Interview with Franta Storm of Master’s Hammer 2009

By Bradley Smith

 

Hells Franta Storm, It has been a really long time since Master’s Hammer mysteriously vanished.  Can you tell me what prompted this reunion and how it has been functioning as a band again?  Was the old magic there when the various members of Master’s Hammer were face to face again after all this time?

 

We tried to prove that senile old men can still make some noise. No magic at all. Just rock'n'roll. Seriously - it was a combination of various triggering impressions: Moving from the city to the countryside, listening to frogs while stumbling home from a pub, visiting India with Vlasta, drinking Old Monk rum and smoking some good stuff.

 

Finally after this overly long wait we the world have a new Master’s Hammer album so sink our ears into, Mantras.  How do you feel it fits in with Ritual and Jilmenice Occultist?  It seems to have the aggression of Ritual with the boundary shattering creativity of Jilmenice.  What were you trying to achieve with Mantras and what inspired its creation?

 

Our website says: ...our aim was to have fun (adequately to our age) and to use proven blackmetal methods to express ourselves. Mantra is in many eastern religions a synonym for "word of truth". I wrote these songs after real stories and feelings taken from countrysides we partly live in, namely Southern Bohemia and India.
Soundwise, I agree, it's a heritage of good old MH years, both albums are there as clear influences, but don't forget to mention Necrocock's sick tunes and Vlasta's hammonds and organs among Silentlhell and Monster's contribution. There are several new features like using real wooden flutes and brass cymbals (Epitaf) plus certain influences of ethnic and disco music. That's new with MH.

 

Master’s Hammer has a truly cult mystique.  Do you agree?  How do you think this air of mystery was summoned surrounding MH?  Do you think that being mostly silent for all these years and being from Eastern Europe which in some ways seemed “darker” has helped MH achieve this status?    

 

You're not the first mentioning a "cult" of us. I hate it, it makes me unfree. When being a "legend", people expect certain behavior from me, but I'm a man of irony and like foolish things, rather than moving in patterns.

Darker Eastern Europe - it sounds funny - that implicates "brighter Western lands" and even darker Asia. There is no such issue, everywhere you go, it's just you. The World has no attributes itself. Sometimes I regard the whole western civilization as hopelessly degenerate.

 

Jilmenice Occultist was the first Black metal opera.  What made Master’s Hammer think they could challenge the preconceived notions of what black metal is with such a bold statement?  I mean, what inspired MH to compose an actual opera?  What was the thinking when the members sat down to conceive this album?  How do you think it was received by the underground at first and how do you feel they see it now?

 

There is a slight difference between opera and operetta. We've never composed any opera. We're not entirely a blackmetal band anymore. Today, we play rock'n'roll and brutal Manele with Chalga influence. Operettas mostly have stupid lyrics and that's a good match with us, frivolous and verse-mongered words suite perfectly to our simple music.

 

I can remember being quite shocked when I heard Šlágry the first time.  Can you give me some idea on what the thought process was when Masters Hammer recorded this album and how did Osmose react when they received it from you? 

 

Šlágry is our best album in terms of a 2-man project with Vlasta. It's an answer to those who regard blackmetal musicians as featureless authors simply focused on distorted guitars, double bass drum and aarrgh. We noticed a warm acceptance of Šlágry from non-metalists, alternative-listeners, and as a side-effect, it introduced them to a blackmetal realm. We love that album for its semantic shifts. It consists mostly of cover versions of certain popular songs and our interpretation filled them with a new meaning.

 

According to your website Master’s Hammer seems to have a larger than normal problem with Bootlegs.  Why do you think this is and what action have you taken to deal with it?   Does it frustrate you to see your art circulating in a manner in which you have no control over?

 

We realized, that after years of silence, certain unmentionable companies thought that they could do whatever they wanted with our copyrighted material, music, design, pictures. There was a discrepancy in the definition of the word "copyright", so we realized it will be much better for both sides to split immediately. Master's Hammer is completely independent on any label now. We're not a world's exception, other bands have also abandoned their labels recently to set forth in a freelanced way. Today you can have a good studio, production, promotion and distribution at a fraction of costs from before. So we did. Nowadays we have everything under instant control, every decibel, each square millimeter of cover design, daily sales reports; no separation wall between fans and the band.

On the other hand, some bootlegs can provoke the band to do something new, original. I'm always trying to look at the bright side of a problem.

 

To me one thing that separates Master’s Hammer from their contemporaries, even aside from music is that each album is a truly artistic endeavor with the art, layout, fonts etc, for each.  When approaching the creation and placing the final touches on a new MH album how do you view the non-musical aspects of the whole artistic package as it were?  I mean how much time and effort is placed on these details?  Do you think other bands neglect this important aspect of an album?

 

I don't think so. Every band does care. I designed dozens of record covers for various bands in my career, and can't remember one who just kept it on me. Usually we used to spend endless hours in my studio consulting on every detail.

For Mantras, we're happy about Martin's canvas, and the band’s group portrait, both are about 1x1 m big, hanging in my dining room - it has changed slightly the atmosphere in my house. I know, a skull is not that innovative in terms of metal music design, but Martin's sloppy gestual craft made it unique, and - he's a band member, although he doesn't play any instrument.

 

Speaking of Fonts what is Storm Type?  Do you design your own fonts or bring old ones you discover to life?  To you what are the artistic merits of words and their aesthetic qualities?  Do you feel this is something that most people and bands overlook?

 

What I'm trying to do, is just to offer my experience as a trained typographer and designer. I used to teach at Prague's Academy for a couple of years and made my best student take my position when I left retired. Type and typography is the mediator of knowledge, history, science, truth, lies, whatever. You perceive 90% of information in your life by printed (or on-screen displayed) type. And fontmaking is a comfortable way of earning money, too. It gives me freedom.

 

Necrocock contributed a recipe to the Hellbent for Cooking heavy metal cookbook.  Have you seen it?  It was for Bull Testicle.  Have you had this dish before and do you like it?  Do you cook at all and what’s your favorite recipe?

 

He's known gourmet, you can see his belly on the recent pictures... I prefer a goose baked slowly in my tile oven. I live among three lakes full of fishes, so you can imagine my table when the owners - friends - haul them in every autumn.

 

You have another music project, Airbrusher.  Can you tell me about it?  What other musical projects have other MH members been involved with prior to the reanimation of Master’s Hammer?

 

When I built my studio back in 2007, I needed to check its sound, adjust acoustic treatment, learn what to do with mixing, etc. Vlasta helped me a lot with technical solutions. Soon after finishing it I recorded Airbrusher as test album - it's completely about bad taste, you can hear those synths. I was a bit of a Yello - fan, the essays by Dieter Meier influenced me a little, although - and most probably because - they are written in such a dandy-shallow style. But his musical and lyrics approach remain irresistible forever.

Airbrusher lyrics have something in common with Mantras - it's also about the south-bohemian countryside with its bizarre people and scenery.

For Necrocock projects you should ask him. I confess it's not exactly my cup of tea, but in general, he is a very experienced composer, and I appreciate very much his skills in Mantras mixing.

 

I read that Master’s Hammer are already looking towards the Next album.  How will it differ from Mantras and will it remain a “black metal” album or is it headed into new directions? 

 

It appeared possible for all of us to meet sometime and have another party in the studio and occasionally press the record button. No specific plans yet. I would love to make something humble, free of sophisticated effects. I like an unprocessed brutal sound as it was on the very first demo. Cheap cassette recorder put in the middle of rehearsal room, done.

 

If Master’s Hammer had not reunited what do you think their legacy to the underground would have been?  How do you think a new album affects that legacy and what new inheritance do you want to leave to the metal scene since the rebirth?

 

Recently, I met a nice girl, born in the year of releasing "Finished" demo. She was decently tattooed, dressed in alluring black boutique with essential baphomet necklace, skilled in drinking, and she knew all our songs including new ones, so I assume, we're likely addressing another generation of fans. Later on, she confessed she sings in a blackmetal band. My message to them is clear: Make your own music, don't go trendy with labels.

 

I will leave Final Thoughts and artistic visions to you. 

 

Your feedback matters, write us your opinion on Mantras.