Spell Nattas backwards!

NATTAS is one Hell of a band! A Black/Thrash metal act from Sweden created several years ago. Their aim to claim world dominance though started in 1999. Two demos were recorded before the first line-up change (of the ’New NATTAS’) took place. Nick Nightmare out - Darkwing in.

NATTAS are playing classic Black metal. Venom-ish, people claim. Raw, basic Heavy Metal with a rock’n’roll touch (compared to Entombed as well), but guitarman Darkwing, is a true powermetal-freak, so the mixture of it is quite amazing...

NATTAS have appeared on two compilations so far: Metal Reigns Supreme’ released by Majestic Union Records and ’Beloved Apocalypse’ that is attached to the upcoming issue of Vampiria magazine.

NATTAS have done some rehearsals lately, and recorded the new song ’Salvation’, with ex-Undercroft-guitarist Koke. This might be the beginning of NATTAS Mk5!

NATTAS are currently being promoted by Dragonia Promotions and plans are being made for an upcoming shorter european tour. Hopefully that will happen...

interview with Ed on 22-8-2002

Please give us a short introduction of yourself?
I am Ed, bassplayer of NATTAS. A swedish Black/Thrash-band set for world domination (somehow, sometime).

Describe your fellow bandmembers in a friendly way?
It is really hard to be friendly speaking of those... Well, there’s Mickey doing the vocals. He once described himself as an “oral meatgrinder” and I think that is quite suitable, actually. Helvetet, our drummer, is the definitive metaldrummer, and Darkwing is truelly a great guitarist. That he once played supportact to EUROPE isn’t something you can hold aginst him. He was young.

What does the name Nattas mean? Is it Satan spelled backwards?
No. It’s SATTAN spelled backwards!

How would you describe your music? Who should be interested?
We regard ourselves as a Black/Thrash-band, but it seems as if everyone has a different view on NATTAS. We’ve heard it all: Powermetal with brutal vocals, Death’n’Roll and so on. I think everyone should be interested of course since that is the best for the band, but I believe that if you are into simple, brutal music with a touch of melodies, we are the band! Note that with simple I don’t mean naive, badly played music. I mean it is easy-accessable! We have been compared to VENOM (of course), ENTOMBED, DISSECTION, MERCYFUL FATE and CARCASS in the past and that might give a clue.

Try to write down the sound to explain to deaf people?
KRHSSIIILLLLLLLAMMMMMMMLAADB (and on top of that: SATAN-SATAN-SATAN)!

Do you remember when you heard metal for the first time? What did you do in those days?
I think I was building LEGO when my sister played a BLACK SABBATH-album. That really changed my world.

Can you also remember some of the bands? Still follow or listening to them?
BLACK SABBATH will always be the best band in the world! Those albums still spin around a lot in my home.

What bands are the founders of the birth of Nattas?
See above. But of course, if it wasn’t for VENOM, NATTAS wouldn’t exist! Listening to them for the first time made me realise what I was supposed to do musically. The raw power, the blasphemy... They were, and still is, a big inspiration to us.

How fanatic do you follow the metal scene?
Not that much, really. I listen to a lot of music, but I don’t buy every number of Metal Hammer or Kerrang to see what is hip today. Unfortunately the “hip-factor” is really all you see when it comes to the big medias report on the metal-scene. Therefore: More underground-fanatics like you!

Do you try to support other bands as well or just your own?
I think we have a good relation to other bands. I really enjoy listening to others, and especially if I am given something just based on the fact that I play in NATTAS, that people are interested in what I think about their music, that is really cool.

What do you do to support BRUTALISM?
I wear my BRUTALISM-shirt as often as I can! You know that! We also have linked to you under the section “Necessities”. I think everybody need to check this site out.

Are there bands you cooperate with to reach a bigger audience?
No. Unless you regard compilation-CD’s as a cooperation.

Which was your favorit ABBA person? And why?
I never really cared that much for ABBA back then. They meant a lot for the musicscene (both in Sweden and internationally) but at that time KISS were more interesting for me. Agnetha, though, once was voted to have “the best rear end in the musicindustry” so I guess I’ll go with her.

Besides ABBA where is Sweden best known for?
I guess that would be Björn Borg, Ingemar Stenmark and “The Swedish Sin”! Which of those I prefer? You guess...

Did you ever thought of finding a sponsor for the band like in sport?
That would be cool. To get an endorser like EBS, Laney or Marshall would really help things up. But if you get sponsored by the local sausagefactory I guess it could suck big-time as well...

How difficult is it to finance the band? What do you do for a living?
We all have to do our share of work, and some of us have really odd-hours (the graveyard-shift, you know) so it is actually harder to get together at a regular basis than to finance the band. But at the same time I guess that if we had an unlimited ammount of money we would be extremely famous and successful by now. That is kind of sad!

What is your opinion about sillicon tits?
Tough question! I am pro-tits! I think tits in all shapes and varieties are good tits, therefore I must say OK to silicon ones as well.

Did you ever tried to wear a bra? What did you felt?
Hmmm... We’re not MARILYN MANSON! We are NATTAS!

What were the hard times for the band in the past?
I think the toughest time for this band was when Helvetet broke his arm and collarbone at the same time our former guitarist quit the band. We had to introduce Darkwing to the mysteries of NATTAS using a drummachine that for some stupid reason couldn’t play!

In what direction will Nattas develop? More technical? More extreme?
Hard to tell. The whole idea with much of the more technical metal seems to be to show off how good you are on your specific instrument. We know that we can play and goes for the song instead. The NATTAS-feeling is what is most important to us. If a song feels right we’ll use it, whether it’s technical, symphonic or just plain thrash!

How would you like to see the future for the band?
I would really like to see a full-length-CD on a label who can promote it, together with a massive european tour. If not, it would be cool if anyone could use our guestbook. It is almost embarrasingly empty...

If you buy beer, is it a sixpack or more?
Definitely more. A six-pack only makes you go to the bathroom. I’m off to the floor!

Five words to promote the band?
We are NATTAS, get it!

Last rites?
A big thanks to you, Twan, and as always: Release the Plague!