When and how did the band
get formed, whose idea was it? It’s not obvious that
someone suddenly begins to make (or play) such music, can
you tell us how you developed since your childhood and
when you first came in contact with this style of music?
Blood Axis was originally
conceived in 1989, although the first recordings did not
appear until a few years later. Also around the same time
I joined Boyd Rice's project Non for a period, and I was
putting energy into that. Blood Axis was never formed to
be a typical music group. We don't care about the record
industry or about doing things in any standard way (i.e.
releasing albums every year in order to make money, or
going on regular tours to help sell the records, etc.) I
consider it to be a vehicle for willpower and an outlet
for certain creative forces. That is the main intention
and sole justification for it.
In the winter of '94/'95
you recorded the debut album "The Gospel of
Inhumanity", was it difficult to find a label, were
you satisfied about the distribution? Did many people buy
this CD?
It wasn't difficult to find a
label, as our close friends at Cthulhu Records were
interested from the very beginning. I remember mentioning
once while I was visiting them in Germany that I had
ideas for a new music project, and they immediately
expressed enthusiasm to release it, even before I had
recorded anything. They did a good job on distribution,
and I think interest in the CD also spread by word-of-mouth.
For an independent album I think it sold quite decently,
especially considering it was never advertised very much
or promoted heavily. I know it has sold as well as or
better than a number of more well-known groups, so that's
a good sign.
The title "The Gospel
of Inhumanity", has it a profound meaning, how and
from which point of view do we have to interpret it?
The listener must decide for
himself or herself how to interpret it. I'm not
interested in dictating opinions to anyone.
One member of the band is
German, who? Does he live in the states now? How did you
find him in the first place?
Markus Wolff, who played
drums for us on the European tour in 1998, is German. He
was born there but moved to the USA when he was a
teenager. I have known him for almost fifteen years; I
think he first wrote to me back then as I had an
electronic project called Coup de Grâce. Blood Axis is
basically comprised of me and whichever other people
agree to help for a specific project, such as a tour or
for a recording. So the "members" have shifted
over the years. Usually Robert Ferbrache is involved, and
also Annabel Lee, and then additional contributors have
been Markus and Aaron Garland. Everyone else also has
their own projects that they work on, for example Annabel
has Alraune and Markus releases material as Waldteufel (which
Annabel contributes to, as have I also). Robert Ferbrache
is a very prolific studio engineer and musician, and has
worked with lots of other people, including quite a few
famous pop stars, who shall remain nameless...
Quite a while ago you
released a 2nd live album,
recorded at the 10th anniversary
feast of Cold Meat Industry, called "BLOT: Sacrifice
in Sweden". How did you manage to obtain the CMI.
Trademark? Did you expect this to happen, is this a
special opportunity in your career for you?
Roger decided to give the
release a special "CMI X" catalogue number
since the concert was done for the Cold Meat Anniversary.
I wouldn't say it is a "culminating point" for
us, because that would imply we are finished. To the
contrary, maybe we have only just begun...
It seems odd and not logic
that you keep yourself busy with Celtic and Northern/German
cultures because you are American, Can you explain the
relation between this? What do these cultures mean to
you?
It is perfectly logical
because all my ancestors came from Northern Europe. Only
a few generations ago they were living on European soil.
The relation is through blood, and that is far stronger
than national borders or geography. Blood is spirit, and
spirit transcends all.
Both albums contain music/lyrics
from, for example, J.S. Bach, Nietzsche, C. Manson,…
The new live CD begins with a spectacular intro, What
could you reveal about this? What’s your purpose of
using this kind of stuff? Do you want to announce a
certain message to the listeners, and to finish this
question, which topics does the lyrics handles more?
The voice on the intro speaks
about some things worth thinking about, so that is why I
used it. Of course we announce a message, doesn't
everyone? The question should simply be whether the
message rings true. As for the lyrics, I don't think they
are confined to any subject in particular, and I'm sure
they will expand in breadth in the future.
Your last show of the tour
was in Belgium. The gig opened with 2 side-projects,
formed by some members of Blood Axis? Which are these
side-projects of the band and can you give a short
description for each one of them? On which level are they
different from eachother?
The two opening performances
were Waldteufel (which for this show was Markus, Annabel
and myself) and Ernte. Ernte is the project of Willi and
Rose, who also were the people behind Cthulhu Records. We
also assisted them for the Ernte songs they performed,
which were "Sonnenwende" and "Stolze
Herzen." Annabel used to be a member of the group
Amber Asylum, and she will now release some material
under the name Alraune, in addition to her contributions
to Blood Axis and Waldteufel.
Indo-European tour 1998,
concert in Sintra (Portugal). Picture taken/provided by
Mauriçio/Nury of "Alcateia Plásmica
association"
Unlike most people know,
you represent a certain function in the Church of Satan
from La Vey, which function in particular do you have
there? Could you tell us something more about this
institution, because many think that this church is not
so "Black" than most would expect, do you
agree? It is certainly not appreciated among the true
individual magicians, which do not belief in mass
submission. Personally, this is also my opinion about it,
but still I wonder why people like you, do submit
themselves to this untruthfulness?
I do not have any function in
the COS beyond the that I was named a priest by Dr.
LaVey, when he was alive. I am not sure what you mean by
the word "black" in your second question, so
it's hard to give an answer. But I can say that I have
not submitted myself to anything, and certainly not
something untruthful! The whole crux of the Satanic
worldview is to be true to oneself.
What does Baphomet means
to you in general? What’s the relation to Paganism
according to your philosophy?
Everything has multiple
layers of meaning, so to answer a question like this is
quite complex. I could talk about the Baphomet
historically in relation to the Knights Templar, or about
its adoption by modern Satanists, the connections to the
Goat of Mendes, etc. Or one can talk about it in a more
symbolic sense as representing the forces of nature, or
its connection to pagan conceptions, the goat god Pan,
etc. As for my own philosophy, I basically view the world
in heathen terms.
Indo-European tour 1998,
concert in Sintra (Portugal). Picture taken/provided by
Mauriçio/Nury of "Alcateia Plásmica
association"
Can you name 5 of your
favourite bands?
Sangre Cavallum, Camerata
Mediolanense, Allerseelen, Scivias, Ain Soph... but there
are many others; these are just the first ones that came
to mind when you asked the question!
You are the author of a
book called "Lords of Chaos", what is this all
about? Was there a specific reason to write this?
The book is a chronicle of
the "infamous" events relating to the Black
Metal scenes in Norway and elsewhere, told through many
different interviews and perspectives. People who are
interested in the book in Europe can find out more about
the book on the Internet at www.feralhouse.com or you can order it through www.Amazon.com There should be a German edition
published soon through Prophecy Productions info@prophecyproductions.de and there may be a Swedish edition
also.
Last question, what can we
expect from Blood Axis in the future… Any last
words?
Ave atque Vale!
For more information about
Blood Axis, send an IRC to:
STORM, c/o Michael Moynihan,
PO box 129, Waterbury Center VT 05677, USA
