This is another great Norwegian band here, called IN THE WOODS. They play stuff that one could call black metal, but screw it, read the review if you want to get more details. Then check out the interview that I conducted with Olv. Svithjod! (Gr. what a stupid intro...)

WHERE DO YOU SEE THE MAIN DIFFERENCES BETWEEN YOU AND THE OTHER (NORWEGIAN) BLACK METAL BANDS?
IN THE WOODS... music has more power in the sound than most of other bands in "the same" genre music-wise. In other words: (stated since the beginning of an er) IN THE WOODS... is not any kind of "BM" as most people seem to believe (including thy humble editor, I have to admit-N.). In fact, the only similarity between "us and them" is some parts in the music once is a while. Seen from objective point of view. I, personally, value "Isle of Men" as the best demo from Norway the last couple of years (of course concerning the more obscure music-forms)(not very modest but propably true - N.)

I GUESS SOME OF YOUR MUSIC WILL COMPARE YOU TO BURZUM - WHAT DO YOU SAY ABOUT THAT?
To bad for them. Really...

SOME PASSAGES OF YOUR MUSIC SOUND HEAVIER THAT ORDINARY BLACK METAL, ARE THERE SOME DEATH METAL INFLUENCES IN YOUR SOUND?
We have never really been enthusiasts for the main-stream death-metal, but we listen to a few of the worthy ones though. Maybe there are some DM-influences on "Isle of Men"-demo, but we would rather say that it is more inspired by old heavy-metal bands. Anyhow, do expect a major development in IN THE WOODS... Symphonic progressions further on.

YOU USE KEYBOARDS QUITE A LOT - HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT OF PLAYING ELECTRONIC MUSIC WITHOUT USUAL GUITARS?
We are already creating this shape of expression

HOW DID YOU GET CONTACT WITH MISANTHROPY REC.?
They started, by ordering the 2nd demo, Isle of Men. Discussion concering a deal for an album or so, came and went, and in the end, we figured Misanthropy was the best solution for us. This is not about making any kind of money (what's wrong with earning money? - N.) More a co-operation based upon emotions for the music IN THE WOODS... do create.

ISN'T A BIT TOO EARLY FOR A CD? I MEAN; YOU JUST HAVE A DEMOTAPE OUT, AND I DON'T THINK THAT IN THE WOODS ARE THAT WELL-KNOWN, AT LEAST NOT YET..
Maybe I.T.W. is not too much known, but I can tell you this: when we unleashed our first experience on tape (shit, I didn't know that there was a demo BEFORE Isle..., sorry about that!-N.) Back in March 93 (a reh.demo with much better soundquility than most of the demos released today), we got maybe 10 or 15 offers for either mini albums, albums or 7 - inches. We saw absolutely no point in releasing anything but a decent demo. (I hadn't thought that there were still people in the scene that got enough brains to realize when they are ready for a CD and when not. I get sick of all those bands that release a CD after just one demo (or even rehearsal tape), so I am glad to see that there are some guys out there who do NOT accept the very first offer-N.) If we had been one of these normal clones , we would have jumped on the offer(s) and thus released an album about a year ago... Anyhow, we did release the earlier "Isle of Men"- symphonies in November 93. To this date (Aug. 94), we have sold 1,500 copies of this demo (not bad, I'm impressed-N). Far more than most other bands sell (and promote themselves) with a demo or two, or three... I think now, that we really do deserve to release our first vinyl approach. Await "Heart of the Ages"...

WHAT IS THE LINE UP OF IN THE WOODS..., OR IS IT A ONE-MAN BAND?
What is the point of knowing all the time. Listen to the music as an individual aspect, and make yourself a picture of it all. This is not any kind of judging of you, Werner, but we do feel that our creations are strong enough to stand alone without further aspects to disturp the listener. (What? Do you think that the line-up might disturp the listener? Well, I was just curious to know if you got a drum machine or not-N.)

SOME MIGHT SAY THAT IN THE WOODS... IS A CLICHEE (I AM NOW REFERRING TO THE BAND NAME), WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THIS? ANY DEEPER MEANING BEHIND THE NAME?
"We did enter the forest when man knew himself and other by heart. The older values are still in mind. We do drown in our own knowledge of our coming union.."

HAVE YOU HAD TROUBLE WITH SOME GERMANS WHO THOUGHT YOU WERE NAZIS BECAUSE YOU HAVE THE ODAL RUNE IN YOUR LOGO?
Not thusfar, and besides this, this is not any kind of "logo" at all. (Since I suppose you are referring to what is written on the cover of the 2nd demo, right?) (right!-N)

WHAT DOES "TELL DE DØDE" MEAN? IS THE ENTIRE LYRIC TO THIS SONG WRITTEN IN NORWEGIAN, OR IS IT JUST THE TITLE?
In the right meaning of the words, Tell de Døde mean " count the dead". The words of this oen is written in Norwegian language, yes... A translation will follow with the coming album: "Into battle cried the poor".

WHY "WOTAN'S RETURN" AND NOT "ODIN'S RETURN"?? CORRECT ME IF I AM WRONG, BUT AS FAR AS I KNOW, WOTAN WAS THE NAME THAT WESTGERMANIC TRIBES USED, WHILE THE NORTHGERMANIC TRIBES USED ODIN, SO WHY DO YOU USE WOTAN?
Yep, you are totally right about that, but we felt that Wotan fitted fairly better, since Odin is often mis-used. DESCRIBE YOUR PHILOSOPHY, PLEASE!!!
Make life as worthy as possible to live and learn.

YOU DON'T SEEM TO AGREE WITH EVERYTHING THAT COUNT GRISHNACKH SAYS OR DOES, SO HOW IS YOU RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM (IF THERE IS ANY AT ALL)?
No comments on this one, please

ARE YOU ALSO THE EDITOR OF A 1,OOO YEARS ZINE, CORRECT? WILL THERE EVER BE A SECOND ISSUE? I ENJOYED THE FIRST QUITE A LOT, AND IT WOULD BE A SHAME TO LET SUCH A ZINE DIE...
I am the editor, yes, and thus thank you very much indeed for the great criticism upon it! If there will be a anymore issues at all, the next will probably follow late 95 or so. At the moment there is no time avaible to continue the quest. Anyhow, we are planning a newsletter. Only with review of late in-comming material, though.

IN THIS ZINE YOU WRITE THAT THE NORWEGIAN CHURCHES (AT LEAST THE VERY OLD ONES) ARE ACTUALLY PAGAN TEMPLES THAT HAVE BEEN CHRISTIANIZED. COULD YOU EXPLAIN IN DETAILS WHAT YOU MEAN WITH THIS, ESPECIALLY TO THE READER'S WHO DON'T KNOW THIS ARTICLE?
Well, they are not really Pagan temples that have been christianized, but rather further developed copies of the mentioned temples. The construction is very much the same on those two " diffirent ones", and the spirit of an era lives forever, right?

WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT THE NORWEGIAN CHURCHES BEING PAGAN TEMPLES AT THE CORE MIGHT BE TRUE IN NORGE, BUT IN TYSKLAND (AND IN MANY OTHER EUROPEAN COUNTRIES, TOO), THERE AREN'T THAT MANY PAGAN ROOTS LEFT IN THE CHURCHES, SO DO YOU MIND IF ANY OF THESE ARE BURNED DOWN? AFTER ALL, EUROPEAN CHURCHES ARE ALSO A PART OF THE EUROPEAN CULTURE WHICH ISN'T CHRISTIAN, REALLY...
Seen from my point of viewing the whole thing, they can burn as many churches as they'd like to, but do save what is a part of ourselves and our forefathers' strong pride and dignity...
There are lot of varied churches across Europe, but to my knowledge, they all refer to Christianity (which cannot accept individualism) and thus the Stave-Churches in Norway (and on some parts also Romania) are the most important to dwell with at the point of my knowledge.

MY PERSONAL OPINION (OK, OK, I ADMIT: I GOT THIS OPINION STRAIGHT FROM NIETZSCHE'S "DER ANTI CHRIST") IS THAT CHRISTIANITY DIED TOGETHER WITH JESUS ON THE CROSS, AND THAT THE SHIT WE GOT NOWADAYS UNDER THE NAME "CHRISTIANITY" IS MOSTLY PAGANISM WITH "CHRISTIAN" OVERTONES ( LIKE FOR EXAMPLE WINTER SOLSTICE HAS BEEN TURNED INTO XMAS, AND WHEN CHRISTIAN CELEBRATE EASTER, THEY USE PAGAN FERTILITY SYMBOLS SUCH AS RABBITS AND EGGS (AT LEAST HERE IN GERMANY)). WHAT'S YOUR VIEW ON THIS?
I guess that the people whom invaded the diffirent countries to turn it into a "holy land with holy people", did not know too much about Christianity's basic ideas (I think they didn't know a shit about it - N.), and thus they tried to convince the people by taking the people's own feasts away, and replacing them with the Christian feasts and placing the last mentioned in the same periods as their former feasts. As we know, people had a lot of superstitious beliefs, and therefore I guess they were not hard to convince. "Our God is much stronger than your gods together", or something like this... (Yes, and "If you don't become a Christian, I will smash your fucking skull!" - N.)

I REALLY LIKE THIS QUESTION IN THE UNLEASHED INTERVIEW ABOUT THIS CHRISTIAN GIRL; SO I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT YOU WOULD DO IF A REALLY BEAUTIFUL AND NICE CHRISTIAN GIRL WANTED TO MARRY YOU. WOULD YOU CARE ABOUT HER RELIGIOUS BELIEF?
Of course, if she bothered me with them, but I would have seem it as a real pleasure to convince her that her belief was fairly wrong. I have no problems about Christian people, as long as they have none with me, or bother me with them. You see, most people misinterpretate the bible, and they use it as something it is not (absolutely true - N.) The bible has a lot of wise old sayings, but extremist at any point are scum...

I NOTICED THAT IN THE GERMAN BLACK METAL SCENE , IT HAS BECOME FASHIONABLE TO USE IMAGERY TAKEN FROM THE NORDIC MYTHOLOGY/RELIGION, HAVE YOU NOTICED THIS, TOO? WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THIS? DO YOU REGARD THIS AS A GENUINE INTEREST OR JUST AN IMAGE OR A TREND THAT WILL DISAPPEAR SOON?
I've noticed it, and when this cheap trend has faded, we will see who brought their major interest to it, and who did not...

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF BATHORY? I THINK THAT ESPECIALLY HAMMERHEART AND TWILIGHT OF THE GODS PROMOTE NORDIC MYTHOLOGY REALLY WELL (+ THE MUSIC IS BRILLIANT), SO HOW COME THAT NO ONE HAS REALLY TRIED TO COPY THIS STYLE?
BATHORY is one of the few "bands" today that prefer quality before quantity. In my opinion (as yours?), HH and Twilight... are Quorthon's best experiences to this date (I agree 100%! - N.) Why nobody tried to copy the two mentioned efforts? Hah! Easy... Nobody is clever enough.... (Yes, in particular not those crappy "true satanic black metal" bands that can't even hold their instruments properly - N.) Thank you Werner, for the mightiest support. Hail and Kill, bro!

Yes, may your sword stay wet like a young girl in her primes, bro!
HAIL TO IN THE WOODS... AND OVL. SVITHJOD:. FOR ANSWERING THIS INTERVIEW!!!
If you want further information, you can contact the band at the following address:

IN THE WOODS...
P.O. Box 7093, Vestheiene
4628 Kr.sand
NORWAY