A Fine Day to Die…of course your first thought is Bathory, but for those who dwell within the underground know that a fine Spanish label operates with the same name. Raul will tell you all about his label, his vision on Black Metal and physical releases.
Before anything else, welcome to VM-Underground. How are things going? Is there music playing in the background while you answer these questions? And what about football?
Hello, here is Raul from A Fine Day to Die (AFDTD). It is a pleasure to greet you and talk with you. It is not common for labels to be interviewed, especially small ones that are still quite unknown to many people like mine. I have already read several of your reviews of my releases on your website. I am very happy that you enjoy the music I publish, whether they are old school bands from the 90s or current underground bands. As for football, yes, I like it a lot, just like cinema, fitness, and other activities.
It is better to talk about music, pure black art and cursed darkness, which is what we are passionate about and what we have in common. Yes, I am listening to music right now while I write.
Currently playing is Fermenting Innards from Norway and their album ‘Myst’, which was reissued very recently on vinyl. I will have copies very soon. It was also remastered by Dan Swano, with whom I have a very good relationship due to the edition of Pan Thy Monium and for writing me a text about his days in the recording studio with Dark Funeral for my split CD tribute to David Parland ‘Blackmoon’. Returning to Fermenting Innards, their intro and outro are the Mortiis tracks from his old 7″EP ‘Blood and Thunder’. This band is very unknown. Their demo ‘Drowned’ is a marvel if you like Carcass ‘Necroticism’ and Cadaver ‘In Pains’. A first cassette version might be released by AFDTD, but it is not yet closed or decided. There are only some conversations with members of the band.
This last year things have improved a lot since I founded Nordic Crusade. It is a subdivision for CD reissues of 90s bands that has had a great reception from the public and the most important extreme metal labels worldwide. I have also decided to go out and make myself known in person by setting up sales stands at some fairs, concerts, and festivals in the Iberian Peninsula, Iberian Darkness, haha.
Well, let’s start with the inevitable question: Could you tell us more about the history of the label, the record shop, how it all started, the idea/concept behind it, and how you contacted other bands?
The label was born in 2015. The name is obviously copied from the Bathory track on ‘Blood Fire Death’. It is not a physical record shop. I am simply a private individual, a small merchant, seller, or trader, whatever you want to call it. The concept in my beginnings was clear: to sell and release extreme metal. Initially, it was a hobby. The idea was to be able to expand my metal record collection and at least recover part of what I invested. I started from scratch without knowing anything about how this world worked. I only had experience and contacts from trades between individuals on forums like Metal Archives, NWN, Fullmoon Productions, Blackseed, etc.
As for how to contact the bands, well, it is done as it is today in 99% of cases: through Bandcamp, Facebook, email, and the bands’ websites. Also, contacting someone known to the band or the person you are looking for so they can provide you with a contact if possible. Some people I have looked for in the past are totally disconnected from the metal scene. There is no mystery or secret about how to contact bands. It is much easier and simpler than it seems; you just have to know how to search.
What was it about this specific genre and the band’s aesthetic that resonated with you, and which influential acts truly defined the sound you were looking for?
As I mentioned before, the idea was to publish extreme metal bands, preferably Black Metal, which is the genre I like the most and listen to the most. I started listening to Black Metal when I was 14 in 1994, so obviously I am very influenced by the classics of the 90s.
Hence, reference 001 was an epic Black / Thrash Metal one-man band project heavily influenced by Bathory that I named Goat Worship myself. Reference 002 was a vinyl reissue of the first album by Empty from Zaragoza. Reference 003 was the very well-known Cult Of Eibon, but in 2016 they did not exist. They were a band influenced by Rotting Christ and Varathron. I still keep their first demos without vocals when they had not even decided on the band name.
The first editions I did were old school bands or inspired by the old school. That was the direction the label had and the first steps marked. If you ask me about the bands that marked me and those of my generation, and those that motivated me to found AFDTD, they were the classics.
Bands like Bathory, Mayhem, Burzum, Darkthrone, Marduk, Satyricon, Samael, Masters Hammer, Abruptum, Mysticum, Ulver, Rotting Christ, Beherit, Cradle of Filth, Dimmu Borgir, Amorphis, Anathema, Graveland, Storm, Paradise Lost, Gorgoroth, Dissection, Katatonia, Necromantia, Emperor, Impaled Nazarene, My Dying Bride, Moonspell, Mortiis, Isengard, Absu, Immortal, The 3rd and the Mortal, Arcturus, Varathron, Deicide…
What is your favourite band of all time? And what does a band need to sign for AFDTD?
I couldn’t really tell you, because as the years passed and I evolved musically, I kept changing my favorite band.
If I had to say one, it would be Mayhem with Euronymous and Dead. The lineup of ‘De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas’ is something incredible and unrepeatable. Varg Vikernes, Hellhammer, Euronymous, and Attila, that is quite something. I believe the stars aligned when they recorded that album. It was truly magical.
Personally, to release a band, they have to transmit that feeling, spirit, attitude, personality, that essence, that special something. They must know how to express all these concepts musically. Obviously, it is very important that the tracks are good and well-structured from start to finish. You should notice that there is work, time, and dedication in that album.
There are Raw Black Metal projects, generally one-man bands, putting out demos every 15 days or every month. They are all the same but with a different name and a different logo, but musically they all sound the same. They have a very short duration and are sold at a very high price. I am here to give my opinion on the matter. We all know who they are, so it’s not even necessary to say names.
Returning to the previous topic, I adore that moment when you are listening to their album or demo and you say “fuck, this is great”. That feeling of enjoying the album from start to finish and thinking “this is it” is worth the effort. I am talking about those underground bands I have released like Gosforth, Burial Sun, Mistcavern, Blood Tyrant, Gravthron, Cult Of Eibon, Roman Monastery, Gestank, Azketem, Blood Stronghold, The Deathtrip, Hulder, Eternal Majesty, Dodehender, Escumergament, Wartodd, Empty, Yersinia Pestis, Vindbvrn, Valle Crucis… Many others were reissues of demos and albums from the 90s already well known by everyone like Bethlehem, Sacramentum, Rotting Christ, Old Funeral, Mactatus, Old Mans Child, Thou Art Lord, Varathron, Legion Of Doom, Astarte, Christ Agony, Throne of Ahaz, Deinonychus, Tristitia, Veles, Absu, etc.
I believe there are also two sub-labels: Nordic Crusade and Witchfinder General. What kind of music do you imagine for these labels?
The path marked for Nordic Crusade is already clear; we just have to follow the same trail. Reissues of Nordic bands, generally Swedish and Norwegian bands, hence the name of the label. Compilations of demos or reissues of albums that are difficult and complicated to find at an affordable price. If possible, remastered with unreleased photos, biography, and comments from the members, etc.
Witchfinder General has just started its journey. The first reference was the British band Valle Crucis. This was an unknown Doom Metal / Death Metal project in its beginnings, and later melodic Doom Metal that was very progressive and rock-oriented. In its last EP from 1997, it featured Vincent Cavanagh on vocals and guitars.
Reference 002 is already planned with As Divine Grace. It is the reissue of their sought-after first EP ‘Romantic Beatitude of Faded Dawn’ with the Morpheus demo as an extra. That was the pre-As Divine Grace band. You will really like that edition, both the design and the music, for lovers of Anathema / My Dying Bride, Celestial Season, The Gathering, etc.
The path for Witchfinder General will be to look for bands with the profile of Beyond Dawn, Serenades, Asphodelus, Paradigma, Theatre of Tragedy, Ras Algethi, Evol, Thergothon, Monumentum, Ataraxia, Daemonia Nymphe, Darkher, Arcana, and even forgotten Spanish bands like Amalthea, Elbereth, Mortal Mutilation, etc.
What does the aesthetic of cassette and vinyl represent to you in a digital age, and how important is it for you to bridge that gap between being a collector and an artist by releasing your own music on these formats?
AFDTD started to become very well known in Europe, Asia, and America for the luxury cassette editions of some 90s classics. It positioned itself as one of the reference cassette labels alongside Darkness Shall Rise, Floga, Dissonant, and a few others that release quality tapes.
But in my beginnings, many CDs of very interesting underground bands that I mentioned before were released. I also started releasing vinyls, as I said before, Orth, Empty, and Cult of Eibon on 12″ and 7″EP. Soon a very interesting vinyl version of unreleased material will be released. I am not going to reveal or publish anything until it is closed. We will see if it can be available for sale this year.
You could also say that the first Nordic Crusade releases were Orth and Dodgaldr, which were released many years ago. That could be the birth of the idea or concept of Nordic Crusade.
However, carrying out all those ideas takes a lot of time and economic effort, which for me are very limited. I do not have the potential of Osmose, Nuclear Blast, Peaceville, Century Media, or Nuclear War Now, etc. I am still a very small label with many limitations.
Personally, I like all formats. Almost everyone prefers vinyl, but not everyone can afford to buy them or they don’t have a vinyl player. The same goes for cassettes. Additionally, bringing them from Europe, America, or Asia requires an economic effort, customs payments, etc. Prices have skyrocketed for both vinyl and cassette. The CD format has increased in price, but mostly due to the price of plastic from what I understand. It has not shot up to almost double like the analogue formats of cassette and vinyl. I would say they are the favorite formats currently for the general public. Also, from here, I send a greeting to the greedy fuckers at the Spanish post office. Every day it is more pathetic, more expensive, and every day a worse service.
As for my collecting preferences, I have a giant collection of vinyls and CDs, which is what I listen to the most.
In terms of your broader footprint in the music community, whether that’s through visual art, reviews, or production, which fellow creators, labels, or publications do you find yourself following most closely whenever they announce something new?
I don’t write reviews for fanzines. AFDTD absorbs too much of my time. Answering emails, listening to bands from the exchange lists of other labels, listening to new bands or new albums being released, updating the web shop, preparing order and exchange packages, etc. It doesn’t give me time for much else.
As public interest in the label grows, free time is reduced. I am not an illustrator or designer, but I am learning to do the designs for my own CD editions, flyers, etc. This allows me to cut down and gain time, save money on looking for people, and most importantly, the editions are made to my taste. That makes me feel prouder and more satisfied with what I do.
Favorite labels? Well, obviously the best ones from my 90s era in my adolescence when I discovered extreme metal, like the people of my age I have contact with. Osmose, Solistitium, No Fashion Records, Fullmoon Productions, Deathlike Silence, Moonfog, Head Not Found, Peaceville, Nuclear Blast, Century Media, Unisound, Adipocere, Avantgarde, Listenable, Misanthropy Records, Hot Records, Cacophonous, Holy Records, Candlelight, Hammerheart, Necromantic Gallery, Cogumelo, Noise International, Roadracer and Roadrunner, Cold Meat Industry, No Colours Records, etc.
Here in Spain, Rotten did a magnificent job with Drowned and Repulse Records. I don’t want to forget the madman from Drama Company. His work with Battlefield was incredible with Gontyna Kry, Uruk Hai, Sacrficial Mortuorum, Stutthof, Darkthule, etc. If the question was about current labels I keep an eye on, without any doubt Ancient Records, which releases the albums of Swartadauþuz’s projects.
If you mean those that release novelties, Prophecy with a large number of very talented bands and projects. Also New Era, Medieval Prophecy, Amor Fati, Norma Evangelium, Drakkar, Signal Rex, Debemur Morti, Duplicate Records, Iron Bonehead, Those Opposed, Northern Heritage, Kyrck, Darker Than Black, Purity Through Fire, Undercover, Altare, Van Records, Christhunt Productions, Darkness Shall Rise, Cult Never Dies, White Wolf, Northern Silence, Moribund, Final Agony, and not forgetting the Finnish label that released the Cosmic Church albums, Kuunpalvelus. There are many good labels in all countries currently.
Fanzines and webzines? I really like Bardo Methodology and Arcane Archivist. Around here in Spain, interesting things are also being done on a more minority and amateur level, like the webzine The Horror Dimension, print zines like Hellfire, Pantokrator, and the podcast El Sentir de los Malditos.
How important is the final result of a product? Do you restore or remix/remaster your material for this purpose?
The final result has to be the best possible, obviously. The result speaks and says a lot about you. Sensational reviews have arrived from owners of other labels. For example, the owner of Northmoon Zephyr Productions from Finland told me that he really liked the Nordic Crusade CDs. He says they are made with passion and devotion.
The result is being much better than I expected. I have managed to get historical labels like Osmose, Avantgarde, and Hammerheart, who usually don’t trade with small labels, to decide to include my CDs in their catalogues. That is a very good sign that things are being done well. These are people who previously didn’t even answer my emails; they probably didn’t even bother to read them. They have already exhausted all the last copies of the exchange stock in a year of Imperium / Mactatus, Seeds of Hate, and Naglfar / Morgul, to give some examples.
I do try to remaster a large amount of material since they are usually demos from the 90s and material that is complicated to find. Basically, they are MP3 files if the musicians don’t send you the original audio masters. Obviously, if they are demos from the 90s and the files have low quality, you have to remaster them and give them the sound and quality they deserve.
What does the future hold for AFDTD? Will you release more new bands? Will you also expand the production of t-shirts and other items or will you focus on the music and the release itself?
I will always release underground bands, but it is increasingly complicated to find albums that give me goosebumps among such saturation of bands and projects in all genres. I could tell you about recent underground bands that I consider to be at a higher level than the rest. Diabolical Fullmoon, Auld Ridge, Vaal, Mooncitadel, Forbidden Temple, and Blood Stronghold are sublime. I am going to closely follow the musical evolutions of Mistcavern and Escumergamënt.
Currently, I consider the level of the underground to be very mediocre compared to the large number of mass projects and bands there are. I see a large number of bands by musicians aged 20 and 25 trying to plagiarize and copy 90s bands. They try to copy the spirit and essence of those bands from an era they didn’t even live through or know. They should try to innovate and make their own place. Several musicians have done this in the USA, Portugal, Netherlands, Chile, France, Poland, and Bosnia. In my opinion, they are currently far above the pioneers and references of the genre like Greece, Brazil, Sweden, Finland, and Norway.
As for the activities of AFDTD, Nordic Crusade, and Witchfinder General, for the moment I am focused on launching music in physical format. But if the label continues to evolve and grow positively, I would like to make t-shirts with logos of bands released by me. Both underground and 90s ones like Wartodd, Mistcavern, Escumergamënt, Forest Silence, Imperium…
Before finishing this interview, do you have any last words or reflections? Is there anything I forgot to ask you that you would like to mention? Thanks for your time!
One last reflection or answering a question I expected but you didn’t ask. I couldn’t say right now.
Perhaps what was mentioned in the fourth question about my opinion on people with 72 projects and 180 demos that are all musically very similar. They are scammers and opportunists disguised as medieval Trves. To be honest, I wouldn’t know what to say, but death to bands and projects like Kekht Arakh and Draugveil. They have turned this extreme and elitist genre into a meme. This is something the mental retard Abbath already did, but I respect him for his incredible albums in his early days. Besides, I released Old Funeral.
These influencers of today have demonstrated nothing musically; they aren’t here and aren’t expected. This had to happen one day with the arrival of the internet, social networks, massive festivals, etc. These are the collateral damages of being able to listen to all the music you want with a simple click. The principles and values of this genre have not been respected. It has been filled with opportunists, bloodsuckers, and posers looking for likes and popularity.
To be honest, I expected you to ask if, when I released Hulder, I would have imagined that one day she would end up on the cover of Decibel Magazine or something similar, hahaha. It’s just an anecdote. Nothing more to add, really. I have enjoyed this experience.
Thank you very much for your interest in getting to know me a little better, knowing the history and beginnings of AFDTD, and trying to know what my plans for the future will be.
A greeting from dark Iberia, we’ll keep in touch.
