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 2nd and
3rd 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…