The following transcript is the raw material for a somewhat controversial interview with Infernus that Jarne B. conducted for the German Rock Hard magazine. After a great deal of hassle they refused to print it, allegedly because of a disagreement between the involved parties regarding censorship.
Interview date to set was pretty hard, do you see any reason why some, esspecially german press refuses to do an interview with Gorgoroth? Why do you think the press is dealing that hard with you in Germany?
I didn't know the press were on a general level dealing especially hard with us in Germany. Are they? Insofar you are right, I might see one obvious alternative as an explanation. We have had an fair amount of situations in which we have an interview situation in which the reporter on a moral basis finds it difficult to relate to what is being said, and to a too large extent tries to identify with and to relate to the views of say for instance me on some certain topics. This often turns out the wrong way. I do not have much of a problem having a chat with some secular Christian as long as the rhetorics are fair and his/hers level of mental development is not too far beneath that of average man. But there is an ongoing tendency that many of those journalists, which I am fully aware might have been scared already by who knows what silly rumours that has been out, for some all too human and resentimental reasons choose to react upon my or our point of wiews in a most cowardish way with quoting me or us incorrectly, deliberately taking things out of context and to portray us and our cause as not only evil and subversive but also not in touch with reality, even confuced or directly stupid. This is of course to a certain degree frustrating. You spend an hour chit chatting with some mongo treating him/her in a polite way and with respect, then that person leaves with a feeling of insult or fear and chooses such ways to find kind of a revenge. Anyway, this as far as it is known by me, is not more a problem for us in Germany than in the rest of Europe.
Gorgoroth is spreading it´s message since 1992. You´re know for being one of the most extreme BM bands ever. You´ve never followed the trend. To make it clear to everyone…what is BM all about!? What does mean BM to you personally?
Black Metal is Satans music. It is a subgenre of metal as such and it is essentially targeted at Satanists by Satanists. And it is by us and some others in the scene consciously used as a tool of manipulation. To shake the foundations of whoever of the kind who are able to see what we find both so tremendous and fascinating with metal, the world, being therein, with life in itself. To come to terms with and to express the feelings and frustrations of a phenomena what you Germans entitle Vervorfenheit. This is religiously motivated Satanic propaganda aimed at contemporary youth. It has a basic Gnostic framework with a concept of a fall and a return. We use Gorgoroth as a gate to let in acosmic energies to perform damage on the wellconstructed bonds and imprisonment of the Demiurge. Through metal and Satanism. But please do not misunderstand me. It is of course not so that the only way he has to go through musicallywise is metal. But the formal aspects and the way to present our cause through such a specific subgenre of metal music is a matter of aestetical taste and of choice and abilities. This is simply what we are best at, and we try to use the situation as good as we can. I pray every evening that next time I will be born I will be so somewhere close to Broadway. Or Hollywood. But for the time being metal should do as a proper tool to channel the Forces of Darkness into this world.
Gorgoroth is ready to release their 7 th album right now! Do you think Gorgoroth is able to deliver the feeling of true Black Metal after nearly 15 years of existence? Why don´t you play more pregressive or even melodic/keyboard BM like lot´s of your fellows from Norway?
Hehe, whats black metal or not is up to us to decide, isn't it? It surely feels good, and we are all satisfied with the new album. Thats the most important thing, goes without saying. Then, there has already been some rather positive feedback as well. Regain Records are well satisfied and have high expectations. Collegues of ours seem to be in a bliss, and at a couple press listening sessions we have got immediate positive response. We have worked really hard on this one, and I believe it will kick the feet under most what there is in that rotten scene of today. Insofar it is progressive or not I have not been dwelling on too much. It has never been a topic. To use a rather grandiose clichee; we do what we feel like doing. And to me it seems like we are changing our minds on what is good and what is not fairly often enough. Means it should be difficult to build a too high and somewhat precise expectation for what concerns future releases. Me personally, I like some keyboard based music or music with a rather extended use of keyboards and synth. But we so far never found it appropriate for our thing to integrate in high quantities.
As it seems Gorgoroth is not only spreading the message of death, rape and destruction. It seems that you and your members try to practice what you preach!? People think that you raped a woman, Gaahl is in jail right now for some serious bodily harm. Are these both topics in a direct connection with Gorgoroth? In case yes do you feel proud to live Black Metal that way?
I can only speak for myself what goes for this. And at the time being the supreme court is having a look at my case, and it would not be especially clever of me to go too much into the details of it. But i have a good feeling. I never admitted anything but storing some guns which they found during the razzia plus kicking out some totally insignificant mental case from my flat after a party 6 o'clock in the morning. I was cleared from the more serious charges, that of kidnapping and participation in gang rape, and was found guilty in showing some gross negligence and in some minor violations of the norwegian fire arm regulations. I expect the supreme court to let me away with close to nothing, so that I can be out on the streets beating up and kicking around junkies and other human garbage again for fun pretty soon.
When you take a look back in the early 90s. The feeling was pure BM, really violent and cold…what do you feel today? Do you think the massive explosion of the scene has it´s positive aspect?
It was as I regard it good then and it is good now. Each in their own ways these two periods have their pros and cons. In the early nineties most people involved were as far as I know really devoted and – eventhough immature and silly the outcome of what was done often appeared – had good work ethics. Today some of us old werewolves are still around, angrier than ever of course, but hopefylly a bit more develloped and able to deliver the real deal than earlier on. I do not think it is measurable whether there was a better or even more feelings and atmosphera then as opposed to now. That would just be nonsense talk of unobservable phenomenas and of subjective taste. But one undeniable aspect is of course that metal in general nowadays seems to be more a popular thing than ever with generally speaking every crap band there is having a record deal, thousands of kids wearing Burzum or Mayhem shirts, more people attending shows et cetera. From a musicians point of view this is basically good. Us for instance, and this is easy matemathics, if we can sell a thousand more records or play an extra concert next year, that means we would not have to do that much other crap things for a living than that of being metal musicians. This does of course only to the slow minded or directly dishonest imply a categorical sell out. From a priest of Satans point of view this is of course good as well. If you believe yourself to have some value as a rolemodel and to have some commitment to whatever meaning the metal being delivered is charged with, it should as I see it be presented to the broad masses.
What do you think about for example Dark Throne on norwegian Top Of the Pop TV?
Actually I do not think too much through things like that. I am not much into either Darkthrone or the Top of the Pops, but I wish them best of luck with whatever they are doing. They are friends and good fellows doing what they like to do, and I respect that.
Do you think that Dimmu Borgir is Black Metal?
I do not really know. I haven't historically speaking been a great fan of them. Thus I haven't been listening much to them either. Perhaps I haven't given them the chance they deserve. I can remember listening to some of their newer material, and I actually like parts of it. They seem, and this I know from fellow co-workers, to be professional and hardworking with clear ideas how they want things. But whether its black metal or not I never gave a thought.
Return to the outgrowth of Black Metal? Have you ever hear the term: NSBM? What do you personally think about the European tendence within the BM underground that more and more bands jump on the train of neonazism, paganism and anti-juadism? Do you know for example bands like Absurd or Graveland?
I am slightly familiar with it, but it is frankly speaking not exactly my cup of tea. My main focus has since the end of the 1980's shifted from that of the underground. As a scholar with a strong interest in humanistic studies and as western european citizen of the early 21 st century, it is of course fascinating and interesting those the topics of Neonazism, Paganism and Anti-Judaism. You as a German would be among the first to agree on that, right? Anyway, as already a manyfold clearly stated – my main concern is that of being a practicing Satanist and a musician. From a Satanic point of view I am thus of course having an issue with the basic underlying etchics and the world views of both Judaism and Christianity. And on judgement day I believe them, as all of us, to stand responsible for this, not for skin color etc. Anyway, German, now you made me feel like a primary school teacher. Let's leave this field of self explainatory topics shall we?
What do you think about people like Varg Vikernes of Burzum which turned from a real BM-Head into a very right-wing politician which is searching for his victims within the BM scene. Can you follow his path?
I do not know what he is into thesedays. I have always been fond of his music and find it fascinating to put it slightly how he hit the scene back in 1991. But I am not much updated on his position thesedays. I choose to relate to his albums as more or less autonomous works with few if any references to anything beyond the exact works. As I do with Yngwie Malmsteen. Or Kazimir Malewich. To put it very simple; it s the work, not the man I am having as a main concern.
Image a 13 years old kid! Think that his first experience with music is one of your albums…what can happen to this guy over the years listening to your music?
Who would know? This depends much on the kids predispositions I assume. For me it was a tremendous meeting I had with bands like Bathory, Sodom and Celtic Frost at that age, and it surely drew my attention to something I in retrospect do not regret diving into.
What exactly happened in Poland?
Bleh, old news, isnt it? I do not really know more than what you can find out yourself in a matter of five minutes and with access to the internet. We were accused of violating a Polish paragraph regulating acts of blasphemy, and the district attorney of Krakow decided to start an investigation to get to the core of what exactly happened in 2004 when we were on a video shoot in an old stateowned tv studio there. Short version is that they confiscated all the raw material for the video, and we never saw any of it. A shame, since we invested quite a lot of work in that. As far as I know they did not drop the charges against the production company, Metal Mind Productions, and they probably haven't delivered back the tapes either. There is not much contact between Gorgoroth and Metal Mind thesedays, but we do of course hope things will sort out for the best of the release. I do not mind if these Poles would continue this ridiculous circus they started. All this hassle after all just helps us gain more publicity. But I assume they have better things to do than this. They should in deed.
Think thats all for now. Thanx for your time Jarne, and all the best for the future. AMSG!