Interview With Erik Fleuren – Legion of The Damned

Interview with Erik Fleuren / Legion of The Damned
By: Noel Smart
 
SDM: Your former band "Occult" which featured Rachel from Sinister, changed the name of the band to "Legion of the Damned"? Why the change? How hard was it to step away from the "Occult" moniker after building a reputation and status from 1992-2005?
 
Erik: In 2005 gained a certain point that there was no future for the band anymore. We had no record company and we only did some shows in Holland and Belgium. We had made a good album “Elegy for the Weak” but there was no distribution so people outside of Holland and Belgium did not have the chance to explore us. So we could decide 2 things; quit the band or make a new start with a new name and a new record label.
 
SDM: What separates "Legion of the Damned" from all the other Death metal/thrash death metal bands out there?
 
Erik: That we are a real band, what you see is what you get. No nonsense, straight out of our heart thrash music.
 
SDM: Do you think labeling the band as "thrash" turns death metal fans away from hearing and giving the band a chance?
 
Erik: No not at all. We all like death metal. It also influences on our music as well a little. Without thrash metal, death metal wouldn’t even exist.

SDM: Massacre Records has supported Occult and Legion of the Damned since the beginning. How is that relationship between label and band?
 
Erik: With Occult we released only one album for Massacre Records (Of Flesh and Blood). With LOTD now we are only licenced to Massacre Records.
 
SDM: "To be thrashed by the Occult" by the Occult. How many copies of this Dvd exist and is it still available?
 
Erik: I don’t know how many copies exist. I think you can still order it a Nuclear Blast.
 
SDM: Can you tell us about your experiences making videos for the following songs: Bleed For Me, Sepulchral Ghoul and Sermon of Sacrilege? What did you learn, was it a challenge? What’s the hardest part about the process?
 
Erik: It was always fun to make these video’s. Our vocalist Maurice has his own video company (Lowlife Media) and he is also the producer of our video’s. The hard part is, that you have to wait for a long time and that you have to take several shots from different positions.
 
SDM: What can you tell us about "Legion of the Damned" Limited Edition Digi-Pack released with a Bonus-DVD called "Feel the blade"?
 
Erik: The Limited Edition is with the Bonus DVD with contains: Tour report with Kreator. Some footage of festivals we did in 2007: Earthshaker open Air, Rock Area Open air (both in Germany), Tuska Open Air (Finland), Bloodstock open Air (UK). It also contains our video of Sepulchral Ghoul and a studio report we made during the recording of the extra songs on Feel the blade.
 
SDM: On "Feel The Blade" you cover "Chronic Infection" by Pestilence, Which includes guest-vocals by Martin van Drunen – ex-Pestilence (Hol), ex-Bolt Thrower, ex-Comecon, Asphyx (Hol)), Hail of Bullets etc! How did you manage to do this? Is Martin a supporter of "Legion of the Damned"?
 
Erik: We have met Martin van Drunen a few years ago when we still played with Occult. At that time he played in an unknown band. We said to him that we are all great fans of Pestilence. When we had the plan to do a cover we decided to a Pestilence song. We just asked him, and he said to us that it was an honour to do the vocals, because he was also a fan of LOTD.
 
SDM: How do you get such a precise double bass drum sound on your albums? What do you use to record your bass drums? Any particular recording methods you can share? What kind of pedals do you use? Have you always used the same pedals or changed between albums?
 
Erik: In the studio we use a mix from the original bass drum sound together with a sample. Every note I play will be recorded and when necessary it will be fixed with pro-tools. We are a live band, so when I cannot play it, I will not record it. I have been using my Axis A boards single pedals for the first 3 LOTD albums. For Cult of the Dead I used the Axis Long boards.
 
SDM: Tell us about the "Full of Hate" cd compilation that was given out to the Full of hate fest? Who’s idea was this? How do you manage to keep on delivering such insanely produced albums? Do you put a lot of your own money into the band or is there just so much demand in the Netherlands for Death metal that the label pays for it all?
 
Erik: The idea came from our management to give us some extra promotion. So everyone who bought a ticket for the Full of Hate tour got a “Full of hate CD” for free.
 
SDM: Give us all the information you possibly can on the new "Legion of the Damned" Dvd "Slaughtering" 2010! How will this differ from other Dvd productions you have done in the past? How did you manage to come up with all the various different editions for this 2 disc Dvd and Cd?
 
Erik: This DVD will contain 2 complete live shows we recorded in 2009. It contains our show on the Summerbreeze open air festival and the Thrash Assault 4 festival in Würzburg (both in Germany). Besides that It contains a lot of extra’s like: footage from some other festival where we have played in 2009. Reports from our trips to Turkey and Portugal and lots of more. The idea to make this DVD is that we wanted to do something special for our fans.

SDM: Do you think when fans hear your music they are saying that "Legion of the Damned" is the new modern "Kreator"? What do you have to say about that comparison?
 
Erik: When they mean the old Kreator, I can agree on that. I take that as a big compliment. Kreator has always been a great influence for us. Nowadays Kreator plays more melodic thrash as they did in the early years.
 
SDM: "Bestial Summonings" was one of the very first black metal bands in the Nehterlands and had a huge following! Did you ever play any part in this band?
 
Erik: No, not at all. Maurice, our vocalist, was playing the drums for Bestial Summoning at that time.
 
SDM: Can you tell us if you had any previous drum teachers or classes in drumming instruction?
 
Erik: When I was young I have taken some drum lessons. Most of it I have thought myself.
 
SDM: How long have you been playing? Who were some of your very early influences when playing Death metal?
 
Erik: I have been playing drums now for over 20 years. My influences still are: Dave Lombardo, Paul Bostaph, Gene Hoglan, Pete Sandoval, Ventor and Tom Hunting.
 
SDM: What are some of your favorite local Netherland drummers, past or present?
 
Erik: I like the drumming of Roel Sanders (Inhume, ex-God Dethroned, ex-Asphyx). He is a very fast a very good drummer. Besides that, he is a good friend of mine. 
 
SDM: What kind of drums do you use? Are you endorsed?
 
Erik: I used to play on a Tama Rockstar. Nowadays I have an endorsement with Pearl. I have a Pearl Masters MMP. The set up is: 2 basdrums (22”), 3 toms (10,12,13”), 1 floor tom (16”)
 
SDM: What kind of cymbals, heads and sticks do you use?
 
Erik: At the moment I use Zildjian Cymbals, Wincent drumsticks and Evans heads.
 
SDM: How does the band practice? How many times per week? For how long?
 
Erik: we have our own rehearsal room at my parents place. We practice at least once or twice every week. This we do now for over 15 years now (including Occult)
 
SDM: Do you have a day job aside from playing in metal bands?
 
Erik: Yes I have an office job.