Interview with ZINGULTUS (ENDSTILLE)

Republished from the webzine I worked for at that time October 8th, 2015

Endstille is a black metal band from Germany. It was founded in 2000 by L. Wachtfels (guitar), Mayhemic Destructor (drums), Iblis (vocals) and Cruor (bass). They describe their music as „ugliest aggressive black metal with the fire-speed of an MG42 and the power of heavy ship-artillery”. In 2009, Vocalist Zingultus (Nagelfar, Graupel) replaced Iblis.

Hello Zingultus, it’s nice to talk to you again. 15 years since ‘the most aggressive punks in black metal’ are alive and 6 years since you are with them. Tell me how it began?
I know the band since the beginning, as they supported me and my old band NAGELFAR back in 2002 for a concert and we became good friends. The contact never stopped. So when the old singer left the band and they were searching for a new singer, they asked me several times to join. But I regret first times, as I was happy with my other band GRAUPEL, which we made a Split-LP with ENDSTILLE as well. But the band was too busy for me.
But when they played this long European-Tour with HÖLLENTHON and GOD DETHRONED, I came up for a visit in Cologne and I did some guest vocals for “Frühlingserwachen”. That was the point, when we just felt “Ok, that fits so good, let’s get it started together!”
Beside that they gave me all freedom of art, so I don’t had to be a copy of their old singer. They wanted the voice to be more variable, which their old singer was never able to. So in the end I could make a band of good friends even more worthy for me, as I saw a lot of more potential in the band. Otherwise I would have never joined them.

After Iblis departure no one could imagine that Endstille will still be alive, but you fit just very well in the band. Since 2009 were released 3 full-lengths and 1 split, and the band still has fans all over. Let’s talk about a bit the albums. What they mean for you? How do you feel about your last album “Kapitulation 2013”? Are you writing the lyrics?
For me they are all monuments of certain situation and time. With “Infektion 1813” we broke with dusts of the past and played us free. We could do whatever we wanted and did.
But “Kapitulation 2013” has got more integrity, as we reinvented the band, without loosing the style. Aggression came back and we the middle finger got standing tall! We are happy with it, and mainly, it’s the most intelligent-aggressive album of Endstille ever. But some couldn’t come that deep to understand it. But I don’t feel sorry for those superficial. We read them like a book, I face them the mirror and show them their ugly faces with the mirror of the lyrics. We know how it works. If you don’t think so: feel free to hate us!

Most of ppl consider Germans as Nazis and also your music referring to war and stuff. How do you comment upon these rumours?
They should have a closer look on the lyrics and the themes we have. Otherwise, we don’t even care about them and their lousy opinion. We don’t even try to altercate with their superficial minds, as they don’t even deserve it.

What do you love so much about music? You were in other bands too: Graupel, Desecration, Nagelfar and Graven.
For me, doing music is a need. I have to do music as much as I can, to keep me in balance with that shitty everyday life. It’s my outlet. Otherwise I would go fucking insane. It’s a kind of therapy to let my demons out. I think a lot about life itself and reflect the world order, without letting myself influence by the manipulating Media. I try to have a clear thinking on life! With these impressions I have to assimilate my emotions, thoughts and needs. That’s what music is for, for me.
I don’t really care about releasing it or being successful. I would do the same, if it wouldn’t be like that. That’s why I don’t have to care about people opinions. And as I know, that all members of ENDSTILLE think like that, that’s why it works that good.

Out off all your albums that you have recorded so far, which one are you the most satisfied with?
Hard to answer. The older they get and the more distance I get to them, the more I can like them. As I said, my works is based on stuff, which is ballast for my soul and which I have to get rid off at that moment they are written and recorded. So I don’t like to get that back too early. Just from a distance.

How did you start playing in bands? Which were your influences? Any specific band or singer influenced you to start playing?
I started playing in bands at the age of 9 or 10, when we started a kind of band mainly influenced by Synthie-Pop like “Depeche Mode”, which I still like nowadays at elementary school. Then it’s a naturally development I think. You do some stuff here and then and you find your kind of expression you will never loose and stop.
As I listen to almost every kind of music (beside Reggae, Jazz and this new RnB shit), I got a lot of influences. To hard to pick something/someone out. I don’t want to copy someone, just let their moods influence me. For me the voice is an instrument. That’s why I try to do many different voices on our recordings. I try to invent new sounds and carry intense and emotions with it. Just like an audio drama.
Beside that, my main mentor in Rock n Roll and life itself is maybe Keith Richards. His part of anarchy life really made me live easier, as I just don’t give a fuck about others, as long as I and people I love have a good live.

What we should expect from Endstille in the next future? A new album? Some concerts in Romania maybe?
We are currently working on a new album. That’s all I could say at the moment. We are in no hurry. Maybe it’s coming around end 2016. You will see.
We do concerts by every now and then of course, just to get to some new places and don’t start to rust and of course we would like to come to Romania again, as we really enjoyed it in the past. But it’s in the hands of the local promoters and booking agencies.

Thanks a lot for your time! Hope to see u soon with the band in Romania. Do you have something to say in the end for the Romanian fans?
Keep the flame burning! Romania was a good and intense experience in the past, as you still got the enthusiasm on shows! We really supported that and hope to come back someday!
SICK HEIL UND FUCK HELL!!!

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