SPEARHEAD is a pretty young band from UK that was discovered by Invictus Records from Ireland. They signed them for their first full length "Deathless Steel Command" that was released in 2006. This first effort yet announces a great band as the tunes are midway between necro Black Metal and War Metal with a strong old school touch. I would even say the brutality in their compositions is slightly different from what you could find in classic War Metal materials. The album deals with the two world war. Read on clever view of Barghest (bass/vocals). Interview done 05/06/07
Hail, how is the beer today ? I guess it's raining today ahaha…
Hail. Not the right weather for beer no.

Let introduce your band to the readers, when did you start the band and how long have you been involved in Metal scene ? Where did you get the band name from ? Is SPEARHEAD connected to the spear of Longinus who killed the bastard ?
SPEARHEAD was founded in 2003, under the original name Yersinia Pestis. The first demo was released the year after. The name was changed to SPEARHEAD in early 2006. The same year “Deathless Steel Command" (Invictus Productions) was released. Shortly after “Deathless..” (which was recorded in 2005) the promo CD “When The Pillars Fall” was unleashed. The name SPEARHEAD refers to the military term – (i.e. the leading force in a military attack), rather than any physical spear-head. It’s not connected with Longinus’s spear.

"Deathless Steel Command" was planned to be released on Regimental Records but finally was out through Invictus Records, how does it come ? How did you get in touch with the Irish label ?
We finished recording this album in Autumn 2005. We were shortly offered a deal from Regimental Records to release it. We were told it would be released early in 2006. After months of complications and extremely intermittent contact with this label, we decided to move to Invictus Productions, who’d also shown interest before. It was finally released in September 2006.

All your songs are ripping compositions that are midway between necro B.M and War Metal, the border line between these two genres is extremely thin I've to admit when listening to you materials. Thence, I'd like to know how do you compose a typical SPEARHEAD's tune, do you first write lyrics or music ? Who's responsible for the writing process ?
Music is always written first. Lyrics are then written to fit the music. We were all responsible for the writing process on “Deathless..” – many of the tracks being a combination of our various riff and drum ideas. Although most of the newer tracks have been written by Vortigern, Invictus and Nephilim.

"Deathless Steel Command" has a nocturnal and untamed feeling that could be compared with some of the early underground Thrash Metal bands from the 80's. In my review I did a connection with "In The Sign Of Evil" to describe this atmosphere. Is the mood of tunes important to you and how long was it to find the accurate instruments sound before recording the full-length ?
This album has a really good atmosphere I agree; barbarous and devastating. It has an almost ‘live’ sound. Of course getting the right feeling is important; it makes the music distinctive. It doesn’t sound like everyone else. A lot of time was spent in the studio to achieve the right sound for each instrument – and most of these tracks were recorded in single takes to give it that ‘live’ sound. Good work was done on the mastering too, to bring out all these elements.

Let's keep on album feeling, according to you which are the five best Metal album that convey a typical feeling you can't find in any other releases ?
Difficult question. There are countless classic releases which have their own "typical feeling". Albums like Bathory “The Return…”, Celtic Frost “Morbid Tales”, Beherit “Drawing Down the Moon”, Morbid Angel “Altars of Madness”, Sadistik Exekution "The Magus", etc.

"Deathless Steel Command" is established on World War I, is that right ? What does attract you the most during this first world war ?
Sections of this album were based on themes and events from the Second as well as the First World War. It is not wholly based on this period though. What attracts me to this time is that is was Europe’s last era of martial glory, the last era of unity and noble deeds. It was the last spark of light before degeneracy and worldly deterioration set in.

According to many historians the First W.W was one of the most traumatic war for soldiers, it was the first time they were in front of industrial machine guns, weapons they couldn't understand and nightmarish daily situations. The rain, cold and worms within the battlefield are something few humans can stand. Is that this side of the war you wanted to deal with in your lyrics ?
The track off the “When the Pillars Fall” promo, “Brotherhood of Arms” deals with the trench warfare of WWI. It was an interesting era, as you say, where machines dominated the fields, not man. It was traumatic and fearful – but such conditions were a catalyst to the great camaraderie of the time.

England paid a large human tribute during the WWI, especially on events such as "Le Chemin Des Dames". English soldiers suffered a lot during the early months of the war as they were not prepared to such violent fightings. How do you feel yourself as an Englishman in front of this War ? Did you get relatives involved in this war ?
Yes, the English suffered greatly in these battles. How do I feel, or how would I feel ? Many of these men had no choice to but to fight in this war, both on a personal moral level and on a political level. Most probably if I were alive then, I would have enlisted, and statistically I would have most probably died. Although if a country is worth fighting for “Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori”. A number of great uncles and great grandfathers of mine fought and died in this conflict.

The opening song of your first full length is "Operation Overlord" that is one of the main Allies action against Nazism during the WWII. Why did you write a song about this particular event ? I feel the lyrics are from Allies point of view, am I right ? Could you even imagine the terrible fear American and English soldiers could feel once the boat doors opened and German fired ?
“Operation Overlord” deals with the coastal invasion of German occupied Normandy in June 1944. You are right - it is from the attacking point of view. It was a crucial and decisive battle, one of the most severe attacks against German forces. I’m sure it was an experience for both sides to say the least.

When it comes to war, many B.M bands praise for total war but few of them can objectively understand the meaning of a real war. I mean it would not be anymore about rehearsing in a room or getting the most ugly corpse paint, it'd be about finding a way to survive in a world you could die every second. So, don't you think the B.M bands praising for such events are nothing but brainless people ?
You are right, survival is intrinsically tied in with the concept of war. But even the brutality and terror of war are subjective and superficial aspects. War and thus survival are also intrinsically tied in with the concept of maintaining a virtuous and healthy civilisation, a civilisation in which we do not live now. The true and healthy civilisations of Europe were ordered hierarchically; the warrior class being at the centre of the 3 classes or castes of those times (the top being a priestly caste, the bottom being the cultivating/plebeian caste). The warrior was more than merely a destroyer; he was a maintainer of the healthy society that he fought for. All 3 castes of such a civilisation, which even survived through to medieval times, were structured together as an immovable unity. If you remove just on of these components, the whole of society is damaged to such an effect that degeneracy and criminality is destined to set in. A comfortable and safe society (i.e. a society that doesn’t fight) is doomed to degenerate. This is why, during the wars of the early 20th century, each involved European society was strengthened and unified one last time. (On a superficial level this is what may be seen as camaraderie.) This is why warfare is so vital to Western civilisation. As I have discussed not everybody has to fight, but a renewed stratification will appear through localised war, whereby non-fighters will either become part of the cultivating class, (to supply the fighters and supply the land), or become part of the priestly class, (which in modern terms is represented by an authoritative governmental class). This is why warfare is so vital to Western civilisation – it leaves no room for degeneracy. Having said this I do not believe that those who glorify war for the sake of glorifying war are brainless, far from it. The soul of the warrior caste is likely to exist in many modern men – it is only due to the modern degenerate “civilisation” that they may not know it.

As you play in a rather violent Metal band, I'd like to know what are the most impressing bands to you when it comes to their musical violence and chaos ? Are you fan of the War Metal scene and what does fascinate you the most in this scene ?
When it comes to musical violence – bands like Angelcorpse, Marduk and Infernal War are a good listen. When it comes to chaos – bands like Revenge, Sadistik Exekution and Vomitor. Yeah I’m a fan of War Metal; but I have to be in the right mood for it. Aural chaos isn’t something I listen to on a constant level.

Let's keep on this topic, how would you describe a crushing band that plays extremely aggressive music ? I mean what are the key elements in music that would turn a milestone album from a crappy one ? By the way, what does mean brutality to you in Metal music ? Do you think that band members need to be aggressive in their everyday life to play in a War Metal band ?
For aggression to cut through on recording the sound has to be right. The production has to heighten what’s aggressive in the music. Many modern bands play fast and technical but that doesn’t necessitate aggression, especially if the production is either too ‘nice’ or just too poor. Good abrasive and hostile vocals can also differentiate between what is good aggressive metal and what is bland dog-Death or Black Metal. Brutality is important in Metal, because it is an antagonistic form of music. It would be naïve of me to assume that all people who play in aggressive War Metal bands are aggressive people in person, but I think a certain amount of aggressive impulse, either on an ideological or physical level, certainly drives the lives of those who play in them. A certain amount of ideology (more often than not an aggressively tinged ideology) plays an important part in Black, Death and Thrash Metal - those who deny this are weak individuals that Metal can do without.

UK was very famous in the early 80's with its N.W.O.B.H.M and bands such as Iron Maiden, Angel Witch, Girlschool, Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Saxon, Tank and so on. Were you into this scene back then and how do you see these bands now ? Do you think they're fucking kitsch back in time ? Furthermore, how do you perceive these bands that are still alive and record more or less average albums ? I mean the fury and wildness from their debut is no loner…
I wasn’t into this scene back then as I was only born in the early 80s ! Now and then I listen to a couple of such bands, but as far as 80s Heavy Metal goes I listen more to bands like Manowar and Savatage. Although I saw Sabbath live some years back I’ve never been a huge fan. I’m not in a position to comment on your last question – I haven’t even listened to the new Iron Maiden or Saxon yet. Perhaps I should.

SPEARHEAD is an anti-christian band, I'd like to know what do you blame on Christianity ? France and England were the strongest nations during Medieval times and spread this religions for centuries. Most battles between France and England were about who could dominate the others and religions had a large part of the hundred years war. I'm especially thinking about the burning of Johan D Arc for instance…What is your view on this long religious war ? Is there still some animosity against French now ?
That’s correct. As the years pass, I perhaps blame less on Christianity than I used to, despite harbouring a continual hatred for it. Christianity was just one inevitable symptom of the western spiritual disease rather than the cause. Although it was certainly one of the most harmful symptoms, that in turn strongly encouraged the already extant degenerative spiral of European civilisation. The Christian notions of dualism (i.e. good versus evil), human equality, and its other peace promoting doctrines all conflict with and undermine the structures of society (as discussed above) as well as the telluric and trans-human ethics/laws of Traditional Europe. Although what remnants of Christianity we are left with today are no longer any threat. But is it any wonder that this religion didn’t last ? It is not simply cognate with the European soul that its extraneous dogmas tried to undermine.
Yes England was a strong Christian nation in the middle ages. The events of the Hundred Years war were not based on any religious conflict, but primarily on conflicts of dominion between the English and French dynasties. Religion had its part to play of course (as a political tool) in bestowing the warring dynasties with the grace of God. With regards to Joan of Arc and her condemnation as a heretic, this again appears to be politically motivated rather than religiously motivated. I don’t have any strong views on this ‘war’ as such; although what is interesting in this era is that it saw the feudal land-based armies being replaced by taxation-fuelled ones. Ergo a reciprocal relationship (more akin to traditional healthy civilisations) was replaced by one of obligation. A further symptom perhaps of Europe’s slow decline.
There are bound to be some residual animosities – England warred with France right through to the Napoleonic era. We inherit the wars of our fathers.


You've released a new demo tape that I haven't listened to yet, could you tell some words about it ? Does it mean you're looking for a new label for the second full length ? By the way, when will this new album be out and how will it sound ?
“When the Pillars Fall” is a demo CDR. It’s a 17 minute precursor to the full-length we are recording in June/July this year at Hertz Studio (Poland). The tracks on “Pillars” are to be re-recorded for this album. The next album will again be released by Invictus Productions sometime in the Autumn of this year. Aside from the riffing being more intricate and accomplished, the album will be more of an unyielding amalgam of old school Death, Thrash and Blackened-Death than “Deathless..” was. The Black Metal influences are less frequent in favor of a more domineering and imperious old school Death Metal sound. The production will reflect this. As stated this album is to be recorded in Hertz studio were new Vader, Decapitated and Witchmaster have recorded. Musical tastes aside, the sound from that studio is immense, and is one of the few studios that could realistically produce the authoritarian martial sonority of the next SPEARHEAD release.

Thanks a lot for the answers, keep on brutalise the world with your art….
Thanks and hail for an interesting interview. May you long keep the flame burning ! Check our stronghold for updates on the second album: www.spearhead.cjb.net.
Sic Semper Tyrannis!