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Decapitated - Covan

12/02/06 || Global Domination

This interview was done by ex-staffer Fishermane.

Decapitated. Do I really need to introduce this fucking band? Good.

I was lucky enough to see them play twice in the same week, and both shows blew me away. New singer Covan had a great stage presence and was cool enough to let me interview him. I don’t even think he noticed that I was completely inebriated during the whole process. Then again, maybe he was too, since he spent most of the time just checking out my ass. I lie. Regardless, I hate writing intros, so let’s get this shit started and see what new singer/shouter/growler Covan had to say.

So first of all Covan, respect for agreeing to do this interview for Global Domination, bla bla bla…and all the predictable lame intro stuff that we’re all so used to hearing.

Covan: How’s it going man!

Ok, so just to let you know, I’m going to have to ask you a bunch of questions that are typical for an interview, but hopefully we’ll get to some more interesting stuff later on, haha. So first of all, how’s everything? It’s your guys’ first show in Montreal (to my knowledge)... So how’s the weather treating you so far?

You’re so big and I’m so small, haha.

Well that’s not what my girlfriend says. PSYCH!

Well first of all, Montreal is very European. I lived in Kitchener, Ontario for 7 months, and it’s quite “Americanized” over there, especially compared to Quebec. You come here and it’s like European food, European this, European that, so to me, Montreal is really cool. Except the weather does fuck me a bit, it’s too fucking cold haha.

Especially today, it’s like -20 C haha. But aside from that, everything is cool? How about the tour? You’re having a good time?

Yeah, we’re having a great time, the tour’s been great so far. We had a day off yesterday, so we were able to sit back and relax a bit and enjoy the city. We actually did a great deal of “sightseeing”, haha.

Haha, well Montreal does have some great “sights”... Ok, so this is a question that many people have been asking themselves, you being the new singer in Decapitated…

Singer?? Man, I’m the new shouter, I don’t know too much about singing haha…

Ok, fuck singer, shouter is fine with me. But what I’m wondering is did the band require that you be able to sing all the previous Decapitated songs in a fashion comparable to Sauron? Basically, did they want you to sound like Sauron a bit, or just say whatever, you’re the new guy and you can sing however you want to, old song or new…?

When Sauron left, they wanted to try and get to a new level, or a new style of music, so to speak. That’s why when I was in the studio testing my voice,I was thinking of copying Sauron a bit, or not copying, but using him as an influence to record my tracks. For days, they were like “Hey try this” or “No man, that shit sucks” and then we found something quite different, that we are quite pleased with. As for the older material, they were quite supportive and didn’t necessarily oblige me to sound exactly like him. Of course, when we’re playing live, it’s always a plus to sound a bit more like Sauron, especially for the fans haha…

Well I’ll be honest. I heard a new track from you guys, and I wasn’t all that impressed at first. I’m not saying that I didn’t like it, but the vocals sounded too different to me, and I wasn’t feeling it at all. But after seeing you Monday night, I was fucking blown away. Now I go back and listen to that track again and I fucking love it. Coincidence? I think not. And I’m not just saying this to kiss your ass, I really do like your vocals…

Well thanks man! It’s always great to hear positive feedback. You know, it’s not easy trying to fill Sauron’s shoes, he was the fucking king, and I’m just his little pawn, haha. A lot of people are making good comments also, we’ve gotten some pretty good feedback on our live shows so far, but you’ve always got the people who will hate and talk shit no matter what happens, no matter how good I would sound or how hard I tried. So I’m just trying to do my best and look forward. I guess we’ll see when the new album comes out.

Sounds good to me, gotta stay positive and fuck what these people say. I’ve always said if band isn’t moving forward, it’s standing still . So about the music, we all know that the guys have all studied music, and there are a different amount of influences present, like jazz for example. How relevant do you think jazz is in the creation of death metal and should we be expecting to hear more jazz influences in the future?

Well, it would be absolutely wrong to say that jazz doesn’t have some effect on the playing and songwriting of Decapitated. It’s easy for me to comment, but in reality, I’m the vocalist, let alone the NEW vocalist, so I don’t have the most say when it comes to songwriting, haha. But still, death metal or not, you can’t deny good musicianship, and even though you might never mistake Decapitated for Miles Davis or something, studying different kinds of music will have some impact on how one composes.

(NOTE – After Covan’s comments, you can usually hear me on the recording making pointless generic remarks like: “Miles Davis? I love Miles Davis! Har har…” So from now on, unless they’re relevant, they will be omitted. And fuck off again.)

So we all saw this one coming, how about the new album? “Organic Hallucinosis”? I checked it out a bit, because I’m crazy like that, and I found this definition you gave about the album title, that had to do with something like recurring hallucinations, usually auditive or visual, but without a decline in intelligence?

Yeah, well that was in some interview I did for Earache. I didn’t know what the guy wanted to hear, so I gave him a direct dictionary definition, haha! The point is, it’s going to be a bit more psychological, in that perspective, it will have to do a lot more about situations with dreams, drugs and more mental problems like that. It’s a mixture of what I and other people around me have experienced. Sometimes it’s too personal…

I love drugs! And Earache interviews suck anyway, haha. Global Domination rules. All right, comment on these 10 bands:

1-Nile: Great band!

2-Aborted: Another good band.

3-Dark Funeral: Not into black metal that much, but they’re good also.

4-Cynic: Classic old school death metal! Great musicians. “Focus” is an amazing album.

5-The Smiths: The who? The Shits? Sorry there was a steel curtain around my country at that time.

Uh, The Smiths, they’re some old 80’s band from the U.K. that I really like.

Well, can’t say I listen to them much, haha. But one day, if I’m walking my girl through the park, and I need some cheesy 80’s music to accompany us, I’ll remember The Smiths, haha.

6-They’re not cheesy you fuck! Anyhow, At the Gates: Classic Swedish death metal! When I was a kid, I used to check out their gigs.

7-The Project Hate: Hmmm, can’t say I know them, but I HATE the name, har har…

(Don’t we all? A har and another har…)

8-Grave: Another classic Swedish band. “Into the Grave” was an album that changed me in a way.

9-Behemoth: Haha, great POLISH band. Amazing live shows, great guys, I really respect Behemoth… Hard working motherfuckers. Respect to Nergal. He is a machine!

(Yea, not when it comes to answering interviews requests though… Fuck.)

10-Judas Priest: CLASSIC metal band, can’t say I listen to them all that much now, but they did a lot for metal. I remember playing or trying to play some of their songs on my guitar back in my garage days. That was back in elementary school, haha…

Yeah I love Judas Priest, even though Halford came out the closet a few years back.

Someone told me that he is gay? Is that for real?

Yea, he bust down the closet door in the late 90’s I think, I can’t exactly remember when. Kind of puts a different perspective on things when you listen to songs such as “Turbo Lover” and the chorus to “Living After Midnight”, especially when you see him with his leather-clad suits and policeman hats. Still, who cares, he’s a great vocalist.

Yea, haha. I guess you’re right, I think I remember hearing that a few years ago, now that you mention it. But I agree, who cares, Judas Priest are still one of the best metal bands, especially when it comes down to heavy metal. I couldn’t care less as to who you like, as long as you make good music (and leave me out of it, haha).

Alright, if you could smack the shit out of one person, or one band, who would it be and why?

Hmmmmmmm… Too many people to smack, too little time, haha! But seriously, I’m not a really hateful person, so I don’t get myself involved in other people’s business, no matter how fucked they are. It would be easy to say I’d like to smack up a few politicians back home, and maybe a few over here in America haha, but overall, I’m cool with most people.

Ok, so what’s the most fucked up thing you’ve ever done to get laid?

Say something like “Hey baby, why don’t you come in the back of my van so I can grab your titties?” haha… But seriously, I’m just a man like any other man, so I’ll do what I have to do to try and get women. Shit, if I have to be corny and whatnot, send flowers and all that shit, I’ll do it, haha. Nothing too crazy, though.

Alright, back to the band. Do you find a name like Decapitated becomes less and less relevant as the subject matters tend towards different issues like philosophy, and the psychological?

Well, yes in a sense. Still, the band’s name is Decapitated, that’s what it has always been, and that’s what it will always be. Once again, I’m the new guy here, so I can’t just walk in and say: “Alright boys, from now own we’re called Vader’s Slaves!” In a sense, it’s like a brand name, and people recognize that name to represent a certain product, and I agree with that. It’s true that the band will evolve in some ways, whether it comes to the music or the actual lyrics, but I still think Decapitated sounds good. And it represents the music more than anything else, which is brutal fucking metal, so I think it represents us well, haha.

Trust me, I agree 100%. And Decapitated is a great name anyway. No corny wannabe-gore shit, just straight brutality. I love kissing ass. Anyways, do you think boundaries and tradition are a good or a bad thing when creating death metal?

Yes and no. In some ways, if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it. If you have a good formula that works well for the band, stick with it. Still, that isn’t to say that you can’t be open to new ideas, whether it’s death metal or any kind of music. You can’t always stay in the same mind frame because otherwise, you’ll eventually fall into repetition. Once again, as the vocalist, NEW vocalist haha, I don’t have the largest impact when it comes to composing the material. But I do think it is important to stay open, and although there are some “guidelines” that will remain helpful, don’t be afraid to try new things. BE OPEN MINDED!!!

Rate these 10 women on a scale from 1 to 10.

1-Amy Lee from Evanescence: Amy looks good. I’ll give her a 6.

2-Britney Spears: Bla, she gets a 0 (she’s hot but dumb, haha)

3-Beyoncé: Ah, she’s ok. 3.

4-Jessica Simpson: Jessica Simpson? Whatever. 4?

5-Condeleeza Rice: Hmmm, I wonder if she can fit a dick between those teeth? – 666. She’s Satan’s bitch! Look into her eyes and you will see greed and bloodshed.

6-Anna Kournikova: She looks nice. 7. I would like to touch her tra la la.

7-Paris Hilton: Again, hot but dumb. I don’t really go for those kind of women, 2. Money makes people spoiled.

8-Kelly Osbourne: Haha, no comment. I don’t want to deal with her mother.

9-Martha Stewart: Martha who?

10-Nicolas Cage: Haha, as a chick, I’ll give “him” – 666 points. He was good in “Leaving Las Vegas”, though…

So what’s your favorite romantic comedy?

Hmmmm… “Stalingrad”? I really like that movie… I can’t deny it,
I love war movies.

Ok, some personal shit. Give us some sales figures here. If you don’t want to, it’s cool, but we wanna know, how many albums have Decapitated sold?

Haha, I wish I knew… Again, being the new guy, it’s hard to say. But I do hope we’re going to sell a lot now. Buy our new album! Get it in your local pharmacy.

So how’s the future looking for Decapitated? You guys are fresh now, hungry musicians, fresh new singer, or whatever fuck, shouter, so what can we expect from you guys in the next 5-10 years?

Well, it’s hard to say. I wish I could say we’re going to be on top and always make great music, but I don’t like to look too far into the future. I just joined the band fairly recently, and I can guarantee I’m going to do my best, let alone wish the best for the band, but I’m concentrating on what’s happening right now, and that’s what’s important to me. Shit, I could say all kinds of things for the band, then walk outside and get hit by a truck. So fuck it. We’re gonna play great music for now, and hopefully things will go good for us. And hopefully that there be no wars!

So what the fuck’s up with Poland anyway? You guys play some brutal fucking shit – you guys, Behemoth, Vader and there’s more… You guys play brutal fucking death metal but you do it with such class, what the hell is up with that? Incidentally, my best friend’s last name is Kinelski, he’s Polish, and him and his dad are like the 2 last Kinelski’s in N. America, I don’t suppose you’re familiar with the name and have some dirty stories to tell us about them?

Haha, can’t say I can. But if he’s Polish, tell him what’s up. As for
Poland? Well, there’s always been that kind of sound when it comes to death metal. Vader have been around for a LONG time, so they were obviously a huge influence on the band. Behemoth have also been around for a while, and have become more death metal influenced as of recently, so yeah, I guess you could say that we’re on some brutal shit, haha. And hopefully that’s the way we’ll keep it.

Rate these on a scale of 0 to 666:

1-Communism: Communism? Well that’s a tough one. It depends which kind of Communism. Some can be ok (like on paper haha), but other forms of it have been terrible. So I’ll say 444. Marx’s works were cool but it’s too Utopian.

2-Damn commie. Ok, black metal: Once again, it depends. I’m not a huge fan of black metal. Some of it is amazing, and deserves 666, but other bands are shit and deserve 0. I’m into real music, not all this “lifestyle” b.s. that some people seem to take too far.

3-Poland: Ah, Poland’s ok. Some good things, some bad things. A lot of bad things right now with some of the politicians. I’ll say 444, again.

4-Hockey: Hockey? I can’t say – I’m not into hockey at all, haha. Not into sports on tv. Not into games. Maybe just swimming pools…

5- Swimming pools? Wow, that’s metal. Ok, Vince Neil: Vince Neil from Mötley Crüe? I can’t say I listen to much MC either, so no comment, haha. But it seems they are back again.

6-Arnold Schwarzenegger: Arnold is the fucking man! Predator
styles? 666! Governor for life!

7-This interview: It fucking sucks! Nah, I’m kidding, it’s great… 666. And you’re 777!

(Does that include my ass, Covie?)

8-This piece of shit recording used (NOTE – IT’S MY SMALL, THIN, MP3 PLAYER, NOT ALL THAT SEXY): Uh, it’s ok… How much did you pay for that? It looks expensive, ok well not really. It looks like your camera. Piece of crap. Get a new one at Canadian Tire hehe.

You’re a piece of crap. At least my pseudonym doesn’t rhyme with Conan. Nah, I’m just arsing around, you know I love you man…

9-Anyhow, my shirt (ANOTHER FUCKING NOTE: I’M WEARING AT THE GATES, WITH FEAR I KISS THE BURNING DARKNESS LONG SLEEVE. AMAZING): Beautiful fucking shirt! At the Gates! Can I touch it?

10- Capitalism: Oh, capitalism? Another tough one. It depends again. I’m not trying to get all political, but it depends on which form. Competition can be efficient, but not when it’s pure exploitation. It’s a coloured form of communism for me. Lots of slaves working for corporations like Mc Shit, etc…

Great stuff. But on a more serious note now, how about the situation with the war in Iraq? Nah, I’m just kidding, haha… So what’s the most fucked up porn you’ve ever seen?

Hahaha… Hmmm… Well, I did see some film with some chicks fucking pigs with dildos. In the woods. Yeah, chicks fucking these pigs with dildos in the woods. Pretty messed up shit, if you ask me. Our keyboard player made a music track for this one. The title is “Pigs in the Woods”. Great stuff.

Messed up? That’s pretty fucked if you ask me… And sounds like a classic keyboard track. Really, I truly mean that. Anyhow, I know a lot of people seem to be into these German shit-eating movies or whatever, luckily I can’t say I’m one of those.

Shit-eating movies? Haha, that’s fucked. Still, it takes all kinds of
people to make a world. Some people like to eat McDonalds, some people like to eat shit. Whatever. As long as I know I’m not one of them, haha…

Ok, we’re almost done here. So what’s the best/worst question you’ve ever been asked to answer in an interview? (And you can’t say mine unless it’s to say how great they were.)

Hmmmm… Well, I don’t know about interviews, but I have had some pretty fucking stupid ones asked to me after a show. People coming up to me like: “Hey, so now the drummer is the vocalist and you’re playing the drums now! Wow, that’s cool! Rock on, dude!” I swear, people thought that Sauron was on drums and that Vitek was fucking singing. What the fuck?? But it’s funny after all…

Man, that’s fucking funny. Anyway, Covan you’re the fucking man, thanks so much for your time, I really appreciate it. So feel free to give a shout-out to any friends, family or people you want to thank. Also, don’t forget the site Global Domination and all the great staff and people there who helped me create this interview, and don’t forget we’re getting smashed after the show and going to see strippers because the Fishermane said so.

Hahaha, good shit man. So what’s up to everybody at Global Domination, all of Decapitated, and all metalheads! Keep it fucking real and listen to Decapitated! Thanks for the interview man, it was great! Respect to all Decapitated fans throughout the world! Stay GLOBAL!

(THIS IS NOW AN EXERPT OF A ME & VOGG CHATTING IN THE BAR BEFORE THE SHOW. I’M DRUNK, HE’S NOT.)

So Voggman, how’s Montreal treating you? I hope you guys are having a good time.

Yea, Montreal is great. We’ve been here for a little bit, and we’re
enjoying the city. Yesterday we relaxed a bit, we went to a strip club haha. Good times.

Yea, Covan told me about the “sightseeing”, haha. Great city, I admit. So about the women?

Haha, great women. Seriously. It’s fun because the city is very European, so we can enjoy ourselves here. Not to say that the other cities aren’t enjoyable, but Montreal is great. We really feel at home here, in a sense. And beautiful women.

Ha, that’s what I try to tell everybody. So how’s the tour been going, I’m just drunk here rambling on, but I hope it’s going good.

Yea, it’s great. I love playing on stage. Some guy came to see me, and said that he had been watching me play non-stop for like 2 hours, so that’s a great compliment. It’s very gratifying to hear that from somebody who’s really into the band, it really motivates me to play more. Like tonight!

(At this point some drunk guy walks up and starts talking to us. He mentions to Vogg how much of a god Vogg is and that every time he sees him play all he wants to do is go back home and practice more, bla bla… fucking bla… I order more beer)

Haha, thanks man. I just try my best. Drink beer and smoke a little weed when I can, haha. And yeah, I’m 24 now, and have been playing since I was pretty young. I was 17, I think, when we recorded the first album. Like I said, I always enjoy hearing what he fans have to say, since we’re really here for them. It’s really all about the music.

Anyhow, I’ll let you do your thing now, since we seem to be attracting a large amount of attention with my suspicious little MP3 player/recorder. But thanks again for your time, good luck with the show tonight, like you guys need it haha, and give a shout out to whoever you want man. Don’t forget the Fishermane & Global Domination.

Well thanks for everything man! We love touring here, visiting America! The beer is great, and so are the women. So thanks to all the fans, we appreciate the support, and thanks to Global Domination for the support! Fuck yeah, Global Domination!

Interviews