Interview: Matron Thorn (2021)

Some may be familiar with the name Matron Thorn, as he is the mastermind behind renowned bands such as Benighted in Sodom, Ævangelist and Death Fetishist among others. In the interview below, we get to cover some of the history behind the music, as well as an insight into some of the ideas and influences that led to it.

Please shed some light on some of your current projects, as well as notable outputs of the past.

Benighted in Sodom is my oldest most serious project which started almost 20 years ago now. Ævangelist might be my most known within metal, and that came somewhat later. These are still active and lately people can also discover my work in Præternatura, Oblivion Gate, Death Fetishist, Ragnarökkur, Cathaaria, and more in regards to anything related to metal. Non-metal music I make goes even farther from here with Rust-Colored Glasses (trip hop/soundtrack/ambient) and solo released works (new age/darkwave).

Tell us about your first experience with extreme metal and how your taste evolved over time.

Before I made music of my own, I was much more open to discovery of new music where metal was concerned. I bought CDs back then, and it was a time when being in a band and putting out a CD seemed like an achievement that not everyone deserved, so to me, if it existed on some format that meant there was something special about it. I miss feeling that way about new bands. I ordered much of what became long term favorites at the bookstore in town, things like Tenth Sub-Level of Suicide and Fas - Ite, Maledicti, in Ignem Aeternum and De Profundis Mors vas Consumet to name a few, having done that because local music stores in South Florida were pretty clueless about anything besides the most basic of choices. But mostly, I downloaded music and I don't feel bad about this whatsoever. I did even try to start a "record collection" at one point, but when I moved away to Oregon, a family member threw all my records in the trash, including a first edition of Behemoth's The Return of the Northern Moon demo, first edition of Shining - III - Angst, a rare version of Nocturnal Poisoning by Xasthur, and several others. I never placed much value in material possessions but it was hard to get over that. My collection of downloaded music has survived through years, though. New music has been added to this archive since I was sixteen, and transferred into new external hard drives periodically over the years. When I have actually have free time to listen to music that isn't mine, instead of looking for new bands I plug in the external hard drive and take a trip down memory lane. The archive is vast and diverse, because at the time I didn't really discriminate against any bands as long as there was something to appreciate. There's music in there that I ripped from my browser from old random myspace black metal bands whose music was never destined for success but still had some quality that I wanted to revisit. Other weird selections no one else but myself seems to appreciate are classics like Garm's seemingly forgotten rock n roll outing, Head Control System, a live rip of Ondskapt's first ever performance, all kinds of Century Black releases (Century Media's old imprint for Black Metal), various Dark Ambient music from bands like Kammarheit and Inade, Folkearth and music from that guy from Nae'blis, and the list goes on almost 2 Terabytes deep. 

You are constantly crafting and releasing new music. What keeps you motivated? And where do you find the inspiration?

Above all things, I make music that I enjoy listening to. I refined my formula, my signature, my "special sauce", to be completely self sufficient, to know how to create the sounds I need to hear and reformat and recontextualize them into new shapes. I used music to cope with hard times and I believe this is part of why so many people have told me that they've used my music to do the same. But the truth for me is that I rarely listen to anything new anymore, because what I need from music has already been refined in either my own work or in something I've found already. I create new music to mainly satisfy my need to consume something that I feel a real connection to, and in order to feel a real connection to it I must find it to be somehow relatable, and that almost never happens anymore because I can't relate to anything lately. To relate to something doesn't exactly have to mean that it's the subject matter that I connect with, it could be musically or artistically relatable.

A much more concise way to say all that is that I can create the perfect soundtrack to my life on my own, so I don't really need anything else. Of course I listen to music that isn't mine, it's just an impossibly specific selection of things. There's songs from albums that I've listened to for years and never once even bothered to check out the other tracks on those albums. Those specific songs gave me what I was looking for, so why bother?

Fields of my inspiration are fertile for harvesting music and art, because their soil is soaked with blood and dead skin shed in the past; pain and suffering enriched my dreams with clarity, music became the window through which the past, and thereby the future, are seen.

Most people familiar with USBM will know you from Benighted in Sodom. Would it be safe to say that this was your first serious musical undertaking? How would you sum up its ethos?

Benighted in Sodom was the first real black metal project, and really my only project for a long time until I started Ævangelist several years later. Midwinter Storm was the very first project of any kind but in over 25 full albums it leaps all over the place stylistically. I was very depressed when the early albums were recorded, which was also a formative time for me as a recording musician. Crude recording methods were used, but the modesty of those means appropriately reflects both the state of my life and my mind at the time. What people laugh about now, the lo-fi production I and countless others used to create some of the best of what black metal used to have, was endearing back then because it didn't represent laziness, it represented passion. It was painful, desperate art created by any means necessary. It wasn't exactly made that way intentionally, or at least this is how I perceived it back then. The point was simply to create the art, to manifest these emotions to their fullest with whatever you had. If you were poor, inexperienced, terminally depressed and a drug addict or mentally ill, you weren't waiting for the latest version of ProTools and considering the proper gear, you were at the edge of your life knowing that tomorrow was not promised to you and this art could truly be your last goodbye or your last fuck you to a world that created so much misery, or because you weren't just pretending to seek real darkness and managed to catch a glimpse of it during some clandestine and tormented, violent recording sessions. I did Benighted in Sodom to live out these ideas, because that's how I felt. I had nothing, and I wanted to make something genuine which symbolized exactly that. I wasn't thinking about paying tribute to Darkthrone or any hero worship, I wanted to make something pure that came from my own murk within. This has never changed, and that ethos of seeking purity and authenticity is alive in every project I have now. I've tried many, many times to explain this to others, even others whose art or music has found success, and woefully few really understand. Others dismiss everything I say about art as pretentious and to them I feel immense pity, because their appreciation of things in life is so limited by this futile perception of everything, they can't fathom that they actually live in a world where someone might actually believe in something, believe in what they say and create. They tear apart the very words I say because even the sincerity in how I speak is threatening to the triviality of their lives. I take it as a compliment these days, the ones too mundane to deserve art continually reveal themselves to be so. If I sound pretentious, then that just means you are still sane, because in fact, I do feel tremendous pride in the scale and grandeur of my enigmatic muse's spiritual might and beauty which has been revealed to me within and emanates in all that I create. My art and vision need only make sense to me, that's all that matters. The grandest monuments stand just as tall whether seen or unseen by anyone at all. May unbelievers feel free to put distance between myself and them, I welcome it, because they aren't like me and I'm not like them. I guess I understand though, because when you're numbed by the creations made only by those who think similarly in this way, you can't believe. When you've become accustomed to life being full of fleeting surface-level things, anything more seems wholly impossible.

Have you ever considered doing film soundtracks? And if so, what kind of films would you be interested in working on? I think you would do well.

That's nice of you to say. The plan right now is to create a film and score it myself. Some things are in development but that's all I can say on that for the moment. I have done some visual experiments that can be seen on my YouTube channel, they'll sort of demonstrate where my creative direction is going in regards to that. No one could replace Angelo Badalamenti but I would love to work with David Lynch. His music, art, and films all informed the realm of my earliest influences. If we're talking about a bigger budget, then I would love to score a film by David Fincher, Christopher Nolan, Ridley Scott.

I believe there are (or were) two versions of Ævangelist, and that there was some kind of conflict within the band. What exactly happened and what is the current status of the project?

No, there's only one. I formed the band, then recruited the original vocalist. They later made some outrageous claims about me to sway public opinion favorably in their direction when later they would go on to claim that the band that I created and offered them a position in is somehow no longer mine. I don't care that they wish to explain the one aspect that they did contribute, their lyrics, but their insistence that these were somehow crucial or even fundamental is objectively untrue. Song titles, album titles, anything with text you could read were all created by me alone, so whatever meaning they assign to the title "Enthrall to the Void of Bliss" is purely on them and totally inconsequential to their lyrics which were never printed, a decision we had made together back then precisely to preserve the mystery and not do exactly what they have been doing by trying to captivate everyone with some "revelations" about their meaning. I don't give a shit, though. Let them do it if it makes them happy.

But returning to this dumb story, naturally I fired them for participating in this campaign to destroy my reputation, which to save face they later twisted to people as them "cutting ties with me", yet not seeing the inherent contradiction in hijacking a social media page I made, of a band I made, that they were fired from, to speak about bizarre personal stuff related to themselves and post selfies. How about the inherent hypocrisy in naming me a "manipulative abuser" then inventing a huge lie about "sexual assault" to manipulate the sympathies of our audience just enough to get their approval when you tell others you've decided that the band should be yours because of your hurt feelings?

How about this example:

Gorgoroth was started by Infernus. Later, King and Gaahl joined. I think the best Gorgoroth albums were made with the three of them. But my -feelings- don't matter. What's -true-, what courts determined to be true, is that Gorgoroth belongs to Infernus. Gaahl and King contributed -entire albums- of actual material, not just vocals, and yet still that doesn't mean the band is theirs whatsoever. Let that sink in.

When Legion left Marduk, and was replaced by Arioch from Funeral Mist, does this mean there is now suddenly TWO Marduks? This isn't politics, this isn't some asinine public controversy. I don't owe anyone a fucking thing, let alone the former members any sort of "say" in this. Ævangelist exists because I created it, they distanced themselves from me by their own admission, ergo, they made their own choice, and no amount of bullshit pandering they spoon feed these fake shitheads that strive to acclaim ownership over everyone's art on account of their "feelings" can change that.

Whatever has been said against me was apparently so flimsy, so weak, that later discussions they had were even peppered with accusations of Nazism, and then even outright disparaging of the music and material that they helped to form with vocals after the fact but still had the luxury of attaching their illusion of equal status to. I had to practically beg them to record their parts at times. For how much they have claimed to "know" about me, we can also be clear on the fact that they have spent, cumulatively, in our entire lives, maybe a little over a month's time with me in person. We never met to record, we only met days before a short run of shows or a festival gig. They have never seen where I live, met my family, and we'd often even go weeks or months without really talking. These are facts ignored or obfuscated by their legion of sycophants who are just like them, and these are the very "fans" we lost. They only succeeded in culling away from our audience those who I wouldn't want to keep around anyway, those are the phonies that care about things like band "drama" and listen to this music for fashion, superficial reasons. Our real fans who came for the art and don't give a shit about any of this stupid crap have stayed and still listen to the albums and buy the music if they want.

Most of all, they spread this narrative because, Jimmy, they think YOU are stupid. They think our fans are stupid assholes like they are and will do what stupid assholes do and believe anything they read on the internet as long as the latest self-enthroned celebrity victim has claimed it to be true. None of this is about anything they said I did. It's about keeping bullshit alive, because when you're made of bullshit you have to try to fill the world with as much bullshit as possible so no one notices how badly you stink. The moral of this story? Do yourself a favor and get cancelled. It's the new black. Take a chance on people hating you and don't stop doing what matters to you because pathetic losers are starving for validation. 

But if anyone is really interested in seeing this for themselves, if people need "proof", by all means, visit the original Facebook page or Google any of their interviews, then brace yourself for an underwhelming fall into the epic cringe-void that is the Ævangelist band drama. If you do this, sorry in advance for the loss of precious moments of your life you'll never get back, time probably better spent on crucial life tasks, such as counting all the grains of sand in the fucking ocean.

But have a look at the hilariously inconsistent forms this story has taken on, with the former vocalist's fans sprinkling in entirely new, made-up details for the hell of it. Then notice how my story has never changed. Not one fucking word.

Curiously, how does one wish for their participation in something to be honored by totally destroying the image of it, by only embarrassing themselves with their vanity and lack of self awareness, by outright exaggerating their importance to the point of delusion? Does this sound like the actions of someone who gives a single fuck about you or the music? Decide for yourself, at least I'm giving you that choice.

This is all an appropriate metaphor for the times we're living in.

Ævangelist, in my opinion, has released some pretty amazing and eerie work that pushed the boundaries in terms of darkness and heaviness. Is there a difference between the old and the new material? And what inspired the creative process?

Contrary to what previous members have claimed, the deeper meaning behind Ævangelist isn't about Satanism or directly referencing things that should be elaborated. I could give you a detailed explanation about what it means to me, but it's irrelevant. The potency of Ævangelist is that you never really knew and that enabled you to make it your own, to invent the narrative that scared you. Whatever it is, Jim, that you find to be eerie or dark or heavy has been dragged from the abysscape of your own mind and made real through the music.

How important is it not to stagnate musically? And what do you think of bands who keep the same style from album to album?

It depends less about how something exists and matters far more why something exists. If a band exists to deliver a certain message, the band can evolve if the delivery of that message doesn't depend on how the message is packaged. If the message being delivered is inherently related to the unchanging nature of the music, then the band could replicate themselves continually. Ultimately, the spectrum of music and creation is too vast for me to say what should and should be in regards to myself, let alone someone else's art.

What’s 10 of your favorite movies?

Lord of Illusions, Mulholland Drive, Trick r' Treat, John Carpenter's Vampires, Event Horizon, Alien³, Se7en, Hackers, Disturbing Behavior, Black Circle Boys. That list is at least composed of what films I'm willing to watch almost any time. Not sure though if that means it's a favorite film or just ones that are very comforting to watch, still figuring that out.

What do you think are some of the biggest problems people are facing in society today? Do you feel there is always some kind of social pressure to belong? What does it mean to be free?

Feeling pressure to belong to society at all might be pretty high on that list, as far as I can tell. Pressure to belong seems like something you'd outgrow after high school, but in most cases it actually worsens. I think the formation of all these groups and scenes around these positions of moral uprightness and every new ideology invented on the internet is destructive. Pressure to belong feels like you feel alienated by merely thinking for yourself. People aren't robots. Everyone has "problematic" views, people are complicated and people don't say the right things all the time. People aren't clever and witty all the time. People like things that are awful or stupid. All these things are okay and that's the thing that should be "normalized". Normalize not normalizing things. Let people be abnormal and gross. Accept that the planet is so massive, so vast, and people are not the same everywhere; the spectrum of human experience is not limited to what's happening in your neighborhood or even in your country. In the scope of all time and space, these trends and ideas happening now are transient and meaningless, accept this truth to unlock the places that ignorance has hidden from your view. Stop dwelling on all the superficial aesthetic things about yourself. Challenge yourself to learn about the people you hate instead of talking shit about them simply just to, and here's that word again, "belong". Accept that belonging is actually in reality pretty empty unless you have organically acquired a tribe of your own, and accept that in reality, it will probably be very small if you do. Accept that this is okay and probably for the best. Accept that social media does exactly the opposite of what it claims; instead of bringing people together in any positive way, it brings to you closer to people better left far, far away. It makes the world seem small and empty, because all it exposes you to are the smallest, emptiest ideas, and thus you feel small and empty. Accept that life is long, that people and opinions change, so it's best to not make huge drastic choices based on temporary currents in society just to feel like you "belong". Listen to whatever music you want, stop being so hard on each other for spiritual weaknesses. Stop being so hard on yourselves, you're not as bad as you think you are, but go out and do something of meaning and for fucks sake, stop telling people about it. Accept that no one is inspired by seeing you gloat about helping some lady across the street, you're lying to yourself, that Facebook post is actually just for your glory and you know it and I know it and it's making both of us dead inside to see that the only value in being a decent person is in gaining likes and follows online. Accept that the only real good deeds are done in secret. Sacrifice glory for humility. I'd probably start by saying something like that.

What can you tell us about where you grew up? Did your environment shape who you are as a person today, and also influence you as an artist?

Who we all are is a reaction to the lives we have lived, what has happened to us, and what we desire most.

Your thoughts on the following:

* Bethlehem

Jürgen is a talented guy, and a friend since a long time. He's led a very interesting life and the stories behind their music are the stuff of legends, some of the very last we genuinely have.

* Alice In Chains

Jerry Cantrell is my favorite guitar player. I grew up in Fort Lauderdale, Florida but I lived in the Pacific Northwest for several years, in what, to me, seemed to be the last years it was great and you could really feel that heavy artistic melancholy of the rainy heroin soaked streets and epic picturesque landscapes. Whenever I listen to Alice in Chains, I'm taken back to Portland and I lose myself in that eerie nostalgia for times past, both good and bad.

* Portal

I like Portal, but I don't listen to them especially often. I'm grateful they exist, though. It's a proper antidote to music when music becomes mundane.

* Lords of Chaos

I think Dead is the only interesting person involved in all this. The lore of Norway's black metal origins is a good story that gets retold in increasingly absurd ways, but if anything, that absurdity tells you that it meant something.

* Reincarnation

Do we ever truly die, though?

Are there any bands as of late that have grabbed your attention? What are you currently listening to?

Lately, I'm listening to nothing "new". Besides stuff I'm working on, I usually have a vague playlist of random songs. Lots of pop and alternative music from the late 90s / early 2000s. Adina Howard, Pete Droge, Savage Garden, Hozier, Dishwalla, Goo Goo Dolls, Mr. Mister, Steve Winwood, Martin Page, Enya, LL Cool J, Michael Jackson. At the gym, Funeral Mist, Static-X, Acid Bath, Aosoth, Deströyer 666, Craft, Angantyr, Vonlaus, Clandestine Blaze.

So what’s next for you and your bands/projects? Thanks for your time!

Visit my new official platforms, preview of my official site is online now, grand opening is on new years eve, to include new full length albums from several projects, old and new.

www.matronthorn.com

www.esoterictradition.bandcamp.com

Thanks for the interview. You be careful out there in the shadows, Jimmy.

Album review: Hunters Moon – The Great Pandemonium (2021)

Hunters Moon – The Great Pandemonium

Australia

Hells Headbangers

Australia’s Hunters Moon will release their debut album, "The Great Pandemonium", through Hells Headbangers on 11th November 2021. It contains eight tracks and 39 minutes of hellish, traditional black metal that slays on all fronts. Although the band has been around since 2006, they have only released a demo, EP, and now this, their debut LP.

“The Great Pandemonium” offers an array of blasphemous black metal reminiscent of Dissection, which is infused with a lethal dose of black/thrash goodness typical of the Aussies. You may also hear some elements that are "familiar." If you know bands like Destroyer 666 and Denouncement Pyre, imagine a deadly mix of Dissection and those bands, and you get an idea of what Hunters Moon sounds like. In contrast to war metal, this is overly-endowed darkness worshipping black metal that favours well-written riffs and clever craftsmanship over chaotic tropes.

Each song is characterized by varied yet outstanding drumming, merciless riffs, and venomous vocal barks that will chew you up and spit you out in fucking chunks. In my opinion, Hunters Moon has released one of the finest albums of the year with "The Great Pandemonium." Another thing that makes the band great is that while the band essentially plays black metal, there is no shortage of traditional metal elements in their sound.

From the war anthem “Storm of Hail And Fire” to the blustery cacophony of “Rebellion” there isn’t one bad track, just track after track of triumphant black metal fury. As a whole, this album is ridiculously enjoyable (and heavy!) and has a lot of replay value, including the fact that it’s packed with absurdly sick riffs and powerful, yet utterly aggressive vocals. It would be an understatement to say that it comes highly recommended. (HT)

Interview: Wargoat (2021)

 

Wargoat is one of the most killer and authentic hordes from Greece. Each work released by the band is another chapter of true and unholy black/death/war metal. This includes the fact that the band espouses an uncompromising attitude that is missing from a lot of bands nowadays. Hails to Kerasphoros for having the balls to speak his mind and not sugarcoat his answers like so many so-called "maniacs" out there. If you are false don't entry!

Hails Kerasphoros! How’s everything going and what’s been happening in the Wargoat camp since the split with Black Ceremonial Kult? Can we expect any new material in the near future?

Hails and thanks for your support!

Wargoat is a band that is in no hurry when we talk about new material generally. We prefer to act and record stuff when we have inspiration, we prefer to concentrate on quality over quantity. A new 4-way split is on the way sooner or later with 3 other Greek bestial black metal bands(Unholy Archangel, Schizoparanoic Platoon, Katachthon) in Lp format possibly

What is the ideology behind Wargoat and do you still harbour the same ideals since you started the band?

We never changed and we will never change our ideals since day number 1. The only thing that changed is that our ideals and ideology are more mature as we grow older. We are ready to face all situations and consequences through this, black metal was meant to stay extreme and obscure in all forms and not for the weak. Our ideology has to do with quality and thinking people that they don’t care to show themselves all the time on the internet (Black metal kiddies and crybabies). People that act and not saying only words. Being extreme and fair at the same time. For those that don't have fear to face or correspond in difficult situations. They are stable on what they believe generally!

What are some of your biggest musical influences since the band was formed and do you still listen to the same bands?

I grew up mainly listening to extreme forms of metal and not the classic heavy metal bands to be honest. I’m still listening to my influences of course, bands like Necromantia,(old)Rotting Christ, Blasphemy, Archgoat, Goatpenis, Sarcofago, Beherit, Grand Belial’s Key, Mortuary Drape,(old)Varathron,(old)Deicide e.t.c are a huge influence for me till now, integral part of my life for sure.

I think it's cool that you do not use the same songs when you do a split with a band. Is that because you want to give value to each release?

I see no meaning in recycling the same songs in further splits, it is better not releasing a split at all. Every release and every song has a special meaning for me. I never underestimated releases like splits, standard musical recipe even in full length, even in split releases, not more not less. We give value to each track without hurry on this as I told you before, step by step.

What’s your opinion on the current state of the underground and which bands do you follow/support?

In this ocean of the so-called underground bands, very few deserve attention, and they usually don’t have it. I’m disgusted to see bands with nails paint and bad satanic attitudes to have profiles like “hugs and kisses”.Keep your life for you and not for everyone, childish behaviour at least! The mystic aura of the 90’s has been vanished, few demos have this feeling anymore, but some of the bands that I adore that, are having this feeling and serious profile, are bands like Bloodtomb, Fornicatador, Bethor, Witchcraft, Legion of Doom, Satanic Goat Ritual, Iasma, Dead Congregation, Goatvomit, Unholy Archangel, Black Ceremonial Kult, Phosphore Blanc, Ritual Genocide, etc., to name a few.

What are the chances of "Genesis of Epiklesis" getting a reissue? And how was the album perceived at the time? I think it went somewhat under the radar.

Genesis of Epiklesis will be re-issued on tape together with a compilation tape soon. It went down the radar indeed, but we don’t care for being the mainstream band, for those who care can find our stuff easily. It’s a part of our choice to keep it obscure!

What albums/bands/releases have you been into lately?

Many good bands and demos around. Invultation, Antichrist Siege machine, Wrath Division, Caixao, Goat, Demonomantic, Black Legion, Uthriah, Illkuln, Tomb, Bestial Warfare some of the releases that come in my mind

Can you tell us a little bit more about your label Goatmarch Distro and what you have released so far?

Goatmarch distro is a part of my expression, on how underground should be. I release only tape format and some t-shirts, especially stuff that I like. It’s not a matter of profit just to spread my message all around and make some unknown demos more known.

For further information about my releases you can check here

https://goatmarchdistro.weebly.com/

What are some things in the world that fuel your hatred for humans?

By the passing of time, humans have been proved catastrophic even with nature, even with each other, one tries to survive on each other in order to make his own dream, Egoism, hypocrisy and many other elements lead us to a worst future. Year by year we destroy nature, we burn forests, we face viruses, economical situations, pollution and many more that are a creation of human beings. Morality and values have been lost, and even for those who can understand these terms, they fight on their own, trying not to be altered in some way, from the outside world. Too many to write them here.

How do you see the future of your country and Europe? It looks like it's going downhill rapidly with the rise of crime and the decline of the economy. (Especially with this whole covid bullshit)

As a part of the European membership, Hellas and Europe fell into lethargy many years before, with illegal immigrants, financial corruption, etc. It was a join just for specific interest and not for historical purposes. As you can see there is no union, in order to support each other, in this European system, but every country tries to support its own interests. Covid and crimes came to do it worst now.Hope never dies, and not unless Europe wakes to its old values and morality searching for our roots, on this part of map.

I hope not to be so late till then.

Propaganda make it worse and this is a strong tool of the “jewish” governments

Has the band faced any problems with censorship yet? I can totally see how your band could be "cancelled" due to the fact that you have a song called "Fuck The Muslim God" from the first demo in 2007.

We have faced many problems indeed, due to our anti-muslim profile. Band won’t change ideas, we are devoted till the end. We had problems even with factory press on this matter, even with antifa press

Black metal is against organized religions and there is no fear to face every consequence. It seems that the truth is for few, many weak sheeps around, even in our circles. It’s easy to say fuck Christ, but not Fuck Allah? Fuck them both anyway

Thanks for your time! Any last words to properly close this interview?

What once was…

Great shall be again…

Kerasphoros

Interview: Krieg (2021)

USBM legends KRIEG have always had their own unique sound and are one of the pioneering bands of American black metal. This includes the fact that they have released some truly outstanding albums! The following interview was conducted with Neil Jameson aka Lord Imperial. 

Greetings, Neil. You are a busy man, working on various projects from journalism to recording music. Do you feel like music is the ultimate escape and outlet for this shitty reality? Do you see your art as therapeutic? What goes on in your head when you write and record music? 

I think at this point it’s really just another extension of myself, rather than any kind of escape. I’ve been doing Krieg longer than I haven’t, if that makes any sense, and because of that I don’t really see it as anything but a different limb that I use. These days how I approach writing music is vastly different than even our last album seven years ago. I’m at a very comfortable place where I’m back to not having expectations placed on me artificially by whatever the “fans” would want me to do, sort of like when I originally began this trip.

I remember enjoying albums like Destruction Ritual and The Black House (I still do!) and picking out trace elements from bands like Maniac Butcher and Blasphemy, as your earlier output was quite primal and chaotic. How would you personally describe the evolution of your earlier work compared to later records? Have some of your influences changed over time?

As I’ve gotten older I’ve become less concerned with the idea of extremity and more interested in restraint, especially vocally. I’m much more interested in the actual music than having to be up front and confrontational vocally or having to constantly have a wall of noise behind me. It’s not to say I’m not still going to dip into that well occasionally, I think that I’m just a lot more comfortable with what I write and my ability to express things sonically better than I could have in my twenties.

I get the impression that you keep changing your sound slightly from album to album, but always stay within the bounds of your extreme sound. How important is it that you do not completely repeat yourself with each release? Is it a challenge to come up with new ideas?

After 2014, where we recorded “Transient”, and the splits with Wolvhammer and Integrity I encountered both a slight burnout and possibly the worst writers block I’ve ever had as a musician, which is why you haven’t heard much from us since. Once we had left Candlelight and signed with Profound Lore I felt a pressure on myself to somehow write this (in my head) “great work” and because of this I began to really detest black metal, especially the newer bands, probably because I had envy that they were doing whatever they wanted and I felt like I’d trapped myself in some kind of box. It was very important to shift the sound but I couldn’t figure out how. So the years went on and I concentrated more on my personal life and my various writing gigs until this year and could finally start working on Krieg again because I’d somehow shed the idea that everything needed to be “different” or “unique” but rather I just wanted to work on what I was passionate about. So at this point, it’s not very important but it will happen naturally. We’re not The Ramones, there’s some variation inevitably.

Albums like Destruction Ritual are one of the cornerstones of raw, violent USBM. The energy and urgency of said album is unmatched by today's standards. In many ways, I can compare it to albums like Cut Your Flesh and Worship Satan or My Hearse, My Redemption in terms of its visceral, all-out aggression. How do you reflect on that era and what can you tell us about the circumstances surrounding the recording of that album? What do you think makes it different?

It was the first time I had done a record without any kind of writing partner as both “Rise…” and “Sono..” had others in the periphery albeit in a pretty useless manner, so this was entirely guided as my vision alone. I began to record it the week after I got back from playing with Judas Iscariot at the Sacrifice of the Nazarene Child Fest in 1999 so I was greatly inspired by taking part in that plus being around so many other like-minded people. The recording was put on hold after the guitars were tracked because I didn’t have a label and had already done one unreleased record nobody wanted to touch (“Sono..”) so in 2000 I concentrated on other things and that autumn my mother unexpectedly died so it wasn’t much of a priority until Andrew Harris offered to help finish the record. The DAT I brought with me somehow got corrupted so we only had a few tracks that were salvageable, which became “The Church” ep. Finally in the summer of 2001 the record was finished in Wisconsin. I don’t see it as different, I just see it as my own expression of black metal as something physically painful to experience.

Your masterpiece Blue Miasma was remastered in 2013, yet the remastering did not affect the overall quality of the music, which is a rarity, as I feel that most "remastered" records are detrimental in the sense that it takes away much of the feel of the original recording. Your opinion?

It’s not really a “remaster” as it was the original mix/master of the record before I fucked around with it during the tip of a few year long nervous breakdown, with maybe some minor changes. I’m especially curious to hear how it’s going to translate to vinyl next year.

Who do you consider as some of the most important bands within the spectrum of USBM? And what do you think of the recent USBM book that came out? Some people have said that the book seemed too apologetic and that it advocated political correctness.

Those people are free to write their own fucking books, then. I don’t have much to add to the USBM conversation that hasn’t been said a million times over. Crucifixion Bell is the best current USBM band.

Do you think nihilism is a lost art in black metal these days? Are there any albums from recent years that have made you feel like "ok, this is the real deal"?

I think there’s just better ways to express it than people tend to use. That being said, overall I think black metal has been better and more interesting the last few years than the previous fifteen. Looking at some of the new USBM bands like the aforementioned Crucifixion Bell, Cathedrals in the Night, Dai Ichi etc or the Danish Korpsand Circle bands, or (and especially) Kommodus I see more sincerity and excellence than I have in years. Really there’s so many excellent projects happening now that I haven’t had a moment where I stop and question if it’s still worth it or not.

I have come to the conclusion that some people utterly dislike your music, while there are others (like myself) who have enjoyed your work from day one. What do you think it is about Krieg that makes your music so divisive? And what do you think people tend to overlook when they hear your music?

There’s a few things, I think. I’ve changed styles over the years, I’ve managed to somehow get myself into good situations for myself that a lot of other (probably more talented) bands couldn’t even suck a dick to get into, but probably the biggest factor is myself as a person. I’m not very easy to be around and am very opinionated. There’s also those who hate me for things I’ve said in the past and those who hate me for owning up to and trying to grow away from those things. People hate me for the things I’ve written or for the things I didn’t write about. All of these people are entitled to their opinion about me, my writing and my music. All of these people are fucking boring.

I know you are a fan of old school hardcore. What are some of your favourite hardcore records? I personally enjoy bands like Amebix, Discharge, Totalitar, Tragedy, The Hope Conspiracy, etc.

All Pigs Must Die, Integrity, (The Infamous) Gehenna, Rot in Hell, Vegas, Withdrawal, Kickback etc for hardcore. I’m big into a lot of the old crust bands as well, Rudimentary Peni, Antisect, Amebix etc. We’ve covered Amebix and Doom in the past and planned a Peni covers 7” back in 2009 that continues to float up as an idea. Really enjoy Tragedy as well.

How did you manage to do a split with Integrity? I mean, it's not like most people in hardcore listen to this kind of music. Are the guys from Integrity fans of Krieg or black metal?

Dwid released the Krieg split with Leviathan on his Holy Terror imprint in 2014 so we already had a good working relationship. The idea came up somehow and eventually manifested itself into reality. It’s one of the proudest moments I have out of the nearly thirty years I’ve been doing this and almost was the epitaph of the band as a whole as it would have been a good ending point.

Do you think a destructive lifestyle and black metal go hand in hand? I personally don't, but I'd like to know your opinion on the matter. Do you still consider Krieg as a black metal band seeing as your influences and ideas have changed over time?

Not really. I think it just happens that the two cross paths because a lot of people involved in this music are tragic fuckups and it’s just coincidental that they mingle. But I don’t see it as a “black metal” thing to be self destructive and the “Never Stop The Madness” logo has lost its original meaning. Besides, you have all these fucking workout camps popping up in backyards all across the country that are connected to bands. Maybe it was linked to black metal years ago but we’re in different waters now.

You are a man of good taste. Therefore, I feel obligated to inquire what records you have been listening to lately? Any personal highlights of the year so far?

I do my yearly list for No Clean Singing and this year might be the largest I’ve ever done, there’s just been a flood of great recordings released this year. Currently I’ve been listening to the Kommodus/Pan-Native Amerikan Front split and the K÷ record.

So what's next for Krieg? I sincerely thank you for your time. Death by Hammer salutes you!

We’ve just finished our side of a split with Crucifixion Bell that will be out through Goatowar Rex on vinyl with a tape and cd version being planned as well. The Devil’s Elixir Records will be doing a vinyl reissue of “The Church” and “Destruction Ritual” next year. “Blue Miasma” will be released on vinyl in its proper form through Death Hymns in the summer and our split with Morte Incandescante will finally have a vinyl release as well. In 2022 we’ll be recording for a split with Dai Ichi and most likely for our next full length, which should still be coming out through Profound Lore.