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Norway have for a long time been known for all the good Black Metal bands which have had success all over the world. Now a new era has been born, Black Debbath has released their 2nd album  on Duplex/EMI is complete with English lyrics and is ready to conquer the world. With this new album “Welcome To Norway” they promote Norway’s tradition and mix it with first class rock ’n’ roll meeting Metal. Egil Hegerberg was the chosen one to tell us more... Watch out for these lads, they may do you harm...

 Cheers Egil., Welcome to Norway has recently been released now and the feedback has already started getting back to you now. Interviews in the bigger newspaper and even Scream Magazine. How do you look upon the success this new album has had the last couple of weeks after its release?
    "I think it is doing very well. The reviewers have praised the album's unique combination of tourist information and ass kicking hard rock. The sales figures are astonishing, and we are constantly touring around Norway."

On Welcome to Norway all the lyrics are in English, I assume this is just the start in the fight to conquer the international music business.
    "Well, as our main goal is to reach out to rock fans around the world and inform them a little bit about our beautiful country it seemed counterproductive to keep on singing in Norwegian. Our research indicated that English is a language that is more globally understood than both Norwegian and other neighbouring languages such as Finnish, Swahili and Sanskrit. So we chose English in order to reach out to as many people as possible."

Will you also continue with English written lyrics in the future as well? How do you think EMI can help you with this album? Will it be licensed to foreign countries?
    "EMI is backing us 100% and are using millions to promote the album. So far it has just been released in Norway, but we're expecting an international release in autumn. We will see then if the demand for editions of the album in other languages will force us to move on to French, German, Chinese, Urdu etc.

Have you been getting any feedback from foreign music magazines or newspapers after this release?
    "So far the album has not been available outside Norway, so no one has had the opportunity to give us any feedback yet. But it will come, baby! And when it does it will be pretty damn good! I can tell you that!"

Some people I know who have heard the new album all concludes that you sound guys sounds more 70’s than the bands in the 70’s did, I think that ought to be quite a good compliment, or?
    "Well, we do look to the hard rock of the 70's for inspiration, so if people think we have the ultimate 70's sound, we are quite happy about it, thank you."

In the past all of the Black Debbath members have been active in a various amounts of other Duplex Records bands like Gartnerlosjen, Aasen, Lyd etc. Is Black Debbath the only remaining active bands now?
    "Members from Black Debbath are now playing in the stoner band Thulsa Doom, in the metal group the Cumshots and in the psychedelia band Curtains of Wool. Thulsa Doom have released the 10" She Fucks Me on the Spanish Safety Pin label and the album The Seats are Soft, but the Helmet is way too tight on Duplex/EMI in Norway and This Dark Reign Recordings in the rest of the world. The Cumshots have just finished recording their debut album. I guess it will be released in the near future.

How far will you take Black Debbath, and how far do you think it is possible to take it?
    "Black Debbath has the potential to go all the way to the very top and we are going to go that way. Yes, sir!"

People are obviously amused by the band’s lyrics, so obviously it is not a bad thing to mix real good written music with humorous and not the traditional metal lyrics.
    "When you make some really good music and combine it with excellent lyrics you are on the right track".

On “Welcome to Norway” the lyrics are guiding people through various Norwegian themes and historical matters, how do you think this album will have an impact on the tourism to Norway in the coming years? Do you think we will experience a massive increase of European rock and metal fans coming to Norway with the CD booklet in their hands as their one and only guide?
    "I think there is a desperate need for reliable and unbiased information about Norway among rockers
throughout the world. Now that this finally gets available - we will see a veritable swarm of heavy metal
tourists to Norway."

Have you ever considered making a pure rock/metal album whit lyrics dealing with the typical metal themes and become a serious metal band?
"We find it important to use our gift to do something constructive. "

Or will you continue with your original lyrics dealing with “daily problems” and happenings in the
political system (referring to “Problemer innad i Høyre”)?
    "We will probably not go back to the direct political agitation from our debut album Tung, tung politisk rock
(Heavy, heavy political rock). But as our name implies we are a band with an attitude. We try to focus on things that other bands don't dare to sing about. (like deep fried anuses and Norwegian racecar drivers?-ED)"

How was the reaction to the aforementioned song by Lars’ father being a known politician in that particular party?
    "The song describes the never-ending internal problems in the Norway's Conservative Party. Our singer Lars suggests his own father as a worthy candidate for party leader. I guess his father was flattered by this support."

I would have to say that the new album has a much more professional approach than the debut album had, was there spent a substantial more amount of money on the recording process this time?
    "Yes. We have definitely put a whole lot of time, money and effort into the making of this album. And I think the result speaks for itself."

In 1999 you were accused of stealing the Norwegian Grammy from The Kovenant, do you think the new album will convince the jury this time that Black Debbath is the real winner this time?
    "Of course we will end up with another Grammy. As you say we got the prize in 1999 competing with both the Kovenant and Dimmu Borgir (The real story: The Kovenant won and Black Debbath “stole” it from them – obviously this was the right thing).  In 2000 we almost got it as well - without even releasing an album(!) So this album will give us the prize for the third year running. I think that will represent some kind of new record."

You ended up having the award stolen by The Kovenant again later on, don’t you agree it was quite childish of those guys to not accept the faith?
    "Some guys just can't take a beating."

Image is important for all rock ‘n’ roll bands and Black Debbath has created an image of its own with  your metal bunads, what’s the idea behind that?
    "As we are promoting Norway we have made a rock 'n roll version of the bunad, the national costume of Norway. The song Bunad on the album treats this subject in more depth."

Ok, this will be all for now then I guess. Any final words?
    "Hurkeli Peke Njoka Tyst Fløt"

What does that mean?
    "I don't know. I guess it was the booze speaking. I'm an alcoholic."