WATAIN (SWE)
The black metal that Watain stands for is something that seems beyond the usual metalheads' understanding of whether the Devil should be worshipped for fun or in all seriousness. Those who are undecided have the most to gain here.
Erik, you just got back from a mini tour in Finland with Kaamos. Tell me all the dirty details from beyond the grave, please.
-The tour went well... Three days of total chaos including burning houses, burning arms, blood, eating excrement and general misery. Inspiring if nothing else! Also interesting to see how big a difference there is between Finland and Sweden in terms of audience response. It seems that people have actually managed to maintain some kind of genuine interest in extreme Metal over there, something you have to make a real effort to feel at Swedish gigs where people are more interested in demonstrating their roles as inbred peace activists than showing any appreciation for being able to take part in a gig.
You also played at Open Hell. Tell us about that and the Russian grave desecrator…
-The tour went well... Three days of total chaos including burning houses, burning arms, blood, eating excrement and general misery. Inspiring if nothing else! Also interesting to see how big a difference there is between Finland and Sweden in terms of audience response. It seems that people have actually managed to maintain some kind of genuine interest in extreme Metal over there, something you have to make a real effort to feel at Swedish gigs where people are more interested in demonstrating their roles as inbred peace activists than showing any appreciation for being able to take part in a gig.
You also played at Open Hell. Tell us about that and the Russian grave desecrator…
- Yes, we played at this Czech festival in July this year (2004), together with TÖRR, ROOT and lots of idiot bands. Three days of violence, absinthe and death! Greg from Orthodox Productions in Russia, who also released the Russian cassette version of Casus Luciferi, took the train to the gig from the Siberian tundra, bringing a freshly dug skull and femur as a gift. No pardon!
How do you think about a gig and what can you expect? You've played in some pretty odd places in Europe.
-We've always had a special relationship with our live performances, and over the years things have only gotten worse and worse, in a positive sense. Many confused statements have been made by various pseudo-misanthropes that Black Metal is not something that should be performed live in the first place, a thesis that I personally can't see as anything other than idiotic. Watain's gigs are the times when the power and magic of our music is channeled through us, no more powerful manifestation of the primal power that we serve can be made by us as a band. It is true that most metal bands that play live do so for different reasons than we do, and how relevant it is to watch four penguin-faced whores in latex pants perform an exact static copy of what they do on their worthless records is debatable, but we believe that what we do live is about something completely different than the ego trip it entails for most people. For us, it has become something of a ritual, and I think that most people perceive what we do on stage as unpleasant rather than "cool".
So far we have done two entire European tours and several separate gigs in countries like Italy, England, France etc... I assume that by odd places you mainly mean the places we have played in Eastern Europe, the paradise of the iron knight, and without a doubt it is also these gigs that have been the most inspiring. People over there still hunger for the genuine art form that Black/Death Metal once was (and still is, albeit drastically watered down in most places), and of course you'd rather play to such people than degenerate German young pigs who don't care if it's Iced Earth or Nifelheim playing, as long as they get to spill their beer and be mentally handicapped in peace. No, Germany has done its part, it shows...
You seem to like to operate in the hidden. There are only a few pictures of you, you don't reveal much about your personalities in interviews, you are rarely seen in contexts other than concerts, and then all of a sudden you were just there with one of the greatest black metal albums of all time, Rabid Death's Curse. How do you explain that?
How do you think about a gig and what can you expect? You've played in some pretty odd places in Europe.
-We've always had a special relationship with our live performances, and over the years things have only gotten worse and worse, in a positive sense. Many confused statements have been made by various pseudo-misanthropes that Black Metal is not something that should be performed live in the first place, a thesis that I personally can't see as anything other than idiotic. Watain's gigs are the times when the power and magic of our music is channeled through us, no more powerful manifestation of the primal power that we serve can be made by us as a band. It is true that most metal bands that play live do so for different reasons than we do, and how relevant it is to watch four penguin-faced whores in latex pants perform an exact static copy of what they do on their worthless records is debatable, but we believe that what we do live is about something completely different than the ego trip it entails for most people. For us, it has become something of a ritual, and I think that most people perceive what we do on stage as unpleasant rather than "cool".
So far we have done two entire European tours and several separate gigs in countries like Italy, England, France etc... I assume that by odd places you mainly mean the places we have played in Eastern Europe, the paradise of the iron knight, and without a doubt it is also these gigs that have been the most inspiring. People over there still hunger for the genuine art form that Black/Death Metal once was (and still is, albeit drastically watered down in most places), and of course you'd rather play to such people than degenerate German young pigs who don't care if it's Iced Earth or Nifelheim playing, as long as they get to spill their beer and be mentally handicapped in peace. No, Germany has done its part, it shows...
You seem to like to operate in the hidden. There are only a few pictures of you, you don't reveal much about your personalities in interviews, you are rarely seen in contexts other than concerts, and then all of a sudden you were just there with one of the greatest black metal albums of all time, Rabid Death's Curse. How do you explain that?
-Black/Death Metal has never been dependent on personalities or individuals. The genre itself has certainly had certain key figures who have carried its torch forward, but when it comes to performing the pure art form, it is no longer about how creative, purposeful, famous, rich or charismatic the artist actually is. The key to being capable of performing real Black Metal lies in Receptiveness. The role as a medium. When I listen to A blaze in the northern sky I don't hear three pimply Norwegians in lice cardigans trying to make innovative music. What I hear is as far from what you can get, it's not human. The same thing when we listen to the Watain albums afterwards, and that's why we have never attached any great importance to who we really are as people. Even if what we have inside us colors - strongly - how we live, there is no reason to put ourselves at the center. Watain is not three people, but the power that flows from and between them.
"I play in a black metal band, but I am not a devil worshipper or a Satanist". Comment? Can you even imagine listening to a BM band where you know that the members don't give a damn about devil worship?
- With the above answers in mind, it is impossible to deny that a lot of quality Black Metal has been written by people who ultimately know nothing whatsoever about what forces they are actually dealing with. And don't hold it against me, the blind can serve just as well as the sighted. On the other hand, an open denial - or a gross misinterpretation of Satanism and the spiritual is completely unthinkable for people who consider themselves to belong to the same genre as us. Bands that are not receptive to anything greater than their own individual fondness for a subculture that they have not really understood are of course nothing that shouldn't result in anything but a shot in the back of the head.
Do you/they distinguish between devil worship and Satanism? How serious are Watain in their devil worship? How does it express itself? Do you live as you teach? Why worship anything at all? What is the point of submitting?
-The doctrine to which Watain has submitted is not something that can be described in a few words in an underground magazine. Its temple is built of all the world's teachings, heresies, churches and communities and most of its living knowledge is hidden within itself, and in its servants. The band itself is an expression of the religion, an intricate symbol that is constantly nourished by an ever deeper insight among its three poles. Perhaps it is the closest we will ever come to a righteous manifestation of what we have within us. "Art and prayer are the only decent ejaculations of the soul."
Tell us about your lyrics. These are not the usual BM lyrics you get when you read them carefully. How serious are they really? What got you into these tracks and thoughts? You were born an innocent little brat just like everyone else. Suppose you never discovered the dark side of music, where would you be today? Can it be explained as simply as discussing only heritage and environment, or is there something deeper to dig into?
"I play in a black metal band, but I am not a devil worshipper or a Satanist". Comment? Can you even imagine listening to a BM band where you know that the members don't give a damn about devil worship?
- With the above answers in mind, it is impossible to deny that a lot of quality Black Metal has been written by people who ultimately know nothing whatsoever about what forces they are actually dealing with. And don't hold it against me, the blind can serve just as well as the sighted. On the other hand, an open denial - or a gross misinterpretation of Satanism and the spiritual is completely unthinkable for people who consider themselves to belong to the same genre as us. Bands that are not receptive to anything greater than their own individual fondness for a subculture that they have not really understood are of course nothing that shouldn't result in anything but a shot in the back of the head.
Do you/they distinguish between devil worship and Satanism? How serious are Watain in their devil worship? How does it express itself? Do you live as you teach? Why worship anything at all? What is the point of submitting?
-The doctrine to which Watain has submitted is not something that can be described in a few words in an underground magazine. Its temple is built of all the world's teachings, heresies, churches and communities and most of its living knowledge is hidden within itself, and in its servants. The band itself is an expression of the religion, an intricate symbol that is constantly nourished by an ever deeper insight among its three poles. Perhaps it is the closest we will ever come to a righteous manifestation of what we have within us. "Art and prayer are the only decent ejaculations of the soul."
Tell us about your lyrics. These are not the usual BM lyrics you get when you read them carefully. How serious are they really? What got you into these tracks and thoughts? You were born an innocent little brat just like everyone else. Suppose you never discovered the dark side of music, where would you be today? Can it be explained as simply as discussing only heritage and environment, or is there something deeper to dig into?
-The lyrics are what outwardly makes Watain a Black Metal band, and the fact that they play an incredibly central role probably doesn't even need to be mentioned. The occasions when they are written have always been special, moments of an almost painful closeness with the Satanic reality, and the feeling that they are not written solely by me is most of the time very tangible. The lyrics are as personal as they can be, written as a result of a consciously established bond between me as a person and the servant that is in me, as well as in you. How some find the dark path and others do not is beyond our comprehension, but of course the interest in the left path and the constant feeling of a calling have served their purpose. And once again, the receptivity. There are too many "whys?", and the one that refers to the reason why I am what I am today is something that has become less important the stronger the conviction has become.
Do you believe that God and Satan exist according to the biblical tradition? Explain your view of what you believe. And if it is the Christians who are the truly evil ones and will burn (Knutby is probably the latest example of evil in its darkest form, George W Bush another. The Christian right is permeated with total darkness), where does Watain end up? Personally, I believe that what people call God and Satan are the same thing.
-This depends on which biblical tradition you point to, the definitions of good and evil in Christian doctrine are quite different depending on who wrote them or of course how you interpret them. But just open the book and read the first lines, there the struggle begins "And the earth was formless and empty, and darkness was over the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light. And God saw that the light was good; and God divided the light from the darkness." (GEN 1:2) There are more ancient forces than one in this world, and they constantly work against each other. The same struggle exists within all people.
To claim that Christians are "the truly evil ones" is of course an exaggeration, but it is also obvious that Christianity is thoroughly infiltrated by forces other than the Creator's.
How do you view other religions? Is religion an opium of the people?
Yes, I am not completely unfamiliar with that idea. But I don't see enslavement as something worth fighting against, but rather for. Evil is chaos, what ignites the flame of passion in human souls, and most religions serve no other purpose than to lead people away from the truth, into lies, sin and tragedy.
I think The Satanic Bible by LaVey is damn lame in comparison to the real thing. There is nothing in it that is particularly revolutionary in terms of thought, even if the first part is quite truthful, and its only purpose seems to be to whore for the public and create pseudo-headlines in weak minds. What do you think of the book? Any other books that have opened your eyes and made your brain work a little extra?
Do you believe that God and Satan exist according to the biblical tradition? Explain your view of what you believe. And if it is the Christians who are the truly evil ones and will burn (Knutby is probably the latest example of evil in its darkest form, George W Bush another. The Christian right is permeated with total darkness), where does Watain end up? Personally, I believe that what people call God and Satan are the same thing.
-This depends on which biblical tradition you point to, the definitions of good and evil in Christian doctrine are quite different depending on who wrote them or of course how you interpret them. But just open the book and read the first lines, there the struggle begins "And the earth was formless and empty, and darkness was over the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light. And God saw that the light was good; and God divided the light from the darkness." (GEN 1:2) There are more ancient forces than one in this world, and they constantly work against each other. The same struggle exists within all people.
To claim that Christians are "the truly evil ones" is of course an exaggeration, but it is also obvious that Christianity is thoroughly infiltrated by forces other than the Creator's.
How do you view other religions? Is religion an opium of the people?
Yes, I am not completely unfamiliar with that idea. But I don't see enslavement as something worth fighting against, but rather for. Evil is chaos, what ignites the flame of passion in human souls, and most religions serve no other purpose than to lead people away from the truth, into lies, sin and tragedy.
I think The Satanic Bible by LaVey is damn lame in comparison to the real thing. There is nothing in it that is particularly revolutionary in terms of thought, even if the first part is quite truthful, and its only purpose seems to be to whore for the public and create pseudo-headlines in weak minds. What do you think of the book? Any other books that have opened your eyes and made your brain work a little extra?
-I do not find LaVey's heresies particularly stimulating, no, they are too carnal and worldly to be applied to true Satanism... As far as stimulating literature is concerned, there are certainly a lot of writings dealing with the mysteries of the Lord, but for the sensation-seeking heretics who read this magazine, the daily newspaper is rather recommended, if obvious evidence of the Devil's splendor is sought. There is no reason to cast pearls before swine...
By the way, I recently saw Mel Gibson's film The Passion of The Christ. Have you seen it? A real slasher film where the suffering of Christ is highlighted in a nice brutal way.
-I have not seen the film in question, but I will definitely do so. The interesting thing is the controversial aspects of the film, I think, always encouraging when Jewish propaganda is wavering.
You use corpsepaint, blood and other paraphernalia from all corners of the BM scene, but on the records you are called Erik, Pelle and Håkan as in everyday life (or rather E., P. and H.). I assume this is because you want to be honest in your practice of Black Metal as it should be performed according to you? You don't hide behind pseudonyms. Feel free to develop this with corpsepaint, blood and the names. What meaning does it have for you?
-Pseudonyms can serve their function in some bands, but most of the time they are added for no reason, and pointlessness in combination with Black/Death Metal is unacceptable... We don't even use our regular names anymore, who we are, what our names are etc. have become more and more irrelevant. As far as the visuals are concerned, Watain is very traditional, and there are many reasons for this. The bands that inspire us and that shaped what we see as the true Black/Death Metal scene are also the bands that have been most successful in creating art that functions as a channeling of black and demonic energies, not only through the music but also through lyrics and the visuals. Bands like Mayhem, Necrovore, Beherit, Venom, Mercyful Fate and Samael were all keen to form a whole of the visual, the music and the lyrics, and therein lies the biggest reason to use the accessories you mentioned.
The connection between Black Metal and Nazism/racism/fascism, how do you see it? I got hold of a fanzine called Blutkrieg Zine (or something similar, I can't bring myself to look it up) where there is more talk about white people taking over the world (!) than about the music. The zine is printed in 88 copies, and those 88 guys are going to take over the world... Haha! There are so many damn cool players out there. Within the BM scene, symbols associated with the Third Reich (SS skulls, swastikas, etc.) are relatively common. Is it just a gimmick or can it perhaps be interpreted as a symbol of ultimate evil?
-That politics and Black Metal do not belong together should be obvious by now, people who believe otherwise are hereby urged to march to the gas chambers. A political ideology will never be more than a grain of sand in the desert compared to the metaphysical evil and immeasurable power that Black/Death Metal is built on.
Tell us about the collaboration with Davthys, the man behind a large part of your covers and who also makes the crudest fanzine the earth has ever seen, also called Davthys.
-We stand for the ideas, Davthys visualizes them, of course with some influence from his own way of thinking, which can be associated with Watain on many levels, as it has turned out. He is in my opinion one of the most brilliant artists in the Black/Death Metal scene ever.
Tell us about Casus Luciferi - the meaning of the title, the music, the lyrics, the cover, the layout, the guest lyricists, the symbolism... Anything you want to tell me should go here.
By the way, I recently saw Mel Gibson's film The Passion of The Christ. Have you seen it? A real slasher film where the suffering of Christ is highlighted in a nice brutal way.
-I have not seen the film in question, but I will definitely do so. The interesting thing is the controversial aspects of the film, I think, always encouraging when Jewish propaganda is wavering.
You use corpsepaint, blood and other paraphernalia from all corners of the BM scene, but on the records you are called Erik, Pelle and Håkan as in everyday life (or rather E., P. and H.). I assume this is because you want to be honest in your practice of Black Metal as it should be performed according to you? You don't hide behind pseudonyms. Feel free to develop this with corpsepaint, blood and the names. What meaning does it have for you?
-Pseudonyms can serve their function in some bands, but most of the time they are added for no reason, and pointlessness in combination with Black/Death Metal is unacceptable... We don't even use our regular names anymore, who we are, what our names are etc. have become more and more irrelevant. As far as the visuals are concerned, Watain is very traditional, and there are many reasons for this. The bands that inspire us and that shaped what we see as the true Black/Death Metal scene are also the bands that have been most successful in creating art that functions as a channeling of black and demonic energies, not only through the music but also through lyrics and the visuals. Bands like Mayhem, Necrovore, Beherit, Venom, Mercyful Fate and Samael were all keen to form a whole of the visual, the music and the lyrics, and therein lies the biggest reason to use the accessories you mentioned.
The connection between Black Metal and Nazism/racism/fascism, how do you see it? I got hold of a fanzine called Blutkrieg Zine (or something similar, I can't bring myself to look it up) where there is more talk about white people taking over the world (!) than about the music. The zine is printed in 88 copies, and those 88 guys are going to take over the world... Haha! There are so many damn cool players out there. Within the BM scene, symbols associated with the Third Reich (SS skulls, swastikas, etc.) are relatively common. Is it just a gimmick or can it perhaps be interpreted as a symbol of ultimate evil?
-That politics and Black Metal do not belong together should be obvious by now, people who believe otherwise are hereby urged to march to the gas chambers. A political ideology will never be more than a grain of sand in the desert compared to the metaphysical evil and immeasurable power that Black/Death Metal is built on.
Tell us about the collaboration with Davthys, the man behind a large part of your covers and who also makes the crudest fanzine the earth has ever seen, also called Davthys.
-We stand for the ideas, Davthys visualizes them, of course with some influence from his own way of thinking, which can be associated with Watain on many levels, as it has turned out. He is in my opinion one of the most brilliant artists in the Black/Death Metal scene ever.
Tell us about Casus Luciferi - the meaning of the title, the music, the lyrics, the cover, the layout, the guest lyricists, the symbolism... Anything you want to tell me should go here.
Fuck you all!
...ok...
How do you go about writing the music? Who writes what? Do you ever jam songs? Who does most of the riffing? Etc etc…
-I haven't the faintest idea about it.
I’lbe damned ...
How important is it for you to be able to record with Tore Stjerna (a friend of the band, also drummer in Funeral Mist and the driving force behind the Necromorbus studio). Would it be different if you were forced to look for another studio? The soundscape on Casus Luciferi is truly special. Tell us more about it and how you thought about it. How did the work in the studio go, etc. etc…
-The collaboration with Necro has been brilliant so far, it is stimulating to say the least to work with professionals who also have deep insight into the nature of the band. Casus Luciferi was most likely not our last collaboration with him, as we have so far not felt any need to broaden our horizons when it comes to recordings. The soundscape on the aforementioned album was something we had quite clearly drawn in our minds before we went into the studio, and the result is frighteningly similar to what I myself had in mind, at least. A dagger in the face to all the third-rate Darkthrone copies who believe that a completely worthless sound image is equivalent to true Black Metal. We piss on all that is called inferior, primitive scene metal, and also on the hordes of fourteen-year-old cripples who stand behind it!
Tell us about your participation on the Damnation album Destructo Evangelia. Your vocal contribution is among the best that has been done in a long time in the BM scene, if I may be allowed to flatter a little.
-Insulter asked me to add some vocals in connection with making the layout for the album in question. It was definitely an honor to contribute something to such a band, Damnation is one of the few remnants of the old days that still knows the true ideals of Black/Death Metal, and who profess to them.
Fortunately, the Black Metal scene (at least the number of bands) has decreased in size in recent years. When it was at its worst, every idiot started a BM band and both the music and the feeling were seriously eroded. For me, Black Metal is about more than music and aesthetics. Many bands seem to forget the genuine feeling. What do you think about this? You seem to have a lot of contacts within the scene, how do you see today's BM scene? Which BM bands do you listen to yourself?
-That the scene should be reduced in scope is something I find difficult to agree with, I would personally like to see 90% of it decimated in the most violent way possible. Only a few Black Metal bands measure up to the current situation, and these are those affiliated with NORMA EVANGELIUM DIABOLI, as well as Dissection and a few others. These bands are the ones whose goal is not to promote a music scene or feed their egos, but to bring forth and channel the forces of the forces of destruction, to praise them and to see them work. As for the Black Metal bands that are on the record player at home, apart from the above royalties, it will mostly be old stuff like Mayhem, VON, Master's Hammer, Samael, Mercyful Fate, Root, Venom, Sabbat, Morbid Angel, Sadistik Exekution, Necrovore, Profanatica etc... And apart from this of course a lot of Death/Speed/Heavy and other shady stuff...
In a park not so long ago I heard a certain E. make the following statement when the nerd band Europe performed Rock the night on the bandstand: "Sweden's best band". Try to defend it if you can, kid!
-I've never said Sweden's best band, but on the other hand I usually mention them in the same league as Bathory, Morbid and Grotesque, without a doubt! Definitely Sweden's best heavy metal band. As for the "nerd factor" in that statement, I feel fairly comfortable, at least as far as I know I'm not a writer for the humanist magazine Close-Up, like some others.
And now you're contributing to the humanist magazine Ny Moral instead. Hoho.
What do you listen to besides metal?
-There will be a lot of other things too, but the common denominator is that it should have a dark/chaotic character. Some bands I like outside of metal are Fields of the Nephilim, Mob 47, Diamanda Galas, Subvision, Nick Cave, Arsedestroyer, Sutcliffe Jugend, Vit Aggression, EAK, Skrewdriver, Korpses Katatonik, Laibach, Svart Parad and many others. In addition to that, there will be very old soundtracks etc...
You have also been behind the drums in the band Systemslakt. Tell us!
- I played drums in this band ten years ago, together with some street stone-throwing Zionist lackeys from Uppsala. Definitely violent, but too frivolous.
Hellish Massacre is your creation, a fanzine beyond the ordinary. I thought you only wrote about Black Metal, but that doesn't seem to be the case. Do some zine history and tell us about your purpose with it is?
- Hellish Massacre is a provocative Black/Death magazine with a focus on the underground…
I'm not really looking to attract new readers, so I don't have much more to say...
...ok...
How do you go about writing the music? Who writes what? Do you ever jam songs? Who does most of the riffing? Etc etc…
-I haven't the faintest idea about it.
I’lbe damned ...
How important is it for you to be able to record with Tore Stjerna (a friend of the band, also drummer in Funeral Mist and the driving force behind the Necromorbus studio). Would it be different if you were forced to look for another studio? The soundscape on Casus Luciferi is truly special. Tell us more about it and how you thought about it. How did the work in the studio go, etc. etc…
-The collaboration with Necro has been brilliant so far, it is stimulating to say the least to work with professionals who also have deep insight into the nature of the band. Casus Luciferi was most likely not our last collaboration with him, as we have so far not felt any need to broaden our horizons when it comes to recordings. The soundscape on the aforementioned album was something we had quite clearly drawn in our minds before we went into the studio, and the result is frighteningly similar to what I myself had in mind, at least. A dagger in the face to all the third-rate Darkthrone copies who believe that a completely worthless sound image is equivalent to true Black Metal. We piss on all that is called inferior, primitive scene metal, and also on the hordes of fourteen-year-old cripples who stand behind it!
Tell us about your participation on the Damnation album Destructo Evangelia. Your vocal contribution is among the best that has been done in a long time in the BM scene, if I may be allowed to flatter a little.
-Insulter asked me to add some vocals in connection with making the layout for the album in question. It was definitely an honor to contribute something to such a band, Damnation is one of the few remnants of the old days that still knows the true ideals of Black/Death Metal, and who profess to them.
Fortunately, the Black Metal scene (at least the number of bands) has decreased in size in recent years. When it was at its worst, every idiot started a BM band and both the music and the feeling were seriously eroded. For me, Black Metal is about more than music and aesthetics. Many bands seem to forget the genuine feeling. What do you think about this? You seem to have a lot of contacts within the scene, how do you see today's BM scene? Which BM bands do you listen to yourself?
-That the scene should be reduced in scope is something I find difficult to agree with, I would personally like to see 90% of it decimated in the most violent way possible. Only a few Black Metal bands measure up to the current situation, and these are those affiliated with NORMA EVANGELIUM DIABOLI, as well as Dissection and a few others. These bands are the ones whose goal is not to promote a music scene or feed their egos, but to bring forth and channel the forces of the forces of destruction, to praise them and to see them work. As for the Black Metal bands that are on the record player at home, apart from the above royalties, it will mostly be old stuff like Mayhem, VON, Master's Hammer, Samael, Mercyful Fate, Root, Venom, Sabbat, Morbid Angel, Sadistik Exekution, Necrovore, Profanatica etc... And apart from this of course a lot of Death/Speed/Heavy and other shady stuff...
In a park not so long ago I heard a certain E. make the following statement when the nerd band Europe performed Rock the night on the bandstand: "Sweden's best band". Try to defend it if you can, kid!
-I've never said Sweden's best band, but on the other hand I usually mention them in the same league as Bathory, Morbid and Grotesque, without a doubt! Definitely Sweden's best heavy metal band. As for the "nerd factor" in that statement, I feel fairly comfortable, at least as far as I know I'm not a writer for the humanist magazine Close-Up, like some others.
And now you're contributing to the humanist magazine Ny Moral instead. Hoho.
What do you listen to besides metal?
-There will be a lot of other things too, but the common denominator is that it should have a dark/chaotic character. Some bands I like outside of metal are Fields of the Nephilim, Mob 47, Diamanda Galas, Subvision, Nick Cave, Arsedestroyer, Sutcliffe Jugend, Vit Aggression, EAK, Skrewdriver, Korpses Katatonik, Laibach, Svart Parad and many others. In addition to that, there will be very old soundtracks etc...
You have also been behind the drums in the band Systemslakt. Tell us!
- I played drums in this band ten years ago, together with some street stone-throwing Zionist lackeys from Uppsala. Definitely violent, but too frivolous.
Hellish Massacre is your creation, a fanzine beyond the ordinary. I thought you only wrote about Black Metal, but that doesn't seem to be the case. Do some zine history and tell us about your purpose with it is?
- Hellish Massacre is a provocative Black/Death magazine with a focus on the underground…
I'm not really looking to attract new readers, so I don't have much more to say...
Are you doing other activities besides Watain that can be connected to the music? I know your drummer prints t-shirts, for example.
- I work with layout etc., more info at www.coldseed.tk. Otherwise, nothing that can be connected to the music.
MLO - Misanthropic Lucifer Orden. Comments?
- Out of respect for the organization in question, I decline to comment on them in a music magazine.
Ny Moral is not a music magazine, but ok...
If you had to choose three bands to play live with, who would they be and why?
- VON, Mayhem 1991-era and Mercyful Fate 1984-era. Comments are superfluous.
How will future material with Watain sound like? Rabid Death's Curse and Casus Luciferi differ quite significantly from each other, perhaps primarily on a sonic level. Will it be the same with your third release? What will be the next recording?
- Watain will always produce magical, traditional Black/Death Metal, more than that should not be revealed at the moment! The next Watain recording will be a participation on a tribute album to Motörhead that should come out sometime this spring. In addition to that, a split-LP with the old kings MALIGN is also planned, containing live material from both bands.
Final words to Ny Moral's soul-murdering readership?
- Suck my holy genitals!
TEXT: INDY
PHOTO PAGE 32: Bajsmagnus / UBS Crew
OTHER PHOTOS: From the vaults of Watain