Interview: Azazel (2022)

 

AZAZEL are among my top Finnish black metal bands. They started in 1992, and so far they have put out a demo, EP, split, and three full-lengths. Their sound can be best summed up as straight-forward black metal in its purest form, though characterized by strict underground ethos. I had an opportunity to interview the drummer, Idimmu, who also played in SLUGATHOR (Death Metal) and EVOKED CURSE (Black/Heavy Metal) among others. 

Hails! First of all, congratulations on your killer music with AZAZEL! I consider AZAZEL to be the embodiment of all that is sacred and pure about black metal. In terms of your musical approach and ideas, what is the core philosophy behind AZAZEL?

Azazel is about Satan.

You’ve been pretty consistent with your last three albums. All quality releases! What’s the key behind staying consistent and inspired?
 
Thanks for your words. Azazel have had at least 4-5 completely different line-ups. Of course stuff varies a bit, but the main thing was to not to follow any current trends, just do our own thing. For Azazel it works to publish new music quite rarely. It’s not about the quantity (hmm... Darkthrone, Horna… anyone?), but quality. The receipt is quite simple. Primitive riffs, simple melodies, if any. Mavrofos is now our main-composer, and his skills are getting better and better. He has told us that although he is the main-musical mastermind of Rienaus-band, he write completely different kind of stuff for Azazel. He is able to think what suits to Azazel, and what is for Rienaus.

What was the recording process like for your last album, "Aegrum Satanas Tecum"? And how did you manage to create such a harsh and evil sound? The production is perfect!

We recorded the album during fall 2021-early 2022. We used Ilari Ilmonen as recorder/mixer. The instruments were recorded at Rock Bear-venue in Vantaa, Finland and the vocal-parts were executed at our vocalist, Satanachia’s place in Mänttä, Finland. We told Ilari not to make it to clean and stuff. I don’t recall exactly what we had in mind, but it was supposed to have that mid ‘90s vibe to it. Like Judas Iscariot, Darkthrone-Total Death, and so on.

Based on what I've observed, you are influenced by bands such as SODOM, BATHORY, MORTUARY DRAPE and DARKTHRONE. However, I can also hear the trademark Finnish elements in the riffs. Is my evaluation correct? The sound is undeniably old-school in the true sense! What bands inspire you the most?
 
Good question. I think you should ask Mavrofos, as he listens a lot music outside of metal too (like industrial, dark electronics, gothic-stuff and even techno…), but if you ask me, I’m just an old school metal-guy who loves even such old bands as Angel Witch, Venom and Iron Maiden! The names you dropped are really important for sure, just that to me Darkthrone was really the 90’s thing, so I don’t have a lot of their newer stuffs. In Year 2008 friends and me brought Mortuary Drape to Finland for the first time, so…
 
About Finnish bands. PERSONALLY I am into bands like Beherit, old Black Crucifixion, Archgoat, The Lord Diabolus, and so on. Not really keen to the “Finnish”-sound, but I’m sure our song-writer has some influence from that side of music as well. Outside of Finland I’d add Grand Belial’s Key and Burzum as more or less influences too.

Bathory is Satanachia’s favorite band, but mostly first 4 albums. He said that he got into black metal in year 1988!! He was already back then into Slayer, Bathory, Venom and Celtic Frost… so there’s some TRUE old school for you!!! XD P.S. Satanachia confessed that “Blood on Ice” rules too…!

How would you describe your drumming style? Do you have any favorite drummers or inspirations?  

I am actually not very technical drummer. My style is quite clumsy and primitive and the way I perform live is more like energetic and very powerful. Of course I have some favourite drummers anyway… I can tell: Nicko McBrain, Proscriptor of Absu, Chris Reifert (Autopsy), Away of Voivod, Fenriz during Soulside Journey-death metal -era, etc.

Your extensive music experience includes playing in SLUGATHOR and many other bands. Would you mind telling us a bit more about your other projects?

There is now only 1 active band for me, it’s called SATANIC TORMENT. Its bass-driven black/death metal, like Necromantia, Barathrum, Beherit. So far Satanic Torment only released 1 full-length and some demos and eps. The full-length is called “Submit to the Lord of Darkness”. The ST-guys including me also had a side-project called HOSTIS HUMANI GENERIS, who plays old school death metal like Nunslaughter and Asphyx, but that band is on ice right now. I also had some different projects with the same guys, like Witchtiger and Evoked Curse, who are both dead, and then I played drums for all recordings of NECROSTUPRUM with Tomasz of Throneum. Death Metal-band Slugathor released a new album this year (2022). It’s called “Crypt of the Ancient Fire” with pretty much the all old line-up (Tommi, Axu, Antti, Jarno, Immu). This album was originally recorded in 2010, and now only finished and released last and this year. There is also one doom band, but things are working slowly, and I have nothing to tell yet….

After releasing a new album, SLUGATHOR broke up again. (At least according to metal archives.) Why? How is the reaction to your new album so far?  

Slugathor never reformed. This is misunderstanding. We just dug up our unreleased 2010 studio-recording, that was supposed to be released already back then. We listened to the stuff and thought that it's actually really strong material, so of course we wanted to release it. I am sure most of our old fans were into the album. We received at least nice words from Bill of Disma and Make of Eternal Darkness…

What did you think of the Lords of Chaos movie and what’s your opinion about nowadays Mayhem?

I have seen that movie, but I’d rather not comment too much, except to me it was silly and childish version of the events in Norway. The reality was much darker and not so “Hollywood”. About Mayhem. I have seen the new documentary-series called Helvete - Historien om norsk black metal, and there was some pretty interesting things on it (except the last episode: “Let’s make Norwegian black metal commercial”). My opinion of Mayhem? I am only into them until “Wolf’s lair Abyss”, but those cover tracks on “Daemon”-album are really nice too actually (Death Strike/Death/Morbid). So… to me the true Mayhem is the 80’s and early 90’s stuff. It was always hard for me to get passed with the idea about Mayhem without Euronumous…

Thank you for your time! Lastly, what’s next for AZAZEL? 

We are planning a split recording with one band that we maybe shouldn’t announce at this point. We are still on Primitive Reaction Records, and plan to release besides that split at least one more album with Azazel (who knows when, last time there was 6 years gap with 2^nd and 3^rd album…). We are going to record some old track also for that split-release, most probably it will be “Azazel” from 1993 demo, but we are not 100% sure yet. Of course new songs as well. We aim to be even more old school than on “Aegrum Satanas Tecum” of course. Azazel won’t play live anymore. Or maybe 1-2 times, but not really. That stuff is really too complicated for us because of various reasons…