CD (1000 copies) and LP (474 copies). When you separate our band name into two words “Ter dor” it means ‘Being in Pain’ in Portuguese, which describes the emotions expressed both vocally and musically. But when you combine the words into one word: Terdor. It has no literal meaning. It is the name of our band and therefore it has no meaning it is just our name. There is only one thing in the world that is called Terdor and that is our band!

2. The one of you is responsible for all the music while the other is responsible for the lyrics. Is that correct? Which of the two is the first to be written?

Lafawijn: The music is always the first thing to be written. Only when listening to the music the lyrics that fit the music can be written.

3. Your music is full of hatred and violence, a very good approach to present war in my opinion. Do you want to tell me how do you get inspired to write music?

Lafawijn: Both Elshschappij Tovenaere and I are fanatic music listeners and at some point I think most music fans experience the need to create their own music. We developed ideas about how we think Black Metal should sound and we put all our ideas into Terdor. As time is passing by also our ideas about Terdor are changing, therefore each new album of Terdor is different from the one before.

4. Judging by the artwork of the cd, I was expecting an epic – pagan band but your music has nothing to do with that. It is war. Do you want to tell me which bands or music genres do you think that have influenced your music?

Lafawijn: We try to create our own sound without sounding as hundreds of others bands are sounding. So our main influence is Terdor itself, we try to compose music that we feel is suitable for Terdor. But of course our fundaments lie within Black Metal, some bands that inspired us both a lot, especially during the early days of Terdor are: Nargaroth, Marduk, Mayhem, Burzum, Cirith Gorgor, Bilskirnir, Nokturnal Mortum and Cradle Of Filth. I want to add that most people dislike Cradle Of Filth these days, but there are few bands that are both musically and lyrically so well developed as Cradle Of Filth.

5. Also your lyrics speak about war. Do you want to tell me more about your lyrics and your passion for wars and obviously for history?

Lafawijn: The first five years (2005 – 2010) all our lyrics were one way or another war themed. Yet, during our latest two albums the scope of our lyrics changed. War is still present in our lyrics but not so ‘in your face’ as it used to be. The lyrics of our latest albums are mostly classic horror stories. I won’t go into detail about the different songs, lyrics are available in the booklets of the albums and I believe they are easy to understand.

6. Some months have passed since the release of Levi II so at the moment you should have an image of the impact of your album to people. Was the feedback of the fans and the press what you expected? Are you satisfied?

Lafawijn: So far all reviews are positive, but this is not very important for us. What you think about an album is very personal. For one person a certain album can be the best album ever made and that same album can sound like total crap to another person.

7. Have you begun to write material for your next release? Will it be another full length? When do you plan to have it prepared for release?

Lafawijn: Currently we are writing the fourth full length album but at this stage I cannot say when it will be released.

8. I think that you don’t play live. This happens because of the lack of a full formation or it is your attitude to Black Metal?

Lafawijn: Terdor has never played live and it is not likely that we will ever do so. The most important reason is obvious; we are a two-man band. But we also do not feel the need to perform as a live band.

9. This is the first time you cooperate with Hass Weg Productions. Are you satisfied by their support and promotion? Do you want to continue this cooperation with them also for your next release?

Lafawijn: Since Terdor was formed we have released material through 11 different labels. So you might say that we have some experience with underground labels. And I can say that both Pesttanz Klangschmiede as well as Hass Weg Productions are both great underground Black Metal labels that fully deserve our respect. I hope that one way or another we will be working together again in the future.

10. You come from the Netherlands, a country with a not so big but historic Black scene with serious and devoted bands. What is your opinion about the Dutch Black Metal scene? Are you in contact or cooperation with any bands from there? Are there any bands that you support and you want to suggest me?

Lafawijn: The Dutch Black Metal scene (NLBM scene) might not be a very large scene yet I think it is a very good and devoted scene. The NLBM scene is highly connected and most bands support each other. It is a highly underestimated scene, just to name a few examples of the great NLBM scene: Cirith Gorgor, Fluisterwoud, Urfaust, Sauron, Carach Angren, Liar Of Golgotha, Funeral Winds, Infinity, Haatstrijd, Haat, Galgeras, Mordaehoth, Cultus, Gheestenland, Salacious Gods, Lugubre, Yaotzin, Laster and Walpurgisnacht.

11. Do you want to sum up your near future plans and add anything to end this interview?

Lafawijn: We hope to release a new album in the (not so) near future and we would like to thank you for your support.

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