Old Funeral – “Old Funeral was one of the few bands that actually meant something.”

Every now and then some new Old Funeral vinyls show up in very limited quantities. Not that long ago the “Grim reaping Norway” vinyl was re-released again on picture vinyl and because of that the interest in Old Funeral again grew once more.  Last time I spoke to Tore Bratseth, guitars in Old Funeral, was on the phone about two weeks ago and he told me about more upcoming Old Funeral collector items so with these in sight I think the popularity will grow even more again after years of silence. Reason enough for me to ask Tore some questions about the past and present of Old Funeral and other related bands in which Tore plays or had played in. As the complete history is covered in this interview as well I think the newer Old Funeral fans, whom where not there in the times when Old Funeral was active, now have the chance to find out about the true history of these Norwegian West-coast Death Metal pioneers. Enjoy reading this lengthy interview. Thanks alot to Tore for taking the time to answer this interview even though the band was not active for about 12 years now. ALLRIGHT, the beers are waiting for us!!!

ALLRIGHT!!!! Tore, how are you doing now, it has been a while already?
AALLRIIIIIGHT! I am doing great and it ain’t too late, jailbait baby come on!

Let’s go back in time a bit. When and why came the idea to start Old Funeral and who was in the band in the very first beginning? And what were your musical influences when starting Old Funeral? You were all very young when starting up Old Funeral, if I’m correct you were only 15 years old when starting up Old Funeral right? And how did you became interested in the fantastic world of Heavy Metal?
We wanted to thrash basically. It was me and Padden and Olve who started it. Same line-up as the “Abduction of Limbs” demo. Yeah, we were 15 and Padden was 18. Musical influences were the traditional heavy metal + thrash death bands from the 80’s like Sodom, Slayer, Destruction, Iron Maiden, Celtic Frost, The Mentors etc etc. My father was an old rocker and still is and he had lots of Black Sabbath Motorhead Zeppelin records we stole and borrowed and listened to. I kind of got it through my mothers beer.

In 1990 you released a demo called “Abduction of limbs”. How were the reactions to that demo in those days and were there labels interested in signing Old Funeral because of that demo? And how do you look back on that demo nowadays?
The reactions were fabulous. Hardly a bad review at all. We got no less than 11 offers for a record contract. Most of them unserious ofcourse but still good to be recognized. I still find the demo the some of the most interesting and original stuff we did, although I dig some tracks from our last recording session in 1992.

“Abduction of limbs” was the very first recording at the Grieghallen Studios if I’m correct so how did you ended up recording there? We all know Grieghallen became a very big studio in Norway and most of the prominent Black Metal bands recorded their albums there but what made this studio so special?
My father went to school with Pytten the producer and he recommended him to us. It’s not just the studio that is special. Pytten is a great man to work and party with. Very easy going but also dead serious. He is an old rocker who knows how the “feel” should be.

In ’91 Thrash records released the “Devoured carcass” 7″EP which has become a huge collectors item nowadays. How did you came in contact with them and how was it to have the very first official label release out? How many copies have been made of that EP?
We sent them a demo and they got an erection. 1100 copies were pressed. I remember the day we got our 200 copies in the mail. It was the best day of my life. Releasing something on vinyl was not as easy back then as it is now you know.

Before the recordings of “Devoured carcass” Olve left the band to start Immortal. Was it difficult at that time to find new members and how was it to be in the band without your best friend anymore? And did the fact that Olve left Old Funeral had consequences for the musical direction you’re going to?
We became a darker band after Olve quit. Although he was not in the band anymore, we have always remained the best of friends and we started Bombers together in 1996 and were still going. It was not very difficult to find a new guy. The difficult part was to teach him the songs as he hadn’t played with any bands before. It’s one thing to play for yourself, but another thing to get the tightness of a band.

Thorlak and C.Vikernes joined Old Funeral around that same period. Did their entrance to Old Funeral bring some new influences to the bands musical direction? And how did you came in contact with them?
They were just guys that hung around the same places as we did and shared the same musical taste. Thorlak was a big Old Funeral fan when he joined. The music became more Death Metal oriented.

Did you played many gigs in those early years and how were the reaction to those gigs as Old Funeral was one of the first extreme metal bands in Norway? And how popular has Old funeral become withen the metal scene at that time? How was the underground scene in Norway back then with great bands like Thou Shalt Suffer, Cadaver, Mayhem and Amputation?
We played around 25-30 gigs with Old Funeral. Reactions were very varied as some of the gigs were played together with other non-metal bands and lots of people had never heard anything like this before. It was great to see stupid people don’t know how to react. Some were shocked, some passed us out as noise, others thought we were great! We were definately the hardest fucking kids in town!

After the “Devoured carcass” EP Vikernes left the band to start his own band Burzum and Jørn Inge took over the guitar. I have the idea that with the arrival of Jørn Inge the Black Metal influences became a little bit more noticable in the music, do you agree? He also wrote “Alone walking” which later ended up on the demo from Hades, the band Jørn formed after leaving Old Funeral and Immortal. Was that also the musical direction Old Funeral was heading for, I mean the more epic side of Black Metal?
Old Funeral became a darker and darker band as time passed. We went out in the forest in the middle of the night and wrote lyrics and had long discussions of how much we hated the world. Quite a misanthropic band we were. Inspiration came easier to our minds at night. I am still quite misanthropic today as I find 98 percent of the worlds population to be bloody hilarious. My friends are the alot of the same today as they were 16-17 years ago. But today I don’t spend time disliking people or the world in general. I am too busy enjoying myself as my life is fucking good at the moment.

With that last line-up which was you on guitar, Jørn Inge on guitar, Thorlak on bass and Padden on drums and vocals, you also recorded a full-length album which has never been released. Why wasn’t it released back then? And why isn’t it released nowadays as there are still Old Funeral albums being released eventhough the band is non-active for 12 years now? I know for sure plenty of labels are interested in releasing that album nowadays!
4 of the tracks are on the “The Older Ones” LP. The others will remain underground. We didn’t release it because we felt it was unfinished and that it was not right to release it since the band split up.

Also in ’92 you guys decided to quit with Old Funeral. Why, because I think Old Funeral definately had the potential to become huge? And did you ever regret quiting Old Funeral?
I did not quit Old Funeral. We just put it to rest and we never started it up again. We also had some musical differences. If Old Funeral would have been huge? I don’t know, but we definitely seem bigger today than when we quit 12 years ago!!

After the Old Funeral era all members became active in other bands which all have become huge over the years and because of that metalheads whom are new in the scene became interested in Old Funeral as well. Because of that Hammerheart released a great looking piece of picture vinyl including both the demo and EP to show the new fans what Old Funeral was all about. Did you immediately agreed with releasing that picture disc and what do you think of the final result? And what do you think of the fact that people became interested in Old Funeral only because of some “famous” musicians once started in Old Funeral?
I have always been a huge record collector, and all I wanted was to see and hear our music on vinyl. I think the result of the Hammerheart picture disc is great except that they wrote it was a 10 inch instead of a 12 inch. I like that it’s done in black and white. It looks older that way. I find it totally understandable that people are interested in Old Funeral because of Immortal, Burzum etc. I am a big Motorhead fan and I collect all the pre-Motorhead recordings Lemmy played on. I got the first 7″ he was on with Rocking Vickers from 1966! So, as a fan of music myself I understand. But we sold 1100 copies of the “Devoured Carcass” EP in 3 weeks when it came out, so we could not have been that bad…..

About a year later, we talk about 1998, a full-length was released called “The older ones”. Again Hammerheart was the one releasing it so who’s idea was it to release this album? Was the demand for Old Funeral that huge back then eventhough you quited six years sooner?
It was a joint decision. I was sick and tired of taping our old demos for people and Hammerheart wanted to make some money. So I thought it was a good idea to release our stuff. So did Hammerheart.

Now there is also a vinyl called “Grim reaping Norway” on the market in both a limited regular vinyl version and a even more limited picture disc version including two gigs. What I’ve noticed was that both you and Vikernes used corpse paint on those pictures. Why did you used it back then as it was not common for Death Metal bands to use it back then?
We used it because it looked ugly. If you look closely I wear zombie paint, not corpse paint. I just wanted to look as disgusting and rotten as possible. To me it had no deeper feeling than that. I cannot speak for Mr. Vikernes…

On the phone you also told me about a new upcoming release. What can you tell about it, which songs, which format, which label, the release date etc.?
I cannot tell you anything about this release, because then it will just be rumours and talk about it. I will suddenly appear in very limited vinyl pressing only. All I can say is that it is early Old Funeral recordings from 1989 and none of the tracks have been released before.

How do you look back now on that whole Old Funeral era and are you proud of what you’ve achieved with Old Funeral?
Old Funeral was one of the few bands that actually meant something. I am proud of it indeed. On my 30th birthday we had a reunion gig in front of 120 people (only invited). The first original line up. We all agreed that we will do it again on my 40th, 50th 60th etc..birthday. Old Funeral will resurrect as a ghost every 10th year until one of us dies.

Some years later after the split of Old Funeral you’ve started up Desekrator. What can you tell about that band and who was in it?
He-he. All of Bergen was involved in that group. It was a core of me, Infernus and Tormentor from Gorgoroth + tons of guests including Ivar and Grutle from Enslaved and Pytten himself in the studio. It was the worst band in the world and was bound to die. But what a great band!

You have released your debut album “Metal for demons” through Hammerheart and I haven’t seen one single positive review about that album haha. Am I the only one who thinks this album is good hehe? What do you think of all those bad reviews? As you know, I still gonna do that cover with my band and now I remember that time in Bergen a few years ago when we completely drunk were singing the “Texas Joe” song hahaha. Good old memories ALLRIGHT!!!
He he. allright! I am really happy that it didn’t get one single good review. That was exactly the point. We raped what had anything to do with music. One magazine got the idea though, but couldn’t figure out wether to give us the highest or lowest points. Texas Joe will never fail! Hold your horses boy!

There is a rumour that most of the money you’ve received from the label for covering the recording costs is used to get drunk at the local pub. What is true about this hehe?
He-he. We got drunk as fuck allright! I don’t know where the money came from, but we were pissed most of the time. The club Garage is dangerously close to the studio you know + Infernus brought lots of Vodka and whiskey to the studio.

What were the influences to record this record (alcohol perhaps hehe)? It is also remarkable that almost all songs have a completely different sound and production so how many studio visits were necessary to complete the whole album? And what were the lyrical influences for the album (maybe alcohol again hehe)?
Alchohol was the main influence yes. It was pure spontanious all the time. Where other bands use maybe 4 out of 100 ideas we used 120 out of a 100.

Eventhough all bad critics you’ve had the opportunity to record some more songs for a three picture 7″EP box to be released some time later. Why gave Hammerheart you this chance to record some more eventhough it was almost certain that it wouldn’t sell at all? Was it blind faith in Desekrator?
It was a part of the deal . The 500 copies of the set sold out quite fast anyway so Hammerheart didn’t loose any money, but they blamed us for desecrating their record label he-he.

I have to say the Desekrator logo is one of the best looking logos ever made in the history of metal. Who came up with this? And how do you came with the name Ali Gator haha?
Alligator is a very dangerous animal and so am I. I think the logo was made by Jannicke Wiese Hansen. The same woman that made the first Burzum cover and the first Immortal logo. She is a tatooist and has even tatooed Tommy Lee from Motley Crue. Tommy Lee and Desekrator share the same artist!! The idea was Infernus and Tormentors’.

And there is also a story behind the cover of “Metal for demons” you told me a couple of years ago. It was at Norways national day that you guys climbed the vikingship to do a photo shoot. I think the tourists must have looked very silly to you while doing this photo shoot having bullet belts around the head hahaha?
Ha-ha. Some guy who arranged some stupid National day procession told us to get the hell out of there and we had to promise that the pictures were never gonna be used for commercial purposes. We lied of course and got the greatest cover in history he-he. We hired a very expensive professional photographer and he said it was the funniest work he’d ever done.

The last time I visited you in Bergen you also told me about a Desekrator recording which isn’t released up to date. Will it ever see the day of light or is it meant to stay in the deepest depths of the underground?
They are in the deepest abyss of the underground. I have asked the other guys about them, but they say it should stay obscure. I kind of agree.

You also showed me your huge collection of vinyls when I visited you and it looks like you’re spending all your money on vinyls. Where came this fascination for collecting vinyls come from as it is one of the biggest and most varied collections I have ever seen? And what are your most favourite vinyls in your collection (maybe that lp from that Norwegian mental hospital patient you’ve played me hehe. “I’m in the fieldssssssssssssssssaah” hahaha. That was insane haha. Actually I can’t remember the name of that artist anymore although I know for sure he is a complete fruitcake hehe?!)?
You are referring to a man called Arvid Sletta. He is in a mental hospital and will never be out. I feel that vinyl have more of a personality than cd’s. Biggers covers, gatefold, better sounding and you have to treat them well which makes them close to your heart. My father is a record collector and has been since the 60’s and I guess I got facinated by the records from a very early age. I spend quite a lot of cash on records yes. My most cherished records are many. My 5 Twisted Sister platinum awards disc. My signed original Posercorpse “Deathcrush”, the first Burzum with handwritten lyrics. A gold award presentation with 8 Elvis Presley gold discs with original Elvis tickets. The signed test pressing of the first Immortal record (only 5 were made and only mine is signed). Blood fire death signed by Quorthon. The first recording with Lemmy on vinyl. The first Bon Scott single. The first Twisted Sister single signed by Dee Snider to me. Some very rare Thailand pressed Black Sabbath singles, the first Ramones single .The first Motley Crue single signed by Tommy Lee. Original first Transilvanian Hunger by Darkthrone oh, I could go on forever….

A band in which you’re still active is Bömbers, a Möterhead tribute band. What can you tell about this band and can you also introduce the complete line-up?
Bombers is a Motorhead tribute band which consists of me, Abbath (Olve) and an old friend of ours called Pez. He looks exactly like Philty Animal Taylor on drums. Olve is Lemmy and I’m Fast Eddie Clarke. We play old Motorhead classics in a bad ass shit kicking old school way. If you wanna book us, just contact me and we will tear your place apart. We are all old Motorhead fans since the late 70’s and we’re dirty as fuck!

Nicola showed me a videotape of one of your gigs in Bergen and the complete audience went crazy. It seems like Bömbers is a band that really knows how to start a party. What are the craziest things you have experienced with the Bömbers? You also told me once you played the afterparty for a Mötorhead gig and Lemmy himself was watching the gig. How was it to be on stage while Lemmy was watching?
The craziest thing that happened was that we scared Phil Campell (the guitarist in Motorhead) out of our backstage in 1997 after the gig we held at Garage when all the members of Motorhead came to see us after their own gig here in Bergen. He came backstage with us, and all we could say was AAAAALLLRRRRRIIIGGHHTT!! all the fucking time. He went: “these guys are K..KK..KgGGCraizzy!” He tried to stay with us for some beers but we outpartied him! I have it all on video. It’s the greatest video ever! It’s great to be on stage when Lemmy is watching because then you know you have a person in the audience who understands rock n roll. Very few people UNDERSTANDS rock n roll. He does. A great man he is too.

And how is it to be on stage again with your old time friend Olve? Does that bring back memories from the early Old Funeral era?
Not really memories, but I feel the bond of neverbreaking brotherhood. I love the man. One of the few genuine rock n rollers I know. He knows about metal and rock and knows about partying. A lifelong friend.

Besides Bömbers you’ve also done some guestvocals for Radek’s band Amok on the “Lava dictatorship” demo and you even have done a gig with them at the Hole in the Sky Festival some years ago. How did the cooperation with Amok started and can we expect something like that in the future as well?
I got to know Radek ’cause he used to play with my grilfriend Morrigan in Aeternus and he asked me to do guest vocals on a cover they were doing. It was “Bodies” by the Sex Pistols. I changed the lyrics to my convenience and off we thrashed! If they ask me again I’ll be there.

ALLRIGHT Tore, this was my lengthy interview. Take some Hansa bottles while answering ALLRIGHT! It will always help to get in the right mood. Thanks alot for doing this interview ALLRIGHT! And maybe we meet again in Bergen next year for some more drinking sessions while screaming our lungs out while singing “Texas Joe” and “Bergen Belzen Svinepelzen” hahahaha. ALLRIGHT, thanks alot! ALLRIGHT, the last words are completely yours Tore!!!
You’re welcome mate. I’m always ready for beer and vinyls and shouting. All right! ALL RIGHT! Leather, denim, patches, long hair and studs!