BURZUM in "Orcustus -
The Shadow Of The Golden Fire" mag in early '92.
I include this early interview because it is not widely available and, to add
extra interest, the interview is carried out by soon-to-be fellow black metal
jailbird Faust of Emperor...
About black metal bands in Norway, there aren't many of them, but this band,
Burzum, are one of the really few true bands around here, and this
one-demon-band plays black metal in the vein of almighty Hellhammer, but also
some influences of Mayhem and my own band Thorns can be found here, but be
sure that this band is an original (though that is kinda difficult to imagine
today with all those mainstream-sounding black metal bands). In May there
will probably be released an album with this band on Deathlike Silence prod.,
so look out for that one. Also T-shirts can be ordered for 15$ (Europe), 10$
(Eastern Europe) or 17$ if you live in that strange country called elsewhere.
Order from: Burzum, Grishnackh, Ibsensgate 45, N-5037 Solheimsvik, Norway.
For the first time in this magazine, I've the pleasure to introduce you Grev
Grishnackh and his Burzum.........:
Before you played in Old Funeral. Why did you actually leave, and was the
idea of a one-man-band born after you leaved Old Funeral, or was that some
thing you had been thinking of while you played in Old Funeral?
I left Old (Fun)eral because I can create darker music better alone.
And....I think some of the people in Old (Fun)eral aren't true worshippers of
"death", and that's what death metal is all about. If not, I'll
call it life-metal, fun-metal, or maybe trend-metal....not death metal.The
thought of an one-demon-band was born in very early '91. It was born from
selfishness and total hate!
Ok, about the Reh/demo you released in '91 then... You told me the tape
was a protest against the standard 3 track studio "death" metal
demo with printed cover etc. Please tell me your views behind this statement?
Ages ago when the god bands released their demos, they didn't do
professional demos. Why should they? A demo is a demo, a lp/mini-lp is good
quality. Nowadays half of the bands who come with lp had a better demo. My lp
will be total better than demo! And death...or so-called death metal (see
question 1) is a big trend who all the loser humans follow...as usual!
I've heard that you don't enjoy playing gigs, so I suppose you're
satisfied now when you're doing a one-man-band, but how come your hate
against gigs?
I hate all that is human! On gigs there are tons of waste flesh...or call
it humans if you like...Of course going on gigs or doing gigs surely increase
my hatred...(if that's possible).
What do you think about satanism when organisations like the Church of
Satan has made satanism so "acceptable", and what are your views on
the occult art in general?
So-called Church of Satan is not in my views a church of Satan...It's rather
a humanistic individualistic organisation who worship happiness and life (for
them it's only this life). All occult, philosophy, lore, science, wisdom, bla
bla bla is interesting...I am a teosof is many ways. I try to know it all
(teosofi is a wisdom religion who worship(if you can call it that) wisdom).
Of course I use all my wisdom to spread evil and sorrow and hopefully death.
I worship death, evil and all darkness. Hm...use the goodness on earth in
evil purposes! And of course the evil....
There aren't much vocal on the original tracks on the reh/demo from '91.
Why?
Recorded on a borrowed cassette player! And I have no mic! By the way,
it's no longer for sale.
Let's talk about the underground then..Well, all in all, is there any
sort of underground left at all, when "brutal death metal bands"
get pages up and pages down in such mags like Metal Hammer, Kerrang and Rock
Hard, and got played on tv-stations like MTV? Is it that what we all want to
be underground? Do you think it's easy to fall for the temptation to sign a
major label or record videos which you know will be played at MTV?
I don't care about the underground. Well, I did, but the underground is
dead.
What do you think about the Norwegian scene at the moment? Any bands
worth mentioned, and do you look at it as a good or bad sign that more and
more bands change their musical style and look to black metal?
I think a new trend is growing... Bit if we can make the trend people more
destructive and evil, then it's great with a new trend!!!
It seems like everyone wants to be looked on as a true satanist these
days, but I don't really think anyone can decide who's a true satanist or
not, and on the other hand, everyone has got different opinions about what a
true satanist is, so what I think, is that what you believe yourself, and
what you consider as true is what matter. What do you think?
It's trend to call yourself a satanist these days. People don't know
anything about satanism, only that it's "cool", and a must to be
with the tough guys. We all know who they are, don't we?
You prefer to call yourself "Grev" (which is Norwegian for
"Count"). Are there any special reasons behind it?
I am a Count of Grymyrk.
Most people in today's underground seems to love "brutal &
evil" gore movies, but are they after all that brutal & evil? Most
movies let at the end the good guys win over the bad guys and are often mixed
up with different funny things and if course it got to have a happy fucking
end. I find often old classic (real) horror movies more attractive than this
shit. What do you think?
I hate movies in the first place! But of course I agree with you wise
lord! Count Dracula will never die (well, never will be destroyed).
I am at the moment listening to Hellhammer and I can hear some similarities
between them and you. How much does this band mean to you, and what are
actually your source of inspiration?
Hellhammer....is a holy word! My source of inspiration comes mainly from
dark woods, caves, magic and sorcery, but of course Mayhem, Thorns, Darkthrone,
all of Bathory, Hellhammer, old Kreator, Celtic...etc. influences me alot
either I want it or not!
Ok, no more questions, so please end the interview in an obscure way....!
The tribe is Reuben, the deity name ORO, the archangelic name CAMBRIEL and
the governing angelic name is ZINGGEN. "What is the sign of Grev
Grishnackh".
Interviewed by Bård G.Eithun (Faust).
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