DON’T CARE: HATEFUL ABANDON

Things go in circles. In 2006 mr. Vintyr was just baptized his band Abandon to Hateful Abandon, and people including me were unsure which direction this arrogant Brit would take. Never-Ending Black Torrent of Death was already a disturbing mix of depressive black metal and unrecognizable atmospheric elements, but evil tongues were rumouring that Hateful Abandon would wander even farther from black metal with their full-length Famine (or into the Bellies of Worms), which came out finally in 2008. And that circle: now in 2012 I have selected HA’s second album Move to my “top five of 2011” and I’m dissecting through this old interview… Well, in this case all progression has been good: I can always return to the uniqueness of Never-Ending Black Torrent of Death and I can get my mind blown by the submissive power of Famine and Move. Win-win-situation.

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The creature called Vintyr came from the shadows in 2004 and unleashed two impressive acts of hate and filth: Never-Ending Black Torrent of Death by Abandon and A Joyless March through the Cold Lands by Basilisk. Now the years have passed, flowers have blossomed and withered and worms have feasted their meals. It’s time for a new season of decadence. Let me introduce you re-named Hateful Abandon…

So, two years have passed from Hateful Abandon’s Never-Ending Black Torrent of Death and Basilisk’s A Joyless March through the Cold Lands. What have you doing during these years?

- Well, some of my time was spent recording the material for the Urfaust/Basilisk split, but even that material is almost two years old now. I spent a lot of time “out of the loop” so to speak. I ended both Basilisk and Hateful Abandon for a short while after a healthy dose of disillusionment; I totally washed my hands of them. I couldn’t see where I was going with either project. It’s pretty confusing when you sit down to perform a Black Metal record and the sound that emanates from the speakers is not Black Metal at all. Couple that with the recent spate of ‘cut n’ paste’ Black Metal that gets churned out of teenagers bedrooms on an almost daily basis, and you get a pretty frustrated person. So, in short, most of that time was spent having minor hissy fits and artistic tantrums. Haha. I have, of course, got Hateful Abandon back up and running also. So, I’ve been writing for that.

You have recruited Swine alias Tom (a non-bearded bald guy in the picture) from the Black Metal band called Swine to Hateful Abandon. Why’s that? Do you share same ideologies and views, or is this purely a musical decision? What will Swine bring to Hateful Abandon’s concept?

- It totally made sense, he is a fantastic drummer (and all round great musician actually), he owns a studio, he shares a very similar music taste as mine, and lastly is as enthusiastic as me about recording something of quality that is also original and has integrity. With Tom on board expect a more polished sound as he has a very professional setup, also I’m sure a bit of his personality will bleed into the record.

What do you think, how your music will change now when you have to “give away” a part of your work? I guess it’s different to work with somebody than just make everything by yourself.

- It will be very different. For example, bar the very first Basilisk demo (Blackened Royalty), everything I’ve recorded was totally improvised and done in one ‘take’. I’ve written and demo’d some Hateful Abandon tracks this time, and I have a crystal clear view of what the music will sound like. I may come across a little bossy in the studio I don’t know, but then again it IS my project.

 I guess you hear this often, but I find many similarities but also differences between Hateful Abandon and Basilisk, but I guess you see this situation quite differently. How would you describe Hateful Abandon’s and Basilisk’s concepts? Are these bands representations of yourself, that you have “Hateful Abandon side” and “Basilisk side” in your soul?

- With Hateful Abandon I want to create a paradox. The lyrics are about total strength, hate and questioning of emotions, whilst the music is quite sorrowful and bleak. This will continue throughout Hateful Abandon’s lifespan. Also, on the debut full length the lyrics will be included so that the listener can make that connection on his or her own. With Basilisk, it was varying topics. Usually with a Satanic bent, some tracks were very personal… other songs portrayed stories inspired by such twisted minds as Clive Barker, other songs inspired by true life events, such as the Black Plague.

 The other interesting thing is the fact that there are different versions in the tape edition and CD edition of Never-Ending Black Torrent of Death. Why did you decided to make these two versions of the songs? Does this tell something about your view to music, that the songs are never complete and they can reform as the time goes by?

- The original CD version of Never-ending… was a mistake by the CD manufacturers. What they received was a copy of the master recording in stereo. What they put out wasn’t what I gave to them. The left side speaker was copied over the right. This gave the effect of ‘StereoMONO’…leaving out several of the key guitar parts that were recorded on the right side. It was a bad part of my life… Although what was released by my good friend at Todestrieb certainly wasn’t too bad; it wasn’t truly representative of Abandon at the time. The cassette version was put out to try and rectify the problems. Whether it was successful or not, I don’t know.

 How critical are you as a composer? Do you throw many songs away, and how ready are the songs in your head when you start to record them? Usually in Black Metal people trust on their instincts and the songs are coming from their backbones, almost through improvisation, but what is the situation in your case?

- Like I mentioned above, my previous recording have all been total improvisation. I have literally hundreds of Basilisk tracks here that will never see the light of day.

Despite the harsh soundscapes of Hateful Abandon, there are many different elements: effects, strange sounds, drum machines… I guess the sky (or hell) is the only limit to you when you make music?

- I’ll never let and ‘genre traps’ get in the way of my musical output ever again… Music genres are a total fucking con, created by music journalists in suits and ties that want to sell you magazines. Hateful Abandon and anything I do in the future is simply music… not Black Metal, not Metal… just music. People can call it Black Metal I suppose, that’s convenient if they simply HAVE to put everything in one little neat and tidy slot. There’s NEVER a limit.

 As said, the soundscapes are harsh, there are atmospheres from raw Black Metal feeling to almost soft and ghastly wandering. Where do these contradictive atmospheres come from? Do you want to paint with a large “palette” intentionally?

- Well, nothing is intentional. Like I mentioned earlier (and how you’ve very astutely observed!) Hateful Abandon lends itself to a paradoxical mindset. It’s beautiful, it’s disgusting, it’s negative, it’s absurdly positive…

And talking about ghastly atmosphere and ghosts, what’s your relationship to supernatural phenomenon? At least I can sense that there is somebody or something else than you present in your music…

- I’m just schizophrenic. Hah!

Your songs also are like paintings, very deep and overwhelming, and they remind me about the history of the Great Britain: all those plagues, witch hunts and Dark Ages… How much do you use historical events, paintings etc. as an inspiration, and how interested are you about history?

- As I mentioned earlier, the Black Plague is always a marvellous source of inspiration. Basilisk in particular was DRIPPING with plague-like imagery. Hateful Abandon will hopefully still retain that ‘feeling’, but maybe in a more ‘urban’ way. Note that I don’t mean ‘urban’ in the way it’s represented on MTV… more industrial.

The words like “disease” and “vermin” wind in your lyrics. Where does all this filth and decadence spring forth? Is it a picture of yourself or of this society?

- Sometimes I feel like the most disgusting creature that ever lived, sometimes I feel like the purest. Your observation certainly lends itself to the former, the truth is I would probably (note; probably) never write or perform music when I felt like the latter. It just doesn’t lend itself to interesting imagery in my opinion.

On the other hand one of your statements is “Slaughter the Christian Tribe like a Vermin”. Do you see the situation that way, that this world has to be purified from all that religious scum, and if yes, why? What would be the world without Christianity in your opinion?

- That song, of course, is a fantastical topic and not representative of my REAL actions or opinions. It’s good to vent occasionally on something you find abhorrent (the Christian faith). I could quite easily state that people that believe in this Christian ‘God’ are mentally unstable (and I’d mean it), but to slaughter them en masse, well, I’d end up in prison, which is retarded…

And how do you see yourself among all this? Usually in Black Metal people consider themselves as “übermensch”, above everything else, but if we think the concept of decadence and filth, can we find another form of “übermensch”, getting so low and away from morals and ethics, that the human laws don’t even touch you?

- I see myself like the rest of the Human filth… Born to reproduce. I shan’t however. I kick creation in the teeth! Haha! As for Black Metal fans being the übermensch, that’s pretty rich. Most are total scum, riding on trends like the rest of the world… Fuck ‘em.

In Black arts one improves and strengthens himself spiritually through magic and rituals, and physically same thing happens in a form of blood rituals. How about you, do you “bleed for Satan”, and if you do, what blood and blood rituals mean to you? Ordinary world sees them as a cry for help, but to dedicated ones it’s very individual and private ritual.

- I don’t, and never have, cut myself on purpose. It hurts! Sorry for the unserious answer. I hold no heed in self harm… for Satan or otherwise.

And from blood to violence… Now you are baptised as HATEFUL Abandon, which is a big change in my eyes. Like now you leave that misfit life and turn to active individual through hating. Who or what do you hate, and why did you take this name? How far are you ready to go with your hate, is an act of violence an option?

- Being in my 30’s, I realised through my actions in the past that violence on such a small scale is ineffective. To be honest, sometimes I feel I don’t live in the same world as anyone else. I just want to live and leave my mark before I expire. I feel for very little, apart from my girlfriend and various other people. I really don’t care if there is war, I don’t care about race, I don’t care about people in different countries getting squashed by nature, I don’t care what ‘Commando1488666’ is listening to on his stereo, I don’t care about politics, I don’t care what the weatherman says, I don’t care about starving Africans, I don’t care about rare and OOP records, I don’t care about fashion. In fact, you could say my life is lived with hateful abandon.

Let’s analyse the concept of hate more. Usually we hate something, so it’s a reaction to something what comes outside; like Christians turn their other cheek, Satanists etc. fight back. But is there a big difference between these two? They both are actions coming from outside, not inside.

- If there was a button that wiped everyone out that I don’t know or care for and left me and my very few friends alive, I’d press it.

So do you think that there could be pure hate, just coming from inside, like berserks, who get insane in their rage?

- I do. I have a very quick temper myself actually. I’m usually soothed to normality in a trice though, like it never happened.

So, let’s finish this chat with some news from the future. You are doing your new album Tower of Famine. I have listened the samples from Todestrieb homepage, and they were quite nasty and atmospheric pieces of black art. So, can we say that “nomen est omen” in this case, are you really building a (musical) tower of famine? What kind of new elements shall we hear from this coming masterpiece?

- Well, there have been a few changes now… The album is now called Famine (Or into the Bellies of Worms) and the tracks that were on the site have been scrapped. I may use parts of them on the album, I haven’t decided. The new title is a take on the old proverb ‘Every cloud has a silver lining’, although my title is rather more cruel and cynical…heheh. Again, it represents the paradoxical nature of the band.

Another coming release is Basilisk/Urfaust split (which never happened -ed.) . Because I am a big fan of Urfaust (and Basilisk, of course), I have to ask what’s your opinion about this Dutch band? What do you get from their music? Any other recent favourites (bands/albums?)

- Urfaust are an incredible band…I’m very honoured to be a part of this record. Their music throws up some of the most incredible imagery, sometimes I feel that my mental pictures cannot do the music justice. A totally mental band…

- Here’s some recommended listening to get the most out of the new Hateful Abandon record.

The Cure – Faith

The Cure – Pornography

Black Widow – Sacrifice

Killing Joke – S/t

Killing Joke – What’s THIS for?

Darkthrone – A Blaze…

Swans – Greed

Swans – Children Of God

Skinny Puppy – Remission

Todesstoss – Sehnsucht

Public Image Ltd – Metal Box

Joy Division – Unknown Pleasures

Well, that’s a list! End this discussion please.

- Thanks for the Vintyrview Antti!

LIFE IS A STRUGGLE: TOIL

I was in a close contact with Lurker, the sole creator of black metal band Toil, in the middle noughties, and I guess this interaction was one reason for a few deep and profound, even intimate answers in this interview. I was also very impressed by Toil’s constant progression through the band’s four demos, but the greatest achievement was yet to come: Toil’s debut album Obscure Chasms (2007) is one of the underrated albums what comes to melancholic but still ripping black metal. Need proofs? Here’s one , although this song doesn’t even represent the best material from the album. Also Obscure Chasms’ somehow easy-going and laconic guitar work made definitely way for Lurker’s other brilliant band Frail, now known as Crooked Necks (which I interviewed in Kaleidoscope #8). But that is another story, as Lurker alias Shane puts it nowadays:

   – Toil and Frail/Crooked Necks are completely different from one another in every way. We started Frail while Toil was still an active project, so they were separate entities from the very start. I wrote all of the music/lyrics for Toil solely by myself, while Frail has always been an equal pairing between Andy and myself. I write all of the music/perform all of the instrumentation and Andy writes the lyrics/performs the vocals parts, whereas Toil was more of a “solo” project.

   – So in my opinion, the two projects don’t share any similarities at all. Toil was a Black Metal band in every sense, albeit not a typical one. Frail/Crooked Necks began as an outlet for us to attempt something that is completely unrelated to Black Metal and Metal in general. Lyrically, Toil was focused on themes of death-worship and darkness. Crooked Necks’ lyrics deal with disconnection, loss, and sadness. Musically, Toil was directly influenced by different strains of Black Metal. With Crooked Necks, we are influenced by post-punk, shoegaze, and some goth/pop. 

So now you know. Here’s the death-worshipping words of Toil from Kaleidoscope #3.

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Toil can be described as a shadow, or a ghost. This pale but spiritually powerful and pure demon invoked from the haunted dreams of one man, Lurker has released four demos so far, but the stains on time and Black Metal scene have been few – and maybe it’s better that way. Taking its notes from desperate shrieks of suffering and hypnotic but still aggressive Black Metal, Toil is not for everyone. Lurker gave us some keys for the doors of this enigma…

So, I guess the easiest way to start is to give a brief history lesson about Toil. Where does Toil come from, where does it stand now and where is it heading?

   – Toil began as a solo project of mine in early 2002 in order to conjure atmospheres of pure death-worship. Focusing on the elements of pain, grief, and misery. As of now, the project is a 2-piece unit with myself on guitars/bass/drums/vocals and a close comrade of mine, Wraith, now handling synth duties. We have plans of advancing with this line-up permanently into the future.

Toil is quite an interesting name for a Black Metal band, if we look at it more closely. What’s the ideology behind the name? Do you toil for someone, or is life one long and heavy toil to its harsh end…?

   – The ideology, for me personally, is the idea that life is a struggle. That can be a struggle against the society, against situations that one experiences, or against internal factors that may cause strife in one’s existence.

I personally can sense that “life is toil” metaphor in your music, there is a certain strong pain and agony present. How real is that agony, if you look at your own life and thoughts? Is life just pure suffering from the cradle to the grave?

   – The agony present in my works is very real. I have experienced constant disappointment and failures in my life. By nature, I am a very negative/pessimistic person. Therefore, my view is one of utter negativity. In my opinion: life is shit, as well as everything that comes along with it.

Let’s continue with suffering… We can suffer in many different ways: internally, socially, outwardly, financially… What do you think about suffering: which kind of suffering is the most painful one, and can you see pain and nuisance as teaching and strengthening elements, the way Nietzsche sees it, in a way?

   – Suffering is something that everyone will experience in their lifetime, in one form or another. Suffering of the internal kind, for example, to struggle with one’s emotions/internal conflicts, to me is the most painful kind. I completely agree with Nietzsche’s opinion that suffering can be enlightening. After every miserable experience I have always found that after that experience ends, we are wiser and stronger. Pain and suffering can teach us how miserable life can be, and therefore it teaches us to embrace grief and misery in order to deal with the constant disappointments that we must experience.

Walking the misfit road of Satanism is a heavy task in the modern society. What’s your relationship with the society around you? Are you trying to change it, or do you just take everything (its blessings and curses) what it has to offer?

   – I am a very anti-social person. I stay within a very small group of comrades and don’t bother with the majority of humanity’s flock. In my opinion, there is no way to change the society at hand. Most of humanity will continue to exist as part of their blind and misled flock. Only those that strive to be free from the mundane will ever break out of society’s mould.

Sometimes we call an agonizing person ‘possessed’ and ‘haunted’. That haunting demon can be life, Satan or something else. Have you ever felt that your spirit is possessed by something? After all, you do have a song called Haunted by Unclean Spirits…

   – Yes, I do feel that my spirit is possessed. What has possessed it, I’m not quite sure. Years ago, during channelling, a spirit stated to me that it would never leave me and would forever be my shadow. This statement has proven to be true, as I’ve felt its presence daily for years now. Others have also claimed that they sense a presence in my home and refuse to enter my dwelling again. This is a positive thing to me, to be connected with something from another plane, especially on such a constant basis. Also, I feel in some ways that it is a blessing to be cursed.

Your story about your “shadow” is quite interesting. How does this spirit come present in your life: is it just a feeling or something concrete? You said that you are not sure what this being is, but I guess you have some guesses about it…

   – For the most part, it’s presence is simply felt. Other times, it has made itself present upon request, displaying various forms. From the information I have gathered form communicating with the spirit, it is one of a young male child.

How about in general, what kind of role magic and occultism has in your daily life? How did you get familiar with this side of world?

- It will always play a significant part in my existence, even though I don’t currently practice. I feel that once one is exposed to these other aspects that dwell inside us, and with open eyes and an open mind, it is something that will always remain very much alive within that person.

The state of being possessed can also be a very creative moment, and usually the gap between insanity and genius is not that wide. How would you describe the moments and atmospheres in which the music of Toil is created?

   – Toil is most typically written/recorded in the dead of night and deep solitude. Recorded in either complete darkness or candlelight. I feel that the atmosphere in which material is written/recorded is essential to the final atmosphere of the release. Toil has always been conceived in my most hateful but melancholic moods. Feeling torn between sadness and anger is a very powerful state to be in… and these are the moments in which Toil is created.

Your newest material, the stuff I’ve heard at least, directs itself to a more flowing expression, in my opinion it, and sometimes even lighter shades can be found. Where has this change come from? Have you taken musical influences outside of Black Metal this time?

   – The style of the new material is very much a natural progression. I never plan on what I will write, but rather let the music take it’s own form and life by letting it be developed at the time of it’s inception. However, I am very pleased to see that the more depressive and negative elements are shining through. I have very few influences outside of Black Metal, none of which play a part into Toil’s overall sound.

I have also a sneak preview of the cover art of your upcoming album. That is a very interesting piece of art, partly symbolical, partly dream-like a vision. Do you ever see your music as images, or where does this symbolical side of Toil spring from?

   – Yes, I personally see all good music as images in sound. Very emotive music can conjure up the most intense landscapes in my mind. As for the symbolical meaning of the cover in mention, that would be answered best by Wraith, who drew the piece itself. The art does utilize different symbols of various cultures’ representations of gods of death.

Let’s take a look at Toil’s discography. You have made four demo tapes, none of which has become a scene favourite. What are your motives behind these demo releases? Have you just strengthened your skills and vision, and now the time has come for your first full-length assault?

   – There are no particular motives behind the releases thus far, besides to subject others to Toil’s death-like aura. The reason for the full-length is that after over 4 years of doing this project I felt like it was time for a release that contains more than 20 minutes of material. Also, there is a very similar atmosphere throughout the course of the new material which would be best heard in it’s entirety and not split up into separate releases.

You have also been in some other bands, even a couple of ambient-based projects. What do you get from ambient music personally, if you compare it to Black Metal for example? I know people who use ambient for relaxing and even for some sort of meditation, but how does it work for you?

   – Dark/Black Ambient music, to me, evokes the same feeling as Black Metal although performed with completely different aesthetic methods. Both styles are typically brooding and negative in nature. I do find some ambient-based projects very relaxing, yes. Which is nice that it calms, but still maintains a dark and death-like nature.

Sometimes (dark) ambient, at its furthermost borders, is very far away from the music we call “typical”. I find this very interesting, ‘cause if we think of Black Metal, for example, it’s quite contradictory that we use very basic, “human” instruments in expressing very inhuman feelings. What do you think about this?

   – I agree completely. Dark/Black Ambient projects utilize less human-like instruments to create, which I feel adds to the atmosphere of that style immensely, helping to create something very unhuman.

So, is the inhumanity some sort of goal to you in your life? Some say that inhumanity is like descending on the animal level, but some people (like me) think that being inhuman is being free from dogmas and shackles of this society and its morals.

   – Yes, I agree with you on that subject. Being “inhuman”, to me, is to be free of anything that humans have created as criteria to being a “good person”. There should be no constraints on individuality and free-thinking. What is morally wrong to one person is more than likely not wrong at all to another.

I haven’t read many of your lyrics, but your song titles in themselves draw atmospheric sceneries like Distant Howling Winds as well as strong declarations like Desecration of Christ. Where does Toil stand between these two aspects, or would you say these two aspects are entwined somehow?

   – I feel that those two aspects are indeed intertwined with Toil. Being an anti-christian, it is rather natural for me to express my contempt for religious beliefs. Although, I’ve always attempted to combine the anti-religious beliefs with the barren mental landscapes that Toil creates. As I mentioned previously, it is very important for me that Black Metal conjure images in the listener’s mind/imagination.

What do you think about leaders, books and rules in the sense of mysticism, Satanism and occultism? Many seem to take their ideas and influences from Crowley etc. (and even from some Black Metal bands) instead of searching for their own identity and thoughts.

   – I am an admirer of some writer’s works. Indeed the likes of Nieztsche, Crowley, and even Lovecraft have inspired Toil to some extent. However, in my opinion it is essential to have one’s own identity. It is a shame that some walk blind throughout their existence, never truly existing.

You mentioned Nietzsche, Crowley and Lovecraft as your literal influences. Could you tell us why these three quite different writers are so important to you.

   – There are distinct differences in the aforementioned writers, but each writer created something of their own. Something that was unique and personal to them. Their works show the spirit of individualism in full force, and this characteristic is what I personally admire the most.

We talked about the suffering before, and the suffering can be linked to art as well; if we think about those three writers, they all had a quite hard time. So, can we talk about “creation through suffering”?

   – I feel that negative states of emotion, for example, suffering, can be the most inspiring times to create in. Pain and agony are powerful emotions and can often lead to a cathartic release that could not be achieved otherwise. If utilized correctly, these ugly emotions are evident in the completed piece of work.

Besides suffering, usually in Black Metal lyrics deal the triumph and power of Satan, which lives in us. How do you see this dualism: on the other hand we search for the lowest pits of pain, on the other hand we are invincible in the shadow of our Lord…

   – I personally see this dualism as being a necessary thing. It comes from the tendency that all things have to be equally “balanced”. Light and dark, coldness and warmth, and so on. In even the darkest realms there exists varying degrees of darkness.

So, Toil stands on independent ground for sure, but let’s imagine a situation where Toil has been hailed as the new king of Black Metal, and the dedicated ones, as well as the mp3 kids, are worshipping you. What would you feel in that kind of situation? Shame, pride or something else?

   – I would hope that never happens. If it did, I’m sure I would feel pride when respected by those I respect, shame by those that should never obtain the material, and apathy towards all others.

Anyway, before that happens, tell us something about the future plans of Toil.

   – The full-length, Obscure Chasms, is finished and will be released by the end of this year. We are currently preparing to begin recording material for an upcoming 7” EP as well. Other upcoming releases will be a split 7” EP and the release of all four demos on CD, entitled Relics of Decaying Splendour.

I guess we have reached the end. Thanks for the interview, and if you have anything else to say, say it now!

   – Thank you for supporting Toil, my friend. Infernal regards!

 

 

OF WOLF AND MAN: FORGOTTEN WOODS

The third issue of Kaleidoscope came out in 2006. I declare with pride in its advertisement, that “Kaleidoscope has found its direction”. Well, this is just a half of the whole truth – although I am still satisfied with some interviews, there are texts which were done quite haphazardly and too impulsively – “oh yeah, a good band, wrap some questions up, that’s it”. Also the contribution of our visiting writer, K. Rajala, brought more fragmentation, although he made good job with his Thralldom interview.

One of the better interviews in this zine is the one with Forgotten Woods, one of my all-time favourites from the Norwegian scene. I’m also glad that I included a good bunch of Joyless questions to this chat.

Forgotten Woods’ “comeback album” Race of Cain was just about to be released, but unfortunately this album was quite a letdown to me – and it was the first crack in the band’s shining armour. I think I understand the band’s intentions to create an album which is obscure, disturbing and a clear breakaway from the earlier, more flowing material, but the songs of Race of Cain weren’t just good enough. Like Kaleidoscope #3, Race of Cain is too fragmented.

Luckily Joyless has kept its magic. The last year’s Without Support was an enjoyably hazy trip to the worlds of both psychedelic rock and blue-shaded post-punk. And of course Forgotten Woods’ brilliant “trilogy” – As the Wolves Gather, Sjel av Natten EP and The Curse of Mankind – is still special for me. The band’s clever flow of riffs and drums puts many of these “post-BM” to shame.

But now enough babbling from me. Read on what Rune Vedaa had to say back then.

 

It’s too easy to make stereotypes, especially inside the music circles. We create them, we feed them, we eat them. For example, if I say the words “Norwegian Black Metal”, I guess you are already constructing some sort of (black and white, perhaps?) picture about screeching guitars, cold atmosphere and so on. But is it so clear in any case? Well, at least Forgotten Woods were not your typical Norsecore band; they crush against the narrow sights of Black Metal still not being untrue to themselves. I guess you all are familiar with this band, so let’s give the stage to Rune Vedaa, the lead guitarist and bassist of this great band.

 So, the most suitable question to start with is: why did you come back, after ten years of – more or less – silence?

   – It helps being back in the same country for the first time in years, obviously… Other than that we’ve all been creating music since we last released something as Forgotten Woods. Olav and Odd Ivar (Nylon) did release a split-ep with Woods Of Infinity a while back under the Joyless name and at least have some material unreleased and unrecorded. I’ve been nursing my main ‘other’ project, as well as my metal project, for a few years on and off, but I’ve been very busy with non-musical activities as I’m sure the other guys have. Other than that we’ve just been overlooking what’s going on with prior Forgotten Woods releases and the boxset No Colours put out.

   - And the reason for regrouping? Art is beyond reason. It’s all about a need to create, with or without Forgotten Woods.

 I guess that your return will be good news for many. However, you differ from a typical (Norse) Black Metal band in many ways. How have people reacted to your style changes during these years? No death threats I hope?

   – Any threats we’ve received was mainly because of outspokenness on our part and not musical changes. The musical changes of the past weren’t too much of a leap from As the Wolves Gather to The Curse of Mankind anyway. However, I don’t think Joyless found a great audience within the Black Metal scene, but as we never paid much attention to anything concerning reviews, feedback or record sales we remained happily clueless about these matters. And completely apathetic.

Despite your outcast lifestyle of some sort – both musically and otherwise – you are considered a part of the Norse BM movement. How do you see this movement from the inside point of view? Is this whole thing just one big useless hype or do you see Norse BM (and yourselves) as a big influence for the whole BM genre?

   – I don’t know what’s going on out there… Norwegian Black Metal in the early-mid 90’s were superior to anything else. I’m sure it has levelled out as it tends to do, but it’s usually a plus to NOT get influenced directly but rather try to carve your own blah, blah, blah… I look more for a certain feel, soul if you will, in music rather than grabbing the nearest Darkthrone-album to copy. I’ve never seen the point with cover bands anyway.

How about when you take a look at your own career and your past releases, what kind of memories do fill your mind? For example your debut As the Wolves Gather, was it a fulfilment of your dreams or just one natural epoch in your musical career?

   – It was a time of strangeness, isolation, coldness and apathy towards basically everything but oneself. The As the Wolves Gather album in itself didn’t mean much to me. The process as far as rehearsals went, was by far a more fulfilling experience. Same with Sjel Av Natten and The Curse of Mankind. The experience was bigger than the result you might say, for me at least. Now we don’t rehearse at all as we live too far apart for it to be worthwhile and we probably don’t need to anyhow.

By the way, which album and song are your favourites from your own discography, and why? And is there anything you regret having done?

   – I regret not recording a new Forgotten Woods album in 1998/99, when we actually had talks about just that. Just never got around to do it somehow… about the songs; In My Darkest Visions from As the Wolves Gather, En Natt med Storm og Ravners Skrik from Sjel av Natten and The Velvet Room from The Curse of Mankind would be my favourite songs. The Curse of Mankind is probably my favourite album all in all. I think we did everything better on that album. It’s about 10 minutes too long however.

And since we’re talking about regret and shame, we can’t omit today’s Black Metal scene, heh… Maybe you came back just to save what there is to save of the glory of the past? Seriously, though, what do you think about today’s scene? It’s definitely different than ten years ago when The Curse of Mankind came out: NS movement, suicidal BM (very close to you sometimes), flame wars on the Internet, bootlegs etc.

   – Flame wars on the internet? My goodness… it’s so harsh out there. Just crazy! Blah… Anyhow, I don’t have the desire to concern myself with any scene or any movement. I condone and support only the individual. Not the lemming. Today’s scene is about as anonymous to me as it was 10 years ago… I like Lurker Of Chalice, who put out the best album I’ve heard since the Thorns album. I check out the usual Norwegian/Swedish (and such) bands whenever they put out a new album (usually a disappointment) and I read Terrorizer sometimes. That’s how closely I follow the scene these days.

As said before, you are making some sort of “comeback” (I hate that word…) with Race of Cain. Could you describe the new material with a few words?

   – Race of Cain will be harsher than anything we’ve done in the past I hope. This is probably because I wrote all the new material for that specific release and I was always leaning more towards the harsher type of metal really. And music in general for that matter. That said however, this is not something I’d like to continue and the material I’m currently writing for our next full-lengths should be heavier and slower, with more toned down passages with possibilities to do whatever we want. Also Race of Cain has unusually short songs for Forgotten Woods I feel, while it should be back to 10+ minutes on the full-length on most songs. I absolutely expect it to be horribly bleak and dark. I have a title for it and a sort of concept, but those matters I’ll just keep to myself as of now. Also what label it’ll be out on is kind of in the dark. We have several offers, but what’s all picket-fenced and shiny is usually fairly rotten when it comes down to it. I have no expectations as far as labels go, but so far Total Holocaust has been 100% supportive and I would love to stay there as they’ve been honest and positive throughout the whole process despite our usual slowness, but I have a feeling we might be a bit too much for them in some ways… However, I certainly hope to work together with THR in the future as well, Forgotten Woods related or not. (The album came out through ATMF and 20 Buck Spin after all. -ed.)

How has your attitude towards music and towards making music changed during these years? Do you still get your inspiration from the same sources, or do you work with different methods and views this time around?

   – Well, this time around I will write most of the material. That’s a major change for us in some ways, but probably won’t be as noticeable for you guys. As far as music goes I like my music to have a certain flowing feel to it, and in that sense I think there might be a difference… There won’t be a riff breaking the balance to put it that way. I do try to keep it Forgotten Woods though as far as atmosphere and general style goes. Lyrically it’ll be forestless, moonless and vikingless. Mind is everything.

 Well, although this is Forgotten Woods interview, I have to ask a few questions about Joyless. I guess the split-up of Forgotten Woods and the birth of Joyless was quite a shock for some people who really liked Forgotten Woods. What were the main motives for these ends and beginnings?

   – Just to get a change from the static world that was Forgotten Woods. We started getting bored and that’s not a good sign.

As a big fan of depressive rock and post punk I really enjoy Joyless’ music. What kind of musical and lyrical basis did you have when you started Joyless? Did it sort of evolve from Black Metal or did you take an entirely different approach?

   – I used to say Joyless was a Black Metal band trying to make pop-music. Not entirely true obviously, but not too far off the map either. We were sick to death with everything concerning Forgotten Woods. Instead of changing Forgotten Woods, we gave it all a new name. I think the best music we ever did is our very early Joyless recordings. I am talking about songs like Room of Velvet Splendour, Blå Melankoli and Your Crystal Fragments. Later on we got to be too much straightforward rock’n’roll for my taste and too little of the dark cleverness fore-mentioned songs possessed.

   – The musical basis in the beginning I really can’t remember that well, but it quickly turned into something very Velvet Underground-esque at times. I love The Velvet Underground, but I prefer listening to them rather than playing music similar to theirs. Lyrically it certainly was different than Forgotten Woods. Absolutely more introspective, and deliberately so. I have many bad memories about writing and rehearsing, how it made me feel/not feel, how I could sense a change in everything, and a massive and general dissatisfaction. I don’t know where I’m going with this. It’s just what it is. Or rather what it was.

Personally I find many connection points between post punk like Joy Division and Black Metal; that same monotonic repetition, empty soundscapes and very desperate and cold attitude towards life. What do you think about it? Can we find that true source of darkness from every musical genre if the music has only been made with a pure heart?

   – I agree on the first part and on the second you are exactly right! That’s the key. Honesty. Joy Division was terrifically cold sounding. And the old The Cure albums were much the same in coldness and greatness. I adore Joy Division.

One of the most interesting works of Joyless was definitely the split EP with Woods Of Infinity. What kind of relationship do you have with them, and what do you think about WOI’s music? How about their black humour, does it get to you?

   – My knowledge of WOI is almost nonexistent. I know what Olav told me and their “humour” might be somewhat retarded and/or warped, but it’s either way not my cup of tea. Unfortunately I don’t know their music well at all. I’ve heard good things though. 

How are you going to weave your way between Joyless and Forgotten Woods in the future? Could it be that these two quite different, but still, in a sense, quite similar bands would feed each other musically?

   – I expect and think it’s for the better that Joyless mainly will be Olav’s beast, while my main musical interest is served best with Forgotten Woods. This because it has turned into two very different bands and I have a vision for how Forgotten Woods SHOULD sound as Olav has for Joyless I’m sure. Another reason would be that our musical taste has gone in quite opposite directions over the years and metal appears to be closer to my heart still, while rock, depressive as Joyless’ brand of it might be, is more Olav’s thing.

But now, back to Forgotten Woods. As your cover arts, lyrics and the general atmosphere of music display, it’s very easy to draw parallels between Forgotten Woods and aspects of nature. How big a source of inspiration is the nature (and the woods) around you? Do you head to the fjords to find ideas and feelings for your songs, or is the truth a bit less romantic?

   – These days, nature is nonexistent when it comes to being an inspiration or a motivation for anything at all. That might’ve been the case on the first album, but it’s no secret that we shied away from those matters already on Sjel av Natten and completely on The Curse of Mankind. I enjoy nature to an extent, but mostly when I can enjoy the scenery itself, by myself, usually when it includes fog somehow. I don’t wander around the woods at night anymore, nor do I go skiing in the winter. I have to be in a certain state of mind to fully appreciate nature in all its glory, but when it comes down to it, I am an art beast, not a fucking athlete… I stay indoors until almost forced to go outside.

Many talk about the mystic atmosphere of nature: how they get some power from Mother Earth and how the forest is their real home and protector. Do you think the same way, or do you have a different view on nature?

   – I practically live in the forest actually. However, my home is with my people and I am the protector. I have no romantic view on these nature-matters. Like I said I can enjoy nature for the scenery, but I feel no spiritual connection with trees or moss for instance.

One central aspect of your band has been wolves if we take a look at the cover art and titles of your first releases. What do wolves represent to you? That grim and lonesome creature has been quite an important symbol for Black Metal for a long time…

   – Wolves always served as a metaphor for Forgotten Woods. I love the title and the album cover of our first album. The Sjel av Natten cover is so-so to put it mildly, but works in its own simplistic way (the original tape version, not the No Colours Records-mLP, which is. simply put, crap). Other than that, wolves has had little impact on our lyrics for instance. Always a metaphor for the loner in a way, but again, also mostly (if not only) on our first album. The individual if you will. Swans have been more a part of our lyrics actually. I was quite obsessed with them for a while.

How about Norse mythology, how big an influence has that been to you?

   – Minimal.

And generally: are you more down to earth type of persons or do you find the spiritual side in your everyday life? Have you, for example, gone through any supernatural experiences?

   – Down-to-earth? I’d take being called down-to-earth as quite the insult. Whatever experiences that might’ve occurred I’ll share with whomever I feel needs to know. As always.

One thing is for sure: the name ‘Satan’ doesn’t appear on Forgotten Woods’ lyrics and cover sheets. Let’s raise the question: what do you think about Satan and Satanism? Usually people say that there can’t be Black Metal without Satan but what’s your opinion about that?

   – There wouldn’t be Black Metal without Venom and Bathory. Satan is a whore for most Black Metal bands to fuck senseless, until they get actual girlfriends to fuck and/or have some kids to go on to being the normal well-adjusted citizens they were meant to be. As far as I’m concerned, Satan as a symbol equals freedom and individuality. This should not be taken lightly in any way. However, the use of spewing out ‘Satan’ in multiple fashions in every song is pointless to us. The need to dig deeper is a must, but only for our own artistic benefit. Not your listening experience. If it works for others that is fine, but it’s not for us. Satan is present, but as the adversary, not the antichrist per. se. As a metaphor for the ego, if you will, not as a goat, sheep or any other herd animal. A lemming state of mind is a wasted state of mind. I have a feeling ‘Satan’ as a word will not be very prominent on future Forgotten Woods releases either. Never know though.

Well, Satan has many forms and ways, and your search and scrutiny for the dark side of man can be considered as searching Satan in man. Word or two about this?

   – My concern for others than myself and my inner circle of family is hardly worth mentioning or give a second thought. I have tried to journey the dark, and the light (as I assume I have one…sort of), side of my mind to great lengths I feel, but now the wish to influence others to search their dark side is more appealing to me. Also, see previous question.

Anyway, the new CD is titled Race of Cain, a strong reference to the Bible and also to mysticism. Do you present some new lyrical statements in these new songs?

   – ‘Race of Cain’ is in this case actually taken directly from Baudelaire, which is in itself a strong reference to the Bible. I always did love the poem Abel and Cain and what it represented in terms of herd-mentality. To me at least. Therefore, the race of Cain to me would be the individuals. As the members of Forgotten Woods very much are. We are together as a band for a reason and that reason is exactly what it was from the get-go; to inflict and hopefully cause massive disturbance in the minds of weaker beings and possibly bring some pleasure to the minds of our egotistical same. This is more calculated these days than in the past. There is a reason for everything.

Let’s stick to the lyrics. I can find many different elements in them: there are softer moments and phrases, but the harsh and very cold atmosphere is also present. Would you say that you like to paint with the entire palette of life or what?

   – Sure. I’d like to think I write about praising life AND praising death. My life, the death of others. Then again, it comes down to the reader/listener… depending of your stance, how does it sound? Hopefully this is the case, that people read and make their own interpretation of any given lyric. This mostly goes for The Curse of Mankind and any Joyless-song I’ve written the lyrics for. What others write I’d leave up to them to explain. To put it nicely, I like contrasts. And I like to use that. However, most metalheads are more into beer and backpatches than lyrics, which is fine and understandable seeing it from a point of view where music is what counts and lyrics are at best rushed through.

A same kind of variety can be found in your music as well. Inherent Emptiness by Joyless and With Swans I Share my Thirst by Forgotten Woods, for example, are songs that differ from each other quite a bit. Where does this multidimensionality come from; is it just the desire to experiment with music or the result of listening your inner voices?

   – I mostly think it’s a result of having a genuine interest in music of all genres and an appreciation of music of all genres. With Swans… is basically our small tribute to The Velvet Underground, which is what we collectively listened to the most around that time alongside David Bowie and The Doors probably. Especially The Doors is prominent on the rest of The Curse of Mankind in Olav’s drumming. If you know your The Doors you’ll easily hear it. Inherent Emptiness was known as ‘the thrash song’ at rehearsals, which is what it is… a ton of riffs, mostly thrashy. What it comes down to for us is exploring different sides of dark music and to make it all come together in the end. We can do whatever we want though AND get away with it. It’ll sound like Forgotten Woods anyway it seems. Joyless will be whatever it turns out to be.

Besides this, I truly enjoy the repetition and the monotonic feeling that you have in your songs. Sometimes your music comes close to some sort of trance or hypnotic feeling. Do you get a same kind of feeling when you play/compose your songs?

   – The feeling I get from composing material to the next full-length is in all fashions the same as the feeling of old… The cold and dark monotonous atmosphere is very much there. Intentional obviously, but still feeling renewed and in tune with how my musical taste is pr. today.

 Anyway, I guess you get something from composing and playing music because you’re back in this harsh business. How do you see the present state of Forgotten Woods, and more importantly, how do you see the future?

   – We’ll see. It doesn’t all revolve around Forgotten Woods. Art is all. The moment it feels stifled or like we’re on autopilot I’ll have no problem breaking all ties. I’m hoping for several more albums though. Better than ever.

Okay, that’s it! Any last words?

   – Thanks for including us and welcome to the beginning of everything unpredictable.

THE CHOSEN THREE: JANUARY 2012

This blog has been about digging old graves so far, but I thought it would be relevant to bring some more recent happenings forth too. Therefore I give you “The Chosen Three”. This article will be out in the end of every month and will present three (or more) bands/demos/EP’s/albums which impaled my mind during this particular month. All of these selected pieces aren’t the most current ones, but I hope this series will give something new and inspiring after all – at least there will be a word or two from the artists too. So here are the chosen ones for January, make notes and make graves!

PYHÄ KUOLEMA: Saavun vaikken kulkisi (Anima Arctica 2011)
Pyhä kuolema is Mikko Pöyhönen’s – known from now dead Tuhat kuolemaa sekunnissa – new form. Like TKS, also Pyhä kuolema is about acoustic music, but when TKS was too bland and mediocre in my opinion, Saavun vaikken kulkisi goes deeper, to the intimate sources of magic, nature and sorrow. Maybe one reason for this is that Pöyhönen is alone in Pyhä kuolema – he wears the heavy robe of a singer-songwriter and manages to pull catchy and memorable melodies and lyrics from his soul. There is variance in both: sometimes you float in the haze of feverish folk, sometimes you are surrounded by shamanistic soundscapes; sometimes the train takes you through nightmares, sometimes comets hit your nerves. The whole album has a nice balance, and 34+ minutes is a perfect length for this kind of music. And all you non-Finnish listeners, fear not – Pöyhönen says that Saavun vaikken kulkisi (I’ll arrive even without traveling) has something for you too:
- While my music leans heavily on lyrics, I’m quite picky about how the words sound in my mouth. I choose over certain words, and sometimes long strips of verse, not only for their lyrical content but for their round, wailing sound. Some texts turn into better vocal parts than others, and here the perfectionist in me comes forth. These choices ease the brain for the listener who does not understand the language sung: the vocals become an instrument which, also, can carry messages far better than any written language.
http://www.animaarctica.fi/pyhakuolema/
http://www.animaarctica.fi/index.php?pid=3

CAULDRON BLACK RAM: The Poisoner Maxi-EP (Abysmal Sounds 2011)
Cauldron Black Ram. Cauldron. Yeah, this band is like a cauldron, which swallows different metals, venoms and pieces of flesh, boils them for good and spits out hideous beasts like that four headed monster on the cover of The Poisoner. This time the menu consists of old school thrash, doomy mumblings, Hellhammer and some Australian bestiality. The band stirs this all well with a professional but enjoyable primitive hand, and it’s amazing to notice how technical these songs are after all. This is the EP for all and for none. A twisted mass of metal. Esh (drums & vocals) describes the essence of The Poisoner:
- It is comprised of a four headed beast, all egos at war with another, vying for destruction and plotting betrayals – thus the cover. So although each track is most definitely a thinking beast, they are conjoined, whether they like it or not. These four heads sing of the dangers of wayward witching and demonic consequence. …I sincerely hope that doesn’t clear up anything.
http://cauldronblackram.com/
http://cauldronblackram.bandcamp.com/album/the-poisoner-maxi-ep

NUIT NOIRE: The Gigantic Hideout (Creations of the Night 2011)
As I mentioned in my previous post, I waited for Nuit Noire’s fourth full-length with skeptic thoughts. Now the wait is over and The Gigantic Hideout has revealed to be a charming album. Tenebras has sharpened his compositions and especially postpunk/postrock elements are more effective than ever. Still this isn’t a pale Alcest copy after all – nightside lunacy is still there, and Tenebras howls his demons out with an inimitable touch. This is how Tenebras himself comments the situation during Lunar Deflagration debut and now:
- Lunar Deflagration was something very special and I don’t know if I could do something like that again. It was the result of this situation of that time – my brother had just left the band and thought I was going towards a shitty direction. I was craving to record and I was a beginner at singing with non-scorched vocals, so in less than four hours I recorded it. It was a pure revolt against the codes with a total no-care attitude, for the voices I didn’t even stop the recorder in between the twelve tracks – I let them play one after one and sang along. The following albums were more controlled, less urgent, and they were not the fruit of an accident like Lunar Deflagration almost was.
- And for the brand new album, it is even something else. I pushed the instrumentation forward and again everything has been quite controlled although I experimented a lot.
http://www.myspace.com/nuitnoireofficial
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGiikel2-qU&feature=youtu.be

LUNATIC OF DEATH’S CREATION: NECROS CHRISTOS

Necros Christos has always been a reliable band what comes to interviews. Maybe the reason for this is the band’s serious and in-depth attitude against everything they are doing: be it song writing, lyrics, concepts, interludes or live performances. They started on the solid ground and have just kept climbing higher – the last year’s offering, Doom of the Occult, was another fine example of this.

But you have to start from somewhere, and in Necros Christos’s case this “somewhere” was two top class demo tapes, Black Mass Desecration (2003) and Grave Damnation (2004). These two little bastards have always been the strongest efforts from the band to me: the vision is still quite raw but it has the enjoyable rough edge in it. This doesn’t mean that I don’t enjoy the more profound material of their full-lengths, but these demos hit you harder, more with power than with wisdom, in every area – cover arts, interludes, songs like Red Wine Runs Out of the White Skull of Jesus or Doom of Nekros – Death of Christos…

So another – and the last - take from Kaleidoscope issue number two. This a bit shallow interview was supposed to be published in Satanic Tyrant Werwolf’s Zabulus zine, but because that issue never saw the light of a day, I took it back for Kaleidoscope. The interview was done with Mors Dalos Ra in the end of July 2005.

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Doomish Death/Black Metal is not the easiest genre to master, but German Necros Christos is a band which has created deathstriking monuments in this abyssic genre. The mastermind behind the evil works of Necros Christos, Mors Dalos Ra, cracked the curtain to us.

So, what is the most important reason of Necros Christos’s existence and what do you want to give to the listeners through your music?

- Spreading darkness, damnation and death amongst those who fall into our sound is one of the main reasons, plain and simple. Bringing back real, necromantical Death Metal is what I’m trying to achieve. And what I want to give… Ritual waves, which will be feared instead of being loved, something so dark that even those familiar with so called “Death” Metal will wet their pants.

And what does Necros Christos give to you?

- When I began composing for Necros Christos back in 2001 it was not just these typical “Oh, I wanna do something outstanding, so let’s try…” – thing, I felt “chosen” from an unknown source of higher inspiration when the first tunes hit me like a lightning bolt. I know damn well that these phrases sound totally fucked up, but I AM insane up to a certain point and one has to be when playing real Death Metal…

You are the mastermind of Necros Christos. How wrong is it to say that Necros Christos is your own vision or could Necros Christos be a democratic band someday?

- No, never I guess. But the other guys knew before and I’m still open for ideas. Actually, we’re arranging the songs together at the rehearsal place and I’m not telling Christhammer what to do on the drums, he’s so deeply into my vision that no further explanations are needed. The same goes for Thy Black Shepherd, our new bass player who now completes our triune of abysmal doom…

Your demotapes Black Mass Desecration and Grave Damnation are very strong and coherent entities with those interludes etc. Have you tried to write songs which fit well together?

- I never thought about if the songs of one demo would fit well together, as I told you before it’s a “natural”, and obviously an occult one, process which crawls out of itself and needs no additional thoughts.

Are you going to evolve Necros Christos musically?

- I will never evolve Necros Christos musically, I hate most of the bands who are telling that they progressed so much with every new record. How it comes that their first demos or full-lengths are the best in their career then?

Can you reveal some facts about the cover of your newest demo Grave Damnation, where some German tombstone is placed upside down? It’s a photo you have taken, right?

- The pic was taken on a cemetery near my flat and the tombstone was rammed in the ground as you can see it on the cover, it’s no work of photoshop or something like that. It is for real…

What do you think about the real attacks against the church like tombstone desecrations and church burnings?

- I respect the dead and their remains, so I never did any tomb desecrations yet. Although I must admit that I find it attractive walking on a desolate cemetery with broken tombs, wildered graves etc.

 In my opinion your lyrics have two sides: on the other hand you blaspheme the personified Jesus and on the other hand there is a strong connection to magic and occultism. What kind of philosophy do you have behind the lyrics?

- No kind of philosophy, visions… and due to the fact that my whole consciousness is totally consumed by the powers of magic and occultism it surely does influence the way I write and compose…

So, I guess that’s the reason why there are some interesting song titles in Grave Damnation like Red Wine Runs Out of the White Skull of Jesus. What’s the story behind that song?
- Mary Magdalene stole the skull of Jesus after his burial and kept it as a shrine for the rest of her life. She sipped wine out of it and used it for magical rites…

You have done the most limited editions I have seen for a long time, for example Ritual Doom Rehearsal was limited to 20 copies. What’s the idea behind this kind of policy?

- Some recordings were just meant for the closest comrades and friends, so we decided to keep them for the inner circle. On the other hand, some of those editions had the reason to “inform”, not to “present” Necros Christos in its whole.

When can we expect a full-length?

- Yes, we sealed an oath already, but not by hand, by heart. The first full-length of Necros Christos will be released by Sepulchral Voice Rex from Germany. Their first release had been the mighty Charon 7inch, a first class release of real Death Metal. We had a lot of offers and I appreciate every single one of them, but in the end, we decided to go with them, becoming disciples of the sepulchral communion. As far as I can estimate it by now, we will record the album at the beginning of 2006…

I’ve heard that Necros Christos is a quite impressive live band. What does make you so special on stage?

- Mmh, makes me proud that you’ve heard it, but to be honest, our last show at the Under The Black Sun festival wasn’t so killer… Daylight swallowed most of the atmosphere and my guitar fucked up during one song. But I think we got through it like men, not like amateurs…
- But what makes us special…? We’re old enough to present ourselves as we are, we don’t paint our faces and react like 16 year old Gay Metal cocks and let the darkness within our music speak. Otherwise, you’ve to ask someone else who’s just watching, not doing the thing…
- And; The inevitable fact that the occult absolute doeth surround us at our live ceremonials is maybe one of the reasons of being a bit more special than others…

What’s your relationship to other German metal bands? Are you an isolated person or do you have contacts with other bands?

- Yes, contacts are enjoyable up to a certain point, serious contacts I mean. I’m in deep contact with the Katharsis brotherhood, Ronald of Horrible Eyes, Theby of Drowned, Ilja of Wolfthorn, Magus of Blasphemic Lust, Lucif of Moloch, Hurricane of Hellpike/ Zarathustra as well as my Berlin comrades like The Imperator of Black Warcult Productions, Phil of Summon For Satan (r.i.p.) / Temple Of Adoration, AK 47 of B.C. Imperator, Patrick of Iron Bonehead, Hansi and Jörg from Folter, Endrew the Starspawn etc…

Well, I guess we have reached the end. Any last words to our readers?

- For all those initiated into old, ceremonial Death Metal devotion Necros Christos is a tool to the boundaries of goetic magic.
All other: Please stay away, I’m tired off wasting my time…

THE KING OF FIRE AND ICE: IC REX

I haven’t embraced Finnish black metal with all of my heart. I appreciate a few bands like Satanic Warmaster, Beherit or Horna, but I don’t feel that their majestic nature has opened to me totally – although it would be just natural to feel cohesiveness with the bands that come from the same country than me.

IC Rex has always been one of these better bands. From Lunar Possession demo, this band has followed its own star and created quite “non-Finnish” black metal although the band’s roots are deep in the Finnish ground. But same time IC Rex’s mind wanders among stars and Satanic dimensions, and this contradiction is one of the band’s triumphs. It’s majestic but same you can smell the mould and the moss. After the brilliantly chaotic debut Sielun kadotuksen sinfonia (2005) IC Rex made a good regeneration with more organic Valonkantajan alkemia (2008), but the third point of this triangle, Vedenjakaja (2009) didn’t impress me so much than its predecessors. Or maybe I just haven’t listened to it enough.

However, although IC Rex’s musical journey is not complete (there will be a documentary and a music video in the works), the mastermind IC hasn’t buried his Luciferian torch – he plays in a promising new outfit called Pantheon Of Blood, and also IC’s talent in visual arts have been in a heavy use – you can find more from his blog .

IC has also been a man of many words from the start, and this early interview from the January of 2006 proves it again.

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Remember the days when Black Metal went astral, melodic and symphonic, and bands like Limbonic Art and Arcturus were hailed as new kings? Now this kind of extraterrestial atmosphere has been forced to step aside, but Finnish IC Rex seems to be the first wave of the new Renaissance of this genre. But don’t compare this band to those aforementioned groups too hastily, because IC Rex has created its own harsh but interesting world. The thoughtful soul behind the band, C, gave us something to think about in the coldest times of January.

Well, your debut album Sielun kadotuksen sinfonia has been released. What kind of process the making of the album was, and what do you feel now when all is said and done?

- The process was very intensive, and it took very much of my energy in all levels. I did everything in my home from scratch, and many times I spent ~10 hour days composing and arranging the music & writing lyrics. Now when the album is ready and released, I’m quite calm and satisfied about the result. Of course there are many things that could have been done better, but that’s always the case.

You’re known as your profound words and lyrics, but who and what does give you a spark of inspiration?

- Everything around and in me, usually quite little things actually. It’s quite hard to say what things especially give me those sparks of inspiration, but if I had to mention a few things from the outer world, I’d say that nature is my source of inspiration number one (quite a cliché, but it’s true). Lyrics are almost always the end result of intense introspection and meditation, but the methods differ from each other from time to time.

At least you have quoted one of the greatest Finnish poets, Eino Leino, on some metal forum. What’s your connection to this man responsible for such classics as Helkavirsiä (Whitsongs)? Do you have some certain poem or verse from him, which is very special to you?

- I think he has managed to portrait the depths of the “Finnish soul” better than any other artist, although in some of his poems the Christian influence is little too strong for myself. I can’t really name a personal favourite since the amount of his work is so great, but the overtly pathetic heroic melancholy that is present in his works in general is something I can certainly relate myself. If I’d have to name a few texts, Ja vuodet ne käy yhä vaikeammiks, and also Lapin kesä, the text that I’ve quoted (in bm.fi forum?) are very important for myself personally.

How about being Finnish and the Finnish culture in general? You changed the language of IC Rex from English to Finnish, so there must be some kind of devotion to Finland…

- Although I don’t affiliate myself with any culture or people especially, there’s of course always a ‘natural’ connection to the Finnish culture and language. The reason why I chose to change the language from English to Finnish was first and foremost practical, and a sort of experiment to see whether I could write lyrics in Finnish without sounding stupid. Anyone who has written poetry in Finnish must know what I mean by this.

What I have read your lyrics, you paint a picture of Satan in a quite positive light; this picture is far away typical “Satan analpenetrates saints” -stereotyped lyrics. What’s your comment about this?

- As my world view and my view about Satan is first and foremost spiritual & transcendental, it is clear that there was no room for the “goats raping nuns & massacring Christians” type of themes. I wanted to make a totally new approach and to present a profound view about the matter, something that can actually be taken seriously in real life. The picture I portray about Satan & Lucifer is quite neutral actually, one must certainly know that it’s not a force to play with or something that should/could be taken lightly. It’s not like “Satan is my friend” or anything idiotic like that, but of course as a Satanist in the lyrics there is a positive vibration in them due to my personal veneration for “Him”.

You call your music ‘madness’ and Sielun kadotuksen sinfonia is a very chaotic album, but it still opens doors to other places and spaces. How well does IC Rex’s music correspond to yourself and your view of world?

- IC Rex is my view of the world, it is the result of my explorations in the fringes of madness. But I also try to elaborate on the matter in such way that the result would be something more that “just my point of view”, if you know what I mean. The listener is the ultimate judge whether I’ve managed to do that or not.

Before IC Rex you were known from Finnish BM band called Tunrida. What happened to Tunrida? How much of IC Rex’s songs were written for Tunrida or is everything made just for IC Rex?

- Tunrida split up because of many difficulties, things I don’t want to get into them in here. Two songs of Lunar Possession (IC Rex’s first and only demo) were written for Tunrida in the first place, but after we split up I decided to focus all my creativity into IC Rex.

Being alone in a band is a quite regular phenomenon in Black Metal genre. What does it gives to you, what are the advantages and what are the disadvantages being the lone wolf with the music?

- The only disadvantage is maybe the lack of reflection from the other members in song and lyric writing, one must make all the decisions by himself, but that’s also a advantage many times. Other advantages are countless from the easiness of practice to the lack of quarrels, and since I’m many times quite a hard person I must say that this is the best method of working for myself. Being my own boss and all that…

You still got lyrical help from Johannes Nefastos, who has also written lyrics to Baptism. How did you ended up to ask him to contribute on Sielun kadotuksen sinfonia? Was it easy or hard to let someone to your personal area of thoughts, art and ideology?

- We’re friends with J.N., and I thought that I’d like to pay a little homage to him since his Great Work, Fosforos made an ineffaceable impression on me a few years ago. I could have written the Asura lyrics myself also (I presented the basics of the idea behind the lyrics to N and then gave him complete artistic freedom), but I wanted to have a little different view about the matter from someone who knows what he’s talking about. It was quite easy a decision, actually, since the (al-) chemistry resonates quite well between us.

I found the visual side of Sielun kadotuksen sinfonia very appealing: there are hints of rituals, traditional illustrations (Dore for example) and also this Finnish side with the pictures from forests, barns etc. What can the listener find from this amalgam of pictures?

- I tried to portray the atmosphere of the music in visual context as well as I could, and to give the listener a complete package, not just faceless music. Just like Black Metal is not just music but also an art form and a tool to channel ones world view, I think that the albums should be like personal grimoires. Personally I like to read the lyrics and look the art from the booklet while I’m listening the music, that is why I included English lyrics and made the booklet also to reflect the feelings and real life situations in which the album was made. All of the albums photography that is my own, is from the time I was making the album. There is also A LOT of symbolism and corresponding ideas in the visual outlook of the album in connection with the lyrics, as the intelligent listener can easily see.

You have a long statement about the origins of the band name on your homepage, but is there a double meaning behind those runes I (ice) and C (fire), because you can easily connect those letters to ’eye’ and ’see’?

- There are numerous meanings between the band name. You are right, there is the Eye/See connection, but there is also a connection to Leviathan (I, Sea Rex) and also to the master of the frozen hell (Icy Rex), if you look just into the pronunciation connections. There are also lots more meanings between the name (my personal name and my pseudonym connected), an astrological & astronomical meaning (Iota Cancer is a double star emitting blue and yellow light in the constellation crab, my personal star sign), Iesus Christus Rex meaning (reflecting the idea of the Satanist being ones own saviour instead of an outer godhead in which to affiliate). If interested, one might also want to do a search about the meanings of the rest of the runes in the band name, not just I & C, since they are maybe as important as the ice and fire runes. The band name is like a five letter rune stone that has a magical meaning.
- Other than this, I think there are also meanings between the name that I’m not aware of myself, since I keep seeing new meanings that make sense between the name all the time…

In your lyrics you declare this union of fire and ice. What do you find from the different opposites, contradictions or harmony?

- I find both harmony and contradictions. Contradictions are essential for growth and evolution. I see Satan as the ‘Master of disharmony’, and that is why in Black Metal contradiction is maybe more important in the sense of suffering, pain and negativity. If there would be constant harmony there would be nothing, both the personal and collective world would sunk into some kind state of pointless inertia.
- Of course this is the case only for any finite being. Since I am a pantheist and believe (quotation marks) in the unity of everything, I think that the universe as a whole, “the macrocosmos”, is in a constant state of harmony, but nothing inside of it cannot be since everything is in a constant state of flux in order for the world to be existent. This point of view is present in such lyrics as …Of Divinity (in Lunar Possession), and Kasvotusten absoluutin kanssa (in Sielun kadotuksen sinfonia).

It’s interesting to play with thoughts about two opposites, light and darkness. For example when there is light, there are always also shadows, but shadows always need light to be existent – but we can also say that darkness is the natural state and light is just an exception. What do you think about these thoughts?

- In my view (visible) light is actually just a collection of shadows, and darkness (in the sense of deep, limitless space) needs not light to be existent. Following this thought it could be stated that pure darkness is actually the very source of light and illumination. Just like in personal psychology one must plunge into the depths of the ‘dark’ unconscious in order to be able to truly individuate and grow, in the same sense it could be said that darkness is the natural state of chaos, the only place from where the ‘jewels of illumination’ can be found. I do find the play of opposites interesting also, but I think that they are opposites only in the world of separation and crude matter.

How about light and darkness in Black Metal? Some people declare just negative feelings and generally negative side of life in Black Metal, but is there room for positivism in Black Metal?

- There is room for both, but the positive side in Black Metal must be conducted with precision and intellect, otherwise the result will be too corny. There shouldn’t be any stupid artificial rules what kind of Black Metal can be made, but of course there are things that are just too far from the essence of Black Metal. My view about this matter is that if Satan is the dark and negative aspect in Black Metal, Lucifer is the illuminate, positive aspect of it. A little like a deep space probe, if you allow for such a metaphor.

And now, the end. If you want to lay the last words for this chat, the stage is yours.

- Thank you for an interesting interview Mr. Klemi.

“A TOOL FOR CARRYING OUT PRIMITIVE TASKS”: BONE AWL

The year 2006 brought the second issue of Kaleidoscope, and now the whole package was more balanced. The scale of bands was quite varied – from IC Rex’s occult black metal to Morbosidad’s fago worship – but the questions were drilling more into the core, and I started to focus on a few themes instead of a scattered bunch of questions. And from today’s perspective it’s satisfying to see that there are bands like Bone Awl and Necros Christos, which were just promising demo bands back then. I was walking my own path.

So there will be three picks from the issue two, and the first one is Bone Awl. This band has showed how primitivity can hide deeper meanings, and how a demo tape is a perfect format to reflect a soul’s moment of hate and anguish – and what great layouts this band has! There you go, a Bone Awl interview circa Not for Our Feet era.

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Let’s start from semantics: Bone Awl is an interesting name for a band, even for a Black Metal band. Where did this kind of primitive sounding tag come from?

- I cannot remember exactly when the name Bone Awl came to me. I read of the tool, a bone awl, somewhere, months before the band’s conception. It is an awl, fashioned from bone. A tool utilized by ‘primitive’ cultures- not a medical instrument, that I found out, does exist. Its use wasn’t implemented for its literal meaning, but rather me rolling this idea of the ‘tool of the primitive’ around in my mind. Bone awl is the tool of the primitive. It was once a cracked femur, it is now a point, that scrapes and boars – chipping, chiselling, and puncturing. A tool for carrying out primitive tasks, this is Bone Awl.

Also your aliases are far from typical, taken from Norse mythology. But isn’t it a bit weird that a Canadian band takes influences from other side of the world, or do you feel a strong communion with the Nordic people and their heritage?

- Teeth are bones. We are from California, just as far from Norway. No communion with Norse people or their culture. We are from USA; we are cultureless, faceless, and with no identifications to any culture really. The names were simply striking in their English translation. So we appropriated them as such. Natural balance is a theme that will recur in our music, and the names embody this. Teeth are gnashed and teeth are crushed, action and reaction.

On the other hand Black Metal has a strong and unified world of symbols, phrases and ideas, which creates some sort of feeling of unity, but in my opinion this has become quite clichéd nowadays. What do you think about this?

- Black Metal can be seen as a history of traditions and practices. Those who hold true to the tradition will likely adorn themselves with the symbols of those who came before them. Most do not understand the symbols, and also use them in a completely derivative way. Tradition shouldn’t necessarily equal an end to progress or evolution. This is a topic, for the most part, which doesn’t involve Bone Awl. We are not limited to exclusively the BM system of symbols, metaphors, etc.

Your aliases make also a connection to paganism; what way do you travel: resurrection of old worlds or destruction of this society which is long lost in itself?

- Well, looking at my above answer, it’s obvious we aren’t pagans in the typical sense of the word. We have referenced and dealt with some pagan topics like Druid Human sacrifices on the Bog Bodies cass. But we, ourselves, do not align with beliefs of these groups. The Old Worlds can stay dead, and there’s no hope in any resurrection. Destruction of this society? I know that everything, all my illnesses and disorders are inflicted by society. But it is this far off cloud of pollution, that I can’t effect or even picture for that matter. I know that I hate it, but I can’t get involved enough to cause any damage. It sure is killing me though.
When I read your lyrics, I couldn’t find any hints of Satan, ancient gods or destroying Christians. Your lyrics remind me about brutal and primitive assaults of the 80ies thrash and death metal with all those descriptions of death, murders and so on. What kind of message does Bone Awl try to spread?

- I would not cite eighties thrash or death metal as any lyrical influence and I wouldn’t in any way align our lyrics to these genres.  The way in which these styles deal with lyrics is completely separate from Bone Awl. We might have commonality in violence, obsession with some visceral things, and a general morbid, death obsessed way of thinking, but these things are so broad they encompass nearly all of metal and beyond.

- Only metal bands I can cite as an inspiration are Nuclear Death, Goatlord and Von (some might consider these DM, but they are far from typical). The images they have tainted my mind with have not been topped.
Total destruction of this world is one of your strongest topics. Nowadays Black Metal seems to raise this world into its glory for Satan’s millennium or to curse and destroy all in the way to the final Armageddon. Where do you stand in this line?

- Like I said earlier, I do not see us being involved in either side. I am not propagating armageddon. I think it’s kind of a nice idea, but as of now, I’m not involved in anything. The dawn of Satan’s Millennium? Here is an issue of semantics. For myself, Satan is just a placeholder name for all acts of destruction. Yes, I worship him dearly, but I also worship creation as well! If you are talking about the topic concerning reversal of morals which Christians and other religious sects have employed, on this, I’m not very opinionated.

What do you think about today’s BM scene in general? Is everything coming too thoughtful and even humanistic, or is this kind of progression a right direction?

- I think you can go either way. I wouldn’t want to see a complete abandonment of BM ideals and traditions. There are many things which must remain still and make up the essence of black metal. But to deny the human condition is, for us, impossible. It must be dealt with. We try to draw from both sides.

One thing that annoys me a lot is this legion of Internet BM warriors, who try to get their reputation as bad guys with lots of bashing, gossiping and digging some dirt from the others. What’s your opinion about this?

- I think you can tell, we care not for scene opinions, or internet gossip etc. I would like to be as far removed from this world please! I encourage people to never mention Bone Awl in conversation, emails, or other forms of communications.

Let’s take another glance to the North. One band what is close to your style is definitely Ildjarn. What do you feel about this legendary messenger of primitive metal?

- His music is sacred, pure, and deathly divine. It is like instead of seeing a human body, with its various systems, all you see is a beating heart. Words cannot do him justice.

Another influence is the slight touch of hard core punk and even rock’n’roll. Do you listen to stuff outside of (Black) Metal, or where do these influences come from?

- Yes, we listen to many genres besides BM and metal. To get into that here would be excessive and inappropriate. However I feel that there is something relevant in everything we choose to listen to. What we are trying to do is play black metal in its most stripped down form, exposing a purity and power -only utilizing the minimal amount of technique to achieve this. What happens is that once something is stripped, you can see its bones and structure. BM borrows many bones from rock’n’ roll, punk, and hardcore. Because we are dealing with basic structure we deal with these ‘bones’ as well.

When I looked your discography, the notable thing is the huge amount of demos you have been released. Why’s that? Do you try to evolve to the top before putting some “real” records out or what? Today the world is almost drowning in a wave of (generally indifferent) demo bands, projects etc., what do you think about this?

- ‘Real’ records? This term cannot be used. Bands now release vinyl and CDs first thing, and a lot of the times they are not ‘real’ or of any quality. We release in formats that we prefer. We prefer cassettes, not that it matters, but I think most musical groups choose to neglect this form. However, I think no matter which format you choose, you will be inevitably thrown into this whirlpool of bands and symbols. We could be lost in it forever, oh well…

Well, one official recording was the split album with Volkurah, Hammer and Vordr. What’s your opinion about these three bands? Do you find any same spirit between you and them?

- Hammer, I know virtually nothing about. They have a demo, which I’ve never seen, and these tracks only? Volkurah are of a different style than us, and do not know personally either. Vordr, I can say that I enjoy and feel some small similarity to. They seem to be looking for the simplest nature of Black Metal music and try to tap into it.  Often times they hit it.

Well, let’s gaze to the future. You are soon releasing your first full-length. What kind of material can we find from it? Are you trying to capture a wider audience, or do you keep a low status?

- Audience is the least of our worries. In fact, it’s nothing, not a worry, nothing. It will be primitive, pounding, pulsating, convulsing, blood boiling, and hair raising. Like everything that we’ve tried to do so far. Nothing different except length.

Thanks for the interview! Any other thoughts to bring forth?

-  Hooves, Hooves, Hooves, stampede, cerebral stampedes, if you hear the sounds, there is no need to look, it’s just us.

SOMETHING ALONG THE ROAD (MY PERSONAL TOP FIVE OF 2011)

The year 2011 was the year when most of my old favourites kept their level well (Ulver: Wars of the Roses, Primordial: Redemption at the Puritan’s Hand, Tenhi: Saivo and Autopsy: Macabre Eternal) – progression was happening but the original flame was also present. There were also new (or not so new) bands that kept crystallizing their vision like The Devil’s Blood (The Thousandfold Epicentre), Necros Christos (Doom of the Occult), Virus (The Agent that Shapes the Desert), Charnel Winds (Der Teufelsbund) and Peste Noire (L’Ordure á L’état Pur).

But my actual list is something different: five bands and albums that aren’t the most familiar ones and don’t shine in every year-end list in music magazines. Here you go:

SINK: The Holy Testament

This is nonmusic: screeching noise that doesn’t open itself or please you in a blink of an eye. Still you come back for more, and little by little these cacophonous and buzzing soundscapes start to reveal their treasures. After the already glorious The Process (2008) The Holy Testament is more organic and even close to black metal, but you can’t say that this album has actual songs. Instead of structural music, you find yourself in a maze of cracked and oppressive waves – which is good.

40 WATT SUN: The Inside Room

I guess every doom fanatic knows and praises Warning. I also guess that despite this glorification not that many of these fanatics actually own The Inside Room. That’s a shame – although 40 Watt Sun is approaching lighter and more wistful feelings, the depths of melancholy and Patrick Walker’s deep and heart-breaking voice are still there. The Inside Room is full of ethereal moments, tenderness, strong pathos and certain alternative attitude. This is an album that forces you to stop and woe.

HEXVESSEL: Dawnbearer
First I thought that this ex-Dodheimsgard-singer Mat ’Kvohst’ McNerney’s Hexvessel is just a trendy project which is trying to make a quick buck in the euphoria of retro occult. Fortunately I was wrong. Nowadays when The Devil’s Blood is giving birth to thousands and thousands of faceless followers, it’s great to have an album that leaves electric guitars behind and travels to the source of occult folk. This flow of music sways the listener so easily to the left hand path that you can’t even notice it. Rich and soft sounds, clever nuances and McNerney’s angelic voice are the last jewels to this crown, and so Dawnbearer is this year’s best debut album in my books.

HATEFUL ABANDON: Move

Another British band, hmm. When an artist leaves black metal behind and transforms to a postpunk-spirited group, the whole story sounds rather cheesy and pretentious. Luckily Hateful Abandon is miles away from being pretentious. There are shades of black metal present in the form of occasional guitar buzz and the general hollow atmosphere, but otherwise Move is like a ghost from the 80ies, preaching like Killing Joke and stomping like Bauhaus. Hypnotic drums, effective bass lines and humming synth waves make this album an original piece of austerity, which can grunt critically to this society or throw a pop song for the Apocalypse.

ACHERONTAS: Vamachara

And then some real black metal. Acherontas has wandered this earth for 15 years, and now the silence is broken with Vamachara. At the same time all of you should quiet down and take notes. Although this album is very traditional, its musical flow – full of magick, liturgies and De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas – is so natural and real, that it’s easy to just surrender to it. Acherontas is like Watain but more honest and – dare I say it? – more true.

And if we dive into the deep end of underground black metal, some albums reveal their majestic figures: Ride For Revenge: Under the Eye, Vemod: Vinterilden demo (and a split EP with Klage), Venus Star: The Dark Victor, Atra: In Reverence and Decay, Lik: The Second Wind, Nightside Temple: Prophecies of Malevolence and tons of more… A good year.

FAERIES, FORESTS, FANTASIES: NUIT NOIRE

People seem to know Nuit Noire only because of their Lady Gaga cover (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBsGycxYd_E ) nowadays, but if we look farther to the past, we find Lunar Deflagration (2004), an interesting album full of inimitable “blasting faerical punk”. And if you can dig through those hysterical vocals and loose drumming, you find a good bundle of catchy and ingenious black metal riffs, which are far from ‘childish’.

However, the king fairy himself, Tenebras, hasn’t been able to achieve same heights with his recent albums. There is still hope, though: a new album, The Gigantic Hideout, is now out through Tenebras’ Creations of the Night label (tenebras795@msn.com), so maybe we will be surrounded by this somehow innocent and honest atmosphere again.

But before this, here is a short Nuit Noire interview from Kaleidoscope #1 (2005).

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You don’t usually find the words like “faeries” or “happiness” from the Black Metal interviews, but French Nuit Noire is an unusual band, so it’s obvious that the themes and motives behind band’s hysterical, diverse and dark Black Metal differ a lot from the typical scene. Mastermind Tenebras shared his wisdom from the kingdom of the faeries in the end of September…

So, let’s start with the latest news: Nuit Noire will release a 7” called Furibond Elegance, which according to Todestrieb will continue in the vein of Lunar Deflagration. So, have you finally found the best possible way to express yourself?

- Yes, those vocals go out naturally from me and they really fit the lyrics. It is so enjoyable to scream with one’s own voice, a voice that no one else could provide…

Many people have described your music energetic. Where all this energy comes from, ‘cause it’s easy to imagine your music just depressing, hopeless – but then it wouldn’t be Nuit Noire, right?

- Lunar Deflagration contains the lyrics and all the following releases will too. I hope by now that people won’t ever say again that Nuit Noire is depressing. I want my music to be a flow of moonlight entering the mind and the flesh of the listeners. It is only in moments of real happiness, when I feel the faeries flowing in me, that I can create the songs of Nuit Noire. And this happiness is naturally injected in the sound, making it euphorizing and also energetic.

The category of your music, “faerie metal” is quite interesting, some could even consider that too soft and childish. But I guess that Nuit Noire represents all kinds of emotions and feelings, not just anger and hate?

- There is not the least drop of hate in Nuit Noire, but the energy is so strong that it creates a sort of rage, and only the faeries can provide such energy, and also mystery: where are they hidden in this so dark and infinite world of night? They are so mischievous…

Let’s continue with this faerie theme. What do faeries mean to you, some sort of belief to magical, unknown “other side” perhaps?

- Only the pure-hearted ones can feel the faeries, they are a fluid that makes a great sensation, like a sort of orgasm, in the body. They are hidden in the dark and one must be filled with innocence to meet them and to have their love. Faerie is a way of life that consists to forget the bodies and the outlooks. Darkness is essential to this result, that’s why night and faeries are indissociatable.

Besides Furibond Elegance, you are planning to release a split with a band called Call Me Loretta, which is far away metal music. I guess you are very open-minded what comes to music? What do you think about these BM-puritans who repeat phrases like “no synths, no melodies” etc.? In my opinion the feeling of the music is more important than the way how you perform it.

- These days, WASP and Clan of Xymox are blowing the high-speakers of my stereo… My music exasperates the BM-puritans and I’m very happy with this.

What kind of music do you listen generally?

- It is not really “kind of music” that I listen, it is “some bands” above all, those who make something striking or original or powerful… or all at the same time. Examples: Sonic Youth, Deicide, Sisters Of Mercy, Abigor, The Strokes, Ancient, Punish Yourself, Mötley Crüe, The Exploited, Metallica, Ultravox, Infernal Necromancy, Manowar, Kim Wilde, Sigh, Vediog Svaor, Ghaalskaag…

As your taste for music, Lunar Deflagration is a very individualistic album, especially your hysterical vocal performances are beyond everything what I’ve heard. What kind of feelings did you live through when you recorded those vocal lines? Sometimes I sense almost the mantra-like atmosphere like in Don’t Fear to Go through the Window, where you just repeat that same phrase.

- I was simply in trance when recording the vocals, I fully live the lyrics, sometimes I was about to pass out, especially on Don’t Fear to Go through the Window by the way; some sentences are self-sufficient and they don’t need to be developed.

You are the only member of Nuit Noire, and you also released Lunar Deflagration through your own label, Creations Of The Night. Do you want to keep the music and the vision of Nuit Noire close to you? I guess Nuit Noire is very personal thing?

- Lunar Deflagration was so far away from all the existing musical styles that I didn’t even dared to try any labels to release it. So I decided to create this label. By doing all by myself, I have no constraint and no one can interfere in the art direction. Nuit Noire is something that goes out alone from me and, as I am someone crazy, Nuit Noire is also crazy.

About Creations Of The Night: are you going to release some other bands’ recordings or do you keep the label just for Nuit Noire?

- I don’t have lots of money to put on this label, so I cannot tell now if I’ll release other stuff than Nuit Noire’s.

It seems that the night and the night time are very important in Nuit Noire’s concept. What does the night mean to you? Some think that at night they can travel to somewhere else within their sleep when some keep awake and see the world differently when the sun is gone; how do you spend your nights? Maybe writing Nuite Noire material?

- Night has incredibly beautiful and fascinating aesthetics. When the moon is bright and high in the sky, landscapes on earth – especially the forests – make me love this world too much. When going into nature by night, I forget at once that I am a human in the human world, I don’t remember to have been cold, hungry, thirsty, tired or so in the night. Only good feelings of happiness. Usually, by the night time, I’m at work during the first part and then I sleep. When I don’t work, I can do all sort of things and, also, playing guitar and writing lyrics. The songs of Nuit Noire are mostly created by night.

So, the interview is reaching its end. Please close this conversation with some nice words.

- We will run towards the skirt of the forest, we will dance between the trees, we will throw ourselves on the ground and roll in the leaves, we will hang on to the branches and climb very high, we will fuck everybody!

THE FIRST WALK ON THE WILD SIDE: TODESSTOß

Let’s start from the beginning… It was year 2005, and I was away from home because of my work. Too many lazy nights in a little town created an idea of a music magazine in my mind, and although I haven’t had introduced myself to the glorious realm of underground journalism back then, the urge to create something was strong. I collected some bands here and there – some of them are still my favourites (Agalloch), some of them have vanished to the shadows (Mephisto). The result was quite amateurish: the questions were shallow, my English was bad (and still is…) and the layout didn’t shine either. Like A. Aatsinki from Ahdistuksen Aihio Productions said, “this isn’t a magazine, this is a fanzine.”

The interview below is one of the better ones, thanks to Martin Lang’s fiery visions. Although I have receded myself from Todesstoß nowadays, distinctive artists like Lang were the first spark to ignite Kaleidoscope. Kudos to him for this.

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There are still people who consider music as a form of art, not just as a lame excuse to drink beer or try to introduce themselves to the big boys of the scene. The only person in Todesstoß, Martin Lang, is one of those better people, and maybe because of his strong dedication to his visions and thoughts, Todesstoß’ haunting and schizophrenic Black Metal gets into you so fiercely. Lang gave us something to think about in the end of August.

So, let’s start with a little introduction: who and what is Todesstoß?

- Todesstoß is the wine I use to make out of my inner fruit. The inner fruit grown out of my character’s seed.

- This wine can bring oblivion, but also a kind of  new sight to me and you.

- My audible art wants you to reflect your sober reality! Drink out of the chalice that I filled you in case you wanna get numb!

Your newest work Beutetrieb Schwarzer Witwen really reaches the distant borders of insanity occasionally. How sane do you consider yourself?

- Even the World’s Health Organisation with its definition of sanity/health indirectly has to give in that sane individuals absolutely don’t exist! Everyone facing this existence is ill more or less. Illness be it physically or mentally – mostly it is a combined illness – greets you already at birth, gateway to the world’s polarity and imperfection.

- I am born artist, and surely not sane at all.

- I once asked myself if insane people are beware of their freaked out state, and now I can only smile about it.

Does this kind of music need some kind of different state of mind to create/understand it?

- Well, I don’t see myself as a musician playing my instruments as a hobby. My art is not independent. If the will to create something is nothing but obedience I celebrate devotion to myself waiting for some keys to gain entrance to my inner doors, leading to rooms of flagellation, to my secret hall of invocation, where my own little demons ring the bells of insanity?

- Nobody will understand my art, I guess. That would be terrible for me. He would know me much better than I do.

As said on cover sheet, works of Todesstoß are fully made by you. What kind of circumstances and atmospheres do you work in? Do you have strict limits what you leave from your hands, ‘cause nowadays it seems that bands are releasing every demo tape what they make?

- I record music where “I live”. Sometimes it’s a tiny cube, a prison, sometimes a whole world of my own without borders or limitations. It just depends on my mood and state of mind. Sometimes my head opens a bit, for the immaterial keys’ “landing on the brain” is right at hand.

- My hands are quite thin and small, so I am not able to hold much in them. I like to throw.

There are lots of symbolism in your cover art, for example this male/female sign (or Mars/Venus?). What that represents, some kind of duality?

- Fine that you recognized it. Symbols speak their own language.

- Each of the two symbols separated stands for the male and female characteristics generally, or if you consider it as archetypical, astrological symbol, for Ares/Mars and Aphrodite/Venus, ancient primeval principles.

- The special symbol I used, a kind of hybrid, bastard combination out of the mentioned above symbols of course gains new meaning.

- One interpretation (yes, even for me – perhaps some splinters got stuck in my brain while crushing the door violently!) of the whole concept of Beutetrieb Schwarzer Witwen is that the symbol stands for the “femme fatale” (in the surrealistic movement’s vein a bit) “spinning her net of dark eroticism and seduction” (body/flesh) to prepare her softly claws for  the final deathstrike (leaving/ dissatisfaction), a lethal bite (disappointment/unity not achieved), looking numb of her impulse (emotionless lust) upon men only as a kind of prey (adventure). A little game of death took place (repentance/emptiness).

-  “Venus ate Mars” to fast, so to speak. The analogy to the animals’ and especially the spiders’ existence seemed a well chosen one for me for the much bigger female spider (0,9 – 1,5 cm)  of the Black Widow’s species     (Animalia> Arthropoda> Arachnida> Araneae> Theridiidae> Latrodectus; Latrodectus means “secret jaws” or “biting secretly”  for victims don’t feel the bite immediately) often starts to eat the smaller male one (about 0,4 cm) before, during or after  the sexual act – the smallest kind of death maybe – due to her substantial impulse for prey and great appetite.

- By the way today’s twist of roles concerning natural properties and peculiarities of men and women in general seems to be advanced yet.

- The equilibrium between the men’s and womens’ world seriously is out of control. The polarity or balance between them has altered and got mixed up in a negative way.

- The ideal would be that the unity of man and woman should lead to a kind of perfect existence (>Harmonia wearing the black and white pearls around her neck), completing each other spiritually and physically.

- The MCD is a statement against all modern women with today’s FIRES of SODOM burning in their veins. We need more wise mothers than stupid modern whores to keep what makes life worth living it, I think. Not to speak about racial mix – my blood pressure!

- (Modern) women have become murderers of our culture yet… they are pregnant with death – “suicidal assassins” in a way.

- And men of course are not victims only! On the contrary: they prepared the way for the new kind of women, neglecting once powerful fires of Mars, which are burning down to dusty ashes these days to often!

- Keep the fires of Mars, and let Venus’ waves foam! And remember their children.

- Have you never heard of the queen of problems called “Sex”?

Also those pictures on your album covers differ quite much from a typical black metal cover art. Is this a conscious decision? Are you interested in arts in general?

- I try to create a unity of audible, visual and lyrical aspects of each opus and I use to reach this aim by thinking, trying and – luck.

- Creating music is irrational. Combination of the irrational and partly rational (lyrics/layout) leads to the aesthetic product in the end at best.

- Arts, lecture and nature are my daily bread. I feed upon it with great appetite. Of course this meal can lead to huge thirst as well. New wine has to be made.

- Concerning paintings I recommend works of Paul Delvaux mostly, furthermore Felix Labisse, Rene Magritte, Leonora Carrington, Wolfgang Lettl and Edgar Ende (all surrealists more or less). But also Arnold Böcklin, Franz v. Stuck, Gustave Moreau, Hugo Höppener (better known as Fidus) surely belong to my favourites. And many more of course. If I get the chance to visit a new gallery that seems worth it, I will. I also paint. Some of my works will be used on future releases as well. Creating music, lyrics, logo and cover paintings, my upcoming wines will have a even purer and more personal taste.

- Of course only <gourmets> will recognize that.

- Hail the bacchantic feast of flowing notes …

This poet on Beutetrieb Schwarzer Witwen, Philipp S. Fricke, is an unknown name to me. Could you open a little bit his visions and poems, and why did you chose that certain poem to your song? I guess you have to feel a strong unity to take someone else’s lyrics to your own music.

- Mr. Philipp S. Fricke also is unknown to me, I guess. We are only friends communicating over a spiritual bridge we built out of building bricks of strange spirits’ sympathy.

- His works are mostly banal, but words often don’t need to be a genius’ creation to give satisfaction and inspiration to you. Very simple words and things can stimulate stronger sometimes than the complex and cryptic ones, I think.

- I chose to use the fragments of Die Schwarzen Witwen because the words were and are magic to me. In that special case I didn’t have to wait for the keys, but a great destructive hammer was delivered by Mr. Fricke. By swinging the hammer of impulse I crushed the doors to myself to a thousand tiny pieces. I celebrated victory over time by using inner force.

From all these elements mentioned before I get an idea that Todesstoß is a world of its own, taking distance from all things ordinary. Am I on the right tracks? What kind of place the kingdom of Todesstoß is?

- Whose world should it be unless my own? I have some ideas, huahua. Things ordinary, pah, are sometimes even more attractive than the weird and spectacular aspects in life. I seek for distance to weakening and unpure energies to gain control over personal chaos and corrosion of my inner self, maybe.

- Two kingdoms are possible to gain. The first one can be created while living, the other one lies beyond death, the aether. You have to fight for both at the same time and place.

…

Ah God! I am exhaust

In the red moon’s holocaust

God! God! The chasms secret and profound

Suck down the porphyry flood

Of your maniacal , ensorcelled blood

That maddens and bewitches

My life is suffocated – now I swoon –

I die! I am in hell, red hell, red hell,

And all the immortal in me itches

To grip the immortal

(“Perdurabo”)

How about this fact that you have released lately just EPs, is it easier to create a short, two songs long entity than a long, coherent whole? In my opinion EPs are usually quite impulsive pieces of art, serving just one certain thought or feeling.

- The concept of the opus has absolute priority, not its length. Tell nature how to behave and it will laugh at you. Tell the storm how long to last, it will blow you away nevertheless.

Talking about art, I found sometimes some sort of contradiction between extremity / marginality of art and artists’ expectations of fame and people’s praising reactions. For example some suicidal BM bands are trying to make the bleakest music ever but also the same bands whine about poor selling. So, what drives Todesstoß to share its music and visions to faceless persons including myself? Does music need any listeners, or is it enough that the artist expresses him/herself?

- Perhaps they are looking for confirmation for their praiseworthy works, but I am not surprised anyway, for it is a quite human expectation and typical for our social standards of mind. If you want applause, you could find better places to be: maybe a circus.

- I don’t think by the way that suicidal music can exist. The reward of spirit’s victory over the matter can only be experienced in the successful final act of giving up the body-soul-identity.

- Presentiments and approach to the ultimate experience don’t justify the term of suicidal music/Black Metal. Words are like leaves. Somehow they fall out of the mind and mouth.

- So why do I release? It’s necessary, an egocentric ritual of cleaning my head. Decapitation or music …

- A bacchantic feast’s face of sorrow and pleasure swirling notes of tears and blood in space and time.

- Tones wandering the sphere and aether down to your thirsty throat. Don’t choke, hahaha!

- Music without listeners is incomplete, isn’t it?  What would the most delicious wine be worth without being tasted by a gourmet’s tongue?

What the future brings to Todesstosß? Are you going continue the collaboration with Ahdistuksen Aihio Productions? You still have released all your works through different labels.

   – No, no, Todesstoß brings something to the future. It has to be that way, hehe. Perhaps I can forge my own keys and will improve in that transcendential trade.

- I will try to keep the wine flowing. Who will fill it up in bottles? Time will tell. I will tell.

Well, this is the end. Last words: what phrase will be carved onto Martin Lang’s tombstone?

- A nice game; maybe:

I always was an outsider

(Außenseiter war ich stets)

or

I didn’t only try, I fought

(Ich versuchte nicht nur, ich kämpfte!)