Avsolutized are a Japanese band and have created a unique brand of Black Metal. The debut album is entitled “Den Svarta Vandans Genealogi“. Very unique vocals become the focal point of this album. Well crafted, European BM-influenced guitars, a fierce drum machine and at times almost flamboyant vocal performance from a member of Arkha Sva — high screams, death growls and twisted operatic wails. An impressive feat!
As this album was our first introduction to Avsolutized (and it made such an impression), it was of course necessary to write for further information and background on the band!

Thanks to Ur Èmdr ŒRVN for the contact, and MiZANE for any clarification.

Can you give a brief history of Avsolutized?

Hails to thee TODESTRIEB Cult.
AVSOLUTIZED. . . was formed in MCMXCVI anno bastardi, and at that time it was a solo, mostly instrumental black metal by MiZANE (All Strings). Ur Èmdr ŒRVN(All Words) joined in some years later.
The guitarist MiZANE has provided quite many materials to other groups around him in his career, and the only official release of AVSOLUTIZED. . . so far, other than “Den Svarta Våndans Genealogi” CD, is “Towards. . . You There” demo in MMVI, that was only spread among labels and related magicians and musicians.

How has your sound changed between the Towards demo and Den Svarta album? Has it always mixed the experimental with the traditional sounds?

Basically in the same vein they should be, total sonic blizzard BM in northern vein, although on “Den Svarta Våndans Genealogi” the instruments show more mature (even “calm”) side, and the voices show more extreme side, than on “Towards. . . You There”.
Nothing is not to be categorised “experimental” here, although it seems to be easily supposed that you refer to the vocal parts, but just they all depend on the results of channeling in a Satanic way.

Was this partly a tribute to Swedish/European Black Metal bands with the title and [Setherial] cover song?

SETHERIAL and their “Nord. . . ” album, and their older releases as well, were the main reasons why MiZANE started composing Black Metal back in MCMXCVI. And from that time back in around MCMXCVI in Sweden especially, there were many big sources of inspiration for Cold Black Metal you know. Too many to list them up here, but yes as you see, the title “Den Svarta Våndans Genealogi” was some kind of tribute to them, instead of saying “The Genealogy Of The Black Anguish”.

Vocals play an important part in the band. They are very varied and quite Operatic. Can you explain your approach?

Everything there just depend on the results and gained spells by channeling. They could sound varied just because they include varied messages and impression.
The singer would be called rather a transmitter of the voices from the under, than a normal singer with human vocal techniques.
And recordings? The voices on “Den Svarta Våndans Genealogi” were captured from a ritual, within a few hours in one day.
All the recorded things were done simply and quite straightly, in channeling the voices of agony, that always surround you from the under.

Do you record everything together? What equipment do you use?

As it is not an improvised kind of music, the instrumental parts are normally fixed first. The composition on “Den Svarta Våndans Genealogi” was collected among the fragments from various periods, and recorded in some time in MMVII.
MiZANE plays 7 strings guitars, and other equipments used were all owned by Neinsphere Studios.

Have you had good feedback from people hearing the album?

Nothing is particularly cared.
Rather, those who found keys to some particular states by skimming the underlain messages from “Den Svarta Våndans Genealogi” must have just gone there before deciding to write a lettre to AVSOLUTIZED. . . .

Can you explain the Sigil of A-A-A-A ?

It is a sect that explores in a particular system of Satanic Magick. And its sigil/ symbol shows apparently 4 A’s in it as you see.

What is the future for the band?

AVSOLUTIZED. . . will release its first full-album some years later.
AVSOLUTIZED. . . doesn’t have any plan to play live for the moment.
And the drummer? Time will tell.
After all, anything will be hired and used if they are necessary in order to complete particular impression or messages.

Longue vie à vous TODESTRIEB.
Hail Satan.

” Somrak was formed in 2001 as a mere summon of those inhaled the cancer of uncreation in times when such plague was there still mostly unknown. Their first recorded ritual in live was served in 2002 on a self released tape. And soon after, a self-released poem …Of Witches which showed that what was unworthy on the biggest disease in existence – humanity. A 7″ was published finally in 2005 through Vile Arts Records and it showed a meaning of self-destruction and suicide of body and soul. Years passed and Somrak fell into the void of forgotness due to unworthy members of it’s name. In 2006 Somrak summoned again with a new member on blasphemical preaching and in late 2007 released an album. “

And it is for that album, The Abhorred Blessings, that we wrote to the band.
Our appreciation to A. for the answers!
The official Somrak webpage can be found here.

From 2001 there have been lineup changes in the band, what is the current status?

From 2001 to 2004 there were constant lineup changes because half of those band members weren’t taking the band as a serious thing. For them it was more of a hobby. After the recording of the song for the split EP the line up soon changed. That was even before the vinyl got released. The current lineup consists of 4 individuals: J.D. delivering the vocals, M.C. on drums, J.P. on bass and A.D. on guitar.

Your debut album was released at the end of 2007. How has it been received?

I don’t know how it has been received by people. I read some reviews (I think most of them) and they’re quite different in opinions. Some write that we are nothing but a monotone and boring copy of early Norwegian bands. Others say that that we sound somehow “refreshing” with the odd production and being from Slovenia.

Was the finished album what you intended when you originally started writing and recording?

During the recording process of the album we were quite satisfied with everything. Later we found out that there are some things that bother us. Like some mistakes for example or the sound of an instrument here and there. That was of course due to the limited time we had. On the other hand this way the album sounds more honest and spontaneous.

Crowning of the Morbid King also appeared on the 2005 demo. Were other songs written earlier?

Well I can’t really recall exactly but all the songs on the album were written from 2004 to 2006. At least I think so. With the exception of Trumpets of Malevolence which is the oldest song to appear on the album. This one was made already in 2003 but in a different form.

How has your sound progressed since the split?

The split was recorded through a mixing console directly into the recording device and more or less this was everything we did with that track.
The album was done more carefully and later being affected by mixing and mastering. It was recorded in a different place with another guy behind the knobs. Anyway no drum triggers were used or any other cheating occurred. It’s still a genuine black metal record.

The majority of members have had connections to the band Skorbut, is Somrak the continuation of this band or completely separate?

Somrak and the now defunct Skorbut are two totally separate bands. It may sound incredible, but that 3 of 4 Somrak members played at different stages in Skorbut is a pure coincidence.

DTR did a good job with the presentation. How did you want to present the booklet, artwork and CD to represent the music?

The booklet was done by one of our friends that is quite good in this field. We choose the front picture; the inlay and everything else are his ideas. I think the booklet turned out great and it goes hand in hand with the music. We would like to release the album on vinyl but for now no label showed interest.

The new logo and music seem to suggest a stronger move towards the ’style’ of “Orthodox Black Metal”. Was this a conscious decision?

I really don’t see the logo as being something of a connection to the orthodox style, as you call it. We are a black metal band so it’s obvious that the lyrics have a devil worshipping and self destructive message. We glorify loss and misery. And we carry this concept since the beginning.

We have very few arrivals from Slovenian bands, possibly just you and Torka. Do you still consider yourselves one of the very few Black Metal bands in the country?

Actually I don’t know what to say. Some years ago there weren’t any real black metal bands besides us, Torka and some anonymous projects. And now it seems like black metal bands are spawning from every corner of the country. But I’m not sure about the dedication of these bands. But at the end of the day who am I to judge them.

How difficult is it to arrange gigs for yourself in Slovenia?

Arranging gigs for ourselves in our country is no problem. We could probably play every weekend somewhere if we wanted so. The problem is getting gigs outside of our country. And this is pretty frustrating. We are trying to set up gigs in neighbour countries but with no success. We probably aren’t interesting enough for the crowd.

The Abhorred Blessings should make a strong impression. Where do you want to take Somrak from here?

The future for us is always uncertain. We’ll probably stick to making more devil tunes and carry around the smell of death and despair on live rituals. We’ll see…
Thank you for this interview.

Worship the Master of Hell.

Before Grave Desecrator formed in 1998 you were involved in other bands?

Valak Necrogoat – I was involved in some old Death/Thrash acts in the very past. Later, I’ve been part of a Black Metal band called Ancient Sign Glorify in 1997. I did record the debut promo of Seges Findere in 1999. The other guys weren’t really involved in any shit, just our former vocalist, F.Mordor , who was inside some BM shits long ago…

Of course Brazil has an extremely strong history for Black/Death metal bands. Who were your main influences?

In Brazil, old Sepultura, Sarcófago, Vulcano and Mystifier are our main influences…We praise our ancient cult scene, not only these more well known bands, but also Impurity, Goat Penis, Murder Rape, Songe D’Enfer, Behemoth and many others..

G.D.’s first demo was released by your label Swords and Leather. Did the label release any other demos or albums? It was spread with about 1000 copies, was this mainly local?

S & L was a tape label made by myself and an old friend. We’ve stopped the activities due our few free time for it. We released the debut demo of Seges Findere and the debut demo of Sodomizer only..The demo 2001 was spreaded more outside Brazil, but many copies were distributed inside here as well, but we got more attention overseas…Our label is from Germany, by the way..

On your website you have a news post from August 2004 it lists upcoming splits with Front Beast and an unnamed Brazilian band, and a tape “The Devil’s Bless”. Did these get released?

Forget about this site, is too long outdated..The guy who was done that is deceased! He had died in a motorcycle accident year ago and we do not have the password to take that off..We didn´t release that stuffs…

Sign of Doom is the debut album and it’s coming out in a few months, what’s the story leading up to it and what can we expect??

Sign of Doom is our long waited debut album..It’s been too late due many personal problems and line up changes. We had to fire out our former vocalist few days before entering the studios unfortunatelly..Also recruited a new guitarrist ( Black Sin and Damnation )…That was professionally recorded indeed, and it’s mastered by Andy Classen in Germany..After the recording,and a gig alongside acts as Impurity in Espirito Santo state, we changed our drummer…Now it’s F. Tormentor the guy who will destroy the kits..

We hope all the dudes and ladies into old Black/Death feeling can corrode their souls listening to this…

How do you feel the band has changed in sound since the demo? A stronger death/Berherit influence now?

Don’t think we have changed too much and I don’t think we’re not too much into Beherit,even it’s a great act…old songs ( demo 01 ) were more into traditional BM mixed with Thrash/Heavy influences.. 7ep and news songs are nearest of what we were searching for sounding like…

Have you played live as a band? With the album being released on a European label, any chance of playing here?

We’ve already played alive..that’s nice when all is going well, but underground gigs in Brasil are sick sometimes..So we’re not too interested in doing any gig at any place…We want to play more, but with decent conditions, and it doesn’t mean rockstar attitude. We sick of bastards ruling the game ..I do not think it’ll help us to play in Europe, it depends a lot of things and money shits but would be killer to play over there and prove ethilic stuffs, nice girls and spread the words of misfortune…

What’s the future of GRAVE DESECRATOR??

To live every fucking day with hate!!

Middletown, Connecticut – Have a Nice Life?
The two-piece will soon release their debut album. It will actually be two albums, “The Plow That Broke The Plains” and “The Future”. DEATHCONSCIOUSNESS is the culmination of four years work and two hours of recorded material.

Musically the influences are clearly varied, from the more experimental black metal of Lurker of Chalice and Xasthur to the alternative rock and shoegaze genres in the 80s and 90s, to recent drone acts such as Earth. These influences coupled with the acts intention of creating a sound that is as close to experiencing the pain and release of death results in a dream-like soundscape with real raw power. It magnifies the grandiose nature of death and humanities troubled relationship with it.

Deathconsciousness will be released on double-CD with a 70 page book and available on January 15. You will be able to order it at the Todestrieb Distro.

You can visit the band website and listen to “The Big Gloom” here: http://www.myspace.com/haveanicelife

Please introduce Have a Nice Life.

HAVE A NICE LIFE started about 5 years ago when we (Tim Macuga, Dan Barrett) started trading tapes of songs we’d written back and forth. Tim was in a punk band called the Danger Strangers, and I was in the band In Pieces. We originally played only acoustic, but quickly got bored. When our respective projects dissolved we started dedicating all our time to HAVE A NICE LIFE, using it as a catch-all for the musical ideas we had floating around at the time.

We’ve released two demos, “Have A Nice Life vs. You” (cassette only, 50 copies) and “Powers of Ten” (CD, 75 copies), both on our home label, Enemies List Home Recordings.

The material for the 2CD package dates back four years, but was re-recorded for this release?

The recording process for the record has been continuous, with different versions of different tracks evolving over time. The “Deathconsciousness” recordings represent the final and complete version of the material that first appeared in our early demos. It was completed literally only a few weeks before the release date; we’re always working.

The Big Gloom (listen here) has over 50 separate tracks, can you explain this process?

The Big Gloom started as just a few tracks; it’s mostly bass. That song was one of the first where we explored layering tracks in such a way to create something different from what we were actually playing. Most of the tracks are playing different lines; the sound that comes about from those conflicting parts is different from any of the individual parts, as certain notes seem to jump out from the noise. It’s a technique we’ll be exploring more in our upcoming material.

The double cd will come with an impressive 70 page book. Who is writing it, what will it cover?

The book contains the track lyrics and CD information, but the bulk of it is an essay written by an old History professor of ours from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. The lyrics on this record contain a lot of references to a sect of Italian heretics called the Antiocheans who were active in the 11th century; it’s an theme that reoccurs throughout the album. Tim and I are Historians by training, and we were both really interested in the group and their beliefs. The record became so intertwined with the underlying religious ideas that we asked [this History professor] to write something about it for us. We were blown away by how much he gave us, and I really wanted to include it with the record. I think reading it makes a big difference in how people experience the music.

Listening, the major influences seem to be a blend of post-punk/industrial/shoegaze of the 80s/90s and more recent doom/drone.

I think that’s fair. We never set out to sound like anything in particular, but our music took on a character of it’s own very quickly during the writing process. We were both interested in bands like Xasthur and Lurker of Chalice, who were exploring the bedroom-recording as an aesthetic, as well as older bands like My Bloody Valentine and Sisters of Mercy, Joy Division, and so on. We operate on feeling rather than genre, so we just try and capture that feeling in everything we do, visually, musically, etc.

The title and its explanation is an “overwhelming awareness” of death. But that doesn’t seem to carry a “feeling”. Is there a personal emphasis either way?

The record and the concept it’s built around are very personal, in the sense that we experienced the deaths of people very close to us during it’s recording – and most of the songs address that very directly. “Deathconsciousness” as a philosophical concept has it’s roots in Antiocheanism specifically, but also in Buddhism and Existentialism. I think a lot of “death” inspired art doesn’t really address death at all, but rather the idea of death – a caricature, but not the reality. That’s what this record is about: forcing people to see death for what it really is, to see it for the first time. We used to joke that the idea was to make people listening to the record have a nervous breakdown, but in a way that really is the point. People forget they’re going to die, and I think they’re worse off for it.

You’re based in New England, does your location play a part in the song-writing process? Is there a strong underground music scene?

There is not a scene for what we are doing. There is a small underground rock/hardcore/punk scene, but we are not a part of it. Hopefully that changes, and we’re trying to make that happen and expand the boundaries, but it doesn’t much matter to us whether that happens or not.

New England is a huge part of who we are, and of our aesthetic sense. It’s cold, it has a lot of forests, people stick to themselves and do things on their own.

Have you ever played as HaNL live? Would it be technically possible?

We have performed once, but it didn’t quite capture the sound we wanted. Our goal for the upcoming year is to take the band live, and to make the overall experience match the music. It’s possible, but we’re still researching our options. There’s also a visual component that I’m looking forward to working on.

Do you want the listeners (and readers) to have a nice life?!?

We mean that in the meanest way possible.

NADIWRATH are a new Hellenic cult. However as you will learn the members have a long and active history, including recent releases on Regimental and Moribund Records.
You can sample this Athen’s based horde on their site here: http://www.myspace.com/nadiwrath and we of course intend to stock some copies of the debut demo!
Thanks to Nadir for the fast response!

Interview with NADIR
12 December 2007.

Nadiwrath began earlier this year, what brought all the members together?

The Nadiwrath horde was created in the beginning of 2007 by Nadir (All hateful and raw guitars) and Wrath (voice of despair)! The combination of the names of these two dedicated and underground souls created the name of the band, Nadir – Wrath (Nadiwrath)! Soon, Sardonic (bass) and Yngve (hammers) joined the horde and the Black Metal propaganda of Nadiwrath begun! All members had and still have their own other bands and projects! Nadir was the main guitarist of Stellar Darkness (R. I. P.), Wrath has his own one man bands, Dodsferd, Kampf, Grab and an alcoholic band with full members, the Drunk Earth, Sardonic has his own blasphemous project, Inferno and Yngve is playing in several bands, which one of them is Obduction!

You’ve recorded your first demo – can you reveal any details?

The first Nadiwrath demo was recorded in May of 2007, in an underground studio of Athens (Encore Studio). Unfortunately, during the recording process, Sardonic due to serious health problems had to leave the band for a small but very important period of time for Nadiwrath, so Nadir recorded the bass for the demands of our first demo! Another problem was that we changed drummer during this recording process, due to problems that we don’t think it is necessary to mention! As you have already understood, Yngve is the second drummer of Nadiwrath!

The Nadiwrath demo consists of three songs, Horns, Winter Nights and Eyes Full Of Vengeance and the lyrics, meanings of our songs has to do with the debasement of humanity, the survival of human parasites who live in the expense of other people and the useless theories of the masses and their religion!

What is Nadiwrath?

True and pure unholy black metal, nothing more, nothing less! These are Nadiwrath!

Although the demo doesn’t sound too influenced by the Hellenic sound of Varathron etc. do you still take inspiration from older Hellenic hordes? Who are the major inspirations in the wider world?

Despite of the fact that the evolution of the Hellenic Underground black metal scene, here in Greece, is great, it is obvious that Nadiwrath have nothing to do with that particular sound! Total respect for the older Hellenic hordes! We are influenced by the true hordes who created the true spirit of black metal (Burzum, Darkthrone, Carpathian Forest, Impaled Nazarene) combined with the characteristics of each member of the band!

You have some gigs planned for January, are these your first?

Nadiwrath will perform their music live on stage for the first time in January 6th, 11th and 13th, of 2008, with bands, such as Kaiserreich (It), Croosover (Gr), Grimegod (Ro) and other underground bands of the Hellenic scene! Nadiwrath will perform their music live on stage and spread their propaganda wherever will be called to do it! Nadiwrath is a live band!
Athens is an active live Black Metal city!

How was the demo released? What has been the response been from the people that received it?

The first demo of Nadiwrath was self-released in 300 limited copies in cd format! Soon it is going to be released in tape format! Also, there were many proposals by underground labels in re-releasing our first demo as mini cd! The response was more than good!

Are you already planning an album or next demo? What do you expect in the immediate future for Nadiwrath?

In the end of February of 2008, we are going to start the recordings of our first full-length album, an album full of hate, blasphemy and uncompromising attitude! Also, we are planning to perform our music live on stage wherever they call us!
Spread the Nadiwrath propaganda against all!

Steelcrusher: Bass
Narkotic: Guitar
Supay: Drums
Scapegoat: Vocals

22 November 2007.

OHI was formed only a few months ago, how did all four members come together? Is this your first band, or do you all come from other projects? Is the a side project or main band?

Scapegoat: We know each other since years, because we all have rehearsal-rooms in a bunker here. For me it is my first professional band.
This is no side project this is a main band!

Steelcrusher: The idea to form this band was born when I visited a Watain concert in Hamburg, after that I asked Narkotik if he is hungry to start a raw black-metal-band under the banner of the name ON HORNS IMPALED.
And as you can see he is extremely hungry.
Than we thought by us who could take over the other positions, it went very fast until our friends Supay and Scapegoat joined forces with us. O.H.I. isn´t my first band but the first band where I play bassguitar.

Narkotik: I was suprised when Steelcrusher asked me to form a band, I´ve never thought about something like this. But I was interested since the first moment when he asked me, we talked about it and found the perfect line-up. We know each other and everything works!!!!

Supay: Steelcrusher asked me if I would like to play drums. This is my first band as a drummer, normaly I play guitar. The horny thing is, I play drums only since one and a half year.

What is the identity of the band?

Scapegoat: We want to keep the black-metal-flame burning even brighter than before. The theme of our lyrics are anti-religious and horror.
The sound? Raw and black! Anything what made black-metal famous.
Things which you can find in the norwegian-scene and of course also in the first-wave of black-metal, because without them our sound would not exist in the way how it is today.

Narkotik: We shit on modern musik. We want the music to be simple and evil. The lyrics are about satan, perversion and blasphemy!!!

Supay: War against christianity!!!

It’s fair to assume your name comes from the Watain track title? Why this name?

Steelcrusher: Great song great band and it is satanic.
And it wasn’t used by an other band.

Scapegoat: They´re awesome! I´ve seen them live at kick-off concert for their storm of the antichrist tour, if they´re going to play more intense concerts like that and relase more records like the last (Sworn to the dark is a future a classick!) than they´re going to play very soon in the first league of black-metal.

Narkotik: I think it´s the perfect name for a satanic black metal band.

Supay: Just evil.

Rather than recording and releasing a demo the first time anyone heard the band was live! How was the experience of debuting your material live?

Scapegoat: For me it was awesome, it was a rush. There were many friends of us and also other people we didn´t know, nearly a 50/50 mix.
99% of the reactions were extremly postive.

Narkotik: I didn´t really realize that we were supposed to play our songs until I was on stage. But after the gig, i felt great.

Supay: We had a lot of fun together.

Steelcrusher: It was really great to perform the songs live – more live rituals will come.

There seems to be a lot of activity in the Nordrhein-Westfalen region. How do you view the bands you’ve played with, or know in the area?

Scapegoat: The most of these bands are hot and hungry. Like us they´re motivated into the last nerve of their bodies.
And you can party with them damn good!

Narkotik: I´m not very into the music-scene but I like the bands we played with.

On your webpage you link to older giants like Hellhammer, Motorhead, Venom and to newer bands. Who influenced you most? Has anyone influenced your sound directly?

Scapegoat: DarkThrone! They´re definetly the real thing. And just like I said it before, without the first wave of black-metal, which includes bands like Venom and Hellhammer, there wouldn´t be the scene today like it is.
We´ve to salute them! If you forget your roots you can forget it all.
We´ve played our version of Motörheads Orgasmatron as an encore at our show and the audience loved it!

Narkotik: My personal biggest influence is Gorgoroth. They are my all-time favorite. DarkThrone is right on.

Steelcrusher: My influences are the first and second wave of black metal – the only newer bands i like are watain and shining.

You will be entering the studio to record your first demo on December 2nd. Have you written all the tracks?

Scapegoat: It is a professional studio and we´ve written all the tracks.
We hope that we can wake the interrest of a suitable label and some concert promoters. What we definitly want is to celebrate more live-rituals on stage!
That´s the only thing what we won´t take over from Dark Throne, harr harr harr!

Narkotik: We wrote all tracks on our own. Four great tracks are waiting to be recorded, I can´t wait to enter the studio and leave it with a new medium against christianity!!!!

Supay: I like what we do, I have a lot of fun. Anything else is unimportant. If the people like it, cool. If not, FUCK YOU!!!

Anders Peterson, sole member of Swedish dark ambient project OBJEKT4 recently announced the end of this chapter in his artistic career. Objekt4 will stop recording and releasing material, although we are sure a new project will not be too far away.
We were first introduced to Objekt4 through a cassette release on the Czech label Ravenheart in 2004. Since this first release (Facility 77) Objekt4 has released another fourteen records, plus various different versions/formats and featured on five compilations. A very productive four years!

This webpage should serve as a source of information once the project has been dissolved: http://www.myspace.com/objekt4

We wanted to catch a few last words with Anders, to conclude the project which began a few short years ago.

28 November 2007.

Objekt4 has been laid to rest. You say the objective of reinventing dark ambient has been achieved – how have you changed the genre? If recognition is important to you, do you believe you have received the right amount? Do you hope your work will influence future artists?

Generally by being openminded, and adding influence from other different genres, as well as a cinemative approach, which included making use of the 5.1 format. Recognition is always nice, I received great feedback from lots of people not involved in the dark ambient “scene”, nor music in general, regular people, just like myself, telling me how much they enjoyed my recordings – that truly gives a feeling it was all worthwhile!

From the first album “Facility 77″ to “Space Jungle Slums” the sound has moved from purely soundtrack recordings to more rhythmic, musical work. Is that a fair assessment?

Sure. It’s just natural evolution I think. Wanting to expand both mind and technique. Diversity in both ambience, rhythm and overall sound approach.

There is often an industrial, urban, mechanical atmosphere in your work. Is that a uniting theme to all recordings, if there is one?

Yes, these things all have a deep effect on me, and will probably always be an inspiration factor one way or another.

How does your environment impact your work?

At the moment I live in a very good appartment. Giving peace and quiet to focus on the things at hand. Having been more or less homeless for many years, this is a welcome change. Not saying these years were bad, they were very important, both for inspiration and being most humble of the way of life one is able to live in the western world. Life is not appreciated as much as it should be, too many people take so much for granted, and way too many are just fat, lazy and unappreciative in general.

Do you work towards creating original soundtracks for modern films?

Yes, I have recorded soundtrack and sound design for two feature films so far. It’s where it all started and I hope to be able to continue with it.

You recently announced an American movie has stolen your material for use in their film…

The whole soundtrack and sound design was recorded by Objekt4. Hopefully this will all be settled without further problems.

What are your proudest achievements in the history of this project?

I’m satisfied with the evolution in general of Objekt4, both sound-wise and mentality-wise. Now is a good time to move on.

Do you already have plans for future projects?

Not at the moment.

Do you intend to keep the records in print?

The records will not be in print. When they’re sold out they’ll be gone forever. Perhaps in the future a reissue with selected tracks from all albums would be an interesting idea. I also have some unreleased material that could be included on such a release.

Update:
Amesoeurs will release the forthcoming album through Code666. Visit their official website.
You can hear samples of the forthcoming Alcest album here.
Fursy (guitarist in Amesoeurs) has a project called Les Discrets, you can learn more here.

Amesoeurs are a reflection of our modern urban world. The endless grey shit stained concrete walked by the comatose masses, littered with needles, whores and bums. The useless working man trying to mask his tears with alcohol and television. Money and disease the duet that rule our world, infect our veins and corrupt our soul.
“Ruines Humaines” is the debut release from AMESOEURS, the reflective project of French master Neige (ALCEST, PESTE NOIRE) and Audrey Sylvain.
Neige was a central reason why the Mortifera album is such an amazing release and the skill he brought to that album is very present here. The music is a mixture of the melancholic ‘black’ metal found in Mortifera and Alcest mixed with strong inspiration from British bands Joy Division and The Cure.
Sad but contemplative, not offering any solutions or judgments, just a frustrated mirror held up to the sprawling city wasteland – but somehow, unintentionally, making it sound quite appealing…

Todestrieb extends our appreciation to Neige and Audrey for the chance to discover more about this exceptional band.

Interview with Neige & Audrey S.
Thanks to Noël Benoit for the translation.
3 January 2007

Did the idea of Amesoeurs (musically / thematically) form before the band itself in 2004? Was it something that has been in your minds for a while, or did something specifically spark it that year?
AUDREY
As for me, the idea of this concept was already in my mind before I met Neige. I wasn’t a musician at the beginning but a dancer. I was evolving around this concept with rock/coldwave/new wave choreographies I used to dance on, which were close to the style performed by Amesoeurs. Amesoeurs helps me complete my feelings through music.
NEIGE
By the same token, Amesoeurs was a concept in the beginning before it became a music. It was an idea born inside me during my childhood. I lived for many years in the countryside and I have never got used to the city. When I was going there, it felt like another planet, both because of the setting and the attitude of the people living in the city. It fascinates me as much as it disgusts me. I’m particularly attracted by the city at night, its atmosphere, its unpredictability, the cold lights from these huge futuristic buildings. For most people, this is totally insignificant but to my eyes, it conveys something romantic in the first sense of the term: an unbelievable setting suitable for delusions, stories and fantasies. The key element that made me transform all this into music was the discovery of new wave and post punk, the perfect soundtrack for this kind of universe.
However, Amesoeurs is not confined into its own concept, we don’t want to become predictable. Thus, I hope we will have a few texts that will deal with other themes compared to those we are used to talk about.

What happened during your first gig, was it a success?
AUDREY
I won’t say our first gig was successful. I only had a month of bass practice and I made a few mistakes here and there ahah. Moreover, we were both sick!
NEIGE
Indeed, this gig was quite mediocre, even if it stays a good moment. We played in front of 30 people and our setlist was really short, that’s why we haven’t enjoyed it properly. It took place in Laudun, a village near Avignon. There were two rock bands after us, nothing groundbreaking.

Do you have other members for playing live?
NEIGE
We are looking for a bassist to complete the line-up but we haven’t received any positive answers for the time being.

Do you have any songs from that time (Summer 2004-April 2005) that have not been recorded (or released)?
AUDREY
Yes, we have a few songs from that time. Some of them have been discarded, we have to work more on the others, but they haven’t been recorded yet.
NEIGE
For the forthcoming album, we will record “Les ruches malades”. This is a song we played during our first gig. We will also record other songs written in 2004 and 2005, which are still uncomplete but we’ll work on them quite soon.

Do you think the sound changed after Fursy left, was he a big aspect of the band?
NEIGE
Fursy is a good friend of mine, we grew up and discovered music together. He knows very well what is Amesoeurs and what it represents, that’s why I regret his departure from the band. Had he lived closer and not been that busy with studies, he would certainly be our live bass player. However, he takes care of the visuals of the band with Isabelle Hanssen, which is by no means insignificant insofar as image is very important to us.

Audrey, have you been involved with any other bands previously or currently? What is special about Amesoeurs that it made you want to start recording?
AUDREY
Amesoeurs is my first band. When I’ve met Neige, I have discovered a sensitivity close to mine, that’s why we’ve decided to work together and that is the reason why I want to keep working and recording with him. I sometimes sing a little for Alcest (on the forthcoming album) and for Valfunde, the solo project of Famine from Peste Noire.

Your photos seem to show you as ghosts among the urban landscape. Somehow in it, but not part of it. Do you feel this way? Do you feel outside the world while being wrapped up in it?
AUDREY
I won’t be playing with Amesoeurs if I didn’t feel outside of this world, but I can’t criticize today’s society in two or three lines. I am aware of the fact that this society enables me to create music and to have enough spare time to satisfy my hobbies. To spit and shit on society when you are well-off is a teenager reflex. However, I’ve always felt ill-at-ease in the city because of this urban landscape that brings to me some existential questions I don’t have any answers to, like the sense of my life or about life in general.
To my eyes, the fact that we tend to make everything esthetic with our music helps us to see things more confidently. I won’t be saying this and I would have a different sensitivity if I wasn’t living in a urban area. In a few years, I will go away from the city and I will move in the North of France. I really prefer the North than the South of France with its landscapes and mentalities etc…

Do you ever think about making a video for the music? How do you imagine an Amesoeurs film would look if you had the freedom to make one?
AUDREY
I would include of lot of dancing, be it pictures or little videos. I would take advantage of the fact that Amesoeurs feels “dancing” to me. We could think about urban landscapes, characters and so on.
We could include pictures of the city at night that we would take from a good distance to display the bluish lights… or lost places, squats, bars, clubs and other filthy and fascinating places. A few portraits too. To put things in a nutshell, I would try to blend beauty and purity with sadness, dirt and violence.
NEIGE
The idea of an Amesoeurs video attracts me a lot. We would take the opportunity to present our visual universe that go hand in hand with our music in an indirect way to materialize and give life to this universe.

The front cover photo by Isabelle Hanssen is of the London underground, have you ever visited here to experience the human rats being herded through the corridors, crowding into trains…?
NEIGE
Not in London, no, but the subway in Paris or Lyon is really a strange experience to me. To each his life, his goal, a place to go and nobody cares about each other. Then, the noise, the never-ending motion, the heat, the stench… It feels horrible to me, it’s a real agression to our senses. To my eyes, the subway is a relevant metaphor of the dehumanization, the anxiety, the stress and the sadness that stem from modern life. There’s a lot of people in the subway packed in a relative intimacy. You are forced to be close to them, to listen to what they say, to feel their smell though we have no connection with them , they go out and you never see them again.

From the outside it seems you play the largest part in the band – vocals, guitar, bass – do you think that’s true? Do you take control over the song writing and lyrics?
NEIGE
I write 90% of the music. However, Audrey sometimes shows up with a riff, like for “Faiblesse des sens” for instance. This song originates from a riff that Audrey wrote, to which I’ve added others to create a whole song. As for the drums, I usually have them in my head but if Winterhalter comes up with a more efficient drum pattern than mine, I don’t mind using his for the song.
The writing process in Amesoeurs is different from my other projects. I sometimes find a bass line first and then complete it with the guitar. The guitar doesn’t necessarily come first. About the texts, Audrey will write most of them on the forthcoming album, I will maybe write just one or two.

Neige, your guitar has a unique and recognizable quality. Which guitarists influenced you as you’ve created this sound?
NEIGE
No band or guitarist have influenced me on a melodic point of view, be it in Alcest or Amesoeurs. With Amesoeurs, it’s more about the way we stage the instruments and rhythms that I’ve been influenced. Joy Division for example, the sound, the atmosphere and the drum patterns that this band uses have left a mark on me.

Where was Ruines Humaines recorded? Are you happy with how everything sounds? How long did it take to complete? Do you think the Summer season had any impact on the sound/emotion?
NEIGE
I’ve recorded this MCD at home, with a 24-track digital recording device. I’m not by any means a sound engineer but the production of this MCD is quite satisfying to me, I’m quite pleased with what I’ve achieved  for once!
As usual, I’ve used a lot of time to complete the recording process, 5 or 6 months I guess. Summertime? I rather like it, this season means holidays and spare time to record some material without the anxiety of the studies.

Out of all the projects you’ve been involved with, is this most personal to you? Alcest is your solo work, but Amesoeurs seems more Human, or is that misunderstanding and Alcest is actually a much more personal/deeper work?
NEIGE
Both are profound but I think Alcest is my most personal project, I can’t clearly explain it, it’s really hard to talk about it. The concept of Amesoeurs is more comprehensible and human, it concerns all of us.

What are the current plans with Alcest – still to re-record the EP and work on a new LP?
NEIGE
The Alcest album is almost done. It will be released in 2007 and will be entitled “Souvenirs d’un autre monde”, in English it means “Memories of another world”. This title is to be understood literally and it sums up the whole Alcest concept.

Can you find any redeeming qualities in the Modern world?
NEIGE
The easy access to arts and culture, the comfort of life in the good sense (not the new useless technology toys).

Where are some of your favourite places to be (in the world or just in your city)?
AUDREY
The Frigolet abbey, Bagnols les Bains, the Lozere forests, Brittany…
NEIGE
Quiet at home, or lots of other locations such as Brittany, the Perigord and Auvergne regions in France or Norway, a marvellous country I’ve had the chance to visit.

Do you feel nostalgia for a certain time in history? Do you feel humanity was of a higher quality in previous decades / generations?
NEIGE
I’ve always sucked about historical facts and I don’t feel attracted by another time than mine. Hum… maybe the 19th century. As for mankind’s evolution, I think you’ve always been able to find both great and lousy men, more or less kindly ones. The only difference is that our society, on a technologic level , offers means of destruction that are more efficient than in past times. For example: at war, now you can endanger the whole planet and its inhabitants and not only a handful of men, which is rather frightening.

You say the future album will develop your sound towards something more powerful, electronic, depressive. Will it sound very different to the MCD? Will you be using more/different instruments or changing vocal style?
NEIGE
Yes, the album will be quite different compared to the MCD, but still cold and desperate. Anyway, both black metal tracks of the MCD should have been used for Mortifera. The “real” Amesoeurs has always been rock but since these two songs were on a conceptual and emotional level quite close to Amesoeurs, I’ve decided to use them for the project.
The instruments will stay the same: guitars, bass, drums but we’re going to add a few rhythmic and electronic elements, probably from a drum machine or a sampler that we will mix with real drums. We want to give a genuine new wave touch to the album and create songs that are at the same time sad, violent and dancing.
AUDREY
Amesoeurs will be the soundtrack of deranged and smoky dancefloors.

OTHENDARA play old school mid-paced Black Metal with a real dark atmosphere. The band formed after Hvelvengel Av Helvete split up. Both members have been active within Metal bands for years including the early stages of Nachtmystium.
The EP “Blasphemous Revelation Arise the Ancient Evil” was released by Northern Horde (Canada) in 2004 after the original label (Sombre) finished. Much of Othendara’s (and several related projects) material remains self-released under Helvete Cult and within the US. These are: Hammer Of The Witches (Demo 2001) Dae Of Nox (Demo 2002) Blasphemous Revelations Arise The Ancient Evil (EP 2003) Hvelvengel Av Helvete/Othendara (Split 2004).

You can visit the Othendara myspace here.

Todestrieb wrote to Othendara to hear a complete history, learn about the bands ideological background and find out any current news after a year or two of relative silence. Highest regards to Kriglord and Noctis for the thorough answers!

Interview with Kriglord & Noctis
01 August 2006

You have been involved in several projects since the 90’s, what was the first? How did you originally get interested in writing and recordings BM?

Kriglord - The first project I was really involved in was Hvelvengel Av Helvete. Interest was sparked almost entirely by the Metal I was listening to at the time, and by wanting to play.
Noctis – It all comes back to heavy metal, it’s the only form of music that truely spoke to me, It’s something that’s been apart of my life since I’ve been very young. It started with traditional bands Judas Priest-Iron Maiden-Angel Witch, naturally progressed into faster, harder things like Slayer-Venom, to Morbid Angel-Deicide, and later things like Mayhem-Darkthrone really made impressions on me in my youth, and it came out in my guitar playing. I began playing BM with a band called Helms Deep sometime around ‘98 or ‘99, with a close friend Azentrius of Nachtmystium.

What is the timeline of your bands?

Noctis - Helms Deep lasted 2 years with a couple lineup changes here and there. during which time (’99-”00) I began singing for Ezurate, which also lasted 2 years for me, H.A.H was created sometime in ‘2000 and was active till 2003.
Othendara came to life, I believe in the winter of early 2001.
As for other projects I’ve been involved with there are many, like:
Virgin Killers formed 2002 (80’s styled thrash, think Razor, Sodom, Destruction.)
Trist Vintry Vandre (bizarre BM), The Crazies (Heavy Metal think Mentors, Plasmatics…) and other current ventures which will be released as demo’s on Helvete Cult Rec.

You released a split between Hvelvengel Av Helvete and Othendara. Do you see Othendara as a completely different beast to H.A.H?

Kriglord - Musically there are some similarities for some songs, but in many ways I find them to be entirely different. Theme wise, they tend to be drasticly different. HAH is far more out right blatant, and set on being utterly, and completely hateful, and self righteous. Othendara leans more towards the imaginative, and further expressive, as far as offering, and creating, a wider spectrum of thought, and feeling with in the tunes. So yes I find them to be different beasts, so to say.

Was a decision made to end Hvelvengel Av Helvete then immediately start Othendara?

Kriglord - Othendara basically came about from songs Noctis and I had written. We had done Hvelvengel Av Helvete for a while, and we just started writing, and jaming some new songs, recorded them, and decided they just did not fit the HAH style. Thus we founded Othendara,… and that’s about how it came to be, in short.

Do the names Hvelvengel Av Helvete or Othendara have special meanings / translations?

Kriglord - Hvelvengel Av Helvete translates to Archangel Of Hell; Othendara is a name which came from a map of an ancient fictitious realm.

2002-2003 you recorded a lot of material. How much of this has remained unreleased? Do you plan to use either the original recordings or re-record them for future releases?

Kriglord - That was a particularly active time for us. Most of the material has been released, but some still is waiting. As for re-recording, I don’t believe we would, simply because we are always moving forward, and to try and recapture the past just doesn’t seem meaningful, nor the right thing to do. The past is where you grow from, and to reproduce it would inevitably, in my mind, lead to stagnation.

How do you rate each Othendara release, how did you change/progress with each recording?

Kriglord - Each album showcased a rise in ability, and from the first three there is a very large distinction between lyrical subject matter. For each the process was very much the same, and there wasn’t any equipment change.

Hammer of the Witches, which contains our first recordings (and some of my very first songs), I wouldn’t rate very high, but I still retain pride for what we were able to create. The production is vile, and the songs aren’t my proudest moments, but I do believe we were able to create, and tap into a very interesting sound/mood.

Dae Of Nox, showed a large improvement in production, and ability, and I think really brought forth more of the sorrowful melodic elements than any other work of ours. I would rate this very high, and would consider a couple of the songs to be some of my favorite recordings I’ve ever done (for any project). I find the songs strongly convey, on a personal level, the moods, and feelings I felt at the time, and had wanted to sculpt into song.

Blasphemous Revelations Arise The Ancient Evil again showed musicianship improvement, and was a much different album than the previous two. It is much more aggressive, more hateful, and also a tighter execution of our imagery in sound. I would rate this highest amongst our released catalogue.

Hvelvengel Av Helvete / Othendara split is a compilation of early tracks that never made it onto the demos. Some of the material is rather under developed, and too crudely produced, but I still remain think all of it is good, and easily worthy to be representative of our earliest moments. I would rate this as mediocre amongst our catalogue.

What is your approach to Satan and Satanism? Is the music a natural and important extension of the ideology you hold?

Kriglord - I do not believe in religion intrinsically. I do however support philosophies, and causes of whom I find merit it.
I see “Satan” as a religious based manifestation of all that represents pain, and/or negativity. Baruch Spinoza wrote, “I recognize only three primitive or primary emotions, namely, pleasure, pain, and desire”, and I see Satan as simply an idol of which religions/religious people/artists/etc may place upon the self, or things, future, past, or present pain, and or negative (depending on pov) desire. Satan is an ideal which can be modified to fit a cause.
I see Satanism as a religion based upon many principles the Christian, and Judaic religions frown upon. It’s also a religion of mockery. It would seem to me more based on solipsism (well possibly for some), a strong sense of self pride, a clear want for self fulfillment and/or overindulgence, and a some what clear rationale, at base, than most any major religion.
I completely embrace the philosophies of Satanism in many ways, but I would not call myself a Satanist for I align my self wholly with no religion.
In many ways the music is and is not a natural extension of personal philosophies for what I attempt to create through music is overly more an aggrandizement of my emotions, and imagination than any direct philosophical or ideological message. With said, I do find that in all our music a strong anti-authority/humanity/religious message can be found, but I believe people enjoy thinking for themselves more about ideas, or subjects than just being preached too,… so I guess the message is simply there for one to interpet as one may wish.

Do you think the history of Othendara would be different if Sombre had released the EP? Would it have exposed you to a wider audience, more labels – would you even want that?

Kriglord - I believe it would have been very beneficial, yes, but as far as having more deals, and being more recognized such is not a real want. Art is not about recognition, but of creation, and exorcizing the self through an exploratory catharsis, or so I have found. Interesting question, and definitely one I’ve not put much thought into before.

How widely distributed are the Helvete Cult releases? Did they remain largely within US underground circles?

Kriglord - Yes, we’ve remained largely within the US cirlces. I had made contacts online from all corners of the globe (Europe, Asia, Australia), but mostly kept it to personal trading, and some small deals nationally

You have never played live but do you consider it? What’s the perfect way of representing your music live?

Kriglord - We would consider this. The perfect way to represent the music live would be quite costly, and would consist of many nude women, quarts of blood, raining fire, and goat heads littering the stage.
Feasibility for perfection seems impossible, but we certainly would like to play out when possible.
Noctis - I have always enjoyed the bands who put on shows, like Venom, Mercyful Fate…ect. they created atmosphere’s that complimented their music, it stimulates something very powerful.

What is the status of the “From My Throne The Heavens Burn” album and the five-song EP? When was this recorded, how does it compare with the older recordings?

Noctis - From My Throne…. was recorded in 2003, and was originally thought to be released through Helvete Cult, but as time passed we were unable, do to financial reasons. The sound of the recording is very different from any thing else we have released in the past, musically it is an improvement to Blasphemous Revelations, but is almost uncomparable in many ways.

2005 was an inactive year, has this continued into 2006? Is there new material, or a desire to write new material?

Kriglord - New material is on hold, but we had done a video with a well known photographer. The video is in its post production stages, and has no scheduled release date, but it will make its way to release some time before the end of the year.

Todestrieb contacted Augen for a brief introduction to the project from San Francisco and some explanation behind the initial recording, “Das Fieber Der Nacht”.

Interview with Augen
9 July 2006

Is this the first release from Augen?

Das Fieber Der Nacht is the first recording under the name of Augen. I have been playing drums many years, some previous bands not worth mentioning. I
am also a part-time member of the bands Wohin and Mokyre, both of which will have upcoming releases through my label, The Funeral Agency.

How do you approach recording?

I start with a base and build upon it, adding and removing elements where I see fit. The goal is to create atmosphere and dynamics.

What are some of your sources?

Many sources. The child is my son, E. Many of the droning tones heard are taken from Buddhist prayer boxes, these amazing little samplers that monks use so they can be mobile with their prayers and chants. These are available in various sizes and sounds in Chinatown here in San Francisco.

If you could make a movie to accompany the ambience, how would you best represent this recording visually?

Interesting question. I imagine the movie might look alot like the 1922 film Häxan.

“The fever of the night” – can you explain more behind the title?

The title is quite literal. The idea for this recording came while stricken by a very high fever, I wanted to capture that eerie floating feeling of illness.

Where do you plan to take Augen?

I am currently working on another release, though I want it to be more “musical”. Live shows are out, it would be impossible to properly recreate the material on a stage with traditional instruments.

AURIGA DYING is the debut release from American (Lansing, Michigan) post-apocalyptic visionaries EMPIRE AURIGA.
A copy of the self-released CDr was sent earlier this year by Boethius the Torturer, we now have a few copies to spread. A professional pressing will be released in 2006 by Dark Horizon, USA.
The music is described as mixtures of early Industrial, Black Metal, Shoegazer, Military Fanfare, and trance-guitar. Later BURZUM, and NORTT with industrial roughness and originality. Expansion, contemplation, destruction, regeneration. AURIGA DYING is an epic tale, timeless vision and a superb recording.

Interview with Boethius & 90000065b
22 May 2006

When was Empire Auriga initially conceived and then formed?

Boethius - It was initially conceived around March 2005. Its original intent was unclear. There was a much more industrial feel to our first thoughts, but the pureness of blackmetal mixed with deepest space was an inescapable draw as songwriting actually began. There was nothing before “Auriga Dying”.

It is assumed the name Auriga relates to the northern constellation. Does it have further relevance to the lyrics and music?

Boethius - It was not chosen for this reason. To me, the general theme behind the project is that of such a distant future it cannot be imagined.

Human existence has plundered on for hundreds of thousands of years and stretched into an age where even our beginnings on earth have been forgotten. In this age, perhaps the myths of constellations have still endured through lore and historical knowledge. Our music consists of happenings within this “empire” that is located in what was once known as the Auriga constellation.

There seems to be a strong narrative throughout the recording, was it intended as such? Can you give an overview to the lyrical side of Auriga Dying?

Boethius - The lyrics are more abstracted than they are attempting any one story. My largest intent with them is stir pictures within the mind that can only be created through combinations of droning space-induced music and strings of imagery heavy words. Hopefully our combinations can allow you to fold space. It is then that the trances can reach their peak and allow your brain to open toward the void between stars.

“post-apocalyptic landscapes”-artistically, or a future you see as inevitable?

Boethius - Post apocalyptic landscapes are certainly an influencial thing.
Most of this album was created with the thought that the “Empire” is under intense military/police state government. This government is, of course, playing on peoples weaknesses via the use of religion. The album is intended to have that sense of tense-ness related to the upheaval and revolution that will soon happen as the masses gather to overthrow the religious dictatorship of known galaxies. Some wars have already been fought, but many are still to come. A direct example can be “The Lurker” being interpreted as a person who is “lurking” within the populace stiring anti-governmental thought.

Are you using astronomy metaphorically to create epic visions of more earth-bound ideas?

Boethius - Not as such.

“Satan Take Me, Fullfill The Hollow” – do you see Satan as the freeing/rebel side of universe-nature?

Boethius - I personally see Satan and Satanism as that which they were originally devised as: the embodiment of all that is in opposition to christianity. I do not believe in any such actual living or spiritual entity, only a mindframe that is set against christian beliefs.
Personally, I am against all forms of unified religion. Everybody believes something different in at least some small way. So having a bunch of people ban together to rally behind one type of religious thought is generally useless. Think for your own damn selves. It pisses me off and I see blackmetal and the music I participate in as a small way in which to make this statement known: Depend on yourself and the nature that you live in, not some false deities.

Are there any fiction/non-fiction writers / artists / movies that have influenced your approach lyrically / conceptually?

Boethius - Lyrically, Ved Buens Ende, Aura Noir, and Dodheimsgard are all in my most influencial. Carl Michael, Apollyon and crew are geniuses that deserve all the credit they can get for their work in and out of the metal realm. Fenriz is also great in the abstracted satanic style. As far as conceptually and an outright list goes. Frank Herbert’s Dune, Stephen R. Donaldson’s The Gap Cycle, THX1138, David Lynch’s Dune, Werner Herzog in general, Summoning, Robert Fripp, Neptune Towers, Burzum, Camel, Xasthur, Amon Duul II, and so so many others.

How do Empire Auriga record?

Boethius - Usually either a Drum track or a Guitar track is written first, then we come together and create a song around that one idea. I usually have a decent amount of lyrics lying around at any given time, so I then fit which ones match the song’s feeling the best and alter them to make sure it is purely within realm of what feelings and thoughts the song should purvey. As for equipment, I’ll let 90000065b handle that.
90000065b - For the equipment I record onto my PC using Nuendo, I have a couple keyboards: Roland JX-305, and a Korg MS2000. I have lots of other toys that we used like: Line6 guitar processor, some real cheap drum machines, samplers, walkie talkies.

Did any records along with Burzum’s “Filosofem” offer any inspiration when creating these songs?

90000065b - Summoning “dol guldor”, Deathprod “morals and dogma”, Babyflesh “new wave of cynicism”, The Cure “pornography”, Brian Eno “apollo: atmosphers & soundtracks”, Tangerine Dream “alpha centauri”, Xasthur “to violate the oblivious” some other influences for me were: George Orwell’s “1984″, and “Animal Farm”, Ridley Scott’s “Alien”, and “Bladerunner”, Andrei Tarkovsky’s “Solaris”, Kubricks “2001 space odyssey”, Lucas “THX 1138″, Metroid, Max Ernst, the wonderful artwork of Sytraxia, and so many other influences.

How would you want the record to be experienced ideally & how would you want the record to affect that listener ideally?

Boethius - For me, driving long empty highways through countryside at night is often the best time to fall into the comas that can be induced by the greatest music. I would hope then that this would also be the best time for falling into trance from Empire Auriga. As for the affect upon the listener, a trance creating the images of space deeper than all thought would be ideal. David Lynch’s movie adaptation of Dune creates an incredible feeling of distant space for me. This feeling would be the best for our listeners to achieve.

Is Empire Auriga something that could be played live, are there any plans to play live in the future?

Boethius - It would be a very poor live show since there are only two of us and such a thing would detract horribly from the overall inhuman feel of the void behind the music. There will be no shows.
90000065b - a live show would never happen because I can’t remember any of the guitar riffs. haha

Do you play in any other bands now or previously?

Boethius - I have a forest blackmetal/improv noise project called Quintessence which has currently only released the demo titled “the dead landscapes”. We were on hold for a while, but shall soon be playing some shows again and with a little hope, doing a bit more recording. I have one other project called Carnage Bastards. This is disgusting blackmetal influenced by Sarcofago, Root, Motorhead and all good fucking punk! Our demo is in the works. Carnage Bastards and Quintessence both include members of the Sauron thrash metal band that released the cd “Thrash Assault”.
90000065b - I am involved with Vortex of Malice which is dark,ambient,soundtrack sorta stuff, I have a couple other small music projects in the works but nothing is completed yet, just ideas right now. But mainly I am focused on the follow-up Empire Auriga release.

Auriga Dying will see professional release through Dark Horizon. Will there be any different artwork/material on this edition?
Are there already plans for a follow-up? Did you record any tracks which are not included on this album?

Boethius - The Dark Horizon Records version will be exactly the same musically. The artwork will be full color with print on the cd instead of just black. Otherwise damn close to the same. There are no “extra” tracks floating around, however we have indeed started writing for the next album.

Thanks again for your interest in us,
-Boethius and 90000065b

Remmirath, great atmospheric Black Metal from Slovakia, ex-Helcaraxe. Czech underground label Ravenheart have put out Smrť Pútnikova on cassette (February 2006), and Todestrieb wrote to the horde for an introduction — their history, approach to music, side projects (including details about some planned projects not yet started!), and the scheduled debut full-length album!

Thanks to Lesodiv for the answers!!

Interview with Lesodiv
5 March 2006

What is the history of Remmirath and Helcaraxe?

The idea of forming Remmirath reaches to´96, when I and Sigi were influenced by the releases of old bands. We made some amateurish home-demos through the 2nd half of 90s, but nothing serious was going on for a long time. In 2002 we recorded our 1st unofficial mini-demo called „Beyond Redemption“, which only few people have heard. It contained two short songs in the true old black metal tradition. During 2003-2004 we recorded our first official demotape called simply „Demo 2004“. It contains over 20 minutes of pure old BM in similar style like norwegian demos from the half of 90s.
In summer 2004 we recorded two new songs, which were later released on the HELCARAXE/TEMNOHOR split-2005 (TEMNOHOR is an one-man band of our close friend, which produces primitive old school grim BM). This split was self-released, but not very distributed at all. Through summer and autumn 2005 we recorded „Smrt Putnikova“, our last material. This stuff is something that we always wanted to say. 90s-styled BM with many various atmospheres and moods, with several changes during a song. It has over 17 minutes and it was officially released by Czech label Ravenheart.
The name was changed in 2005, because there are 3 more bands using the name HELCARAXE.

Musicaly and lyrically, do Helcaraxe and Remmirath deal with different subjects?

REMMIRATH is the continuation of what we did as HELCARAXE, but more complex and mature concerning both music and lyrics. The idea remains the same: to produce something that has vanished in today’s degenerated pseudo-BM „scene“ and „underground“ – black metal with an artistic depth and spiritual background.

Have you played live?

No, we have never played live. There are several reasons for that. First of all we are only a trio, Sigi does both vocals and drums, so it is not very possible to perform live. The other thing is, that I am not very sure that the people that use to visit gigs would understand what is REMMIRATH all about. I´m really sick of it, when I see all those teenage NSBM loosers who are absolutely ignorant of what is BM and what it used to be in the past days. The audience is created by people, who have no idea about our art. But anyway, we´ll maybe do some gigs in the future, althought it isn´t a priority for us. We are here to make music, not to play it live for a bunch of posers…

Which bands are most influence to you? For Smrt Putnikova there seems to be some influence from east european pagan/black metal and more experimental sounds of Masters’ Hammer etc. ?

The driving force behind what we do is the old, non-degenerated BM scene, which inlfuenced us years ago. Today this scene is dead and we are here to stand for what once was so full of dignity and depth. We have nothing to do with nowadays scene, which is nothing but a pile of scum.
We never create music to sound as some other band that we like, our music is our way of expression. No, we were definitely NOT influenced by the so-called east european „pagan black metal scene“. This is something absolutely distant from anything we feel or do. Paganism became the same silly trend as satanism years ago. It is really funny to see all these „pagan“ clowns with Nokturnal Mortum t-shirts, knowing nothing about the true quintessence of BM art. Fuck off „pagan scene“, that´s all I can say to that. The spiritual heritage of our forefathers is a very deep and important thing, but most of these poser bands are just following the trend wave. And we also weren´t influenced by MASTER´S HAMMER, althought it is one of our most favourite bands – the only real czech BM legend ever… Maybe you can feel some influences of early IMMORTAL or SUMMONING, but there wasn´t any copiration…!

When and where was “Smrť Pútnikova” recorded, what instruments were used, any problems during the recordings?

Smrt Putnikova was recorded sporadically in Rizling Underground studio through summer and autumn of 2005. With many pauses it took us cca 3 months. We didn´t want to record it in a hurry as we did with the first demo… We have worked with many details to make the atmosphere as strong as it was possible in our terms. Instruments? We have normal instruments, not very expensive but good enough to make what we need… Hmm, I think there weren´t any big problems with the recording. Maybe when we sometimes drunk too much wine (Rizling, Frankovka, Muller Thurgau, Portugiesischer Rose and other elite hehe) and then the recording proccess got damaged…

When was the material written (during the Helcaraxe time or all new for Remmirath), who does most writing? Is the music written together as a band?

I wrote the material throughout 2001-2005. It wasn´t like: now we are REMMIRATH so we make brand new songs… Most of songs are created by me, but for example on the demo more than half material was written by HV and also Sigi made some ideas. We are not writing music together, we just have our individual ideas.

What messages, images, atmospheres did you try to create with Smrt Putnikova?

You can make your own opinnion while listening to our music and reading our lyrics… We create images of mysterious places in nature, melancholic atmospheres, nostalgic moods of 90s scene, etc. We are something like an antibalance to current fucked-up and trendy scene. Most of nowadays´ bands use black metal as a tool of pathetic political propaganda. Their music is utter shit. We stand against this absurd trendy flood, because the main thing for us is Art. Black metal is art, that is what all these modern posers don´t know about.

What does the cover image show? Who designed it?

We were fascinated by this image and it´s strange, strong atmosphere so we decided to use it on our cover. It wasn´t painted exclusively for us. We don´t have a fix message what is this painting about, it depends on the individual fantasy of everyone who sees it. It can mean something else for us and something else for other people. It just has the same atmosphere as the music on Smrt Putnikova and that is the mean reason behind it.

Are you working on an album for the next Remmirath release? Do you have any material written or labels planned?

We have complete material for a debut album and we have already started to record it. Momentally we have problems with recording of drums, so we are looking for a right place where to record it. Of course we´ll send it to some labels, but we´ll see how it will all end up. The debut album will be a continuation of the style of Smrt Putnikova, but it will be even more varied and also a little bit experimental and avantgarde. We don´t want to repeat what was here for a hundred times, we want to create something theoretically new, with the old basis. The base will be 90s styled BM, but with some influences of 70s art rock for example… You´ll see when it´ll be ready. I hope we´ll finish the recording up to autumn of this year.

Talk about some of the side projects, Majster Kat for example. What releases do they have or coming soon, do they let you explore different music styles?

Majster Kat is a thrash metal band, where Sigi plays the drums. He joined this band because he likes 80s thrash metal. But he wants to leave M.K. in the near future, because of various problems. We wanted to record the drumparts for our debut album in MAJSTER KAT´s rehearsal room, but they had no respect for that and it caused us a very problematic situation. Members of M.K. (except Sigi of course) kind of ignore REMMIRATH, they think it´s just our way of enterntainment, so it doesn´t look like Sigi will stay in their line-up. He wants to fully concentrate on REMMIRATH.
We want to record several sideprojects. First of all VINATOR, which is a purely alcoholic 80s styled metal with lyrics about wine, influenced by old legends as MERCYFUL FATE, VENOM, HELLHAMMER, SARCOFAGO, etc. It will be also influenced by slovakian polka music. The line-up consists of REMMIRATH and TEMNOHOR members. Then we want to realise a more obscure project influenced by old stuff of BLASPHEMY, BEHERIT, DEMONCY, HAVOHEJ… The working-name is RHAN-TEGOTH, but it isn´t sure at this time. The line-up will consist of our trio plus Koronas of KORIUM. Sigi had an ambient project ARAGONIT (formed in ´94 as BLACK HOLE), but it is not active since 2002, althought he plans to record some new stuff in the future. HV wants to record a project called KROLOGH, it will be BM similar to REMMIRATH, but in a different view. I also plan a soloproject with working-name MURK, which will be in pure 90s BM style. I write a little bit more experimental stuff for REMMIRATH, therefore MURK will be a project fully dedicated to pure BM…

Thank you very much for interview and good luck.
With regards
Lesodiv of Remmirath

Black Christ will be familiar to anyone interested to some of the greatest French Black Metal to have been created. He is behind the bands Blessed in Sin and Finis Gloria Dei and was a member of the legendary Funeral – which later became the possibly more legendary Kristallnacht.
He also runs the underground label Blood and Semen, which recently co-released the Ohtar/Dark Fury split CD. Copies of that split and several other B&S releases are available from Todestrieb.

Mighty Hails to Black Christ for the full and interesting replies!!! Also for providing two live photos, see below.

Interview with Black Christ
25 December 2005

Looking at release dates, FUNERAL and BLESSED IN SIN seem to start around the same time, were these your first projects? Anything earlier?

BLESSED IN SIN started in autumn 93; FUNERAL in summer 94.
From 1989 til 1992 I played (or more exactly tried to play) with other young “musicians”.
In 1990 I was guitarist in Bloody Ritual (RIP) with my brother (vocals) who created this band. We were really bad “musicians”, and it did not last so long; so BLOODY RITUAL officially began in 1991, without me; line up included my brother (vocals/bass), 1 guitarist and a drummer (my brother already played with this guitarist in 1989). BLOODY RITUAL (R.I.P.) played Thrash / Death Metal.
I (re)join them from January ’til September 1993 – between their 2 demos, so I never participated to recording nor compositions – just reh and made my first gigs with them. In late September my brother and me left B.RITUAL and created BLESSED IN SIN in October 1993.
Some riffs I composed back then (1991 til 1994) are/will be used for FGD and B.I.S.

When did you start writing music, did you teach yourself? Which bands influenced you most?

I started as soon I had my first guitar, in 1989; I learn by myself and by watching B.Ritual guitarist playing. Bands I listened at this time influenced me, like TRUST, IRON MAIDEN, METALLICA, SLAYER, MANOWAR, AGRESSOR etc. After many years of listening the music of others, I wished to create my own songs.

You and L.F. (or Hades then) were main songwriters for FUNERAL, correct? Which songs did you write?
Why did you not stay with FUNERAL / KRISTALLNACHT?

Yes, I composed the 2nd song on the 1st demo [Coronation In Pure Blasphemy], and only a couple of other riffs (1 on the last song of the 1st demo [Night and Fog] , and the 2nd riff from “For Ressurection…” on the split demo with OSCULUM INFAME).
I left FUNERAL in august 95 after a last reh where I handled bass if I remind well, just before the excellent split demo; I wanted to focus only on BIS; Xaphan were doing vocals and LF played guitars, and as Funeral never had utility for bass or a 2nd guitar…

What IS French black metal the way of BLESSED IN SIN, FUNERAL, KRISTALLNACHT.. What does it take influence from, are there technical characteristics/how do you write, has ‘it’ influenced many others..

When I began BIS there were very few BM bands in France, and most of them were influenced by Scandinavian bands /raw B.M., while myself took inspiration from Heavy Metal and melodic Greek scene like Rotting Christ, Varathron; I listened too bands like Acheron, Impaled Nazarene, and even if I like(d) a lot Scandinavian bands they were not influences on my compositions at this time. Lenrauth composed a big part of FUNERAL and SEIGNEUR VOLAND songs, and all KRISTALLNACHT material, and I can’t answer for him.
Usually there is nothing special about my way of composing, I just play/improvise until I find some “good” ideas, if they come. There is no wonder about “technic”, musical direction or else, just to find riffs I like; I often read in many band’s interview that they don’t want to repeat themselves, while personally I like sometimes to create riffs which are very near of some older riffs of mine. When I wish to create a riff inspired by a precise band, I often fail; so, it’s often after have composed something that I can say it reminds me another band.
With FUNERAL I composed only 1 song in the same way I explained, + 1 riff on the 1st demo I found in the train when we were going to “Marseille” town to record the demo, and about “my” riff on the split demo, I “gave” it to Lenrauth as he made 1 quite similar riff in the same time I did mine, so he’d just had to find a 3rd riff to have a new Funeral song…
I don’t think there are much bands which took influence from BIS; but many took inspiration from Kristallnacht / S.Voland for sure, especially 1 well known finnish band.

The latest BIS, Honor The Anus of Mary, was largely a tribute to classic/influential bands. But what can be expected from future BIS releases?

This LP contains principally cover songs (Barathrum, Acheron, Morbid and Heretic); there are many other bands I’d like to make cover from but not enough time. “Honour the anus..” show another side of B.I.S., different from our past releases, it’s rawer, more primitive and direct; we do not change our music style, but it was a pleasure to play such songs. I have always listened such raw B.M. bands but it’s not something you can hear on my usual compositions. It is our 1st vinyl release so that was interesting to propose something different than “usual BIS” material.
Next album (in preparation) will not be like Honour, but in the “usual” BIS style with some new elements… On the LP, you can hear a raw version of one song which will appear on our 3rd album. B.I.S. will stay B.I.S., but of course I can include some raw riffs in some songs, though most of raw riffs I have /will compose(d) will be used for FINIS GLORIA DEI.

Do you still play live with BIS or FGD? Any plans for future gigs? How many gigs have you played as these bands, most memorable times?

With BIS we have played around 8 gigs only, in 12 year’s existence… Through years, we often had line-up problems, and most of time when we have propositions for a gig we can’t cos we have no drummer for example. And when we have “stable” musicians, no more propositions, or cancelled ones. Recently we had an offer for Holland, hope it will happen…
With FGD we played just 1 chaotic gig in Summer 2005, we were supposed to play with BIS too (with ABSURD as headliner) but an incredible “fight”/massacre between skinheads put an end to the gig. The worst gig for me.
Some better memorable times are the first BIS gig and our 3rd one, both in on our hometown in 1995. There will never be again times like these ones, time has changed, and we have changed.

What can be expected from the FGD album which is planned for 2006 release?

Raw B.M. taking influences from Beherit, Samael, Hellhammer, Blasphemy, Impaled Nazarene…
CD will contains 6 full songs + intro/outro, half of songs comes from the 2nd demo; I have used too some riffs from some unreleased and improvised reh songs.
It will be different from dirty demos, as it’s no more mainly improvised, and the sound will be better (it couldn’t be “worst” than on the demo).
It should be out probably around March 2006. I recorded bass few days ago, now we have to finish keyboard parts (very few ones) and mixage, it shouldn’t be long before it’s finished; but as for BLESSED IN SIN 3rd CD, we record this album little by little.
I’ve gathered many FGD riffs from our demos and reh, improvised, to use for a future release.

Did your activities in France (1996) bring you any notoriety in your country from L’Express or more recent ‘lords of chaos’ book.. and lots of wrong information reported? I think after this time (after release from prison), Funeral became Kristallnacht, correct?

It brought us a lot of problems, very bad reputation, boycott; since I know more than ever what to think about media/justice/”population”/politics… There is not only my name for the which medias were “wrong”… Of course it has spread the name of B.I.S. , but not in a “good” way; before this we were already known in UG scene, and only in UG milieu.
Yes it was probably at this period Funeral changes its name, Lenrauth decided to go on alone, with some other session musicians, anyway Xaphan (vocals) was injailed with myself.

In the BIS booklet for Melancholia Overlord Nasty strikes out against people who turned their back on you while in jail, did many desert you at the time? Their behaviour still lingers in your memory?

Personnally it’s more some contacts I had in UG who “forgot” me, or should I say denied me, some family “members” show hypocrisy or absence etc but it did not surprised us… But much happened when I was injailed so there are many things I’ve haven’t seen, and I don’t care about. Some close people, family and friends, were totally with us. Anyway these are old stories.

Your different projects seem to explore different areas or interests. What does each project represent for you, do they allow you to explore different musical styles and influences?

BIS principal influences are old Greek Metal bands and Heavy Metal, since our begining til today, but there are tons of other inspiration’ sources, so with B.I.S., I use all I compose with which I’m satisfied about. BIS represents a lot for me, I can’t forget 12 years ago when we decided to create this band with my brother, at this time I probably could’nt imagine we’ll still be here in 2006, nor I could imagine all hard times/problems faced.
With FGD it’s primitive B.M., a kind I really love but it was never easy for me to create such riffs, so the first improvised times were good as such riffs came directly when we rehearsed, it couldn’t be more spontaneous.
F.G.D. represents my passion for old dirty and raw B.M., far from “nice melodies with keyboard” of B.I.S., and after all these years it was maybe time again to start something with my long years fiends Lenrauth and Xaphan, and so to make something different from what I do with B.I.S. of course.
I never wanted to play in so many bands/projects, so 2 bands are enough for me; it do not excludes I can make some sessions guitars if needed (like it happened with Desolation Triumphalis and soon, I hope, with ORDO TEMPLI AETERNAE LUCIS).

When was Semen and Blood originally created? What were the original aims of the label? What are you proud to have achieved with S&B, and what are the objectives and hopes for the future of S&B?

it was created in late 2000; at the begining Lenrauth (LF) made Warspirit distro and when SAB was born it was more like a division of WS; then it grew up little by little, and W.S. stop.
In late 96 or 97 I already planned to make a distro/prod called “TRISTESSE” with a friend (E.S.H.), we began to stock few demos and CDs but it was suddenly stop as all my stock and a big part of my personal CDs/tapes etc were stolen by justice… some years after I finally started S.A.B., alone.
My aims were and are to spread (through distribution/production) bands I really like musically or /and really respect.
I never wished to make a big label, so it remains a small underground distro/”label”, and even if I spread around 1 list by year only, I’m quite pleased with S.A.B.; to have released bands such Puritas Virginum, Chemin de Haine, Funerary Call and so on is satisfising for me. In future I just hope to be able to go on that way; it grows little by little.
Sometimes young bands ask for I distribute or release something from them, but I’m not interested. I hardly trust young/new comers when it comes to make a serious band, I’ve seen too much “false” bands who play without passion/dedication and I’m definitively not interested by such guys.
It does not means I spit on every new one, we all have made our first steps 1 day, but S.A.B. is not for them. They better ask to another distros.

What are the members from the old lineups of BIS doing now?

“Thanatos” and “Torregrosa”: the earlier lead guitarists on our demos; the 1st lives in London as far I know, the 2nd is Spanish Teacher at school.

“Amaobscuradeo”: our ex keyboardist (on the demos) is now banker.

“Astaroth”: our 1st drummer, last time I saw him was years ago, he played in an horrible cover’s bands (shitty “variety”music).

“Lord Diabolus” who played drums on” Odes Obscures” demo and “Par le Sang du christ” CD is still the same guy (Maleficum Orgia, Emptyness, among tons of other bands/projects).

“Lenrauth” handled bass with us in several occasions, in 1994 /1995 (like in our 3rd gig) and later, I guess you know what he’s doing now (DESOLATION TRIUMPHALIS CD will be out very soon).

“Dreamlord”: guitarist around 1997 / 1999, he is still into Metal, I saw him rarely. He has never recorded something official with us.

I don’t know for the few other ones, but one thing is certain, is that 90% of them left “metal” (early BIS musicians were “just” into Metal and not B.M) and we don’t see them anymore. Even though BLESSED IN SIN = my brother (lyrics) and myself (-most of- music), all these line-up changes through years had of course really slow down the band, and we never managed to had again musicians as good as we had 10 years ago, on “Odes Obscures” demo. But whatever happened, we have going on until today.

It wasn’t until around 1999/2000 when bands like Kristallnacht, Blessed in Sin started releasing albums on record labels, correct? Did you feel like until then they did not “get” what you were doing, did you have enough material/would you have wanted to release CD-albums in the years before? Who were some of the first labels to approach you with release-deals? Did you have any bad experiences with labels at that time or before?

Yes, in April 1999 we recorded “Melancholia”, without having a deal with a label. K.N. had a deal for a MCD with Darker than Black, and Lenrauth told them that B.I.S. were searching for a label, D.T.B. were interested, as far I remember. In 2000 we signed on A.M.I prod finally; we never been directly in contact with D.T.B., and to work with a French label make things easier.

From 1994 until 1996, we were not thinking about making a CD; it was not a problem of material, as we already had around 90 minutes of compositions so we could had recorded 2 CDs at least.
I guess we were focused on making demos and evolve before going further, even if we had more and more contacts, and many people in UG liked BIS and show interest in us. BLESSED IN SIN was a young band, and it was not like today. Nowadays almost everyone can make a band and have quickly a deal for a CD, while in 1995 it was not the same at all; there were less labels, it was more expensive and really difficult to release a CD. Very few french bands made CDs at this time; bands like Gorgon (self produced), Godkiller, Blut aus nord, Osculum infame and Black legions were the firsts French B.M. bands who had a CD out.
We planned to make a pro tape album in studio on DRAKKAR prod; but we have never been able to record songs in studio, as our lead guitarist suddenly left us, and little by little all fade away; some personal hard times etc.
In 1996 we had lost all musicians, reh place, and then jail in 96. So we were unable to record “properly” our new songs for a tape album, that’s why we gathered reh/live versions of these songs to release our 3rd and last demo, “Odes Obscures”. Finally this tape was released by a friend ‘s small “label”, Armageddon / RNM prod, in 1996 or 97.
In 1997 we found new reh place + musicians, but things were going very slowly, musicians skills were far less good than the ones of our past members, we had no more keyboardist, nor lead guitarist, and the “magic/enthousiasm” of early days were gone. Problems with justice (which last 10 years), and B.M. trend was as never (since it’s even bigger/ worst). So, with the bad drummer we had at this time we were not able to record the album before 1999, and if we had waited for him to be really ready we would still wait…

Funny as I remind in our very early days, a label from poland (or another eastern country) wanted to release something of B.I.S. I don’t know where they had our contact from, as at this time we had recorded nothing, just remember we received many letters from them, but we never sent anything.

SALUTE was formed by the two members of VANGUARD when it was finished after one demo, “Valour“. Swine is also behind the Von worship project SWINE, and now a member of HATEFUL ABANDON.
The debut release from SALUTE will be “Break-Neck Speed Triumph”, recorded during 2005 and mixed/mastered at the end of the year.
Influences, at least immediately, are Darkthrone and Celtic Frost. Do not think for one second however that this is another boring clone. This is brain smashing metal, unholy Black Metal and barbaric thrash. It has dark atmosphere AND beer swilling rock & roll attitude!
The production is huge! Clear and powerful! Vocals (which range from fierce growl to an invoked G Warrior roar) are not put directly up-front but sore through the thick guitar and percussion to slam directly in your face. Drums have a great sound, the bass drum is strong and can easily be felt. Cymbals, snare and toms are very clear and natural. Although the production is excellent it loses none of the raw power, it is savage!
This release should see release in 2006, possibly on several formats.

Hear samples from the album at the SALUTE WEBSITE!

Interview with Kaptain
December 2005

SALUTE is formed after VANGUARD, why the change?

Salute is: Swine/ Drums, Guitars, Commands
Kaptain/ Guitars

Vanguard finished due to the fact that we didnt want to do anymore with it after the Valour demo in 2001, we wrote some more Vanguard material but ultimately we didnt like it.
Instead we worked on other projects and began writing what was to become the first Salute release, Break-Neck Speed Triumph…
The name [Vanguard] was too caught up in the Valour esque stuff, we didnt want to continue under the name.

What do SALUTE’s lyrics deal with?

Lyrically its the usual suspects, Booze, the devil and most importantly playing rough and hanging tough

„ Amongst the Flames
Dining in Hades
Dealing Death the Dead Man’s Hand
Chew on Sedating VENOM!! “

Where is it recorded?

We recorded mixed and mastered Break-Neck where we record all our projects, the Dungeon!! Its our own studio where both the booze and riffs spill with equal ease, where we can have total control over everything, DICTATORS!!

Whats the greatest liquor to intoxicate yourself with when forming and recording with SALUTE?

We take on board all kinds of intoxications, personal favourites are high-grade premium beers such as Heineken and the ‘Artois, if pushed however we’ll drink terrible liquids such as cheap cider, these have many beneficial elements to them as the Tramps of this world know all too well

Talk about the record – influences, production, attitude..

Influences are drawn from the well of Heavy Metal!!! Musically we encourage certain influences such as Motorhead/Celtic Frost, although we sometimes have to reign in a riff sometimes if it looks and sounds like G Warrior himself OUUGH! We’re keen to have some aspects of originallity
Production-wise we wanted it to be live sounding,
Our attitude? Salute play proper Dangerous Metal that’ll leave a dirty bruise upon yer chin and squeeze yer girl up if shes ready and good enough Euugh!!

Are any of the recordings spontaneous or is it written before-hand?

Its a mixture of both, I personally favour the spontenaiety of developing a track out of 1 riff and a couple of cold hits. Swine and myself write quite differently, this allows to have multiple angles as you can hear on the release. We both write tracks individually

What are the plans for the release?

We are planning to send the Promo around to labels that we are interested in getting Salute involved with. Hopefully we’ll get some interest and the CD will be released properly, we’ve tried the DIY method before, its too expensive and time consuming, rather leave it to someone with contacts and experience

Would you consider releasing it in different formats?

We would like to get it on Vinyl and Cassete

Would you consider playing live? Any plans?

Playing live is incredibly important, we found a drummer some months back and have been honing our live performance. As it happens we are playing our first gig this friday (17th DEC) in Bristol with what seems to be aload of retarded bristol bands and Amputated! We dont subscribe to the bullshit snobbishnous of not wanting to play with false bands!! Fuck that, we’ll play anywhere with anyone. What happened to the days of yore when loads of good bands were touring the UK? We hope to play all over the UK in the next year, so watch out!

How was the gig?? (17 December, see above)

We played all tracks off the album, we were lookin to do a cover but the set was only 25 long, next time! Reaction wise? People seemed to enjoy force but Salute doesnt like anyone or anything except booze, boobs, leather and Sarcofago pins!!

Relatively new ‘zine from Canada, the first issue was released around March 2005. A5 and a growing number of pages with each issue, Morbid Tales features some legendary old metal bands along with newer bands who definitely have the old spirit!! Take a look on the right for a list of the bands included.
Interviews & reviews all written with a passion; personal interest and appreciation which makes this far more genuine and Better to read than any standard-questioning (especially the phone interviews). And to look at, Morbid Tales kills with the cut’n'paste layout!
Hells Cheers to Annick for the answers and the artworks included below! Support!

Interview with Satannick
15 December 2005

You obviously have a real passion for metal, is this your first zine? Have you done any other writing? Are most of the interviews held over the phone?

Hails, Satannick here. that’s right, metal is one of my passions!!! I love everything about it – the aggressiveness, the ideologies, the “brotherhood”, the kindred spirits, etc. Morbid Tales is my first ‘zine, and it’s the first thing I ever did writing-wise. I admit I am not a very good writer (at least not in English. haha) but I thought it would be fun to try it out.
Also, I try as often as I can to do interviews over the phone. I think it makes the interview so much better. not only do they flow nicely, but also the person I’m interviewing doesn’t know the questions in advance, so the answers are always spontaneous!

Great use of cut-n-paste design, do you think the aesthetic of the zine is important in evoking the “atmosphere”? How do you put it all together?

You buy a CD not only to listen to the music, but a lot of times to support the band and to see the artwork, right? Jo (the co-editor of the ‘zine ) and me wanted to do something that was dirty looking, as well as interesting to read. I think it’s so important to have a nice layout – you are so much more enthusiastic to turn the pages! Of course, the atmosphere of the music is reflected in the collages/illustrations. it adds another dimension, I think.

As for putting it all together, it is 95% hand-made; the only thing done by computer is the text of the interviews, of course! The rest is done by photocopy machine, scotch-tape (Jo) and glue sticks (me). We do all our pages by ourselves, meet up, cut them in half and then put them in order. Finally, I do master copies with these, using my favourite photocopier. (It’s expensive, but it’s nice!)

What has the reaction been to the zine so far? Are you selling it mostly within Canada? Local record stores stock it? Sending many worldwide?

I have been really surprised by the reactions from the ‘zine, to be honest. I didn’t know I was going to be selling that many. people are really supportive. It’s great to see so many people interested in it!!! I sell some all over Canada (Ottawa, Toronto, Barrie, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Quebec, Montreal), as well as the world (USA, Europe, South America. even in New-Zealand! It’s fucking mind blowing!!!!). I sell them locally at Vertigo records when I have extra copies (which is not often. arghhh.) and at Profusion Direct in Montreal. As for distributing them, you guys are the first ones that ever did!! Final Punishment records (Holland) and Nuclear War Now! Prod (USA) are also distros that carries them.

You have done some interviews with bands that haven’t recorded material for years, how do they normally react to your interest? Are there any bands which rejected your interview requests?

Nobody every rejected my interview requests. which really surprises me! Hahaha. Orlok from COUNTESS never replied, but that’s ok because he hasn’t done interviews in years. I noticed that bands who haven’t recorded in ages are as happy as active bands when I ask them for interviews. They always seem to be happy sharing their past experiences with their fans.

Several of them have recently been quite active re-issuing material or releasing old demos, and Onslaught, playing live again. Which of the recent revivals has interested you most? Any revivals you would want to see?

Yeah, it’s like a plague now! Some of them I am quite sad that they are bringing the band back to life (especially when they release really shitty material. CELTIC FROST, anyone?!) but most of the time it’s fun because I get a chance to see the band live (even though it’s not the same as the glory days!). It’s even better when the band’s new material rules. (HEATHEN!!!). A revival I really wanted to see was RAZOR, and I saw them just last weekend. so I am happy as hell.

Have you had any suprises with interviews? Revealing, or just stupid..?

I had some great surprises for sure! My first interview ever – with BLASPHEMY’s bassist. I had no idea he lived in Ottawa!! And his story was just too much. The stabbing in the ass and all… There was also the one with Dave of SLAUGHTER talking about the tension they had in their band, which was very interesting…. As for stupid, I was very disappointed in the answers I got back from LIPS. ANVIL is one of my favourite bands ever, and it seems like the interview was done really fast. I wanted to do it by phone, but he didn’t want to. Ohh well, I think I might be re-doing a new one later on!!! (With another member this time. LIPS is a great guy though, don’t get me wrong!!)

Which ‘modern’ bands for you really capture the spirit (musically and/or just in their attitude) of records made in the eighties, if any?

There are shitloads man!!! METALUCIFER, APOKALIPTIC RAIDS, HARBINGER, TOXIC HOLOCAUST, INEPSY, MIDNIGHT.. The list goes on and on.

You work with NWN, what work have you/will you contribute to past and future releases? Or any other work with other bands/labels?

Hehe, yeah! I now do calligraphy for Yosuke. My first work with him was to do the Calligraphy [link] for the new ABIGAIL LP “Ultimate Unholy Death”, as well as an illustration (a skeleton getting impaled!) [see end of this page]. I also did hand writing for the new re-editions of WITCHES HAMMER records. next attack will be with CULT OF DAATH and … tananana. the live WITCHFINDER GENERAL (holy fuck!!!) LP!!! I am learning old English calligraphy for these two. It will be insane!!!! I am very excited about these. finally; I do flyers and illustrations from time to time (locally and for Yosuke). I did the t-shirt design for the MONTREAL METAL MASSACRE fest.

Do you play in a band?

I am very busy with school at the moment, so I don’t really want to join/form anything. A band for me is like entering a new relationship – I want to put heart and soul into it!!!! I don’t want to do a half-assed job! I do play bass though, and I played in a thrash metal band called EXTERMINATOR when I was 16. We did two shows, and then broke up. It was fun as hell!

I might start up a project with my partner though; maybe in the summer. if it ever happens, it will be an obscure doom metal band. really ancient, ritualistic doom. like DEATH SS meets PENTAGRAM. That is my goal for now!!!

You seem to have a passion (understandably) for the eighties metal from your country. Do you feel cheated not to have been around (at least at an age where you would appreciate it) at the time? Any specific moments you would have wanted to see first-hand?

That’s a good question!! But yeah, I was born too late. it’s ok though, it makes it a challenge. I am re-learning the past, as well as living the present. A moment I would really of loved to be into would be 1985. seeing WORLD WAR III fest in Montréal and being in the middle of tape trading would have been fucking amazing!!!!!!

What were some of the best zines from the eighties that covered the bands (or similar to those) you now interview twenty or so year later?

I only read two up to now. BLACKTHORN and SEPTIC DEATH. I think BLACKTHORN (from Denmark) is the best ever!!!! I recommend you guys dig it up. I read the issue from 1986 containing interviews with SLAUGHTER, AMEBIX, ONSLAUGHT, KREATOR, BULLDOZER, etc. Amazing stuff.

Anyone reading this that hasn’t got a Slaughter record, list the essential Canadian metal albums they need to hear!?

WOOHOO!! Great question!!!!! Here is a list of my personal MUST-haves:
ANVIL – First three
EXCITER – First three
SACRIFICE – Torment in Fire
PILEDRIVER – Metal Inquisition
SOOTHSAYER – Demo
AGGRESSION – Demos + The Full Treatment
SLAUGHTER – Surrender or Die demo + Srappado
RAZOR – Armed and Dangerous, Evil Invaders, Executioner’s Song

Plans for future issues…?

Next rag I think will have a lot of doom bands in it. I already have a REVEREND BIZARRE interview, and I’m waiting from answers from WINO (Saint Vitus, The Obsessed, The Hidden Hand). I will also interview the singer of VULCAIN (French 80′s metal band. ..hehe he doesn’t know yet!) and maybe RAZOR. I don’t know.. hahaha! One thing’s for sure though, I will be doing reviews of fanzines, as well as short interviews with the editors.

I plan on eventually doing a huge and complete issue on the Canadian metal scene. I didn’t tell Jo yet, but I’m sure he wouldn’t mind! I would love to interview key people. like band members, ex-record shop owners, old promoters, zine writers. do reviews, band reports, lots of pictures etc. but that will take a long time. Maybe a year? I don’t know hehehe.
Anyway, thanks again for featuring me on your website, I am very grateful!!!
Keep metal alive!!!!!!!!!

Thanks to Claire for taking the time to answer. Todestrieb will continue to offer Issue I while it is available, and stock future issues as they emerge.

Interview with Claire K.
4 October 2005

When did the idea of Dark Ritual first form, how long has it been in progress?

I have read a variety of zines over the last couple of years, some of which I keep and re-read, and some I regret paying the postage costs for, let alone the paper it was printed on. However I wanted to read some interviews which I hadn’t yet come across and decided I would put together my ideas for Dark Ritual zine on paper and see if I could succeed with it as a hobby. I have been working on the zine since early this year and finally released it to distros these past couple of months (Sept/Oct 2005), and I hope the next one to be out early next year now.

How do you choose the bands to feature?

I simply choose the bands I personally wanted to read interviews on, I email the band briefly about a potential interview or via the record label if I can’t find a band email address. I am finding it difficult to maintain contact with some bands because of how busy they are, which makes it harder to plan ahead but I have decided to stick to a couple of zines a year to resolve this problem and to be able to have time myself to succeed with this hobby.

Did you not feature any bands you had originally considered or written to?

The only bands I didn’t manage to get printed in DRZ issue one were Goat Molestör (UK) and Goathorns (UK). I didn’t give Goat Molester much time to complete the interview before the first issue’s printing deadline, so that was my fault but I promised the guys a good section in issue 2 with photos from the Archgoat gig in London this month (Oct 2005). Sadly I haven’t heard back from Goathorns, but I hope to hear from him before issue two goes to print.

How do you come up with questions. They are not typical thoughtless questions, obviously you put in effort before sending anything. Do you ask what interests you personally, or are you trying to introduce some bands to a ‘wider audience’?

I appreciate your kind words and I do indeed spend at least a couple of days or sometimes up to a week, before piecing the interview together by researching into the band online and listening to their material, which of course is something I enjoy, otherwise I wouldn’t be doing it in my spare time. I tend to think about what I would want to know from the band, but also what seems to interest other people too, although it can be difficult to put myself in another person’s frame of mind. I do warn people inside the cover of DRZ issue one in advance, that I am biased with my choice of questions and features in DRZ. I unknowingly noticed when putting the zine together for print, that I have varied my choice of bands to some extent but these are just bands I enjoy and I am not really planning for the audience as much as I maybe should do. I am not making the zine to target a large audience as I don’t have time to do that to be honest, the zine isn’t up to that kind of quality, so I am only trading it with a few selected distros, which I am finding works really well.

You had someone else write reviews for Issue I. Is this something you want to expand in future issues? Do you want to focus on new releases, or look back and highlight some classics too?

A friend supplied me with the reviews for issue one, which I was extremely grateful for and at first didn’t realise how many reviews he would be sending me or how much space they would use up so I decided to concentrate on the interviews for the first issue, and expand on features and reviews for issue two if all goes to plan. I will be writing the reviews myself in the next issue, and I plan on reviewing a lot of new releases, but the difficulty with paper zines is that news and reviews can become dated very quickly if the original printing deadline is delayed. I hope reviews different formats of music because it personally interests me, to see if something can project a different atmosphere dependant upon the format it is pressed on.

What do underground paper zines offer that glossy magazines and webzines can not?
What are some of your favoured zines?

Paper zines seem to have more personality and character to them than webzines do, not to mention they are easier to read in your own time and glossy magazines tend to lack the content/bands that readers want to read about. I like to keep the paper zines I buy although they do take up a lot of space under my bed now, as there a lot more paper zines available than there used to be. A couple of good zines I read are; Funeral Maelstrom of Hate (of course), Unholy Propaganda and fall to Your Knees Pissing.

In some of your interviews you ask their views on Black Metal produced in the UK. What is your opinion of Black Metal activity in our country at the moment?

This is strange to have my role reversed being the interviewee, and this question made me think a lot about how I answer it, because although it has been a common topic for a while now. I always debate about asking bands/individuals about “scenes” in DRZ, and I will try not to ask this question in future issues. As you have noticed I have repeated this question, purely out of personal interest, because Black Metal has, in my opinion, changed a lot over the years, and I wondered what other people thought of my home land in connection to BM. I personally think BM is neither good nor bad here in the UK; I am proud of a lot of bands/artists but I am also aware like everywhere else in the world there are also some embarrassing excuses for BM bands associated with the UK too.

What are the plans for Issue II?

I will hopefully have a new logo for issue two, and a very talented friend of mine is kindly producing the cover art work for me. I am currently debating about feature articles to be honest as I much prefer the interviews I conduct, but you never know. I will look into some feature ideas and see what occurs.

You, under the banner of Eternal Darkness Prods., released both Basilisk demos.
Can you offer an overview of this time. What do you think of the forthcoming re-release of these demos onto CD? (forthcoming Todestrieb CD)

I wanted to set up a small time record label releasing a few artists’ demo material on cassette format only. I found it difficult to run the label without any finances to fund postage and cassette duplication costs, as I didn’t account for how much money would be required in the long run. I did enjoy putting together Basilisk’s (RIP) cassettes, including cutting out the covers, hand numbering them and sending them out to people worldwide. It was great to see the support for Basilisk (RIP) before vintyr or myself had had the chance to let people know the demos were even available. EDP only ran for a couple of months in total and I found it too much hard work to run as a hobby not to mention expensive. So EDP has been put to rest for good and will not be resurrected. I will now put my energy and spare time aside for DRZ instead. I am a great supporter of Basilisk’s (RIP) material, and it has been amazing how much work vintyr has done over the past couple of years. It is of course good to see the demos being made available to those who didn’t get a chance to own the limited demo cassettes on EDP.

Thanks to Caertherin for taking time to introduce OUBLIETTE…

Interview with Caertherin
19 August 2005

How long have you been recording?

I started recording about five years ago, or so. At first, I mostly wrote music just for the guitar, but after a time I wanted to add more to them and began using my voice, incorporating bass lines and thinking about more detailed rhythmic patterns. When it comes to music, I generally just play whatever I feel when I pick up an instrument. Some material becomes Oubliette songs. Some doesn’t.

Are there other recordings prior to the self-titled?

There is a five track collection of material that I did, a few months before recording these songs. Unfortunately, the kick drums came out too soft in the mix and the recording sounded a bit too “haphazard” for my liking. At some point, I would like to re-arrange and re-record this as it has some good moments in it and some (for me) interesting concepts.

Are you using just two guitar tracks, drum(machine?) and vocals in this demo?

At most points there is the left and right guitars, and the bass, drum machine and vocals down the middle. There are a few occasions (twice in the first song and once in the second) where there is a guitar in the middle, but only on the second can all three guitars be heard at once. The bass actually plays a very important part in the instrumentation (although it blends in a little too well on this recording so unless you were listening for it, you might not immediately hear it). I try to make the drum machine sound as “natural” as possible too.

What “set-up” do you use, do you build the tracks around the guitar melodies?

Yes, the guitar parts are almost always conceived first. One or two things have come from the bass and a couple of vocal ideas but the writing is largely guitar-orientated as that’s my first instrument.
I have a portable recording machine, and I plug all instruments (including microphone and drum machine) into amplifiers to be able to adjust the ambience. From there, the amplifiers are direct-inputted into the recorder.

The name OUBLIETTE itself is derived from French — “dungeon with an opening only at the top” would this be a good symbolic representation of the aesthetic and emotion within the music? Can you explain any more behind the choice of this name?

I had the name long before I started the project. To me it is very evocative of the depressive feeling. Knowing there is a way out above, but being seemingly unable to climb up and out to re-join the living. The music in Oubliette often takes on a “desperate” nature and I feel the concept of being imprisoned with freedom so close but still so out of reach, ties in with that well. The notion of captivity in a perpetually dark subterranean chamber made sense to me too.
I found the term while browsing through pictures and plans of old castles and the name stuck in my head.

Will you make the lyrics available?

I only didn’t print the lyrics for this demo because there wasn’t enough space to include them without resorting to a miniscule type face. If people want the lyrics, they can contact me and I will email the texts to them. [e-contact: CursedOubliette@aol.com]
With each Oubliette song, I adopt a “role” and the lyrics I write and the vocals I do are the acting out of the emotions of that character. The vocals are the factor I have the least control over as I tend to get very emotional myself when doing them. However, usually one or two takes is enough, so it is often the simplest part of the process.
I do put a lot of thought into the lyrics I use and the style of texts I write is somewhat different to most Black Metal bands. Of course, I find Christianity, Judaism, Islam etc. just as repulsive as everybody else who sees them for what they so obviously are, but I chose to write about topics where the “world” doesn’t matter any more, in a sense. Worldly concerns have ceased to have any bearing on the minds of the characters in each song.
All of the characters are oppressed by malignant feelings, ravaging them from within. Some of the horrors that the mind is capable of inflicting upon its bearer are tenfold more terrifying than any physical pain or manner of death. I focused on that very strongly in the previous recording.
I am fascinated by moments in life where hopelessness is absolute. Also the common concept of everything that begins and therefore exists, having an ending is a very interesting one to me too. Blood and tears often seem to crop up in my lyrics a lot as the shedding of both are powerful concepts to my mind.

Can you give some insight into the lyrical side of:
„ A Void of Sentiment “
This song was the first I wrote for Oubliette. The lyrics came in a kind of stream of thoughts to which I had to make very few adjustments. To generalize the topic behind this song, it deals with the aftermath of a death and its effect upon the character. There are a few other peripheral meanings too, such as the character seeing his reflection as a ghost and failing to recognize himself.
„ The Blooding “
“Blooding” is an old practice used to punish witches. Of course, like all other punishments for such people, an unfortunate by-product of this was often their death. Blooding involves draining the blood and then burning it. Witches were “scored above the breath”, namely cut over the nose and mouth and the resulting blood immolated. The character in this text is, for want of a better term, a vampire, but more importantly, someone who is immortal and whose life has no constraints of time. He feels he is poisoned and condemned by his irrevocably altered blood and cannot bear to live on, and thus destroys himself in a similar manner to the one described above.
„ Creature of Despair “
The title of this song is fairly self-explanatory. Most of the lyrics are metaphors for depression. This is easily the most “direct” text on the demo.

The French influence is clear in your music, what were some of the first French Black Metal records which made the biggest impact on you?

Yes, a lot of my favourite bands to listen to are French. Probably my favourite album of all would be Mütiilation’s “Remains of a Ruined, Dead, Cursed, Soul”. That one made the most lasting impression on me when I first heard that. I’m a huge fan of all Mütiilation’s early work and some of the later stuff too.
I really like Celestia, particularly the “Apparitia – Sumptuous Spectre” album, the “Dead Insecta Sequestration” demo and the “Evoking Grace and Splendour” EP.
Mortifera is another of my very favourites, the “Vastiia Tenebrd Mortifera” album is, for me, brilliant as is the “Complainte..” MCD.
I listen to many other French bands but those are the main three.

Oubliette has remained very hidden until recently, was this a conscious decision?

Yes, because there is no point talking about or promoting something that has nothing (or nothing of satisfactory quality) to show for itself.
It makes sense to speak about Oubliette now as there is an available release.

What are your plans after releasing this first demo?

I have the music written and recorded for four new songs and ideas for another two or three songs and a couple of “atmosphere” pieces so I will try to forge on and complete a full-length. I will most likely write and record the lyrics and vocals at some point through the autumn/winter.
As I said, I aim to re-record the first Oubliette stuff, but I don’t have any concrete plans as to when that will happen as yet.
As for the foreseeable future, I will worry about what to do with the new material when it is “put to bed”, so to speak.

MASACRE started in Medellin, Columbia 1988 during a time of violence, corruption, drugs and death.
In 1989 the first demo, Colombia… Imperio del Terror, was released followed the next year with Cáncer de Nuestros Días. The demos spread far, through the Americas to Europe.
The first album was Requiem released by Osmose in 1991. They had released a miniLP, Ola de Violencia, a year before which was re-released by Osmose with two live tracks as a split with PROFANATICA.
After another miniLP on Mórbida Productions, MASACRE released the great album Sacro. Lorito Records released this in 1996, nine years later it has been repressed by Japanesse labels Obliteration and Realm of Kult.
MASACRE has since released two more albums, appeared on compilations and toured extensively in South America.
Seventeen years after they started MASACRE are still releasing and playing concerts of brutal death metal!

Alex Okendo is the only original member still playing in MASACRE. Bull Metal (now dead member of TYPHON and owner of Warmaster Records) played drums on the demos.

The two demos, Colombia… Imperio del Terror, and Cáncer de Nuestros Días have been re-released on CD by Obliteration.
The 1996 album Sacro was recently re-released by Obliteration / Realm of Kult.

Questions answered by Alex during some free time after playing a lot of gigs in Columbia!

Thanks to ALEX for remembering and answers!!

Interview with Alex Okendo
30 June 2005

Obliteration have this year re-released both demos of MASACRE! Why did you decided to have these demos re-released?

We decided to re-release demos because we received a proposal from the Japenese label “Obliteration Records” and we thought it was interesting for this material to be re-edited in a CD format so this way many collectionits will be able to obtain it.

How many copies did you originally release of these demos? Did you spread them mainly in South America or also to Europe, Asia…?

Originaly from each of the demos there were 1,000 copies, and they were spread for same quantity all over the world and thanks to this our band was now beign very well known about in the world.

You got a deal with Osmose after the first MLP, did you have other labels trying to offer you deals?

We recieved many proposals from label to realease our work which were: WildRags, Decapitate Records, Decay Maggots (from France) and also from Deathlike Silence Productions from our friend Euronymous from the band Mayhem who always supported our work.

What are your memories of the times recording in 1989/1990?

I remember that recording in our country was something not very common and very hard, we had no instruments at all and we had to borrow instruments and rent them, we were radical and we were always drunk in our recordings. but they were unforgettable moments and one of our best times.

You say one reason MASACRE was born (and the brutal music!!) was because your country Columbia was dying from violence, corruption, drugs and death
From the outside, it is still a country with problems. Has the country changed? Does your country still affect the records you make today?

yes. definitely the political and social situation and injustice obliges us to create a real math with brutal musik.The deaths in colombia in such direct ways influences us a lot more to write about death.

The last track on Cancer… is a great cover of the cult SARCOFAGO!! Which other bands had influence over you then?

We are great lovers and followers of old metal again in those days we followed closely the scence of metal in Brazil now that these bands were pure brutal and our favorites.

Can you tell what happened to the other members, since you are the last original member from the demo times?

Some of them still are into metal but somehow far from it, some left it radically, some have died, and some have other projects with other bands but still not too dedicated. well i’ve been the only original member that everyday seems to get more into metal which is Masacre and Colombian Metal.

In the booklet [for Cancer de...] you send words to Euronymous and Metalion, did you have much contact with European underground?

In the beginning we had much mails from bands of the real European underground among these the band Mayhem which we alwayz great friends of us. which they also supported us in the beginning of our work. Some magazines like the one of “Metallion” helped us so be well known in Europe.

Also included in the booklet there is collection of band photos and flyers for gigs. Which are some of the best gigs you did 89-92?

Some of these were fulfilled in the cities of colombia like Cali, Bogota, Pereira, Manizales, and it will also be important to mention the ones in Ecuador and Peru. In those times the scence in colombia was very extreme and brutal and one of the only survivals was Masacre.

Do you remember, where the speeches are from on “Epilogo” from Colombia… and “Intro/Vida” on Cancer…? News reports?

The speeches are from news reports on the massacre here in Colombia. The “Intro/vida” was the heart of my daughter inside a maternal belly.

You just returned from a tour Suramericano over three months! How was this? (this finished at the beginning of 2005)

This southamerican tour was one of our best experiences we received total support. The southamerican maniacs are totally crazy and thanks to them our southamerican tour was a success.

HEY THANKS FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT!! WE HOPE THAT PEOPLE OBTAIN OUR WORK!! KEEP SUPPORTING OUR BAND MASSACRE!!!!! ALSO VISIT OUR PAGE http://masacre.cjb.net

Scharack (bloody six strings axe from hell) also runs Magistellus Infernal Productions whose latest releases are Warfare “Voices from Hell” and Black Winter “Still Alive…but Dead Soon”, both on cassette and soon available from TTR.

Releases from Nahual so far have been:
Coven – demo – 1996
Abomination des sorciers – adv.tape – 1997
Satánica Redención – comp. – 1999
Mysteries of the cosmic serpent – album – 2000
Triumph of the blackhearts – split cdr (Mutilated Christ) – 2000
Triumph of the blackhearts – demo – 2002
Apostasy Act – cdr – 2003
Massive Onslaught From Hell – album – 2004

Also included in this page are some new photos taken live on 02/04/2005 (day the pope died) !!
Thanks to Scharack and Lord Tiranna!

Interview with Lord Tiranna (impure vokills and astral vociferations)
12 May 2005

Hailz my friend what’s the news from Nahual cult, Magistellus Infernal and the Warhate Front ??

Hailz from Hell Comrade!!! The tank of propaganda and satanic ideology known as Nahual is soon to achieve ten years of total war against judeo-Christianity and other forms of condemned people, because of this we’ll be preparing a vinyl edition of our 96’ demo “Coven”, a live CD through Suicida Records (Ecuador), a compilation CD through A Sangre Fria rec. (Peru) and a cassette diehard rehearsal through Summon for Satan (Germany). Besides this there will be a Southamerican tour 2005 Impure Hellish Blackstorm!!! Regarding Magistellus Infernal zine volume II and the CD-R edition of some material by Imperial (FR) and More Majorum (FR). Warhate Front have increased the material of war with Psicoterror’zine # VIII (by far their best issue!), Grave Desecration recorded a song for a Brazilian compilation through the Southern Spirits records, two new hordes which will be releasing soon their debut demos are Conquest Incarnated and Misanthropic Storm (solo project of our guitarist Lord Azazel)

When did you start recording your blasphemy? Nahual started in 1995, but you all come from other bands since 1992 and before!

Nahual arose by the ideological maturity of both Scharack and myself (Lord Tiranna) in October of 1995. Our first band was Skeleton during August ’90. The path is a long one yet, and we have seen a lot of people come and go, some of the oldest bangers are back, but we were always there, the trends may pass, but Nahual is still at war!!!

How did Metal first find you?

My brother (Scharack) and myself started out with Heavy Metal: Iron Maiden, Alice Cooper, Mercyful Fate, Omen, and later we listened to Thrash and Death, but above all Sarcofago, Sepultura, Holocausto, Mutilator, Chakal, Vulcano, Expulser, Panic, Dorsal Atlantica, Ratos de Porao, Atomica, Exterminio, Parabellum, Atomic Aggressor, Death Yell, etc. The bands which served as influence in the beginning were Beherit, Darkthrone, Mayhem (old), Samael (old), etc.

You play quite often in your home city Lima, Peru. Have you played concerts much outside Peru? Do you consider any Concerts in Europe or North America?

To say the truth we don’t play that much here in Peru. We have played at the time only in Ecuador, but with the tour “Impure Hellish Blackstorm” we’ll reach several countries. To play in USA or Europe? All depends of the organizers, by the moment I don’t see that as a close probability, but perhaps with the next CD we’ll play in Europe and North America, all depends where we’ll be living at that point of time…

Live – Do you find good support from Peru maniacs?? Are you in contact with other Peru Black Metal bands to play with?

Yeah, to our shows come many Satanic maniacs, although as I said before, we don’t play that much often, but always the bangers await to see us live. We have contact with Grave Desecration, Black Angel, Lord Sanguinary and Flagellum Dei.

Talking to other bands from Peru it seems hard to play often, money and the venues are often not very good sound and such. How is your experience of Peru concerts?

Our only interest is that the Nahual rises in the acts of the warriors, to take off the Christian morals and turn them into real zombies and possessed ones, we don’t give that much importance to the equipments, cause we can always demonstrate extreme and bruising attitude and ideology

You style is unique for sure!! Sometimes its like Mystifier and some South American deathrash bands played slower and heavier. Who do take most influence from in your sound?

Thanks comrade we are pleased that a person of your trajectory and respect recognize the unique mark of knowledge. Our sound is a mixture of aggression, ritual, death and extreme unction only to real warriors of Malkuth. We’re not fond of copying riffs. We search for our own sound and images of War!!!
It’s a very hard Path, but we are on a personal footpath for almost 10 years and no trend will overcome that!!! Our hymns are influenced by the cosmic Empire of Satan and by the voice of the Dead!!!

How did the recording go for this record? How long were you writing the songs, and lyrics…how long did it take to record?

The black hymns dedicated to Satan were composed through the course of the years and battles…one of the oldest dates from 1992 and the newest from 2000…we recorded them at John Agressor’s Session Studio (Hadez- Peru) for almost two weeks, there were two different mixes, at last the mark of the beast was registered and a war arsenal and satanic propaganda which leaves very high indeed the name of the SouthAmerican Black Metal!!!

Can you explain the meaning in the Mask you wear on the booklet?

It’s the mask of knowledge that can be appreciated in the 3D logo created by the human beast Carlos Chac!!!

What are the activities of the Warhate Front?

The elite which Nahual takes part of, carries the name of Warhate Front, and as every Elite, it’s a reduced group, formed by individuals with certain intellectual supremacy and satanic ideology, which throughout diverse artistic manifestations (literature, music, articles, photography, manifests, fanzines and future interviews), propagate Laveyan Satanism and extreme anti judeo-christianity.
Our objectives are to rumble the foundations of this putrid society ruled by Judeo Christianity and with its fall to assure the future of a satanic society, full of strong, intelligent, individualist and independent people, with life will and power, in which we can live according to our own nature, beyond good and evil, while the black flame of Satan burns in its darkest and purest form! Hail Satanic Millenium!!!
Warhate Front is conformed by the following bands, projects and zines: Nahual, Aquam Igni, Grave Desecration, Misanthropic Storm, Conquest Incarnated, Psicoterror’zine and Magistellus Infernal Prods/Distro/Zine.

Warhate Front holds a rational philosophy. Not about physical Satan, but a self-based ideology, using symbolism understanding that You are the “centre of the universe”. Seems from this you are sharing the outlook of Anton LaVey, yes? Did his life and writings influence your life and music?

LaVey was the first individual who established Satanism as a philosophy of a Carnal Nature, based on rational self-interest, taking the name of Satan as a perfect representation of the essence of the strong, wise and selfish man, living according as his wild, proud and carnal nature dictates, taking the instincts of the self as cult and celebration objects inside of an structure, organized as a temple of glorious indulgence of such primal impulses innate to the human-animal.
LaVeyan Satanism is a form of selfish atheism, a philosophy of life and a strong doctrine of self-conservation, which consists in adoring the existent principles allegorized by the figure of Satan. It’s the cult of the instinctive essence, the dark side, carnal and wild of the human-animal nature. It’s about the existential struggle to reach Homo Deus or Super Man. We’re talking about modern Satanism (Dark and Carnal philosophy out of all judeochristian context and therefore independent of it), not about simple Medieval Demonolatry or Inverse Christianity. We don’t worship “Satan” as a synonymous of the “Devil”, I mean as an existent entity, nor “the Angel who fell from Celestial grace”, for pretending a kind of state collapse against the divine tyranny, nor the rest of judeo-christian myths.
How could be at War with Christianity, being our system of beliefs locked in such a religious context and therefore dependent of it? It would be as declaring war against ourselves. We worship the principles that mankind have decided to represent by the demons, throughout all history, but we don’t worship the demons, as if they were existent spectral creatures.

Can you say some words about the hordes BLACK WINTER and WARFARE ?

Warfare from Chile formed in 1995. The material edited by Magistellus Infernal prods is “Voices from Hell” (debut demo) and the participation with two tracks on the 4 way split CD “Recrucifixion”. Their current line-up is: Winter Demon (vocals); Emperor Orravan (drums); Dunkler Racher (bass) and Abhorer (guitars).
The Greek Black Winter were formed in the year 2000. The material edited by Magistellus Infernal prods is “Still Alive…but soon Dead” (live album). Their current line –up is: Astrous (vocals); Demonith (drums); Victor Imperator (bass); Gasgorth (guitars) and Atheist (guitars).
___________
Contacto:
Luis Guillen
Calle Manuel Tumba Mz. G – 1 Lt. 33
Urb. Honor y Lealtad
Lima 33 – PERU

Woods of Infinity was born in 1999, planned as a short project between Ravenlord and Melkor – a personal project to make music for their own entertainment. As material started to be created over the next few months it was realised this project has bacome more than simply a hobby. It became a product of their full creative energies and a pool for their collective spirit. Woods of Infinity grew naturally as a result of a need to invest artistic forces into music, Black Metal.

The first release was Skog, demo 1999. Very raw recording, including the “Worship Us” track which is also included on the I-20 EP. Following this first demo, two further demos were released Trollhamnd and Gaggenau (recently re-released). After the first release of I-20 7” and a promo tape (Promo 2001) the clasick Förintelse & Libido tape was self-released to 1000 copies. As this tape spread in 2002/3 Sombre Records released the split Ep with Armagedda and Total Holocaust in 2003 released I-20 7”. A year later Skull Productions re-released the Gaggenau demo, Klaxon Prod released the split EP with Horna, and Total Holocaust re-released Förintelse & Libido on CD.
Now after a year in a “creative vacuum” Woods of Infinity present new material with more on the horizon — the awaited split with Joyless and a new album summer 2005!

The new stage of Woods of Infinity clearly demonstrates a focused, creative and established sound with renewed enthusiasm and emotion. Although the F&L tape will always be a personal favourite, it’s hard to deny Hejdå presents WoI at their most inspired yet!

Thanks to Melkor for great (and fast) interview!

Interview with Melkor
02 May 2005

What are you saying “Goodbye” to?
(Hejdå translates to goodbye)

A lot of things. This new album really feels like a transformation or a metamorphosis of some kind. We have now left all of the old behind us for good. With the release of F&L, Gaggenau and Hejdå our last lingering threads of what we were have been severed. Our past is naturally a big part of us but now it feels like there’s nothing holding us back. The future looks sweet.

The album was recorded during December 2004/January 2005, but you also returned to record some extra tracks, is that correct?

The recording of the album took longer than two months. Everything was recorded in consecutive sessions with the exceptions of “Det Som Hände” and “En Förgången Tid” which are older songs.

Short Descriptions of tracks from Hejdå

Köld
It’s a homage to Sweden, to the cold winter and the feeling of purity and peace you can find in the snow and the darkness.

Under Färden
It’s excerpts from a disjointed dream or vision Ravenlord had. I can’t really comment on it or explain it. A bizarre mix of religion and perversion.

Kärlek och Vänskap
This is a song about pure misanthropy yet the longing to be someone happy and fulfilled, to get a fresh start. It’s a cynical and hateful rambling about the disgusting world yet with the insight that the beholder might be the problem instead of the other way around.

Piskar Ut Mitt Hat
A song about love and hate. To desire something to the brink of repulsion and contempt. About HER. Or IT. The object of ultimate desire. The reason why people torture puppies or babies, maybe?

En Förgången Tid
This lyric is very old, written in 1995. It’s simply a tale about a journey through the desolate cold in the night and the thoughts and experiences of that journey.

Det Som Hände
This lyric is twofold. I’ve written the first half and Ravenlord the second. It describes my hatred for our “lost ways”. Our people have no pride anymore. Ravenlords contribution is hard to explain. In part a game with words and opposites.

Sakrament
It describes the killing of a best friend. The angst that leads up to the decision and the malice and insanity yet clear and focused determination of the act.

Can you give some examples of your sources for samples? Do you sample many films?

Our sources are many. Odd 60′s or 70′s vinyl albums. Yes, sometimes movies. Some samples we record ourselves or have others (girls) record it for us.

Which films or paintings, if any, visualise in some way the aesthetic of WoI?

Tough question. To some degree David Lynch movies such as Eraserhead. Opressive and somewhat insane. La cité des enfants perdus was a great influence on me for a while. I fell in love with Miette. I have to admit I’m not a big “art buff”. I do enjoy Giger but I don’t know if his art has had any influence on what I create. I would say anything that looks decayed, used and filthy could visualise us as a band. We long for purity though.

Is your attraction towards innocence and the power we can hold over it, the abuse of that power or a combination of those attributes? Is it mental, physical, emotional attractions?

Innocense is such a precious thing. The height of pleasure has to be the killing of innocense. To shatter it in one fell swoop. It’s a horrible thing to think of. Sometimes I want to cradle the innocense and nurture it. But I suspect mankind has a built in urge to finally destroy it. Any attractions towards the innocense itself is just manifestations of a different kind of mental unhealth.

You want to affect wider changes, what do you hope your records will achieve as they fall into people’s hands?
What would be your first command if you could affect everyone who carries your disc?

Sure, most people want to make an impact on the world. I hope “Hejdå” will inspire people. I hope it will ignite some feelings in cynical, dried up minds. I hope people will hate it and love it. All the feelings on the spectra are good. I loathe apathy.
Haha, I don’t know what my command would be. “Make a copy and have someone else listen to it or you’ll die in seven days”? Jokes aside, it’s a difficult question to answer. The egoist in me would command them to give me money. The power hungry would-be despot in me would make them my legion. There are a ton of answers to that question.

Clearly your music DOES affect people, not many others can force such strong pro/anti reactions. Do you enjoy the fact your music pleasures and offends so strongly those who hear it?

I kinda drifted into this one when I answered the last question. Yes, of course ,I love strong emotion.

WOI is a personal catharsis for you I believe? What would you do if you did not have this musical outlet?

I would be hollow and without motivation. WoI is one of the few reasons I get out of bed in the morning. I guess I would eventually find a different way to express myself? Perhaps a more directly violent one.

Do you desire to see urban civilisation destroyed and return to more ‘pre-industrialised’ times, or in fact does the decay of such areas move you.

Yes, the return to pre-industrial times is a romantic concept. I’m not sure if I personally would like it there but I think mankind as a whole and mother earth would benefit from it. I’m deeply moved by urban decay. I haven’t really investigated why that is. A looming concrete building, stained with age and crumbling from neglect almost brings tears to my eyes. Though not just urban decay is appealing to me aesthetically, all forms of decay hold a certain charm.

What is the video idea you have? A Music-video or something more personal / wider focused? You made one before, but this was more just experimenting?

I have a lot of ideas for the upcoming video. It will be a music video but not in the conventional sense. There will be no shots of me playing the guitar or anything like that. The finished result will hopefully be a window into a puzzling mind and one grizzly act of violence. The “video” I made before was just an experiment that leaked out. It’s not official and doesn’t really represent us.

The cover-song in Hejdå is obscure, but of course we can understand from WoI. Can you explain why this particular song was chosen?

I wouldn’t call Barry Manilow obscure. We chose to cover that song because we both are very fond of Barrys music. It’s solemn and melancholic and with great skill and talent behind it. Barrys voice is amazing. We chose “old songs” because it held a dual meaning to us – refering to the “old times” of Black Metal as well as Barry Manilows sad love story.

Since the demo-times, how do you think you’ve changed as a band musically? Do you think you focus on different topics now to before, or is the duality still as strong now?

We’ve developed a lot during the years. We’ve grown more professional and more focused in our music. The duality is still there, it’s what makes the band dynamic. Sometimes one side has more influence and sometimes they are in balance. I’ve grown more in my lyric writing and I write about more personal issues nowadays. I’m a lot more honest and open and a lot less pretentious. Though lately I’ve focused more on writing music than lyrics. Ravenlord writes excellent lyrics so this is no big loss, haha.

Your next release will be the vinyl version of Hejdå and the delayed release split with Joyless. Do you have future plans in mind?

Yes, we’ve got a few plans. We’re recording material for the second (or third depending on if you count F&L) album. Things are moving forward at an hysterical pace and it feels wonderful after the year long period of creative vacuum. Hopefully the new album will be finished this summer.