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Interview with Maniac
I am not aware of where this interview came from. If anyone knows then
please email me
Hail Maniac! You have just returned from your American tour. What image
have the American metallers left on you? Why North America and Mexico?After
all, Milwaukee seemed to be a death metal only festival. Don't you think it's a
part of the trend the fact that at too many festivals there are more and more
Black Metal bands to play, Dynamo in Holland for example? Isn't Black Metal
supposed to stay underground?
Actually I feel that the Scene is slowly changing in the U.S. and that
more extreme bands will have a broader following. At least we had mostly great
response to our gigs and especially in Mexico where the fans are totally crazy.
If you are supposed to make an impression and possible changes in society you
have to have a certain following. I feel we are still very much an underground
band and in my opinion that depends on the music you play. I mean we will
always stay fast and aggressive and with no fucking keyboards. The more people
who listen to us the more people will get the message.
The trumpet sounds from the mcd's intro are like a war-call. Does this have
anything to do with "The Grand Declaration of War" you're going to
utter in the next album? What war is that anyway? Can you tell me what do the
words you speak in the intro mean?
You could say it leads up to our next full-length album, yes... The declaration
is a declaration of war against christendom and their pity slave-morals that
has been infecting our Mother Europa now for 2000 years. If it continues we
will eventually die or some other country will take over our once so great
continent. It is time to awake from sleep and once more to wage war. The words
I am saying are "Militant Men in Peaceful Times Attack Themselves".
You are going to enter the studio for your new album. What shall people
expect after the blasting ""Wolf's Lair Abyss''? (It seems that bands
nowadays suffer from 80s Venom/Destruction influence - it's not about a simple
influence, but some do try to copy those old bands - or play a keyboard-based
music, still Mayhem rages faster on...) Any plans for gigs after the album is
out?
Our new album will be even faster and more brutal than W.L.A. It will also
feature more strange parts and you will feel the closeness of WAR all through
the album. The lyrics are much longer and a fist in the face of the weaker
slave-morality bounded people of Europa. Hopefully we shall go on tour when the
album is released, but that is yet to be planned.
The live video of Bischofswerda has just been released after a long delay. How
was the return to Germany?
Apart for that the sound was absolutely horrible on stage, it was totally great
to be back on Stage after such a long time. The audience was good as they
always are in East-Germany, a lot of true MAYHEM fans.
Mayhem (and most of the old bands -Emperor for example) don't wear war-paint
anymore. Is this and all the other war-accessories (swords, knives, axes...)
become a trend too?
In fact I do still wear both war-paint and knives on the stage. I think that is
an important part of the appearance of the band. Sometimes it seems like it is
all used up, but as long that wearing those things makes me feel more one with
our music I shall not stop wearing it.
In an interview for Nightshade you pointed out the new Marduk album as being
a true Black Metal one. I think those Vlad tepes stories are really boring and
I am very disappointed in Marduk - the whole period after "Opus
Nocturne", that is-. What has Vlad the Impaler got to do with the Black
Metal concept after all, and especially with some Swedish guys. How would you
react if I, a Romanian, had started a band and sang about Odin, Norway's forests,
Vikings and stuff like that... Would that still be Black Metal?!
Well, I know a lot of non-Norwegian bands that sing about old Norse mythology
and Viking stuff, bands like Blood Axis that is one of my all time favourites. And
as long as they do it as good as they do I do not really care for where the
band comes from. It is, in the last instance, the quality that matters. In my
eyes probably the best Marduk album is "Heaven Shall Burn..." but
then again who I am to judge . Everyone has different opinions on various
things. If someone is truly into the concept one is writing about and knows it
well, then that's OK? It is the genuine feeling in the music that matters and
for me that feeling has never gone from Marduk .
More bands (like Gorgoroth, Dimmu Borgir, Hades, Thy Serpent,Covenant) are
signed up to Nuclear Blast, one of the most commercial label, that had nothing
to do with the Black Metal movement all these years. Do you think these bands
no longer care about true metal and just want to earn more moey?
I really don't wanna slag down other bands. The only thing I can say about it,
is that Mayhem would never sign with a label like Nuclear Blast. That would be
against everything we ever felt Black Metal was all about. It could never
happen. I mean, the fucking head-honcho of NB is a christian. How can someone
like that sign a true Black Metal band?
Do you agree with those that say there are more important things than
putting an end to christianity now (burning churches, terrorist acts and
things...), which it will never happen, anyway, and that one doesn't have to be
satanic anymore in order to play Black Metal. Can you tell me what are the main
conceptual differences between Dead/Euronymous period of time and the new
Mayhem?
Well, for me there has always been a difference in believing in the darker side
of reality
and satanism. In my eyes,to believe in Satan, one is also obliged to believe
that God exists,
and I do not. Therefore I will not consider myself a satanist, although I agree
with a lot of it.
One of the main differences of Mayhem before and now is that the music have
become much more brutal and aggressive and that the lyrics are also
becoming more war-like. Might is Right, you know...
What can you tell me abouy Voluspa, your band-project?
Voluspa is a totally other concept than Mayhem. At least, musically. It is very
much
inspired by bands like Turbund Sturmwerk and Blood Axis and NON.Also the lyrics
are maybe
a bit more political. It is a wake up call to the citizens of Europa. So far, I
have only
released some cassettes in very limited editions. But I have recorded a whole
album that
I am currently working on releasing. However there will first be a 7'' released
in U.S.
Would you like to tell me which is your favourite album ever and of course
what new bands
that worth it does the Norse Scene offer us? Any interesting demos/albums this
year?
My favourite album! This is almost an impossible question. However I must say
that Turbumd Sturmwerk has released one of the strongest albums ever, with
their debut. As for metal, there is so much to choose from, but Celtic frost
released great albums, and also I love "Panzerfaust" by
Darkthrone. However, I could not write a list of hundreds of albums, as I
said, a very difficult question. As for any new Norwegian bands,
I really haven't heard any real good ones for a while. However, I guess that
the new Dodheimsgard album will be a real killer. I have heard some of
their new songs and they kill.
That would be all! Thanx for the interview. As usual, if there is something
you want to add...
That which is falling
Should also be pushed
That which is crawling
Should also be crushed