SATANIC WARMASTER (Eng.)

– Hello Werwolf and congratulations for the new album. What are you currently up to?

Listening to the wind and rain outside of my window…

– First off, could you please explain us the story of SATANIC WARMASTER and your motivations that made you formed it?

I started this jouney in 1998 to breath once and again the Black Metal spirit that to the highest degree made me what I am now and to howl into the night and to channel the power of the one supreme flame.

– You have a new album, «Nachzehrer», which is the first released by your own label, Werewolf Records, so I guess that gives you even more control over your albums beside the fact being now an one-man band (since this is your second album without Torech)…

Yes, this is correct.

– Will you stay as the only member for SATANIC WARMASTER?

I’ve been the only real member as long as this project has existed, and even though there is not a principle about the issue, I hardly think there will be any other persons I would share the decisions concerning Satanic Warmaster with.

– How did you come up with the idea of forming your own record label? Tell us a bit about it: what kind of bands you use to work with, etc.

I created Werewolf records to present bands that in my eyes offered something pure and honest and that actually had something to offer which I thought was worth releasing to a bit wider audience. I do not want to work with internet-generation bands who have never done anything for themselves, but with bands who’ve actually walked a similar path as I have by making demos, writing letters, fighting battles, creating chaos and mayhem, and sacrificing much on the altar of Black Metal – in other words those who invested enough so that they actually deserve something for their work.

– Your previous «Carelian Satanist Madness» is considered by some as your masterpiece, so I guess expectations for this new release must be big. Are you happy with the work done on «Nachzehrer»? Where did its title come from?

Yes, naturally I had to re-invent my creation (as I’ve done with most of my releases in one way or another) for ”Nachzehrer”, to again seek the most extreme sound and ventures into different musical trails. Personally I am pleased with the dismal storm I created with ”Nachzehrer”, to me this is the sound of funeral darkness as it should be. ”Nachzehrer” is german for ”the one who devours again”, a germanic vampire myth, the one who devours rotten corpses, the one who doesn’t come into being from being bitten or infected, but just becomes one…

– Though I think your music is oriented into an «old school» and honest way, I found a lot of variation and dynamic in this new album. An example of it is the last track, «Utug-Hul», which sounds almost medieval. What is inspired in and why did you decide to include this «oustanding»? What does its title mean?

As most people know, I have a deep affection for ”old school” metal, be it heavy metal or Black Metal or whatever you want to call it, so it was natural that with this album I wanted to come even closer to the more bestial sounds of the past years like Tormentor, Morbid, Necrodeath, Treblinka etc. The last song on the album was something I created, to invoke an evil spirit and in a way to consecrate the album to the forces it exists to channel in the first place. Utug-Hul is a form of Utuk Xul which means an evil spirit.

– I asked this because I have the feeling you don’t want to perverse SW’s sound. I think so maybe to all the bands you are and have been involved and their different styles.

I want all my creations to stand on their own. I feel nothing positive would ever come from trying to create somekind of a superficial crossover. We all have varied musical tastes, but only the most insecure ones seek their singularities in mindless crossbreeding and childish experiments. Things like these have no place in Black Metal as I see it, as Black Metal isn’t a certain musical style in the first place (for idiots: compare ”Drawing Down the Moon” and ”Under a funeral Moon”).

– I think the aforementioned «Utug-Hul» transports the listener quite good to your lyrics, that have always had something to do with vampirism (among other subjects), which is an important part of the European folklore. How important are your main subjects for your music? And how is your currently psuedonym connected to your lyrics?

Yes, though I have to point out that this particular lyric was written by Akhtya Nachttoter from BLACK FUNERAL, which was also a great honour for me. Vampiric themes of course are a great part of my creation, the anguish, confusion, fear and loathing of weak minds are a great source of strength for me. What comes to the lycanthropic spirit within me and my musical creation, let’s just say that there are several forms where the wolfish. hungry and predatory spirit in man are awakened and manifested.

– I found some similarities here to your previous album, as the amazing atmosphere. Was that something planned or just how things flown? Maybe some people would think that was something intentioned due to the great feedback «Carelian Satanist Madness» got.

I have never created music to meet expectations, rather to crush them and to create a Black Metal I want to hear myself. There have always been characteristics that distinguish Satanic Warmaster from others, so I guess there will always be certain similarities.

– If I’m not wrong, all your albums have been released as LP as well. Why? Is this something the label or yourself decided? I think this format help to express that amosphere I mentioned before.

I like how vinyl looks and sounds like, to me a vinyl record is the whole audial and visual side of a musical creation brought close to perfection when the contents are appropriate.

– Talking about that, the vinyl copies use to be (though I don’t know how many will be this time) quite limited. Is there any concrete reason to that?

Vinyls are only pressed to meet the estimated demand.

– I have always noticed in your music, both in a musical and ideological label, some influence of the earlier Norwegian and Polish Black Metal. What are your main influences?

My musical influences are countless, but to name a few, some of them are bands like Venom, Bathory, Sarcofago, (early) Emperor, Immortal, Satyricon, Mayhem, Morbid, Vlad Tepes, Fullmoon, Osculum Infame, Moonblood etc. Ideologically I am influenced by various writers, philosophers, magicians, satanic sects etc.

– I have mentioned the Polish scene, and I guess some people won’t know that Black Metal band called LORD OF EVIL whom released a demo named «Satanic War Master (Der Fúhrer)». Did you choose your name from this demo?

Yes, the utter arrogance of the title impressed me instantly.

– It seems nowadays NS and Black Metal are, for some people, contradictory terms, just as the fact of being influenced by politics in general. But, what is, for you, the relation between those 2 philosophies?

Black Metal is a music style that reflects certain visions/beliefs, not a philosophy of it’s own. That should be evident looking at the spectrum of creations that have been done within the genre. For me the whole separation of NS and Black Metal is totally irrelevant, as Black Metal in all it’s immorality should be much worse than any political thing could ever be.

– I also talked about the ideological part on SATANIC WARMASTER, which I think, even satanism is an important part of it, are quite unique. This is something it seems the scene has partialy lost since the beginnings, then people seemed to have their own ideas while know some bands seem to compose about subjects that have just became «topics» into Black Metal.

This is a natural progression, just because of the fact that for most bands Satanism was (and is) just a ”topic” as you said. Too many vulnerable ears have taken the aesthetics of bands as their ideology without second thought and through that cycle it of course was perverted into something nobody could identify with.

– How do you think the scene has changed since, for example, the 90’s until now?

To worse in most parts and to better in a few.

– And how’s the current scene like in Finland? There are a lot of Metal bands coming out from there, but which of they are worth to mention?

EVIL RITES and HATEFUL SORCERY from finland are recent discoveries that I have found interesting. All the more well-known bands should be familiar to most people by now.

– Finally, what are your near-future plans? Both for yourself as for SATANIC WARMASTER.

The next rehearsal 7” will be out on Northern Heritage hopefully later this year. Also we will perform live in November in Trondheim at the Nidrosian Black Mass festival.

– That’s it. Thaks for your time and fel free to add any last words.

HAIL SATAN – LUX EX TENEBRIS.