Johan Ejerblom

Interview with Johan Ejerblom

(IMPLODE)

Hi, Johan, welcome to Archangel's Lantern! Tell us firstly about the beginnings of Implode, please. How and when  did you enjoy the guys? It was your first band?

- Hi Georgius! Thank you for having me! Well, I joined the band about 5 years ago, before me Victor Brunö held the mic. Before Implode I played in a Pantera sounding band called SLUG from Sweden and a stoner metal band called Hatebox, so Implode is the third band in the order. 

Your debut album, called „The Hour Has Come” was released in 2011. Who wrote the music and the lyrics? What were reactions by metal-press about your first full-length?

- That album is a mash up between some new song and some songs from the demo "Memento Mori" with Victor on vocals. Everything re-recorded of course. But the music was mostly written by Christoffer Knutsson, the lyric on the old songs by Victor and on the new songs by me. Actually the song "We Fail As One" which was released with the single "No Limitations" was written by Christoffer. 

Well I must say it was very well received, although with a quite small range. We released it with our current label at that time, Supernova. The most important thing was that it set the way on which our sound was heading. 

Implode released an EP called "Under a New Sun" (which included 4 tracks) in 2013. Tell us please more about this one!

- We felt that it was time to release something new, but we also felt that a full album would take to long to produce and record, so we decided to try for an EP. Also on this one Christoffer was the main man on writing the music and myself to get the lyrics together. This was the first time I decided to try to make a concept, a story behind the songs. 

The story behind Under a New Sun is how the humanity trembles and brakes down under its own weight, how the last two people on earth wakes up to see the ruins of our civilization and how nature in the end returns to a normal state, reclaiming the earth which we have stained. 

As for the music, we took another step towards what we are doing today, trying to getting more death metal into the sound. I´m happy how it ended up, but we all feel that it was just a step towards how we really want to sound.

When I've searched on YouTube more  music of Implode, I found your brutal version of Jingle Bells, I like it so much, good job. Who had the idea to brutalize it a lá Implode-style?

- Haha, yes that one. Thank you, it was one of those things we did when we all stopped in the middle of making it and thought, "should we really release this?". But we did and people seemed to like it! I can´t remember who came up with the idea though, sorry. Victor Lindqvist wrote the music and recorded it and I think we did everything on a evening more or less. And we´ll see, maybe you´ll get another present from Implode this Christmas!

youtube.com/watch?v=bBTBaOwLwBw

Tell us now about your live-activity, please (2 weeks ago you totally crushed my ears in Colosseum Club, Kosice/Slovakia, Implode gave a very massive-show, thanks a lot for that!)  Share to the readers a funny story about the tour with Grave/Entombed A.D.  :)

- Thank you! Well in the roots and through our metal pumping veins we are a live band. We all love to be on stage, and I think me in particular. Of course I love the act of creating something new, to get it on tape and to let people hear our creations, but live, one stage, there is something else, like a rawness and honesty of what we do. I love the feeling to step into my alter ego and empty myself of energy for 30 minutes. I want to fall to the ground in a pool of sweat and an aching body after each show, I want to give everything to the audience for that short time. 

On the tour with almighty fucking Grave and Entombed A.D. we had the chance to play for the right audience and with the bands you love and listen to! And travelling through Europe you come to love the people of the places you normally never visit. It was truly awesome, and I feel that we got well received on this tour. 

Well, the first night on tour which started in Münich, Germany we all ended up, pretty much piss drunk in a, I kid you not, Hardcore Raggae Electro underground club. That was a weird sight, seeing Grave, Entombed A.D. and us on this place. We did not quite belong at all. 

 (with Johan after their show, Colosseum Club, Kosice, Slovakia, 16.X.2014.)

(with Victor Danling-bass player of Implode, Collosseum Club, Kosice, Slovakia,16.X.2014.)

Implode's new work ”Aeon Clockwork - I of Everything, Chapter 1” will be released on the 11th of November if I'm not mistaken. Would you be so kind to tell some important details about your new EP?

- Of course, the album is divided in four chapters, the first chapter "Aeon Clockwork" is the first piece of the full length album "I of Everything" which will be released early next year. The four chapters will only be released digitally and finally the full length album will get a physical copy. We have worked with the American artist Caitlin Hackett, which is pretty amazing in her style, to create a cover for each chapter that will end up as one big cover in the end. 

We choose to make this album as a theme based creation also, connecting it to the former release "Under a New Sun". I wont tell you everything just yet, because the coming chapters have more to reveal. 

But the story behind is a trip from the Universe and how it all is created on the first chapter, down to the single individual only fighting for himself on the last chapter. Through Caitlins drawings, symbolism has been intervened with the lyrics which have made this album absolutely awesome to create. 

The music, which is of course why we do this in the end is, what I feel, absolutely how I think Implode should sound. We have finally reached our goal so to speak. Well, actually we´ve just begun. The sound is way more brutal and with a uniqueness that will make it a Implode trademark I believe. 

Which vocalists inspired you when you started to sing? Name us your favourite ones! Do you play any musical instruments? 

- Easy, Phil Anselmo, the one reason I started t sing, it´s that simple. He had that attitude and voice I saw as the absolute coolest when I was 14. If there is one album I will never grow tired of it is Cowboys from Hell, I will use it as my requiem. Others I look up to now on later days are Troy Sanders of Mastodon and Greg Puciato of The Dillinger Escape Plan, awesome singers with a unique voice both of them.

Not well no, I´m trying them all though. I play bass in a punk band called Mad Minutes, and I´ll try to torture Henriks poor drums as soon as I get the chance. 

Would you be so kind to speak briefly about  your local scene? Which bands could you recommend us directly from your area?

- It´s a small town with a pretty small scene, buy our friends in Vengha are doing a great job I think. A more groovy kind of metal, but well produced as hell and very catchy! And of course our friends in Syconaut and Kaross.

What foods, drinks,  tobaccos can you recommend us from your area?

- Oh shit, hard one! Well as for the tobaccos, I´m the wrong person to ask I´m sorry, never used any. As for food, the kebab pizza is a must when coming to Skövde! As a big consumer of beer, the small brewers around here are pretty good.

Do you have any special hobbies beside the music? What are your favourite albums, books, movies?

- I´m quite the gaming nerd actually, and I love everything with Sci-fi in it, so a lot of books and movies in that theme. 

- As for albums, Cowboys from Hell of course, but then Profane with Svart Crown, Blood Mountain with Mastodon and Revolver with The Haunted. Books - Lord of The Rings, The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy and 1984. 

Oh and movies, there´s so many of them! But Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Avatar and Meet the Feebles pretty much sums up what I like! 

I've seen on your fb-page that you will have a mini-tour in The Netherlands in December this year with a Death horde, Ancient Monstrosity. Good luck to you with crushing Dutch stages. What we should to know about these live performances?

- Correct! We got a small little "tour" with three gigs, but actually, I know very little about the stages and towns. We played in Alkmaar last year with Rotting Christ, that place is absolutely awesome, love it. It´s our first headline gig outside of Sweden, so we are very excited to see how it goes!

Tack så mycket for the interview, Johan! Share some Implode thoughts in the end to the readers! 

- Well first of all, a big fucking thank you to all who came early and watched us these past three weeks! It was overwhelming to get so much positive response that we have got on this tour. 

We can´t wait to get the first chapter released and get some response from you all on that one also. I hope I´ll see you on the road in the future, and never stop headbanging!

And a big thank you Georgius! It has been nice talking to you!

Important links:

facebook.com/implodeofficial

 iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/ua/artist/implode/id424676325?ign-mpt=uo%3D4

YouTube: youtube.com/user/ImplodeSwe

Homepage :  implodeofficial.com/

Merch store: http://implodeofficial.tictail.com/

Spotify: http://open.spotify.com/artist/61uAOgFxCelkMP6kjY33Md

Booking andreas@cramada.se

Puteraeon: The Crawling Chaos

Puteraeon:The Crawling Chaos

Jonas Lindblood, leader of Swedish Puteraeon told the readers in his own words all the important details about their third album, called "The Crawling Chaos":

"I'm going to go in depth on the songs on Puteraeon's 3rd album "The Crawling Chaos". Who wrote it and what the lyrics are all about and so on. We started writing material almost directly after the release of "Cult Cthulhu" which was released back in June 2012. There's no reason to hold back creativity, so when we feel the urge we write, at least that's what I do. The album was recorded during autumn of 2013 in our own Dagon Recordings. Daniel put in a lot of his own time to help out, and i think he really sacrificed himself for this album. Sitting late nights in the studio working on guitar, drum and bass sound. Horns up to him for his effort."

01. Wrath

This song starts out with an awesome doom intro before it kind of explodes. It changes through out the song in different moods and is probably also the longest song we've done so far, reaching almost 7 minutes. The songs is deeply inspired be events in the H.P Lovecraft story " The Shadow Over Innsmouth" (exactly like the other 2 opening songs on previous albums; "Storms over devil's reef" & "The great epidemic of 1846"). Christoffer Fredriksson has done art in the booklet for every song and in this picture you can see the half deep ones going up the stairway with torches in their hands. This song is also written by Rune Foss.

02. In Dreamdead Sleep

I wanted this song to be like a mix of Bolt Thrower and early At The Gates with some Autopsy touch. I think it sounds absolute death metal. The lyrics are inspired by the H.P Lovecraft story "At the Mountains of Madness" and of Shoggoths. There is an eerie feeling to it and I think it kind of gives a certain cold to it, which works really good with the frozen landscapes in which that slimy lurking thing hides.

03. Path to Oblivion

When I wrote this one I wanted something more straight forward without so many different moods to it. I know we shortened the beginning of the song pretty late because we wanted it to go of with a bang. So the softer intro we had before never ended up on the album. This is one of the songs that aren't a Lovecraft song, this one, is inspired by Clive Barker's film "Lord of illusion". I've read the book to, but that was a longtime ago. I like the idea of a man who wants to become a god, and when he returned from death, it has changed his mind in a way. He's giving other people's life to the earth to pay for his own returning. In case any of you who read this have missed out on Clive Barker's books I can highly recommend "Weaveworld", "The great and secret show", "Damnation game" too. We did a video on this track too.

youtube.com/watch?v=EN9mcFT1UNs&list=UUE1UNInAgIkj-Bd5vvGBz8w

04. Pickmans Model

This is another one of Runes songs. I think it's a really "filthy" dirty rotten tune in a bit slower midplace. There's a really heavy riff in the middle too. The lyrics on this one is directly influenced from the H.P Lovecraft story Pickman's Model. Shortly about an artist doing the most disturbing lifelike paintings of visions he's had. 

05. From the Ethereal Vortex

This is one of my typical songs in a way. A lot of different drum-patterns and small stuff everywhere. The songs is once again a Lovecraft song. This one is inspired by events in the story " The Dreams in the Witch House". 

06. The Crawling Chaos

Another one of my songs. The song starts out with an intro executed by our friend Mathias Rosén. This song has a lot of different moods and drum-patterns also, just like "From the ethereal vortex". The song is loosely based on Lovecraft god Nyarlathotep, right hand of the mad blind god Azathoth that is enthroned in the center of chaos. Nyarlathotep is also known as The Crawling Chaos. He sometimes decends to earth to bring chaos and death upon mankind. Christoffer did a really cool painting on this one in the booklet.

07. The Abyssal

This is Runes work. This is also the fastest and most forward in your face song on the album. It's also brilliant in it's simplicity. The lyrics on this one is once again loosely inspired by "Shadow over Innsmouth" and i think i put in a little different side to it as well, the deranged reality comprehension of someone who drowns. Christoffer's artwork is also one of the simpler stuff he's done for us but it works really well with both the song and lyrics.

08. Asenath

Another one of my songs. This one is also a way like both "The Crawling Chaos" & "From the Ethereal Vortex", a lot of stuff going on. It's based on ...wait for it.. H.P Lovecraft's story "The Thing on the Doorstep" just like "conlaceratus" was on "Cult Cthulhu" but i think the view is different here, where it's more focused on the character Asenath.

09. Rotten Aeon

One more of Runes songs. This one is also pretty much forward. This song was also featured in a previous release (split-single with Revel In Flesh) but it was re-recorded. (The other Puteraeon-song on the split-single "To steal the flesh" was also re-recorded for the album but we decided to remove that one to make the split-single more exclusive - sad in a way cause i find both newer versions much more deadly than the ones on the split-single). The lyrics on Rotten Aeon are straight up zombie-worship. Love the artwork Christoffer did as well! Who knows, that might be a shirt motive in the future!

10. Welcome Death

This is the last song on the album and I wanted it to be the new "Liberation" (which concluded the "Cult Cthulhu" album). The songs is slow and kind of a meat-grinder. It's about ending life, never accomplished anything. No one will remember you, what you loved, what you cared for. Your voice will forever be silent and no one will ever remember or care if you ever lived. Deep and depressing, but in a way also truth-telling i guess. This is the slowest song on the album and i think it fits perfect as the ending song. When i wrote it, it instantly was predicted to become the last song on the album. The album ends with the guitar-solo "Tunnel of Darkness". In my head, there is no light after death, only absolute darkness and nothingness.

Important links:
youtube.com/channel/UCE1UNInAgIkj-Bd5vvGBz8w

facebook.com/PUTERAEON?fref=ts

facebook.com/Puteraeonfans?notif_t=fbpage_fan_invite&pnref=story

http://www.puteraeon.com/

Jonas Lindblood

Interview with Jonas Lindblood

(Puteraeon)

Hail Jonas! Welcome to Archangel’s Lantern! Tell us please, when did you join metal music? What was your first band?

- Hi Georgius! I've been listening to metal since back in 1984 when I started school. Back then it was mainly bands like W.A.S.P, Mötley Crüe, Accept and Twisted Sister. And that interest has been with me now for 30 years. I found Death Metal back in 1990 and i guess that made me form my first band. It was a really shitty band hahaha. We were called Tomb. I wanted to play death metal and the other 2 guys wanted to play punk. I've never been into punk so we split up and i started playing in another band called Goreblast. Back in 1993 a friend of mine called me up and told me that a death metalband from Gothenburg needed a new guitarist. That band was called Deformed, and that band evolved into TAETRE later, which was my first real serious thing i guess.

You started with Puteraeon in 2008 and if I’m not mistaken, you recorded all the instruments on first two demos. Would you be so kind to speak briefly about the beginnings?

- Yes that's right. In the early 2000's I got bored with almost every death metal release. The music had become to polished. To nice and dull. I sat home writing complicated stuff and my girlfriend told me it sounded like crap. "Write some real death metal instead" she said. That was a real eyeopener for me. I got a nice Dismember-like sound and just started to right easy old school sounding death metal, trying to capture the old rotten vein of the music, that got lost in the early '2000-s. In the beginning it wasn't meant to be a band, it was just something i did for fun by myself on my spare time.

With Puteraeon you have 3 awesome old-school full-length + a split with Revel in Flesh. Who write(s) the music in general and please enlighten us about lyrical conception of the band! How did you meet with your label, Cyclone Empire? What were reactions in metal press about latest masterpiece, ”The Crawling Chaos”?

- As you know, I did 3 demos first. I actually did everything myself on all those 3 demos. I spoke to Anders (drums) and Daniel (bass) about getting the project as it was earlier into a band. Around the time when we finally started rehearsing, we got  the deal from Cyclone Empire, much thanks to Ralf from Revel in Flesh who spoke both to us and Cyclone. We had like 5 offers before that but we decided to go with Cyclone Empire. At That moment we had 24 songs released on the 3 demos to use on the album. We wrote 2 new and used old songs and re-recorded them for the first album. Up to that i have done everything, all music and all lyrics. On the 2nd album Rune wrote 2 tracks and we co-wrote 1, the rest of the songs I wrote. On "The Crawling Chaos" Rune wrote 4 songs and I wrote 6. I've been writing all lyrics all the time. Nowadays, it's pretty much the same. Me and Rune write the music but everybody in the band comes with input and stuff, but usually when me or Rune present the stuff to the rest of us we have to basic structure complete, so the rest of us just add some ideas about it. Small adjustments really. The lyrics have been about zombies and such stuff in the beginning to evolve into more Lovecraft themes, this started on our 3rd demo "The extraordinary works of Herbert West". I got really influenced of Lovecraft back in 2008 early 2009. I got laid of from my work so i had to much time hahaha. It kind of stuck. Also, i think Cthulhu and such topics work really great with the kind of music that we play. I was a bit fed up with questions about Cthulhu and Lovecraft after our 2nd album "Cult Cthulhu" and we said, let's do something else on the next album, but, when i started writing lyrics for "The crawling Chaos" the Cthulhumythos was what inspired me again, so we decided to say "fuck it- we write about more Lovecraft stuff"! 

As I’ve noticed, You will share the stages with an awesome Swedish band, The Crown (release-fest) next year in January. Tell to the readers please a little bit more about this blasting event! What are the things about your live activity this year?

- Yes! I think this will be a nice start for 2015. This year we've only played in Sweden and I think we've done way to few gigs, but that's just it when you don't have a booking agent. It's hard as hell to get gigs. Festivals around Europe seem to go for the same bands, so I guess they are all signed to some mayor companies or booking agents. We are still very much underground, very much do it yourself, that's why we rarely play outside Sweden. If you have the opportunity to see us, don't miss it, we are a live act TRULY!

You are playing also in Taetre (the album called "Out of Emotional Disorder" is one of my favourites of 1999). What we should know about activity of Taetre nowadays?

- Taetre was more or less put to rest back in 2009 or so. We gave up on our rehearsal place back in 2010 I think and haven't rehearsed or even hung out in at least 4-5 years. I think the killing blow for Taetre was that we recorded a 4th album back in 2004/2005 called "Psycopath" that was never released. I guess that made it to hard for us to move on and being creative.

You enjoyed as a guest musician on some tracks of the albums of bands Just Before Down, Megascavenger and Ulverheim. Please speak about this collaboration a bit.

- All of these project or bands are run by friends of mine and just fun time for me. I guess I put a weekend all together on these 3 guest-appearances. Mainly I did it just to help my friends and to have  some fun at the same time.

I also like so much your artworks of Puteraeon. Who did them?

- All artwork have been done by friends of ours. Back on the first demo a close friend of mine since school Johan Ryding did our logo and just for fun draw up a zombie. I decided that would fit perfect for the cover for the first demo hahaha. Well he said later that if he'd knew that I would use it as cover he would have put more time into it as it was in his intentions never though of as anything more than a little thing on the same paper as he did the logo on. After that, from the 2nd demo "The requiem" and all the way to the latest album "The crawling chaos" a Christoffer Fredriksson has made all artwork for us. Christoffer is also a good friend of the band and have been with us on some gigs on the road helping out too. I usually come up with the ideas for the art and Christoffer comes with his input, we talk about it. Then he starts his magic and I guide him in my vision. The end result has always been great! On the new album he's done artwork inside the booklet for every song. An illustration deeply connected with the lyrics. I think it was really cool and I think the whole package looked really really good!

Swedish scene is so amazing with a tons of bands. Recommend us, please some bands from your local area.

- Hard question really. We live in a small town 30 minutes drive outside Gothenburg called Alingsås. Both me and Rune have grown up in Gothenburg though. But Alingsås doesn't have much interesting music in my ears. But some really cool bands worth checking out from Sweden is Turbocharged, Paganizer, Blood Mortized, Instestinal, Nominon, Bombs of Hades, Entrails, Smothered, Sinner's Burn.

Name us your all top favourite albums (if you have books and movies, them also). Do you have some special hobbies beside the music?

- I've always been very creative, but music has always been the most important thing to me. But i do a lot of sketching with pen too. Now, being a parent many of those things have been pushed aside a bit, there's simply not enough time for everything. Working, being together with my family and writing or rehearsing/playing with Puteraeon really takes most of all time i got. But when i got time over i really enjoy watching tv shows, drinking well crafted beers or playing the xbox. My favorite music is basically the music I've been listening to for the last 30 years. My favorite albums differ in a way from month to month, but to name some of them Guns n' Roses "Appetite for destruction", W.A.S.P first album, King Diamond "Them", Mercyful Fate "Don't break the oath", Slayer "Reign in blood", Megadeth "Rust in peace", Napalm Death "Utopia banished", At The Gates "With fear i kiss the burning darkness", Dismember "Like an Everflowing stream", Entombed "Clandestine", Grave "You'll never see", Dissection "The Somberlain", Carcass "Symphonies of sickness", Deicide "Legion", Morbid Angel "Altars of madness", Behemoth "Evangelion", Merciless "Unbound", Iron Maiden "Killers", Gorefest "False", Death "Symbolic", Mayhem "De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas", Sepultura "Arise", Cannibal Corpse "Eaten back to life", Pestilence "Testimony of the Ancients", Vader "De Profundis". I also listened a lot to the first Ghost album wich i think is really good, reminding of a softer more pop-like Mercyful Fate. When it comes to books i don't read that much nowadays as i did when i was younger, mainly as i said earlier because lack of time. But i managed to read the George RR Martin "A song of ice and fire", Love the show Game of Thrones too. Other authors i enjoy is obviously H.P Lovecraft, Clive Barker, Stephen King, Dean Koontz among others. Clive Barkers early stuff is absolutely amazing mix of horror and sci-fi. Other TV shows i like besides Game of thrones are, The walking dead, Sopranos, Boardwalk empire, American Horror-story, Hannibal etc. 

 What foods, drinks, cigars, tobaccos  can you recommend us from your area?

- There is a little brewery from south of Sweden called Brekeriet who's doing really good beers! Other good beers can be found at Grebbestad brewery, Gotland brewery, Ocean brewery!

Archangel’s Lantern is dedicated to Jon Nödtveidt’s Glory and memory. Did you meet Jon ever? Would you be so kind to share some thoughts about him?

- Sure, I met Jon many times back in the 90's. He lived for a couple of years in Gothenburg so we met mostly at shows but also in town and on tramps and so. Some close friends of mine were closer to MLO than I was back then, I guess they were some kind of "prospects" or close too at least. It was a crazy time back in the mid 90's for sure in Gothenburg haha. Jon as a musician was flawless I think. Every album with Dissection has been really good!

 Tack så mycket Jonas, share your  Puteraeon message to the readers.

- Thank you so much for this interview! Readers! Check out Puteraeon and enjoy the madness! Ia! Ia! Nyarlathotep!

Important links: 

 http://www.puteraeon.com/

facebook.com/PUTERAEON

facebook.com/Puteraeonfans?notif_t=fbpage_fan_invite&pnref=story

youtube.com/user/Puteraeon

Alex Morbid-reality

Interview with Alex Morbid-reality

(Serpent's Eye Records, Zwaertgevegt)

Hail brother Alex! How did you get introduced to metal music? What was your first hard rock/metal LP/cassette? Did you play in any band ever?

- Hails brother Georgius !! Well what to tell, my father was much into Queen and softer rock/metal and I was used that songs like "Bicycle Race" were blasting through our house even though my mother hated that since she was a softy.

When I was around twelve I came on high school and came in contact with some older metalheads.

In that time there were of course not that many and surely not on a catholic school I was on haha.

But well even though I already knew stuff from Kiss, AC/DC, Purple, Zeppelin, etc I was not yet familiar with the harder stuff.

The first stuff i got on dubbed tape where Maiden's "Killers", "Powerslave" and "Live After Death" (Just released at that time).

And well my parents were shocked, being raised christian and starting to hang Kiss and Maiden posters on my wall, but hell they had some more coming hahaha.

Within a year I was already listening to stuff from Slayer and I think "Reign in Blood"was just released, fuck what a blast !!

And I was eager for heavier and harder. Soon Possessed and later death metal and so on...

In the late 80's I was in a death metal band but we never came further than rehearsals and 1 live gig since we could not get a full line up.

So in the beginning of the 90's we decided to stop, so not much to tell.

I’m still very thankful to you and Pepijn for the release of my past band, Domhring material on cassette tapes through Achtung! Records in 2010. Would you be so kind to tell us more about this label?

- To be clear at the beginning, Achtung! was totally Pepijn's own label I just helped out.

The label started with a cd-r release but already after that Pepijn decided to go on with tapes.

I wasn't busy with a label at that time but was searching to release labels to release Yaotzin material, since they've just split up at that time and I wanted to get their unreleased stuff on the market.

So I offered Achtung! an older rehearsal session and designed the total tape cover of it and so the first tape release was born.

Soon after that I took over Zwaertgevegt and through that and my own internet contacts I also got in contact with much foreign bands.

I just could not release them myself so I handed them over to Achtung!

But since Pepijn got really busy with that he asked me to help him with some releases so I started scouting bands and helping him to get those releases out.

And well so I came in contact with you and after hearing the Domhring cd you sent I really wanted to get it released and so it happened.

After some help with releases and doing some co-releases between Achtung! and Zwaertgevegt I stopped helping out.

You helped me a lot in Encyclopaedia Metallum to correct and redact information about my past musician activity. When did you start as a co-worker or redactor with Encyclopeadia Metallum?

- None of the above haha.

On MA you can get points for changing little things what every member can and when you get enough points you can become Veteran and you can change bigger stuff.

I started out with wrong info and additions to the Dutch scene and foreign friends-bands and of course also later for adding my label's bands.

These days I just don't have enough time for it so now I only do it when asked by people I know.

You are as an owner of Zwaertgevegt and Serpent's Eye Records. Share with us all the important things about these labels, please! 

- Then I just start with some history about the labels and me getting busy with them.

After hanging around Yaotzin (NLBM) for some time since they are friends from close after they started in the 90's I got a chance in the beginning of 2000 to become their roadie.

Some time later i also started doing a big part of Yaotzin's promotion and starting to know more people in the scene.

After the band split up I was already known with some Dutch black metal bands but started wondering how much bands there would be, surely underground.

In time I found lots of good bands with only download stuff or self released in very small amounts.

I started collecting their stuff.

I bought a lot from the label Svartgalgh and owner Patrick who later started as a sub-label Zwaertgevegt only meant for Dutch BM on tape.

But he got to busy in his life and did not have any more time for his label, only his small distro "Wolvenpact" (still active but more in various music).

So Patrick sold Svartgalgh and i asked him if I could have Zwaertgevegt and I could, and damn I got it for free so I am thankful until this day.

In the meantime I have already released over 70 tapes.

And well if it wasn't clear yet, this label releases only NLBM on tape.

And now for Serpent's Eye.

Of course for most of the foreign bands I could manage to get them a deal with other, but on one day i got hold of Sitvartes.

This band was so great and had an amazing spiritual sound so I really wanted to release it.

But there were already so much labels who released all kinds of BM so i wanted something special.

Then i found the idea of creating a label for all kinds of spiritual music no matter what style.

And so Serpent's Eye was born.

Never meant to be big and more underground than my other label, so I sale/trade the releases through Zwaertgevegt's distro.

Dutch scene is one of my favourites in Europe. Recommend, please to the readers some Dutch bands from your region.

- That is really hard to do, but I'll try.

I live in a part of the Netherlands where metal is not much alive.

We have some complete bands (total line-up and playing live) like Yaotzin, Dystopia and Evil Oath and some projects like Trigletl, Tyrant Empire and probably more in the BM scene.

Some of them already active for a long time some new and have much to learn.

Your top 10 all-time favourite bands/albums are?

- Then I think I'll keep it with the bands and that is already much.

For me most of the Dutch BM bands are favorite and the older death metal bands with their classic albums.

Next to that Maiden and Type O Negative are my all time favorite bands.

On spiritual level bands like Black Funeral, Dissection, Watain and Devil's Blood.

For the rest too much to tell since I listen from old pop music until the very extreme.

And yes I know I am getting old, but I mostly enjoy the old stuff of bands, on the later times most of them cannot manage it again or go for the money.

That is why i like the underground since they still dare to discover new ideas. 

Do you have any special hobbies?

- Hahaha really don't have much time for that.

I have a busy full time job, family life and labels and trying to see some friends and bands if possible.

I am next to that a big fan of Star Wars so if that could count as a hobby  :P

Do you like any bands from Ukraine and Hungary? Have you ever been in these countries?

- I've been to Hungary twice in the 80's but never yet been to the Ukraine.

The first bands i got to know from Hungary (I knew some bands from both countries but wasn't aware through the years) was Pokolgép.

Of course later bands like Tormentor in what way Hungary played a big role in black metal history and a band like Sear Bliss. And in later days of course Domhring and some smaller bands.

Ukraine I mostly some bands I got through trading like Moloch, Gjallarhorn, Kroda and next of course Castrum through you.

What Dutch foods, drinks, tobaccos recommend us?

- Not much even though people think our country is so special :P

I like our kroket and bitterballen (now everyone thinks what hahaha), for drinks I only suggest Hertog Jan as beer and Tobacco's if you like it between heavy and medium you might try Javaanse Jongens (as in make your own smoke).

Which places/museums and metal festivals do you recommend us to visit in the Netherlands?

- Museums ? Well mostly not interested for most people.

Places also depends on what you're searching most people visit Amsterdam anyway and then their wallet gets stolen haha

For the festivals we don't have interesting big ones, Aurora Infernalis is nice and Venerations of the Dead.

Further I suggest when you come to NL just look on the internet about gigs and go view some nice Dutch brutal stuff.

My/our  little work, Archangel's Lantern is Eternally dedicated to Jon Andreas Nödtveidt, you know. Please, share some thoughts about Him...

- I am never a man of much words so sorry if people expect more.

This will be split in 2 parts, music and spiritual.

Of course he was one of Swedish pioneers on black metal, surely with Dissection he made a special kind of it.

Using parts what could get closer to stuff like Maiden etc Dissection released music which will always stay ground-breaking.

Of course also great other musical stuff like The Black and Terror which surely have been named.

After his years in jail Dissection returned perhaps musically for many people not that strong (of course that's taste) but lyrically stronger than ever.

Now for the spiritual part.

Jon was one of the few people in the scene who was true for what that word is worth.

One of the only one who was really into what his lyrics were about.

Totally following his spiritual path and not even being afraid to go to jail for doing what he wanted.

Jon has probably been a big inspiration for most occult bands in the metal/rock scene.

Also I have the biggest respect of his way of leaving this world.

When you feel you have nothing more to bring and the world cannot give more what you want, why stay?

Dank je wel, brother Alex! Share your message in the end of this conversation.

- You are welcome of course! First of all a big salute to you also for all the years you are supporting the metal scene, big hails to that !!

A big hail to the Dutch black metal scene and specially the bands i'm in contact with.

Also respect to all my spiritual brothers and sisters worldwide.

Support to the labels I had good trades with.

Everybody keep supporting the underground, since without that our music will die.

Fuck off to all leaches who spread music from the hardworking underground without permission without even at least a link to the label/band, F.O.A.D. !!

And also a lesson to all the kiddies in the scene, i don't mind that you are around since I've been there also, but please stop being those wise-ass big mouths.

So enough hailing and complaining haha.

Important links:

http://zwaertgevegt.blogspot.nl

http://serpentseyerecords.blogspot.nl

Facebook: 
facebook.com/SerpentsEyeRecords

facebook.com/Zwaertgevegt/ 

Asgrauw / Meslamtaea - Utopia (Split) 2017

(review written by Georgius)

My good old Dutch friend/brother Alex Zwaert is making a great job by his label namely Zwaertgevegt since 2010 with releasing many different and awesome materials from the black metal scene of The Netherlands. In September this year he sent me a pretty interesting 7 inch vinyl ‘Utopia’ (it was released in August, 2017) by two Dutch black metal hordes, Asgrauw and Meslamtaea.

Asgrauw was founded in 2010 Groesbeek, Gelderland and the band participated on this split with a track ‘Doemprofeet’ (Prophet of Doom) by following line up: Vaal (guitars, vocals), Kaos (bass, vocals) and Batr (drums, keyboards). ‘Doemprofeet’ of Asgrauw contains powerful mid-tempo with fast raw parts, ominous melodies and aggressive vocals. Additionally a trivia: the lyrics were written about infamous cult leader Jim Jones and his movement Peoples Temple.

Meslamtaea is a one-man band of Batr, formed in 1998. Meslamtaea took place on ‘Utopia’ with an act called ‘Neutronenstorm’. Batr/Florian Velthuis played all the instruments and guest has been W (spoken worlds). ‘Neutronenstorm’ masterly combines rapidity with melancholic melodiousness, and it’s about the nuclear apocalypse.

To sum it all up, a highly recommended split vinyl-stuff for the fans of uncompromised Dutch black metal. 

zwaertgevegt.blogspot.nl 

www.facebook.com/Zwaertgevegt/

Olli Vesanen

Interview with Olli Vesanen 

(Tuhonsiemen)

Hail Olli! Tell to the readers, please about the beginning! Had you played in any bands before Tuhonsiemen? Share  with us all the important information about your band.

- Hail, all the readers of Archangel's Lantern. I am the guitarist of Tuhonsiemen, a Finnish black metal band. I have been playing guitar for about seven years now, and Tuhonsiemen is my very first serious band. The band was formed by me, our vocalist and our ex-drummer in autumn 2011. We released our first physical album in autumn 2013, and it is quite close to be sold-out.

What means your band name, Tuhonsiemen? Who writes the music and lyrics? Could you please enlighten us  about lyrical conception?

- Tuhonsiemen is Finnish (quite an untypical word though) and it can be translated as The Seed of Perdition. I write all the riffs and most of the lyrics, but also our vocalist has written some texts. He has a darker, more traditional black metal way of lyrical self-expression, whereas I like more mystic and almost dream-like way of writing. Our vocalist has explored themes such as death, mortality, misery, torment and he usually uses the first person style of writing, which delivers some very strong emotions to the listener. I myself like to write more philosophical stuff, although the deepest insights are hidden behind different kind of stories or metaphors.

I’ve listened to through YouTube your tracks and I must to say they are excellent raw black metal hymns! Would you be so kind to tell more about your release(s)? On which label you released your stuff? Any future plans?

- We have only one physical release so far, and at the moment we are doing material for another. Our first album is "Temppeli", an MCD of six (six six) songs, which can all be downloaded from SoundCloud and also some other sites. So, to get a good picture of our music and us: go listen to the album.

Now tell us more about your live activity (past, present, future)

- We have played eleven gigs, and two more are confirmed. The best gig so far was the one we played in January this year. We were an opening act for The Crescent & Alghazanth at our home town's biggest arena for metal bands, the famous Tanssisali Lutakko. Our live shows are about intense energy and accurate playing. In the future we are planning to concentrate also on the visual side of the show. That means more aggressive performing and a lot of bloody mess at least.

Suomalainen underground scene is so awesome with many great musicians/bands. Were you influenced by hordes of Suomi? (if yes, name us) Do you have any favourite Finnish bands? 

- We like a lot of Finnish black metal bands and bands from other genres too, of course. To name a few of my personal favourites, my all-time favourite band is Enochian Crescent/ their "musical and magical continuum" The Crescent. Other great BM-bands are Baptism, Verge, Behexen, Valoton and Saturnian Mist just to mention a few. Some newer bands I like are Hämys, Curse Upon Prayer and Forlor.

When you started play the guitar? Which guitarists are your inspirations?

- I started to play the guitar about at the same time when I started to listen to metal music. Back then I was about eleven or twelve and dreamed of being able to compose good songs and also play them. I started to compose songs almost immediately when I got the guitar in my hands. Well, that small kid's dream is now filled and is being filled again and again until the day I cease to exist. I hope I can make out a few good riffs on my deathbed and then die with a grin, knowing I served my purpose here.

Your band, Tuhonsiemen from Jyväskylä. Tell us about your local hordes and if you don’t mind, about your town briefly. 

- We have good local scene here, that has good bands from all the sub-genres of metal. (Actually, Lost Society is from here and I have seen several of their early days gigs, they have always had almost the same energy in their shows as they do now). Some good more underground-bands are Funerary Bell (black metal), Verge (black metal), Ezograh (blackened death), Apocryfal (death metal but with a lot of BM attitude in their music/lyrics), Morbid Grave (old school Thrash/BM) and Let's call it an accident (post-hardcore). There's not much to mention about our hometown, except the gig place Tanssisali Lutakko, which is known for it's sold out night's pure madness. Go there to see a good band, buy a big pint of beer and some booze, get drunk and lose a teeth or two in a mosh pit.

I’m as a Hungarian, still proud about Finnish-Hungarian language relationship. What is your opinion about it?

- I am not too familiar with Hungarian language, but I've heard of this relationship. Maybe I should find out more about this.

I like so much mythology, history, cultural traditions of Suomi. What the Suomalainen mythology means you? Explain, please the ideas and beliefs behind Tuhonsiemen.

- Finns had their own beliefs and ways way before the christian culture was brought in here. It's very sad that those ways are not highly recognized in school's teachings or in anything else either. Tuhonsiemen is not about Finnish mythologies, like some black metal bands such as Stormheit are. I believe that a man has a beast within, a divine beast that can and should be unleashed and let it grow to reach it's full potential. This is a painful and hard process, and a path full of dangers. It requiers a lot of wisdom and spiritual strength, and it is always a different kind of process for every individual. I believe that for me it is important to have this band as a channel to clear my visions about this. This beast is something that drives me to further enlightenment through losing myself in darkness that calls my name louder and louder every day.

Your top all-time favourite albums/books/movies?

- My favourite albums are the entire discography of Enochian Crescent the crescent's "Risti". Other all-time favourites are Dissection's "Reinkaos", "Kuolemanpalvelus" by Sotajumala and "Iowa" by Slipknot. Many others too...few of my favorite movies: V for Vendetta, Requiem for a Dream, Zodiac, the seven Saw movies and a Clockwork Orange & the original Psycho. I like to read occult literature and philosophy, lately I've read commentaries of Nietzsche and Kierkegaard.

Kiitos Olli! Wishing you all the Be(a)st with your horde! A message to the readers of Archangel’s Lantern...

- Fuck every "pure black metal"- definition, genre-terms should be born to describe what people do, not vice versa. So, people shouldn't try to fit their doings to someone else's ideals. Leave that shit for the organized religions.

Angela Pabón

Interview with Angela Pabón 

(Perverse Suffering)

Hail Angela! Hellcome to Archangel’s Lantern! Perverse Suffering was born in 2010 with an idea of creating the first female extreme metal band in your hometown, Bucaramanga Colombia. Tell us please about the beginnings!

- Hail Georgius, firstly I want to thank you for your invitation. Perverse Suffering born in Bucaramanga - Colombia in 2010, with the intention of forming the first band of death female metal from my hometown and maybe in northeastern Colombia, because until then, it was not known the existence of a band with female members and we wanted to be part of the active positioning of women in metal music scene. Unfortunately, the idea to have an all-female lineup has not been maintained. At present we have male members in the lineup, they are excellent musicians and the extraordinary people, and they have made great contributions to the band.

What materials are you released still? Enlighten us about your actual line-up, please.

- We have the professional recording a single called "Sinister Mind", which was made in early 2012, with which we wanted to make known the band through the different tools found at on the internet, radio shows, etc. … Unfortunately we have not had the recording of the disc by the difficulty in keeping a stable lineup … The actual lineup of the band is: Karent Pinto - vocalist; Ruben Restrepo - Guitarist, Marco Galvis - bassist and Angela Pabón - drummer.

Who is the songwriter in Perverse Suffering and who writes lyrics? Tell us more about lyrical conception! What’s about your future plans? Do you play some covers?

- Writing letters is the task of the vocalist, I contribute, I like to participate in all things of the band and I have very clear the direction I want it to have Perverse Suffering… Perverse Suffering lyrics speak of internal conflicts that an individual immersed in pathological society in which we live, especially focused on the Colombia context… We prefer playing own songs, although some shows we played some cover as Dismember - Casket Garden and AC / DC - TNT (Version Six Feet Under)

How are going the things with your live-activity? What we should know about your local scene from your hometown?

- The scene of my city is particularly dominated by thrash metal, but there are bands of every genre: death metal, black metal, heavy metal, speed metal, etc ... in the last years has increased the scene, every day, there are more and more kids  who say they feel identified with metal music… There are also serious organizers, so here are organized very great events that participate at local and national bands. 

When did you start to play the drums? Which drummers influenced you? Name us 5 of your favorite ones. 

- I started playing drums with Perverse Suffering, in the past I always had the desire to learn to play and tried it, but was very shy, and facing a scene dominated by the male gender, a scene which in itself, has always had a very radical trend, especially against women ... maybe I felt intimidated and unable to do. Finally I decided to do it when the idea of ​​forming Perverse Suffering arises, and now, I love playing drums and I regret the wasted years, but no matter, never it’s too late.

My 5 favorite drummers are: 1) Pete Sandoval 2), George Kollias, 3) Richard Christy, 4) Tim Yeung, 5) Lee Harrison 

When did you become as metalhead and what bands/albums listened to that time?

- When I started listening to metal music, the bands and albums I heard at that time were: Metallica – Ride the lightning, Iron Maiden - Powerslave and Fear of the Dark, Sepultura – Arise and Roots, Pantera - Vulgar Display of Power ride the lightning. I had them on tape format, except the albums from Iron Maiden, who were the first I bought original Cd’s…. and there began this craziness hahaha… 

Colombia is a very nice country with a strong and old underground scene; would you be so kind to speak briefly about your land (your region, hometown)? Which bands could you recommend us to listen to?

-Yes, Colombia is a beautiful country and we have a very strong underground scene, marked by a history of brutal bands...  In my city I can recommend these active bands: Supremacy Satánica (Black Metal), Crocell (Black Metal), Dark Manthra (Dark Metal), Metal Destroyer (Thrash Metal), Virgin Killer (Speed ​​Metal), Fire (Thrash Metal) Ignis Haereticum (Black Metal), Bonestorm (Death metal)… The rest of the country I recommend listening: Infernal, Inquisition, Parabellum, Masacre, Morbid Macabre, King, Nebiros, Reencarnación, Erzebet, Black Ceremony, Nocturnal Feelings, Death Kult, Utuk Xul, Dirges, No Mercy, and many others, it is a very long list.

Name us your 10 all-time favorite albums.

- jum…That is difficult, let me see…. 1) Bathory: Blood, Fire, Death; 2) Death: Sound of Perseverance; 3) Darkthrone: A Blaze In the Northern Sky; 4) Morbid Angel: Domination; 5) Iron Maiden: Piece of Mind; 6) Venom: At War whit Satan; 7) Dissection: Storm of the Light's Bane; 8) Sarcófago: I.N.R.I; 9) Dismember: Massive Killing Capacity; 10) Unleashed: Were no Life Dwells; and one more 11). Infernal: Whipping the Sacred Law.

What do you do in every day of life? Do you have any special hobby? Have you any favorite books and movies?

- I am a psychologist and a mother, I work in an institution who cares about the fundamental rights of children ... my hobby is playing the drums, I also practice sports, I hear a lot of music, I read, I travel (I enjoy meeting new places), go to concerts, go to the forest and that sort of thing ... My favorite authors are Nietzsche, Jung, Lacan, Kant, among others, and I love world literature, Arthur Rimbaud. Edgar Allan Poe, Kafka, Pablo Neruda, etc ... is a very long list… I love movies, especially horror movies and independent film, there are many that I like as Hellraiser, The Exorcist, Dracula, Jason, Freddy Krueger, Poltergeist, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, The Shining Full Metal Jacket, Trainspotting, Taxi Driver, Natural Born Killers, etc..

I’m always so curious about the different kitchens worldwide.  Regarding your local cuisine, what foods, drinks, coffee, and tobaccos can you recommend?

- The food is delicious in Colombia, and varies from region to region, because of our territory rich in flora and fauna we can enjoy a variety of foods. But could not describe it, you have to taste our food ;)

ufff my region's food is delicious... when you come to visit my country, you have to taste the food of Santander:  Sancocho, Mute, Caldo con arepa de maíz pelado, ayacos de mazorca, morcilla con papa amarilla, tamal, mazato, chicha… I have no idea how to translate you the names of the food and drinks lol … and Colombian coffee of course you have to take it ;)

Have you ever been in Europe? If yes, where? (if not, I really hope that we will meet in your shows in the near future)

- Unfortunately I have not yet had the opportunity to travel to Europe and is something I hope to do someday ... in Europe, there are beautiful places I want to know, his landscapes are beautiful and your story is magnificent… So definitely, the old continent is an unmissable destination for me.

Maybe you’ve noticed, my/our web-zine dedicated to Jon Andreas Nödtveidt (Satanized, The Black, Dissection, etc). Did you listened ever Dissection and what is your opinion about Him as a musician, and a person?

- Dissection is a brutal band; each of the albums is a revelation… I understand that Jon Nödtveidt always acted according to his word, I do not know the truth, only those who really knew him, can attest to this... Dissection for me is just an amazing band and one of my favorites… I very much regret this tremendous loss to world metal scene, but each of us is master of his own destiny.

Muchas gracias, Angela! Wish you all the best with your band and send some Perverse Suffering thoughts to the readers.

- Georgius, I really appreciate again this great opportunity for us to include us on your blog, for me is a great honor and a great pleasure to be part of this ... to readers want to send a fraternal greeting from Colombia and I want to invite you to know my country and the Colombian metal scene, I hope you are interested in Perverse Suffering and will enjoy… and fully support the underground metal scene, only original music… black flame burns lml

Official Facebook: 
facebook.com/PERVERSESUFFERING6?fref=ts

youtube.com/watch?v=465AT2od0Y0 

youtube.com/watch?v=iJHofOV159A