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INDEX
INTERVIEWS
GUESTBOOK
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Interview
of METALION, editor of the cult old school as fuck SLAYER mag and
once runner of the label HEAD NOT FOUND (R.I.P) by Nathaniel!
Enter into the
old school!
Hello Metalion! So what’s happening right now in Sarpsborg? Isn’t life too much boring? I guess it must be really stressy as the issue #18 is soon to be printed.
Yes, as you know life is not very interesting anymore, it is true I just finished SLAYER 18 and it should be out when you read this. The last days of putting a magazine together is always hell, so it is a strange feeling when it is done! Also a vast feeling of emptiness….
You printed issue #17 thanks to the service of BRUTALLICA mag. How did it happen, and are you satisfied with the way it worked? Have you kept on using their services for issue #18? How much does it cost to you to print SLAYER MAGAZINE, and generally, how many copies do you print?
I found out about BRUTALLICA as I saw some other ‘zines that have used the service of this great Bulgarian team. Also it was impossible for me to continue to print magazines in Norway as it become too expensive. So yes, I used them again for SLAYER 18 and I will hopefully continue to use them in the future. They are very friendly and supportive and it is good to use a printer that is involved in the Metal scene. It cost about 2.5 US dollar to print one copy, I print between 1000 and 2000 copies, and you do the math! HAHA!
I was really happy to see some interviews taken from the almighty VOICES FROM THE DARK SIDE (http://www.voicesfromthedarkside.de) printed in issue #17. How did it worked with Frank Stöver to get these cool inties for your zine, especially the one with Franck Blackfire? Don’t you regret that VOICES... is no longer a printed zine?
It is for sure very sad that VOICES no longer exist in paper format, I been a friend of Frank for a long time so it is a great thing hat we can help each other this way. I think some of the interviews from VOICES definitely need to be seen on paper. In SLAYER 18 there is also an ASSASSIN interview that was used there. But it goes the other way too, sometimes Frank use some of my stuff, like 1349 and REPULSION.
Do you still keep on sending interviews via snail mail, or do you use more the Internet nowadays? What do you think about the attitude of the Swedish killer death metal band REPUGNANT who chose not to have a website and to write mainly through snail mail?
Most interviews are done with Internet now, it is more practical and it is easier for the bands to deal with. I also do some live and phone interviews but not that many. The Internet is a great tool for this. I have nothing against snail mail of course, the interview I did with Jon from DISSECTION was done with snail mail. And in the new issue there is a interview with Peter Hobbs of HOBBS’ ANGEL OF DEATH which was done by fax. Everything is possible. I think the attitude of REPUGNANT is great in this aspect too, but I think they are under the influence of the Internet as well.
Are you still involved so much into tape trading than you used to be during the 80´s and the beginning of the 90´s? How do you see the evolution of this movement? Have you been confronted to a lot of rip-offs? Do you receive a lot of promo stuff, or do you still buy a lot of the stuff you review?
I had to give up the tape trading as I become far to time consuming and it was pretty hard to keep track of everything. I had and still have a great collection. I think people still trade but many use mp3 and so on too I think. In my tape trading days there was not really much cases of being ripped off. I seriously think most people involved are not ripp offs. Of course there are some rotten eggs here and there and I guess I was lucky. Of course there is a lot of promos send here but I still buy a lot of stuff too, like vinyl versions and so on. And if I get some promo cd’es that re good I usually end up buying the final version if I can afford it. I do order stuff here and there in order to support cool bands or just out of pure curiosity.
What is cool with your zine is that it has still the spirit of a fanzine after all these years. How do you started with SLAYER MAGAZINE and which was the first band you interviewed? How do you see the level of your first interviews? Have you been interviewed a lot because of your involvement into the scene?
Yes, I like that look and seriously I don’t think I could make it any other way. I enjoy doing the entire layout the old fashioned way, I feel very creative during this process. It is a great feeling putting all the pieces together and sees the birth of the magazine! I started with SLAYER back in ’85, well, I started in ’84 but the first issue was out in early ’85. I was previously contributing to a metal ‘zine called LIVE WIRE, but since the other guys lost interest my ambition was growing bigger. I thought I could do this on my own so I decided to create SLAYER; it was my involvement in the Metal world. For the first issues I didn’t really do interview, just bios on bands I got information in the mail. I’m not sure which was exactly the first band I interviewed, but it was mot likely a Norwegian Heavy Metal band called ROAD, that interview was never published, but it was an interesting experience. I wish I still had that interview.
What is
your opinion about the actual fanzines? Don’t you think that too
much of them are more concerned in having a nice layout with glossy
paper and color everywhere, than to ask interesting and in depths
questions, and doing hard but honest reviews? Do you like zines
like
CANADIAN ASSAULT (http://www.canadianassault.cjb.net),
METAL CORE (http://www.metalcorefanzine.com),
TALES OF THE MACABRE (http://www.iron-pegasus.com)
or LEATHER´n´SPIKES (http://www.destructionritual.com)
for example?
Yes, there really are a lot of glossy and big magazines out there, bit all those lacks the individual spirit and attitude, they have no opinion on their own or any personality that you can recognize. Of course there are a few exceptions like those you mentioned here, I really hope Costa will make another issue of his great magazine but he seems to involved with his label. I think that is sad because that was a great magazine.
What about the other Norwegian fanzines like FROM BEYOND or the young BLOODY VENGEANCE? Which were the fanzines that really kicked your ass and motivated you to start your own pages?
FROM BEYOND is great, I really like that one a lot. Same with BLOODY VENGEANCE, it will be interesting to see the future of BLOODY VENGEANCE. In the beginning I was really inspired by a Swedish fanzine called HEAVY METAL MASSACRE and I also were good friends with the editor. METAL FORCES was a great inspiration and a good way to discover great bands. A bit later I found the German BLITZKRIEG and DEATHFUCK very cool. DEATHFUCK was a great inspiration to involve more sick and humorous parts.
Are you also aware of what happens in areas like South America and Asia, or Australia? Do you enjoy reading zines like DESECRATION OF VIRGIN or ETERNAL FIRE?
These days it is very hard to follow everything but I have a reasonable clue on what is going on in Australia for instance. I used to love all the great bands from South America and it isopod to see old warriors like MORTEM still alive doing pulverizing Metal. And all those great bands from Brazil, the list is endless. Sadly enough I have no copies of DESECRATION OF VIRGIN but I read it while I was visiting Patrick of WITCHBURNER and it was a great read. I just don’t have any copies myself, nor ETERNAL FIRE I think….
I noticed that you don’t practice the cock sucking with the Norwegian established acts like IMMORTAL, EMPEROR (rip), ENSLAVED, and so on. How do you consider the attitude of the big magazines who, nowadays tend to praise too blindly the last works of these bands, mostly because they are big sellers? I mean, isn’t it the way you feel the music that is important, and not how much a band sells?
I believe in honesty to myself that is all that matters. But all those big magazines, they are controlled by record labels. The big record labels pay the magazines to make good reviews. So in order to survive the magazines must suck corporate label cock. It is a vicious circle. It is as you said; those people don’t care about the music. I don’t care either, if there are good bands on big labels I gladly feature them as long as they kick ass. But I will never interview anyone just because the label tells me too. I have to like the band. I don’t need all those ads anyway. There are a few I use in SLAYER, but not many…
You have witnessed the evolution of the Norwegian scene from death metal bands like OLD FUNERAL (2 first demos), AMPUTATION, PHOBIA, CADAVER, THOU SHALT SUFFER, MORBID (with some Swedish guys too), to what I and Costa from IRON PEGASUS/TALES OF THE MACABRE call "the second wave of black metal" with bands like MAYHEM (from "De Mysteriis..."), DARKTHRONE (from "A blaze..."), SATYRICON, GORGOROTH, BURZUM and the list goes on. How did you judged this evolution at that time, and how do you see it nowadays? How big was the Euronymous influence on the scene?
Yes, it was
great for me there from day one to see the birth of the extreme
scene here in Norway. All those bands you talk about were great,
and it just amazing to see how the creativity flew here. But anyway,
MORBID was a totally Swedish band, but as you know - Dead - the
singer moved to Norway to join MAYHEM. I think the influence of
Euronymous was really great and he was a great force in the Metal
scene. He and his words influenced a lot of people. I think it is
safe to say he was the one who brought up the attention for more
extremity.
Bands like IMMORTAL, DARKTHRONE, EMPEROR started
as Death Metal bands but progressed into what we called Norwegian
Black Metal. Those days were great because more or less every band
had something unique to offer.
How have you also witnessed the quick "evolution" (take the word in a bad meaning) of the second wave of black metal movement with posers... oups, I wanted to say bands like DIMMU BORGIR, CRADLE OF FILTH and all these polluted by cheesy romantic gothic bands claiming they were black metal because of their corpse paints and spikes? Don’t you think that what guys like Euronymous were strongly believing in has been stabbed to death and brought maybe more posers in the scene than you could have seen during the 80´s?
That was to be expected when the mainstream media discovered Black Metal. Because of this so many were drawn to the Black Metal cult. And also a lot of persons that had no clue what was going on. In the past the scene was a for real maniac but later it was more and more normal people getting involved who had absolutely nothing to offer and could be seen just as sheep’s. I still think DIMMU BORGIR produce quality music so I’m not after shit talking them. But it is worse with the fans that follow them and have absolutely no clue. Those people who only know about DIMMU BORGIR or cradle OF FILTH. And all those Goth Metal bands, I think that is just disgusting. It has absolutely NOTHING to do with Metal. It would be amazing for Euronymous to see what has happened here…
Something I really can’t understand is how much crappy bands in both black and death metal have suddenly discovered that Nazism was their way and exploited it in their music to show how evil they are supposed to be. I mean, I have never seen any political or racist and even fascist ideas in the texts of originating bands like VENOM, HELLHAMMER/ CELTIC FROST, BATHORY or even POSSESSED... So, how do you consider this fact, and why our beloved music began to be polluted by such fools, according to you?
I think that is bullshit too, what I find interesting is that so many of those Nazi orientated bands really do suck. The music is not interesting at all; I think the reason for this s that those guys are more interested in promoting the political ideas instead of proper music. So for me this is very uninteresting. I think those guys are not proper Metal heads anyway. They are brought into this for the wrong reasons. I chose to ignore most of those types of bands. I never judge anyone by the color of his or her skin; I chose to judge a person on how he acts. An idiot is an idiot no matter what.
Talking about something else. I mean that I enjoy as much as you the come back of DESTRUCTION, NUCLEAR ASSAULT, EXUMER, NASTY SAVAGE, HEATHEN, DEATH ANGEL and in a way EXODUS. But don’t you think that it shows how weak the scene is becoming? It’s alright for me to see finally such bands as I was too young to see them live in their hey days, but in another way it seems that metal begins to lack of good and creative bands since the middle of the 90´s. Your thoughts about it please?
You are probably right. I think there is so much bad shit out there is not even fun. And I also think that a lot of those older bands decide to come back because the find out what is important in their lives. So they have had a few years doing different stuff and sorted out all the band problems in the meantime. So those guys want to come back and play Metal again. I think that is pretty fucking kick ass. It will be interesting to see when those bands put out new releases; maybe some of them still have something to offer? I think so, and if studio albums are happening I’m sure as hell is looking forward to that. Like NUCLEAR ASSAULT at Wacken last year, that was amazing. I think it is good if those old bands come back and make good albums so the kids of today know what is going on. I think bands like HOLY MOSES and NECRODEATH already made very killer comeback albums. But I think the world need good bands, doesn’t matter if it is new or old as long as it is good.
Something weird to me is that when the first thrash metal bands began to mix their metal with punk or hardcore riffs during the 80´s, it has given nothing but such a powerful and aggressive music. But nowadays, when I listen to all these death core bands cloning SUFFOCATION or DYING FETUS, and praising the fact to be brutal just for the sake to be brutal, I just feel angry and find that they are not opening the way to any kind of evolution for the real metallic spirit. What do you think about this statement? Could you imagine yourself that one-day some death metal bands would even mix hip-hop to their sound?
Most of the
newer Death/grind band fails to fascinate me too! There is a serious
lack in feeling in those bands. It is just gruff griff gruff.
I
definitely see Death Metal mixed with hip-hop. I think that actually
have. Look at all those stupid NU METAL bands, which are like rapping
in some stupid Metal costume. I hate that crap, it really pollutes
everything….
Don’t you think that the freshness of extreme metal is to be seen in old scholars who don’t try to be just copies of the metal gods, but who try to put their own identity in their metal like PENTACLE, DESASTER, GOSPEL OF THE HORNS, SADISTIC INTENT, KAAMOS, REPUGNANT, LEVIFER/GOATSEMEN, INCANTATION, IMMOLATION, NIFELHEIM, DEVIL LEE ROT?
I think most
of those bands really have the old feelings and hey bring it further
one way or another.
Why Arne Babb hates cats so much?
I think he loves the cats!
How comes that you have an interview with bands like NIFELHEIM and SADISTIK EXECUTION in almost all your last issues? Since when do you use the great artworks of Rev. Kriss Hades for SLAYER MAGAZINE? Is it drawn specially for you?
They have not been that much covered in the last SLAYER. There was no NIFELHEIM in SLAYER 17 or 18. And SADISTIK EXEKUTION is not in 18 either; Anyway, the reasons why I feature them so many times are because the music they produce is amazing! I love them!!!!!! Yes, REV. KRISS HADES have submitted art to the last issues, he is a great friend, and some of the stuff he gives me is exclusive of course.
I read in BLAZING CORPSE #2 that the drummer of ENTOMBED used to make some artwork for SLAYER MAGAZINE during the "Clandestine" period. How long did this cooperation last? What are the artists you really enjoy in the metal scene? Any fave album covers?
I was a great friend of ENTOMBED and when they were called NIHILIST. I met them on several occasions and we had great contact through letters and stuff. So during this time Nicke (drummer) submitted a lot of zombie art to SLAYER. I don’t think he is so much into that anymore! HAHA! I obviously enjoy the art of ROK & KRISS HADES from SADISTIK, and I love the SADISTIK covers. Especially “FUKK”!!!! Besides that, I think “To Mega Therion” is one of the best LP covers and “Obsessed By Cruelty”.
I’d like to ask you some things about heavy metal. Have you been to the last MANOWAR and DIO gigs, and how do you see the evolution of their careers? Apart from the almighty METALUCIFER (http://www.truemetal.org/metalucifer) what are the actual bands that are still raising the banner of heavy metal high? Do you like the last MAIDEN and PRIEST albums? Haven’t you some lust to kill while seeing how successful are bands like HAMMERFALL, CHILDREN OF BODOM or STRATOVARIUS?
I did not go
and see the last MANOWAR or DIO gigs. Even if I enjoy the last MANOWAR
LP I am bit tired of seeing them live. Both have released great
stuff in the past and DIO remains as one of my favorite singers!
For DIO I love “Holy Diver” the most and the four first MANOWAR
is essential! There are still great Metal acts out there. Like RITUAL
STEEL from Germany, TWISTED TOWER DIRE from USA, SKULLVIEW from
USA, and some of the older ones still kicking ass. VORTEX From Holland
for instance, they are awesome! The last album with MAIDEN was totally
ok, but PRIEST sucked so badly!!!!!!!!!!!!! I don’t care about the
success of HAMMERFALL or STRATOS, no concern of mine. I do like
a little CHILDREN OF BODOM so please kill me! HAHA!
Don’t you think that the Norwegian policy about alcohol is nothing but pure hypocrisy? Do you often go to Denmark in order to drink some better and less expansive booze? If metal was a beer, which one would it be according to you? Please don’t say to me Ringnes or Hansa! hahahaahah!
Yeah, alcohol in Norway is damn expensive but as I don’t drink so much as I used to it is no big deal. There are however a lot of money spend when you go to the pubs, especially if you want something else than beer! HAHA! I don’t have any fave beer, I just drink! A lot of killer beer in Germany. DIEBELS ALT UBER ALLES! And no, I never go to Denmark to drink!
It seems that you have been quite often in Germany. How could you explain that this country in particular is one of the biggest consumers of metal? Is it due to the amount of beers they drink since they are children?
There are killer concerts in Germany and that is reason enough for me to go there. It is a very huge country so it seems like everything is popular there! HAHA! They might not have so good taste when it comes to power Metal but just remember all those great Thrash bands hailing from there. Yes, the children are probably learning to drink in school! HAHA!
I heard also that you have been in France a couple of times. How was it? Do you see something interessant coming out of this country in a matter of metal? What are the other countries you got the chance to visit, and which one pleases you the most? Would you like to visit the South American and Australian scenes?
I been in France a few times, mainly to visit Alex from AGRESSOR and Michel from MUTILATED, but that was many years ago. I had a great time every time I was there back in the days. Met LOUDBLAST too and several others. I been to Australia too, I was there in ’96 for five months, I saw SAD X of course. It was really great, and I would love to go to South America, but I don’t know when / if that will happen. There are some German rips planned and may an American assault as well. The people in Australia were great, but I usually run across like-minded people wherever I go. Be it Germany, Sweden, England, Australia…. Traveling is good!
Would you like to ask me a question?
Have you discovered any interesting Norwegian bands?
(Nathaniel: Well yes, but no new bands!!! In fact I heard OLD FUNERAL and AMPUTATION which really kick my ass, thanks to the almighty Tore "ALLRIGHT" Bratseth. Two years ago I discovered MOLESTED and I regret that they did not kept on playing in this direction... BORKNAGAR sucks in my humble opinion! Ha! I quite enjoyed some rehearsal tapes of MAYHEM from 1990. And DARKTHRONE only manages to keep my attention with "Soulside journey"... I am not too found of your actual scene, I prefer to dig the "prime cuts" like PHOBIA or CADAVER which I still have to discover!!! Oups, I almost forget to talk about the best norwegian band ever... TNT! yeah! hahahaahah!!!)
Ok Jon, jeg tror at jeg har ikke lengre noe spørsmål. Er det noe som du ville si for å slutte dette intervjuet? Jeg håper at det ikke var for kjedelig, og ønsker at SLAYER mag aldri stanser å glede de ekte metalheads!
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