First of all, please tell us about the band and the bandname. What is KRAGENS supposed to mean?

Renaude:   Cedric SELLIER and Ludwig LAPERCHE both guitarists formed the band in late 2000, in Nice, French Riviera. I read a classified ann. they make in a local newspaper, and I join the band a few months later. At this time, I have stop singing metal for several years, after some disappointment with business. After a test with a friend J.M SCALI on drums, we found a full qualified metal drummer, famous in the area (his band Dirty Side was the first french band which make touring in USSR late 80’s), Olivier GAVELLE. We missed one bass player, so I called my collegue Denis MALEK, who played with me in Demon Eyes and Lynx in the middle of the 8o’s. The line up full, we could start working on new material. Cedric found the name of Kragens, as we like the agressive sound of German language, compare to English. We are fans of lot of German metal bands, it’s a kind of tribute...But more than this, the Kragens are submarine monsters that oppress mankind in a Jack Vance’s book called “The Blue World”. We didn’t know the real meaning of the word Kragens in German, but we liked the sense of the book : decline of humanity, animals domination. So we understand the media questions about our bandname in Germany! It seems so strange to them...

  Could you explain the idea and concept behind "Dying in a desert" for our readers?

Renaude:   We wanted this album sounds and looks agressive and sometimes brutal, but we have always took care on mixing violence and melody. The lyrics talk about war, the dark side of men, metal, society, and us...I think Jean-Pascal FOURNIER who made the cover caught the sense of our music. The first track Dying in a Desert is about our urban society, crowdy and focused on Internet, but finally nobody talks to each other, you are always alone, like a thirsty warrior wounded in a desert. This album is not a concept album, however the lyrics have always a link.

  Now let's talk about the song 'Kragens' from the record. Could you please explain that one? Where did the idea come from to write german lyrics and who wrote them?

Renaude:   When Cedric bring the first frame of this song, I thought this is something that will sound in German. Kragens has a special atmosphere, it’s like the end of the world with a romantic side, so German words were the perfect choice, they fit good, they are so crushing, especially the “RRR”!! About the meaning, it’s a song with two senses : it talks about us, “metal krieger”, defenders of the metal faith, humans as powerful as the “Kragens” (the monsters), we make war to the bad part of humanity, we dominate the world of foolishness. That’s why I wrote the chorus with bad grammar, the dudes say “heil Kragens” as we are their masters, and “Das Gut” because they have no brain. For me that joke is delicious and sounds very well, but for some people it’s bad taste. I’m sorry about some bad interpretations of this text in Germany, but metal is not the Inquisition, I can say what I want. I’m glad to have this question, and thank you for that explanation.

  When looking at the cover of "Dying in a desert", I feel like it shows a pretty negative vision of the future. Would you say that this is the way KRAGENS see the future of mankind - negative, maybe dark?

Renaude:   Oh yes, in the band we live as today is the last day, because our world is sure promised to death. Some experts say that in 2100, if chinese and indian people get each a car and shower we can prepare our suitcases to Mars! I’m sorry for our children, but we are so sellfish...My aim is that my little daughter discover for real all the things, all the animals, that will disappear in twenty years : tigers, corals, rhinoceros, sharks...

  12 Songs on the album - which one is your favourite?

Renaude:   “Lords Of Chaos”

  Were you ever afraid of what the press might write about the album or that the fans might not like it?

Renaude:   Yes, it’s always a stress for me, because an album is two years of work. We are very involved in our music, and to be criticized in a bad way is like loosing a friend. We are sometimes disappointed because only a few journalists in the reviews take time to listen well, and don’t dig deep in the band intention. But we have to take it easy, that’s business. About the fans, you can’t always satisfy everybody. But our album has very good metal songs, we play well, and it sounds! The main thing is that we have a cumshot each time we play “Dying in a Desert”!

  Could you please describe the main influences on the music of KRAGENS?

Renaude:   Classic heavy metal bands, like Judas Priest or Accept (for the riffs), and more modern like Nevermore or Arch Enemy. We like to add a touch of Trash, because Slayer, Sodom or Kreator are our favourite. But we don’t forget our Death Metal influences, Cannibal Corpse and Decapitated.

  How would you describe the french metal scene?

Renaude:   Alive and well, but we need more metal fans. Where are they? In Germany?

  Will you be touring in 2004? If so, where will we be able to see you?

Renaude:   For German people, the best place to see Kragens in 2004 will be in Strasbourg, on the 4th of september, La Laiterie, Guardians of Metal Festival, we will open for Virgin Steele.

  Thanks for your time and answering my questions. The last words of this interview belong to you.

Renaude:   I thank you too, and all the people in Germany who gave us a very warm welcome and support. Visit our website to get news, www.kragens.com.