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"As I gain wisdom and insight, as I learn and as I gain physical and psychic strength/skills, I feel that I FLOW more through my life." |
THE FINE ART OF BLACK METAL: INTERVIEW WITH SATYRICON'S FROST BY FPE AGENT CHRIS LISEE
With their dark lyrics and haunting imagery, Satyricon, from Norway, are one of the most widely revered Black Metal bands in the world today. Their latest CD "Volcano" has been released through EatURmusic/Columbia. The album has already received four awards being, the Norwegian Grammy for "Best Metal Album." Metal Hammer Germany journo Robert Müller raves, "This darkness is no romantic invention, no abstract delusion, but derived from firsthand experience. The sound of "Volcano" is the sound of the cozy cocoon of civilization torn apart; it envisions the cold emptiness behind."
Take a trip with FPE Agent C. as he discusses the fine art of black metal with drummer Frost.
FPE: For those who do not know much about it, could you please give me a Black Metal history lesson? How/when did it start?
Frost: "The brief version (the full version demands a book) is that Black Metal as a genre was created by Venom (the British grandfathers of BM) and given a name when they released their second album "Black Metal" in 1982. Still I'd say the starting point was in 1981, with their first album "Welcome to Hell". Nothing so Dark and Extreme had ever been released, and it soon got taken even further. Other bands shaping and defining the genre in the first years of it's existence were Bathory, Hellhammer/Celtic Frost and Slayer (the two first albums are definitely BM albums in my view; even "Reign in Blood" has strong BM qualities) - to mention the more important and recognized bands. In the late eighties the whole Black Metal phenomenon seemed almost to fade into oblivion, but was then woken to life again with the Norwegian wave of bands, Swiss Samael, Necromantia from Greece and some other obscure acts (South European mostly) in the early nineties. As for this 'second wave' I'd say that Darkthrone's "A Blaze in the Northern Sky" was what unleashed the Beast, and at least marked the starting point of Norwegian Black Metal, even if for instance Samael released the "Worship Him" album some time before "A Blaze ..." hit the world. Ever since that, the small country of Norway has been dominating the Black Metal scene completely. But that's another story...
 FPE: What are the key elements that make up the Black Metal sound?
Frost: "To be a bit short and un-nuanced again, it is Darkness channeled through extreme metal music. Venom was the first band to deliberately and convincingly (some may disagree) create dark atmospheres in metal, and they also did their metal harder, rawer and dirtier than any band before them. That pretty much defined the frames of Black Metal...Bands like Bathory and Celtic Frost took it from there, and brought in new levels of rawness, darkness, extremity and some kind of eccentricity. The Norwegian bands of the early nineties built basically on the heritage of Bathory/Celtic Frost, and with this second wave we also saw a lot of new elements brought into Black Metal - for instance extensive use of synthesizers, folk instruments, female vocals, clear vocals - but the KEY elements were always, and still are, the Dark and extreme atmospheres.
FPE: Why do there seem to be so many similarities, visually (corpse paint, black leather and spikes, etc...), among Black Metal bands?
Frost: "Because these elements are somehow connected to the BM style itself. Just like Mohawks and studded/painted leather jackets are connected to punk, and cowboy boots and Stetson hats are connected to country music. We talk about music styles that include a visual aspect that somehow fits to the music or its atmospheres - that in turn induces some experience of wholeness, of totality. Nonetheless - I prefer that Black Metal bands make use of visual elements that they feel are right for them and their own expression, and that they have a clear consciousness about what they're doing. Nothing is more boring than bands following conventions they do not understand, just because they feel it is expected of them."
FPE: Who are some of your personal favorite bands, drummers, or musicians? What do you like about each of them?
Frost: "I feel most like mentioning a few of my favorite bands. It must be a few; I cannot mention all of them: Venom, Bathory and Hellhammer/Celtic Frost must all be mentioned because they really created the whole musical direction known as Black Metal - and with such excellence! These bands are all among the best bands the genre has ever spawned. Early Slayer (three first albums) needs also to be mentioned in this context; Slayer has meant incredibly much for all kinds of extreme metal. Thorns had an almost hidden role when it came to developing the later renowned Norwegian sound, but the early Thorns-recordings ('89-'91) did perhaps more to steer the Norwegian horde of bands into a unique direction than any other single element. I count those recordings as some of the best music ever made, just incredibly Dark, cutting and cold; the Norwegian scene wouldn't have been nowhere near the same without them. Thorns is STILL a fantastic band/project, by the way. Mayhem, Darkthrone, Burzum and Immortal were the first Norwegian Black Metal bands of Top Notch standard to release albums, and all of the early albums by these bands were milestones; every release was a moment of glory and Bizarre, Dark delight. So Dark, so extreme, and always unpredictable and innovative. It was at the time of the releases of the albums I am now talking about that Satyricon grew to become a unique, Dark force of it's own. And I guess I haven't really gotten any new 'favorite's bands or albums since that, even if I still discover lots of great musical works (BM or something else) and have a great enthusiasm for music and Black Metal in particular." FPE: Satyr plays everything except the drums on the album, so does he write all of the parts, or do you write together? How do the songs come to be?
Frost: "Satyr has written more or less all the music, most of which is built around guitar themes. I myself work quite a lot with the drums and the rhythmic patterns - either in cooperation with Satyr, who often has a clear idea of how the drums should be like in order to correctly accompany or fulfill his compositions, or on my own."
FPE: Are the lyrics and concepts written for the music, or vice versa?
Frost: "In most cases the music comes first - but not always. Anyway, both elements spring out of the same mind and are meant to be part of that same totality which is a Satyricon album.
- What are the goals of the band?
Frost: "To create the best Black Metal we can conceive of at the time of creation, to put it simply. And to make Satyricon (both as a studio band and as a live act) a leading an influential force in Black Metal; the style we have such passion for. It implies quite a lot, however - in order to fulfill our dreams and visions we need constantly to get musically/technically better; partly because our own visions grow more complex as experience and we ourselves grow; partly to remove hindrances that lack of skills represent. Then we need to have our backs free so that we have time, energy and opportunity to work as much with music as we need and want to. And we need to be surrounded with the right people (producers, sound technicians etc.) so that we can make the albums sound right, to make the live shows come out right. These latter points somehow touches the field of economy. So we have economy to think about as well; it is fucking necessary to take it seriously are we to get anywhere. This means that we must make it possible to generate a certain money income (but without letting that influence our songwriting - the whole thing should otherwise be meaningless), which in turn implies that we need to cooperate with record labels, agents, managers etc. that can provide us with the supporting apparatus we need to get things going. This is, unfortunately, extremely time-consuming and difficult work. I guess you see what I'm hinting at...It's about getting in an optimal position for the band, without doing any artistic sacrifices."
- What are your goals as a professional musician?
Frost: "To get constantly better; to remove technical hindrances; to make myself into an instrument of musical might. And then to be part of creating the music of my own dreams and visions."
- What do you want to accomplish in your lifetime, aside from music, on a personal level?
Frost: "I want to get in a position where I can involve myself in whatever activity I want to be involved in, where I can realize my Will and all my wishes with a minimum of hindrances. As I gain wisdom and insight, as I learn and as I gain physical and psychic strength/skills, I feel that I FLOW more through my life. I believe that as I get further on my path I will flow gradually more. The ultimate goal must be the Free Float where Will can be exercised freely."
Official site:
http://www.satyricon.no
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