Well, we were all fans of the harder types of music. It wasn't just Death Metal. We listened to everything from KISS, CELTIC FROST, KREATOR, SODOM, METALLICA, THE MENTORS, ADRENALIN O.D.,…. It's what you today will call the classic bands. The first song we learned to play bandy was a cover of CELTIC FROSTS "Procreation Of The Wicked". We were just kids wanting to bang our heads off basically.

The new release “Our Condolences (1988-1992)” is the first compilation that features all songs of OLD FUNERAL ever recorded. Why have you let the fans wait for more than 20 years to get such a compilation?

There was the element of finding all the material, photos and flyers and the recorded material. There was a compilation in 1999 on Hammerheart Records called "The Older Ones" , but that did not include the 7 tracks on the very first demo. So now we decided to release everything in one package. The only thing that is missing is 2 instrumental tracks from the 1992 “Kardemommehuset” session that was not finished. We did not get time to finish them as people got thrown in jail and stuff and the band split up. So ever since we split, people have been asking me for the first demo other stuff. So we just thought we should do it properly for once and release all in a nice package.

The complete cover of your first demo “The Fart That Should Not Be” was just handwritten. How many copies of this demo had been produced? And how much time had it taken to write down all information onto all copies of the demo?

Ha ha! That demo was recorded on a 4-track Fostex machine in our rehearsal room. I handwrote the cover, but it was xeroxed and released in 50 copies. It was just basically our friends who got them, so it is a total underground tape. What you see on the compilation is a scan of the original "master" cover. The ones that were spread to our friends have black & white cover. So it only took about an hour to write the cover and about an hour to copy them.

The thanks-list of “The Fart That Should Not Be” contains a dedication to “all the underground mags and bands in the world (especially Tibet and Nepal)”. Why were especially the people in Tibet and Nepal so close to your heart?

Ha ha ha! That was just a joke of course, even though I can remember that we a got an order from a guy in Nepal!!! We wanted to be as underground as possible ,so we figured there was absolutely NO metal-scene in those countries, so therefore it could not be more underground than that since the scene wasn't even existing!

When regarding the old artworks, flyer and even song-titles it seems that OLD FUNERAL didn´t take themselves very seriously, especially within the first days of the band. Can you explain why OLD FUNERAL became archetypes for many musicians of the serious Black Metal-community, disregarding that some “celebrities” of Norway´s scene like Abbath, Demonaz or Varg Vikernes played in the band?

I know what you mean, but you have to remember that we were only kids when we started the band. Me and Olve (Abbath) were just 15 years old in 1988. What the hell can you expect from kids? We liked horror movies like “Bad Taste” and the likes and got inspiration from there I guess. We liked humour, death, gore and splatter when we were kids. Listening to the first demo today I am quite amazed actually. Considering we had only played our instruments for 10 months when it was recorded. It is quite brutal and technical considering our age and the very short time we had rehearsed. To answer the second part of your question, I guess we are regarded the way we are for 2 reasons. The fact that "celebrities" were in the band and that we were very early in the scene. There were not very many extreme bands in Norway in 1988. So we are regarded by many as the first band from the west coast of Norway to put out brutal music. In The eastern part of Norway there were more bands like MAYHEM (of course) , BALVAZ, THOU SHALT SUFFER, MORTEM, THY ABHORRENT etc..

When you listen to “Our Condolences (1988-1992)” nowadays, what do you think after more than 20 years? Are you more proud of your musical legacy, or do you feel more ashamed because the recordings were far away from sounding perfect? What feeling overweighs the other one?

Yes, I am indeed proud. To be quite honest, I feel the same about it as I did back then. To me music is timeless. If I like something, I like it for life. I was never the guy who said "I can't believe I listened to that". To me it was never about sounding perfect. To me it was about creating a feel or atmosphere. I wouldn't have done anything different. A recording is a document of how a band sound there and then. When you touch up too much it takes away the spark and honesty out of a band.

Have there ever been plans to reactivate the band within the last 20 years, maybe only for a few special shows?

No plans at all. We have revived the original band (Olve, Padden and myself ) on 2 occations since the break up. We played "Devoured Carcass", "Skin And Bone" and "Procreation Of The Wicked" on my 30th birthday party in 2003, and we did "Aphis" ,"Persecuted By Death" and "Procreation Of The Wicked" on my 40th birthday party 1 week ago!! 170 people (only my friends) attended by invitations. It was great fun. We have been approached by many festival organizers to reunite, but have always said no. We all have other bands and it would be wrong to milk the OLD FUNERAL cow for easy cash. One shall never say never, but in the near future it will definitely not happen. And IF it happens it will be for the right reasons. So organizers, please don't send OLD FUNERAL requests. Book IMMORTAL, THE BATALION , BÖMBERS or STUDFAUST instead.

On the compilation you can find a song called “Alone Walking” that has been recorded in September 1992. Is it possibly an early prototype of the anthem called “Alone Walkyng” that HADES released on their first demo with the same title in 1993?

That is correct. "Alone Walking" was made when Jørn was in the band. And he took parts of the song with him to HADES.

Are there more activities with OLD FUNERAL planned but for the release of the new compilation?

No. Not at all, except for printing a T-shirt with the album cover on it! We will maybe do a picture disc vinyl edition of "Our Condolences" in very limited edition.

Do you have some special final statement for the fans of OLD FUNERAL in Germany?

Thanx for the interest in the band. OLD FUNERAL was my first band and I played there from we started until we broke up, so it has a special place in my heart. If you are interested in what we are doing musically nowadays, check out IMMORTAL, THE BATALLION (a band I have with people from GRIMFIST, TAAKE, BORKNAGAR). We have released 2 LPs and one EP. Or check out STUDFAUST (a band I have with Bård "Faust" Eithun ) or go and see BÖMBERS , which is a MOTÖRHEAD tribute band I have with Abbath. You won't be disappointed allright!