ERDELY...MAGYARORSZAG VISSZAVAR!After those long years of non-creativity here | am again... | think some of you can ask me that where have | been till now. Well, in 1993, cause of some reasons | decided to finnish the works with TRANSYLVANIAN DAMINATION. | intended the second issue for the last one... But during the long years | filled with creativity, ‘and wanted to feel the pleasure of creation again. My dissapointment has overshadowed a bit, and | noticed that there are some reliable people who can help me to create a new issue. What you hold in your hands is a little piece of art, a little piece of my mind. The meaning of TRANSYLVANIAN DAMNATION has changed a bit, Black Metal is not central in it anymore, what | seek is the truth in the formation of art. You can miss an *important’ thing, this is the CD/demo reviews, you can find here only a few... | don't like them. | prefer the thoughts... Music is personal, it means different to all of us. | don’t know what will be the future of TRANSYLVANIAN DAMNATION, but | hope one day we will meet again on these pages... False the saints, THIS ISSUE IS DEDICATED TO ALL HUNGARIAN PEOPLE, WHO LIVE IN TRANSYLVANIA, BUT STILL KEEP THEIR NATIONAL ROOTS AND CULTURE... HAILS TO THEM! Saluti Csihar Attila and TORMENTOR, PLASMA POOL, Kuli Laci, Francesca Nicoli and ATARAXIA, Silenius Gregor and SUMMONING, Opale and MORDOR, Eystein and WALLACHIA, Samuel and MENTAL DESTRUCTION, COLD MEAT INDUSTRY, Samoth and NOCTURNAL ART PRODUCTIONS, Karsten and PENITENT, Lord Equitant and ABSU/EQUITANT, Davide “the genious" Buso, Pfalzgraf Zsolt and FREEZING FLAMES, Omne Animal Triste Post Coitum, Szabi, Eszter, Halasz "Sky" Zsolt, Barna, Varesz, Culto and SHADOW DANCERS, Mortiis, Vitrotti Luigi, Pozz0666, Andr6, the Spirits of the Black Emperors, Vizler Tibor, Racz Misi, Northwind and | CAME FROM DARKNESS, Fodor Laszlo and STYGIAN SHADOWS, inspirations, favourite bands, and everyone | forgot to mention here... | can owe you a lot. ‘Special thanx to Luigi Coppo for his great help and inspirations. {Ail Transylvanian photos by Vamosi Tamas, except the front-cover / taken by Varadi Péter PalLord Equitant who stands behind both of these bands, but yet ABSU plays traditional Black Metal, EQUITANT is a kind of ambient electronic joumey into another word, into his fantasy... All in details in the interview. EQUITANT S23 First of all, please speak about yourself a bit... In which bands/projects do you play, what kind of other contacts do you have with the scene, and in general, what does Black Metal mean to you? Equitant: About myself... Hmmwell, | can tell you I'm 25 years of age now...'ve been playing guitar since 87 and stil at it... Started out playing music with Proscriptor around late 88 to 89... Just having fun, not so serious. Doing covers of SLAYER and KREATOR etc... Around late 89 | was asked to join a band called DOLMEN with Shaffiel... | was on bass guitar by this time... Cause of the lack of bassist in our town. Things were a bit more serious as far as music was concemed... This band DOLMEN was just old style speed metal... Very influenced by KREATOR and SLAYER. Very well writing music it was. We did a few reh. tapes etc, one stil existing is "On the eve of war" reh. from 89... It was good old style speed... With high evil style vocals. A good time it was... Good memories. After the short existance of DOLMEN, ABSU was bom of fire in late 90/91... Thus creating a more of a Death Metal style, a time | want to forget!! We had strayed from the old style metal alot. Now, with the release of our last LP "The Sun of Tiphareth" we have brought back that old feeling we once had with DOLMEN, plus more epic songs that is new for us... Celtic Metall And now with the new LP "The third storm of Cythrual” we have once again unleashed a fast hellpaced metal LP. In the old ways... This LP is much faster than "Tiphareth’... It has a lot more power behind it. We feel it will be the best album from us yet! We will show all of you we are not fucking aroundl! From 92 to 93 we were doing this project band EQUIMANTHORN... It was not metal or anything... Just hellish soundtrax, like old ABRUPTUM in a way... We did around 3 demos and one full LP with this project. It s more or less over now... No need to talk of it. In 93 | had been wanting to create my own project... Something that would be just myself... And not have to go through the endless shit of other members etc... You know, agreeing and all the other shit that comes with a full member band. | had always been interested in mythology... From all over... Ireland, Swedish, Norge, Britain, ancient Sumer, lets say lots of mythology! The ones closest to my heart are Celtic and German myths... Being linked to them by blood and honor. The result was the first EQUITANT promo in 93, called "The circle of Agurak’... Dealing with the myths of the Irish lands of Agurak... A made up myth and short story by myself... Put to dark music in a depressive way... A short story of love, honor, pride, war, sorcery and the steel held at your side. Other contacts in the world... Well, many people over the years. Bands, like the Norse gods ENSLAVED, EMPEROR, the Irish gods CRUACHAN, SADISTIK EXEKUTION, the Texas legend NECROVORE, that will soon be refoming! And many others... What is Black Metal to me? Well, to me real Black Metal is DARKTHRONE, old BATHORY, VENOM, MERCYFUL FATE, old SLAYER, old POSSESSED, old DESTRUCTION, NECROVORE etc... And with today we do have so many other styles. I myself judge the lyrics as to what the band is, or what they portray as as image. = The meaning of a project is clear, | think, it’s the chance to realise some other visions or plans besides the original band... EQUITANT sounds absolutely different to ABSU, it shows only yourpersonality. When did the idea come to create it, what’s the difference between your 1st and 2nd promos, and how will it sound in the future? Eauitant: Yes, you are right... EQUITANT is a total different thing from ABSU, and does show my personality. As | said it was created some time in 93, Im not sure the date. In 94 | released the second promo, called "The great lands of Minas Ithil”, it was a bit different from "The circle of Agurak", more structher with in the songs. But still mostly improvized. All exept the lyrics. The only difference was the sound and the music... The future sound of EQUITANT and image will be a mix of other music and more towards German mythology and myths of King Arthur and Merlin. Still with a dark touch to the music. - Focus on ABSU a bit... I think this band is strongly influenced by the European 80's Thrash/Black Metal wave. Do you agree with me? And what's the reason of being so "busy" with some covers? What does this “musical circle” mean to you in general? Equitant: Yes, we are influenced by the old kings... | myself would have to say all the BATHORY material 64 fo the present. Others like KREATOR, SLAYER, MAYHEM, NECROVORE, MORBID SCREAM and the legendary TORMENTOR of Hungary! And old MERCYFUL FATE... Yes, we had / over the summer/ been working on the new LP songs, plus a cover song from DESTRUCTION, “Bestial Invasion". It was going to be released on a tribute CD, released by Blackmagik Records, hear in the States... The guy is in jail now, so it will not happen! Other covers we do KREATOR's "Flag of Hate", we still might do this one on the upcoming EP, after "The third storm of Cythrual’, called "Thrashstorm’. It is still up in the air. Yes, the music of the 80s means the world to mel! It was the best time... Way better from todays music. Times change and people change with time... You can’t stop it - I think nowadays there are three bigger themes used for Black Metal-lyrics... One of them deals with the lands history / look Norway, the Viking-mythology for ex./, the other with the “traditional” Occult/Satanic themes, and the third one is when the members try to express their own dreams, visions, or create/use other, composed dimensionsiworlds... How is it with ABSU and EQUITANT, because as | see, it is not the same... Equitant: Good words!! | can only speak for myself on this, the topic of lyrics... Myself and Proscriptor write all the lyrics in ABSU... In some ways we are different, and in some ways not. In the beginning on the first LP in 93 "Barathrum...", we were more into the Black/Occult type lyrics... Dark visions and fantasies... You could say. But now we are straying from that some what. Getting to the lyrics and image closer to our hearts. Namley Celtic mythology and folk tales... Tales of sword and sorcery, war and honor... As well as myths of ancient Sumer. -You took a tour in Europe, what were your impressions? What do you think, what are the roots of European bands and that ones fron the USA? Equitant: Yes, the tour of Europe was in 95 with IMPALED NAZARENE and SADISTIK EXEKUTION. Europe was the best to us... It was our first time to leave the US. It was a very very good tour! Big shows and good people, Germany was the best and Italy. So much better than ‘our tour in the States and Canada. It was great! We drove through Austria and that was a whole other world... The mountains and lakes are beautifull As well_ as North-Italy. The roots... Well, bands from Europe to me seem to be more serious in a way... It comes from the way they were brought up and the Culture. And the landscapes can inspire you to write about anything! Unlikehear in North-Texas... You can find mountains, rivers, trees much like Italy, Romania and other areas of Europe... Europe just has more Culture... Unlike the US... Cause we have only been in existance for what 200 years or so... While Europe is existing for thousands of years... We will return to do another tour in 96 with ENSLAVED after both our Lps are released. Love Poem for Elisabeth Bathory ‘Kneiing on the cold stones, Head and torso bent fo the ground | offer my body to you Countess, Bent fo the ground, bent by devotion ‘ofler my sou to you Countess, il brave your hounds and thoms [Naked before your stone throne, As your poal dove stokes my hair ‘offer my blood © you Countess Wino er, yes the pale one nthe comer! Are you scared of me? Love me my peal ‘Braid my hair Your fingers are nimble with youth Wrap the braid sowly Do you truely love me? You wil sep with me tonight yes! {take force by necesty, not by pleasure alone Hanging from the celing inhale stomy and deeply leting the hunger rise again Oh sweet virgin sing fo me of soft angels Coveredin curtans Bound tne great bed have never heard such muse. You site my sou hat night, Naked you sat neset ome inne carriage Your pale body cushioned by deep velvet, Stop chivering my pear! You haven't much me to fee the cold, The dogs ere running fo taste your mest Ips "You wi al thank me with fowers end Kisses wien I retum for saving you fom impurty! By: Liza Maine Seybold - In this year you are/ will be very busy with releases / both ABSU and EQUITANT/. Could you please list them? What kind of people do you want to have in view with them? Equitant: Yes, we are busy as ever, now recording "The third storm of Cythrual” for ABSU, to be released on OSMOSE PROD. once again... It will be a very good LP. Look out for it! After this we plan to tour and then release another EP, called "Thrashstorm’.. This will have a few new songs, and a few old songs redone. Very raw and old style music it will be... After that is all done we will begin work on our 4th LP. A concept album... Epic Celtic Metal, slow and fast... Called “loldanach: Legends of fire and steel". It will be a killer!! As for EQUITANT | will release a full LP sometime in 96/97 for the COLD MEAT sub label CRUELMOON... The LP will be influenced by German mythology... and called "Legenden von Feuer und Stahl’, and soon I will / with in a year or 2 / start another band in the style of the BATHORY albums "Hammerheart’, "Twilight..." and "Blood on Ice". Total Doom Celtic Metal... Very epic and glorious sound tracks. | hope to be playing everything on this... Including drums and vocals... Only time and money will tell. | can tell you it will be very different from the Speed Metal style of ABSU... The band will be called VORTEMIR, coming from the Celtic meaning of "Great Commander’... Vorteminwas a king, and his father was King Vortigem / roughly meaning "Great Lord’/. He was an employer of great Magicians... Such as Merlin. And was known as a Pagan king. So this name fits what I'm going to do with this project. - 'm sure you have lots of European contacts, you can hear different opinions, but as an out: how do you see today’s European Black Metal-scene? Equitant: | see it good and bad... You have good bands and shit ones... Nothing to say about it really... | don't fallow many new bands. | do very much respect AURA NOIR from Norway... Great great music... Very true to the bands of the 80s... They give me the feeling | use to get when | bought an LP in the 80s... Like SLAYER or BATHORY. | also see the so-called Black Metal-scene / if you want to call it that / filled with idiots and kids... Thinking we are the utmost Evill! Shit manl! The dedicated and strong will remain in the end. ler, - Hm, Hungary is pretty far from the USA... What do you know about us, what do you hear about our nation in general nowadays? Equitant: | don't hear too much about Hungary... | write a few people from your land, and sometimes | see something on TV about Hungary... | would very much like to visite the place... | do know some history about Hungary and the Culture... And the legend bands TORMENTOR, PLASMA POOL... - Well, | finnish here... | hope everything you plan will realize one day. Tell me pl comments... Equitant: Once again | must tell you Tamas... It's a real honor for us to be included in this issue of the legendary magazine of yours... We thank you for the support and dedication! Look out for the new album on OSMOSE PROD. Cead mile failte inisfal.. Hinweg der Winterwinde! se your last EQUITANT - “The great lands of Minas Ithil /city of Isildur/ Ancient Ambient landscapes of war, death, sorrow, sorcery, defeat and victory 40 minute journey through the lands of Agurak, packaged uniquely with a slip case box Available for 5$ world / overseas add 1$ for air /, US currency only Dark Age Prod., 604 Third Street Herndon, VA 22070 USAP.O. BOX 175 CHASKA, MN 55318 USA. EQUITANT, P.O. BOX 743307, DALLAS, TX, 75374-3307, USA OSMOSE PROD., 8B.P.57, 62990 BEAURAINVILLE, FRANCE MORDOR has been already featured in second issue, but not with this member of the group... The great female vocals on their second demo "Csejthe" woke my interests up, and tried to know something about Her from Scorh. It wasn't easy, She is so mysterious, but finally succeed, and from this interview you can pick up some interesting and very important thoughts... - You joined MORDOR in 1992... What was the main fact to do it, what did You find interesting in the concept of the band? Opale: The first interesting thing for me was of course the personality of the members, when we knew us more, we all fell in love with the great Erzsébet Bathory, the concept around Her was bor and so was my presence in the band. - MORDOR is one of the darkest and most unique bands ever... Be You have a part in creating MORDOR’s music? Opale: | have a part in creating the lyrics and maybe sometimes a very little part of atmosphere... les Your voices on the demo, do - Scorh has already spoke about it in TRANSYLVANIAN DAMNATION’s second issue, but please, tell us the concept of "Csejthe"... Beauty and cruelty in one, can You mention other persons in history like Her? pale: The main key of it is: EVILUTION... | think | can tell that there are main reincamations of it in history: - a Countess - a Lady Pharaoh = Lilith or Lorelei For me, She is true EVILUTION, and She is eternal, always new, but always the same through ages. - On this demo You are the gate, and through Your voice the Countess can be heared... When did You meet Her character first, and what do You think of what She did? Opale: | don't know what you think, but for me there's a part (conscious or not) of Erzsébet Bathory in every woman... She is voluptuous, She is seduction and beauty reincamated... | don't have to judge Her, | think She was honest with Herself, and Her way of being a woman was very pure. - Erzsébet was strongly religious, like She was praying all night before Her death... She believed the existence of God, still She thought to commit murder or to torment girls are not sins. As a Countess She had the rights to do it, without any conscience... What do You think? pale: Men let entire floods of blood go away through war and hate throughout the whole world's history, was She really wrong to shed blood for eternal beauty? - Speak about Yourself a bit, please... What kind of stuffs do You listen to, and which authors are You deeply in? What does MORDOR mean to You?pale: | try to be as open-minded as | can, in my life and in music too, | am listening to classical music, Heavy Metal, blues, rock and to traditional Sioux music. I'm very much in the Indian culture and religion (North-American Indians, the Sioux Tribe). For the authors | love Tolkien, Lovecraft, Crowley and many many others in a lot of different styles. b ji - About the band again, what ge , kind of stuff are you working on y now? | know compose is very hard and slow in MORDOR’s life, but could You tell us when will be the new album out? pale: The band is working-on a third album with a 20 minutes cut, with another female singer, based on a Vampire-story in Romania. As a symbol, a Vampire gives immortality, and here they are with a new concept. No outdate is known for the moment. - As Scorh told me in the interview, You are a real mystery for him... On the other hand, how do You see Him and Dam, is it easy to work with them? Opale: For me, it was always easy because | never felt a sense of "work". | was just sharing a very good time with people | appreciate a lot. | see them like this: to me they are very special people, | respect them a lot, because they don't play. They are really true and they are always themselves. The rest is personal and it belongs to friendship, - There is utter freedom in this society, but | think man was never such alone like now... Inside we destroyed all roots to Nature, destroy the Nature itself, we have thrown the old knowledge and live in this modern society... What is our future? pale: | agree with you, as | told you before, I'm very much in the Sioux-culture and tradition. | spent a lot of time in an Indian Reservation and | learned a lot about myself and spirituality... Nature is very important to me and | think that if humans want to survive, they have to learn a lot from indigenous tribes... It's time for humanity to wake up and to realize one thing: we belong to the Earth, but the Earth does not belong to us. - As You told me, this was Your first and / probably the / last interview... | wish You good luck, thanx for the great help, and please add anything You want! Opale: There is only one thing | would add: ONLY AFTER THE LAST TREE HAS BEEN CUT DOWN, ONLY AFTER THE LAST RIVER HAS BEEN POISONED, ONLY AFTER THE LAST FISH HAS BEEN CAUGHT, ONLY THEN, WILL THE WHITE MAN UNDERSTAND THAT MONEY CANNOT BE EATEN. For promotion & orders WILD RAGS RECORDS EAN a gol) P.O. box 3302 Icke er) SHIVADARSHANA RECORDS remade Eee) eos eae Pee) BN eae) Csej Ge) a MORDOR B.P. 360 1020 Renens Vd1 Switzerland Se ee ee ek ee na"... And for one extreme reason which | will tell you about soon, the MAYHEM LP will be very delayed. So it will go much faster to release the TORMENTOR LP, | think. | will keep you informed about what happens. Yes, the MAYHEM LP will be delayed again, and the reason is that we have no vocalist any more! Dead just killed himself a few days ago! Yeah! He blew his brains out with a shotgun after slicing open his arteries in the wrists and throat with a big knife. He had locked the door to the house so | had to climb into the window on his room with a ladder, and | had to crawl through tons of blood and brain substance, a very interesting experience indeed. The upper half of the head was all over the room, while the rest of the brain had fallen ‘out from the "saucer" which now was his head, it was cool to get the chance to study a human corpse and brain closely! As the first one who saw him, | immediately grabbed the camera and made some close-up photos of him, you'll see! We will use them on the MAYHEM LPI...” This part is taken from Euronymous’s letter, a few days after Dead’s suicide. "... You probably don't know this, but Euronymous was recently stabbed to death! Yes, He is DEAD! But the . MAYHEM LP will stil be out. Although even more delayed | guess. Euro’s death was a great loss to the Black Metal spirit. But we'll grow even stronger and more EVIL. We'll continue to manipulate and pervert lads. The black war will NEVER ceasel” This part is taken from Mortiis's letter, end of August, 1993. Beauty and blee: "The Palatine's coach drove rumbling through the gateway of Csejthe’s castle. Neither guards, nor torch- bearers were waiting for them. The Palatine deliberately didn't let the widow know about their coming. The four men sprang out quickly from the coach. They pushed the forthcoming servants aside, and Palatine Thurz6 with imperative words asked, where the Countess is. The people became embarrassed, nobody durst to tell the truth, the widow is in the wash-house. They couldn't pronounce the word yet, as this room had terrible fame. However, to the Palatine’s order one of the servants showed the way... Close by the housewall, in the blazing torchlight the Palatine stumbled into something. He held the torch out and cursed... The sight was dreadful, a naked girl's tormented body was lying in the iced and cold night. Her hands tied behind her back, from her split veins still blood leaked and flowed over on the stone. The young servant exclaimed terrifiedly:- "Oh God, she’s Dorica!” The Palatine, not dealing with anything, raging ripped open the wash-house’s door. Hot steam flew outward, and something mawkish, sweet smell. Yes, they all could fell clearly the smell of fresh human blood. The men could see hardly in the thick steam. But a sharp female voice was heard: - "Wicked dogs, how can you make so bold to enter?! | said nobody can be allowed to come in without my permission! You will smart for this!” The Countess would have continued, but suddenly Thurzé cut into Her words. - "By no means, Countess Nadasdy. Not your servants entered, | am that man, | am the Palatine of Hungary, and | came in the name and with the power of law!" The steam was divided, and another dreadful scene became visible. In the middle of the room the widow was sitting in an arm-chair, with the flames of madness and pleasure in Her eyes. Before Her another victim was lying on the ground, a young naked girl in a pool of blood, around her body dispersed canes and bloody scissors. The girl gasped for breath, then in the taking silence her last growling was heard, and her tortured soul got rid of pains. In the comer three bound girls were waiting for their fates, helplessly seeing the torture...” Now cold walls surround me. | remember the past, the things that happened with me... | was just 14 years old when | got married, | didn’t like my husband, but nobody asked it. Broken dreams, a forced life, oh God | prayed to you in vain... He was strong and mighty, but was so busy, and he has never understood me really... | had to tum to other men, to servants, only they could please my sexual pleasures, to fell 'm a woman... Forbidden carnal desires, lust and perversion... He could have been a good husband, but the fights against Turks called him upon so far. My son and my daughters... To give birth and take life. 1592... She had to die, because she sinned, the cold and iced river swalowed her body... Then | felt | reign on human lifes, and to take it means pleasure. Youth and beauty are just following, old Darbulia was a good teacher, she showed me the secrets of torture and desire. The Church and the priests... That preacher admonished me on ‘a mass, as he said | offended against clear Christian blood. He should have dealt with the fold, | give an account of my Lord. And the rabble... They threw stones to my house's windows in Wien, when they heard the screams of my tortured victims. They understood nothing... My husband died on 4th January of 1604, oh God accept him in your Kingdom. Then only pleasure counted, the pain, the last growling... Screams in the silence of my castles, travellings through my domination, places where new young girls were waiting for me. Then my daughter's wedding in Csejthe... That two servants were died by my own hands, and their funeral had to be kept in secret. The rabble have spread my fame, but their voice can't attain me... They can't interest me. 1610, the Palatine has started an investigation against me. He's so ignorant... They are my servants, | dispose of their bodies and souls. My testament, | divided everything among my children, my blood is also hereditary. | suspected what shall happen, oh God only you understand me... October, another 8 victims served my pleasure. One night that dogs rushed at me, and carried four of my servants off to torture them in the name of law... | offended they say, and closed me to my own castle... Nobody can judge me, there is nothing | should fell quilty conscience for. Long years alone, my son and my daughters don't care about me, they fell ashamed of what | have done. Only the cold walls surround me... Priests visiting me, but | have nothing to do with them. They are responsible for everything... Conspiracy. The blood, the pain, they are absent for me... I's night, only a candle flames on the table. The guard is coming. "Look - | say,- my hands are so cold..." "ts trifle - he says,- you may safely go to sleep...” | have to pray yet to my Lord. Morning She was found dead. She prayed, they say, all night. That was the day of 21st August of 1614. Her funeral was in Csejthe, on 20th November. A new period began. I don't want to talk too much about PENITENT before the interview, | think it includes almost all infos that you need... Great synth music with industrial and ambient touches, combined with symphonic atmosphere. Karsten Hamre gave me the answers...- My first question should be about this "fresh" news, you left CMI. Speak about it please, and tell me your opinion about that why these things happened with PENITENT. What do you know about the contracts with other CMI-bands, was it only a singular affair or usual on this label? Karsten: Due to the fact that we were not satisfied with a lot of things conserning the debut album “Melancholia”, then it was everything that happened after the release of the album. There were several things that we weren't satisfied with, so we asked Cold Meat Industry to be released from the contract. We got it as we wanted and we left CMI. | see no use in going into details about this matter as we have cleared it up with them, and got an expernation why things happened. | don't know how the contracts which other CMI bands have look or what the content of them are. Why should I? | don't think these problems we have had are ‘common, so | guess it’s a singular affair/fnappening. One could say that we weren't to lucky with the things and circumstances at the time our album came out. Anyway, that belongs to the past. Now we just have to look ahead and make our own future, That's what counts now. - May be it’s a bit untimely to ask, but is there another label which deeply interested in PENITENT, and you decided to sign there? Karsten: Yes, we have been in contact with several labels. We have considered the interested labels and decided to sign the deal we were offered from Draenor Prod., a division of Napalm Records, as we found that to be the most serious and suitable label for PENITENT. - Let's see the beginning... | think you created the band to express your thoughts, mind and dreams. The lyrics are not typical ones, they are more, the word "poem" absolutely fits to them... Have you ever thought about that instead of PENITENT you chose another kind of art, for ex. to become an author and writing books or poems? Is music the best chosen part of ART to realize what you want? Karsten: Music is only one of the artistic expressions I'm into. Through photography | also express my thoughts and feelings, but then in a completely different way. With each photo | try to visualize what | feel and think and | always try to create a certain atmosphere in my pictures If | could find a publisher who wants to release my poems in a book | will do that, as | already have enough poems for a complete book. To put music to my poems makes the atmosphere in them grow stronger and ‘one can also add more feelings to them and create the mood you want the listener to be in when hearing your poem. Music is a great way to express one self. It is not possible to do it in the same way with only written words. - Your debut album "Melancholi said... What kind of "world" is that? Karsten: Our world is in the shadow and to feel how it is there you have to escape into our music. Let the music fill your soul, and then take a joumey into the world of shadows. The fog has covered me a long time ago. | will not explain it, because it is to complex to describe with words. Our music is the gate. Enter the world of darkness. a kind of mirror of your souls, i represents your world, as you - How many copies did you/CMI sell, and what was the response on it? Don’t you think that now there’s a so-called "Cold Meat-style"? Karsten: The response have been great so far and as far as | know there has been sold 2-2500 copies of the CD. | would not go as far as saying that there is a Cold Meat- style as CMI has so many different bands. - You are heading in the same vein, like MORTIS or AGHAST, but of course with some differences... What do you think, will you be able to play live one day? Or simply, is it important to make gigs to such bands, like you? Karsten: Nol! PENITENT is not like MORTIS and AGHAST at all, as our music are totally different from those before mentioned. | don't think we are heading in the same vein at all. We will always do things in our own way and never follow anybody else.| guess we will be able to play live some day, but then it would never be like other gigs as we plan to do it in ‘our own way. When we will be on stage, you should expect a mix between theatre, music, ballett etc. A PENITENT live is a performance show and you should not expect just another gig. - I think you answered thousands of times this question and became boring to you... But please speak about your case connected to your views in the first issue of GENOCIDE... What do you think, would this case be so serious without the events in Norway the last 3-4 years? Karsten: | don't think it would be that serious if it hadn't been for all the events that have happened here in Norway the last 3 or 4 years. | don't care to speak about this anymore as I'm sick and tired of this question. | have answered it too many times already. A partis taken from Curse of the Chains fanzine: - You have run into quite a bit of trouble with the law lately! You were jailed for 7 weeks simply for expressing your own and others political views in your magazine, GENOCIDE? ~ Yes, | was jailed for 7 weeks, from the 28th of APRIL to the 15th of June, simply because | expressed mine and others political views in GENOCIDE. The police tried to charge me for everything they could come up with, They also want so far that they charged me for encouragement to murder, bombing and buming churches, but this charge have been dropped. Amongst some minor charges I'm now charged for annoyance, persecution and spreading hatred towards Christians. This is the Norwegian blasphemylaw, which noone in Norways history have been either charged or convicted for. The 25th of September | have to go to court and answer to these insane charges, and | just have to wait and see how it all turns out in the end... ~ What kind of stuffs do you listen to, and what are your favourite bands? Do you like TORMENTOR’s music...? Karsten: | listen to a lot of things and | do like the music of TORMENTOR. My favourite bands are LAIBACH, DEVIL DOLL, EMPEROR, GEHENNA, MONUMENTUM, EMPYRIUM, WAMPYRE SHADOW WOLF, COVENANT, TROLL, BLACK SABBATH, KING DIAMOND and MERCYFUL FATE, ENYA, W.A.S.P., KISS, BATHORY, DEAD SOULS RISING, DARKTHRONE, GORGOROTH, and a lot more. It would take to much time and space to mention every good band I listen to. - I know you are deeply into Occultism... What do you think about the great book Necronomicon? The main point of the writing was to call peoples attention to what He seen... Did you try to practise ‘some rituals with the help of this book? Karsten: When it comes to Occultism | do not speak about what I'm into as that is a personal matter, which | do not discuss through an interview. What | do is only my business. - There were some "shocks" in this Century... Communism, Fascizm, people left their homelands (especially in the East) and the death of Eastern Block... Could you please comment upon them? Karsten: | really don’t care about things that has nothing to do with my life. | can't possibly care about people | do not know, and | do not feel like discussing politics. | was deeply interested in political topics before, but I'm fed up with politics at the time being. End it here please, and add anything you would like... Thanx for the help! Karsten: Thanx for the interview! Support PENITENT for all time and let the spirit of Darkness fill your soul. "Det Sorte Tjem* (The Black Lake) short movie will be finished and available by the end of August 1996 Distributors should contact me for wholesale prices. Other releases planned this autumn and "Melancholia" on LP. For further info contact:GENOCIDE PRODUCTIONS P.O. Box 675 4001 STAVANGER NORWAY ATARAXIA I’m their fan since | have heard their music first time... It really impressed me, but | can't imagine with words what | felt... The mood, the atmosphere, the themes, everything, combined with Francesca’s beautiful and "strong" voice... One of the most original bands ever. Enter their world, and read the interview. - The list of your releases is so long, you are one of the most original bands | have ever heard, what you create is much more than simply music, it’s ART, but as | noticed you are a bit unknown in the musical scene (especially in my country...)... What do you think, Francesca? Francesca: Thanks for your words and the way you describe our opera. About being known or unknown, it depends on the countries and music market, that's a bad word, but it's reality. In Germany, Belgium, Italy, and now England, France and Spain we are quite well-known, but what does it mean? Nothing, the bands who plays the "surface of things", this mirror of our age, are really well-known and carry the flag of music, | don't consider that music. What we utilise is our spirit Ave feel to be mediums of Time/ and our hands and voices without tricks or artifices are on our releases, our concerts are moments of contemplation and abandon to get beauty and the sense of Time, we usually speak of out GARDEN OF PSICHE AND DESIRE, that our "nowhere land". We are sorry that our releases reach your lands with difficulty, | think you are people so linked to ancestral tradition, who can perhaps still enjoy a slow, intense atmosphere, who can taste emotion and art, | hope we will be where you are with our songs in a near future. - Your kind of music is not for a broad layer of people | think, because it’s needed high intelligence to understand, will to understand, and a kind of sensitiveness and receptivity for the sensuous images, reflections and suggestive effects of words and sounds you create... Are you agree with me? Francesca: In a curtain sense, we live in the age of speed and rubbish, we utilise, use and throw in such a short time. We live in the age of exteriority and redundancy...; we only have to leam the silence again, and after the silence music and melody and after melody our way of creating and “painting” things, our life, our uncertain future. Perhaps our music is not for a wide number of people, but at the same time is for many people , because our listeners don't belong to a genre or another, they are not simply linked to a "species" or another, they are listeners of the soul, they are able to suffer while listening and to be bom again. At our concerts there are many different persons, and they usually come to us at the end of the gig to exchange some words or sensations, sometimes they say "Your music brought to surface things | had forgotten, it has been painful, but now I'm richer’ This is oceanic and boundless. - | just admire your strong and really beautiful voice...Have you finished your studies in Academy of Music? And what kind of stuffs do you listen to, what are your favourite bands? What do you think about DEAD CAN DANCE? Francesca: | only stayed one year in the Academy of Music and | was seven years old, | was trying to study Violin, but I was so little and the violin so big... So | stopped, | didn't like those methods. Then | played organ for about 3 years and when | was 17 | began singing alone, | had no teachers, | was proud to be the teacher of myself and | listened to great singers of the past and the present to strenght my voice and to try whatever was possible with my vocal chords. What am | listening? Especially ancient music, Middle Ages, Renaissance and Baroque music. My favourite composers are: Vivaldi, Hendel, Marcello, Marais, Albinoni Corelli, XX Hesperion, Vangelis, Diamanda Galas, Loreena Mc Kennit, In the Nursery... DEAD CAN DANCE have been kissed by the angel of music, they are sincerely inspired, they are perhaps real musicians like the ones we had in really far ancient times. - Your sound forms are very complicated, electronic meets ancient instruments as you mentioned... But the most important thing, how can you create such complete sound, | mean, during the listening of “Simphonia Sine Nomine" | see the King’s court, the turning mass in Renaissance clothes, | feel the mood of a gone epoch... It’s so convincing. How can you manage to do it? Francesca: We think that this is not our first life, it may seems very strange, but it’s what we sincerely feel. | personally think to have lived in Ancient Greece, | still see the Aegean Sea, | still hear poetry sung by the lyre, | still remember how words accompained the landscape. Vittorio, our guitarist, never heard and studied ancient music compositions, but many years ago he took a classic guitar and began playing like a menestrel, so sweet painful notes... | only can say again that we feel mediums of the Time, music pass through us and we become it's voice, something stronger than us. - | think religion is a kind of limit of our thoughts and reflections, and it was explained in different ways during the Centuries. But what does it mean to you? Francesca: Menacies, | mean, | think that the true spirituality can’t be shaped completely by a religion, a faith or another. | think | understand what's the deep significance of contemplation and wisdom, | think | can understand the value of this research, but | deeply feel that religions give only figurative symbolic answers that put limitations and taboos to our personal research, the research of man who doesn’ know anything about his destiny and origins, the research of man who has lost his deep contact and silent dialogue with Nature, the research of man who has to afford death and dessolution that's the strongest test.. - As | see, mostly the man stands in the centre of your music. The man with his all “actions”... If you close your eyes, what do you see, what is MAN in general? Who or what are we? Francesca: | don't want to spend hundreds of words on this theme, so relevant for hundreds of philosophers and thinkers in the centuries... Many answers have been given and no answers at the same time. | prefer to write a sentence that the romantic poet Shelley wanted to be put on his tombstone: “Here lies a man, or a poet, whose name is written on the water..." - Connected with the question above, please speak a bit more about “Prophetia"... "The slow march of a humanity who tries to know itself bearing the burden of it’s own existence..." What do you think, is it possible to understand the meaning of our existence some day? May be this moder society is "dead", it’s just a circulation again and again, and we need a change... And may be it will be solved in a "new" humanity. What is your opinion? Francesca: In a song of us a sentence was repeated like a refrain: “Still and gloom stands the tower of Divine Knowledge, happy who can comprehend the meaning of things’. The journey through the heart and spirit was narrated in our 3 first tapes, and in our first CD release to show how man is afraid and weak, feeble at the beginning, he's like a child, he’s alone, he sees appearances, he becomes the torturer of himself, the victim and the persecutor at the same time, he's terribly afraidby the fate and what we say, what we describe is the courage he has to gain in a second time, the courage to live and defy destiny, the only things we can do, because we are only the blind on the other side of existence. We have to become children and Gods at the same time, pure and strong even if we are walking alone under a moon in fire at water floods mercy. In the origins man perhaps knew something more, then the link with Nature has been cut, completelz, our age is a synthetic one, our traditions and ancient way of communication and leaming from Nature have disappeared. We are destroying our habitat, | think this is already happened in the AGE of ATLANTIS et MU. They have left us some signs and traces, but only a small miniority of humanity has translated them. We will afford this theme of destruction and circular repetition of events of farest and future societis in a forthcoming release, that will be called "ATLANTISETMU". - Let’s see your last album a bit... It sounds for me as a complete opera, just with some electronic instruments. What was the idea to compose it, how can you play these songs in live, what kind of visual effects are used? Francesca: "Il fantasma dell’ Opera" (thats the Phantom of the Opera) is a personal intepretation and a tribute to the great literary opera of Leroux, so neglected from the literary point of view and so celebrated (often in a terrible way) in the cinema and at theatre. We've worked on this project for a long time and we've arranged a live performance (with theatrical acts, projection of images and a scenography), that's the celebration of art and music ambidied by the Phantom, whose name is Erik. What is underlined is that geniality means often solitude, loneliness, desperation and being cut off from the world and the rest of humanity. The Monster, the Phantom or the Angel of music (that's how Erik was called) offered to humanity his gift that's music and humanity didn’t understand. An absolute tragedy! We were really fond of orkestral, operistic, symphonic music and we tried to create a mixture of this sound, together with classic ballads and sonatas and ethereal, lyric singer. We employed only a classic guitar with some effects, an electric guitar, some keyboards orkestral effects and the voice with many nuances and timbres It's not so difficult to play them live, we absolutely don't utilise prerecorded basis or computers, we feel to be craftsmen of the sound and we avoid DAT tapes and so on, what is not possible to be played is not played, all the rest is afforded with strong emotion and force. The images of the live-act have been taken by the wonderful film of Julien (1925) with Lon Chaney, our photographer and helper has treated them with unusual unreal contrasts of colours and with deformations and repetitions of subjects, quite chilling and fascinating! - And an older album, "The Moon sang on the April Chair - Red deep Dirges of a November Moon", another great piece of your works... What is it's main to tell? How could you imagine the figure of Winter? Francesca: This release is less linked to ancient and culturated music, it is a free confession, a totally free Meditation whose frame are the metaphorical seasons of Spring and Autumn | found many similarities with the visionart and preromantic poet William Blake and his Songs of Innocence and maturity. The first part of the release is linked to childhood, innocence, the taste and flavours of a past age, the link with Nature, the Aegean Sea and the cliffs, colours and suggestions... Landscapes of the souls. The songs are more melodic, simple, they seem fairy-tales, a collection of remembrances while the second part is a collection of regrets. This second part is represented bz Autumn and maturity, all what we've lost and never found again, all what we dramt and we never released, the cry of the folley who has lost his humanity and the curiosity, purety of childhood. The songs are harsher, tormentated, suffered, we have litanies and cries, primordial anguish and inner turmoil, This is Autumn, Winter is the end, the silence, stillness after a mantle of snow. - Perhaps you know, Italy "gave" a few Kings to Hungary in the 14th Century... What do you know about the connection between our countries from that time and another times? Francesca: Your country really fascinate us, is so unknown and noble! Perhaps we have got a quite mythological and fancy vision of your country and people, courage and heart, a deep passion for traditions and the past, a curious intelligence and a big dominion on the arcane traditions. Perhaps we've seen this in some films, but you've got such a fascinating and absorbing landscape and your town are full of history and ancient memories, it would be beautiful to play over there. - | hope you enjoyed to answer to my questions... Please tell me everything what you want to mention. Good luck to ATARAXIA, and hope to see you some day in a Hungarian concert...Francesca: Of course | enjoyed them... | want to add only one thing. Next October (1996) a new CD release of the band will be available, It will be completely played by classic guitar, keyboards and voice as a tribute to the Baroque age and music Maestros. It has been completely inspired by the impressive film of A. Cournau “Tous les matins du monde" who digs in the deeper sense of music. The release will be divided into two parts, a studio one with 11 tracks and a live part (in solitude in a Baroque lounge) with 4 songs. It will be called "Concerto N.6: A Baroque plaisanterie’ For every up-to-date information about the band, please write to: ATARAXIA - c/o Francesca Nicoli ¢. p. 13 ufficio PT MO suce. 5 Via Vignolese, 546 41100 MODENA - ITALY Discography and releases: ~Prophetia (March 1990) self-produced tape -Nosce te Ipsum (March 1991) tape+booklet -Nosce te Ipsum (February 1991) VHS videotape -Arazzi_ (July 1993) tape+booklet coproduced with Energeia - Sub Ignissima Luna (Autumn 1993) tape collection of medieval songs - Simpnonia Sine Nomine ( January 1994) CD - Ad Perpetuam Rei Memoriam (August 1994) CD - La Malediction d’Ondine (February 1995) CD - Would the Winged Light Climb? (April 1995) VHS videotape -In Amoris Mortisque (October 1995) 10’ vynil - The Moon Sang on the April Chair/Red Deep Dirges of a November Moon (October 1995) CD =I Fantasma Dell’Opera (January 1996) CD - Concerto N.6: A Baroque Plaisanterie (October 1996) CD Members: Francesca Nicoli: voices, lyrics, flutes, drummachine Vittorio Vandelli: guitars (classic, acoustic, electric, synth.), drummachine, lyrics Giovanni Pagliari: keyboards, synth., piano, pipe-organ, lyrics“Jag ar inte en manniska. Det har ar bara en drém, och snart vaknar jag. Det var for kallt och blodet levrades| hela tiden.”- Dead "The red in this glass will be just as red, the roses on the wallpaper just as delicately drawn. And you'll see the moon the same way, and the same the flicker of a candle. And with that same sensibility that you cherish you will see death in all it's beauty, life as it is known only on the very point of death. Don't you understand that? You alone of all creatures can see death that way with impunity. You... alone...under the rising moon... can strike the hand of God!” ~ Anne Rice "Interview with the Vampire" "| remember it was here | died - by following the freezing moon." "How beautiful life is now, when my time has come..." - Dead "Freezing Moon’/'Life Eternal"! "| had a weird experience once. | had inner bleeding and it couldn't be found at X-rays, so when it continued’ to bleed and bleed | finally fainted and dropped down the floor cos | run out of blood. The heart had no blood left to beat and my veins/arteries almost emptied of blood. "Technically" | was dead. At that moment when | {fell down, (into a door | heard later) | saw a strange blue color everywhere, it was transparent so | could for a short moment, see everything in blue, till something shining white and ‘hot’ surrounded me. (...). However, it's| someone | know who's had many out of body experiences and is using magic of various kinds and knows| much more than | do about ‘supernatural’ experience, that | asked of this cos it was so strange about those| colors. She told me that the first ‘plane’ in the astral world has the color of blue. The ‘earthly’ plane has the| color of black, then comes a gray that is very near the earthly one and is easy to come to. The next one| further is blue, then it gets brighter and brighter til it "stops" at a white-shining one that can't be entered by mortals. IF any mortal succeeds entering it, that one is no longer mortal and can not come back the earthly| planes nor back to this earth. After the white plane or level or whatever it goes further with other color that | [don't know of, there only spirits and great sorcerers can travel. | was told that the white plane | then entered, |without | knew it, was the deadworld and I died.” Dead comitted suicide in 1991 SUMMONING “SUMMONING was formed about three years ago by Protector and me. In that time we had a drummer called Trifixion, whom we later kicked out of the band. Before SUMMONING Protector was playing in a kind of ‘old fashioned" Thrash band that nearly got a recorddeal by Peaceville. But in that time the band broke up With SUMMONING we made two demos and some promo tapes, which we sent to some record companies, . The demos sold quite well in a record shop in Vienna, called WHY NOT (where the guys from PUNGENT STENCH used to work, just if you are interested). Sometimes later | got in contact with TT from ABIGOR, who made an interview with me for the local fanzine TAUB / which was my first intie by the way /, We talked a lot, and he told me that he wanted to form a band of his own, and he gave me a tape with only some riffs included. That was the birth of ABIGOR. We kept the contact and later | replaced Rune (now singer in ‘another band) and did all vocals for all ABIGOR releases (except the demos), now as a permanent ABIGOR member. As we recorded the first ABIGOR album for the young NAPALM REC. label, | got in contact with Max from NAPALM. We handled a deal for SUMMONING and soon our debut "Lugburz" was released by NAPALM. After the recordings we kicked out Trifxion, who tumed out to be a commercial thinking asshole. We did not want to get a new drummer and so continued working with medieval and bombastic keyboard percussion sounds. The result can be heard on “Minas Morgul”. This album is totally influenced by Tolkien's ‘saga of Middleage. Our next release "Dol Guldur" will be released in the end of 96 and will be a follow up to "Minas Morgul", musical and lyrical wise. So wait and see.- For me SUMMONING and ABIGOR are the creators of the Austrian BM scene... Tell us please how it has happened! lenius: All informations of the beginning of ABIGORand SUMMONING you can find in the bio. /Enclosed! - ed/ - Besides this small, but strong BM scene, what kind of bands could you mention, that also bring ‘some originality into Austrian music scene? Silenius: Well, besides ABIGOR and SUMMONING and the two ritual, Darkwave projects | was involved in, namly PAZUZU and DIE VERBANNTEN KINDER EVAS. There are just a few, but excellent bands/projects round. Speaking of Black Metal | can highly recommend AMESTIGON with ex-ABIGOR singer Rune (now Tharen) on vocals. As far as | know P.K. of ABIGOR has joined the band. Besides that GOLDEN DAWN will be a new promising act. Soon to be released on DARK MOTHER REC., the label of PAZUZU and Martin of PUNGENT STENCH. Other two acts that are worth being mentioned are some older ritual and wave projects, namly ALLERSEELEN (with Kadmon from the Aorta zine) and a Middleaged influenced band called THE MOON LAY HIDDEN BENAITH A CLOUD. The ritual demo called "Grabesmond" | did with P.K. a year ago was copied 30 times and got good response. But this project is dead and gone now, | think. Same goes for DECEMBER FOG, P.K. did with Van Zazas of the Art of Necronomicon mag. ~ You're quite busy in creating music. In which bands do you play and which bands did/ will you help with your work? Silenius: Well, | already mentioned, in which bands/projects I'm involved. But as I'm not longer involved in PAZUZU and D.V.K.E. | try to start something new. It possibly will go into the ritual direction in the vain of Witchhammer/Witchhunter releases of SHIUJUKU THIEF, maybe with the female singer of "Nachthymnen", but nothing is sure yet. - Hm, what else are you doing besides the bands? Are you going to school yet, or do you have a job? How is the situation of an unemployed in Austria, | mean you’re a member of European Union, but your production is not so big now... Silenius: When | don't work for the bands, when i don't answer letters and when | don’t drown myself in alcohol, | work in a record shop here in Vienna together with T.T. Protector is studying and P.K. has a new job after being unemployed some months. But | don't know exactly what job he is doing now. Pazuzu is working for Sing Sang and DARK MOTHER REC. After all | can come along with my money. | don’t know exactly how it is to be unemployed here in Austria, But | think it's not that bad as in other countries. - Your 2nd album "Minas Morgul" is really a great master-piece among the present BM- releases. How could you get so strong inspirations by Tolkien's works? | mean, during | listen to your music, | see the characters, | remember the story, my fantasy is free and flies to the lands of Middleearth... Silenius: |'m totally lost into the world Tolkien created within his mind. | really wish to have the same creativity and imagination as he had. After all when | was younger | was free to spend my time travelling across the wide open countryside of Austria, often with one of Tolkien's books at hand. | mean it's something totally different to read some of his books within your own four walls, than with the sight of huge mountains and large forests around you, feeling the breeze of the wind playing with your hair while you are reading chapter after chapter. Ofcourse all of this influenced me a lot. - What do you think, if that Ring were be found now, in this "modern" world, how would it be used? Silenius: | think the Ring would tum to dust immediately. It was not meant to be used in this time. - As | see, Tolkien becomes "famous", besides ‘Lord of the Rings’ other books were released from him now, and as | noticed, it’s happened mostly because the people need other “worlds”, or "dimensions", where their fantasy is free, and don’t care about the problems of their real life... What do you think? Silenius: | exactly agree with you. There is nothing more to say about this fact. - If ‘Lord of the Rings’ were going to be adapted on film, and the part, which character would you choose? Silenius: | think most of the people | know would answer to be one of the Nazgul, Sauron, Morgoth or a balrog or something like that. But | specially like the short appearance of the tree (‘Old Man Willow’). It has a special aura of rotten old evil and is part of the ages of Middleearth. The spider Ungolianth is another great character. ctor would ask you to accept a - There are two ways to take serious controll of the mind... The first one when you are strongly religious, have strong faith and worship somebody/something OUTSIDE you... The other, when you try to go deeper and deeper in your mind to listen to the feelings of your inner self, and you take yourself to your own God. Which one do you prefer? Silenius: It's an easy question. Of course | prefer the exploration of my own mindworld. To gain control of your very innerself is the key against everything outside of your existing. = There are always people in the scene who just infect it... like Richard " What's your comment on Michael of LETHAL RECORDS? ‘Well, meanwhile | get a bit tired about telling the people about the cruesome facts of this pig. | think ‘everybody knows now that all bands of LETHAL REC. were ripped by Michael Piesch. And now as he can't find new bands, he tries to infect the scene with his own shitty projects, like WERWOLF or TOTENNACHT. But he won't make enough money with this shit and so hopefully LETHAL REC. will come to end soon. ip off" C. of WILD RAGS... = Once | have heard DIE VERBANNTEN KINDER EVA'S music, and it really influenced me... What are the news on this project? Silenius: As Protector is very connected to the ‘Austrian Darkwave and Gothic scene, he defenitely will continue working on a new output of D.V.K.E. The music is classical influenced Darkwave in the style of STOA, ARCANA, SOPOR AETERNUS and maybe old DEAD CAN DANCE. As I had no special ideas in that direction | won't join on the next CD. Maybe later on again. With that band Protector did some live gigs in Austria and Germany together with his sister as the female vocalist. - | think SUMMONING’s music is not really for live, besides there are only two members in the band, but have you ever thought of playing live? What kind of show-elements would you use? Silenius: SUMMONING never had and never will play live. But probably there will be a video made soon, but of course without the typical BM band posing and | think without the band at all. But nothing is sure yet. So wait and see... - When will be your 3rd album released? Will you change the style a bit, or will the fans get what they expect: true traditional Mordorian folkmusic? Silenius: In the third week of October we will enter Hoernix studio again to make our new album "Dol Guldur’. It defenitely will be in the same vein as "Minas Morgul". Maybe afterwards we will make a musical concept of the German hero epos "Das Nibelungenlied”, but time will tell. SILENIUS GREGOR, MUNZWARDEINGASSE 917, A-1061 WIEN, AUSTRIALugburz Cold be hand and heart and bone, and cold be sleep under stone: never more to wake on stony bed, never, till the sun fails and the moon is dead. In the black wind the stars shall die, 4nd stil on gold here let them lie, till the dark lord lifts his hand over dead sea and withered land. When the winter first begins to bite and stones crack in the frostly night, when pools are black and trees are bare, this evil in the Wild to fare. To lay down my will upon the Land, Lugburz ‘No sound disturbs this place of blackend souls This winter walls of stone and ice behold thy might ‘Again I'm kneeling down to hear these strange tunes of it ‘Night, oh beloved night, your wisdom floats into my mind, and forms my thoughts of Middleearth {0 build up @ new mighty empire. Nee One day I've just got a letter from a Nordic Black Metal band, WALLACHIA. They asked for my help to send them some Transylvanian photos for the democover and flyers... Of course ! did it, because when | listened to their stuff, it seemed really great for me. That was a beginning of a friendship, but to know more about this band, please read this interview with Eystein... Tell me please the story of your band... You are quite "new" in the scene, but how do you see your position there, what kind of contacts do you have with other bands? Eystein: Lars rose from his coffin in 1992 with an extraordinary hunger for atmospheric music... He decided to form WALLACHIA! He started making music and lyrics that reflected his inner thoughts and visions of a long forgotten past. WALLACHIA was meant to be a one-man project, but when Lars thought about recording his first demo in 1994, he decided to ask me to help him with the programming of the drum- machine, synths and some guitar-parts, and the recording was delayed. A year after we recorded a two-track studiorehearsal and two months later the long awaited WALLACHIA demo. After countless delays the demo was released in the beginning of April 1996. WALLACHIA has lurked in the shadows since 1992, but | guess we are quite new to most people though. We didn't spread the word about us that much before the demo was a fact. Now we have spread 5-6000 flyers, so | guess some have heard about us. We don't have that much contact with other people, but the bands we know best must be NATTEFALL and MYRKSKOG. Two new, but very promising bands! - Isn't it hard to work together with a guy who lives 250 km far from you? Have you ever thought about getting a few more members in the band? And why do you use a drum-machine, because of the lack of 2 drummer or does it fit to the music much better? Eystein: Yes, it's very hard. To travel to each other takes 3-4 hours... Due to that we don't meet that often, Dut talks a lot in the phone and send papers and such by mail. Before the demo we also recorded riffs on tapes and sent to each other. We will try to find a suitable drummer for our next studio-session, and when the time comes to record a full-length CD | guess 1-2 members will be added. The reason we used a drum- computer is that neither of us handle the drums, and a desperate lack of drummers in our area. Of coursethere exist some drummers, but if we find. someone who is skilled enough we don't always feel. comfortable with each others company... - What kind of personalities do you have? Is it easy to work together (same ideas, dreams and means), ‘or sometimes you have to “fight” with each other or have to be indulgent sometimes? What about your favourite bands and hobbies? Eystein: If we had the same ideas, dreams, personalities and favourite bands, | think there wouldn't be need of more members than Lars, at least | guess WALLACHIA would be pretty boring. If we have to "fight" before ‘we agree on how the final result should be, | don't think that is negative at all and just means that we give the music more thoughts than many bands seem to do and that we want to release something of quality and not necessarily the first thing we come up with. If one of us make a song | am sure the other can add something that makes it a lot better, just because we are different persons with different personalities. This does not mean that it is difficult to work together. Lars is a great musician and we both share the taste of perfectionism... We mostly listen to the same bands, but Lars seem to enjoy bands from for ex. Greece and Sweden more than me... Of course | like bands such as ROTTING CHRIST and DISSECTION, but the rest from those lands sound pretty boring to me. About hobbies... Except for music | enjoy reading books, especially Tolkien ones and Vampire-tales. | am also into different kinds of Role-playing Games. - Many people criticize the Norwegian BM scene... What do YOU think, what kind of advantages and disadvantages does it have? Eystein: There are also people that worship our scene, and it both have positive and negative sides. In Norway, “all” think you are a new and trendy, unoriginal DARKTHRONE ripp-off that releases a demo just because everybody else do. We get very few orders from Norway... Most of our demos are sold to the European countries, but it seems like some order it just because we are from Norway, and that is of course not appreciated. There are extremely many shitty Norwegian bands that get record-deals, and | guess that is the major problem with the worshipping of Norwegian bands. - You released your debut demo a few months ago. What's the response on it? Are you satisfied with the songs you recorded? Eystein: Its now 7 months since the demo was released. The response has been overwhelming, and we have so far sold about 550 tapes. Both labels, distributors and fanzines have shown great interest, and judging by the amount of mail, people like our stuff! Yes, | am very satisfied with the recording. That goes both for the songs, production and cover. Our technician did a very good job. He had never worked with such extreme music earlier, but handled it all very professional. Of course we hear things now that could have been done different and better, but that only means we have developed. - You spoke to me about a possibly record-deal to release this demo on CD... What's your decision, will it be released or will you release this CD with new songs and keep the demo for a cult? If the demo will be released, then will you use the democover-photos again? Eystein: We have just signed a deal with the French company IMPURE CREATIONS RECORDS to re- release our demo on CD. | am not sure when it will happen, but hopefully during this year. During this autumn we will maybe record a new song as a bonustrack for this CD. There will also be printed longsleeves to this release. Thanks to you | don't think it's necessary to use the photos from the demo one more time! / New ones were sent... ed. /. Anyway, we have not given the cover for this CD that much thoughts yet... ICR seems to me as a great company that is really into what they are doing. They will hopefully do a good job with the cover and the release,- What does Transylvania represent to you? When have you met this land first? Have you ever seen the high and snow-covered hills of Fogaras in live? Eystein: When | was a kid | thought Transylvania only existed in fiction, but the name attracted me and sounded very grim and evil. Then | heard about Dracula, and the stuff really caught my interests... | have never experienced the Carpathians live, but | guess | will some day... Transylvania represents to me mysticism and a grim and interesting past. - Hmm... DARKTHRONE does not appear on NORDIC METAL - “Tribute to Euronymous" compilation, and Christian Vikernes wrote half of the lyrics on “Transylvanian Hunger"... What does it mean? Eystein: There are lots of bands that are not included on this CD... | am extremely tired of this Varg vs. Euronymous case... | care about neither of them. What would be more interesting to know than why DARKTHRONE don't appear on this CD, is why ‘Snorre/THORNS do appear! - What do you think, what is the "better way", to worship a "God", to accept all "rules" and dogmas, or as A. Crowley did, who put himself as a God and worshipped himself...? Eystein: To worship a God or follow anyone else than yourself is pathetic, no matter if you are a Christian or nazi-kid. | am not that interested in Crowiey, but he really has a point there. Anyway, the same ideas can be found in Nietzsche's books. What makes you an “ibermensch” is not your nationality or race, but that you realize (and put in action) that there is no other God than yourself! - This is the last part of this interview, and it’s up to you how it will be finished... Good luck to you in the future, and hope to see WALLACHIA’s debut soon! ystein: Thanks a lot to you Tamas for the interview and your endless support! | wish you all the best with TRANSYLVANIAN DAMNATION. Our demo is still available for 50 NOKI7 $ in Europe and 8$ R.O.W. Feel free to write for info, wholesale prices, trades etc. WALLACHIA, P.O. BOX 3417, N-7002 TRONDHEIM, NORWAY PLASMA POOL 4 very short interview with Kuli Laci, he's the drummer in PLASMA POOL. Short, but it has some important thoughts... The details see in the other intie with Attila. Thanx to Luigi Coppo for passing me these lines. - PLASMA POOL has been formed in 1991 in Budapest... Where are all the members coming from? Leci: Each of us had a different musical experience before forming PLASMA POOL; | came from the punk scene, from a brutal hardcore punk band called FEGYDERN, Csihar Attila from TORMENTOR and Zilahy from psychadelic music... he was making music alone. ~What is PLASMA POOL basis conception about music? Laci: It was to use electronics, but without abusing it; we wanted to keep the face of a live band contrary to many techno-bands who abuse electronics and make playback. -Csihar Attila came from the Black Metal scene... How did this influence PLASMA POOL?Laci: Attila passed the love for black forces. We say that the positive and the negative energy is coming from the same roots... PLASMA POOL are sun-oriented... The sun makes live and can destroy as well! That is the so called "poetica” of the band. This is quite complicated, it has relations to the Hungarian mythology. - After the beginning time when PLASMA POOL was a very active band, you seem to disappear? Laci: After recording the songs for TROTTEL REC. compilation and having organized the Techno-art-show, Attila went to record with MAYHEM in Norway. The tragedy of the band as well as other troubles produced a total moral and economical chaos in the band, - Why Attila is disappeared? Laci: As | said he was really shocked by the MAYHEM story and also he has a child. He teaches mathematics at the moment and he's singing temporarely in the re-formed TORMENTOR, but he said that intellectually TORMENTOR does not satisfy him (that's a very important point! -ed.) and he’s looking forward to work in PLASMA POOL again, but it is quite difficult now, because our equipment is stolen and | work in the countryside, building a church... so I'm rarely in Budapest. - On the compilation which is your last recording, you play a different music than in your 1993 release? Laci: Yes, that is the musical direction we want to follow in the future. INFORMATION This autumn Cold Meat will start a new sublabel entitled Cruel Moon Intemational. This label will concentrate on dark ambient progressive medieval folklore music and dark art, first three signings has been made with 3 great American acts. All very well known in the dark and blackened underground scene; PROSCRIPTOR, THE SOIL BLEEDS BLACK and CERNUNNOS WOODS. We are very excited about this label and all the talented people we have got in contact with. The end of this year gets closer and closer and we have realized that some of our plans has to be postponed until Spring next year. On Cold Meat Industry we have the pleasure to release the following productions this autumn: October MORTIIS - Reisene til qrotter ogedemarker_video /CMI 49/ Recorded this spring at a castle on the Swedish west coast. About 30 minutes of dark caves and misty scenery. DEUTSCH NEPAL - Comprendidol...time stop!_CD /CMI 48/ After the beautiful Lina Baby Doll LP, and a long time of silence from this exceptional artist, we now have the pleasure to release a new full-lenght DEUTSCH NEPAL CD. A cooperation release with Release Entertainment in America. MENTAL DESTRUCTION - Straw_CD /CMI 47/ Finally a new CD from these Orthodox doom industrial headbangers. November ILDFROST - Natanael_CD /CMI51/We are happy to finally release the follower to their last Autumn Departure, ambiental works with textural layers and medieval influences. ORDO EQUILIBRIO - The Triumph ov Light... and thy thirteen Shadows of Love CD /CMI 44/ ‘A new and totally briliant CD, no doubt one of the best releases for CMI this year. More information as it develops. ORDO EQUILIBRIO formed in 1993 as the direct result of residing creativity that desperatety-trac to be directed. Released their so highly acclaimed debut "Reaping the fallen... the first harvest" in June of 1995, and are now finally releasing their long awaited follow up. This second record may merely be described such’as a tribute to life and it's persisting evolution. ORDO EQUILIBRIO is a musical and philosophical abstraction in regard to balance, balance in every aspect regarding life, and life towards completion. We are also planning the celebration of CMI 50, of which will be a limited special edition, more information follows as it develops. Cold Meat industry most recently moved onto a new large office, in which we now also have the possibility to ‘open a small obscure shop, planned to open early November. We also are happy to say that Lina of DEUTSCH NEPAL now has joined the CMI crew, which makes us 3 people working here. Albums MENTAL DESTRUCTION - Straw *__ An orchestra of pulsating, distorted noise, sizzles & crackles spits out of the frustration of our souls search for perfection. The darkness of it mirrors the human heart and passionately confesses our hopelessness in the abscence of God. Life is scraped raw revealing the truth of our existence. This is industrial in it's purest form... but be ready to be traumatized.” After four years of mindbreaking silence MENTAL DESTRUCTION, one of the first CMI bands and one of the most brutal live acts in Sweden today, finally cee is, tea ese Coge ney ‘EQOD/FOR SICK MINDS incredible harsh, — scourging Orthodox. nd even Wolves « Usimote CM! sampler CD (GMO) Industrial on the edge of sanity. An intense Ades Hrollmzvitertvarie CO Cul 29) fuse of raw energy and industrial beauty igh Deon Now » Neos Eergecum CO (OMI 36) delivered in an exclusive Digipack CD. BE Bist Deo Now «mena LP (CM 45) PREPARED THE END IS NIGHII! ) r 4 (Cold Meat indus » Mec is murder shit Corona» Hyrns of deceased dates CD (CM.34) Deutsch Nepal » Benevolence CO (CMl.21) ARCANA - Dark. son We are happy to present this grand masterpiece of dark medieval sacro- decadent climax. Each song is a magical moment. ARCANA consists of Peter Pettersson and Ida Bengtsson, who is also an student at musical art college and the singer of a professional choir, a choir that also contributes a lot on the tracks of this album. ARCANA made a great impression with their contribution to the Cold Meat Industry budget-price compilation CD "... and even Wolves" /CMI 30/. They were also most recently presented with two tracks on the quickly sold out double 7° picture disc compilation "Hearts of Shadow Gods" /CMI 40/. Ever since then the demand for their full lenght has been of an tremendous art. The music is very much about moods and feelings, it's a timeless expression of sorrow, love and power, a forever milestone in the dark atmospherical music of the North. Available both as a special deluxe digipack and as a luxury limited edition gatefold-LP. Deusen Nepal «Comper fe sop (OM.48) In Bird Emace «Songs fom th statows (DEATH-962) Jn Suge Noes» rl nw the ward CO (C13) InSeughiet Nats» Sonsoes Bleed CD (M1) ist «Adtzm depone CO (OM26, lost» Nesenoel CO (oun novebe) KamanikCaecton «Verous sounds CD (M20) Menorondum «As Mere CO (C24) Nero Destcion «lens of darness 0D (CML) Maco Destueion« Wen madness ses CO (CML25) Neel Dsstucton « Stow CD (CM.A7) ‘ogen som gor opps CD (CM.31) le ven gens nt CO CNL.ST) ier Got 09 Gerrarer Video (CML 48) innomino dost ston luc excl CD (M35) NNZAT2 « Bring pe ol god COMP EMT) Or Equi « Roping fe olen. ost harvest (CMIS2) Ord Equlia = Teun fig and aren shadow tov CO (CMe) Pant» Nelorahobo CO C38) i Prosepr «The rus blona GOP Cel Moon) Pssanes Ls eo COAPHsit (C42) ons aason te Prospects CD (CH. 18) nie dot sire od promatan | Sand» Lips infobla CO (M146) 7 Tomtsone» Goleta ¢D OEATSST) = {oluers Desh og Vest (EAT 61), Ales \eose200wS20 400 ree : Fons Sen ORNS con amar Cold Meat Industry MAISNPUT WIP PIO ‘Send CASH, ony curency ot up exchonge rte: box 1881 - | (Guroeecks in SEK) Ournaw mailer coolog win. $87 17 Linkdping ‘vy oo at for 0 RCo 1,00. SwedenPROSCRIPTOR - The Venus Bellona Lightlessness of sound, which is sometimes motionless, is essential in occultic and atmospherio music; much fas itis in other forms of musicology. As means of expression for ancestral bloodlust are rather unlimited because of the constant sound of each instrument, Proscriptor skillfully points one note against another and uses various combinations of frequencies to produce musical expression. The minor accompaniment of folklore prestige provides a diffusive lft to the expression and adds interesting variation on rhythm. Proscriptor comes to thee with ancestral customs from Scotland, superstitions, and the Dominion folklore of Thoth. The exquisite and dramatic geography has inspired this past existence in order to tell you these mythological stories. These tell of a kingdom where human weaknesses, immortal doings, and remorseless acts are repaid in homage by fellow serpentines, fabulous beasts, beguiling witches, elves, fairies, the Dragon of Keppoch, and finally himself. The tales collected together in this astral and metaphysical volume of The Venus Bellona, both the individual and the deathless, have been gathered from a wide variety sources thoughout his first chronicled spirit at Glencoe, Scotland in the year of 1269. Handed down to his shadow from generation to generation, and once told in musky crofters cottages and draughty castles, these spell-binding tales of The Venus Bellona will thrill and possess followers of all durations. Lightlessness of sound, which is sometimes motinless, is essential in occultic and atmospheric music. | _ SANCTUM - Lupus in Fabula Enchanting medieval harmonies with _ intelligent orchestral cascades influenced by industrial, neoclassical, ritual and seductive gothic music. ‘SANCTUM is a new band from the Cold Meat Industry label. That their first album "Lupus In | Fabula’ opens up a new dimension of Nordic industrial music. The band consists of | Jan Carlekiev, Lena Robert, Hakan Paulsson and cellist Marika Ljungberg. Together they create music that penetrates the human mind and it's extremes. It throws you from a cage of tigers into the arms of angels, flows like raging water with islands of delicate silence. It is magic industrial ambient, samples of sound and rhythm that form a challenging frame | for the harsh male voice and the sometimes —_brutal, | sometimes fair female voice. |". The Sun is in the centre of my belief, which is the only and | palpable ancient power. We create music, because music is the only and the most oldest ever language. _ People’s mission is to search the ancient power and energy, and every man is given the chance. The ancient energy has contact with the Sun, and this is the only energy that will be able to bring about the following change. Wecreate music to make people realize that they have to search for this energy, which does exist, not matter what is said about it. Nowadays only mysteries exist, so we experience a period changes, and feel it's wind. This civilization is dying, it brings nothing new. Today'z world is unjust, the ignorant wield power, people pay attention only to their own circulations, nothing new happens, so this whole civilization is dying. But I'm optimistic and really happy to find the connection between things, there are unambiguous signs, and anyone can understand them. Everybody has the possibility, and everybody has to meet these signs, and they do 50... ‘They make everyday things obvious to people which process they don't notice, because they care only about their own material problems and don't recognize that though material thinking represents value in this dimension, it exists only for humans, which is itself not enough for progress. This | want to express with music, so that people should finally be awake and recognize that they had been betrayed, and that this world is just a cheat and changes are to be done. This change will never happen by itself, it must be brought about, and it's possible only if we can find and see connections, and the true meaning of the relationship between Nature and man. Nature is coming from the Sun, therefore Sun is god. This is absolutely true and | believe it. Our gigs are never for the people, people only have the chance to listen to it. The meaning of these gigs is that we radiate the information into the Universe, to show that we really want something, that we really want a change and we are very close to the solution. The power that pulses in this dimension is touchable and sensible. People’s collective mind is decisive. only use echos and no effects, because | don't need them. | want to express energy and power-knowledge only with the bare and elemental energy of my voice. - Csihar Attila Do | need to introduce this man? No, | don't think so... If you haven't heard about TORMENTOR or MAYHEM, you have nothing to do with this ‘zine. So, this is the first interview with Attila you can read, and probably the last one. He's not the man of words, He prefers to concentrate on music. We talked about lots of things, the past, the days in Norway, His present band and so on, but you can't find everything in the answers... One more thing, I've heard the advances of His new band, but it's hard to explain the style. Electronic ritual/ambient invocation, the essence is the roots to ancient gods through the most elemental and oldest ever language - music. - Speak about yourself a bit... What's up with You, how is your life and how does Your musical activity look like now? Attila: I'm fine... But sometimes people's illusions surprise me. | like meditating. My life? Luckily, it's going to be realized. | think our time will come soon. The substance is the music. | would like to create music forever. - Let's see the beginning... Around 1986 a band called TORMENTOR was formed. Both in music and image it brought something new and unique into the Hungarian musical scene... How exactly was t! beginning, what were the musical roots and what was the "belief" of the band? Attila: | always wanted to have an own band... In 1986 | formed TORMENTOR, my first band. Our first gig already meant a success from the side of the audience, then other gigs followed. We were 15-17 year- olds with elemental energy. The audience went wild with us on the stage. Our name became famous in a very short time, and we got invitations to continuously go from one place to another ... - The first demo was "7th Day of Doom". How do you remember this stuff, what kind of memories do ‘You have about it? Attila: | like it as much as "Anno Domini". We were full of enthusiasm, and our music reflected it. And at that time we already were into Occult themes. - Lots of gigs were played by the band at that time, but these live shows were not the usual ones. What inspired You to use different elements? On the PLASMA POOL shows You also wear faceprintings, is it coming from your BM-past?Attila: We always felt being attracted by cultic things. And music had to express it. Music is not a tool for pleasure, but i's life itself. | think the essence of music is the live show. Nothing else counts... CDs and tapes are just toys. - Then came “Anno Dot a very combined and well-organized _ stuff. Please, speak a bit about it, about the lyrics, recordings. You were one of the few bands which used synths in the interest of getting more perfect sound... Attila: The strenght of "Anno Domini" is that it's spread in the whole underground scene. It was possible just now to release it on CD and LP... We recorded it in the studio, where some synths could be found, and it was the best in Hungary at the time... | wrote the lyrics consciously, or first | improvized, then brought the meaning of it to surface and tumed it into English. - Before the recordings of the demo Budai Tamas left the band. Why did it happen? Is it true that a few years ago he tried to reform the band, but could not manage to do so? tila: | was also out of the band for a short time. Once | saw our live show with Szigeti singing on the stage. Yes, we were to reform the band and we're still doing that, everything just depends on space and time. - Then after the release of the demo, problems occured... What exactly were the reasons, which resulted in the split-up of TORMENTOR? ‘Attila: Everyone got fed up with pointiessness, but | liked the new track. Finally we've got tired of everything There were hard conditions. - After the split-up lots of people / including me / trusted the reform of the band... Why hasn't it happened before? And now after several years, does this reforming have any chance? Attila: Everything is possible. - PLASMA POOL has a totally different style... How did You start this band, in what points has Your view changed? The Satanic and Occult themes had as big part in TORMENTOR's life, how is it with PLASMA POOL? What is that You believe in, what’s Your belief? Attila: About 1988 | met Kuli Laci, who showed me some new- fashioned musical stuffs. At that time he played with Machat Zsolt in the same band. They showed me real electronic stuffs first (bands like SKINNY PUPPY or ALIEN SEX FIEND), which had big influence on me. Another friend of mine, called Kovér Zoltan also showed me such stuffs, like CURRENT 93, SISTERS OF MERCY and others... | can owe a lot to my friends - friendship is the holiestthing of all. And | want to mention two other friends. Farkas Péter and Trer Péter, they also helped me a lot. Later with Laci and Zitahy Istvan we created our formation, PLASMA POOL. Yes, TORMENTOR wasn't averse to Satanic themes, our lyrics praised the Devil, as well as the beautiful and attractive GOD. Everyone will expiate, we professed. With PLASMA POOL we were full of creativity, and finally we made live shows. It was very useful, | think. Our first show was my most memorable live experience. It was very demonic... ("| cared about nothing... | just ‘summoned the demons... and they came!" -ed.). PLASMA POOL themes were much more mature. The early ones dealt with ancient death cults... | believe in our Victory. - Lets make a detour to Norway... How do You remember about MAYHEM, the works of the album- recording? What has this all meant to You? Attila: I'm very satisfied with MAYHEM, especially with the musical side. They were fantastic musicians. | liked them all, we made friends with each other... For me it was a new and great chance, and I'm very sorry that we were allowed to create only "Demysteris...”. - After several years the breath of BM touched You again... What did You feel, what did TORMENTOR mean to You at that time? What did it mean to You to be a very appreciated person? Attila: | was surprised to experience fame, and | was pleased by the respect around me... And we managed to release Anno Domini after those long years. - What kind of contact formed between You and the other members? What kind of person was Euro in Your opinion, and what have You felt when You heard that He was dead? Attila: We had a great friendship. It was very good to play with Him. Before the recordings we had 2-3 rehearsals; Hellhammer on drums, Euro and Blackthorn on guitars and Varg Vikernes on bassguitar! It was great! And we succeed to record the stuff in the studio without any problems! After the studioworks | and my wife spent 3 days with Euro, we were listening to music and taped some albums from His LP-collection. Everything went well. ( What an honour to possess one of these tapes... - ed.) - And the other side, You met Varg Vikernes... What do You think of everything he did? How do You value the churchburning as an action? Attila: I's very hard for me to judge his actions. | appreciate Varg a lot, but | don’t understand the meaning of the Varg - Euro case... | hope he knew what he was doing. | don't know too much about the churchbumings - “aig, just Euro told me that they did it, and I said it was a bit rough. - The actual BM scene, what You knew in Norway, is not the same as it was 8-10 years ago... What kind of differences do You see? Do You listen to BM nowadays? Attila: It's true that BM really lives in Norway now. There are good bands, | like ARCTURUS and EMPEROR... Luckily, we have good contact with Noctumal Art Prod., and they send me Norwegian stuffs. Religious and Occult themes are still living and actual... Now I’m deeply into Atheism, too. - Two recorddeals... One of them is Anno Domi pressed on CDILP through NAP. How was this contact born, and in Your opinion, how does the scene accept this release? How strong did You feel the demand to be? Attila: After Euro's death Hellhammer has got Anno Domini, who sent it to Samoth. The stuff was released this way, through NAP. | hope the scene is satisfied with this release, but the truth is that it could have been released before for the sake of authenticity. - The other is PLASMA POOL's first CD on Italian Holocaust Records. Is this a kind of help for the band continuing the work?Attila: It seems the CD is out now... 'm very satisfied with it. Now PLASMA POOL is in a pretty passive condition. We have serious plans, | don't know if they will be realized with PLASMA POOL or not. - Lots of people like TORMENTOR's music, but know not too much about the band itself, especially in foreign countries. A kind of mist surrounds you... And | think, You have never known how big success you had, have, or would have had... What do You think? Attila: I'm also surprised to see TORMENTOR's success... We became cultic as our stuffs and our name spread hand by hand... I'm satisfied with these things. - After the PLASMA POOL CD and TORMENTOR’s "7th Day of Doom" release where will Csihar Attila appear next? You plan a new band, could You tell us something about it? Attila: | have serious plans... | think my band will be fully active in about a year. My band has no name yet, but we are already to compose new pieces with my “glorious” friend. - What do You think about SKINNY PUPPY’s last album "Process", and about the following, DOWNLOAD? Attila: 1 know not too much about them... My favourite album is "Last Rights” - | finish here, | have no more questions this time... What is Your message to those readers, who read this interview because they are interested in the past, in your personality and everything about TORMENTOR? Attila: The truth is the Sun... and the Moon. MENTAL DESTRUCTION Well, this is my first interview made through this global connection of computers, called e-mail... CMI sent me the promo of this band / thanx for it, very honest and helpful label! /, which influenced me a lot. Industrial form with pure energy and brutality, something you have to be interested. - The most important question, what's the news on your "Straw" CD? When was it out, how many copies were pressed and what's the response on it so far? What do YOU expect? Samuel: "Straw" was released two weeks ago, and first it comes as a limited edition of 2000 copies in a special Digipack. At the moment they are as good as sold out which seems to be happened very quickly. So let's see what the next step will be. There will also be a limited picture LP version in January on CMI. The response so far has been overwhelmingly positive, and it has been mentioned as one of the best industrial releases of 1996, which of course makes me very happy. | do not really know what | expect, on a personal level I'm really satisfied with the fact it is finally released, it was extremely much work behind this one. - How was the born of MENTAL DESTRUCTION? When have the members met, and what were the main points to create this band? Samuel; MD was formed early 1989 as an isolated creative unit. The original line-up was me / Samuel Durling /, David Durling and Jonas