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Interview with Varg Vikernes
"Orcustus - The Shadow Of The Golden Fire" Magazine
(#01, 1992), by Bård "Faust" Eithun
About Black Metal bands in Norway, there aren't many of them, but this band, Burzum, is one of the really few true bands around here, and this one-demon-band plays Black Metal in the vein of almighty Hellhammer, but also some influences of Mayhem and my own band Thorns can be found here, but be sure that this band is an original (though that is kinda difficult to imagine today with all those mainstream-sounding Black Metal bands). In May there will probably be released an album with this band on Deathlike Silence prod., so look out for that one. Also T-shirts can be ordered for 15$ (Europe), 10$ (Eastern Europe) or 17$ if you live in that strange country called elsewhere. Order from: Burzum, Grishnackh, Ibsensgate 45, N-5037 Solheimsvik, Norway. For the first time in this magazine, I've the pleasure to introduce you Grev Grishnackh and his Burzum...:***
Before you played in Old Funeral. Why did you actually leave, and was the idea of a one-man-band born after you leaved Old Funeral, or was that some thing you had been thinking of while you played in Old Funeral?
I left Old (Fun)eral because I can create darker music better alone. And... I think some of the people in Old (Fun)eral aren't true worshippers of "death", and that's what Death Metal is all about. If not, I'll call it life-metal, fun-metal, or maybe trend-metal... not Death Metal. The thought of an one-demon-band was born in very early 1991. It was born from selfishness and total hate!
Ok, about the Reh/demo you released in 1991 then... You told me the tape was a protest against the standard 3 track studio "death" metal demo with printed cover etc. Please tell me your views behind this statement?
Ages ago when the good bands released their demos, they didn't do professional demos. Why should they? A demo is a demo, a LP/mini-LP is good quality. Nowadays half of the bands who come with LP had a better demo. My LP will be total better than demo! And death... or so-called Death Metal (see question 1) is a big trend who all the loser humans follow... as usual!
I've heard that you don't enjoy playing gigs, so I suppose you're satisfied now when you're doing a one-man-band, but how come your hate against gigs?
I hate all that is human! On gigs there are tons of waste flesh... or call it humans if you like... Of course going on gigs or doing gigs surely increase my hatred... (if that's possible).
What do you think about Satanism when organizations like the Church of Satan has made Satanism so "acceptable", and what are your views on the occult art in general?
So-called Church of Satan is not in my views a church of Satan... It's rather a humanistic individualistic organization who worship happiness and life (for them it's only this life). All occult, philosophy, lore, science, wisdom, bla bla bla is interesting... I am a theosoph in many ways. I try to know it all (theosophy is a wisdom religion who worship (if you can call it that) wisdom). Of course I use all my wisdom to spread evil and sorrow and hopefully death. I worship death, evil and all darkness. Hm... use the goodness on earth in evil purposes! And of course the evil...
There aren't much vocal on the original tracks on the reh/demo from 1991. Why?
Recorded on a borrowed cassette player! And I have no mic! By the way, it's no longer for sale.
Let's talk about the underground then... Well, all in all, is there any sort of underground left at all, when "brutal death metal bands" get pages up and pages down in such mags like "Metal Hammer", "Kerrang!" and "Rock Hard", and got played on TV-stations like MTV? Is it that what we all want to be underground? Do you think it's easy to fall for the temptation to sign a major label or record videos which you know will be played at MTV?
I don't care about the underground. Well, I did, but the underground is dead.
What do you think about the Norwegian scene at the moment? Any bands worth mentioned, and do you look at it as a good or bad sign that more and more bands change their musical style and look to Black Metal?
I think a new trend is growing... Bit if we can make the trend people more destructive and evil, then it's great with a new trend!
It seems like everyone wants to be looked on as a true satanist these days, but I don't really think anyone can decide who's a true satanist or not, and on the other hand, everyone has got different opinions about what a true satanist is, so what I think, is that what you believe yourself, and what you consider as true is what matter. What do you think?
It's trend to call yourself a satanist these days. People don't know anything about satanism, only that it's "cool", and a must to be with the tough guys. We all know who they are, don't we?
You prefer to call yourself "Grev" (which is Norwegian for "Count"). Are there any special reasons behind it?
I am a Count of Grymyrk.
Most people in today's underground seems to love "brutal & evil" gore movies, but are they after all that brutal & evil? Most movies let at the end the good guys win over the bad guys and are often mixed up with different funny things and if course it got to have a happy fucking end. I find often old classic (real) horror movies more attractive than this shit. What do you think?
I hate movies in the first place! But of course I agree with you wise lord! Count Dracula will never die (well, never will be destroyed).
I am at the moment listening to Hellhammer and I can hear some similarities between them and you. How much does this band mean to you, and what are actually your source of inspiration?
Hellhammer... is a holy word! My source of inspiration comes mainly from dark woods, caves, magic and sorcery, but of course Mayhem, Thorns, Darkthrone, all of Bathory, Hellhammer, old Kreator, Celtic... etc. influences me a lot either I want it or not!
Ok, no more questions, so please end the interview in an obscure way...!
The tribe is Reuben, the deity name ORO, the archangelic name CAMBRIEL and the governing angelic name is ZINGGEN. "What is the sign of Grev Grishnackh".
I left Old (Fun)eral because I can create darker music better alone. And... I think some of the people in Old (Fun)eral aren't true worshippers of "death", and that's what Death Metal is all about. If not, I'll call it life-metal, fun-metal, or maybe trend-metal... not Death Metal. The thought of an one-demon-band was born in very early 1991. It was born from selfishness and total hate!
Ok, about the Reh/demo you released in 1991 then... You told me the tape was a protest against the standard 3 track studio "death" metal demo with printed cover etc. Please tell me your views behind this statement?
Ages ago when the good bands released their demos, they didn't do professional demos. Why should they? A demo is a demo, a LP/mini-LP is good quality. Nowadays half of the bands who come with LP had a better demo. My LP will be total better than demo! And death... or so-called Death Metal (see question 1) is a big trend who all the loser humans follow... as usual!
I've heard that you don't enjoy playing gigs, so I suppose you're satisfied now when you're doing a one-man-band, but how come your hate against gigs?
I hate all that is human! On gigs there are tons of waste flesh... or call it humans if you like... Of course going on gigs or doing gigs surely increase my hatred... (if that's possible).
What do you think about Satanism when organizations like the Church of Satan has made Satanism so "acceptable", and what are your views on the occult art in general?
So-called Church of Satan is not in my views a church of Satan... It's rather a humanistic individualistic organization who worship happiness and life (for them it's only this life). All occult, philosophy, lore, science, wisdom, bla bla bla is interesting... I am a theosoph in many ways. I try to know it all (theosophy is a wisdom religion who worship (if you can call it that) wisdom). Of course I use all my wisdom to spread evil and sorrow and hopefully death. I worship death, evil and all darkness. Hm... use the goodness on earth in evil purposes! And of course the evil...
There aren't much vocal on the original tracks on the reh/demo from 1991. Why?
Recorded on a borrowed cassette player! And I have no mic! By the way, it's no longer for sale.
Let's talk about the underground then... Well, all in all, is there any sort of underground left at all, when "brutal death metal bands" get pages up and pages down in such mags like "Metal Hammer", "Kerrang!" and "Rock Hard", and got played on TV-stations like MTV? Is it that what we all want to be underground? Do you think it's easy to fall for the temptation to sign a major label or record videos which you know will be played at MTV?
I don't care about the underground. Well, I did, but the underground is dead.
What do you think about the Norwegian scene at the moment? Any bands worth mentioned, and do you look at it as a good or bad sign that more and more bands change their musical style and look to Black Metal?
I think a new trend is growing... Bit if we can make the trend people more destructive and evil, then it's great with a new trend!
It seems like everyone wants to be looked on as a true satanist these days, but I don't really think anyone can decide who's a true satanist or not, and on the other hand, everyone has got different opinions about what a true satanist is, so what I think, is that what you believe yourself, and what you consider as true is what matter. What do you think?
It's trend to call yourself a satanist these days. People don't know anything about satanism, only that it's "cool", and a must to be with the tough guys. We all know who they are, don't we?
You prefer to call yourself "Grev" (which is Norwegian for "Count"). Are there any special reasons behind it?
I am a Count of Grymyrk.
Most people in today's underground seems to love "brutal & evil" gore movies, but are they after all that brutal & evil? Most movies let at the end the good guys win over the bad guys and are often mixed up with different funny things and if course it got to have a happy fucking end. I find often old classic (real) horror movies more attractive than this shit. What do you think?
I hate movies in the first place! But of course I agree with you wise lord! Count Dracula will never die (well, never will be destroyed).
I am at the moment listening to Hellhammer and I can hear some similarities between them and you. How much does this band mean to you, and what are actually your source of inspiration?
Hellhammer... is a holy word! My source of inspiration comes mainly from dark woods, caves, magic and sorcery, but of course Mayhem, Thorns, Darkthrone, all of Bathory, Hellhammer, old Kreator, Celtic... etc. influences me a lot either I want it or not!
Ok, no more questions, so please end the interview in an obscure way...!
The tribe is Reuben, the deity name ORO, the archangelic name CAMBRIEL and the governing angelic name is ZINGGEN. "What is the sign of Grev Grishnackh".
Author: Bård "Faust" Eithun (© 1992 "Orcustus - The Shadow Of The Golden Fire" Magazine)
