Each week during this summer we will post one previously unreleased Törment song here for your listening pleasure. Thus The Summer of True Metal has begun. Along with the songs we will publish lyrics and in-depth background stories.Keep them comments coming and please vote for your favourite Törment song in the comment box below!

Click to play The Kraken

The Kraken Remembered – An Exclusive Interview with Killer

By Vanessa Warhead

Kraken, the Kraken, friend foe or vessel? … And how do we pronounce it?

He’s feared by mariners, scuba divers and astronauts alike. He dwells in the sea but comes from space. Apart from being huge beyond human reckoning, he is also part squid and part polypi, with a touch of genius! His powers of mind control surpass even those of the Jedi masters, and once, in a chess game with Yoda, the little fellah came up short. About the true nature of his intentions there has been much debate, and opinions about his political aspirations fill seven volumes at the Köngeliches Bibliteches den Haaargh in Den Haaargh, Holland. In recent years, a rogue conglomerate of academics have formed the theory that Kraken is in fact a vessel. Is Kraken good or evil and will he float? We can’t answer that, but one thing’s for sure. Size does matter.

 

I recently hooked up with the man behind the Törment classic to ask him a few questions about the creation of the song.

Vanessa: I am very happy you could find the time to see me. I know you have a quite busy schedule.

Killer: Ja, wir are being real busy right now.. in attempt to make der reconstruction of lost recordings for 1987 hair metal album “Kaltes Nacht, Heiser Würstchen”. Original recording war lost in die explosion of studio, hech hech! Wir are using der neues technologie und auch our memory … it’s not easy.

Vanessa: How do you feel about Boa quitting the band?

Killer: Sad, but also strong. Strong und sad.

Vanessa: I see…

Killer: You don’t really… Der strength ist in die numbers … und auch in der Stahl!

Vanessa: OK … I want to ask you about the writing of your classic song “The Kraken”. You wrote it pretty much on your own, right?

Killer: True! I make das sketchen auf die electro-lute back in Schwarzdorf … Und dann I was meeting up with poet for making of introductory poetry … Alfred hast by die wörter gecharged. Das war nicht cheap, I tell you, hech, hech!I was having dieser vision of how I could like das song to be und I try to describe to Alfred … Lots of die tentaklen und einer gloomy mood … how to describe … fishy! Fishy, wet gloom … und auch das doom, of course! Lots of doom … und then we add water! He did great job, der Alfred! Grossartig! You know, Kraken ist being die enemy of der mankind! He hast been sitting at sea-floor seit always …und always watching und waiting, waiting und watching … excercizing und controlling us from the Deep. Und das war die feelings I try to create. Timeless schreck und mind-control.

Vanessa: What about the rest of the lyrics?

Killer: Well, I do some, Scream do some. Ist alles happy metal melting pot. For an example: I say off top of das kopf: “Kill! Kill!” … und Scream kommt with die great rhymes like … Will, steel or smell! … Or bill! That part is easy! Und great fun!

 

Vanessa: When did you record the song?

Killer: Ach… Ich glaube es war 2005. Das previous recording from vieleicht 1987 was lost. I believe O.J. pawned only copy for half a bottle of schnapps, ja? Hech, hech! This time we all went out to Seidenburg, at the Long Lake shoreline… Studio Götterdämmerung – It means in Englisch, Dam of the Gods… Or Damn The Goths…I don’t know for sure.. These things are difficult. Language und stuff.. You bist with das studio familiar?

Vanessa: No, not really…

Killer: Well, I tell you, it’s something else! Im mitte of forest, on top of das hill. Big place… Scream used to doing work there, so we get die studio time for peanuts. Hech, hech! … But das recording equipment was really crappy … Not tight at all.

Vanessa: What was the band lineup at that time?

Killer: Me on lead guitar, Scream auf die screams und das singing, Rostock on backing vocals, O.J. on das bass, Boa on die kettles, und of course Gölem was there, too. This was before he left for das Icy Wasteland. He did a great job with vocals and additional guitar-tracks… His anger really shows on das final mix. The recording ist raw und strong … just the way we are liking it!

Vanessa: Any closing comments to your fans out there?

Killer: Ja! Stay strong und healthy! Build up your characters with das metal music und weights! Stay true, stay real, stay metal! … Stay hungry! Drink beer, not wine! Don’t whine! Stay strong … keep it real!… Rock hard … er … have I been forgetting anything?

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Kraken (lyrics)

Below the thunders of the upper deep

Far, far beneath in the abysmal sea

His ancient, dreamless, uninvaded sleep

The Kraken sleepeth: faintest sunlights flee

About his shadowy sides; above him swell

Huge sponges of millennial growth and height

And far away into the sickly light

From many a wondrous grot and cell

Unnumbered and enormous polypi

Winnow with giant arms the slumbering green

There hath he lain for ages, and will lie

Until the latter fire shall heat the deep

Then once by man and angels to be seen

In roaring he shall rise and on the surface die

(Sir Alfred, Lord Tennyson, 1830)

 

 

Deep, deep, deep below the keel

The monster sleeps its wicked sleep

High, high, high upon the tide

The sailor knows it lies below

Fear, fear, fear has claimed his heart

But yet he sails into its wicked arms

Ohh, oh, oh! beneath the waves

Our unmarked graves await us!

 

 

Oh, Kraken, Kraken! A wicked name that haunts my dreams!

Oh, Kraken, Kraken!His mind is calling out for me!

Black, black, black eternal void

among the stars from whence he came

Cold, cold, cold and cruel mind

That ruled the earth long before our time

Still, still, still he reaches out

He claims control of mind and soul

No, no, no! I’ll never be

Your slave again Oh, wicked Kraken!!

 

 

 

Oh, Kraken, Kraken! A wicked name that haunts my dreams!

Oh, Kraken, Kraken!His mind is calling out for me!

 

 

NOW! I walk the streets of twilight ruins, Kraken pulls my strings, I’m a puppet in a trance

NOW! I’ve lured the innocents straight to him, Kraken rules my thoughts, I am damned forevermore

NOW! Madness is my refuge, Kraken has no use for a drooling, babbling fool

NOW! My mind has cracked I am free,Kraken, I escaped, but I’m a mental case

 

 

 

Oh, Kraken, Kraken! A wicked name that haunts my dreams!

Oh, Kraken, Kraken! His mind is calling out for me!

This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 27th, 2007 at 12:44 am