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Abyss (Jap)
Adramelech (Fin)
Apostasy (USA)
Bethlehem (Ger)
Bundeswehra (Pol)
Curse (Fin)
Gorgon (Fra)
Graveland (Pol)
Mythos (Fin)
Necrobiosis (Fin)
Rippikoulu (Fin)
Sephiroth (USA)
Sigillum Diaboli (Fin)
Throne of Ahaz (Swe)
Thus Defiled (USA)
Ungod (Ger)
APOSTASY (USA) download HERE
Questions Tommi Hakonen / answered by Tony Blakk
EVERYBODY KNOWS US BLACK-METALLERS ACHERON…BUT FORMER ACHERON GUITARIST TONY BLAKK HAS NOW A BAND CALLED APOSTASY…THEIR DEBUT DEMO “ACCUSER OF BRETHREN” CAME OUT IN '93 AND THIS IS AN INTERVIEW WITH TONY WHO TELLS SOME MORE ABOUT THIS COOL BAND…
Can you tell me what was the reason to form Apostasy and why you play such stuff you do…?
-I met up with the other guys in Apostasy back in June '93. They were calling the band Accursed back then. We changed the name when I joined. We didn't plan to play any certain kind of metal, it just naturally came out this way.
WHAT DOES THE NAME APOSTASY MEAN?
-Apostasy is the renunciation of religious faith. It's the first step of becoming one with yourself.
YOU'VE PLAYED IN ACHERON…WHY DID YOU LEFT THE BAND AND WHY STYLE OF APOSTASY IS SO DIFFERENT THAN WITH ACHERON?
-Acheron was cool for a while. But, I got bored after a year of it. I just didn't have enough “say no” . I'm not one to sit back and watch everything go by.
WHAT KIND OF RESPONSE YOU'VE GOT ABOUT “ACCUSER OF BRETHREN” AND ARE YOU SATISFIED WITH IT?
-Fuck yeah! We've got only decent and average reviews so far. Nobody has shit on yet or said “nothing original here”.
OK, HOW DO YOU MAKE YOUR SONGS?
-All the songs on the first demo were written by Chris and previous drummers. Now Chris and Bryan write the music and I write lyrics.
TELL ME ABOUT YOUR LYRICS…?
-I'd not be considered Apostasy a satanic band but that's what I am and whatever I do will always have an occult influence. To not sing the way I do would be holding my true feelings.
DO YOU HAVE ANYTHINGSPECIAL TO OFFER FOR PEOPLE WHO LISTEN TO METAL, ANY MESSAGE FOR THOSE PEOPLE?
-I don't want to send out a message for everyone who listen to us. I hope most people just listen to the music and anyone into the darkside reads the lyrics. They are the only ones who'll get it anyway.
WHAT ABOUT APOSTASY ON STAGE…ARE YOU TRYING TO DO SOMETHING ELSE THAN JUST PLAY?
-Mostly we run around get in people faces, get wasted and scream shit at the crowd. We don't do any special effects or elaborate stage-show. Just anger and aggression. We are a band not actors.
WOULD YOU PLAY WITH ANY OTHER BAND…EVEN IT'D BE “WHITE” BAND LIKE MORTIFICATION?
-Yeah, we'd scare the shit out of them. I challenge any faggot Christian band to a show of power on stage!
DO YOU MAINTAIN CONTACTS WITH OTHER BANDS…FROM EUROPE?
-Some of the European bands I keep in contact are Droys (Fra), Sacrificial (Den), Sororicide (Iceland), Iconoclast (Italia) and Twilight (Gre).
WHAT IS THE BIGGEST PROBLEM IN METAL MUSIC TODAY?
-Lack of local support. It seems no matter how early or how much you promote a show. If there isn't a signed band playing no one shows up. Support the underground!
WHAT'S YOUR OPINION ABOUT BM…DOES BM HAS ANY FUTURE?
-I think there is still room for more bm-bands as long as they stray from overdone subjects.
DO YOU REPLY ALL THE MAIL YOU GET?
-Fuck yeah! Everyone who writes get response. I don't ignore anyone with an interest.
IS DRINKING/DRUG USE ONLY WAY TO REACH THE RIGHT FEELING WHEN YOU GO TO STAGE?
-Mostly. I mean it helps to get a little stoned or get a buzz going before going on. It eases and relaxes you.
DO YOU BELIEVE IN LOVE?
-No. Love is something “dog” preaches. Love is malignant tumor in the side of man that confuses guys into thinking some chick is worth spending their whole lives with. No woman is worth that. Fuck'em and leave them.
APOSTASY AND FUTURE…ANY PLANS FOR '94?
-Yeah, fucking insane demo. Don't have a name for it yet but all the songs are written and are being revised now. Look for a flyer in your mail!
WHAT'S YOUR GOAL IN MUSIC AND LIFE?
-To never compromise my beliefs. No matter what other people do or say, never cowar.
DO YOU'VE ANYTHING YOU'D LIKE TO ASK FROM ME…?
-Yes, You've seen Beherit live. How were they?
-(Tommi): Well, I saw'em in autumn ‘92 and they'd only two members (?) Holocausto and Kimmo L. but they still were really great…fucking great stuff without any effects, just pure Beherit sound…it was absolutely cool!!!
GRAVELAND (Pol) download HERE
Questions Tommi Hakonen / answered by Capricornus
Ok first, it'd be nice to get some background info…
-Graveland was brought to existence in winter '91 by Rob Darken. For quite a long time it was a one-man band. It's hard to understand why the nature created our lifes and it's also hard to tell you what was the reason Darken created Graveland. Maybe it was a destiny of higher powers, sometimes we feel it! The Dark Bless - inspiration for Evil Creation…
As Graveland was one-man band first, what about now…line-up, and are there some more guys joining?
-The current line-up is: Darken (guit, voc, keyboards), Karcharot (guit, bass) and Capricornus (drums). Nobody will join the Graveland in the future… the line-up is ultimate.
If I compare your ”Drunemeton” promo '92 (last one with Darken only) with demo '93, ”In the Glare of Burning Churches”, the sound and even style is different. Why is that so and are you satisfied early tapes Darken created on his own?
-We are not satisfied with earlier productions. Only ”Drunemeton” is listenable as a one-man band Darken couldn't create the music such dark, bestial and evil like a stuff from ”In the Glare…”. I think it is nothing strange that music has changed. We are still growing, both as musicians and satanists. It's natural process of spiritual evolution.
Who makes your songs and what kind of situation your song-making is, how you free your ideas and imagination?
-Most of the songs are prepared by Darken. At the silent nights he turns his dark feelings into music. Sometimes the influence for the music comes from the ancient story or dream journey. Generally the basic idea is to free your imagination and to create the uncommon atmosphere, but we never use drugs.
As those two earlier mentioned tapes are quite different when compared to each other, what about your new stuff…any big changes or that pure black metal only or something else maybe?
-Our latest production ”The Celtic Winter” is rather continuation of the way we presented on ”In the Glare…”. It's unholy black metal, fast and evil but also dark and atmospheric.
Then into your lyrics…titles like ”The Night of Fullmoon” and ”Through the Occult Veil” are such I think to be quite typical stuff in black metal…are there anything else in your songs than just occult and dark messages?
-I always say that black metal is the most communicative way of satanic message and lyrics in this kind of music will always deal with satanism, occultism, paganism and esoteric themes.
Where the ideas for your lyrics have been taken from?
-There are many sources for our lyrics. Darkness of the night, cold of the northern winds, hatred towards Christianity, ancient myths, culture and magic… Other lyrics have more personal, deeper meaning. The inspirations for them are taken from occult experiences.
You like such bands as Darkthrone and Enslaved…Are those bands such you'd call your paragons or are they just bands you like to listen to?
-Both bands mentioned surely are not my paragons. I really like their music but nothing more. The only band I'd mention as my paragon is old Bathory!
Nowadays seem to be very important to be ”true” black metal band…but it's hard to know what is true and what is just some lousy fake… Could you describe what kind of black metal band is true?
-The true black metal band is such which was created by people who really feel this kind of music and want to spread the message of darkness by this satanic art!
Speaking of ”true”…what kind of musical background you have, any dirty secrets you don't dare to tell… and, are you a true bm-band?
-As a musician I started in '89. I was a vocalist of doom/black-metal band called Thy Worshipper. Nothing interesting, primitive music in the way of Hellhammer, Samael. Later (with some intermissions) I played in this same band as a drummer till 1992. So, there are no dirty secrets…About Graveland…we are true black metal band!
You are also running Devilish Sound Promotion…can you give me a short story how this promotion started and what is your purpose with this DSP?
-Honestly, I even don't remember when did I start with Devilish Sound Promotion. It's kind of promotional agency for Polish bands and distribution for all my releases (zine, band, etc.). I've very attractive conditions for foreign bm 'zines and distributions.
You must know something about your scene there in Poland. Can you give me some names of promising, Polish bands?
-The only promising bands from Poland are Mysteries, Fullmoon and the band I joined some weeks ago Infernum.
Many ug-people know Poland and other Eastern countries because of quite strong rip-off reputation… Do you have any idea why there are so much rip-offers in Poland?
-Well, I know that Polish scene is ”famous” basically for rip-offs, but I really can't understand what is the reason that so many fuckin' bastards live here.
What is your opinion about worldwide ug?
-You know, I don't care about ug. For me only my own circle is really important. The biggest problem of bm-ug in Europe is a lot of fake bands and ”great” 15-years-old satanists.
You are still quite unknown band. Would it be a real luck to get a big deal with some well-known European label… Are there any purpose Graveland to be famous and rich?
-If you mean any label as Osmose or Earache you are talking with a wrong man. The first one is a source of bm-trend. Fuck them hard! The second and other similar to it are death metal labels, not able to release bm-albums. We are not going to be famous and rich, it's enough if we are well-known in our own hermetic environment.
Speaking of deals… You've a deal with Polish Eternal Devils Rec. and also a deal for MCD with Finnish Hammer of Damnation. Have you got any offers from bigger labels?
-First of all, I must inform you that we have no longer a deal with H.O.D. 'coz of dramatic economical condition of this label. At the moment Niko isn't able to release any serious productions. Nevertheless, we are in contact with other labels and surely our mini-CD will be out sooner or later. Our deal with Eternal Devils Rec. is the best we could get for the debut LP/CD, in my opinion. All details connected with recording and production are absolutely under out control.
You also had some plans for publishing 7” through Dutch Shivadarshana Records… What happened to this release?
-Shivadarshana Rec. Well, it was rather funny story. This guy informed us that he can produce our 7”EP but some weeks later he wrote that he won't release our EP because music is too… Norwegian.
What about gigs, have you had any?
-We haven't played any gigs, and probably we'll never play any. Gigs are for bands that need promotion and ”great” fun. Just have a look for the people who usually invite the gigs; hippies, drug addicts, posers, alcoholics and other fakes. We don't need such audience.
Almost every bm- or even dm-bands've masks and other ”cliches” bands use as an image. But what you think about these things, does it matter what is the look of the band?
-If someone likes it and feels that it's important for him, let him do his will. Personally, I don't give a shit for the amazing covers, photos, etc. Intelligence and serious message of the band is most important for me.
You've told me that you are first of all satanist and the music is ”only” the echo of your soul. What kind of soul is that?
-It's a soul living in the mysterious world of darkness, feeling the dark powers of almighty nature, longing for the pagan kingdom and warrior's pride, searching the occult wisdom…
Can you tell me about your “faith” as there are many ways to be a satanist… How do you practise what you preach? Could you die for your “faith”?
-It's a type of very personal path. I never use the words; “faith” or “satan”. My “faith” is a way of life. Also “satanism” sounds empty nowadays. They way I chose can be described as tenebrism. It's hard and long journey to self-overcoming by the use of powers of darkness. The way beyond good and evil. I don't think I could die for anything. “Orthodoxy is a death of intelligence” - especially the religious fanaticism.
You've also made a zine called “Into the Pentagram”… Two issues have come out so far. Is it only for bm/occult stuff or are there also space for different bands and ideas?
-The 3 rd issue of “Into the Pentagram” should be out when you read this interview. 40 pages/A5, only for black metal and lots of articles about satanism, occultism, Nietzscheanism, social-Darwinism, racialism and paganism. No space for LaVey, pacifism and death metal shit.
What about your corresponding… Do you have time for corresponding and how's your attitude towards mail you get…any chance to get a reply without an IRC?
-I get about 20-25 letters a week. I answer only those letters that seem to be really honest and serious. Every true man can write without IRC. I'm tired of all those ignorant children that claim to be satanists.
How often Graveland rehearse together and do you have any “cover” songs you play together?
-We play together once a week (2 hours). Sometimes we play covers of Mayhem-“Deathcrush”, Venom-“Black Metal” and maybe something from old Sarcofago.
What about future of Graveland…any plans for '94?
-There are a lot of plans for the near future. First of all, “The Celtic Winter” MCD should be out this spring. Later “Carpathian Wolves” LP/CD (June '94), and probably we will produce 2 songs 7”EP with older unreleased stuff. Poison young pagan minds and become the European revolution against Christianity. By the fire and sword we'll prepare the ground for a new pagan empire!
Now's your chance to ask me…!
-Ok, how do you imagine a world without Christianity and its moral systems?
-(Tommi): Well, I don't think such world is even possible…there are always some who want to obey those systems. But if there would ever be a world without Christianity, it'd not be very different world…conflicts'll stay ‘coz there are always different ideas and different people…I really don't know what kind of place the world would be…My imagination doesn't reach so far, sorry.
Ok, this was it. Thanks for answering and if you've any final comments, now's time for such!
-Regards to you Tommi for this great interview. It was undoubtedly one of the best I've ever answered! And the message to your readers: Keep the pagan flame burning in your dark heart and walk your own free-will path!