Since, both of us like Avatar, we follow what happens around them. Johannes has drawn the fans' attention to the Iranian Confess and the band's story that is quite shocking from the Western point of view. After cheking their songs, it turned out, we found a really good band. And getting to know their background story, a huge respect to them for not giving up. We asked the motor of the band, Nikan about the past, the present and the future.
The band's name is Confess. Actually, what would you like to confess?
That there is a problem with the way the world is today! The way that governments are running it and majority of people are supporting these maniacs who calling themselves "The Leaders Of The World!"... We are supporting their policies either intentionally or by our silence! And there are many things that have taken our tools, like religion, media, fascism, capitalism and... This is what needs to be confessed the most!
How did you meet metal music first?
I was in elementary school and there was this friend of mine who gave a CD and suggested me to go home and check it out! It was a CD full of music videos tapped from satellite TV. There were music videos of bands like Slayer, Metallica, Slipknot, Linkin Park, Dimmu Borgir... The minute I played it Bam! My life just changed right away! And I can clearly remember that the first one was a live performance of the song (Sic) by Slipknot! I was blown away by this sound and amount of energy in there! Before that I was into rap (still I am into 90s lyrical hip hop), but as a 9 year old I was hypnotised by the sound of this genre and right there I told myself "Look, I don't want a career, a job, money, a house, a car, a family, whatever... I just want this! I just wanna do this for the rest of my life!"... And it went like this ever since and I'm very happy about it!
Where did the idea come from to form such a band in a country where the laws are incredibly strict?
I guess it was just love! You know... I never cared about how much successful I could become with this or how far I could go with it. I never cared about how dangerous it could get with these lyrics in a place where the system wouldn't tolerate a hot headed person like me with a big a mouth, who couldn't shut up and a band with a Go-Go-Go mentality! As I said before in so many other interviews there are so many metal bands in Iran as well. They are active, releasing records, every once in a while get a permit from government to play a gig. But Confess is not about that! We don't want any of that! Anything that has to do with the system! Fuck that! I don't need permission from anybody, anywhere to make and perform my art!
Did you think over what consequences carried this or you just followed your own path?
Just went for it! I still do... I didn't give a fuck about no police then, I don't give a fuck about no police now!
I wrote the tracks for the debut album "Beginning of Dominion" between 2010 to 2011 and recorded it in my home studio in Tehran during the summer and the fall of 2011. Then it came out in the first of January 2012. It was self-released...
No actually. Nothing happened until the November of 2015 which until then we had released 22 more songs mostly with anti-religious and anarchistic themes. But as you can see they had been keeping a very good and sufficient profile for me to come and arrest me once and for all! They had a lot of evidences and as my interrogator said to me once, I had been under surveillance for a year and a half.
In Pursuit Of Dreams was released in 2015 via Opposite Record. How could you found it and other similar artists also joined it? What happened to this „company”?
It's very good that you asked! Yes, Opposite Records was founded by me in the spring of 2014 and its first mission was to publish and distribute Confess' works. Because there wasn't a metal label around that wanted to take a risk to work with us. So I started this label with a slogan that says "Find A Way Or Make One!". But after releasing the first one which was our EP album "Back to My Future" in April of 2014 there were bands who sent me demos and wanted to be signed! So I thought with myself that, "YO! This is interesting!" I've always been into producing and shit... I've been writing and producing my stuff always! So let's see if I can help someone else with it and bring out more sound to the game. I gathered a team and started to work with some bands but I got arrested and everything sabotaged in the early stages! My business partners basically ditched, stole majority of our shares from the selling units of the last album "In Pursuit of dreams" while I was in joint! By the way, fuck it! That's past and now I got the label back by buying it again and having some cool ideas to work with great talents in the game, not only from Iran but from different parts of the world in the meantime! Let's see what happens...
When you were arrested and held in solitary confinement knowing that you could be executed, what kept your faith?
I really don't know! I can't answer to that accurately. I think the hope that one day I will come out again and play music again, seeing my family and loved ones again... You know, everyone needs to have something to get something! I was seeing myself in a journey! A journey to find the real strength and finding out how real I am, how true I am to my beliefs under the pressure! To be able to be proud of myself for real and for something that is truly deep down in me...
In 2017, you petitioned for political asylum in Norway. Why Norway?
Wrong! Actually I didn't petition for asylum for any country! I was in Turkey under the protection of the UN and after a couple of months me being there I got emails from organisations that are working with artists who are in danger or are persecuted because of their arts. They said that they were looking for me and finding out about my situation for years so, now they could help me with something. After a few weeks I got an invitation to come, live and continue my work with an artistic scholarship in Norway. Then after I accepted it they issued me an emergency visa and passport (because I did not have my passport since I was banned from travelling abroad in Iran) and I flight from Turkey to Norway in December 2018. So there wasn't any preparation for anything during all of these processes what so ever. It was pretty random.
In July, the news came that you had been sentenced to 14,5 years in Iran, what's more, Nikan, you were sentenced to 74 lashes for the crime of playing metal. How did you get the information about it? How does this punishment affect your life?
Through my lawyer. The Appeal Court ruled for doubling up my previous sentence (actually more than that!) because the District Court gave me 6 years at first! So I guess they saw that's the way it's gonna be! I'm gonna keep walking through the same path and I suppose they wanted to make a statement to the other! They made me an example for the rest and wanted to make sure that I stay in exile and won't come back! You know... I got twice as Gandhi, half as Mandela!! But what effect this sentence has had on my life? Well, same ol' shit! Except now I'm tripple checking my back everyday!! You know what I'm saying...
We can read that how the state (Iran) approached you, but what did people say? So, what feedback did you receive in the public life?
Usually people were running away from me out of fear! All of my friends were gone! I mean ALL OF THEM and I found out how sucks I am at finding friends! Haha! But yeah... It was a pretty lonely days, only me, my family, my girlfriend and very a few dudes who were coming around by any chance every once in a while. Not saying that people were bothering me or something but at least the way I was treated wasn't relieving. Especially when the news leaked out about the arrestment! I was expelled from the university, my friends had fear to sit with me because they knew I had been under surveillance before. Intelligent agents have been taking pictures of me with my friends and other people! Even those who I didn't know mostly been talking and looking at me with fear and doubt.
Two singles were released from the album Revenge at All Costs so far. When can the full material be expected and what platfroms it will be available? Are you planning to tour after the releasing?
There is no exact date for the release to this moment. But the deadline is until the end of the spring of 2020. At least this is what we are planning on! We are not signed with any label so far. Been talking with a few but nothing has been finalized yet. We are weighing some options but we will come up with something until the end of this year. We are already on all the digital platforms but this album will come out on the physical format too. And about touring yes! Definitely there will be a tour in Norway. I don't think if it is possible to talk about a world tour which our fans have been asking about but will find out a way to do something in Scandinavia and parts of Europe. See what future holds...
Of course! I've been in touch with different Norwegian musicians since I moved here. All great! Personally and musically... And we are making plans with some and we are starting the work to make it permanent and the details and names will be announced pretty soon.
How do you spend your free time? Do you have everyday an job beside being a musician?
I don't have an every day 9 to 5 job. But I keep myself busy here and there related to art when the music life is not busy. I'm addicted to travelling to different places in the world! I'm a big movie nurd! I'm into reading books, going out through nature especially here in the magnificent nature of Norway! I'm going to festivals, concerts with friends... Also I'm in love with cooking, drinking. Both together which leads me into loosing the tracks of what I'm doing! I be like WHAT THE FUCK SHOULD I DO NEXT? Haha...
At last, what is your message to the people?
Do what you love! Don't listen to anyone and anything but your feelings! Stay real, stay alone if you have to but always keep your pride and price... Thanks for your support during the years. We appreciate it and hope it continues. "LIVE LOUD, DIE EVEN LOUDER!"
Thank you for your time!
Confess:
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