Pure Fucking Armageddon, Total SATANIC SLAUGHTER
(This interview is used by kind permission of Serpent from Inquisitionist website/-zine)

Ave Ztephan. How are things in the Slaughterhouse?
GREAT, We have just finished the European tour with LORD BELIAL and CORPORATION 187. Lord Belial are some funny guys, totally crazy. We drank a lot, we played a lot and we drank even more! As you already figured out, we enjoyed the tour.

Heh, it really sounds like you did. How long tour was in question and what cities/countries you visited? Did everything go well on the tour?
We did 9 gigs. We visited Germany and Holland. Everthing went out great. We visited these cities and clubs.
Berlin, Knaack (Germany)
Weimar, Stoye Hall (Germany)
Tilburg, 013 (Holland)
Ranstadt, Black Inn (Germany)
Ulm, CAT (Germany)
Hamburg, Headbangers Ballroom (Germany)
Eindhoven, Dynamo Hardrockkafee (Holland)
Bischofswerda, East Club (Germany)
Bitterfeld, Festung (Germany)

Let's have a brief introduction of the band's history. How everything got started, when and why?
When I discovered VENOM, BATHORY, KREATOR and DESTRUCION I decided to start a band around 1985. In Dec ´89 I put the band to rest. In 1994, Necropolis Records approached me and asked me if I would be interested in re-releasing some of the old demos, or live recordings. However, I felt that these recordings did not sound good enough to release. So in July 1995, I gathered some old and new members of the band and together we entered studio Unisound to record our debut album after 10 years. Thru the years we have had several line- up changes, to this day there have been 30 different members. In April 1997 the members from the first 2 albums leave the band. They are now playing in WITCHERY. They were replaced by a new line up: Andreas (vocals), Dark (guitar), Kecke (guitar), Fille (bass) and Robban (drums). In 98 Kecke and Robban left the band. They were later replaced by Martin Axe (drums) and Stefan Johansson (guitar).

Satanic Slaughter is quite grim name for a band. Why such a name? Was it a provocative thing back then, does it reflect on the lyrics somehow or is it just a name?
It´s just a name. It´s fit our music. First we used the name EVIL CUNT but we wanted to change to something which suit the music. I read an article in Kerrang about SLAYER back in ´85. It stood S(L)ATANIC SLAUGHTER and I put away the L. I was thinking "cool name on a band". It was very provokative then.

Is Satanic Slaughter a satanic band then as well?
It depence what you mean with "satanic". We are not slaves under a religion or are members in a sect. We are not running around in the forest and screaming for SATAN. We protest against Christianity, Islam and The Jewish faith with our music. We believe that no human is equal, only the strongest survive. Take care of your beloved ones and your friends. Don´t care about others. Don´t turn the other cheek, revenge is the way. You can solve a lot with violence. We all know that the end of the world is near. Live you life NOW and don´t care what awaits you in the afterlife. Live in sin. If we are SATANIC, judge for your self.

You mentioned a couple of old-school black and thrash metal bands before. How much do these bands mean to you nowadays? Are they still the inspiration you need to create the music Satanic Slaughter does?
Now days these band means nothing. They are still great bands but now I find inspiration elsewhere.

Care to tell any sources of inspiration? Any bands, books, movies - whatever?
In the begining BATHORY was a big inspiration source both with lyrcis and music. Dissection had been a inspiration source too. I have read THE SATANIC BIBLE and that inspired me a lot. All kinds of horror movies, there are too many to mention.

What bands rule today in your opinion?
DARK FUNERAL, TRIUMPHATOR, MARDUK, IMMORTAL are great black metal bands, fast and brutal. Our drummer Martin Axe is playing in a new band called N.C.O from Sweden featuring KAMIJO from HYPOCRISY and PAIN. Check them out, I think they are great. VOMITORY and MALEVOLENT CREATION are great death metal bands aswell. And of course DISSECTION.

Were there any projects meanwhile you had SS buried or was it just a season without any bands or projects?
I played in a death metal band called MORGUE and a black metal band called CRUZIFIED ANGEL. Morgue released two demos, GOSPEL OF GORE and IN ARTICULO MORTIS. Toxine, Mique and Jensen who were playing on the first two albums, was playing in SEANCE at the time of the re-union.

What about those bands nowadays? Long dead and buried?
CRUZIFIED ANGEL is buried. SEANCE are working on a new album. It would be great to record an album with MORGUE, we have done some new songs but the band is put on ice right now.

What about band's discography?
We have now released 3 studio album: Satanic slaughter, Land of the unholy souls and Afterlife kingdom. Our fourth coming album BANISHED TO THE UNDERWORLD will be out in May.

Any demos or stuff like that collectors should be aware of?
Just a demo from '88.

What could you tell about your forth-coming album? What should we expect from it compared to the earlier Satanic Slaughter albums?
The new album is very different compared to the others. It is a very polished sound and it has more thrashier parts than before. It´s still Raw, fast Black/death metal. Sometimes with melodic parts.

What's the current line-up?
Andreas Deblén, Vocals
Martin Axe, Drums
Stefan Johansson, Guitar
Fille Carlsson, Bass
Ztephan Dark , Guitar

Even though SS is rather long-lived band you're not too known band in general. How come you have avoided all the mainstream hassle there usually is with bands with so many years in history?
We have never followed any trends, always played the music we like. I refuse to lick someones ass to take the band further. We have always done music we believe in and hope others will like it too. Too many people are into the scene today because they want to be fucking rockstars. They have no heart, no soul into the music. We had never got anything served for us. We have always worked very hard.

Do you have any examples of such bands or artists you consider to be these rockstars?
No don´t want to tell which these bands are. Find out yourself. I don´t want to start a verbal war with any band. I´m tired of that. There are too many but one of these bands starts with W...... [I honestly don't know, but my guess would be Witchery. Correct if I'm wrong. -ed]

Has this uncompromising attitude caused any troubles to the band?
Yeah, We haven´t earn a nickel on our music. It would be great to get something back for the hard work we have done trough the years. The trends changes all the time and if you refuse to follow, it´s very hard to get gigs. Maybe we only have ourself to blame. Probably you must change to reach the stars and the big money but we refuse.
It pisses me off when bands change style because they want more money and a rockstar status. A band can develop in a new style, that´s ok. But only doing it for money, fuck that. I got some death threats in 95 from some TRUE BLACK METAL assholes. Where are they now, probably playing nu-metal crap, only for the money. Fuck them, and all the trendy assholes.

I agree with you totally and I suppose because of that you are more into UG activity than mainstream, am I right? How does this uncompromising way affect doing gigs or tours?
It´s very hard to get gigs. I have start my own booking agency. Metallysee has got monopooly of booking gigs in Europe. They only booking the BIG bands. There are too many smaller great bands that never got the opportunity to tour. Bands and promoters which are interested in a honest booking agency can contact me at: darkheartproductions@hotmail.com.

For those who haven't ever heard the music of Satanic Slaughter, how would you describe it? What's the definition of your music?
EXTREME METAL, we combine all types of metal. We don´t make music within a certain frame. All members are of course into Black/Death/Thrash metal. The result is a mix between these styles.

To what bands you could compare Satanic Slaughter's music if needed to?
Maybe Dissection. They are a huge inspiration source.

Who do(es) all the music of Satanic Slaughter? How's the work divided in the band?
Everybody in the band making riffs and then we arrange it together. Some of the members like melodic riffs. I have been into the scene for so long time so I´m inspired by all kinds of real metal. We want to play raw music mixed with melodic parts. I think it's great to mix with different influences.

Talking about your lyrics a bit, how much they mean to you as a band or on a personal level?
The lyrics are very personal. It depence who's writing them. The themes are Anti Christian and about dark thoughts, violence and hate. I´m writing about dreams, horror, my own experience in my life and of course anti Christian lyrics. Some of the lyrics is written by former members and are very satanic. I´m not a Satanist in the way that I'm dealing with rituals and stuff. Of course am I total anti Christian but I don't like when people are slaves under a religion or a God. People shall be open minded and think on there own.

Could you give some examples of your lyrics? Maybe include lyrics from a song or two?
This part is taken from song "Towards damnations end" from the new album "BANISHED TO THE UNDERWORLD":
"The allies with God so feeble and now so dead / Darkness growth complete the beast we have fed / Behold our strength as light never shines again / Destiny is fulfilled our kingdom is regained"
This part is taken from song "BANISHED TO THE UNDERWORLD":
"Weeping, screaming, rape the Christian whore / The face twisted in agony / Crawling through the underworld / Oceans of blood / Under the banner of hate / This kingdom of pleasure is mine"

What weighs more in the music, lyrics or the music and why?
The music, it doesn´t matter what you sing if the music is´nt brutal and fast. You must get the right feeling when you listen.

« Takaisin