Tobias Fongelius Jormundgand/Burning Eye Productions (29.XII.2011)

 Interview with Tobias Fongelius 

(Jormundgand and Burning Eye Productions) 

Encomium, 29.XII.2011 

Questions compiled  by Cornelius of Encomium 

and Georgius

"Nowadays there's really just a few record labels left true to the underground spirit and its former magic. So I am really happy to introduce you Burning Eye Productions from Sweden, a young label, which definitely follows the path of the true underground spirit. All the latest news & future plans were kindly transmitted to us by Tobbe (who also appears as guitarist/vocalist for Jormundgand)!"

Cornelius of Castrum/Encomium

Is there any special reason for forming Burning Eye Productions? Tell us in short the story behind your label.

- The main reason to start Burning Eye Productions was because we, Tobbe and Erika, felt that we refused to compromise with our material. One label didn't like our cover art and told us to change. One label didn't like the name "Jormundgand". Another one didn't like the "Occult Sacrifice" and "By the Grace of Death" songs and asked us if it was possible to skip those hymns! (Assholes!) So that was a huge reason for us to start our own label - Total control of the product and our creation without compromising with some fuckheads ideas about how it should look or sound like!

The other reason is that we have a great interest in arranging gigs. So when we had just started Burning Eye Productions we decided to arrange a gig straight away. We wanted it to be a gig to remember and it ended up with a killer lineup! Vulcano, legendary black/death from Brazil, (on their first tour outside South America). The black metal gods Nifelheim and one of the best fucking heavy metal bands around - RAM! We named this magical night to "Thunder Metal Massacre".

Enlighten us the plans Burning Eye Productions for the forthcoming years.

- We will split up Burning Eye Productions in two parts. One part for arranging gigs (with bands that WE think is kicking ass with all other bands) and it doesn't necessarily have to be a big and famous band, as long as the true spark and dedication is there, it will catch our ears! The other part will search for bands that we want to give the mark of Burning Eye Productions. And we won't force the bands to erase tracks, change bandnames or logos! We feel and appreciate the music and the true art behind it instead of just looking at the surface, counting money.

You've done a gig under the banner of Burning Eye Productions with the following bands: Vulcano, Nifelheim, RAM. How did it turn out? Do you have similar actions planned for the future too?

- To return to the question about "Thunder Metal Massacre"; It was truly a great success! It was almost sold out even though the gig was to take place on a Wednesday! All the bands were 100% on top and it was a hell of a great time as well as in the audience as backstage between the bands! The bar had never sold so much beer on a weekday before!!!

We have plans to arrange a gig again in the near future. But first we have some other stuff to take care of... You will see...

Now some other kind of question. Does the Viking heritage influence you in one or other way? Or Satanism is above all?

- Well, I guess that the "Pagan" or "Folk" tunes influence us in one way or another. But the direction of Jormundgand is very clear to us. It's all an obeisance to Satan and the dark depths in our within, where the black flame grows stronger for each day! Lylusay Tateros Volt Sids Lucifer! Ave Lucifer! 

You play in Jormundgand. Can we expect your band's materials to be released on Burning Eye Productions?

- Yes. The thing is that we have some more material to record and after that we are going to release a 12” EP trough Burning Eye Productions.

What Black Metal means to you?

- Black Metal to me is total devotion and dedication to the dark. A tool to place a seed in the inner self of the listeners, and hopefully they will let it grow and find the strength to search the truth and to explore the undefiled paths that is, for the blind, covered in shadows and darkness!

Do you play live with Jormundgand? If so, do you use Satanic symbols or effects to decorate your live performance?

- The thing is that we had some gigs, more or less ready, to play in the beginning of 2011. But as it always has been with Jormundgand, everything just felled apart in our hands and it was total chaos! We had to put the band aside for a moment and catch our breath. But now we rehearse more than ever before and we hope that Jormundgand will be ready for the stage in the end of 2011! The marks of Satan lives in myself and in my flesh. I guess that’s enough, at the moment. But we will have a great amount of bones and bone relations with us on stage! 

For your previous materials you had guest appearances (both for cover art and for backing vocals too). Please tell us about that.

- Well, on the first demo "Satanic Attack", it was just me and Erika that played in the band. But our friends of the great band "Vornth" was helping us with the instruments that we needed. It all ended up with a full band for a while! Something that's quite rare in the history of Jormundgand! When it was time for the vocals I felt that we needed something more in the song "Satanic Attack". I asked "Hellbutcher" from Nifelheim if he wanted to put some backing vocals and he liked the material so he agreed. He helped us a lot with that demo. He painted the cover art, took the band photos and made the T-shirts as well! For the next coming release it will be "Tyrant" from Nifelheim doing the cover. I told him what I wanted and he delivered the most impressive piece of art! Both Tyrant and Hellbutcher are true artists!

If there would be a chance to invite a Ukrainian or Hungarian Black or Death metal band, which would it be?

- Hm, hard to say. It would be a great honor for us to have Tormentor if they started up again! Then we have Pokolgép, Nocturnal Rites, Domhring and Castrum.

I'm not that conversant in the Hungarian and Ukrainian metal scene and I'd really like you to recommend bands that you think I should listen to! 

(I would definitely recommend you to listen to these Ukrainian bands: Nokturnal Mortum, Khors, Ulvegr, - Cornelius)

Tack!!! Hail Satan! Hail Azerate! Last Satanic rites for the end...

- Thanks my friends! If there is anyone who thinks that Burning Eye Productions sounds like the label for YOUR band, send a mail to our myspace: 

www.myspace.com/burningeyeproductions. An email to burningeyeproductions@gmail.com 

Tobias Fongelius (15.XII.2009)

Interview with Tobias Fongelius 

(Jormundgand) 15.XII.2009

(Questions compiled  by 

Kate Szíjártó (1987-2010 R.I.P.) and Georgius)

Hails! To my mind, the name you chose has a lot to do with your music. How did you hit on an idea of choosing this name?

- The name came naturally to us because of our origin and it was also an appropriate name due to the kind of music we create. JORMUNDGAND is the counterpart to Leviathan/Tad-Ekam and represents "our" Northern dragon of Chaos.

When I listened first to your music early DISSECTION crossed my mind. I've read on your site that guys from NIFELHEIM helped you to cope with the recordings of your demo. Please, tell me about its process in details.

- Well the thing is that Hellbutcher is a very good friend of ours and when we had finished the instrumental recordings we asked him to do some background vocals on the track "Satanic Attack". So he did, but that was also all he did so you can't really say that we made the demo with help from NIFELHEIM since it was Hellbutcher only. He has done a lot for JORMUNDGAND; for example the demo cover art and our logo, which we are very grateful for.

And it has to be said that it's a great honour to be resembled with DISSECTION!

You come from Uddevalla, could you please tell me about the local metal scene and the musicians/bands from Sweden you are in contact with.

- The local scene is unfortunately quite dead in this part of Sweden when it comes to black metal. There are very few bands in the genre that we respect for their music and their ideals and because of that our relations with other bands are strictly limited.

What is JORMUNDGAND's current line-up and do the members of the band take part in other projects?

- The current line-up is: Tobias Fongelius (guitars & vocals), Erika Hansson (guitars & piano), Tobias Pettersson (bass). Tobias P. is also playing bass in two other bands; RAM and VORNTH. Our drummer has got some projects as well but we can't say his name yet since he is not an official member of JORMUNDGAND.

I would also like to know about your live activity, where and with what other bands did you play?

- We won't play live until we have found the right individuals for the band. This has proven to be a huge challenge.

Apart from playing music, what do you do in your everyday life? If any of you happen to have a hobby, please, tell me about it.

- Well this was a very tricky question since we've got such different hobbies. But some interests that we have are: studying Satanic literature and art, collecting records and merchandise, photography and preparing as well as arranging bones and skulls.

I know that you are fond of reading books, would you please tell me what are your favourite ones? I'm also curious to know your opinion about Liber Azerate.

- Tobbe F: "I would rather not to tell which books I prefer since it's a personal matter. As an answer to your question and without going any deeper into it I can say I find Liber Azerate very interesting and instructive."

I was very pleased to find out that Jon Nödtveidt (R.I.C.) is your hero as well as mine. From your letters I've got to know that you didn't know Jon personally, but what do you think of him as a person and musician?

- Tobbe F: "Jon is One of our great sources of inspiration, both musically and spiritually. His music is eternal perfection and his legacy shall never be forgotten."

Hail Jon Nödtveidt!

Hail the Mighty Dead!

Hail the Bloodline of Fire! 

Could you please name 5 of your favourite albums?

- This is a really difficult question since there are so many albums that are of great importance to us. But to mention a few albums: DISSECTION – "The Somberlain", WATAIN – "Sworn to the dark", NIFELHEIM – "Servants of darkness", MAYHEM – "De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas", BATHORY – "Blood, Fire, Death", EMPEROR – "In the Nightside Eclipse", MOTÖRHEAD – "Sacrifice", JUDAS PRIEST – "Defenders of the Faith".

What are the band's plans for the future? I hope to see you live in Hungary or in Ukraine shortly, though it wouldn't be a bad idea to play on one stage with you. Do you know any Ukrainian and Hungarian bands?

- First of all we are going to record a 7" single with two killer tracks this spring. That is the main project for the moment.

Bands from Hungary and Ukraine that we know are TORMENTOR, POKOLGÉP and NOKTURNAL MORTUM. And then we also have CASTRUM and DOMHRING.

Tack så mycket!!! It was a pleasure for me to ask you these questions. Would you somehow sum it all up?

- Total Chaos!

Total Death!

Hail the Serpent!

Thanks for the support! Keep your eyes and ears open for our next release.

Tobias Fongelius (Voodus, ex-Jormundgand)

Interview with Tobias Fongelius 

(Voodus, ex-Jormundgand)

Hail my good old friend Tobbe! First of all tell to the readers  about the Hellish alliance between Jormundgand and German black metal label, Christhunt Productions regarding your debut, "Visions Of The Past” in 2013! (by the way I’m very pleased for  the mention my humble name on your thank-list!) What has been the reception of "Visions of the Past” amongst black metal fans, magazines?

- Hail!

Well, the response has been quite lame to be honest.. But I can understand why! The "Visions..." cd is not the best things we have done during the years... I don't want to go in to any details but I can tell you that I do NOT like it at all!! The lack of inspiration and dark atmosfear on that recording is quite obvious. We wanted too much and went astray on the way somewhere. We needed to take a step back to try to figure it all out, and it ended up with the death of Jormundgand and the rebirth and rising in the shape of Voodus! And I have to say that after we changed name/aim for our spiritual perception, the band has finally found the way back to the true depths again! The music and the atmosfear is better than ever before! We are strong for real now! Hard as iron and black like a shadow!

Jormundgand recorded in "The Burning Light of Daath" as a single for the "Critical Mass vol. II" LP in 2014. Would you be so kind to share some thoughts about it?

- There is not so much to say about that. Dennis who runs the label "Critical Mass" asked us if we wanted to participate on the hardest compilation LP in Sweden? Of course! We said, and recorded "The Burning Light of Daath", which is the first full song that me (Tobbe) and Erik did together. It is in fact a Voodus song and not a creation by Jormundgand, even if the back of the LP say so.....

Jormundgand played in August last year with an old Hungarian band, Omen and RAM in Sweden. How were satisfied Hungarian guys with that show? What are your experiences from this concert?

- Yeah! Omen was a pack of really great guys :) Thy did two shows in Sweden and we did one of the gigs along with them! I don't know how their second gig turned out, but in Kungälv where we played it was pretty good. Not so big audience thou.... But it use to be like that.... If there is more than 100 persons, you must be extremely satisfied! And RAM, it´s always a pleasure to do gigs with them! They are a really fucking great live-band. They are true to their Heavy metal heritage, and it makes them  rise above the most of other bands of the scene. I have far more respect for those guys than I feel for 99% of the Black metal scene of today. But I have to say that I feel some kind of dark and dangerous currents from the depths of the scene of today. There are some really great bands out there, like Mephorash, Thy Darkened Shade, Ascension, The Ruins of Beverast, Acrimonious,Nidsang, Valkyrja.......Voodus!

You’ve changed band name Jormundgand to Voodus this Summer.. 

Enlighten us about all the important details of this metamorphosis!

- Read the first question and answer!

Voodus has been the band of the week at SwedenMetal in September,2015. Congratulations, my friend, you are really deserved it! Tell us more about it!

- It´s not so much to say! It´s just one internet mag in the big ocean of mags out there that liked our music! Hahaha, but it´s always fun when our music reach out to people. And it is a good thing to have some magazines on your side, to write your words and propaganda when you want to conquer the world!!!!

Voodus  is a very active one with live shows this and last year. You’ve shared the stage with bands Ofermod, Mephoras under banner "The Holy Trinity Tour” in Sundsvall, Östersund and Stockholm, Sweden in September. How was that live performance?

- It was great times for us! And we thank Erik from the mighty Mephorash for the opportunity to be a part of this tour! It was a magical time! I mean, to play and to hang out with Black Metal Gods like Mika Belfagor from the mighty Ofermod and Jonas Nebiros from Malign/Mephorash! It was a true honour for us!!! The gigs went out well I think! Specially the gig in Stockholm! It was some kind of dark force in the atmosfear that night! With the Bloodmoon in the night sky to celebrate the end of the tour and all!

If I’m not mistaken, You’ve crushed the audience in Uddevalla on your birthday, 31th of October. Would you be so kind to say some thoughts about this massive show?

- Yeah! We did a gig along with Necrocurse in their hometown! It was a great show!

I’m very thankful to you for your awesome package  of this year (among other things you sent me a lot of posters, Jormundgand’s debut CD and last but not least  new Nifelheim vinyl with dedication of mighty Hellbutcher and latest Necrocurse CD (also with signature of Hellbutcher). As far as I know, Jormundgand helped  to Necrocurse with decoration in their video-clip, called „Devil’s Cobra”. What we should to know about that?

- No problem my friend! The thing is that we played before Necrocurse on that show and we left our scene-show on the scene because we didn't had the time to take it away. I´m not so sure if I think that it was such a great idea anymore..... I mean, I have put like 100 hours in the workshop and in the woods for inspiration to create all the things that we bring to the show, and now will people think that it is the scene of Necrocurse..... Hrm, well, well. But now you know that all the bone and skull-creations are ours! 

Voodus is very active not just with live shows in 2015 but You’ve recorded this Summer a four tracks’ material, called „NightQueen” and this EP has been released via Jawbreaker Records on tape and Heathen Tribes Records on CD digipack. Please, share with the readers all the important information about it! (I’ve listened all of your new tracks via soundcloud and I must to say, excellent job, my old friend!)

- The recording is just a demo, to be honest. We recorded it live in the studio with almost no money at all, just to have some new songs on print. Mostly for ourselves, you know to have a recording of the new material to listen to. But we was very satisfied with the result so we decided to release the material as a limited cassette through Jawbreaker Records, which is a underground label owned by a great guy (Gustav) from Gothenburg!!! The response for this first release by Voodus has been fucking great! And now the underground label Heathen Tribes Records will release a digipack-cd on the same material + The Burning Light Of Daath! 

As I’ve red on Voodus fb-page, You’ll record your second full-length.. if You want, say a few words about it, maybe about the structures of tracks and lyrical conception...

- The complete album will be a tribute to the dark force of Lilith. NightQueen is just a taste of what to come (also dedicated to Lilith). All the songs that you can hear on the NightQueen EP will be re-recorded for the album + 6 more songs. We have like 3 or 4 songs finished at this moment, so it is a little bit left before we can enter the studio. But we will record two new songs this summer for a single! I can't tell you any details about the label yet, but it will be a fucking killer-label with the roots deep down in the cradle of true, black, sinister and dark magic music! 

Tack så mycket, my old friend Tobbe! Hope to see You at live very soon near my area!  If there's anything you would like to add in the end of this conversation, please feel free to do it, Hail Voodus!

- Thank you! It´s always a pleasure to make interviews with you Georgius! Now, check out our Bandcamp, Soundcloud, Spotify, YouTube and/or Facebook-page for more music, merch and news! And don´t forget to order our EP,  NightQueen from Heathen Tribes Records!!!!

Hell the Dark Queen of the Nightside!

Hell Lilith!

Important links: 

 Facebook: facebook.com/Voodus-483829498431956/

Soundcloud: soundcloud.com/voodus

 Bandcamp: voodus.bandcamp.com/