Belphegor Interview

1. Could you tell us more about the history of the band, how things started?

Helmuth: Our masterplan has been since 1992 to do what we like. If you like it, super. If not, fukk off. We are not here to be everybody's darling.
It is Belphegor to the bone - anti humen - antilife. I don't bother with categorizing, we make the music we want to make. Experimenting a bit with sound is important for a band to take the sound further and to keep things sounding fresh.
We always blasted the brutal Metal of Death, with aggressive Black Metal influences, and everyone knows what to expect from this band. Love it or leave it.

2. What's your opinion on your previous albums nowadays? Where did you record it? Are you still satisfied with the songs on it, the production, and the artwork? How were the reactions on this album?

To becoming mightier, more intense with every opus has always been our aim since 1993, we all have exercised a lot on our instruments the last years, to improve our playing and compositorical abilities, raise intensity and dynamics, to just get better in all musical aspects,…stagnation = death. The most important thing is, that when you play a BELPHEGOR album - song, you immediately recognize that it is BELPHEGOR.

3. You've recently released your new killer album "BONDAGE GOAT ZOMBIE"," where did you record it, who produced it, and are you still satisfied with the songs, production and artwork? Can you tell us more about the recording process? How are the reactions on this one so far?

Yeah, things are going infernally. BONDAGE GOAT ZOMBIE crushed the German and Austrian top charts here in fukking Europe, i mean its not important to me, i don´t give a shit u know, cause charts are for fashion, trendy assholes. But hey, it definitely is a breakthrough for extreme Metal in general, a triumph for the devil and a stigma for moralizers...
The 9 sound collages on BONDAGE GOAT ZOMBIE reached a higher level of complexity and structured brutality. I´m totally blown away by the diabolical atmospere, its like a crushing extra punch in your face.

4. Who writes the lyrics, what are they about? Is there any concept in them? Are the lyrics an important aspect of the band or are they just there to guide the music?

SEX, SATHAN, ART. I really dig that damn shit.

Basically the lyrical concept of this BONDAGE GOAT ZOMBIE deals with the fascinating life of the Marquis De Sade, the topics are bite wounds, flagellation, all the cool fetish/ nylon stuff and the devil. First u have to realize the word "sadism" comes from Marquis de Sade's name. I'm more than impressed since 1997 by De Sade as i get my hands on 120 Days Of Sodom, Justine or Julliette etc. I really recommend this scripts, his work was a battlefield full of perverted sex, violence, humiliation, but on the other hand his writing is pure poetry...its amazing.

Also his live was very impressive, I used many of his original verses for the new album, he was a rebel and was in jail about 25 years for his art, ideals and even that long he took refuge, he always refused to kneel down.

The flagellation at the end of the track THE RUTENMARSCH is not fake and we used original verses from Donatien Marquis De Sade ( 1740-1814 ) and as always, one very important sentence from F.W. Nietzsche ( 1844-1900 ). The last spoken words "...drown me in your fukk, drown me", are perfect and blackest poetry to me.

5. How did you get in contact with "Nuclear Blast?" For how many albums have you signed to them? Are you satisfied with their work? Why did you signed with them?

Sure, Nuclear Blast is up to now the best and most professional label which we’ve had the pleasure to work with, its an important thing to have a good company behind you who gives support.
We have been in the scene since 1991 and we are continuing to do what we have always done: to play intense concerts and unleash fukking Metal.
BELPHEGOR never was a commercial band, followed a trend nor changed their style drastically. So what should i say, we´ll do what we always do, to keep the evil spirit in metal music alive,....to give the die-hard brothers and sisters ultimate hell har har.

6. When it comes down to writing a new song or an album whats the process like? Like is it alright here! And you go and quickly write it down or it comes to you when it does?

It was challenging to create this album and we gave everything of our energy to explore our sound and take it to the next level. That has always been the masterplan. U know, we always want to offer ourselves an monumental opus, and also the demons who buy our albums and who support us with that,
they deserve the best, only the best, its our damn resbonsibility to give hundred percent.

7. Have you played live a lot? What tours have you done in the past? What tours are going to take place or are there plans for a tour as a support for a "bigger" band?

For me, its the best to play live, u know, we are always exited, each show is beyond amazing for us and a huge challenge, we have done so many brutal concerts the last decade, unforgetable good times, and met so many dedicated ppl worldwide. Preaching the blast-beat in a live situation is our mission, we concentrate on the faster songs har har. Everywhere the maniacs are in a good mood,they go crazy, scream their lungs out, begin to bang, to have a good time.It is always great for the band and lets you unchain more and more energy in a live situation.

8. Tell some of your experiences playing live.

BELPHEGOR in a live situation is TNT har har, i think we are fukking intense and always concentrate on the blastbeat tracks, u know, people should come to our live shows, to experience the real shit firsthand.

9. What are your expectations for "BELPHEGOR " in the future?


I expect and you should expect more machine gun blasting hellfire in the musical form in the future.

10. What do you guys do when you're not out on the road? Do you guys work or school?

We are busy all the time with the band- on the road, in the rehearsal room, or creating new "soundcollages".
Privately, I do some weight training here and there, band management. I'm also into drugs and love alcohol and to get fukked up and wasted...especially on the road, but never before the show.

11. Are there any cool touring/ recording experiences or other bizarre stories you would like to share with us?

We are known for boozing hard. It is always fun to meet dedicated metal people on the road and to have some drinks with them. We just returned from an amazing Europe run with NILE and GRAVE. These four weeks were full of chaos, loud Metal and alcoholic excess. In two few days we are heading over to USA again and doing a cool US/ CAN tour with AMON AMARTH a.o.. I am looking forward to shredding North America again, and to meet all of you sick motherfukkers.

12. What do you think of metal music as of right now, to when it first started out?

Metal will always be here and live forever, fukk the trends.

13. What's your opinion on the whole music industry scene right now? Like do you think they're trying their hardest to get albums out on shelves and not seek their way onto the net?

I don't really care about the industry. Many people listen to Rock and Metal again and they realize that it is the only real, honest music. It is definitely a good time for six string assaults...

14. Currently all over the news is the out-raging gas prices, what are your thoughts on that issue?

Fukking Zombies...

15. What do you think about this recession we're currently dealing with? Any thoughts?

Um, I am not an economist. I play Metal. Thanks.

16. Going back to the music business, what do you think of everyone downloading music, possibly even your music?

People should buy records if they want good sound quality and supporting the band. Otherwise, I don't care so much what people do.

17. Have you ever thought of doing a full blown black metal only tour with other acts Dimmu Borgir, Behemoth?

We did many tours the last decade with great bands, and traveld the world a few times now.

18. Do you think the world is going to come to an end come 2012?

I´m prepared...

19. What do you think about all these different sub cultures such as "emo kids, scene kids, metal-heads, punks, goths, etc?"

U know Natalie, it seems like everyday there's a new subgenre of Metal. But while trends come and go, Death and Black Metal is forever, real Metal in general. BELPHEGOR always try to bring something interesting to an already oversaturated, commercial Metal market I saw so many bands come and go the last 15 years, especially that shitty overnight-hype-sensations har har har, fukk them. Nowadays Death/ Black Metal rules the world and is the strongest, the most archaic of all kinds, we always have to search for evolution and explore the music, and bring it a bit further each time, thats the goal.

20. Thanks so much for taking the time to do this interview, any thoughts or comments?

Thanks for teh space Natalie. Regards to ya readership and all metal demons worldwide, see ya on the road to hell and, check out our album BONDAGE GOAT ZOMBIE. Throw thy horns Metal brothers and sisters, BELPHEGOR are back to skull-fukk you.

www.belphegor.at 
 www.myspace.com/belphegor