In 1996 Lord Belial released their debut album "Kiss The Goat" through the swedish label No Fashion Records. "Kiss The Goat" got good criticism in most of the mags, but it was initially in 1997 when they released their second album "Enter The Moonlight Gate" that I with several could count Lord Belial as one of the leading Black Metal bands from Sweden. No closer presentation needed... All answers in this interview by Pepa af Vassago.

Interview by Whodan      

Can you start this interview with that you tells for us what that have happen since yours latest opus. How have the response been on your albums so far, have they sold much or?

Yes, I think that they have sold much but compared with what...? I don't know exactly how much they have sold so far but I think it is about 8000 resp. 10000. The response on "Enter..." is much better than on "Kiss Goat" and it's nice that it goes in the right direction.

It seems as almost all bands have problems with No Fashion Rec, delays, not enough tours etc. Is it something Lord belial has had problems with as well? Isn't there other labels interested in yours music?
Yes, but it has become better!! It has been interest from other labels but we think that it's good with a Swedish label even if they haven't cared about us a shit until now this last half year.

That No Fashion has become better, don't you think it's because Lord Belial sell so many albums? But isn't it the labels duty to help all bands the same even if they don't sell that much?

Well, we have a really awesome party here right now and I'm reaaallly druunk and thats nice, but I answer your questions anyway. I have no experience about labels in general but this is my answer: That No Fashion help us is great and if they could help all bands the same would even better. But No Fashion seems to sign all bands walking outside their office so it's good that they help those bands that are good, and we are good so it's nice that they help us now when we will release an album which will go to this short world history which is left.

"Divida et Impera", your third fullenght album is to be released in the end of 1998 what I have understood. Could you tell us something about it. Some songtitles? How will "Divda..." be compared with "Enter...". It can't be faster, or can it?
It will be fast as hell occasionally. It will be much more variated than the other two in general, more technic, more dynamic in the songs. The album title will be "Unholy Crusade" and some songtitles are: "War of Hate", "Lord of Evil spirits", "Master of Destruction", "Death Is the Gate of life" etc.

Why did you change name on the comming album, shouldn't it be "Divida..."?
What? Did it had a name before it was released? I don't know, we are in the middle of the recording now, but it's nice that we can decide name on it before it is released, it will be GREAT anyway. I shall tell for you that we've tuned down to C that is HEAVYYY, but the strings don't holds so long so we must buy new each day because we plays so fast, but today it was Saturday so the store was closed but we will continue on Monday when we've bought new strings and that's nice, it's much cooler to play when the guitars are down tuned so much, but it settle up in the end . I talked with Peter Tägtgren today and he gave me some hints about my seventh stringed guitar that I own since a half year back, so now it will be much heavier, can you belive it from E to C, it's HEAVYYY!!!!

Do you have you any plans to do a video, if yes do you think you earn something on it when the commercial shit channel MTV just show black metal videos approximately two times. Do you have any ideas on how your video would become?
Yes, but we don't want MTV to show it, we are making it for ourselves, we have plans for a video to the song "Lamia" with animated demons and other shit

Lord Belial's music isn't directly what I would call pure B.M., it's very much thrash and also some death metal elements in yours music. Will you continue with this, which bands have inspired you?
Slayer, Bathory, Venom, Metallica, S.O.D., Napalm Death, Abba, Kreator, Suicidal Winds, Ost etc.

I read somewhere that you hate keyboard's (Correct me if i have wrong) because it doesn't fit in Black Metal, but why do you use flute, cello and female vocals. Does it fit better to use such or?
No, it's that it fits or not it is just that we hate artificial sounds, if you shall produce a sound you shouldn't just push a button, you shall do it on a primitive way instead. Music for me is a language with which you can "communicate" with other "languages" without to use a word. Flute, cello etc. contributes to broaden the difference between beauty and bestiality in our music and it's nice. Dynamic is important otherwise it becomes so mediocre and boring for they that listen to it. I like classic music too.

In the beginning of the 90'ies when millions of black and death metal bands were born, it was concerts all over this country, but as soon as a band get signed they stop playing at their home country and play in Germany, Holland or Poland for an example, why?

The answer is simple, since twenty years back there is a tour route there and it's very easy to just follow it. Here in Sweden there are no tours arranged. Skrikhult production arranged a tour with 18 concerts four us and Dark Funeral but it ended up with 5. All arrangers drew themselves out when they understod what kind of music it was about.

How is the recivement in Germany for an example, and how should we do here in Sweden to make it better?
If some one arrange a concert and pay us then we come, simple.

Lord Belial has contributed to several cover/tribute albums so far and played many covers live. Do you think that it's a good manner to shed your music, but don't you think that there have come to many tribute albums so far?
It's fun to show its own verison of its favourite bands product, additionally it's good to hold runs with some recordings then and then, + it's good commercial.

More and more of the B.M. bands today use internet to spread their music, but many people mean that internet destroy the underground. In my opinion the real underground was destroyed when Black Metal becamed commmercial and was showed in TV etc. What's your opinion about that?
Well, I never watch TV. I'm watching at video instead. "The real underground" is still left, even if it has been diluted from a fat mass to a poor mixture of shit.

You don't watch TV??? How could you live on this planet without TV?
Well, TV sucks, atleast swedish TV, shit.

Ok let's talk about something else. TWP (Total War Production) what's happening there at this moment? Are you going to release something in nearest future?

Yes, Dark's second band Mastema are soon to release a MCD here on TWP. Beside that we have unificate with World Wide Holocaust now, so there is more people working with it. Then a Bestial Mockery demo, 7" + some t-shirts etc. Latex are soon to release a demo, but there will be a Latex fullenght album to be released by "Folter Records", ANOTHER TRUE underground label.

Your own project Vassago, could you say something about that.
Yes, we are on with a new album which is soon to be recorded.

What about your other project Ost then?
It's Bloodlord who is a member of Ost, it's just a rumorband but it's a very cool band.

What has the following bands meant to you / Lord Belial? Write a short sentence on each band!!!!

Sarcofago...
I heard that they raised the speed on the drummachine EVEN MORE on their new one! HATE! Fuck so good!

Bathory...
Bathory, "A Fine Day To Die" will be played at my funeral. I love their five first albums.

Slayer...
CULT until "Reign In Blood". After that I didn't care about them.

Sepultura...
Ok until "Arise". Now it's happy boys jumping in the jungle.

Merciless...
They are nice!

Gamma Ray...
Shit.

Samael...
Ok.

Hellhammer...
I liked it from the beginning, and I still like it!
I was very disapointed when Celtic released "Into the pandemonium"

No, let's end the interview here. Finish with something nice!
We are in the studio now in order to record "Unholy Crusade", it will become a historical album! I have slept 5 hours on three days, I was in Germany and acted with Sacramentum (CULT!) in the end of the weekend. Hail Impaled Nazarene! I don't know what more to say. Thank you for this interview. Die Hard!!! Stay Metal.