(One
of the first ever concerts given by the original band members in Izmir/TURKEY
in 9 December 1990)
Mayhem in Izmir(Turkey)
When it’s cold, when it’s dark,
Mayhem is an obsessive dark melody stuck in your mind…
Mayhem not only delved into the
hearts with its music but also created black metal legacy that’s called 2nd
wave of Norwegian black metal which gets under our skin, outrageous and
incomprehensible.
The leader of chaos, Euronymous was
the most important and influential character in this dark story as he found
Mayhem, created black metal in all veins and contributed to spread all over. He
caught the uncanny spark that Venom unfolded from Pandemonium so to speak and
hit the lights in Dead for once.
A tragedy was born and dead in
Mayhem’s realm… Dead was the voice of dark symphony enlightening us under the freezing
moon, cold at heart, melancholic at soul. He fell in love with death since the
very beginning. Last words resonated in Life Eternal ironically.
Mayhem’s first ever European tour
in 90’s started with Germany. The plan was to be included Germany (Zeitz,
Leipzig, Chemnitz), Greece (Athens), Turkey (Izmir) and Netherlands by using
interrail. However not all the planned concerts were carried out.
Let’s focus on doomed İzmir concert
of Mayhem here. Date: 9 December 1990.
How was the band’s Turkey trip? What
had happened really in İzmir concert?
Mayhem was first time in Turkey and
stopped by İstanbul for a night before arrival to İzmir. During the show, electricity
was cut by the police hence concert was left half-finished.
As far as I learnt from the letters
of Euronymous that he had sent to Arcan Öğütverici (Dystopia Promoters) when
returned, they were quite pleased of the interest and hospitality they had here
despite of half-finished concert. Moreover, Euronymous was planning to come
back to visit Arcan in the summer time for sightseeing İzmir for they couldn’t’
achieve due to the restricted time.
Nonetheless there have been many rumors
circulating around about Mayhem İzmir concert still. The foremost answers can
only be given by its organizer Arcan Öğütverici (Dystopia Promoters) since it
is the reason of this interview.
Raison d’Être of Grotesque in İzmir
and The Rest of the Dark Story
How did you decide to organize
Mayhem concert back then in İzmir, TURKEY?
Arcan Öğütverici:I
had been travelling to London often for metal gigs and collecting metal records.
Also I was supplying patches and t-shirts
for local metalheads and a few record shops including Stüdyo Ümit, since mail ordering and importing vinyl and merchwereyet unknown in the Turkey at the time, even credit cards were newly
introduced and carrying foreign currency as considered a crime! At one of my
visits to London, I came across with a music shop called Shades where they were
selling only metal and punk records. There were also magazines where people announced
that they were looking for pen pals. I thought “why not?” and gave an announcement
too. Then I received like 30-40 requests and one of them was Øystein. One might
think that Turkey wasn’t well-known like today, so kinda absurd place. He wrote
me “I have a band and I’d like to give concerts at weird countries. Could you
please help me?” I was only 20 and it was 1990 when the concert organizations
were quite difficult in Izmir, Turkey and not much international ones. We kept
writing to each other, he sent me “Deathcrush” tape, flyers, photos of the band.
What were you listening at those
times?
I
started to head towards new things than thrash or heavy metal gradually. I had just
discovered Voivod, Celtic Frost, Coroner and the remaining of the Noise Records
catalogue. We were discussing with Euronymous, he mentioned that he liked Celtic
Frost’s music too. I was influencing him into Voivod’s music also, which you
can clearly see in Helvete shelves! In the meantime he kept insisting on Mayhem
concert in İzmir.
How long did you write to each
other with Euronymous?
Leipzig Booklet
From
1988 to 1993. We exchanged around 30 letters. Finally I was convinced and went
to Stüdyo Ümit record store to
discuss. Niyazi told me that they can do the rest of the organization regarding
venue, backline, etc.
So I only need to arrange the concert in terms of
transportation and timing and bring them here. We wrote to each other with
Euronymous again and compromised. They would have a tour including Germany,
Greece and Turkey (İzmir).
"Full-blooded
stage show as if an opera"
It should be quite different than
this era as no internet and mobile existed. How did you contact with each other
during the trip from Norway to İzmir?
Leipzig Booklet
It was difficult to contact any time you want.
Øystein gave me his mother’s home phone just in case.
We had talked on phone
couple of times after their Germany tour. He made a very detailed plan for
Turkey trip including the train departures by naming the stations of İstanbul,
wrote down timetables and prepared for the plan B if anything goes wrong.
Also
before coming to Turkey he sent me a detailed tour itinerary, with all the
interrail train arrival and departure times, and also a contact list of the
promoters of 1990 Mayhem gigs, with Sakis Tolis (Rotting Christ) for Athens’
gig and me just below Sakis as for İzmir promoter. In 29th March
2019 I had Rotting Christ play in İzmir as a homage to that tour itinerary and
gave Sakis that tour itinerary of Euronymous, he was amazed to see the flame
still burning in me!
Could you please tell about the
organization team of this concert?
Niyazi
(Stüdyo Ümit) printed poster and tickets and announced all the people who came
to store for tape merchandising. Serdar, the drummer of I.D.E.A. is one of my
old friends, he joined the team with his band I.D.E.A. and they took care of
equipment and backline issues. We led off such an amateur but an interesting
work. Niyazi and I.D.E.A. band were more professional as they had been doing
concert organizations before but for me it was the first ever.
When Mayhem arrived to Turkey, they
came across problems with customs. Is it true? What is the real story?
Yes,
customs officer was difficult, hence guitars, pedals and the mixer became a problem
because he thought that they were gonna sell it in Turkey. Euronymous called me
from the customs office and gave the customs officer on phone. I took all the
instrument list and sent them a signed fax saying “these equipments are brought
for concert and will be took out after 3 days”. The problem was solved right
away. The rest of the embellishments in the story are not real including
handcuffs.
Mayhem had memories in İstanbul
also as they first arrived there and stayed one night before hitting the road
to İzmir, right? What would like to tell about İstanbul times?
Band
came to İstanbul via interrail where my friend Yücel İnan met with them and invited
them to his home. He also took them to Kapalı
Çarşı (Grand Bazaar) which is one of the highlights of İstanbul to see and
introduced them Turkish kebab. Euronymous was mad about hot peppers.I was sending him Turkish hot peppers from
here. Yücel has an interesting memory with Necro. At that night his place, when
everyone went to sleep, Necro called his girlfriend who is in Norway by the
home phone and had a long call like 1-1.5hours. Back then calling abroad cost
like house rent. Yücel was a student. We figured out this one month after they
went back to Norway when the bill came. Yücel told me that and we solved it
between us. I also told what happened to Euronymous just to inform him. We did
not demand any money for that, never. He felt ashamed too, asked if he could
compensate. I said “no”. “We managed between us.”
I’m curious about Turkish bath
story.
When
they arrived to İzmir via bus, we took them to Turkish bath “hamam” as they
wanted to take a shower. That Turkish bath was located at an interesting part of
the city where one can see many small craftsmen also a place for selling stolen
goods, prostitutes and whatnot. As you can imagine they took attention
accordingly. They experienced the Turkish bath culture with all its elements
like loincloth (hamam towel), that wooden slippers, etc. Previously Euronymous
told me about Dead’s self-destructive acts but I understood what he meant at
that time when I saw Dead.He had a deep
scar at his belly; his arms are full of cuts. They were also around 20 years
old.
How were they at first sight? As we
kept reading about them from those books fanzines but you met with them
personally which sounds fantastic to me!
Dead
did not talk at all, only shook hands, he was like a ghost. Necrobutcher and
Euronymous were very talkative. Euronymous was very intellectual, I should say,
he was polyglot knowing 6-7 languages, had a grasp on cultures and politics.
After all I decided to organize the concert because of those intellectual
letters. I would not involve at all if he was an American metalhead.
Mayhem could play only 3 songs in İzmir
concert. What had happened really at there?
Back
then mostly concerts were open air. Before this concert, Turkish bands Metafor
and Pentagram had open air concerts in İzmir too. I only remember the band Rampage
(which I paid homage to Rampage by reserving a time for them as an opening band
in Mekong Delta gig in 2014) who could give concert indoors but it was
university related concert hall. They were able to play there just because one
of the professors arranged that place for them as they are students of that
university. One can do concert organization at indoor if only it is until 6-6.30pm,
no permission for night time. As I learnt from Niyazi who took part in the
organization to arrange the venue, permissions that adolescents are also coming
to events so kind of time limitation existed for under age people. If one
really wants to do, it was quite difficult since many permissions from police,
municipality and some offices related with cultural events, etc. are needed. At
that day there was a risk of rain, so our organization team arranged an indoor
venue by taking permissions but till the evening. No one should offense for
that as we were all amateurs at that time. There were 3 bands in the concerts.
First I.D.E.A who are part of the organization also, got on the stage and not
remember very well but kind of played a bit long. Then Hazy Hill came and they
played a bit long too. Other organizers told that they prolonged the sound
checks.
Mayhem Izmir Concert (1990)
I
was dealing with Mayhem at that time. They had some requests like mirror to put
on corpse paint. They utterly changed when they wore corpse paint. At the
moment, I told myself that we delved into such a peculiar thing here. Mayhem
played 3 songs and immediately 2 police officers arrived at the door. They
talked with the venue owner and cut down the electricity as we did not have the
right to continue after that hour. We were all very angry but nothing to do as
it was the rule implied for indoor events at that time in İzmir. I went to the
stage and explained everything to Euronymous. Previously he asked me how to
swear in Turkish. He remember that and started to swear in Turkish by “saying
s*ktir! Turn on the electricity!” to the officers but unfortunately nothing we
could do. We had to finish the concert, we were all really sorry about that and
still is.
How was the audience at the
concert?
I
had watched 6-7 concerts until that day outside Turkey. It was the years when
Metallica was referred heavy, there was Venom as black metal but Mayhem was
absolutely different than anything else. Full-blooded stage show as if an
opera. Audiences are mostly high school students who came to concert from
various different places. Jokingly we call it “kazak (sweater) metal” as they
were all wearing that. You can see in the photos as well. There are ongoing
chit chats about “kazak metal” still.
Recently Necrobutcher’s book called
The Death Archives: Mayhem 1984-94 is published. It is written that Mayhem was
paid less that they were promised. How do you wanna answer this claim?
We
did not talk about concert fee with Mayhem. Euronymous asked me to give them a
chance to play and if we earn something from concert, then we would see.
Concert crashed fully. But I reserved something for Mayhem from my other
business. I gave them 400dollars. Euronymous thanked me at his letter for this
just because I supported Mayhem despite of concert’s failure
What was the reason for the
failure? Was there less audience than expected?
There
were around 500 people but may be 300-350 of them are ticketed. It was not good
financially.
Did you record the concert?
We
had a plan but we couldn’t achieve that as I had brought several types of
cassettes to record but the mixing board had a faulty cassette recorder that
day.
Could you please tell your memories
after concert?
We
took them the house in Karşıyaka (another
beautiful and seaside district of Izmir) where they would stay that night. It
was an old style duplex Greek house of the I.D.E.A’s drummer aunt. We ordered
chili pizzas as Euronymos liked and had a long talk at there with him after.
That house was just in front of the church street as we were both hearing
church bells and ezans (call for prayer, a sample can be heard at the beginning
of Celtic Frost’s Caress into Oblivion in Into the Pandemonium album) from the
mosques around. At that moment he told me “We have churches in Norway and we
are against to that. We want our old culture. But ezan is also Abrahamic origin
therefore we are against to it as well”. He asked me if there are any suppression
in Turkey for the people who listen this music.
When did they leave İzmir?
They
had an early train at the next day. I met with them in the morning and brought
them home made toasts. Train came earlier than expected and they had to leave
immediately. Necrobutcher seemed like he really wanted to go soon but
Euronymous wanted to stay more. He then told me that he wanted to come in the
summer time and also invited me to Norway.
How do you remember Mayhem now?
I
started a topic with Dead about his ritual of burying his clothes in the ground
before the shows and death stance. He said “Yes, it is my bound with that
world, otherwise I cannot stand here”. It was his only talk. Necrobutcher liked
to mess around, he kept asking “tell me if they laugh to me, then I show them”.
Euronymous was rational and intellectual, he was keeping eye on everyone in the
band. Hellhammer seems like 80s glam rocker wearing Aerosmith t-shirt, way more
different then how he is today on image. He asked if there will be girls at the
concert.
Did you continue to write each
other with Euronymous after concert?
Yes,
we had been in contact after concert. He wrote that they were very pleased,
wanted to come again and thinking to do it by a tour bus next time. After some
time at one of his letter, he wrote that Mayhem is only me and Dead. By time
another letter came saying that Dead is dead and he collected some parts from
him. He also mentioned that he found a record label called Deathlike Silence
Records and gonna release Mayhem albums and also a band called Burzum would be
taken part in the catalogue. After some time I learnt that Euronymous is killed
from a Greek TV channel that I had been watching due to its heavy metal
broadcasting. I was really shocked! We had plans for that summer with him. I
was supposed to go to Norway and we would work at Helvete together. Then he
would come to İzmir. He asked me to send Turkish flag to him. I sent it and he
hanged it in Helvete. He also made an offer to me at that time.He said that “I have many records, CDs remained
now, if you can sell them at there, I can send you and you can also take back your
400 dollars from the sales, and send back me what is left”. I was able to sell
10 Deathcrush albums only and sent their money to him. And I also bought
something for my own archive. I told him that I couldn’t buy more, I did not
think that I could sell. Now I am thinking if we came together and sold all
those records of DSP catalogue with the organizers all over the world hence he
was able to pay his depth to Varg, would all these things not happen at all?
Something ravishing (grimnessJ) has started with Mayhem years
ago. Do you continue the adventure?
I
had got back to listener mode after Mayhem until 2014. At that year I organized
Mekong Delta concert as Dystopia Promoters. In 2011 before Necrobutcher's book, the writer of the book interviewed me on 1990 izmir gig and had the interview printed in Norway's Enomag. In 2015, when his book
is released, we had a live connection with Necrobutcher at his book signing session. I
reproached to him as he talked too negatively after the concert.
But he might misremember, I might misremember
something also, it was very long time ago indeed. Like Borges says reality changes by time. For this
reason, I write down everything and achieve nowadays. At that on air broadcast,
I met with Mork. He said that he wanted to come to Turkey for a concert. Then
in 18th March 2017, we organized a concert of Mork including
Suicidal Angels, Amken, Rampage. Later on, in 11th November 2017 I
had Eric Forrest (E-FORCE) playing Voivod’s Negatron and Phobos albums play in
İzmir with İzmir Attack.
I
also designed a homage t-shirt by taking permission from Mayhem and Mork
including their logos. At the İzmir concert, Mork made an introduction with
Freezing Moon dedicated to the uncompleted Mayhem concert.
On 1st
April 2018, I hooked Venom Inc. concert with İzmir Attack. Venom is the
beginning of black metal, it might be from taking backwards in historical sense
of this music after Mayhem but I really desired to do that. When Venom Inc. was
here, I asked Mantas looking in the eye “What have you done? Did you emit a
spark that result in fire? Or are you Prometheus?” He said that “Yes, it’s me.”
At last we had Rotting Christ concert in Izmir on 29th March 2019
with İzmir Attack.
I have this plan of
several gigs in mind to all to touch a separate eerie side of my connection
with Euronymous and realized some by these gigs.
These events seem like a part of
dark tradition, all in İzmir. Why İzmir? What kind of specialty does this place
have in your heart? Are there any future plans to spread darkness from this
Aegean shore?
İzmir
is host to conquests, wars, fires, disputes and whatnot for more than 5000
years, has always felt eerie to me since I was a little kid reading bits and
pieces on the history of the city and region. Unknown knows what have happened
in these blood soaked soils and salty dark seas. Mythology has deepened black
roots in Aegean along with Anatolia, which I believe, if we really knew the
truth to it, the world as we know wouldn't be the same. To be honest I didn't
know what would unfold by bringing Mayhem to İzmir in 1990.
"If the first things you've ever put in that black box are particularly have a dark essence, you're doomed forever."
Witnessing the
birth of 2nd wave of BM thru my special connection with Euronymous is once in a
lifetime uniqueness and the events took place around the band brought
uncanniness to the rest of my life. Since the connection with Euronymous and
the interrupted 1990 Mayhem İzmir gig is probably the main driving force of
this uncanniness, I still need to close the circle in a special way to rest in
peace! Yes, there'll be more specially picked fires.
By expending the interview towards
other forms of dark arts, I’d like ask your foremost character in horror genre
or mythology as if imaginary being of you which lures you up to know?
The
Gods seem to be the most luring of them all. Not a single horror character or
imaginary being has ever made people suffer or horrified them than Gods. Cthulhu,
Hellraiser, Zombies or any other imaginary character did no harm, other than
making people create more dark arts and enjoying their creations with
like-minded followers.
This powerful vibe has been feeding
from literature deep inside. I am thinking of Voivod which can be taken as
vampire sucking all those arts from Dracula, Lovecraft to Druillet, Mayhem
members are known with interest to dark arts, archaic books, horror literature
and Rotting Christ albums are like pages of book that one can explore many dark
poems, stories hiding behind. You share
this point of view with them, kind of match made in hell? J I am curious of your “sine qua
nons”?
My
gray matter is a product of the literature, paintings, movies, graphic novels,
music, letters received and all other forms of expression I've ever tasted. In
teenage years where you're an empty black box you start to throw in and feast
upon whatever comes in your way, but in the following years these coincidental
findings evolve into a deeper taste of collections where interaction binds your
likes. This results in a form of minimalism where you carefully filter the
essential, by which you reach perfectness by deduction. And if the first things
you've ever put in that black box are particularly have a dark essence, you're
doomed forever.
Unforeseen
lurking fears such like Lovecraft's creations, psychological terrors of Wells
(Dr.Jekyll and Mr.Hyde, The Invisible Man), Borges's short stories playing with
infinity and time, many of the dystopian literature where freedom is lost,
Goya's Black Paintings, the early black&white Dracula movies where you
don't get to see the bite but lots of character, bands that have a strong story
going on thru their discographies enriched with graphical album covers and
inserts such like Voivod, musical explorations over Lovecraft's stories or
eerie classical music such like Mekong Delta's, Bach's Art of the Fugue where same
notes come in from all diverse ends and collide, purest and ultimate darkness
created by Dead's lyrics and screams, sinister plannings of evil domination of
Euronymous, dark ancient words squeezed on Rotting Christ lyrics, Mork's
fisherman hook collecting dead souls from cold lakes in Norwegian forests always
attracted me heavily and makes me wander in the dreamworld, most of the time
making me park along the cliff as one of my fave writers says mesmerizingly.
Thank you for accepting my
interview and sharing this spellbinding story as I, myself imagined in full
blood and live all moments by listening you.
Mayhem in Izmir (Turkey)
Note: Some part of this interview
is published in the 4th issue of Turkish Metal Bookazine HEADBANG in
Turkish.
ANNEX
MAYHEM IN İSTANBUL
8 DECEMBER 1990
Here you find the missing points in Mayhem story from
Yücel İnan who hosted them in İstanbul before they arrived to İzmir.
As the interrail came till İstanbul from Europe, the
band had to take a bus to come to İzmir. Yücel İnan used this fractal time to
know them and briefly introduce İstanbul to them.
I would like to thank to Yücel İnan for sharing this
memory and Arcan Öğütverici for his kind help to reach Yücel İnan and close the
circle that we have been doomed in forever!
Yücel İnan: Mayhem came to İstanbul on
8th December morning. I met with them at
the train station called Sirkeci. They were carrying guitars, bags so due to
leave the things, to have a little rest and also as I have no money what to do
else, I took them to the flat in Merter where my aunt and her husband had been
staying time to time when they came to İstanbul for business issues.
It was a three
room dingy, leaky basement flat including old furniture. They bought as
furnished apartment but as no one had been living regularly, it was a bit crap.
I remember that some part of the wallpapers were hanging down and it had those
old style sofas and chandeliers. It was just an ordinary flat of an ordinary
apartment in Merter where middle class people who moved from Anatolia to
İstanbul had been living.
I might have
called Arcan when we arrived home to inform him everything is ok. We dropped
the guitars and the stuff to home and went to a local kebab restaurant beneath
the typical carny apartments.I offered
them kebab at there and we enjoyed it by chatting. As it should be a restaurant
where no-alcohol is served, I bought couple of can beers before we headed to
home. We spent some time while drinking beers, Euronymous and bass guitarist
were very talkative. One of them, I guess he should be the one named Dead did
not talk at all and I couldn’t remember the other guy. We might have talked
about heavy metal, religion, dead things that Dead likes, etc at there.
For a moment bass
guitarist insisted to call his girlfriend in Norway. I tried to resist by
pointing him it was very expensive that I couldn’t pay since the phone wasn’t
registered under the name of me. I had never used the phone not to let my aunts
pay for me besides there was a risk not to pay the bills regularly as nobody
was living in there basically.But he
said that she was pregnant and he would pay the bill after, I drew in my horns.
He also said he would talk less but he broke his promise and talked a lot, jackass,
as if I hadn’t warned him ever!I was
breaking out in a cold sweet if he was able to hang up the phone.
In the evening, we
passed to Üsküdar by ferry from Eminönü. As they were tourists, I would like to
introduce them something more hence they would not have impressions limited to
Sirkeci Station and Merter regarding İstanbul.We passed Bosporus via ferry with Mayhem. During the trip I asked
Euronymous what he was thinking about Turkish people and if he disdained Turks
due to being Muslim and middle-eastern as I was suspicious that he might have
had racist approach towards Turks because of his conversations. He told me that
he respected Turks because Turks have been powerful in the history and added
that he respected power.
When arrived to
Üsküdar, I took them to Harem bus terminal where they hit the road to İzmir. I
also charged the assistant man in the bus to take care of them as they are
tourists despite of they are weirdos.
I would like to take
them to Boğaziçi University to introduce with my metalhead friends but I
couldn’t make it either because of lack of time or they sort of had eccentric
appearances.
The damnation year of 2009 once again! The readers of this e-zine should have known about the aforementioned curse of 2009 already, now let me continue... The black pearls of 2009 have never been stop scattering! Now, here I present the exclusive interview with Fenriz that I did years ago, guess which year? Yes, 2009! It was for my first ever black metal fanzine called ACEDIA. Fenriz's never minded and answered this long interview for a small underground black metal fanzine from TURKEY!
As a brief summary of ACEDIA;
Acedia is a kind of underground formation which
includes not only musical aspect of Black Metal but also philosophical,
ideological, visual means of art, poetic, etc. aspect of this dark ideology. It
can be easily said that Acedia is dedicated to Black Metal Scene with every
sides, every stones it has. But there’s a vital point on Acedia thought which
I have started to set off in the beginning; I have to say that this magazine
is dedicated to Darkhrone at first. So, it ended with the Darkthrone interview in 2009 after 6 years of wandering around and erupting the hell all over!
Acedia: The new album “Dark thrones& Black
Flags” will release on 20th October. It’s the album including band’s
name first. Are there any specific reason? What do you want to say about the
new album, what does it sound like?
Fenriz: I just like the sound of the title, a title
could mean the same as TO MEGA THERION but it could also be called VERY BIG
BEAST which is a title so bad that it’s actually good. What I am trying to say
is that yeah the title means something but it also has to sound and look good –
both on paper for most people among those I reckon will view it, but most importantly
in my own head.
A: What type of instruments are you using
during the recording session? From the beginning are you using the same
equipment or what kinds of changes are done on both equipment and instruments?
I hate instruments, I don’t give a fuck about
what brand it is and so forth. I just make sure that things are ANTI, meaning
the trend has for many years been FAST and copycat, so instead we have our own
sound and my drums are SLOW – I don’t necessary mean slow playing but I have
LOOSE AND SLOPPY skins, so it will not sound tight and it will sound shit if
someone tries to play fast on them – one has to hit HARD on my drums to make
‘em sound good.
When I get riffs in my head, and then make the
rest of the song I have only used an acoustic guitar since 1998. I figure if my
primitive riffs sound good on that shit, it will sound a.o.k. with fuzz on the
finished product. Vocals are just done with a lot of ATTITUDE on my part. I
feel that’s being most true to myself. You can understand, as you want to live
an active culture life yourself. Making plastic is just a source of
embarrassment for yourself when (if) you get older, right?
A: Deathsane, panzergrim, necrohate are one of
your fabulous creations in lyrics. Are there any in Darkthrone’s new album
“Dark thrones& Black Flags”?
I don’t know, I don’t exactly keep a record of
those kinda things. These days I mainly do street lyrics, about the life around
me, attitudes I like and mislike. No arty shit for years now
A: Have you ever translated your lyrics? I mean
that the lyrics written in your own language-just because the inspiration comes
through in your native language- and than translate into English. Or you just
write some of them in English and some in Norwegian?
English and Norwegian go hand in hand here in
Norway, we think in both languages, many of us.
A: Is Tyrant Syndicate Productions both you and
Nocturno’s firm or only Nocturno’s? Why don’t you release Darkthrone albums
from Tyrant Syndicate Productions?
Totally uninteresting, tyrant shuts down soon
because of too much NAGGING and time problems anyway. It’s not my idea, I don’t
do business. But I was glad to stand behind some great releases, old school
stuff.
A: Tyrant Syndicate Productions has supported
the bands Auro Noir, Old, Abscess, Obliteration. What kind of parameters do you
notice when you sign up with a band?
At least we preferred to find the bands
ourselves. It would feel like business to sign someone that ASKED to be signed,
if you know what I mean.
A: Who is the best concert Black Metal band
according to you? Which band would you like to watch?
I listen to music, I don’t watch it. I own 1
music dvd and it’s the old live after death show with iron maiden. I got it
just after I got a dvd player. Just saw it once. I don’t like music videos or
not the THEORY of live shows either. But I’ve seen many good gigs in my days. I
liked to discover new acts. Hated the whole CROWD thing. Like the preacher on
stage and the coven in the gig hall. Fuck.
A: What do you think about metal festivals like
Wacken, Inferno, Monsters Of Rock, Hellfest, etc.?
A: You worked with Italian charcoal artist
Lorenzo Mariani on Sardonic Wrath album cover, released a limited CD called
Under Beskyttelse av Morke for photographer Peter Beste’s exhibition in Japan
and Nocturno mention old circus performer and saga painter Knut “Ali Baba” on
his recent DVD called The Misanthrope. So you seem to be into dark arts apart
from music too? There’s also Norwegian nature/fairy tales/trolls painter
Theodor Kittelsen which I appreciate most. Are there any who you would like to
mention? In addition Knut’s name “Ali Baba” seems very Turkish?
I don’t know these people, Ted was in contact
with these ones. Well, and Peter. I used theodor kittelsen, one of his PEST
paintings already on the first black death demo in 87. That was 4 years before
the rest of the Norwegian crowd caught onto the idea of using him a lot. He is
ancient, we learned about his works in school books, etc
A: You claim that Darkthrone still sounds like
Motorhead. What’s the place of Motorhead in your life? What do you think about the new stuff
of them?
I prefer the drums of philthy animal taylor,
mikkey dee is overqualified. But it’s just a taste-thing, I like that style
kinda sloppy. If I want perfect drums I listen to Rush or Watchtower.
Motorhead is massive, it’s got rock and punk
and metal too. Exactly what most kids today don’t understand. The 90s built
a lotta walls between stuff that was crucial to see and hear in open fields.
A: You said modern Black Metal mostly lack of
anger? What are the reasons? What are the missing things in 90’s than 80’s?
Maybe they lack oppression instead. They can
find out. I prefer using my energy to explore the metal and rock history and
music in general. See our myspace for my blogs and influences-lists.
A: In 80’s there was Slayer Magazine published
by Jon ‘Metalion’ Kristiansen that was come to scene just before Venom released
their first single, Mayhem released Pure Fucking Armageddon demo. Orcustus
Magazine which was published by Faust “Bard Eithun” from Stigma Diabolicum,
Thorns and Emperor took another major point at those days. Have you ever bought
one of them? Don’t you think that underground magazines are also part of the
metal scene, by doing interviews people has chance to be enlightened more which
artists cannot put into lyrics, by reviews people can meet bands, albums and
also the literary, historical, ideological and philosophical part of scene can
be expressed by zines? How do you find the magazines, zines nowadays if you
compare with 80’s?
SLAYER mag was the BIBLE, man. But it didn’t
start until like 83/84. Today’s magazine for the underground is MORBID TALES
mag from Canada and many others. Us 80s freaks can still live like the old
days, no problems.
A: You’ve favorites from electronic music also.
When it comes to spirit inside and natural human-handed music, where would you
put electronic music? There are also some influences of noise and industrial
music which leak into Black Metal as dark-ambient. What do you say about
dark-ambient? Would you please give us what’re you listening nowadays from all
genres?
I don’t listen to ambient, I am a rhythm
junkie. I just had to get 2 ambient albums outta my own system, more or less to
get people to listen more to Klaus Schulze.
I don’t need any dark synths in my metal, never
did. My problem with modern metal is this: since 1990 everyone could get overground
sound for a cheap price. AT THAT POINT over/underground became a CHOICE. In the
80s underground couldn’t afford the hi fi sound of the overground. Underground
was a struggle. Since 1990 it was a CHOICE. We CHOSE to have underground sound
after our first album. We learnt from our mistake. Then why does so many CHOOSE
to have plastic overground sound? FUCK THEM!
And listen to the follow-cd’s of the big
magazines; always the plastic sounding bands on the first of the cd’s. The
bands that have individual or a bit underground sound are mostly hidden away on
track 10 and onwards. fuck
A: What is the situation of your side-projects
Neptune Towers, Isengard, Storm? What was the main goal to start these
projects?
I had to get the music out of my head. In 1995/6
I made a choice to fill my head with music to shut my own music inside because
I got BURNT OUT by emptying my head so much. 2 years ago I almost got burnt out
again. That’s why I told peaceville it must be a 12 QUESTION MAXIMUM on
interviews. (Ups I've already passed the limit but he continued anyway)
A: You said in one of your interviews that you
quit being a musician in 1991 but it was the date which Darkthrone started to
create the first footprints of Black Metal?
Musicians love their instrument. I can not
understand this. I am something else entirely. I love RECORDS.
A: In Transylvanian Hunger album, the song
called As Flittermice As Satans Spys included back masking technique in the
end. It’s heard as “In the name of God, let the churches burn”. Why did you
choose to hide the message?
As usually, I WINGED IT. I improvise a lot. I
never rehearse my singing before it’s layed on, more often than not what ends
up on the record has NEVER been sung more than that one time
A: You’ve started writing songs in Norwegian on
Transylvanian Hunger album. What was the main reason? Have the criticisms and
confusions about the statements (“Norsk Arisk Black Metal” writing and the
unaccepted explanation about it) got any role to write down in Norwegian?
No, the first Norwegian lyric was INN I DE DYPE
SKOGERS FAVN on under a funeral moon in 92, released in 93.When we played live in 1989 once, the guys
from Norwegian VOMIT was there and said that someone should start singing in
Norwegian. I thought about it a lot, but did not write a lyric in Norwegian
before 1992.
A: In your ‘A Blaze In Northern Sky’ album the
first song Kathaarian Life Code’s intro and the last song Pagan Winter’s outro
is same. Did you prefer to use because of symmetrical impression or why? What
does this sporadic voice behind the music say? Is it a kind of recording
technique? However this kind of ritual intro/outro is one of the Darkthrone’s
magnificent atmospheric timbre or a kind of referring to anything?
This was just emptying my head, I arrange this
from my feelings. I don’t like to plan stuff other than tent trips.
A:Kathaarian Life Code also used in the last scene of Olivier Assayas’s
film Demonlover which has 3 nominations and 3 awards and considered as new
French extremity. How did you take part on this project?
What, they just contacted Ted I guess and we
said yeah you can use it.
A: Why didn’t you have any lyrics on Total
Death album? Why did you prefer to use so many (Garm from Ulver, Ihsahn from
Emperor, Satyr from Satyricon, Carl Michael Eide from Ved Buens Ende and of
course Nocturno Culto) musicians for lyrical composition?
Because I saw everyone moving in their own
direction and I wanted people to do something together. Later I think it was
great and natural that everyone moved apart from eachother
A: In 1998 for the tribute album “Darkthrone,
Holy Darkthrone” Nocturno and Satyr chose 8 Norwegian bands who are heavily
influenced by Darkthrone to appear on this project? You’re the pioneer of Black
Metal genre and there’re dozens of bands influenced by you. So what kind of
parameters did you notice when you were choosing the bands?
We are NOT the pioneers of anything. Black
metal was perfect already in 89. We don’t need the stupid 90s. but we thought
of mixing bathory sound and celtic sound together and became a huge hit but I
don’t think we were original, we became more original in 2005 and onwards.
Pioneers are venom, voivod, voor, von,
hellhammer/celtic, merciful fate, obscurity, morbid angel early stuff,
destruction, Sodom, bulldozer, bathory, sarcofago, volcano…samael…blasphemy….the
list goes on forever, but the 80s 80s 80s is what matters. Old school is NOT
93, it was a time of intense copying and a defining of the genre, in the 80s it
was much more original and not that many copycats, … but ME…hehe
A: In 1997 Nocturno left the scene and turned
back in Ravishing Grimness era. What was his reason to leave the scene those
days?
You gotta ask him questions about him. He left
the scene in 93 and has lived secluded on various places ever since. I lived
rockn’roll life in Oslo from 1991-2003 but I turned my back on black metal of
the modern kind in 94 and supported more thrash like aura noir, infernö and
later nocturnal breed and then audiopain. But I had no choice anymore, black
metal follows me wherever I turn my head, I am force fed thousand of copy bands
of the 90s and it makes me sick and tired, I am only influenced by the 80s but
I like thorns demo, mayhem live in Leipzig, burzum. And incarnator. After that
I only like new bands with old style like IMPIETY skull fucking Armageddon or
VOMITOR styles. In 2003 – 05 I reviewed my life and what I wanted and in 2005 I
finally turned my back on the pub/bar-life in oslo, meeting blackpackers (black
metal tourism from worldwide etc) and I now keep to myself. This is very
difficult, I get 5-ten offers every week to go to important parties and shows
and EVERYONE thinks that THEY are the exception that will make me go out. I
watched ONE show this year and that was cuz my friend Jack from usa sang for
WORLD BURNS TO DEATH. That’s how much I go out. Hehe.
A: Why did you change 2003 year album name from
Leper Unction to Hate Them?
Ted didn’t like Leper Unction, I didn’t
remember if I asked him why.
A: In Black Metal there’s an aspect that
keyboards create nicer melodies- although it’s used to make atmosphere- which
kill true Black Metal. So melodic Black Metal genre sucks. Nocturno Culto
expresses the same idea in his interviews, Swedish band Marduk put “no
keyboards are used” on their Heaven Shall Burn album cover. But on the other
hand respective Norwegian band Emperor includes keyboards on their albums and
no one complains about and Burzum does whole album with syths. Do you agree
with Noc?
It’s different ways of using synths. I am music
police and say burzum did it right. 99% of the others does it WRONG.
A: Would you please share your memories belongs
to Euronymous and his unique shop Helvete days? It’s said that Helvete
functioned as an expression of Euronymous himself; he taught people what true
Black Metal is not and what not here and spread his testimony and so it can be
said that Norwegian Black Metal scene connected with this shop. What do you
think?
Well, I guess the ones that had been longest in
the scene discussed a lot of ethics there. It was only open on and off for 1.5
years. From ca august 91 till end of 92. I got drunk or half drunk there a lot,
I am sure it annoyed Euronymous cuz I had money for it – I was working hard
since 88 every day and I still have that day job- I never quit it. I never
wanted to live on music. That was for many other guys to dream of
A: When it comes to church burnings in Norway.
The pioneer of the scene seems to be Euronymous but Varg from Burzum claims
that he had never been into any church burnings. There’re lots of rumors
between this duos. What do you think about church burnings which is said to
prevent pagan origins, culture, etc? What was and is the attitude of Darkthrone
on this subject?
That’s fire under the bridge, man
A: What about Norway on censorships and
religious obstacles? We read that Evangelism is strong in south and west coasts
where Christian denominators tend to be extremely conservative. Besides they
accepted the British comedy ‘The Life Of Brian’ as blasphemous and there’s said
to be a taboo against violence and horror on media.
Yeah, but jesus has no power over our life
here, only the ones that INSIST on making it a problem. And they kinda use the
energy wrong. Xtians here has been digging their own grave for a long time now.
But there are other religions coming. In short, I HATE organized religion and
this disgust IS black metal. But in the metal scene we should fight those who
choose PLASTIC SOUND instead of some guy that holds no power anymore
A: Black Metal is mixed and mostly confused
with many ideologies, manifests like Anton LaVey has spread. He also
misunderstand horror literature that’s he tried to express the creativity of
H.P. Lovecraft with Sumerian mythology and beliefs although Lovecraft
originally created a horror substructure on his stories. It’s said that Mercyful
Fate, Vorplack, Acheron and Ihsahn from Emperor are influenced from LaVey’s
manifest.
On the other hand in the name of black magic
and rituals Aleister Crowley takes part in both other metal and black metal
genres too. Especially Jimmy Page from Led Zeppelin is influenced from him,
Gezer Butler from Black Sabbath interested in black magic. British progressive
rock/heavy metal band Widow and Coven are other examples. What do you think?
I think what can make you into a fulfilled man
is proper stuff. Create something that can open doors for you later in life.
Whether it be quilting or black metal HAHAHAHAHA
A: When paganism comes into speech, Heathenism,
Witchcraft, Wiccan beliefs, Neopagan Occultism and Shamanism disclose. What
your thoughts about these subjects?
Too many to mention, it is vital food for
thoughts as adolescents, but every time has it’s own instruments. I think I got
a lot out of it and treated it back with both respect and disrespect. I like to
think of Quorthon as a spearhead that people could heed. I do, atleast.
A: There’s a pretension that the inverted cross
comes from Pagan symbol Mjöllnir that’s known as Thor’s Hammer. Pagans
modificated the Mjöllnir and create an anti-christ symbol inverted cross. What
do you want to say about the origins and meanings deeper than anyone of course
about inverted cross?
Read or don’t read. Keep doing what you’re
doing, only 5% will succeed anyway. Or maybe 20% of people can reach
self-realization. I don’t need a map anymore, and I hope some of you out there
reaches this feeling. But one must reach it in their own way, I can’t tell ‘em.
I had no one to tell ME.
A: National Socialist Black Metal(NSBM) is
progressing with Black Metal. Varg Vikernes with Burzum and Graveyard is the
pioneers. Besides, Varg is supported by the conservative right wing of Norway
in prison. What is your point of view on this subject?
I don’t know anything about it, actually
A: Misanthropy is the milestone for Black Metal
kind of living with whole deeper and natural feeling come from inside by its
own or become apparent. Both you and Nocturno seem really into this isolation,
am I right? What kind of things feed this kind of attitude, attitude tends to
be far from humanity?
Well, we get everything offered all the time so
it is easy to turn our backs. The pathetic ones that NEED and NEED – they are
addicted to applause and handshaking of the many. I try to have fewer people in
my life, but as you can see on our last albums, my thanx lists are huge. I like
to namedrop, but when someone ASKS to be namedrop – they destroy that
possibility for themselves. Understand?
A: You refused to be given Norwegian Grammy
award which had already accepted by Mayhem, Satyricon, Gorgoroth, Immortal,
Enslaved, Dimmu Borgir, Cradle Of Filth, etc. What was the reason? Do you think
these awards out of the scene a kind of manipulation or domestication of wild
Black Metal nature?
No, we refused to even be NOMINATED. I don’t
like that circus, I never dreamt of this as a child and I don’t feel like it
now- I don’t like to be talked into things, I go by gut feeling a lot. I get
SOOO many offers, I say NO to sooo many, and this was just another NO for me.
A: Are there any literary opus, author or
philosopher which you classified as unholy or unique for you?
No. but I read the MORGAN KANE book series
twice. That’s 83 books, haha. Western books. Necrobutcher preferred Clay
Allison I remember, hehe
A: You mention too much about Rain Man movie on
your interviews. So what do you think about this movie actually? Are there any
other movies which you put on your favorite list?
Last movie I saw was YOU AND ME AND EVERYONE WE
KNOW, I think it was called. I like movies about LIFE, our human condition. But
ofcourse I was impressed by THERE WILL BE BLOOD too.
A: What kind of tattoos do you have and what’re
their meanings? I have to say that they look really awesome on you.
Well, I HATE the idea of tattoos as SOMETHING
NICE. And one more thing about the 90s that suck are TRIBAL TATOOES! HAHAHAH!
What a joke. “I drew it myself”. HAHAHAHAHA I made many writings myself, THEY
mean something and I DREW IT MYSELF hahahaha. I have my own philosophy, again I
WING it and things that shaped my life end up on my skin. It is merely a result
of my life.
A: Apart from internet forums, MySpace and face
book are insisted as another communication tools, according to be all of them
sucks from the beginning, don’t they? What do you call them?
Myspace is my main communication channel, if
you wanna be a better 60s freak you’ll be better with myspace, if you wanna be
a better 70s freak you get better on myspace etc. it reminds me of the 80s
underground that I come from, lots of trading and worldwide contact.
I am not on facebook
I am not on forums.
A: You said you reconstructed your web site not
to be bothered by info, biography, etc. But there’s no biography on your web
site but on Peaceville’s got. Anyway what were the main reasons?
I don’t do that page, I have no info on it.
Myspace is our home.
A: In one of your interviews you said that the
worst things that the civilization has come up with all these thousand years
are V style ski jumping and internet forums. Why do you think this V style
sucks? Do you ski jumping or just think it’s boring?
Because I like to watch the old styles. It was
ment as a humorous saying. everyone agrees that it sucks to look at v style
compared to the old styles.
A: Have you counted your forest camping or
wandern?
In my tent guide for AFTENPOSTEN OSLOPULS this
year (serious Norwegian newspaper) I said I would make 35 tent trip from
april-october. On this Saturday (27 september)I go on trip nr 36.
A: These last two question is out of interview,
I mean not to be published but I’m curious; your attractive necklace that never
changes till 80’s. Is it a kind of pagan symbol? I’m freak to want/buy it from
you but I guess I’m not attempting it.
It still stays on, I just saw it in a store
window downtown Oslo in 93 and I wore it ever since. In ca 98 I saw that in a
photo, Quorthon had the same one. FAR OUT!!!
A: We want to interview Tyrant Syndicate
Productions’ bands in this issue and want to support true music! Auro Noir is
my favorite but also we want to interview with Abscess, Old and Obliteration.
May you please arrange your bands for us?
What can I say, just contact them on myspace!!!
Or go through peaceville. I don’t do business, you know.
Everyone support REAL metal, SARCOFAGUS
(Finland), PAGAN ALTAR, MANILLA ROAD, OMEN etc.
Note I: I preferred the use old photos to be in line with the spirit of this old interview. Note II: Many things were talked and it was a pleasure to know more Fenriz back then. I do not want to let this one of my favourite interviews rust in peace as peace is not for the souls who were born in chaos!
Note III: Darkthrone is still "A Blaze in the Northern Sky", "Under A Funeral Moon" & "Transilvanian Hunger" for me!!! So, here we go and finish with a dark masterpiece....
A tragedy was born and dead in
Mayhem’s realm… Dead was the voice of dark symphony enlightening us under the freezing
moon, cold at heart, melancholic at soul. He fell in love with death since the
very beginning. Last words resonated in Life Eternal ironically.
I
had got back to listener mode after Mayhem until 2014. At that year I organized
Mekong Delta concert as Dystopia Promoters. In 2011 before Necrobutcher's book, the writer of the book interviewed me on 1990 izmir gig and had the interview printed in Norway's Enomag.
I have this plan of
several gigs in mind to all to touch a separate eerie side of my connection
with Euronymous and realized some by these gigs. 
My
gray matter is a product of the literature, paintings, movies, graphic novels,
music, letters received and all other forms of expression I've ever tasted. In
teenage years where you're an empty black box you start to throw in and feast
upon whatever comes in your way, but in the following years these coincidental
findings evolve into a deeper taste of collections where interaction binds your
likes. This results in a form of minimalism where you carefully filter the
essential, by which you reach perfectness by deduction. And if the first things
you've ever put in that black box are particularly have a dark essence, you're
doomed forever.
