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Interview with Varg Vikernes
"C.O.T.I.M." Magazine (#3, 1991), by Werner "Nyar" Linke
I guess that this band does not need any long introductions, Mayhem have always been the guarantee for insane brutal death metal, forget about most of the new so-called "death" metallers, only Mayhem are real! They should be familiar to everybody who is truly into underground Death Metal, especially their legendary "Deathcrush" mini LP/demo has to be heard... Things looked grim as their former vocalist Dead committed suicide last year, but then I heard that the band got a new bassist (the previous one, Necrobutcher had left the band after Death's death) + that they are already recording their debut full length album! This was reason enough for me to contact Grishnackh, who also plays in Burzum, and who now plays the bass in Mayhem...
***
Mayhem is a cult band, are you "proud" to play with them?
Yes! Mayhem is the only first generation band that still is "true"! I am proud as the goat!
Did you contact them or, or have they asked you to play with them?
They asked me to help 'em out on rehearsal! Later they decided to let me do the bass on the LP.
Are you a full member of Mayhem, or just a stand in musician?
I really don't know. Time shall tell.
Now as the line up has nearly been totally changed throughout the years (only Euro remaining from the first line up), do you think this is still Mayhem?
Yes it is! Euronymous has always done most of the music. Anyway, "new" Mayhem is as I see it better then ever! Hellhammer is the best drummer ever and Euronymous is a musical genius. Could it be better?
Mayhem put much stress on things like attitude + clothes etc, do you fit in the band? Do you wear only black clothes + use corpsepaint at gigs and such stuff?
Yes I do! I wear clothes reflecting the color of my soul!
Are you planning to use any pseudonum like the others do? Is this important for Mayhem?
I will use my own name Count Grishnackh of Burzum. Maybe I'll add "Undead" to mirror my being.
Now, let's come to your LP. How many songs have you recorded, and which?
Eight songs, "Freezing Moon", "Funeral Fog", "Buried By Time And Dust" and 5 new titles.
I heard the cover will show Dead's corpse. Is this true?
Picture of a church is true! People don't deserve to see Dead's corpse!
On which label will it be, on D.S.P. or has any other label offered a good contract?
Only D.S.P. is real!
Judging from what I have read in interviews, Euro has had quite a lot of plans for albums being released on D.S.P., but till now there is only Merciless + Burzum. Why not more?
Ever heard of economical problems? More LP's is soon to come. Mayhem "Deathcrush" mini LP, Abruptum LP, Mayhem LP, Burzum 2nd/3rd LP etc.
Merciless critisized D.S.P. for not presenting the album, how has the experience been for Burzum? Are you satisfied with the label?
Would do a second LP if I weren't "happy" with D.S.P.?
Will there be a tour afrer the LP? Will you by any chance come to Germany?
Probably not! No tour is planned. Maybe to Albania?
I guess you have played in Old Funeral some time ago... right? How is your relationship with the other guys now. What do you think of their music now and are you happy that you left them? Old Funeral?
I'm "happy" that I left them, they are one of the few "true" people minus one "normal" guy... their music now is better than ever! Still I prefer to listen to the rain!
Does Burzum still exist? If yes, will there be another album?
2nd album is recorded. Out late 1992! 3rd LP (with line up) will be recorded late 1992, out 1993 sometime. Yes, Burzum exists. Hellhammer on drums, me on g/voc. I'm looking for a bass player, a guitarist and a synth dude! We'll play live with Burzum soon!
Have you ever met Dead personally? What did you think of him?
Yes, I met Dead personally! Insane, unsocial and evil as all Black Metal people are supposed to be! I like Dead a lot. Transylvanian dreams! The Northern upir's death! I feel like I will meet him again in a foggy landscape... shadowed by towering mountains, hooded by cold snow in a cold domain...
Why does Euro not answer his mail?
Because 1000 guys like you have done the same!
I heard there it/was a kind of "war" going on between Euro and Occultus (former b/voc). Do you know more about this?
Under a fullmoon of June a cross was burnt in Occultus' garden. His window shattered under the raging stormclouds by the hands of evil beings tossing an iron crucifix. The false will be given a sign before they DIE! One Night!
Euro claims to be a communist. Do you know him enough to say if this is true?
Fuck politics! Make war not love. He's a communist! So what has that to do with Black Metal? (not much, but it interested me - Nyar).
Ok, let's come to the end, I read in "Hammer of Damnation" that Euro refuses to play gigs in Norway because the audience is too stupid and not true Death Metal. I can understand him, but on the other hand: maybe the only way to turn those trendies into true death metallers is a Mayhem gig to show them what it is all about. Maybe someone changed his attitude then, who knows, so isn't quite boring to refuse these gigs?
Maybe, maybe not! I guess it's up to us to decide that, isn't it?
Yes! Mayhem is the only first generation band that still is "true"! I am proud as the goat!
Did you contact them or, or have they asked you to play with them?
They asked me to help 'em out on rehearsal! Later they decided to let me do the bass on the LP.
Are you a full member of Mayhem, or just a stand in musician?
I really don't know. Time shall tell.
Now as the line up has nearly been totally changed throughout the years (only Euro remaining from the first line up), do you think this is still Mayhem?
Yes it is! Euronymous has always done most of the music. Anyway, "new" Mayhem is as I see it better then ever! Hellhammer is the best drummer ever and Euronymous is a musical genius. Could it be better?
Mayhem put much stress on things like attitude + clothes etc, do you fit in the band? Do you wear only black clothes + use corpsepaint at gigs and such stuff?
Yes I do! I wear clothes reflecting the color of my soul!
Are you planning to use any pseudonum like the others do? Is this important for Mayhem?
I will use my own name Count Grishnackh of Burzum. Maybe I'll add "Undead" to mirror my being.
Now, let's come to your LP. How many songs have you recorded, and which?
Eight songs, "Freezing Moon", "Funeral Fog", "Buried By Time And Dust" and 5 new titles.
I heard the cover will show Dead's corpse. Is this true?
Picture of a church is true! People don't deserve to see Dead's corpse!
On which label will it be, on D.S.P. or has any other label offered a good contract?
Only D.S.P. is real!
Judging from what I have read in interviews, Euro has had quite a lot of plans for albums being released on D.S.P., but till now there is only Merciless + Burzum. Why not more?
Ever heard of economical problems? More LP's is soon to come. Mayhem "Deathcrush" mini LP, Abruptum LP, Mayhem LP, Burzum 2nd/3rd LP etc.
Merciless critisized D.S.P. for not presenting the album, how has the experience been for Burzum? Are you satisfied with the label?
Would do a second LP if I weren't "happy" with D.S.P.?
Will there be a tour afrer the LP? Will you by any chance come to Germany?
Probably not! No tour is planned. Maybe to Albania?
I guess you have played in Old Funeral some time ago... right? How is your relationship with the other guys now. What do you think of their music now and are you happy that you left them? Old Funeral?
I'm "happy" that I left them, they are one of the few "true" people minus one "normal" guy... their music now is better than ever! Still I prefer to listen to the rain!
Does Burzum still exist? If yes, will there be another album?
2nd album is recorded. Out late 1992! 3rd LP (with line up) will be recorded late 1992, out 1993 sometime. Yes, Burzum exists. Hellhammer on drums, me on g/voc. I'm looking for a bass player, a guitarist and a synth dude! We'll play live with Burzum soon!
Have you ever met Dead personally? What did you think of him?
Yes, I met Dead personally! Insane, unsocial and evil as all Black Metal people are supposed to be! I like Dead a lot. Transylvanian dreams! The Northern upir's death! I feel like I will meet him again in a foggy landscape... shadowed by towering mountains, hooded by cold snow in a cold domain...
Why does Euro not answer his mail?
Because 1000 guys like you have done the same!
I heard there it/was a kind of "war" going on between Euro and Occultus (former b/voc). Do you know more about this?
Under a fullmoon of June a cross was burnt in Occultus' garden. His window shattered under the raging stormclouds by the hands of evil beings tossing an iron crucifix. The false will be given a sign before they DIE! One Night!
Euro claims to be a communist. Do you know him enough to say if this is true?
Fuck politics! Make war not love. He's a communist! So what has that to do with Black Metal? (not much, but it interested me - Nyar).
Ok, let's come to the end, I read in "Hammer of Damnation" that Euro refuses to play gigs in Norway because the audience is too stupid and not true Death Metal. I can understand him, but on the other hand: maybe the only way to turn those trendies into true death metallers is a Mayhem gig to show them what it is all about. Maybe someone changed his attitude then, who knows, so isn't quite boring to refuse these gigs?
Maybe, maybe not! I guess it's up to us to decide that, isn't it?
Author: Werner "Nyar" Linke (© 1991 "C.O.T.I.M." Magazine Germany)
