Blasphemy and Desecration

Answered by Hugin.

- Tell about your history (bands / demos / line-up) in the beginning:

- Well to begin with it's a pretty long tale, but I'll try to give you a short version without many details. I started my first Black Metal band in 1994 (MISANTHROPIA). At that time I was in Copenhagen (the capital of Denmark, where I moved later) and met up with Sorg (bass player of SKJOLD) who was up to the idea of making an extreme Metal band. We shared many of the same thoughts, and soon Sorg became the bass player of MISANTHROPIA. We joined up with a couple of guys (a Death Metal-drummer and I still don't know what the fuck he was for a kind on guitar) named M.Winsløw and M.Thorup. With this line-up (me on vocal / lyrics, Sorg on bass, M.Winsløw on guitar and M.Thorup on drums) we played a couple of concerts from 1994 to 1995 and recorded 5 tracks on a bad 2-track recorder. So we have never released it (though a couple of friends have it.)

Anyway, after about a year with a lot of disagreements with guitar player M.Winsløw who has never been truly dedicated to our work, we threw him out. Not long after we split up or more exact the drummer and I lived close by and Sorg lived far away so the rehearsals became less and less, until we decided that all became so fucked and things simply went slow, so we split up. The drummer and I continued playing together, but with a new band's concept, (as it was a new band). We called the band ARANRÙTH (it means "anger of the king"), built upon the feelings we received in the cold winter nights. Very dreamy, slow and full of agony and sorrow. At the same time I started my solo ambient-project called HUGIN as a guitar and a bass player. We got one of M.Thorup's friends to play in the band (again a mistake). Well, he was very rich or at least he had a rich father, who bought us studio time in a really good studio called Granny Studio. We recorded our first and only demo-CD (ARANRÙTH "Aranrùth") after playing together for some time. And we also played a couple of concerts together in 1996-1997 but the story ends with ARANRÙTH here, 'cause as we played together I began to speak to Sorg again, because he had need of some help for a concert, they were in need of a keyboard player on their next live-gig (Sorg started a band called VINDSVALER, while I was paying in ARANRÙTH) so we talked to each other at a concert and I offered help to him. While I was playing in both ARANRÙTH and VINDSVALER, I asked Sorg if he was interested in starting up an old-school Black Metal band, and playing the raw filthy aggressive hateful Black metal again without any keyboards and other fancy stuff. I had 3 finished tracks, and more lyrics. Sorg accepted my offer. Well, I had still need of a drummer and the second guitarist (I was to sing and play the guitar) and as the only proper drummer I knew was Thorup: The choice fell on him: Hyl from Sorg's band VINDSVALER became a guitar player. We started to practise in the rehearsal room of ARANRÙTH, and soon we had 5 tracks ready for recording and concerts: I focused on SKJOLD a lot, and ARANRÙTH became boring in my opinion. So after the recording of ARANRÙTH's demo-CD we split up: And soon I decided to throw Thorup out of SKJOLD, because of his lack of dedication to the aggressive and filthy Black Metal I wanted to play: But we got the demo "Kirkebrand" finished in 1997 with the original line-up. Anyway Hyl was thrown out some months later for the same reason. Not dedicated enough, and absolutely not with the right mind for SKJOLD. So, Sorg and me were left only, but we kept on rehearsing together in my apartment, and finally we had enough new tracks for the second demo in the year of 1999, but still had need of a drummer. Luckily I met a guy called Hr.Mörch while working on another project. This was the guy with whom I created ESSOUPI "Aktiv dødshjælp" almost in the same period as we created "Helvede paa Jord!!" I listened to some of the drum-tracks he made, and found that he would be able to make drum-parts for the next SKJOLD's demo. Also he had the right attitude, and fitted well into the band, so I asked him, and he made the drum-parts for the second SKJOLD's demo called "Helvede paa Jord!!". Anyway the result was not so satisfying as "Kirkebrand" (not because of the computer drums) I guess all the surroundings we recorded in also had a thing to say. Also the sound result was a bit poor. Even though we had more expensive records and mixers than on "Kirkebrand", things went a bit slow. In March 27, 2000 we were booked for a concert (warming up for ANCIENT together with SHADOWBREED). At that concert Vale (VIGRID) played the guitar and Nis(GHOTIC DOMAIN) played the drums. I guess that concert resulted in some shitty stuff for lack of enthusiasm from the rest of the bands. They didn't create anything for the scene; I had to make all the reversed crosses, banners and so on: And there was no headbanging going mad on the scene and it must had been pretty boring to watch. I shall not complain about Sorg (bass), 'cause he has never been that "going wild" type on the scene so I didn't expect that much. In my opinion that was the worst concert we have ever played with SKJOLD!! Now everything is almost normal in SKJOLD. Sorg plays the bass. I play the guitar and sing. The new thing is that we got a new guitar player named Huul, who also will attribute the next SKJOLD's release with riffs and songs, so his influence on the band will also be heard on the next release. Actually I think that this will be the future line-up of the band for many Evil years to come. Huul has also joined up with STAFA Distribution, as I mentioned. We don't have plans for live shows within the next year because we have decided to lay the forces into creating a new demo, now that "6 Years Hell" has been laid on ice for a while. There will be a split CD release with SKJOLD / BLODARV out first! The new guitar player will move to the island Bornholm (where I live now) within a month or two, so it's gonna be something like getting Sorg a ticket once in a while when we have to record, and then practise individually. We have a lot of plans for this next release, but as I said before, I want to say too much at this moment. Now I should mention that BLODARV "Murder in the name of Satan" was developed after SKJOLD "Helvede paa Jord!!", it was recorded and produced at the same place where I was for a year. I started BLODARV as a solo-band (it still exists), after working with computer drums on "Helvede paa Jord!!", I bought a really good drum-machine, (it wasn't used in all the tracks on "Murder in the name of Satan" though) so now I could do everything by myself. Therefore BLODARV has naturally become very personal and in my opinion better than anything I've ever done before. It has also received very positive reviews worldwide, so I'm very satisfied. You know it's nice to be appreciated for your hard work. I started the recording of the second BLODARV demo-CD "Mysteriis". It was the most hard release to get done. Many months of work and soul were put into this release, that I can say without a doubt is the ultimate release from my side ever!! Nicolai Borg made the cover art (who has really made a brilliant result), and I'm 100% satisfied with all songs, lyrics and sound.

- Skjold means "shield" in English. What sense do you put in the name of your band?

- I took the name SKJOLD for the band because the band protects the old values of Black Metal just like a shield protected the Northern Vikings in battle.

- You take part in several bands such as SKJOLD, GWATH, BLODARV, ESSOUPI, HUGIN and SANSÂGER. Tell about them more.

- I think my answer to the first question answers this one partly too. Of course there is a lot to tell but to keep the interview within a reasonable length, I think we'll leave it with that. But I can say that GWATH was a project I started some years ago. To begin with it was a guy called Morkel and I. Mysterium that was GWATH. Later a girl named Mare - bass and female vocal, and also a drummer named Nis (now plays in GHOTIC DOMAIN) joined us. Anyway GWATH was an acoustic project mainly, but also mixed with naturalistic ambient and the whole lot of it, actually was a very unique concept we had. We recorded songs in the cold night strange places: in the forest, in the apartment I had at that time, and near the ocean. Unfortunately the project failed even though we recorded nine tracks, because (mainly) we wanted to work in different tempos and Mare was really slow to work with, to be honest, no hard feelings, she didn't work the way she had to. We have never released our material except some few tracks on the STAFA compilation called "In Search of the Master Race".

- How do you see Danish black metal scene? Pick out the best hordes / 'zines / labels in your opinion.

- Hmmm: Today Danish scene is hardly a scene. I'm so sick and tired of incompetent, false, useless bands and people, who don't have a single idea of what it's all about. They talk, but when it comes to it all it's like just a fucking hobby or something like that for them. There are very few persons over here who deserve respect I think and bands are even lesser. You see attention to those fucked up assholes with stupid or not true opinions have been playing Black metal for some years over here, creating little or nothing, having no ideas that help us reaching our goals. It's very sad development. I can say honestly and from the bottom of my heart that I think Denmark is full of idiotic "so called" black metal bands. There's never any action. They speak so loudly of how "True", "Evil" and "Dedicated" they are, but it's funny since nothing never happens. I don't know how to express my disappointment for Danish "scene". It's like watching the whole lot of idiots trying to do something they can not. But I will start by mention DENIAL OF GOD. First, because I think a lot of people don't see that they (this is for Denmark) have put a lot of work into their band. They have proved that they are not just a "5 year project". That stops when Black Metal isn't popular any more. It's not because I like their "Horror Metal" so much, but I respect them, and they deserve it because they have surely heard a lot of crap from ridiculous teenagers and likewise. Also they have seen the "scene" developed into something you don't even wanna think about, and I think their hearts bleed just like mine. FEIKN (with Isaz from DENIAL OF GOD) is another band that definitely deserves some respect. It's a band that plays a kind of fairy tale form of Metal. It's actually very unique and should be heard. They are not so old as DENIAL OF GOD, but they have never compromised or chosen different paths, even though many think that they are just some "romantic storytellers" who play that kind of Metal because it's easy to listen to. Well think again! Isaz (who is the main character of the band) is a truly dedicated woman to the things she is doing. She has my respect, but she knows that, and surely deserves it a lot more than many others I know. Hail FEIKN. Then there is STRYCHNOS. Well, it's actually so that I really don't think their music has much to offer. In my opinion it becomes pretty boring after listening to it a couple of times but I know that Had (a character of STRYCHNOS) has put a lot of work into this and therefore he has also made a good vinyl release if you like so music. Nothing comes easy and I know that there's a long way from ideas to a really good finished release. Many just make a really low quality sound cover and everything else, and then they go out claiming that they like it best with this really poor sound. Well, in most cases they don't know how to make listenable sound. And they want to take time to do it better because they want to go out and be really famous, well-known and evil quickly, even though they are just incompetent souls, that really don't see that they are a shame, and disrespectful to the true hordes. Anyway, you know the weak attract the weak, so if they can get all the lowlifes on their side I don't care. The people I want to use time with are not these faggot asses!! NORTT is a solo project. Also (3 demo-releases) a kind of very special death-wish concept on all his releases. Actually I haven't heard from him almost a year, that not surprises me, because he is really a misanthropic guy and so is his music. It's a kind of ambient on guitar and drums, vocal and bass. You can hear that there are really strong feelings on his demos (especially number 1 and 2, called "Nattetale" and "Døden". The third one is called "Graven"). As to zines there's only STAFA Mag and Azter's (from DENIAL OF GOD) zine called TORNADO Mag. They are worth mentioning. Anyway I can't lose this question without mentioning the king of Denmark: KING DIAMOND / MERCYFUL FATE!! I guess there is no need to say about these bands further.

- Also you work with STAFA distro. Tell more about it.

- Well, I started STAFA Distribution under the name HUGIN Produktion in 1998. I didn't distribute anything except my own material, but I made a list that I sent with flyers, and after a couple of offers on trades, I started to distribute demo-tapes under the name STAFA Distribution. At that time my first STAFA Magazine was finished, and already known in Denmark, therefore I used STAFA name for my distro also. STAFA means "Towards new shores / goals; to set a goal and then to reach it" in Norrøn / Old Danish. In 1999 a friend of mine named J.Borre joined up with STAFA Distr. But in that period STAFA stood very still. Borre didn't show much interest in STAFA. He has never sent any letters out or anything and after about a half year (he hadn't still done anything), he just slowly went out of STAFA Distribution. Then in 2000 I talked to Huul about some used stuff that he had to sell, and he asked me if he could make a secondhand list for STAFA Distribution. So we got the secondhand order list.

- Is your STAFA Magazine dedicated to Danish black metal bands only? Does it still exist?

- Ha-ha. Yes it still exists. Even though it's been quite a while since the last issue. But it never has the meaning that STAFA Mag should have a certain date to be released, but there is ca. half a year between each mag (sometimes more, sometimes less). The reason for this is simply that there isn't enough good Black Metal to create a mag as big as STAFA (70-100 pages) every month (even though a lot of people do). STAFA Mag is not a typical music mag without opinions or dedication. The first 2 mags were dedicated only to Danish bands and were also written in Danish. In issue #3 there will be useful knowledge / addresses / book reviews, band / demo reviews, interviews, distribution lists, poems, hate and much more as in the first 2 issues. This time the mag will be in English and no longer only be dedicated to Danish bands, that's the only change. Layout and concept will remain as always, in the best underground style!! Some articles and poems are written in Danish but all reviews, interviews likewise are written in English.

- You use the fragments of classical music, in particular Prokofiev's music in BLODARV. Do you like his music? What's your attitude to classical music?

- Hmmm, I used fragments from Prokofiev not because I have a great interest in him or any other classical musician for that sake, but I found that the parts I chose to use said me something. I chose to use them because they fitted well the lyrics and that part of the story. On the next BLODARV there were not any classical parts in use.

- Your favorite hordes:

- It's really hard to say. At the moment I mostly listen to underground bands, and of course MERCYFUL FATE. But I'm sad to say what I think. Almost all the bands I liked through the years have disappointed me. Let's take some examples. IMMORTAL created one good CD ("Diabolical Fullmoon Mysticism") and then all went fucked up. I mean listening to their music today. BURZUM in my opinion has lost all. I don't ever bother listening to his new material anymore. MAYHEM!!! Can you call it MAYHEM anymore?? Hardly: I think it died with Dead and Euronymous! SATYRICON: Money share has its effect!! Do you dare to have a favorite band?!

- Do you support extremist actions against humans and society?

- I support all extremists who fight on the dark side. The extremists are the only humans I truly like to speak with. All other people are non-interesting empty shields, with no soul power, no dedication to what they are doing. The "normal" humans don't interest me. The extremists are true warriors.

- What's your view in Satanism?

- Let me try to explain it. I use the word Satan as a synonym for the highest of all the Dark forces. There are Dark and Bright Forces in nature and life. Some choose the Dark path, others walk in the light. It is not that I have ever been in a "cross-road" not knowing which path to walk. As long as I can remember I was on the side of the Devil. I've always contained much of hate and sorrow and I've been searching for answers within myself as long as I can remember, but I have never searched for what I stand for. I guess there are also bright Demons / Angels, but if they are inside me, sure, they must have bad time. There are Demons in many places. Most of them dwell in the dark side of your mind. I will rather call myself as a Demon and a Devil worshipper than a Satanist because I don't belong to all Anton La "Fakers" Satanists or for that sake the other silly faggists that call themselves Satanists. Actually I am not able to put into words who I'm. I contain too many elements to be "labeled". I worship the Demons within me, I grow on them as they grow on me, we seem to be good partners: The Devil, His Demons and I.

- What does Black Metal mean for you?

- Hmm. When I started MISANTHROPIA in 1994, I did it because I had need of a media to get my thoughts and opinions out through. I have always been into Metal so it came naturally that Metal was my first choice. And it had to be even more extreme than the bands we were listening to at that moment (Sorg is an old Metal-Banger also!) so I guess that it also was naturally that it became Raw Black Metal. We heard MAYHEM, DARKTHRONE and BURZUM, that was all you could get in the stores of Denmark at that time. What does Black Metal mean for me?! Almost everything, I couldn't imagine my life without it. It is one of the few things that gives me pleasure in life. For me Black Metal is energy, power just like the Demons I spoke of earlier or perhaps it is more correct to say that it's a form of Magic, said in that sense that it's energy that affects a listener, and create strong feelings in the involved. It keeps the Flame burning, it fights its way through the mind and hopefully leads to action, so mainly I see Black Metal as energy / force sent out through the practice of the "ritual", that it is to create good Black Metal. So you see now why people with no power in the soul, body and mind create lousy, empty Black Metal that attracts people with no power in the mind, body or soul.

- Do you know bands from Belarus? How can you describe them?

- Yes I do. Actually I have a couple on my STAFA Distribution list (KRUK, PAGAN and ZMROCZNY DOL). In my opinion you got some pretty interesting bands over there, I think you're getting better and better all the time. I especially enjoy KRUK and PAGAN, what I actually think are the best 2 bands from Belarus (among the bands I've heard). I think your demos are on much higher level than for example from Norway, Sweden, and for that case many other countries. It's often so that if you come from a different country than let's say Norway to take a really good example, you don't just get a record deal because of where you come from, but not because of your work and dedication. In Norway they still live high off the church burnings from June 6, 1992. People who didn't have anything to do with what happened back then. They live high on the doings of other people. It's pathetic and sad development. I mean: look at Norway, don't you think Dead and Euronymous are turning over in their graves now?!!!

- What do you put into your lyrics?

- Hmmm, mainly it's about personal stories, visions, wanderings and soul power, it's about everything that I want to express to other people, feelings like hate, sorrow, pain, sadness, despair, it's about sacrifices, demons, self-control and the opposite, Dark forces of nature, old forgotten tales, myths and stories. My poems are about everything that I see, think and wonder about. It's about all the things I know and all the things I don't wanna know. It's right from the heart, through the blood of my veins in my mortal body out through my Eternal soul.

- What's your future plans?

- Oh, there are really planned a lot for the future. Now I have finished BLODARV "Mysteriis". It's time to focus on new goals. There is a lot to do with STAFA Distribution as always. And STAFA Magazine #3 is on its way also (bands, labels, mags and people with interesting stories, knowledge and facts. Get in touch NOW!!!). So there's gonna be quite some work with that also. Of course there's also SKJOLD. Now that "6 Years Hell" has been laid on ice for some time. We have decided to make the third demo before creating a demo consisting of old tracks from old demos. I don't want to tell much about this new demo, but I can say that there's gonna be a bit more Heavy influences on it. It gonna be more extreme in a different way. More evil, some faster tracks and filthy as Hell. A split of BLOADARV / SKJOLD will be out first! In ESSOUPI we got 2 new tracks that Hr.Mörch (Strychnin) and I have created. I still need to lay the vocal on them and I haven't even started to make a cover, so it gonna take a while before it's out. Now that I've moved to this bigger house there are also a lot that shall be build up, so you see my future is busy as always. Thanks for the interview and May the Devil be with you!!

Copyright: 2001 Werewolves Records.