You've had Hellspawn Records for quite a few years
now, but still you have released very few albums. How come? And how did you
actually get the idea to form a label in the first place?
Hellspawn was formed when we released the first Dark Funeral MCD back in '94.
The main reason there's been very few releases is because the label never has
been more than a side thing for me. This is now changing though. As well, I
haven't found too much stuff worthy of releasing either. If we're releasing
anything, it has to be something special and really good. Of course, it would
have been easy to do it the Necropolis way and sign a million projectbands,
but I don't find anything cool in doing that. The lack of money has as well
been a contributing factor to the lack of releases also.
The few releases you have out are with some of more wellknown acts in the
scene though. Which of them has been the best selling ones so far?
That's still the Dark Funeral MCD from '94, which
has sold 11.000 copies. That one is now being re-relesed in a brand new
package, for those who don't know...
Do you have any special signing critierias you follow when you search for new
bands to Hellspawn?
Well, if I'm going to sign anything it has to be high quality stuff, no demo
type bands. As well, the music has to be SATANIC, although I don't care
whether the persons within a band are practising Satanists or not. As long as
the music is brutal and the outlook of the bands are brutal we'll go for it. Of
course, I have to really like the music as well.
Will Hellspawn release Metal music only or could it be an option to release
such dark and evil music as Darkwave, Ambient, EBM etc as well?
No, never!!! We hate that shit.
But since there are so many labels already, don't you think that people might
think of Hellspawn as just yet another small label putting out more albums
with the new seventh division's garage band?
People
might think so, yes, but the fact is that I prefer putting out nothing at
all, rather than releasing loads of "seventh division garage
bands". I leave that to labels like Napalm and No Colours...
I see that Hellspawn's releases are distributed by House Of Kicks / MNV in
Europe. But what about the rest of the world?
So far there's no real distribution outside of Europe. Necropolis and a few
other American distributors take in stuff on import basis. I have as well
shipped over some stuff to Canada. Except for that the rest of the world has
no distribution.
I heard
Black Mark started a law suit against you because of the Bathory tribute
"In Conspiracy With Satan" you released a while ago. Why was that?
Shit, I really don't want to go into that story again... it's just so
meaningless... According to Black Mark the main reason the sued was that we
used the Bathory goat from the first album on the cover. However though, this
goat is taken from an old horror comic magazine from the early 80's. So they
don't have the fucking copyright to it either. Why we used it was basically
because Black Mark wouldn't let us use the original cover idea, with the
Quorthon fire breathing photo from the old Metal Forces magazine. Incredibly
as well, they also stated that we didn't have the right to use the name
Bathory on the cover. Fucking demented... If the tribute wouldn't have been
called "In Conspiracy with Satan - A tribute to Bathory" no one
would have understood which band in question was being tributed. What the
hell did they expect it being called??? A tribute to Slayer???
On to your bands, it's been quite silent about War lately, except for this
with Necropolis Records. But is anything happening with War at the moment?
Not that very much. Me and All have gotten together to write for the next
full-length, which will be fucking blast album from beginning to end... we
have a few songs ready, but still need about half the material. This album
will be more like the MCD, but with better sound, and nothing like the
"We Ae War" album, which to me isn't a real War album.
Is it decided yet when you are going to recorded the first fullenght with
Infernal?
No exact date is set, but it will be recorded sometimes late this year.
What releases can we expect from Hellspawn during the rest of this year?
Can not say anything at the moment, except Infernal + new War fullength late
this year.
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