Interview with Kim Kane of Infant Death 2013

By Bradley Smith

As Infant Death is a relatively new band on the international stage I was wondering if you could give me a little history of the band?  Why did you choose Infant Death as your moniker?  What are some of the influences you think shine through in your music?  What is it about thrash that appeals to you so much that you are able to unleash such a potent assault of destructive metal?

"Well, Infant Death was started by me (Kim Kane) and Knegge since the drummer in our band Hellstorm were going away to train on kung-fu for the winter.  We wanted to make some raw pure evil thrash, and in October 2012 we started to rehearse every day with me on nuclear warheads and Knegge on hellsaw and death throat.  We both made riffs, so after a while we had six songs that we recorded early December.

Why Infant Death, hmmm, it was the name we had that we thought fit most out of a horde of other names, names that I can't remember anymore.

Mostly old influences.  As suspected.

We want to create an aggressive energy and try to make good songs."

Your new Demo Cursed To Damnation is just available for download and will be ready in physical format any day now.  Can you tell me about the demo and how it represents what Infant Death is all about?  What will a person hear when the music hits their ears.  How is it a progression over your first demo?  What did you want to do differently on this demo that you didn't on your first demo?

"It's the second demo.  While we waited for the first demotape in January we still rehearsed every day, and soon we had four new songs.  The difference is that it has only four songs, where the first demo had six.  It is a continuation of the first demo, same style, not much progression.  We wanted more songs so we can play live once.  Maybe the songs are better on the second demo.  I'm not sure.  The tapes are limited to 100 copies and are in four different colours."

Your debut demo is the ball that got it all rolling for Infant Death.  Tell me about its creation and what sort of statement were you trying to make with it?  Did you learn any lessons when recording it that you are taking forward with you on your future recordings?

"As said, we wanted to make some raw evil thrash with fast vocals and solos etc.  We recorded the first demo early December 2012.  I don't think we learned anything at all.  Just some from the experimenting with the microphone placement.  I still think the demo came out fine.  As we wanted it to be.  Thrashfish.  The songs are in the order we made them on the first demo, by the way."

Infant Death is growing really fast.  You have a New album due in June on Apocalyptic Empire.  What will be on the new album and how far along are you with the recording sessions?  Any idea what you will call the new album?  How is it going to be different than Cursed To Damnation?

"We finished with the album.  Twelve new tracks where one is instrumental.  The album will have the original name "War".  Musically it is a continuation from the demos.  I think it turned out good."

We were talking a bit about Nidaros cathedral.  What is your view on the place?  Do you think it is special given its appearance on the legendary De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas album from Mayhem? You also mentioned it is haunted.  By what?  Have you ever seen the ghost?  And since we are on that topic, what do you think ghosts are?

"It is no point at burning that church because it's stoned.  I think that place is mostly unnecessary.  I don't think that De Mysteriis has made it much more "popular" as it has always been quite "popular" among the religious and cultural people.  The Nidarosdoom is haunted by a monk.  It strangles people.  I haven't seen any ghosts.  I don't think they are anything, they just throw stuff at me, but I HOPE the world will become like it is in Ghostbusters one day."

You run the Prostata zine and record label.  What sort of bands do you sign and release with Prostata?  I mean what does a band have to have in order to capture your ears and make you want to release their album?  Also, since you do interviews and review music and related activities, how does that affect how you present Infant Death?  Do you think that gives you an insight as to some traps you should avoid and some aspects you should highlight with Infant Death?

"From now on the "label" will only release stuff I'm involved in myself.  With a few exceptions, maybe.  As usual.  I'm not really sure.  Always stuck with a bunch of copies for years because I don't know/care how to promote.  Had been better having two heads, so one could concentrate on this, and the other one could concentrate on that.  But, as I said, I'm not signing any bands.

I guess by writing zines for so long (since 94), the only affect it has on Infant Death, or any other projects, is to answer the interviews we'll get.  If there are any traps, we will probably fall in them and bite ourselves out.  That's excitement."

Though you are actually from outside of Trondheim (Hommelvik), what is your view on Nidrosian black metal and its current popularity.  Do you have a good relationship with any of those bands?

"We're in the other gang, the Bumblebee bay macho studs.  We are old and stupid, and into perversions, they are mostly young and intelligent, full of life-force.  I don't know if they're into perversions as well.  I guess the relationship is normal, but not sexual."

You mentioned an interesting story regarding your rehearsal space.  Can you give me some more background on it?  I believe you said it was constructed for Hitler back in World War 2?  Why did you choose this rehearsal place and what sort of sound do you get there?  Where is it?

"What I was told is that Hitler built it with corpses in concrete, and when they tried to blow it up, the buildings were too strong.  Before the war the place was a beach they called little Florida. Maybe it was hot in Trondheim back then, who knows?  It's by the docks.  The rehearsal place/studio was built by the band Victimised.  The sound is good.  Been to worse sounding places."

Both of your demos are available on tape.  It seems like the format of tape is making a comeback in the underground for demos and such.  Why do you think that is?  What is special about tapes?  Do you think there is a sense of nostalgia surrounding tapes?  And since we are on that topic, do you think that in general metal as a genre is obsessed with nostalgia?  I mean metalheads are always talking about how great the old bands were, and how great the old shows were, etc.  What's your opinion?

"I think it is a good format, and a cheap one too, plus that you don't have to print so many.  If a tape is shit, you can make a shower mixtape out from it.  If a tape is broken you can knit clothes with it.  Socks for instance.  The opportunities are many.  You can't knit socks of a broken mp3-file.

Yes, it's nostalgia all the way, everywhere.  Not just within metal.  Had been easier to get rid of religions if it hadn't been for that damn nostalgia!"

Based on the song titles and the band name, death appears to be a central theme for Infant Death.  Do you find that to be true?  Why is that?  And what does DEATH as a concept mean to you?  Is that the end for us all or is there something beyond?

"Hehe, we noticed that on the second demo when we wrote down the song-titles.  I guess we must be drawn to it then.  Much into executions, punishments and brutal endings.  Quite drawn to that.  Death as a concept is life, for everyone, and entertainment for our poor minds.  The end is the end when the movie ends.  Sometimes there as sequels, and the third often tend to suck."

Thanks again for the interview.  I'll leave any Final Words to you and I want you to expound on how we are all Slaves To the Grave!  Thrash hard!

"Thank you for the interview.  We are all slaves to the grave, that's what we all work towards.  Check out our demos etc on www.infantdeath.bandcamp.com and www.facebook.com/InfantDeath for updates. Also www.prostatarecords.blogspot.com"