Dutch Black Metal act KAECK differs from most other bands in the sense that it blends various musical ideas into a sound that is truly their own while keeping it raw and dark. They also have members in common with SAMMATH. Guitarist Jan Kruitwagen provided insight into the band’s music and what they stand for.
Infernal hails. I was wondering if you could tell us about the name KAECK, what it means, and why you chose it?
Hails Jim! Thanks for your interest and killer review.
Kaeck is old dutch for jaw. It stand for a godlike being destroying all souls in its path. The lyrics deal with Kaeck reaching out from worlds beyond to bring darkness and terror to man. Grinding bones and souls in his mill. Our vocalist writes all the lyrics. Then i write the music to fit these insane words. It just sounds filthy in Dutch. Pronounced ka ek in English.
How would you describe the characteristics of your sound, including the type of atmosphere you convey?
We always wanted to blend the best of war metal to black metal and even some death doom.
The dark haunting keys make sure the atmosphere is always dark and black metal related. Always creating a certain vibe. Keys can sound really happy really quick, like on some parts on the first album, this time its hatred all the way. Relentless drums and maniac vocals never let you relax. The guitars sounds low and full. The bass is felt and heard like on a Autopsy record. The sound is death metal, the music is war black doom.
I see it as spitting in the face of todays scene. We really sound mad and filthy. So many of todays bands sounds so nice.
Is your preferred black metal the cold and frosty kind, or the hellish, militant kind that's far from the Scandinavian sounds?
Both really. Depends on the mood. I love bal sagoth and nid div 187. Dawn or Blasphemy. That's probably why the music i write is never strictly black metal or war or death metal. I grew up with all the different styles. But even the more melodic bands from the early 90s sound darker and more menacing compared to the post depressing stuff these days.
What are your main influences and what kind of bands are you into?
Sadistik Exekution is still a fave. The KAOS album is since day of release the perfect album for me. I don't think a week has gone by since release that i haven't listened to it. My first albums where Endless pain, master of puppets, early Slayer, Mortal Sin, Slaughter Lord, I grew up in Sydney Australia so the old aussie metal scene formed me and the music I make now. Many many good bands released albums around 86 tot 88. Once I heard Sadus chemical exposure with that pounding bass sound finding my way to death metal like Autopsy was made quickly. The early 90s black metal appeared and the Gehenna demo Black seared heart really drove me into black metal. I still have this demo.
Could you please tell us more about the recording process of your latest album “Het Zwarte Dictaat”, and whether it involved recording in a cave with demonic goats raping angels in the background? How does it differ from your previous album, “Stormkult”?
All the angels are dead on this one.
We had a lucky line up change. I wont get into details, simply a matter of a different approach. I really cant stand typical music and vocal lines that fit perfectly. I love filth and dynamics in music. So last minute we changed a lot. The bass and drums are done by Mr Nillesen from Sammath who was meant to join Kaeck back in 2014 and he makes sure all sounds darker. I was able to do keys again after 25 years or so which was great. I wrote all the music the same as the previous album. In 4 to 5 weeks write the tracks in long sessions, and for 90% its done. Then add the key parts, breaks and create the chorus or repeat riffs where needed. The biggest difference is that on this album its much heavier and darker. We really wanted to let it sound rough and heavy as fuck.
We wanted a heavy bass sound and got exactly what we wanted. The producer really helped us well. We as a small underground band had a tight budget. But Peter Neuber, who also worked with Sodom, wouldn't let go until he had it exactly as we wanted. He went way over the time we paid him for. Great man to work with.
How much attention do you pay to feedback? Are all the reviews out there as accurate as they are being portrayed?
Depends on who it is.
If its some hipster shit I couldn't care less. Bit plenty of ezines are run by highly dedicated people with good knowledge of music. But on the other hand these days lots of the youtube channels, Especially bmp, are run by self pronounced gate keeper idiots who claim to promote black metal but only promote the safe version. Anything not strictly within the boundaries of standard black metal or bands bashing islam for example are left out. Thus these pages, even if very big, are destroying the core of black metal. So many other channels provide good bands though.
Look at some facebook groups run by dudes who haven't a metal shirt in the house. Most of them trying to water down black metal to fit into the normal world they live in. Some of those dudes with pages called black darkness or whatever looks like shoe salesman and if you check out their personal pages not anything metal to be seen. That's just strange. Maybe these days some people are only metal online, really fucking strange.
How would you react if someone wrote you off as cheap Darkthrone worship? (I'm guessing that's what some brain-dead asshole with a severe case of auditory dyslexia would say.)
We sound totally different to Darkthrone. Except for people who listen to Abba. They think we all sound the same.
How do you feel about people who feel that bands playing black metal who don’t wear corpsepaint aren’t true? Or if the members do ‘normal’ things, they’re considered posers?
'normal'
I have met so many people of the years in the scene, mostly cool people with passion for extreme music, some with extreme lifestyles. But also lots of people who act tough and look the part but have never had a fistfight in their life. Fuck im glad i grew up in Aussie in the 80s. We couldn't even be posers even if we tried.
I wore corpsepaint 93 to 94. Im a happy man. I have great looking smart as children and a beautiful wife. A good paid job, I'm my own I have 5 months of vacation a year every winter. I'm self employed, nobody tells me what to do. That is black metal to me and has always been so. Must be normal to some people. I proudly wear my Kaos or fallen angel of doom shirts to work. Strength, ego, following my own path in life and being able to do what I want, to me that is what black metal is about. Weakness and self pity has no place in my world.
Not always. For Kaeck the Oovenmeester writes it all in Dutch and his vocals sound mad as hell in Dutch. Dutch always sounds as if your dying and very very pissed of. His lyrics are very good and its more like he is telling a dark story.
So what are 10 albums you can’t live without? And what would you do if someone tried to steal these albums from your collection and you caught him?
1. Bolt Thrower - Realm of chaos
2. Bal Sagoth - First and last albums
3. Autopsy - Severed survival. Mental funeral.
4. Sadistik Exekution - KAOS
5. Enslaved - Eld
6. Gehenna - Black seared heart
7. Mysticum - In the streams of inferno
8. Bestial Warlust - Both albums
9. Incubus - Beyond the unknown
10. Morbid Angel – Altars of madness
Shit dude. I could go on for hours. Human Agony, Caveman Cult. Nocturnus. Blasphemy, old Kreator, Deathrow, Thornium, Dawn, Nid div187, Slaughter. Dawn. and countless others.
If I caught him id make him listen to deathcore 24.7.
Please share your thoughts on the following:
Asphyx
Killer Dutch death metal veterans.
Cut Your Flesh and Worship Satan
Bloody good listen. Killer riffs and vocals. Remember listening to this pissed as fuck on holidays in France that year of release.
Physical format Vs. Mp3
You cant enjoy a album on mp3 like sitting down with a vinyl, no contest.
Nuclear Blast
Huge label. Far away from the underground.
Morbid Angel
Altars is perfect. Formulas is perfect. And in between still grand.
Lastly, what’s next for KAECK?
A new album. Our vocalist should come up with some crazy lyrics soon and then we record the 3rd album. First time for the new Sammath album.