CERBERE - Love Is A Dog From Hell (Doom/Sludge - Interview with Baptiste).
- Please, introduce yourself and tell us how it all began ?
Hello, this is Baptiste. I play drums in Cerbère, we're from Paris. Baptiste (our guitarist) and I formed the band in 2018 or thereabouts. My previous band, Frank Sabbath, had just split up, and Baptiste's band, Lord Humungus, had also blown up. I was a huge fan of Lord Humungus and their live shows, playing no-frills, old-school sludge doom with a dirty sound and a punk attitude. They became buddies over the years, and when the band split up, Baptiste holed up in his lair and didn't want to make any more music. I loved his guitar playing and his sound, which was very heavy. I really wanted to get a band back together, so I went looking for him, even though he didn't really want to at first. Eventually he gave in, and we played and started writing songs for a year, just the two of us. It was obvious that we needed a bass player, and then Thom came along. We had time to do two concerts before the covid. And then we got down to work on our first EP.
- Describe your sound and explain why I should listen to YOUR band at all costs ?
You should definitely check us out if you like 90's doom and sludge bands such as Noothgrush, Grief, Buzzov*en or Iron Monkey. We aim to play something somehow primitive and angry. In terms of sound, I'd say crushing, abrasive guitar tone with thick drums and harsh bass low end. We play with a very simple set up, just heavy amps and a few pedals.
- Musical inspirations/influences ?
Baptiste, our guitarist/vocalist, writes the lyrics. Cerbère's lyrics are sometimes inspired by real-life experience, sometimes by literary works. For example, the track Les Tours de Set on our album Cendre is directly inspired by Conan Le Barbare, and in particular the character of Thulsa Doom. Above all, our lyrics are a way of reinforcing the violence and darkness of our music. In the end, it's a fairly classic approach, given the style of music we're involved in. We stay within the codes, which doesn't prevent us from tackling personal subjects.
- About your latest release ?
Our first album, Cendre, was released in 2023, so it's getting a bit old. We're supposed to release something this year, but no release date has yet been set. It's a split album with Rouen band Mälemort. An excellent black doom band who are part of the La Harelle collective (Sordide, Iffernet, Mòr), of which we are very good friends. Everything's ready, but we still need to set some details and decide on a release date. I hope it'll be out before the end of the year.
- What are your plans for the future ?
We've got a few dates lined up in May, including a short tour of northern France with Italian band Dendrophilia. I recommend you listen to their latest record, which is a fucking sludge noise banger.
Otherwise, we're currently working on our new album, which we hope to record this year. It's a long-term job, because composing takes up a lot of our time, and most of the work is done in rehearsal. Our aim is to play the songs as perfectly as possible. This time, we want to record in much better conditions. So this year, the new album is our top priority.
- Your most insane dream with the band would be ?
Shit-free touring. Considering how unlucky we are when we hit the road, that would be a good start.
Otherwise, touring another continent would obviously be a dream. Personally, I have another dream, which would be to record an album with Billy Anderson. A number of the records he's made are bedside albums for me, just to name a few : Misanthropic Alchemy by Ramesses, At A Loss by Buzzov*en, Dopesmoker by Sleep. It speaks for itself.
- Your BEST & WORST concert and why ?
It's hard to choose our best concert...
Last year, we played at Fatima's release party, and I have to say it was a very moving moment. Petit Bain (a cool venue in Paris) was full, the atmosphere was great, the conditions were excellent, and our friends and family were there. It was a truly memorable evening.
I could also mention our two tours with our friends from Chaos E.T. Sexual. Unforgettable moments.
As for our worst concert...I'd rather say our worst tour memory. Last summer we toured England with Quebec band Lüger, and it was an incredible experience. We had to play in Sheffield for the first edition of the Cosmic Vibration Festival. It went really well, the concert was cool and we were really happy to be there. We finished our concert, enjoyed the end of the day and the festival, it was party time ! Lüger took the stage, and we had to get back to the van. And then, comes the big moment when you discover the van smashed with a mammoth-sized rock inside and the police waiting for you. Hahaha...
But the best part is when the Quebecers arrive at the van after their concert, not much has been stolen, but two of their bags have been stolen. With passports in them, etc. 20 minutes later, they found the bags in an adjacent street with...shit and used condoms on them...but intact inside. I don't know if you'd call it an English breakfast, but we had a nice insight into local customs. A very sludgy story. All joking aside, it was a great festival and the organizers were very helpful, which made us feel better. We had to finish the tour with the side window blown out and broken glass all over our feet. The next day, one of our tires was damaged before we reached Nottingham. Needless to say, we lost money on this tour. Nevertheless, it was a worthwhile adventure !
- Next live appearance(s) ?
Our next gig is at Grand Paris Sludge on Sunday May 18th in Savigny Le Temple. We're really excited to be playing this great two-day festival at L'Empreinte. An eclectic line-up of heavy music. We'll be playing on the same day as Whores and Elder, among others.
- Some words on your local scene - bands you're friends with and you'd like to name ?
The french DIY scene is fucking rich of interesting bands. Among others, we'd like to salute Chaos E.T. Sexual, Fatima, our label Chien Noir, DDENT, Clegane, Lila Ehjä, Frankreich, the La Harelle collective, Negative Concept, Valve, Limbes, Vaurien, Fleckentarn, Soissons, Margarita, Jessica93, Ragequit and, of course, our friends who have moved to Canada, Seum. I'd advise you to check out all these bands and artists - I'm sure I've forgotten many. And if you're in Paris, go to the shows organized by Banlieue Rouge, Arrache-toi Un Oeil!, En Veux Tu En V'là or Sonic Mass Booking. There's a lot going on, thanks to some very dedicated people ! We're lucky to be part of this exciting chaos.
- Last word is yours..
Thanks a lot for this interview and for your interest Fabien ! This was a pleasure.
Stay weird and FTW !
Credits :
Live photos : Mess With Me Photography
More Interviews
