List band members' names, instruments, occupations, and ages.

• Zimbo, Vocals, CAD-Designer, 20
• Martin Hub, Guitar, Radio & TV Technician, 21
• Markus Bugert,Guitar, Civil Service, 21
• Markus Zorn, Bass, Studying Laws, 24
• Tom Will, Drums, Travel Agent, 32

Zimbo - vocals, Martin Hub - guitar, Tom Will - drums, Markus Torn - bass, Markus Bugert - guitar

I hear that you recently toured Europa with Exhumed and Hemdale. How did that go? Who set it up? Did you get along with the two other bands? Any crazy things happen?
The tour was fantastic. For us it was the first time on the road and we loved it. All gigs turned out great except the gig in Rotterdam (NL) because the organizers really sucked. The gigs in Prague and Uherske Hradiste were fabulous. The people in the Czech Republic were much more enthusiastic than in Germany or any other country. They're nuts! The tour was set up by MORBID RECORDS with a little help of myself. We really had a great time with these american sickos from OH and CA. We have had a damn great time and we have become friends. As a result we will be on a Split EP with EXHUMED. Markus B. will visit EXHUMED in June this year. I'd love to join it too!

How often do you play live? How do audiences react to you? Does it ever get violent?
We usually play between 5 and 15 times live a year. We played in Germany, Belgium, The Netherlands, The Czech Republic and Austria. We played with bands like KRABATHOR, AGATHOCLES, BLOOD, MORTICIAN, GUT etc. Sometimes the crowd is pretty wild and sometimes they pretty bored. I guess we're too fast for these wimps, HAHAHA. It sometimes gets violent on our shows but gigs here in Germany are not the same than in foreign countries - they're more into it outside Germany.

List some other bands you've performed live with. Do you play many covers on stage? If so, list them. I hear you played "Paranoid" by Black Sabbath live on the Exhumed tour. Did you make it sound grinding?
We've played with so many bands but let me think: FLESHLESS, DAWN, MASTIC SCUM, IMMURED, DERANGED, EXHUMED, HEMDALE etc. Too much too mention 'em all. We used to play covers by AGATHOCLES ("Theatric Symbolization Of Life"), TERRORIZER ("Corporation Pull-In"), NAPALM DEATH ("Deceiver", "The Kill") and BLACK SABBATH's "Paranoid". I think that we let "Paranoid" sound a little bit grindy. Just a tiny little bit. You will hear on the upcoming CD.

For our readers, tell us what "Nyctophobic" means. Who came up with the band name? When did you first form as a band?
NYCTOPHOBIC was formed in August 1992 by Markus Zorn, Christophe (left the band 2 years ago) and me and I was the one who had the idea to call the band NYCTOPHOBIC. Our bandname means people that are afraid of the darkness or the night.

Tell me, what bands have most influenced Nyctophobic?
If you would ask this question any other member you would receive 5 different answers. Here are the bands that influenced us the most: old NAPALM DEATH, CARCASS, old BOLT THROWER, TERRORIZER, DISRUPT, E.N.T., GENERAL SURGERY.

What was the first metal album you ever bought?
RAINBOW - Live on stage (I bought 1978 when I was 12 years old)

What would you consider to be the top five releases of all time?
Not in ANY order:

• SUFFOCATION - Effigy Of The Forgotten
• IMPALED NAZARENE - Ugra-Karma
• POSSESSED - Seven Churches
• SLAYER - Reign In Blood
• NAPALM DEATH - Utopia Banished

Tom, how long have you played drums? What drummers have inspired you the most to play drums?
I started playing drums back in 1989 and I really like Bill Andrews (DEATH), Gene Hoglan (DARK ANGEL) and my absolute favourite drummer is Mike Smith of godly SUFFOCATION.

What brands of intruments and equipment do you use. What do you tune to generally?
I play SONOR drums, PAISTE cymbals, LUDWIG Snaredrums and DW Foot Pedals. The others use Hughes & Kettner Cabinets and various guitars. Markus prefers WASHBURN basses and TRACE ELLIOT Amps.

How is the underground scene in Germany? Is it true that most of the people into the underground in Europe mostly get into black metal and not grindcore, doom, or death metal?
The underground scene is great because it's like a family but a very small family because everybody here is into that trendy (shitty) BLACK METAL thing. That's not my cup of tea. Well I do like some of the older BLACK METAL bands who are really fast and aggressive but I hate these new Melodic Black Metal crap.

Do you get many orders or letters from U.S. citizens? I hear that you've been to the U.S. quite a few times. What do you think about this country? Do you like many U.S. bands?
Not too many. A few. I like the USA for the great nature in AZ or NV! I love to drive thru the deserts (with AC on high, HAHA) . The USA are nice but they have some economic and social problems like here in Germany. I don't think that the USA is the paradise most people hold it for. There are some nice places I'd like to live but life is as hard as it is here. Even harder maybe!!

My favourite grindcore bands ever were: Blatherskite, Assuck, Plutocracy, Regurgitate, and old Napalm Death and old Carcass. What do you think of these bands?
I haven't heard BLATHERSKITE and PLUTOCRACY but the other kick ass. I saw ASSUCK live here in germany last week. They ruled. REGURGITATE are funny but sometimes cover their own songs if you know what I mean. ND and Carcass? Look at our influences above! Any questions?

Considering that grindcore and powerviolence are very similar, what do you think of powerviolence?
Well I haven't heard Powerviolence so far but I don't like to talk about a music style in general. I'm sure that some bands of this "genre" are great and others suck! Never match a book by it's cover!

Some of your songs seem very sociopolitically-oriented. What are some of your views on the social/political nature of the world right now? What do you think of the European Union and the coming socialist New World Order? What do you think of all these damn leftists in control of governments in Europe?
That would take 100's of pages to explain exactly what I think about but all in all I can tell that this EU makes me really sick. I'm totally against it. I think it's okay to open the borders but nothing more. I think it would be smarter to keep the DM as our currency. Think of the costs and all the risks that will come with the EURO! I hate this idea of a unified Europe because too many countries with too many different ideas will be unified thru politics. Look at Jugoslavia and how it ended. Fuck the socialist NWO! Fuck Leftists! It stinks!

List some things you really hate.
Intolerance, Racism, Fascism, Hectic, driving 100's of miles for a gig and then playing in front of 25 bored fans.

List some of your members' hobbies and brain disorders.
We all have that one hobby we call GRINDCORE. I think I'll speak for the others when I say that we all like travelling around in the world is a major hobby of everybody in the band.

If Nyctophobic could best be described as an inanimate object, what would it be? Please elaborate.
That's an interesting and difficult question. I would say that it would be a big solid granite rock because both are true, entertaining (to some people) and don't have special purposes. A rock is built by nature and it's pure just like our music (we try to keep it pure.)

What are some of your views on religion?
I personally hate religion in every form also Satanism. BUT: I'm tolerant to every religion as long as this religion is tolerant to me. I hate religious fanatics like Jehova's Witnesses. They just seem stupid to me and nothing else. Never forget that religions and fighting for beliefs always caused wars. It makes me sick when I see people fighting because one is a jew and one is a christian.

What are some long-goal plans for the band? What are some things you'd like to accomplish before you retire?
First we want to get the Split EP with EXHUMED released. Early in 1999 we will enter the studio again to record the material for our 2nd CD which will also be released on MORBID RECORDS. It would be great if we could do a support tour for NAPALM DEATH. That would one of our greatest dreams. Touring the US would be also very cool.

You have a very nice website. Do you get many new listeners due to the site? What kind of computer and programs did you use to create the site? What is your general opinion of the internet and technology in society?
The traffic on our site is little but we're satisfied with it. It's cool to see an internet underground-scene exists. I hope we can increase the traffic to our site but I just hooked up in April and so I need to place more links on other sites. I used NETSCAPE Composer to create our website and some other programs to scan the images, etc. The internet is a great chance for smaller bands to spread their words or music. Domains are pretty cheap - also here in expensive GERMONEY. I think we should cut down the usage of High-Tech in our daily life. Do we really need mobile phones? Do we really need hand-held TV systems? Don't we forget our feelings and talking with other people? Think about it.

Sorry, but I'm about out of questions. Please add anything you want to.
Thanks for the interview Mike. I honestly think that this was the most interesting interview I have ever done. Thanks a lot. Support the underground. It's where the spirit lives!