Just over a year ago, French Hats Barn released their debut album for Osmose Productions and sixth album in total: ‘Y.a.HW.e.H’. In my review, I described it as an uncompromising mix between Finnish, Polish and, quite naturally, French Black Metal. Intrigued as I was by the album, it was a natural move to invite the band for a Q&A, vocalist and driving force Psycho felt willing to respond…
If I am well informed you have formed Hats Barn all the way back in 2005 as a solo-project (or band). What were your main reasons to get your own musical vehicle going? And, also quite interesting, what made you decide to make it a “proper” band and get some other musicians involved?
Back in time, I already was a musician in the Black Metal Scene in other underground projects. But my goal was to make a project more into my inner conviction. More intimate, more black and close to my influence. Hats Barn started as a solo project. Then it became a duo since ten years. We composed a lot of albums and we started to play on stage. However, my musical partner and I weren’t on the same line, so we split up by mutual agreement. I continued as a solo project and my EP Sheol was out. Then I had the idea to form a band with session musicians for some live concert. Finally, Hats Barn becomes a complete band. Now the band preaches the word of the Devil all together.
Personally I ran into Hats Barn with the reissue of the ‘Total Genocide Devastation’ demo tape, released by Rempart Immortel (in a classy and sick edition in a bible with all sorts of dead stuff and bullets). I liked those rough and gritty recordings, how do you look back at that those early years of the band?
The first releases were the cement of the founding of the band. We made rough Black Metal music as you said, with pure misanthropy, death… A proud pillars and roots of the Black Legions. That’s not artifices. I just wanted to spit all my hate thanks to the black art. With time, Hats Barn matured without softening the music. Now it’s more Satanic than before, from music to visuals. The lyrics are more thoughtful than before too.
Besides those demo recordings you had already five albums out through various labels before the Osmose Productions released ‘Y.a.HW.e.H’. Can you please take us on a quick journey through your back catalogue? Any specific thoughts about those previous recordings?
Our discography is a logical continuation of the evolution of the band but also of these authors, there are strong albums which are the pillars of HATS BARN like the album VOICES or NAHASH and of course Y.a.HW.e.H. They are all linked by the same negative aura that flows from it, that of death and chaos, always under the banner of the Devil to carry his greatness around the world.
‘Y.a.HW.e.H’ has been out for a couple of months now, as far as I have been able to see the reactions were quite positive. But how do you look at the whole process of writing, recording and releasing this album? Was it any different from any of your previous experiences?
Y.a.HW.e.H is completely different from the rest of the discography because there are now four active musicians. I composed the guitars with Soggoth (Guitar) onto the first compositions of drums, it’s Kryos (drums) who really composed his drum parts. Then came the time for Ruine (bass) to do his own parts. We worked with Alkorne who is the founder of the group LORD KETIL who has his own studio. The goal was to be concentrated between us. As usual, I wrote the texts. It’s also Soggoth (guitar) who did the band’s covers. For the rest, the collaboration with Osmose Productions was beneficial to us. Today I think this album is the most accomplished.
Despite your quite impressive back catalogue, Hats Barn seemed to have stayed quite deep in the (French) underground. I am sure the involvement of Osmose Productions made a huge difference. How would you score or judge your cooperation with Osmose Productions so far?
We are very happy to sign with the legendary Osmose Production label, it was exactly what Hats Barn needed. We still have the soul of the underground, however we needed a label that could put us forward so we can be able to produce even more. However, we still “masters” of our image and of what we want to be, we create the decorum of the group ourselves, we choose for ourselves. Only the devil guides us.
Of course the label opened up some possibilities that were previously more or less out of reach. If you’d try to take an as objective as possible look at the previous years, what do you think is the major difference between the years prior the release of ‘Y.a.HW.e.H’ and after?
I don’t completely agree that the label opens up possibilities out of reach. It’s above all our hard work and beliefs in Black Metal for so many years. Indeed Osmose allowed us to be a little more in the light, however, we had not yet signed with the label that the album Y.a.HW.e.H was already finished, it proves that it was not a question of making a disc to meet a requirement of the label. The major differences is that it’s the first album composed by four members and not only me in charge.
You recently returned from your tour with Gorgoroth and Doodswens, as far as I know that is the first real tour that you have embarked on, right? Can you share some thought on that experience? Any highlights? And how were the other bands on this specific tour?
First of all, it’s not our first tour. In 2019 we followed MARDUK for their Viktoria Europa Tour. It was a real honor to open for the legend GORGOROTH and meet its founder Infernus. Tours are always something powerful because it allows to perform in a lot of countries and make them discover our band and our art. We were indeed in our place on this beautiful tour and we received a lot of support and enthusiasm for Hats Barn, A really big thanks again to all the actors who contributed to this success. However, I’ll still discreet for the moments shared with the other bands, and I don’t allow myself to speak on their behalf.
For what I am able to judge, from my perspective, a lot has changed for Hats Barn, but one thing that more or less stayed the same is your musical direction. What would you consider to be your main driving force, both musically and thematically?
The main motivation of Hats Barn is the Devil, that we glorify through our Black Metal. To us, he is the 5th member of the band. During our concert we feel this communion with the Evil one, that’s why we use a “decorum” on stage. For us, there are 3 fundamentals for a successful Black metal Record, the 1st is the music itself which is the most important, the 2nd is the covers and booklet of the album that immerse you visually and the 3rd fundamental is the live concerts, because it brings the osmosis of what we want to share.
Now we’re diving a bit more into the music, as a French band with a sound that has a slight Les Légiones Noir tone to the music, it is almost inevitable to mention it. While I wouldn’t compare you so much with Mütiilation or Vlad Tepes, can you relate to such a comparison?
This link is natural, we are a French True Black Metal band, however we are just the heirs of the LLN. We are not trying to be like them, but we preach what was best in this era. Even if we can feel the influences of Mütiilation in Hats Barn, it comes only because I am a fan of the band, naturally I feel it when I compose music.
Okay, a quick detour then… It has been quite some years, decades even, since the heydays of the Les Légiones Noir days, but the French scene has been spawning quite a few interesting bands over the past years. How would you, as an active contributor and insider, judge the current state of the French Black Metal scene?
The French Black Metal scene is deteriorating day after day because the Black Metal became a commercial hobby, without any convictions… A lot of bands saying that they play Black Metal are finally some clowns and comedians who approach the music in a bad way to produce some sound montages that I can compare to a big turd. The fundamentals of Black Metal are dying. Today people prefer to make some merch instead of recording albums with guts. To resume, the French Black Metal Scene makes me want to throw up.
A song like ‘Under The Pillars Of Daath’ does quite specifically sound Nordic to my ears. The influence of Norwegian/Swedish Black Metal on the overall Black Metal scene is undeniable, can you tell about your views and relationships with Nordic Black Metal?
I’m a big fan of the Scandinavian scene with bands like MARDUK, WATAIN or MAYHEM. I also like the Finnish scene, especially for True Black Metal projects like SARGEIST. But it goes more than loving these bands, I like how MAYHEM was created especially through actions rather than words. Same for WATAIN, I like their beliefs that we share on the ANTI COSMOS Satanism created by Jon of DISSECTION. No artifice and no pretense. Only beliefs.
Personally I felt ‘Y.a.HW.e.H’ was quite a “typical” Osmose Productions album, having lots of speed as well as melody. The label has a long history of releasing quality albums that echo both of those characteristics. Totally unnecessary to name, but it ranges from the fairly obvious Marduk albums to the somewhat lesser-known gems by Cirith Gorgor, among others. Can you relate to this idea? And can you mention your favourite albums released by the label?
I completely agree on this, Osmose always releases groups with pure Black Metal DNA. We will never find this new shitty trend that is post Black Metal there. It’s also the legendary label that brought bands like MARDUK, IMMORTAL and IMPALED NAZARENE out of the shadows. To me, PANZER DIVISION MARDUK will remain the best album released by the label.
While we’re at it, assuming your like to play records (or CD’s or tapes, for that matter), what would we currently find on your turn table? And what are you most recent purchases?
Before being an artist, I am an unconditional fan of Black Metal and I collect albums and vinyls. That’s why it’s difficult to answer because I buy too many albums. But recently, I bought the two CD live albums by MARDUK.
You are also active in a few other bands/projects, can you tell us a bit about those?
I also sing on the project of Alkorne of LORD KETIL, I already talked about him in the previous questions, I let people discover the band by listening to it. Kryos, our drummer, also officiates in some bands like GRIFFON or AZZIARD.
With ‘Y.a.HW.e.H’ released about almost a year ago, what can we expect from Hats Barn in the upcoming months/years?
We still have a lot of concerts to perform until the end of the year. At the beginning of 2024 we will give a follow-up to Y.a.HW.e.H if the Devil allows us.
I’d like to thank you for taking the time to answer my questions. If you feel I haven’t covered something yet or if you have something to add yourself, feel free to take these last words.
Thanks for the interest in the band. HAIL SATAN.
