- Greetings Navnløs! Thank you for taking the time to do this interview with Barbarian Skull! Please tell us about the formation and history of Utstøtt. The band name means “outsider” in Norwegian, why did you choose this name?Thank you for choosing me to interview! I am honored to be one of the first. I formed Utstøtt almost exactly two years ago shortly after becoming immensely interested in the music and musical formats of one member Black Metal projects like Burzum, early Windir, Valtyr, Striborg, etc. I had previously been writing material that took a drastically different approach from the previous group I was in, and the timing of my writing with my utter fascination with single member projects lined up perfectly. Shortly after, I compiled assorted riffs into a roughly recorded four song EP. At first, I was going to theme the music around nature, but I began researching norse paganism, and realized I had so much inspiration to write from when using norse history and mythology. I would say that Utstøtt was fully started in that moment. I chose the name because at the time, I hadn’t had much exposure to Black Metal or norse themes due to growing up around others who were disinterested in such things. I felt that “Outsider” was a fitting title to describe my tastes in contrast to my peers around me.
- You have listed Windir, Summoning, and Caladan Brood as your primary influences for the project (all of these bands are regarded with the highest respect here at Barbarian Skull!). What other music (metal and otherwise) inspires you to compose for Utstøtt?Well, before I go off on many tangents, I think it’s crucial to say that Enslaved, Kampfar, and Thorns had a massive impact on my early composition as well as my current writing (Thorns being a bit of an outlier.) There are a plethora of bands that weave Black Metal and other amazing elements together, such as Evilfeast, ColdWorld, Elffor, and so on. Of course, I take inspiration from other genres and artists. Edvard Grieg is one of my favorite composers, shortly followed by Arvo Part, who writes beautiful, haunting minimalist orchestrations and vocal pieces. Author & Punisher has been an obsession for a while, as well as acts like Off the Beaten Tracks, Vali, Tenhi, and a few others. My taste has definitely broadened since the earlier days when I spent most of my time listening to Immortal and Enslaved, thinking that those two bands were the pinnacle of music (Early Enslaved comes close.)
- Your first release “Legender Odin” was very well received among underground epic Metal circles. From what I understand, the EP was released on cassette. Who released the tape, and do you believe it will ever be re-pressed?Infernal Kommando initially released the EP on tape, but there seemed to have been a bit of a fluke between the label and I, because many people didn’t receive their copies until much later. I ended up dubbing a very small amount myself and tried to divy those out amongst fans, with degrees of varying success. I would love to repress the EP, as it was a fantastic point for me musically. I believe there are plans in the works to reissue the EP as a CD with special packaging, and perhaps some covers. Of course, the full length takes priority when it comes to releases and reissues.
- Your first full length album “Hjørungavågr” features over one hour of music, and includes several guest musicians. As a solo project, how was your experience working with other musicians? Do you plan on featuring guest musicians on feature albums?
- I actually truly enjoyed working with Cavan, Aodan, and Jake for their contributions. I’ve become pretty close friends with both Cavan and Jake over a year or so, and I’ve known Aodan well since the beginnings of high school, so it all went very smoothly, and I felt comfortable letting them stylize their parts as they wanted, since they are all not only good friends, but brilliant musicians. I don’t know if I plan to feature guest musicians again, though I certainly will should pieces of writing require others like Hjørungavågr did. I honestly came into writing the album with the thought in mind that I wouldn’t need guest work, but as I wrote more of the album, it became apparent that certain sections would definitely need the chosen musicians to work well. I’m very glad all the musicians so readily helped and contributed, and I owe them a serious service for the hard work they all put in.
- Hjørungavågr is a concept album based around the battle of the same name between the heathen king Haakon Sigurdsson of Norway and the legendary Jomsvikings. Why did you choose this particular battle for the album’s concept?I chose the battle mainly because from my research and knowledge, this was the battle that split Norway and Denmark completely. It baffles me to this day that this isn’t general knowledge, as it holds a similar significance to events in history like the American civil war or the numerous scottish attempts to fight for independence from Britain. As battles go, it’s not only an interesting, bloody battle with a fantastic outcome, but a battle that shaped scandinavia as we know it today. Reading about his battle as one of the last great revolts against christianity, it’s hard not to ask why this battle isn’t held in higher regard. If I can do something to shed light on this great historical event, I will, even if only through song. While I covered the battle as best I could throughout the album, I implore listeners and readers to research this battle further as there is a wealth of information about the reasons for the battle, and the aftermath of the conflict.
- The album also features a religious aspect and tells the story of a pagan warrior’s death and entrance into Folkvang. As you may already be aware, Barbarian Skull is very much a supporter of the ‘old way’. In particular, the lyrics from the album “Pagan lands of fjords and mountains, honorbound by old tradition” are extremely powerful for me personally and speak volumes about the values that I hold dear. What do you admire most about the religion of the Germanic tribes? How do you feel about the rise of heathen groups and followers?I have a great admiration for the Germanic religions. I feel that the usage of religion and mythology taught them honor, responsibility, and gave them a sense of community from a very early age. The pagans of Europe were a hardworking, hardy people with a great sense of pride and honor, which has sadly depreciated over time. While I hold many facets of the ancient Germanic cultures in high regard, I would have to say what I respect most is their view of death. I believe that today’s society has a horribly skewed idea and image of death. Its weight has become a matter of perspective. I love that the mythology put honor in death, but didn’t hold it to an unrealistic standard. It seemed that in the times of paganism within Europe, the life of an enemy held just as much importance as the life of an ally. When in battle, the norse used to bend the swords of their enemies in respect so that the blade too could pass on to the afterlife to stay with the slaughtered foe. They valued the process of death regardless of moral standing. Mourning was a swift, but honor-filled tradition, and the culture viewed it as a part of life. It’s unfortunate to think that death is so objective now. people dwell on death and hardship now, letting it consume life for a period of time, and I respect most that the pagans of Europe had the honor and fortitude to pay tribute to the dead respectfully, and move on. Today, we mourn the loss of one, when thousands die every day. The Norse valued life equally, as they did death. In terms of my feeling towards the rise of paganism and heathen groups, I am conflicted. On one side, it’s fantastic that people are gaining reverence for a long lost culture and set of mythologies, and I’m glad people are looking back to their ancestral roots. However, and I may receive negativity for this, the sad truth of the matter is that there are those who listen to a Tyr album, believe they’re pagan for simply knowing some of the mythology, don a Mjolnir, and adopt pseudo-pagan practices because they believe it’s cool and different to do so. Being an Amon Amarth fan does not make you an Odinist. A great interest and deep respect comes not from limited knowledge and interest through bands, but from research, ancestral roots, and practices. I don’t even consider myself a pagan simply because I haven’t done nearly enough to define myself as such. However, I am completely for those people who take it seriously.
- Aside from the great subject matter, Utstøtt’s music takes the listener through a metallic storm of atmosphere that ranges from pride and victory to sorrow and loss. What is the most important thing that you wish to express with your music?I would say that for the most part, I try to express a more complete range of emotion through the music I create. The modern world thinks of sorrow and loss as ugly things that should never see the light of day, but what most people don’t realize is the capacity for beauty during unpleasant times. I find the emphasis of happiness currently to be overwhelming. Popular music tries to mask depression, sorrow, and isolation as if they never happen, but what I’ve always found to be more engaging is having a balance of sorrow and happiness in music. Classical composers spent their entire careers trying to find that balance. Take Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata” or Grieg’s “Peer Gynt”. These pieces are not limited to a single emotion, but instead, through the brilliant writing and emphasis on dynamic atmosphere, the music can shift easily from happiness, to sadness, confusion, mystery, and back to triumphant hope all while steadfastly creating beautiful melodies, harmonies, and atmospheres. I suppose in a way, I’m trying to meagerly recreate some of that lost quality in music. To give credit where it’s due, Black Metal is one of my favorite genres for emphasizing the beauty in despair and darkness. I find that Black Metal is a great vessel to convey that very emphasis.
- You recently announced that your album will be released by the label Celestial Oak Productions. How were you put in contact with the label? Will future albums also be handled by Celestial Oak?I’ve known the label owner for a few years now, and when he first released an artist through the label, I was blown away by the label’s professionalism and quality toward the album. I haven’t discussed it with Celestial Oak, but I would love to keep releases for this specific project through the label if allowed to do so.
- While there are many bands that play the “Viking Metal” style, many of them only loosely entertain generic themes gathered from pre-Christian Germanic culture and religion. Utstøtt is a band that explores these themes further by creating music based on real history and Nordic lore. What can we expect for the future of Utstøtt? Do you have any ideas planned that you are willing to reveal regarding themes/concepts for upcoming albums?I can’t say I’m sure about the future of the project, to be honest. Inspiration hasn’t struck in quite a while. That being said, I have no plans to stop Utstøtt, since I still have a great respect and interest in the subject matter. One theme I have recently become interested in is the lore regarding Járnviðr. It has a great potential for interesting and engaging darker subject matter. Should I gain some musical inspiration, I could definitely see myself writing about that section of the lore.
- Thank you Navnløs for taking the time to answer this interview, and for honoring the gods! Any last words are yours!I owe a great amount to those who have stayed listening to Utstøtt, so I thank all those who have downloaded, purchased, and spread the music. More importantly than supporting Utstøtt, listen to and support this genre in general. It stays strong because dedicated listeners and fans choose to keep it strong. Thank you for the interview!
- Aside from the great subject matter, Utstøtt’s music takes the listener through a metallic storm of atmosphere that ranges from pride and victory to sorrow and loss. What is the most important thing that you wish to express with your music?
- Your first release “Legender Odin” was very well received among underground epic Metal circles. From what I understand, the EP was released on cassette. Who released the tape, and do you believe it will ever be re-pressed?
