:: Transylvanian Hungerrr Blog ::

The art of Costin Chioreanu

2011-12-17T18:01:00.000-08:00

:: r o a d b u r n s p e c i a l ::

the art of

C o s t i n C h i o r e a n u

by Stefan Raduta

Costin Chioreanu was on fire in 2011. In the last few years the Romanian born artist has been as restless as ever, but this year he definitely made quite an impression.

Staying hungry and foolish, he might as well be called the local scene’s Napoleon. The guy literally does everything. He plays and tours with Mediocracy, has a few side projects like Nightpray (a collaboration with DHG’s Mr. Clandestine), a Black Metal entity named Kandaon, and others are on their way. Under his brand Twilight13Media you find the quintessential multimedia artist who does magazine layouts, builds websites, designs logos, album covers, festival posters and tour posters for some of your favorite bands, shoots, directs and edits music videos. But most importantly he finds time to dream and search for a deeper meaning to everything, and in doing so he’s been creating some really fascinating images. For no other reason than to feed his own dreams and obsessions.

While only in its very beginning, his is a story of incredible success preceded by a very arduous road. Costin Chioreanu understands the real meaning of the word adversity. It’s not easy to be a struggling Artist born in a post-communist country where everything works against you, starting with a society where everything seems to be backwards being the main cause. Over there you have two choices: either run the hell out and not look back, or stay and fight with the ever present ignorance, mediocrity and intolerance. He endures.

While the majority of his work is mostly unknown to public he’s worked with bands like Absu, Mayhem, Aura Noir, Zemial, Grave, Centinex, Demonical, Destroyer 666, Aura Noir, Hexvessel, Dark Budha Rising, Decripit Spectre, Vader, The Konsortium, Foscor, Valborg and many more. A few years ago Ulver started a fan contest for designing t-shirts. His design was one of the five chosen, and it’s the only one that immediately sold out on tour. Darkthrone put out a contest for a new album cover for their Ravishing Grimness – Costin’s cover won the contest again.

Today he does not compromise when it comes to what he lays his hands on anymore, and being true to himself is finally paying off. People are taking notice.

On October 29th his interactive exhibition Where Purgatory Ends was presented in Helsinki. A few days later Costin would fly with his canvases across the Atlantic, bringing his works in New York City, this being his first presence in the US. Over there, he got to meet guitar God Tony Iommi, who believe it or not was releasing his long awaited autobiography Iron Man in the same day and venue, his canvases hosting the event. Nine days later he would be back in Bucharest, his band being direct support for Venom’s first show ever in Romania. Shortly after he'd be in Portugal shooting Ava Inferi's second official video, The Living End (above)

We’re talking about a real metal fan with incredible talent and pretty much living the dream right now.

In 2011, with Where Purgatory Ends and Grishjärta, the Artist took his art to a much higher level and it’s what prompted this story and interview. And I must say, this is a very special piece for me, because his work resonate deeply with me for far too many reasons to mention here.

I am absolutely persuaded that Costin Chioreanu is today one of the most talented young visual artist associated with the underground metal scene. Enjoy!

There’s no text, there is no need for lyrics or words here and that’s because this time we don’t embrace the memories as a fact, we take them as an experience from a space much more wider and complex than what this life can offer. There’s no need of text for that - these works, this whole experience is a platform for you.

W h e r e P u r g a t o r y E n d s

Memories, dreams and utopias on thirteen black canvases

A visualization of the soul’s cosmic quest for self-discovery

Where Purgatory Ends represents an interactive art gallery hosting thirteen large images printed on black canvas, all representing various important moments in the young Artist’s career. Some of these beautiful works are dreams waiting to materialize while others are pure, idealized utopias.

Most are just memories that really needed to be set free. At the core of the exhibition lies The Seeker - a personal visualization of the Soul’s asexuality, a half-male half-female entity, sentient energy questing for self-discovery through universes and life cycles.

WPE - An Empire Beneath Oblivion by twilight13media

The exhibition debuted in Romania’s Alba Iulia medieval fortress, as part of Dark Bombastic Evening (a great new music festival that you’ll read about soon here). Whether home, in Finland or the US, the promoters saw Costin's art as a great visual/audio compliment to what they were doing to begin with. Some photos from NYC below.

Where Purgatory Ends is unique because it is itself an experience, it contains its own soundtrack, recorded by Costin himself and Rune Eriksen (of Aura Noir, Ava Inferi, ex-Mayhem). The soundtrack is 22 minutes long and is a dark Avant-Garde synthesis of diverse genres including Dark Ambient, Doom Metal and Black Metal. To experience the music and visuals at its fullest, the visitor would have a sacrament – wine and bird shaped cookies, so the connection between the world on the walls and the guest’s body would be made.

To read more about the concept, view all the artwork, photos from the various incarnations and listen to the entire soundtrack click here.

For art collectors who like what they see and are interested, there is a very limited number of 15-piece sets of 5.5" x 8.5" postcards left over from the NYC exhibition at a very reasonable price. They will never be printed again. Details here.

G r i s h j ä r t a

enter below..

Grishjärta is a pretty crazy story in itself, and when I heard about this collaboration I couldn’t really believe it. It is the first book of poems (or should I say nightmares) written by none other than Nattramn, the enigmatic, controversial individual behind Sweden’s Silencer.

For those in the know, Silencer’s only album Death Pierce Me is undoubtedly the most suffocating, filled with despair and utterly depressing Black Metal record ever released. It came out ten years ago and nothing really even came close to it, in its madness or form. The press release reads:

With the allegorical title "Grishjärta" or "Pig´s Heart", this book will grant you an opportunity to step inside the doggerwerk of the mind of Nattramn. Read all written material since the last fifteen years and dive into the depths of the more recent material. Subjects drifts from life as a prisoner of your mind - to what true freedom ultimately is and what living life as a non-human truly means.
A pungent odor of decomposing corpses is always close at hand in order to remind you of what, and who you really are.Nattramn writes in a variety of emotions, moods and altered mental states - from intense manic fire to cold apathetic dark waters. Liberating and yet deeply depressive and with a neverending urge to "turn it all off". Read this book as pure poetry or use it for what it is truly intended for: A guideline to reject the human being - invoke the animal and reach the level beyond human!

For the release of Grishjärta, Costin has worked tirelessly with Nattramn, creating ten images that would fit certain poems like a glove. Released in a very limited edition of 200 autographed copies, the book is a very powerful and shocking experience gathering Nattramn’s poetry for the last fifteen years. It sold out in a short time and a new pressing was made in paperback, with three more images made by Costin. For those interested, there are still copies left.

In premiere for this story, both agreed to present three of the images with the poems they reflect. The poems have been translated from their original Swedish version.

The Sleeping God

In the dead

dead of night

even darkness seems bright

and in the shadow

of all the earthly light

I am a different kind of pig

here I sleep

quiet like a mouse

deeper and deeper

meter by meter

all I hear are the mumblings

of a sleeping god...

and the barking of the

God damned dogs of Jerusalem!

Vox Inhumana

The beast suckles

with sharpened tooth

strengthened from the ashes

of my left hand

detached from all ties

stands a ghost

with claws that tear

eyes that haunts

feel my zeal

and the serenity that washes

ooover the mind

I’m burning

deep in memory

you wake up, watches

steps up

spread your wings

open the jaws

Brother let me hear your voice!

screeeam out your voice

is it you or me?

screeeam out your voice

is it you or me?

screeeam out your voice

is it you or me?

Nattramn fly out of my chest

Nattramn come out! Nattramn fly out!

Deteriorations

Oh childhood faith!

ooh childhood faith!

children; stare into the violence of chaos!

in the twinkling of an eye

you became so much older

robbed of everything you once were

and all you would come to be

now you’re a shell

eaten and emptied

hopelessly lost

and thoroughly condemned

* * *

an interview…

Who is Costin Chioreanu? Where/when was he born and what is he doing on this earth?

I was born on March 13^th 1982 in Bucharest, Romania where I also live now. Been trying to find the reason for both my existence and all that surrounds me, visible or invisible…maybe since before I was born.

People define you as an Artist. How did you become one? I dare to believe it wasn’t something sudden, like a transformation?

I draw since I was 2-3 years old, but I’ve been dreaming since I was born. There wasn’t a transformation, I’d say it was an evolution process, and the main factors were age and the accumulated experience. Yes I did graduate from the National Art University in Bucharest, that’s where I got my Masters in design. Still I think that my artistic side was influenced much more by what I’ve learned while going through life, rather than the technical information I received in school.

What defines you as an Artist, and what do you think your meaning in this world is, as one? What kind of world do you enter when you make drawings that come from within, rather than designs that are ordered by a customer? Is there a world inside of you that you always retreat in or do you dream of another Universe, another life? Do you think of something real, or do you play with utopias?

First of all I don’t think of myself as an Artist. I don’t like people who are in love with themselves, much like I don’t like people who consider themselves ‘artists’ and do everything according to a recipe. This is how we actually got here today, where the world is over saturated, where there isn’t much individuality left and anyone who is ‘different’ is pushed outside of the larger or smaller circle. I just don’t think - these things come from inside, most dealing with feelings and states of mind, very few have anything to do with something material. In my case at least, nothing is made because I have to finish this or that project. If I think of a person, or an event or a memory, I can either feel sadness, hatred, or happiness. That’s the moment when, without rationalizing, the pencil hits the paper. From that moment on I have to express visually as best as I can what it is that I feel, and how I am bonded with that subject, with that theme. Yes, there is a world within me that I don’t want to standardize or try to explain. I like to let people understand whatever they can from my works, I just create them to set myself free.

You’re a part of the metal scene, which sets you apart from the rest of all contemporary artists. It’s something that will define you until you will die, it’s who you are. What pushed you to listen to this music? What frustrations did it help you deal with, or maybe it made that fire in you burn even stronger? I’m curious to what bands changed you at first.

Metal has indeed had a very important impact in my life, and shaped me into who I am both as a simple member of society, but also on a spiritual level. I don’t really know what pushed me to listen to this music, I just listened to some metal at one point on the radio, I saw a clip with Alice Cooper and Kiss after the 1989 revolution on some VHS tape my neighbors had and I just felt the calling. In my case it wasn’t the entourage, because until the 6^th grade I was completely isolated from my school peers. I had no interest in them, I preferred to come home, be by myself and draw all kinds of comics with stories I was making up. I preferred to be in my own world rather than play soccer in the yard. I was starving in school so I could save money and buy bootleg metal tapes from a few street vendors here in Bucharest. Once in 7^th grade, I started opening up a bit and got to meet people who were into the same music. Then the tape trading begun basically I just started evolving, not only as a listener but I started my interaction with society, so to speak. Lots of things have happened since then, good an bad. After all these years though, I’ve started going back to the albums that filled my youth with joy, it’s rarely that I find interest in something new, knowing how the metal market works…because it has turned into a market. I’m always open to what’s new and will always be, but I have too many filters that the new music has to pass through in order for it to reach me. I was always a big Metallica fan, then I got into At The Gates, Voivod, Mayhem, Burzum, Bathory and many others. Too many. Still discovering new interesting names here and there, it’s rare but it happens.

Tell me about the bands you play guitar in. I was seeing you being a part of a black metal project, but you actually play in a punk/hardcore group, and also a grind core one.

My main band is Mediocracy, we already have two albums and have been on two European tours. It’s a metal/punk band and I feel great in it, I have total freedom and we have no restrictions what so ever. I also have a project called Nightpray, which is pretty depressing and claustrophobic, and we were joined by Mr. Clandestine (DHG bass player). We also have two albums released with this band. I play black metal in a band Kandaon, and we’ll have a brand new studio album coming very soon…it’s the first album that I play and record with these guys and it’s been a very interesting experience. As far as black metal is concerned…this style has to have a primordial spiritual component, otherwise it’s of no importance to me. I don’t want to have a black metal band with a certain name, a band that has fans, plays shows. This is not what Black Metal is to me. Black metal for me is what almost died in metal, punk, hardcore and anything else you want: Spirit. Kandaon is an experiment and it depends on the people participating if they’re willing to continue or if I’m gonna grow old and still play in it by myself.

The soundtrack for Where Purgatory Ends is an example of how low I can go in composing music, and also as atypical and dark I can be when it comes to writing. It’s a good example of black metal that doesn’t fit an exact label.

Cap De Craniu, the grind core band that I used to play in, that’s in the past. It’s been a while since I decided to follow another path. It’s very painful to make certain decisions in life, and when I took a step back and saw everything from a distance, I understood that sincerity is the most beautiful and hardest thing that we are capable of. It just took me to long to understand that, and it affected everyone.

Your brand Twilight13media has been receiving more and more attention in the recent years. It’s just you behind this name, and yet you’ve collaborated with quite a few big names so far…how did everything start?

I drew the first cover artwork for a tape in the 90’s. In the beginning it was the demo tape covers of the bands I was playing in. I was also buying bootleg tapes that had xeroxed covers and they just looked horrible. I ended up being very frustrated and I started drawing my own version of the booklets, just because I wanted to have those tapes as close as possible to the originals. There was only one metal magazine here (Heavy Metal Magazine), and I was just redrawing everything for myself. That’s how it started. In college, in between 2001-2002 I got deeper into drawing, that’s when I did my first official cover ever. Things started moving a bit, in the beginning I was happy to work with anyone. I’ve become much more selective since then, and to be honest, today I don’t want this brand to be seen as a classic studio design. In the last years I’ve been somewhat disappointed by my interactions with people needing my services, so I decided to be more cautious. It’s hard to exist on that very thin edge between passion and industry, considering that work with people from both sides. Having a day job that I pay my bills with, I can actually choose who I want to collaborate with when I design. Very soon there will be cleaning period so to speak, both in my personal life but also when it comes to past collaborations.

What would you say are your most favorite works so far? What do you hold to be really special?

I think the drawings I made for Nattramn’s monumental book Grishjarta are by far the most important works in my portfolio, from all points of view. Until this interview no one saw these things unless they bought the book, which is why I have to thank you for only revealing three of them. There’s way more than what meets the eye here.
I’m very fond of course of the work I did for Darkthrone, Aura Noir, Ava Inferi, Ulver, Hexvessel, The Konsortium and many others. If I was to categorize them from a sentimental point of view, I’d say the drawings fom the Grishjarta book and maybe Extinction Algorithm or Nightpray are by far the most consistent.

How important is it for you to do a design for a band you already love or that really means the world to you? Do you give yourself more, is there a form of gratitude in your work?

Working for a band that I love means the world to me, it’s a total experience really. Thinking how much I’ve dug with my heart and soul into a band that I love, of course the result will be superior, because I know that group, I know their music maybe even better than the members themselves. I know it in my spiritual inner self, some of the bands I have worked with shaped me into who I am today, and so yes, it is indeed a privilege to pay homage to them and give something back.

How much do you pay attention to what's happening around you, in Romania? As someone who lived there two thirds of his life, I know that it means you deal sometimes with a lot of frustrations. There are also very positive, beautiful things about life there but generally they have to do with nature and the simplicity of the country side, shepherds, rivers and forests etc, and less with the common folk. An objective view from outside is that not all people are ignorant and spiteful, many are genuinely good and intelligent. However they can’t be seen due to the masses of mediocrity, ignorance . It’s a land of incredible contrasts, even geographically - when you cross the Carpathians people change. What's your view?

The more I think about it I realize that I live in my own world so much that I’m not even aware that I actually live here. I don’t watch TV, I don’t read newspapers, printed or online. The result? I’ll give you an example, sometimes some sort of known figure dies and everyone from work or friends feel sorry for that person passing on, and my question more often than not is “Who the hell was that person? I never heard of them..” I couldn’t care less about celebrities fabricated by media, economy or society. I just don’t care. I don’t even know who the mayor of Bucharest is, nor do I have interest in knowing.

As for living here, what could I possibly tell you? I feel like I am home and I also feel that this is not my home. There is so much despair and frustration that at a certain point I no longer want to be understanding with these things. I can’t get to the point where I have to be tolerant with people’s questionable actions and ways of thinking just because they had a hard life and went through communism. I’ve been through a lot of turmoil as well but my actions towards society do not reflect that, so why should I be understanding of others? As a youth I grew up oscillating between a happy child at my grand parent’s surreal, dream-like countryside at the bottom the mountains, and the poor child from the suburbs of a big city. I also grew up in communism, among gypsies, ex-cons, drug addicts. And yet I am not a jerk or an ignorant prick like many are. Instead I withdrew in reading, in drawing, in judging the world from a different perspective, not only from the perspective of a hungry animal who is obsessed with materialism and thinks only of what can be touched or eaten. And there are so many others like me who suffer because of this, and they choose to leave. And over there they suffer even more because they find other such animals who got there before them, so before they get a chance to settle and prove themselves, they find a very negative bias against them. And they fight an even bigger demon there, they fight the prejudice of the locals about this nation, when in reality they are totally normal people, with talent, big hearts, educated, compassionate, helpful. Of course I am ashamed when people from abroad or my own clients, when they get in touch with me and we start talking about this and that, at one point they tell me about ‘my countrymen’ who are in their towns stealing or begging. Of course it’s something that drives me crazy, especially since most of them don’t even belong to this nation, they’re gypsies who because of our hospitality as a nation (which defies stupidity), settled here centuries ago, took our name, and now carry it through the mud. How can you explain this to someone who looks into their ID, or passport, and it says Romanian citizenship? They are technically Romanians, right? They are now a part of this nation, and as long as this state is assuming responsibility for them and their actions, what the hell can you do or who can you cry to? And there’s also others who are not necessarily gypsies but do the same thing.

In conclusion: yes I come from an incredibly beautiful country who exported not only scum, but also people of value.

Honestly though, mankind doesn’t matter to me that much. What matters to me is that place at the bottom of the mountains where I grew up, that ultimate refuge from everything and all. That’s where I am at peace and in my own Universe. And I know that nowhere else in the world will I discover a place such as that, so filled with positive energy and spirituality. Everything there is a powerful experience – even that small delicate tree branch, the wind, the water stream, anything that actually means something.

My presence here is without my will…I try to report everything to the spiritual level, and that’s very hard because I am surrounded by people who forget that they are “in a body”, and they confuse their existence with the existence of the body they’re in, the color or shape it’s in. I try to stay away as much as I can from these issues.

Romania is such a beautiful country, and for those who come visit it seems even more enchanting than to those who actually live here. They seem to treasure it more. I see that, and the number of tourists has grown a lot in the last years.

Tell me everything about Where Purgatory Ends. I know that its debut this year in Alba Iulia was a pivotal moment for you in your life...why is that? Where did you get the impulse to do these works? Were these thirteen images something that you had in your mind overtime, or did you just decide one day to start this series?

Where Purgatory Ends is a story materialized in thirteen graphic works and a twenty-five minute soundtrack. Both parts make the whole, and the main subject is my vision of life and death, which is there for the viewer to see. The point of this project is for people to discover the pure spirituality from behind the works and music. It’s also a reminder for them that they’re more than just mere bodies of flesh in motion destined to fight themselves fiercely for affirmation in society. I guess I want people to search for that immense power they carry within themselves, that power which lies locked in and is never discovered most of the time. It’s about individualism and the need for spiritual progress. The impulse for creating these works exists since I was born, because I grew up surrounded by hypocrites and people who were dead spiritually. It took me years to really understand what bothers me about these people, what the reason to these anomalies is and ultimately what the secret to spark something in them is, if that key is not completely buried. Collaborating with Rune Eriksen (Aura Noir, Ava Inferi, ex-Mayhem) made me very happy, because I really wanted this music not to sound like a one man band. To me he’s the most interesting composer in the last 10-15 years, so his presence on this disc really took everything towards perfection for me. Andrei (bass) and Tudor (violin) were the only two who could have completed the line-up, from all aspects. Even now, after listening to this thing we recorded, I am so proud that we managed to leave behind something that is really beautiful and daring.

The third part of the exhibition was these cookies made in the shape of birds, copied from the ones present in the drawings. The shape was put together by sculptor Claudiu Chiaescu, and in Romania my grandmother actually baked them. The cookies are there to provide subtle way for the viewer and listener to communicate with the works on the wall, it’s basically a sacrament.

You, the visitor, view these “icons”, listen to the music, drink the wine and take a bite out of the birds you see on the walls, this way your body connects with the story. It’s the connection between body and mind and what you see on the walls and hear that the whole experience strives for. The birds themselves are gatherers of dream and spirit, and represent the union that Where Purgatory Ends strives for, facilitating the soul’s recollection.

I see some elements in these works that seem to repeat themselves throughout Where Purgatory Ends. Birds, eyes, human shapes, shadows, fish. I guess everything is up for interpretation for the viewer, but what do they mean?

There are a lot of people asking about the meaning of these symbols. If I feel the need to put something in a certain place to express what I need in that work, and if I fee that this is what’s needed in order for the message to be complete and have weight, then I will use it. There are things that I don’t even ‘discuss’ with myself, when my soul is drawing. I love birds, and find them fascinating, I think they are the perfect image to reflect certain states of the spirit. The eyes can see, they are the witness, important factors to understanding and evolution.

What do you plan for the future?

Considering my plans for the future, I don’t know what will happen. There are some ideas starting to take shape, but everything is kind of blurry right now and I don’t know how they will materialize. I don’t know what the future will hold and right now that’s the best possible thing.

You said that each of these works has a big importance for you. Are some experiences from your past and other, visions from your future? Can you tell me about some of the stories behind them?

All these works are based on experiences and signs I’ve come across in life. Each drawing in itself carries a lot of names, so many I could not name them all. In many ways, these names change with every visitor that sees the exhibition. So, analyzing this concept that is based on the need to remind people about the existence of spirituality, I’d like to let the visitors become the explorers of this world and find the answers that are in perfect harmony with their truths. Speaking to people in both Helsinki and New York City about some of these works, I realized that myself, as their creator, keep finding new ways of expressing better what’s happening there inside them.

I detect a big shade of sensibility in these creations. Are you a romantic? I’m asking because I find some of these images to be very touching. How do you define yourself, as a human being? Is there ever a time when you draw something so intense that you may even shed a tear or two?

Yes I will admit that I did shed a few tears while I was drawing some of these works of Where Purgatory Ends. It also happened when Rune Eriksen sent me the first track of the soundtrack…I will never forget that moment, I was waiting and waiting and there were no new layers. The track was approaching the end and just when I thought I hit play to an older version, I had this great revelation, which stopped right in my heart and came out of the speakers. I thought I saw an angel then. Working on Grishjarta and the works of Where Purgatory Ends I discovered many, many things that were buried deep inside me and I had to idea they existed.

Tell me about your role in Grishjarta. How did you, of all people ended up working with this mysterious character named Nattramn? What’s this book about? Death Pierce Me is easily one of the most depressing Black Metal recordings of all time…what did this project mean to you?

In the most serious meaning of the word, Nattramn is indeed a true artist and this collaboration opened my mind and so many horizons. I see him as a prophet at times. Speaking to him about this project I realized what an amazing thing we were accomplishing and struggling for. It’s really shocking to me to discover after ten years, that this artist knew from the very beginning what he wanted to express, and what kind of dialogue would fit him best, since then. Only now that my work with Grishjarta is complete do I understand the true meaning of Death Pierce Me and Transformalin. Because it was released all these years back, Death Pierce Me is so truly high up there, that I don’t think most people really understand it, after a decade. It’s simply inhuman, in the most profound and beautiful sense of the word. Grishjarta is an idea that evolves…many people who bought the book didn’t go as far with the idea as they could have. But at least there is a question that is born in them and that, you can see in they eyes…most were predisposed, so everything happens according to plan.

Grishjarta was for me a spiritual revolution like no other.

Mankind…people are empty, they’re made of flesh and they bathe in shit, and they’re ever insatiable even for the smallest piece of spirituality. In my view, this book offers you a spiritual revolution, as long as you are willing to escape the mental comfort offered by the pleasant yet confused reality of being one and the same with your body. Many can’t get past this truth and read this book as a collection of poems, but it’s so much more than that.

Regarding the drawings, I have agreed with Nattramn to present here three out of the thirteen drawings presented in the first edition. The second edition of the book contains sixteen drawings. They were all made for certain poems that really resonated with me. They are my interpretation of these visions, memories and experiences, so all I had to do is just start drawing.

You once told me that if you could, you’d move to Norway and open a design studio there. What is it about Norway that fascinates you?

It’s not only Norway that fascinates me, but Scandinavia as a whole. I grew up with their music so of course I am fascinated by it, like I was saying earlier I wasn’t a very sociable youth growing up so I had plenty of time to really digest that music. What I find fascinating about Scandinavian music is how they managed to maintain that special ‘isolated wooden cabin’ feeling, despite the fact that they do pretty well financially. It’s like they really wanted to preserve that feeling, and they managed to. This is what I really like. And also the fact that the people living there inspire individuality, people who stick with themselves and care less about the rest. This lack of dependency on others and affiliation with solitude, with introspection, I can connect with that. And the music is clearly a reflection of that.

Your favorite painters today? What do you think about Beskinski? I find his works incredible…

I’m not too much into the classics, I have interest in certain modern ones. Beskinski is indeed unique, a real genius, so underrated. Death and darkness really scare the masses away apparently. I like Magritte. He’s the closest one to my hallucinations.

What albums would you take to the other side if you were to choose?

I don’t see the sense of human made music on “the other side”. Most of all the music made by man is far too primitive and far too much contaminated by the egos of its creators. I definitely love bands like Voivod, Deathspell Omega, Smohalla, Valborg, Solefald, Virus, Code, Ulver, Hexvessel, Terra Tenebrosa, Oranssi Pazuzu, Monumentum. However, if I was to die today I would really try to carry with me certain albums that changed me. Burzum’s Hvis Lyset Tar Oss, Bathory’s Twilight Of The Gods, At The Gates’ Slaughter Of The Soul Mayhem’s Ordo Ad Chao and Silencer’s - Death Pierce Me.

Nice picks. Why?

Filosofem because it’s the most beautiful album I could listen to while I’m in the woods. It’s so special, it becomes the space it defines.

Twilight Of The Gods because it’s the purest album in metal by which man tried to get close to mythology.

Slaughter Of The Soul because it’s an album about the end of everything and change, and these musicians were capable so many years ago to anticipate the spiritual death some of their more sensible fans are becoming aware of. It is in my opinion the purest, most dramatically real metal album ever

Ordo Ad Chao because it’s the highest point in Black Metal ever achieved, since its inception or discovery. I’m convinced it’s the most refined and brilliant work in this genre. And after that it was followed by nothing but commerce, chaos and fakeness.

Death, Pierce Me because of two great reasons: Firstly – although it came out over a decade ago, it deals with issues that only some of the most spiritually driven people have realized today. It’s a really dark and yet essential debate concerning spirit and human nature. And secondly, from its concept to the sound, it’s the saddest, most filled with despair record ever released. And as a bonus, while it pretty much became the birth of a subgenre of Black Metal, in ten years nobody could release anything more powerful more overwhelming.

I am fascinated by people that are extremely talented, people who due to a very sensible side manage to capture in music vital issues or aspects of spirituality. And when an album of such caliber needs to be born, that man will have by his side the right people, atmosphere and circumstances, so that the record will become a masterpiece. It’s interesting to see that besides Quorthon, all the other musicians responsible for these works are alive, active and keep releasing amazing things, whether records or books, that more often than not can not penetrate through the wall that separates us from the commercial, consumerism world so many people without direction or purpose have fallen pray to. Search and you will find. Start with an album called Onyx.

Your views on divinity, God, religion? Do you believe in reincarnation? I am a bit confused because I read somewhere that you’re an atheist but the theme of Where Purgatory Ends suggests otherwise.

I think it’s pretty obvious that the story of Where Purgatory Ends takes place in the absence of God. At least visually. The seeker goes through multiple lives, walks between being and un-being until it will become complete, so its becoming will ultimately reach a conclusion, an end. I don’t know what that will feel like, since I am here now. This God entity that man writes with capitals for fear he will not be punished is just a creation made to resemble man’s shape and features, not the other way around. And what you see in ‘the seeker’ from Where Purgatory Ends is nothing more but a shape, it’s not the essence. It’s a shape. Do not confuse appearances with what the essence is. Don’t confuse flesh with spirit, or the other way around. Don’t confuse man’s God with what you can’t find drawn in books or explained anywhere else. So I really didn’t lie, maybe I’m an atheist to humans. Maybe God in Where Purgatory Ends is Everything, that’s why you can’t see Him. Or maybe He just doesn’t exist at all. Look deeper, search!

Suppose you had to make the most important artwork in your life…what medium would you choose? A drawing, a painting, a photograph, a song, a video?

This question is so simple and yet so complex. The answer is: no matter the medium, I would chose to illustrate something that cannot be.

twilight13media.com

SYVEN-Aikaintaite 2011.Album Of The Year

2011-12-06T17:17:00.000-08:00

2 0 1 1
A L B U M O F T H E Y E A R

SYVEN – Aikaintaite
Vendlus Records

thoughts by
Stefan Raduta

I can’t remember when music became one of the things I love most in this world. I may know the period, but I can’t pinpoint the exact date, which album, or what artist really opened my eyes to this universe that was unraveling right in front of my eyes. I just know that once I entered this world and really started digging, the deeper I went the more it felt like I’ve always known it, as if it’s always been a part of me.

Over the years certain names and sounds have either been filling certain voids or taken their shape, with few limit to genres or states of mind. After a point I realized that from names like DEAD CAN DANCE, ARCANA, or SOPOR AETERNUS to the likes of DISSECTION, BURZUM, EMPEROR or DEATHSPELL OMEGA, it’s really about how it fits the mood and resonates in you, not about how it sounds or what shape it takes.

There’s nothing that compares to that moment when although you listen to an album for the very first time, you somehow feel like it’s been a part of you since before you were born. I’m talking about the beautiful kind of familiarity, about that incredible comfort you get when you listen to something for the first time and it just feels like…if you listened to it at any other point in your life, it would have felt just as amazingly as it feels right then and there, and knowing that it actually will. The kind of music that is simply put, timeless…that’s rare. I love many albums that grew on me gradually, I’m not saying that it’s not great to find music that only reveals itself later – in fact, more often than not that can be a great moment. But there’s nothing like an album that really clicks from the very first spin, feeling almost as if it’s been traveling through time with you, waiting for moments when your paths would cross each other again, and again, and again.

These kind of recordings that really stick with you, the music you always return to because you’ve always identified with it on a totally different level, that’s the stuff that matters.

Syven-01-Syvyys by Vendlus Records

After a long delay, SYVEN’s Aikaintaite was finally released yesterday under the banner of recently resurrected Vendlus Records, and from the first second this album hit my ear lobes, I became enchanted by it, and then obsessed with it. This album to me is pure perfection, on every level. And it has already joined that small and exclusive list of records I hold to be truly remarkable and unparalleled, past or future.

After having listened to it numerous times, I’m persuaded that it’s fit for a different Universe, rather than ours. Really, it’s an album so genuinely beautiful I find it almost unfair that it comes from this world…I don’t even know where to begin. From the very beginning, it betrays a very deeply introspective tone, one that carries a whole lot with it, hidden between layers of sound arranged with such incredible subtlety.

It’s no surprise that the name syven means depth, in Finnish. If I had to give these serene sounds a short description, I’d say they're a superb blend of the finest Dark Ambient, Folk and slow funeral Doom out there right now. It just brings so many things together with such fantastic gracefulness and modesty, it’s hard to imagine it won’t mesmerize a lot of people who listen to these genres, and beyond. Personally, it feels like an integration of a lot of artists I feel very attached to, which is why it clicked so fast.

There are two names behind SYVEN: Aslak Tolonen and Andy Koski-Semmens. And at the very core of Aikaintaite lies the traditional Finnish string instrument kantele. Aslak has actually built a couple of them himself, you can see them below: Oska, a 15 string acoustic kantele, and Sysi, a 12 string acoustic one. The heavenly sound they create really is the blood of this experience, and sets the whole thing apart from anything I’ve ever listened to.

From the first note it hits you with this primordial atmosphere of early ARCANA or ICE AGES, wrapped up in the gracefulness of DEAD CAN DANCE, mixed with the Tibetan influenced music of RAJNA and WARDRUNA’s unique sound in their quest to recreate nature, history and everything once untarnished by our commerce with this world.

The almost shamanic, trance inducing drum rhythms and atmosphere could easily send you to another world, something completely Tolkien inspired, Middle Earth-ish, an universe of fairytale that Norway’s Ambient experiment ZA FRUMI or Austria’s Black Metal revelation SUMMONING were once aiming for. As a classically trained singer, Andy’s deep voice immediately captures your attention and from the very first song leaves you utterly speechless…think of Gaahl’s powerful and unearthly vocals in WARDRUNA’s debut Runaljod gap var Ginnunga, mixed with the warmth of Steindór Andersen in his collaboration with SIGUR ROS on their Rimur EP, for example. Or you could just add to the spin Brendan Perry’s depth and peacefulness, or anything that speaks to you in terms of equilibrium, balance, profundity, this world. Either way, in between incredible baritone like lows, male choirs and whispers, it’s beyond thrilling.

Add to that everything you love about the bleak, pastoral influenced ethereal Neo-Folk of the likes of TENHI, EMPYRIUM, VALI, MUSK OX and so on. Fans of good Dark Ambient music like early AUTUMN TEARS, OPHELIA’S DREAM, GOTHICA, ELEND would love this, or people into piano driven Neo Classical (STOA?) would find it alluring for sure. It would appeal to anyone into very early (and the only good) MORTIIS or people hopelessly in love with the ever incredible and overwhelming to some, and impossible to digest to others UARAL. Neo-Folk enthusiasts into SOL INVICTUS or OF THE WAND AND THE MOON would definitely raise an eyebrow and take a second listen…the listing could continue, I guess. I’d definitely throw in some PAYSAGE D’HIVER and VINTERRIKET in there.

And then, the big twist: the Funeral Doom elements added to this already incredible mix of sounds - so much going on here…Strip down the likes of SKEPTICISM, EVOKEN or NORTT of their impenetrable darkness, and you’ll get an idea... just leave the atmosphere…or take away the unrelenting drumming and aggressiveness of DARKSPACE, and just leave that unique feeling of celestial transfiguration…I guess SUN OF THE BLIND would be more fit? ESOTERIC definitely comes to mind, AHAB's tremendous weight...

Syven-02-Jaljet by Vendlus Records

More than anything, the music itself really feels and breathes of nature and seems so deeply rooted in this world of ours. It’s as if it’s coming out of the bowels of the earth, filtered through rivers of lava, cooled off by glacial lakes on top of mountains and then carried away by the wind. It’s just that pure, unpretentious and yet so liberating. I’ve rarely heard something that sounds so clean while bringing together so many ideas. It’s so deep and fascinating I could listen to this on top of a mountain, on an iceberg in Alaska or in the middle of the ocean…it would have the same effect.

Coming back to the two people behind this masterpiece…Aslak Tolonen is known through his beautiful work with NEST, his first kantele-driven ambient project. If you haven’t heard the name, I highly recommend it. Once you listen to an album like Woodsmoke (2003) for example, it becomes immediately obvious where SYVEN has its roots. The name became more known into the metal community because of the split EP released with AGALLOCH in 2008. Aslak is also involved with his other project TEVANA 3, and has collaborated with bands like WHERE RIVERS ENS, SHAPE OF DESPAIR, THE MIST AND THE MORNING DEW, DOOMSQUIRREL, TODESBONDEN. For Andy, SYVEN is definitely the most important thing he has taken part in recording wise, although he has collaborated live with bands like ESOTERIC (what a shock!), PANTHEIST, EREIPIA or CRIPPLED BLACK PHOENIX.

While NEST is where Aslak has begun his experimenting with the kantele, in my view it has reached perfection in this here debut album with SYVEN. Every single song is born in the previous one and seems to be flowing into the following. And it’s not a short recording at all, with three out of the five songs alone being fifty minutes long.

Aikaintaite is not only an incredibly lyrical, melancholic and spellbinding achievement, but it is by far one of the most delicate and nuanced recordings I have heard in the last years. It unravels such a magnificent landscape, setting your soul free to go wherever it wants to go…it seems like a genuine tribute to everything that is pure in man and the solemn, everlasting beauty of nature.

I love the fact that to most ears and minds this will seem like it’s coming out of nowhere…it is and it isn’t. Either way I have to say, I believe in what Aslak and Andy are doing here, this is music that in hundreds of years will sound just as refreshing and mesmerizing as today. Add millenia to that, who cares?

To everyone so enchanted by the phantasmagorical universe of ALCEST, I really recommend SYVEN for a reality check and ultimately a way more powerful and meaningful trip. This is something that could be written by either dreaming shepherds or a group of really talented and nostalgic elves, whatever makes you feel more comfortable. Listening to it you can either see yourself standing by a fire staring at the moon’s reflection on a quiet mountain lake, or riding a falling star into oblivion. It just sounds and feels like music that’s more than just music, it’s the very soil you’re sitting on, the air you breathe, the trees you see in a distance, the dawn you crave for.

If you give it the attention it demands, this album can be a very uplifting experience in itself. It can be a ritual of self discovery, a quiet and delicate whisper coming from the past, reminding you of the sacred spiritual community between this Earth, the Universe and your soul.

One thing I'd like to end this with. While I know SYVEN is just a studio project right now, I really encourage Aslak and Andy to take this album to the next step, and present it live. Where there's a will there's a way, and it can't be too hard to find suitable musicians that would be open to this idea. I'm not talking tours, but exclusive live appearances. They'd be perfectly fit for artistic festivals like Roadburn, for example...but generally I think they'd mesmerize every audience in front of them...they could be the most suitable opener for a group like WARDRUNA. I'd also recommend the use of real drums for the next recording, for a more organic sound...

I invite you to discover this jewel…you will not regret it.

listen to three of the songs here:

http://koti.mbnet.fi/atolonen/syven/syven.php

www.vendlus.com

http://www.last.fm/music/Syven

SYVEN on FB

Nader Sadek - Live In New York City

2011-11-24T07:54:00.000-08:00

NADER SADEK

- finally made flesh in New York City -

thoughts and images

by Stefan Raduta

Monday, November 20th. Egypt is in turmoil. Cairo is burning, tens of thousands of protesters are in the streets. By now over 40 people have been killed, thousands are injured - it looks like it's only gonna get worse. All hell is breaking loose, the real revolution has just begun - people understood that even if tyrant ruler Mubarak was removed, the same thugs control the military and hence the country. People are dying for their freedom.

On the other side of the world in New York City, a Cairo born artist affiliated with the underground metal scene is having a very big night. It's now or never for him, and everyone involved in an idea that seemed pretty crazy from the beginning.

His name is Nader Sadek and until recently he's only been known for producing the stage masks/costumes for Attila Cshiar of Mayhem / Sunn O))) fame. Lately however he's made a bit of a buzz with a Death Metal musical project carrying his own name.

Having a very interesting concept in mind - human's dependency on petroleum, the biggest discovery but also the biggest tragedy - he's managed to lure and capture the imagination of some serious names in the scene. Steve Tucker (ex-Morbid Angel), Flo Mounier (Cryptopsy) and Rune Eriksen (Aura Noir, Ava Inferi, ex-Mayhem).

From the very beginning this thing was a challenge, so everyone went with it curious to how it would turn out. Leaving the concept aside, there’s been a definite interest from these three musicians to work with each other and see where it goes.

The result is an album called In the Flesh and it’s been getting rave reviews, offering not only an intriguing theme for thought but most importantly a fresh sound that everyone's been curious about. It worked. Some have called it the Death Metal album of the year…I wouldn't go that far, it definitely doesn't give me the shivers that Ulcerate's The Destroyers Of All gives me, but it’s definitely a fantastic recording, worthy of every praise.

On November 20^th, the long awaited first live incarnation of Nader Sadek took place at Santos in New York City. Nader created quite a hype about this show, which was in his vision from the very beginning - with the album out, this remained the second and most important step to be taken. The announcement was to say the least intriguing, and it read:

“With stage design that resembles a Wagnerian Opera, Nader Sadek seeks to take the death metal experience to new heights, as he is set to perform the new album "In The Flesh" live in its entirety alongside the production team behind the album. Upon entering the space, The Audience is invited to view all of Sadek's works on and off the stage, each attendee will be given "pamphlet" describing the evenings 3 acts. People can expect more than several props which are recognizable from Sadek's recent videos, such as glowing sulfuric crystals, caves, thrones, and a "elaborate setup for the drums." The show will feature a lengthy overture by a masked surprise female vocalist performing inside a mirrored cube, guitarists enveloped by a web of vines and more. Part Opera, Part Art installation. And All Metal. Conceptually, the theme behind the album, will manifest itself in the live setting, petroleum, man's greatest discovery and tragedy will embrace the composition of the visual and aural assault. This is a minimal description of what is to ensue on stage during the live slaughter of IN THE LIVING FLESH, which will finally bring Sadek's concept behind his new album to life. The performance will also be filmed live.”

It was a success. While the whole “Wagnerian Opera” setting failed to deliver, the show in itself was pretty damn awesome. The band sounded fantastic, each of the musicians participating gave all the got and in the end the efforts paid off. For a first show, the machine sounded incredibly well oiled (go figure!), you could see that they’ve been rehearsing a lot and it showed. I really liked the fact that Flo’s massive drum kit was put in front of the actual stage, so people were all around him/it during the whole performance. It felt more like a demonstration; with Flo facing the others the whole time and them instead facing him, while the crowd was pretty much “in it” as well. It offered a more organic, cohesive experience so to speak.

Touching on the stage setting: it was a bit strange and eerie, and I don’t think the audience got to really understand what was going on, but the word ‘weird’ was definitely used a lot – so in many ways the goal was achieved, there was definitely a mystery factor surrounding the whole thing. Who could really understand this guy to begin with? I personally would have seen everything taking place in a giant dirty oil tank in the middle of Lincoln Center, but what can you do…when it’s most important, everything comes down to money and that’s the toughest reality a struggling artist always has to face.

It’s clear that the original idea/plans were not achieved, as far as the whole ‘visual experience’ is concerned/was announced. But I really doubt anyone left disappointed because of that. People left very, very satisfied. It was a free show after all, and if everyone knew the amount of work and personal sacrifice put into it, they’d recognize that what was achieved was pretty damn impressive. I personally didn’t go there to see walls covered with petroleum soaked guts, I went to see these guys finally play together, and it was a killer concert without a doubt.

First off, hearing Steve Tucker’s voice on stage felt great. I remember seeing him with Morbid Angel many years ago and I personally still think he’s better (or more fitting) than David Vincent, who really leaves me cold not only with his attitude, but with his pentagram/latex accessories. Bleah! I’ve had the fortune of seeing Cryptopsy a few times but being that close to Flo Mounier was more than just an experience…such an insanely fast and technical drummer. As for Rune Eriksen – what can you say about this guy, nothing but class in that camp, right? Hold on to your pants for the new Aura Noir, I think this one will really hurt. Beautiful Carmen Simões of Ava Inferi was the surprise female appearance of the evening, and with her enchanting voice and stage presence she definitely added to the weirdness of the whole thing, being in a constant contrast with Tucker - an inspired addition. Bassist Novy (ex-Vader / ex-Behemoth) was flown in to fill in and did a great job too, and last but not least, a very young and promising guitarist Sean Frey completed the line-up.

All in all, a wonderful experience.

This successful performance was not only the culmination of a great idea, but the end of a very, very arduous path. I hope it’s a new beginning, because this line-up has a fantastic potential not only for being taken on the road, but for a new album. While I really fancy In The Flesh, I am convinced that they can take this thing to the next level, and create something truly vicious and frightening. I’d put the oil theme on the side for a while and aim at recording the most ferocious Death Metal recording for 2012…after all we are said to approach the end, and ultimately that’s what people want to experience, the music!

Congratulations all around, mission accomplished!

HOLE IN THE SKY 2011 - The Last Supper.DAY FOUR

2011-10-27T19:04:00.000-07:00

H O L E I N T H E S K Y
The Last Supper
DAY FOUR

a comprehensive and subjective review

FESTIVAL OVERVIEW

DAY ONE DAY TWO DAY THREE

images and thoughts

by Stefan Raduta

* * *

v i r u s

So far I made no secret out of the fact that the presence of Carl-Michael Eide on stage was my main reason for visiting Hole In The Sky to begin with. He is in fact the only reason I flew to Norway for the second time this year, first time in April being for the special Aura Noir reunion at Inferno, the only set that really mattered to me out of the whole damn festival. Czral is in my humble opinion the most incredible musician in Norway, always has and always will be. He’s always been the gambling weirdo that went where nobody dared to, fucking with everyone’s mind, sardonically laughing at everyone around with every twisted riff he wrote, yet willingly, humbly standing in the shadows.

Not too long ago I wrote quite a lengthy personal tribute to his work…it's a pretty intense piece,

I hope you enjoy it.

At this point I really don’t know what to say about Virus performing at Hole In The Sky. For me, it was the most highly anticipated performance of the year, and I’ve been to quite a few festivals, seen over a hundred shows and I’m nowhere close to being done. Virus is the shit man, plain and simple - and if you don’t get that’s just fine but know that you’re missing out on something truly remarkable. I was mostly curious to see the crowd’s reaction…many knew exactly what to expect, but most were just curious. Either they were completely clueless or they had an idea about what was going to happen, it took about two to three songs for people to stop scratching their heads and finally accept that this was going to be totally different and out of the box. Towards the end, they convinced even the skeptics…they may not have understood much, but I am confident they left with the desire of digging deeper. Easily some the most avant-garde, anti-harmonic and hypnotic music made today, Virus is a treat for all Ved Buens Ende fans who now get to see the closest thing to it in flesh.

Needless to say, I was on cloud nine the whole time, enjoying every second of it as if it was my last. It’s what I waited over nine years for, and the wait was well worth it. Very impressed with the entire band, they’re really into the vibe they creat, especially the bass player whose creepy face expressions at times totally reflect what’s happening on stage. They performed songs from all three albums, setlist is below. Kuddos to Czral for driving his car for 8 hours from Oslo the same day, and playing only a couple of hours after arriving. After the show he confessed he wasn’t completely happy with the show because his hands were somehow fatigued from driving, but that’s just nonsense, he was brilliant.

Thank you Aggressor, Einz & Co.

See you all next year at Roadburn!

Hole In The Sky Setlist:

1. The Agent That Shapes The Dessert

2. Archives

3. Carheart

4. As Virulent As You

5. The Black Flux

6. Road

7. Queen Of The Hi-Ace

8. Shame Eclipse

9. Chromium Sun

e n s l a v e d

I love Enslaved but I have a bone to pick with them. Why in the world did they open for Dimmu Borgir on their last US tour?! WHY??! That seriously pissed me off and nearly brought me to the verge of hating them. I have seen them live in the US about four times so far. Right before HITS they played Party San and even if I always loved them live in clubs, I never quite had the chance to see them under the clear night sky. So it wasn’t until a few weeks ago in Germany that it finally hit me how amazing they can be…At Hole In The Sky they were nothing short of spectacular, playing in front of a home crowd that knows them all too well. Frankly, seeing them live in all their splendor allows me to judge how much other bands really suck, they inevitably become a reference point when it comes to what a real live performance is meant to be.

I’m not completely crazy about their last album but luckily they played songs from pretty much all albums, and the crowd went totally nuts when they covered old classics from Frost (Jotunblod), or from their first EP Yggdrasill (Allfadr Odhinn) for example. Pure fucking madness!! Really awesome also seeing them doing a great cover of Led Zeppelin’s Immigrant Song. Congrats to Grutle & Co. for being where they are today. I still don’t understand the Dimmu Borgir move…they are a band that definitely do not need to open for anyone else in Norway right now, let alone that total joke. Yes I get it, maybe it all does come down to money and putting food on the table, maybe they got a good offer but when you compromise yourself like that…it’s just not a good move, to the fans who can differentiate between genuine valor, real musicianship and total sell-out rockstar attitude, well produced but completely hollow on the inside. Hopefully the current US tour with Alcest should be successful enough for them to return headlining again. Alas, I’m over my anger/disappointment now, long live Enslaved!!

Hole In The Sky Set-list:

1. Ethica Odini

2. Ground

3. The Voices

4. Jotunblod (sick!!!)

5. Giants

6. Heimvegen

7. Immigrant Song

8. Allfadr Odhinn

9. Isa

m a y h e m

Oh boy, it’s these guys again. I have really mixed feelings about Mayhem today, and that’s a bit weird considering that they released some of my favorite Black Metal albums of all time. Maybe it has to do with the fact that NONE of the people who wrote/created these albums are in the band today. Euronymous got wacked, Blasphemer left, the latter leaving them with what everyone universally believes are shoes impossible to be filled. What we have today is a cover band carrying on the remnants of a legend. They can’t possibly top the last album but the show sells, people buy tickets so they keep doing it…wouldn’t you? Life is hard as it is, and if it pays to do the one thing you love and people want more, you do it. Joking aside, the name itself is legend and it must go on. I’m pissed because I never got to see them live neither with Maniac or Blasphemer on stage, and that in itself is a big regret for me, personally.

Especially when it comes to the latter, who really took the music where nobody dared to take it, ultimately creating one of the most claustrophobic, suffocating records ever – Ordo Ad Chao. Oh well. So I guess now I have no other choice but to see an ever changing line-up under the same banner, with the everlasting Hellhammer and Mr. Necrobutcher as the two original members carrying the torch. Apparently, Frenchie (aka Silmaeth) just left and moved on to Satyricon – seems like he has a lot more fun there! – and is currently being replaced by Teloch (Gorgoroth, 1349).

I had the luck of seeing Mayhem at last year’s Inferno for their 25^th anniversary gig - now, that was a great performance. Countless pounds of bloody calf ribs hanging everywhere and eventually thrown into the crowd by Attila (the really impressively costumed Hungarian at one point also carrying a sigh that he’d cut them with) Lots of flames, pyro…I liked that show a lot, it was impressive, special. At Hole In The Sky they didn’t do anything out of the ordinary, not that they need to, they’re Mayhem. I also don’t think the stage allowed for too much, and Immortal was going to use whatever was possible…Many complained about the poor sound…frankly, I didn’t notice that. Despite what it may seem as a somewhat negative review, I really enjoyed their set. By now I’m over the names that are on stage, I’m starting to realize that it’s all irrelevant and see Mayhem as a force that simply has to go on, for the nostalgics in all of us.

They were there in the beginning and they’re one of the very few names that can offer something resembling what the beginnings of the 2^nd wave sounded like. And for whatever they are, they still put on a damn good show, the crowds eat it up, and how could they not? Hellhammer sounds as menacing as ever, Necrobutcher is in a great shape (seriously impressed, he must be working out or just chopping a lot of wood these days) and there’s no shortage of young guitarists who want to join them on stage, playing classic songs that shaped them into who they’ve become. To say that you’ve played in the legendary Mayhem, now that’s not something too many people can brag about, two of which are fucking dead.

No matter who you are, if you love Black Metal your skin will always crawl when you hear songs like De Misteriis, Ancient Skin, Freezing Moon, Funeral Fog, From The Dark Past, Deathcrush and so on. I say to hell with all the eyebrows being raised when it comes to Mayhem (including my own until recently), if we can’t have who wrote those riffs on stage, then let’s just take the closest thing we can, before it’s gone forever. Seeing Necrobutcher who’s been there since day one on stage is enough for me to close my eyes and go back almost twenty years ago. Plus, I’ve talked to him once when he had every reason to hate me (a rather infamous interview in Metal Maniacs four years ago…) and he was totally cool and down to earth. He’okay in my book, I’m happy to see him still doing what he loves most so I’m in for the ride.

i m m o r t a l

Part of me wants to really hate Immortal. A BIG part of me. Strangely, the same part that worships an album called Pure Holocaust, undoubtedly one of the best Black Metal albums ever released. Man, how I loved those years…when Battles In The North came out, everyone pretty much shit themselves, nothing sounded as ugly and equally epic as that by then. The question is: should one take what Immortal is today seriously? I think it depends on what you’re looking for. If you’re a Black Metal puritan, definitely not. Diehards who listen to Funeral Mist or Black Witchery will rightfully mock you and throw beers at you, because you’re as much as a joke as Immortal is. You’re a complete fool and today they’re irrelevant to Black Metal, it’s a band that once meant something, and today is milking the cash cow like never before. The truth is somewhere in the middle though. The thing with Immortal is that they’re fucking amazing live, and they release albums that really sound great - as much as you loath that fact. They have a unique vibe, they’re very well produced and they fucking sell. I think Abbath is a genius. He’s taken this name and brought it really high, it carries a lot of weight nowadays and rightfully so. So if you chill out a little bit and take a step back, you’ll see things differently. They put on a fantastic performance live, they are entertaining as hell and people can’t have enough of it. The numbers speak for themselves, they always have a great spot on big festival bills, they made it! You can’t possibly hate anything about it, they’re super catchy, both serious and fun. Abbath’s charisma knows no limits, one second the guy is super menacing on stage, looking and feeling like Satan, the next minute he does something hysterical, walking like a crab with his tongue out, etc. It’s a damn circus! For what it is, and because most of the time I can’t take myself seriously to begin with, I love it. And If you open your mind a little bit and stopped wanting to look so fucking grim all the time, you’ll love them too. At the end of the show on the way out, he’ll take his mic, put in behind his ass and fart. Beat that! Somehow he managed to brilliantly take Black Metal and turn it into total entertainment. And it works because it’s not fake and pathetic like Dimmu Borgir, it’s not condescending and pretentious like Satyricon, it’s just Immortal. Take it or leave it. Having said that, they were the perfect band to end The Last Supper. Great set, lots of pyro, completely incendiary.

all images are copyright Stefan Raduta

Hole In The Sky 2011
The Last Supper

* * *

FESTIVAL OVERVIEW

DAY ONE DAY TWO DAY THREE

HOLE IN THE SKY 2011 - The Last Supper.DAY THREE

2011-10-27T18:06:00.000-07:00

H O L E I N T H E S K Y
The Last Supper
DAY THREE

a comprehensive and subjective review

FESTIVAL OVERVIEW

DAY ONE DAY TWO DAY FOUR

images and thoughts

by Stefan Raduta

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n e g a t i v e p l a n e

Brooklyn’s Negative Plane were a highly anticipated act at Hole In The Sky this year, and for good reason. With only two albums, they have taken the Underground by fire and whip, their incredible vintage sound being immediately recognizable. It reeks of old, it sounds like thousands of ghosts screaming, swallowing you from underneath the earth, it’s nothing short of a black mass ritual you either can take or not. These guys are fucking good, and everyone, without exception, is blown away by their recently released Stained Glass Revelations (The AJNA Offensive/Invictus Productions).

Their sound has developed incredibly yet somehow seems more disharmonic and claustrophobic then ever, it just reeks of death, malevolence and destruction, it’s obscure and so otherworldly it almost sounds alien …and those vocals, man…so powerful! The album has a uniquely primal and savage sound but it’s flawlessly executed and you can feel that everything has been carefully executed and these guys did not settle until it was perfect! And it is indeed a perfect Black Metal album by all means, I’d even go as far as saying it’s easily one of the best True Black Metal releases ever to come out of the US territory, period; it’s just a punch in a face of everything that is copy&paste, and mediocre at best. Unfortunately, vocalist/guitarist/composer Edward Miller was unable to bring the organ with him, so the sound was not as complex as it is when they play here at home. Nevertheless, they did put on a sick show and were easily one of the festival treats. The sound I think was also not as good as I had hoped it would be, but everyone stayed and considering they were the first act to go on around 4 pm, there were plenty of people very curious to see what they had to offer. I wish these guys the best of luck, and looking forward to seeing them as many times as possible. Also check out Occultation, another band that Negative Plane members are involved in, this time even more bizarre and out of the box.

g h o s t

I don’t knowwhat to say about Ghost that hasn’tbeen said until now. They are indeed super fun to see live and I find itamazing how fast they exploded with just one album…you have to give it to themthough, the concept is genius. Beautiful and well-played retro Black Sabbath / Mercyful Fate worship with Satanic lyrics, simple and effectiveriffs, the whole costume thing, the mystery involving the members which reallyworked for a while. They are fun indeed live – nothing to go nuts about, butreally enjoyable and entertaining. I’ve seen them in Holland, in the US, now inNorway…I will have to be honest, they’ll have to release a new album before I’llgo crazy about wanting to see them again. I think they are overhyped but Iunderstand the reason why, and I’m certainly happy for their success – it’s notso easy to pull what they did: you have to be really good at what you do first,you have to have a strong will, and you have to really be in it in order topresent the show live properly. Their success is more than well deserved, andif they’re overhyped it’s not their fault – they came with an idea and aconcept that people love. I mean seriously, people’s faces light up with joywhen these guys come on stage, it’s really good entertainment…Sucks that theyhad to miss their US return with Enslavedand Alcest, I definitely hope tosee them back soon and this time enjoying them from a distance. Good luck toyou Swedes!!

To see my photos of Ghost playing the great Roadburn Festival this year, click here

n i f e l h e i m

Just because apicture is worth a thousand words, the photos below should speak for themselves.Nifelheim were easily the mostentertaining/fun performance at Hole In The Sky and the crowd had a blast with these crazyfuckers. I have never EVER seen so many spikes and metal and metal belts and chains and more spikes and angry faces during a metal show…good for them!Such a splendid atmosphere, everyone had a fantastic time, the audience and the band. I really regret being sober doing their set, having to take photos for this frickin' blog...I wish I was pissed drunk and losing my shit like everyone else. If only I could have given my camera to someone else to shoot, then jump on the stake and then into the crowd. FUCK!!! Please come back to the US boys, that ONE Chicago show was not a fair movefor your fans living in New York City or LA…

p r i m o r d i a l

If you know me you know three things about me: One, that I am not American but will argue with you till the end that I don’t have an accent, and somehow I still see myself as being a bit exotic. Two, that I have an alarming amount of loosen screws somewhere, and it’s getting worse day by day – see point one. Three, that I fucking LOVE Primordial. These Irish lads I believed in and supported since day one. They touched a chord with me many many years ago, when the underground looked and felt differently… when it was something much more personal, when everyone was tapet-trading and using the classic hand typed letter, used stamps and covered them with glue so they could be sent back and reused…back when having a type writer was considered either cool or pretentious, before the Internet era, before youtube and Facebook, before Iphones, Itunes, Twitter and youporn.com.

I loved Primordial since those times, I believed in them because they sounded like nothing else even if they were the product of everything I loved at the time. Rotting Christ, Venom, Bathory, Darkthrone, you name it – to me everything made sense and came together in Primordial. And with the risk of getting kicked in the balls, I will admit there’s only two Bathory records that I like more than any Primordial record…it’s just what it is. I will never forget the day I first heard Imrama, what that record did to me. The same I can say about A Journey’s End, which really cemented this band in my conscience…and I remember how I counted the days until I finally heard Spirit The Earth Aflame - still one of my all time favorite records - how my heart was beating with excitement… The Soul Must Sleep…where are those days? Then Storm Before Calm came out, it had a really crappy cover but boy did they take it to the next lever, the band was almost unrecognizable almost, they seemed to have gathered so much more strength, so much more bitterness…

Until they signed with Metal Blade and released The Gathering Wilderness, I really thought this band was cursed. Nothing that had happened to them until them made sense to me - to hell with the luck of the Irish, these guys were really followed by misery with every single damn album released, moving yet to another label that would either fade away or fuck them over and just succumb afterwards. First Cacophonous, then Misanthropy, then Hammerheart. I could not believe it, how much misfortune can you take, as a band? But alas, they prevailed. Today, Primordial are a true tale of success (as much as success weights in the Underground), a beautiful story proving that in the face of ALL adversity some fall through the cracks but those who really want to succeed and fight for it, in the end they get what they deserve, they get their praise, they get what’s rightfully theirs. Starting with The Gathering Wilderness, with every album the band just grew in recognition exponentially, to this day gathering more and more fans with each performance. Personally I think it’s a shame they’re not bigger than Amon Amarth, but hey, not everyone out there takes music seriously, the sad reality is that the vast majority of metal heads do go to shows to get drunk, bang their heads just have a good ol’ time – to each their own, it’s just what it is. That’s why today you have festivals that are just about numbers and festivals that are just about quality…there’s something for everyone. I am very happy for them though, for this jewel of a new album Redemption At The Puritan’s Hand that’s been getting nothing but praise after praise, and I’m happy form myself that I finally got to see them live before I checked out. First time it was in the US when they were a part of this Pagan Metal fest/tour, being the second to last but everyone agreeing that they stole the tour from the 'headlining' bands.

That was a yet again a very special night for me, meeting them for the first time after what felt like an eternity of waiting, having them sign my records, spending the evening at a local bar and just having the best time of my life with my Irish boys – it only took fifteen years of waiting. I was pissed that they didn’t headline but I was grateful they were there, it was good enough for me and for everyone waiting for them all those years. I was at the venue hours before they even arrived, waiting patiently until one by one they stopped by to say hello, sign the LPs, chatting a bit, being totally humble and down to earth. Pol was not there unfortunately. Alan was the last to show his face and it’s quite funny, although they were not “the draw” of the tour and there were still two bands “bigger” then them (what the fuck ever!), none of these “great” bands had any of their albums released on wax…but Primordial, with their past as traumatic as it was, always did it right. So yeah, it was pretty damn cool to see Alan show off my LPs to these guys who were supposed to be the big deal on the tour. Anyone who caught them on that trek will attest that they stole the show from under everyone’s feet. They may not be the tightest band ever, but man they play with so much passion that they cut your air off. Nothing for nothing but they made every other band look like a fucking joke. And since I’m here…most bands today playing what they call Pagan Metal are a total disgrace. It starts with the biggest fish of them all, Amon Amarth – who once were really really great but for the last three albums, since they reached success they’ve been milking the cash cow shamelessly. Just look at the names of the songs on their last record, it’s fucking pathetic…Yes, they sound great on stage, especially the old tunes...and yes, they are entertaining. When it comes to having a fun time at a fest, nothing is better than being pissed drunk and headbang to Amon Amarth. Yes, they are really good musicians – and good for them that they made it, I am not saying they don’t deserve their success, they sure as hell struggled to get where they are. But when you finally decide to open your eyes and shake them up a bit, you realize they’re completely shallow, there’s just nothing interesting about them or their music anymore, and far as I’m concerned they’re yesterday’s news. I firmly believe that there is enough room for everyone and the Swedes deserve what’s theirs for being fantastic entertainers, but how about giving Caesar’s what’s Caesar’s first? How about recognizing who creates art first, give them what’s due, and then have some fun with what’s enjoyable and just sounds good? It’s just like Erik of Watain said, I don’t have a problem with entertainment, with someone’s desire of being a rock star, with wanting to make money, get laid and play rock’n roll. I don’t have a problem with any of that. But don’t try to sell your shit as something that’s not, don’t call it something that actually means something to some people, especially when there’s folk out there who know what’s what and can call you out so damn easily. In the end you still have to look in that mirror and no matter how much money you’ve made or how successful you are, you’re still a fake and that itself is something sad, because you’ve sold your soul to a label and for what? So you can be on the cover of magazines? Grow the fuck up. And don’t even get me started on names like Korpiklani, Finntroll, or other shit like that…are you fucking kidding me? Grown men dressed like they just came out of a cave, sporting plastic swords, acting like complete fucking morons, telling me they’re pagan? Are you kidding me? When did this music become a circus? Quorton would turn in his grave, seriously. How come no one talks about Germany’s Morrigan, for example? Personally, I draw the line at Thyrfing and Moonsorrow. Everything else, all these circus acts that are out to impress pimple faced teenagers who’ve never gotten laid and when they tried to they failed miserably can throw themselves in traffic, I have no sympathy for any of them, or their fans.

After the ramble above I don’t think I need to say anything about Primordial’s set. This band and the art they create goes deep with me and I would most likely be biased. You go see them with your own eyes and then draw your own conclusion. I know that I got tired of waiting for them to come back to the US, so this summer I saw them in Germany at Party San and they were yet another reason why I went to Hole In The Sky. As people, they are some of the nicest, most down to earth blokes I’ve ever met, I am proud to be their fan and friend. Outside the stage, Alan Averill can be the coolest guy you’ve met, he will be a complete goofball with a selected few and a total ego driven douche bag to others - who the hell cares. More often than not people who actually have something to say and make a difference can come across as pretentious. I don’t think this is the case, in this particular case I don’t care. What matters to me as an observer is that when he’s on that stage he’s absolutely overwhelming, and easily one of the most outstanding, passionate and recognizable front mans out there in the metal scene. And when the five of them become Primordial you just feel that time stands still and nothing else matters than what you see and hear, then and there. That’s what makes a great band. Please come back to the US lads, we’re all dying to see you again!

More stills from Primordial at Hole In The Sky- The Last Supper :

s a t y r i c o n

Oh man…there’s some things here I’ve been wanting to let out for a while now and I’m so happy Satyricon played at Hole In The Sky because I finally get a chance to say them out loud. And I have this feeling that it’s stuff other people will agree with but are really not voiced about it…anyway. Fuck it, I’ll do it.

I have a very hard time accepting Satyricon today, because I CAN NOT STAND the two guys in this band, Satyr and Frost, or better said I can't stand the false image they try to portray of themselves. Over the course of the last years I have developed quite an antipathy towards them and even if we crossed paths a few times I never had the interest to even approach them.

There’s this thing with me…I love music, and I have a broad spectrum of genres that I go to anytime I need a certain vibe or want to feel a certain way…whether it’s Neo-folk, Post-rock, Neo-classical, Trip Hop, Dub step, Death Metal (the Ulcerate/Decapitated/Necrophagist type), Grindcore, Black Metal. To me it’s not about how it sounds or the shape it takes, but about what it does to you, how your body and soul reacts to it. I can enjoy listening to Portishead, Sigur Ros, Dead Can Dance or Godspeed You! Black Emperor as much as I can enjoy Watain and Marduk, Burzum or Blood Axis. I may have a soft spot for one more than the other, but ultimately it’s about the state of mind you’re in. Most of the time I take music seriously but I’ll also dance my ass off and act like a nut case at a Gogol Bordello show, for example. If you have an open mind, I think you get it…if you don’t you don’t. Music and any form of art you can think of, is ultimately a form of communication. Between the artist and Universe, between him/her and other people. Without a response from someone with a beating heart, the artist can not exist…and when the response is real, the person who appreciates what’s put in front of them becomes himself/herself the artist, that’s where the communication lies. We can’t be islands, everyone needs a response, some sort of recognition, some sort of acknowledgement, even the most solitary and nihilistic people out there need that.

Meet the Bentley of Norwegian "Black Metal". Satyricon. All class, baby. They are the saviors!

As a person who appreciates art, I can not accept it if it comes from someone whom I have no respect for, as a human being first. I can I can identify with what you have to offer, but if you prove to me that you’re a total douchebag, that you’re so far up your own ass that you can’t discern what’s reality and what’s not, then and your "art" become insignificant to me, and in fact I can become quite irritated with the fact that you’ve wasted my time. I love Opeth for example, I think they’re one of the most incredible bands of our times. I think that Mikael Arkfeld is a genius, like there are many others out there, some recognized but most not. If I found out for that Mikael Arkfelt was a complete jerk in his everyday life, that he’s a snob, a pretentious prick who looks down on people and thinks he’s the center of the Universe, I would first be very disappointed with myself for falling in this trap. But then I would get over it, I’d wait until they played this city again, I’d bring all the LPs, CDs and shirts I ever bought and I’d burn them in front of the venue – it’s just what I would do. Fuck You!

I liked this band since the first album came out. With the second album it became serious. By the third, I was a huge fan. Unlike many cvlt diehard fans, when Rebel Extravaganza came out, instead of totally dismissing it, I actually saw it for what it is, a brilliant record, probably one of the most viciously intense albums ever released in Norway. I love it till this day and I think few things out there are as ugly and massive – that album is pure 100% hatred and at the time I was so addicted to it I could not listen to anything else. But with this change in style, so came a change in attitude. Satyricon boys started seeing themselves as the true innovators in Metal, they slowly and surely put themselves above everyone and everything else. I saw that in interviews, I’ve spoken to people who know them personally…I found it hard to believe what I heard, that Satyr is really all about money and fame, and like I said above, that he was so far up his own ass he couldn’t see the light of day. Volcano came out…not a bad record, I really enjoyed it at the time but the change was more than clear. Then the big change occurred, when Now, Diabolical came out (recorded). All of a sudden no studio in Norway was good enough for them, they could only feel comfortable where Metallica recorded, paying a ridiculous amount of money for that privilege…Out come a couple of really raunchy videos, very well produced, naked chicks all over, flames, the good stuff. More incredibly pretentious interviews, our boys are now posing on the cover of magazines with designer sunglasses, rock-star attitudes and such a superior ‘feel’. We’re being informed that they are now visionaries, the saviors Norwegian Black Metal has been in desperate need of, the big change. They’re going above and beyond their means to sell their new album as a masterpiece…it looks different, it feels different, it sounds different: Alas, the new era has arrived – now bow to your saviors!

find out more things from people who’ve spoken with Satyr that confirm the douche rumors. Then I see interviews on youtube, footage where he’s shown really irritated for not being allowed backstage at a festival in Germany, saying that if he was Lemi of Motorhead it would be no problem. Really? REAALLLY? OK. It’s all starting to add up now...by the time they finally tour the US with Septic Flesh (where’s the fairness in that? – Septic Flesh are so far ahead of them on every single level it’s not even funny) as openers a few years back I’ve already lost any interest in even seeing them live. I was happy to hang out with the Greeks backstage after their set and just be surrounded by true musicians who not only create something truly unique and fresh, but also understand the meaning of modesty, of humbleness. People who are genuine, the kind of people I like to meet. One look in the crowd after the show is over and my suspicions are confirmed: nothing but pimple faced teenagers and countless Cradle of Filth/Dimmu Borgir and Hot Topic shirts – what a shock…I say to myself hey, maybe this is the crowd they now cater to, this is who they want as their fans, clearly a step ahead. Here ya go, congratulations!!

OK. Then comes out the Until The Light Takes Us documentary, which I thought was a very interesting view. Varg Vikernes came out as expected, with his head up, genuine, as always saying what he meant and meaning what he said, and whatever any of you may think of him, at least he has a spine and is/was always honest to himself, no gimmicks, nothing fake. As much as I dislike whateverthefuck Darkthrone is doing today, Fenriz was super fun and genuine, I really enjoyed his presence in the flick. For what he’s done for this music, this guy and Nocturno Culto can stary playing reggae tomorrow, nobody has the right to say shit. But who else is there? The boys from Immortal and…and….Frost! Whoever was the genius to have these characters in the documentary, that’s where you failed brah! I think it was a huge mistake, they brought absolutely nothing interesting to the story, if anything they all made themselves look completely pathetic and they took the quality of this movie down with them…first of all, what the hell did Abbath and Demonaz ever do to have a saying in any of this, and as for Frost, WTF man!! I’ve never seen anyone equally confused with reality and so far up his own ass at the same time. I didn’t see a man that was scary in that movie (I’m guessing that’s what he wanted to look like with those eyes…), I didn’t even see a man trying to be scary (either on the plane with that kid or in general) what I saw was someone genuinely scared of himself and life in general.If I wasn’t too busy being pissed that they ruined my movie, I sure as hell fell sorry for both him and Immortal, I definitely felt sorry for the director’s decision to include these clowns in his work and surely for the teenager audience who were clearly impressed with how truly dark Frost was, darker than the Blackest Black, slicing a couch with his Evil Black Metal knife to show the world what EVIIILLL really means in Norway. For fuck’s sake man, get over yourself…please! I can’t even watch that documentary again because of you. I want to see it again, I really do, if only for the parts with Fenriz and Vikernes. But I refuse to buy it because I am terrified that I won’t be able to skip at the first sight of your “performance” and I’ll get migraines again. Word of advice? This one is on me: everyone without exception knows that you’re a great drummer and that you’ve made a valid statement in that scene. With 1349 more than Satyricon, as far as I’m concerned today. We know, and we get the fact that you are good. Most people in metal have listened to your bands and like what they heard, many purchased your albums and still follow up. But please don’t oversell it man, you’re ruining everything for everyone, including for yourself. Slowly but surely Satyricon prices are starting to go down on auction websites, people are losing interest in your music because of your pretentious attitude, stop it. You’re giving me migraines.

Skip a few years. By now I’ve sold everything I owned with Satyricon, on every format possible – wax, CD, shirts, everything. It’s just like I said above in the Opeth example, I did my duty as a fan with these guys, I worked my ass off and bought everything. But not anymore. I made a nice profit on selling that first pressing of Nemesis Divina LP, I had the poster too – go figure, really loyal fan here, I chased that one for a while. I never hung the poster on the wall for fear I might damage it, you know how you are with your LPs when you love them…Now I regret not selling it separately, so I could make even more on it – because that’s what it’s all about right?? M O N E Y!! I can’t even listen to Shadowthrone anymore and damn, I used to love that record. Anyway. Despite all of this I haven’t given up on these guys so I made myself choose one album I would hold on to – it would be Rebel Extravaganza, I can’t let go of it because I love it – but because of who these guys apparently are, so obsessed, so infatuated with their own image, making music only to fit that “we’re way better than you, and classier” portrait and to be successful, I hate the fact that I love it. Whatever.

Enter2011, Inferno Festival, Oslo. Among other interesting things happening, Satyris launching his own wine. Oh yeah, I’m going there. I just have to, it’s beeneating me since I was there. I get a program in which there’s two days savedfor this event, both a few hours before first bands hit the stages. I reallyenjoyed what happened on the first day…Rockefeller was closed to public and myfriend Roy and I made our way into this rather exclusive event, open to just apart of the press, limited seats, etc. I got the feeling you sort of had to bespecial to be there – I don’t know how the hell I of all people ended up beingpresent, but it happened. I think I’m just charismatic and get under people’sskin very easily, I don’t know. Or I think Paul was sick and we couldn’t findhim? Again, I don’t remember…but Roy and I were there. And quite honestly, itwas a really cool thing to be a part of. For the first time at that festival Ifinally got to relax and enjoy myself a bit (as opposed to running from one photopit to another), talk to some nice people I recognized from a few festivals,some having just seen at Roadburn in Tilburg a week before. Anyway,lots of friendly faces, good people and vibe all around, the catering wasdelightful, lots of things to choose from, the tables were very nicely set upwith candles – fantastic job from the Inferno staff across the board. I’mimagining it was all paid by Satyr, so, since I never had the chance to thankanyone for that – Thank you! Very classy, San Diego!

Spottedhim sitting and chatting quietly at a table with a young lady, nothing out ofthe ordinary, seemed like a regular guy who was just having a good time. Cool.At one point I even thought that I’m too hard on the guy, that I don’t reallyknow him, maybe I’m just wrong. I knew I wasn’t, but I just felt uncomfortablewith not really having met him but having prejudice. I also remember that theywere serving his wine at the bar, but I chose to go with beer. Surprisingly,the band's discography is not written in gold letters on the back label. Thefun part would happened the second day, when I found out there would be anactual presentation of the wine, a real wine tasting inside a conference roomat Rockefeller. I love wine, so I had to go because I was a bit curious. I madeit a bit late, it had already started so I made sure I opened the doorcarefully and made my way in being one with the wall, trying to make myselfunnoticed – surprisingly, I succeeded. The number of journalists seemedslightly bigger this time around, the room was full, everyone sitting at roundtables with Bordeaux glasses in front of them properly filled with red wine,etc. I walked in as the presentation was taking place, all the eyes were onSatyr, who was acting cooler than cool, trying to hide that he was nervous butit only took me one look at him to know he really was.

Hehad his PowerPoint up, and everything…so I make my way quietly towards theback. Didn’t matter to me to taste his wine then and there, I wanted to hearabout it though, because I happen to know quite a few things about wine,especially about Italian wines which I love, and I find to be much moreenjoyable and while no less sophisticated than French, way more fun andpleasant. And incidentally, while I love Nebbiolo I think it’s grotesquelyoverrated compared to other indigenous reds who are much cheaper and fun. TakeCorvina for example, also from the North, by itself or in this popular blendcalled Valpolicella. It’s inexpensive and it’s so damn good. I really don’tcare to have the Mercedes of Italian wines at my table, to me it’s never aboutwhat I drink but about whom I drink with, so in that case a bottle of Barbera(since Satyr loves Piedmont so much!) will always make me and surely whoever I’mwith happier. It’s less pretentious, it’s in your face, juicy, fruity, young.And if you’re looking to get laid it works just as fast.

Andseriously not to brag (there’s nothing really to brag about here), but as achild I was practically forced to make wine by my father. We were growingMerlot, a grape once considered the wine of kings but today really an underdogto Pinot or Cab…And man I fucking hated it because my cousin and I (and all ourfamilies) busted our asses the entire year taking cake of the vineyards,cutting the weeds every few weeks, then finally after all this struggle camethe harvest, then the wine making, then when we were done with the wine we weremaking grappa, and when winter came and it was all over us kids didn’t get paidor anything, instead we were told to be happy we have a roof over our heads. Ohyeah? Fuck you! How’s that! That’s what I did from eight to about sixteen,almost every weekend – work the vineyards. The point here being that I get it,I get wine, especially today when I actually get to drink it, in all forms andcoming from all over the world, as opposed to working my ass off as a kid andnot even get paid for it. Anyway.

Sothere I was, trying to figure out what I’ve missed so far out of thisfascinating PowerPoint presentation. I mean I was sort of expecting it to be fascinating,since this is Satyr’s product, and it’s all about elite here. We are talkingabout the Bentley of Norwegian Black Metal after all, Satyricon. At one moment, he’s explaining that Nebbiolo is sort ofspecial, only grows in Piedmont, needs a certain micro climate that can only befound there, etc etc. You’ll find all that on Wikipedia in a second. Nothingnew here, but people are paying attention, they’re following the screen. We goin the notion of “mass production” and “limited production”.

Nowkeep in mind, this is not 12 year old kids he’s speaking to, these are festivalorganizers, journalists from all over Europe, grown-ups whom I’m sure knewenough about wine but somehow endured all these basic notions and theories thatwere being presented. And what happens next? As Satyr is ready to open ourminds about what “mass production” is (literally he said “A few examples ofmass production are here:”) up on the screen I see the logos of McDonalds, CocaCola and if I remember correctly, either Pepsi or BurgerKing. By the time I sawthe third logo my jaw was dropped. I could not believe it. Really?? I believein doing your homework and trying to be as explicit as possible, but when you’retrying to sell a good wine and you show me the logo of McDonalds to make meunderstand how rare and special what you’re doing is, you instantly lose myinterest, I’m not nine years old!

Ireally just could not believe it. I look in the room to see if I’m the only onethat finds that moment in time painfully awkward, and I can see a few eyeslooking down, others desperately but discretely looking for the windows…you getthe point. I don’t know man, I don’t think you need to be a sommelier to feelsomewhat insulted by something like that, or just embarrassed for everyone beingthere. Maybe I am just too sensitive or easily irritated, looking back Idon’t know if I took it too far, but I certainly know those people in that roomdid not need to be schooled on what mass production and limited production is –before talking about wine or hamburgers, we were all metal heads in there, andall collect digipacks, vinyls, posters, patches or wooden boxes - so I thinkthat was not necessary. I didn’t laugh or cry (although I know I got theimpulse to do both at the same time), all I knew was that I needed to get thefuck out of that room as soon as possible. And I did, as gracefully as I walkedin, being one with the wall, this time I believe I was noticed, but whatever –I tried to be discrete. I ran for the hotel bar, chugged a beer andcontemplated on the more interesting things life had to offer – like Aura Noir doing a special reunion showwith Aggressor.

Entermy 2^nd visit to Norway this year, for Hole In The Sky. First off theday I decided to go, seeing Satyricon onthe list I felt once again a strange feeling. I knew I could not avoid seeingthem, this time around. This was a band that I once loved and today they’recreating a music that maybe I could see myself getting into, if only it wasn’tfor my prejudice against the characters behind the name. Adding more to thestory, I find out that Mr Satyr was not very happy with not being chosen toheadline the festival – what a fucking shock again. Oh man…

SoI had to see them finally, part of me was curious and wanted to be over withall of this, and plus I had to take photos for my team, before being there forfun I also had a job to do. Plus I was hoping they would play some old songs Iused to really like..

Themoment of truth had arrived. And they fucking KILLED IT!! If you made it thisfar I bet you didn’t see this one coming…but look, I’m always honest, this isnothing but a simple personal blog and there’s really no reason to lie toanyone, I would only lie to myself. And what’s the purpose in that, I reallyhave better things to do than to make shit up. I don’t care if five people readthis or five thousand people read this, it’s still my thoughts, what I’vewritten before is what I really feel and that’s that. I will admit to you, thatSatyricon are indeed amazing live,whatever the hype may be (I really don’t care at this point), it’s there for areason. THEY ARE FUCKING GOOD LIVE. And honestly, I was relieved that theywere.

Havethey had not been anything short than perfect, it would have ruined the wholefestival experience I think, and it would have carried around this personaldisappointment I have with them. But they fucking turned it around for me 180degrees. And once again, I went in with a prejudice – but they were indeedfantastic, every note was perfect, they sounded more menacing and way moreintense than on CD. I wanted to fight it but I couldn’t, really. The new songssounded really fresh and original, waves and waves of razor sharp riffs thatgave you no room to breathe, haunting rhythms that made everyone withoutexception bang their heads off like possessed, it was just a spectacularatmosphere. The band is very cohesive, they’re one of the tightest acts I haveyet to witness and I must say, recently imported Silmaeth from Mayhem seems like he is having the timeof his life in the new band. The whole set from beginning to end was flawless,and for the first time seeing them live I understood why I loved their music tobegin with.

Andman, when they started playing Filthgrinderfrom Rebel Extravaganza, it was mytime to lose my shit and get in it. What can I say? I am a bit confused…Firstoff – would I listen to their "new" music on a regular basis?Definitely not. They’re good at what they do, really fucking good to think ofit, but the thought of making music to complete an image, the thought of makingmusic for the sake of wanting to sound unlike anyone else out there – that initself is not the kind of approach an artist should have, in my opinion. Dowhat you want as an entertainer, go as far as you can, reach for the stars –it’s your right, you’ve earned it. But don’t try to sell me your art assomething that it is not. Let me be the judge of that, as a fan or a simpleobserver. And if I don’t get it maybe I’m not smart or deep enough to get it,maybe I don’t deserve it.

Personally,I don’t listen to music made by people who want to sell the image of a rockstar, playboy or sex symbol, or all three of the above. None of that is whatI’m after. Maybe it’s what some horny teenage girls are after, maybe that’s thetarget, but it’s definitely not me. Not today, not ever. You want to make wine?Make wine, who’s stopping you? Make your own vodka, build your own car, becomePuff Daddy if that’s how big your ego is, be Prince -change your name into asymbol if that’s how desperate you are for attention. There’s nothing and noone stopping you from what you want to be. But be prepared, because people willnot judge that wine or vodka by how it tastes, they will first look at yourcharacter, they will filter that first, yeah? Because they know that what theywant to see in that product that carries your name is what they want to see inyou.

Anartist should first of all be honest with himself, and should create art/musicnot thinking of the impact it will have on the masses, History or the Universeitself, of how much it will make him stand out and look like a hero or a saviorof a genre, country, or whatever you want. None of that matters, we’re all deadanyway, already. An artist should gain immortality, not actively seek it.

Anartist should let his music speak, and as brilliant as it may really be heshouldn’t try to explain people how or why it’s so incredibly revolutionary.Have patience, people have ears, they have taste, if it’s there they will seeit, they’ve always seen it, look at BlackSabbath, at Pink Floyd. And mostthan all of the above, an artist should be genuinely humble, and try to bemodest. We all have egos and we’re all supermen in our dreams, but in the realworld perception is reality, and more often than not people ultimately pick upon what’s fake or not, or the people that count do anyway. I live here now, andI don’t care to or have the slightest interest of see Kerry King with Slayer on the Yankee Stadium – I’vedone that, there was a time for that and I paid my dues - I care to see MickBarr in a basement with Ocrilim,yeah? I prefer honesty and modesty over what I perceive as opulence, grandeur.I don’t care about seeing Metallicaand Lars Ulrich, I care about seeing the likes of Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Swans,Mono, Wovenhand, etc. But that’s just me

Satyr,you’re a real artist, we get it. We get it, ok? But learn to be humble, man.Get over yourself. You’ll get where you want faster and chances are you'll sella little bit more wine.

all images are copyright Stefan Raduta

Hole In The Sky 2011The Last Supper

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FESTIVAL OVERVIEW

DAY ONE DAY TWO DAY FOUR

HOLE IN THE SKY 2011 - The Last Supper.DAY TWO

2011-10-27T17:08:00.000-07:00

H O L E I N T H E S K Y
The Last Supper

DAY TWO

a comprehensive and subjective review

FESTIVAL OVERVIEW

DAY ONE DAY THREE DAY FOUR

images and thoughts

by Stefan Raduta

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p r o c e s s i o n

easily the winner

at Hole In The Sky 2011

Shameful fact: I did not even know the band existed until I first saw their name on the bill. They were a last minute replacement for Pagan Altar, and my friend Paul Kearns (now vocalist in Solstice – I know, hard to believe!) said they’re much better…so I went not having any expectations but definitely being curious…and all I can tell you is this: They literally destroyed me. This band cut my air off with such ease! Just a few songs in their set and my jaw was on the floor…and when it was all finished I was practically numb, I could barely speak while scratching my head, trying to figure out what the fuck just happened. YES, believe it. So many questions were hitting me at the same time…who was this beautiful group I had never heard of?? And why did I not know about them? Were they British? They sounded so good, they had to be British. Only to find out they’re from Chile?! What the fuck, Chile?? Fuck yes parcero, Grande Chile!!

And who is this guy Felipe Kutzbach whose incredibly powerful and heartfelt voice just took over the whole venue, leaving everyone completely defenseless, in disbelief? I am telling you, they are absolutely delightful and they brought me to my knees…looking around, I was not the only one in that state of complete awe. The rest, I don’t really remember, other than the fact that I was lost in Doom Heaven. This is what I live for, I just love going to a festival and amongst artists from whom I know what to expect (some proving to be a disappointment, it happens…), in comes a completely new band that just turns everything around totally blows my fucking mind. At Hole In The Sky 2011, Procession was that band for me.

Without a doubt, Procession was the winner, for those who were lucky to be there. And if you weren’t, catch them on the road at any cost. Personally, I have never EVER seen Doom like that performed in front of my eyes, with so much conviction, gracefulness, confidence and SOOOUL. Daaamn!!! It’s like the grandeur of Candlemass’ Epicus Doomicus Metallicus meets the best of Saint Vitus sprinkled with the unbearable sadness of Warning’s sublime Watching From A Distance. All this played with an incredible passion by an underdog band from Chile nobody would pay attention to begin with, so with nothing to lose so they pour their fucking hearts out into their music. Eternal thanks to the staff of HITS for putting these guys on the bill last minute. It makes so much sense for me that they’re Latin, if you talk to ANY band from Europe or US who’s played live in South America they will undeniably tell you that those people are absolutely crazy and passionate about the music they love, and when it comes to metal, they are the most devoted and grateful fans you could have. Because for most of their existence they’ve been deprived of it - by life, politics and circumstances. Am I right or wrong? So now here comes this guy Felipe Plaza Kutzbach, possessing all of the above and putting it in practice by picking up the guitar, becoming reaaaaaly good at it and singing his lungs out under the name Procession. B E A U T I F U L L Y D O N E, Sir! I am sold!

Their set was barely finished and I practically stormed to the merch stand like a Tasmanian devil seeking what I craved most: VINYLS! And they had both of their releases (their 2009 The Cult Of Disease Ep and their 2010 debut Destroyers Of The Faith) on wax. MMmmm. Yes, I have an obsession with listening to good music the proper way – go figure. You know that feeling, when you just saw a kickass band play live, you purchased their vinyls and can’t wait to go home to listen to them on your headphones, lying on your bed or on just on the floor? In a split second I was already imagining myself doing that, and could not wait for the festival to finish, take the train back to Oslo, fly back to NYC and do just that even before unpacking my stuff. That’s how much I loved these guys, that’s how anxious I was. So not only that they’re practically an unknown band, from Chile while at it, on an obscure label (Doomentia Records – may you be blessed, whoever you are!) but they have their music already on wax? Reads: C L A S S. This is me at the merch stand: Hello lady. I want this LP, and this LP, and that shirt….and do you have anything else? No? Fuck…oh well. Where are these guys from? (she doesn’t know) Some guy next to me buying the shirt says Chile...Chile?! WHAAATTT? No waaaay brah! Yup, that’s exactly how it went.

If you don't know them, Procession might be everything you’ve loved in Doom but completely missed out on for the last…three years? You may just like them so much that you’ll feel you’ve been missing on your whole life, I don’t know. I know I do. Maybe you don’t even know any of the names mentioned here, which is just fine cuz there’s never too late for anything, but jump on this boat right now. If you breathe this genre we’ll both agree they would not exist without Black Sabbath, Candlemass, Saint Vitus, Pentagram or whatever the hell you want – you get the idea. There is no doubt about that. They would not exist without any of these great names above. But to this fool, that very day, they sound so incredibly fresh and convincing that they might as well be better than any of them. Live, they are overwhelming and a real treat to all senses.

i n s o l i t u d e

Sweden’s In Solitude are everyone’s darlings for a reason: they’re really young and they’re so damn good at what they do. Leaving Ghost (who are so much fun live but after seeing them three times they get old and they’re sooo overhyped) and Hell aside, having finally seen them live I’m confident that In Solitude and The Devil’s Blood are easily leading this new wave of (young) retro bands paying tribute to legends like Black Sabbath, Maiden or Mercyful Fate. They play with unbridled passion, they’re honest and they don’t hide what they are. They love what they do, we love what they do, they’re damn good at it so I say let’s give them our full support. I’m both amazed and happy to see how fast they have ascended in popularity…Their newly released The World. The Flesh. The Devil. is such a fantastic album to explore for any NWBHM enthusiast - On Burning Paths makes the record a masterpiece alone. I really don’t know what to say about their performance at Garage, other than it was super fun and enjoyable. Is it my style of music? Is it what I listen to every day? Absolutely not – but I loved their show. The guys are really in it, they are really comfortable on stage and have fun while playing, which is really the key to everything. People see it, they get it, and it really makes the music so much more personal. Singer Pelle Åhman is a f’n great front man, really gets the crowd going and has huge potential…definitely won me at the first sight of his Swans patch – way to go kid! I want to see more of them for sure…great energy, total dedication from these youngsters…once again one of the most convincing tribute to the way metal sounded in the beginning. A++!!

g r a n d magus

Stockholm’s Grand Magus is as straight forward as Heavy Metal could possibly be. Flawless songwriting, all balls, epic riffs and a voice that’s absolutely incredible. I was quite amazed by JB’s voice to be honest, so powerful and yet seemingly so natural. Exceptional confidence on stage from the trio, just a great head banging set all around, a treat for the fans present. Definitely not my style of metal to listen to if I had a choice, but every once in a while when you crave some fresh Maiden worship, this is definitely a good band to go to.

s a i n t v i t u s

If I had to choose three bands that not only surprised me but swept me off my feet at this great festival, they would have to be Virus (duh!), Procession (...) and Saint Vitus. Out of the three I only saw the latter live two years ago for a very special show at Brooklyn’s Europa. Being part of a somewhat younger generation, the likes of Pentagram, Trouble, Candlemass or Saint Vitus never were my kind of Doom (until recently), because long before finding them I was swimming in the grey waters of early My Dying Bride, Anathema, Tiamat and so on. And there’s of course the likes of Thergothon, Disembowelment and Skepticism who took me to a completely different Dooooom alley as well. Still have a hard time recovering today, with bands like Ahab or Mournful Congregation being so damn destructive...but I am slowly catching up though, learning what others call “Doom”…it’s a work in progress. Born Too Late?

Enter Saint Vitus.

So if I wasn’t quite ready for Saint Vitus in New York two years ago, I was sure as hell ready for them at Garage in Bergen. Man, what a fucking unbelivable show!!! I seriously could not believe how bloody good these respectable old timers were…It must have been their first time in Norway or something, because there was so much energy and enthusiasm from the crowd. The band killed it live, they played so well and such conviction, the audience loved every single note. They were so in it - and Wino is the real deal man, you DO NOT fuck with this guy - you can easily tell this man’s seen one or two things in his time, so his voice/lyrics really carry some serious weight when on stage. It’s not some pretentious bullshit, he is the real deal. Guitar player Dave Chandler was had a fantastic and charismatic presence, the crowd loved and cheered him as he delivered some seriously sick and epic riffs that went straight to your gut. Damn!

At the end of the show he was trying to break the fence so he could make his way off the stage into the crowd. Eventually he made it and ended up in the middle of the floor, amongst hungry hands who wanted to touch his guitar in a wall of sound. Stellar! They played many classics such as Mystic Lady, Born Too Late, I Bleed Black, Living Backwards, and so many more. “Fuck the police man...and that’s a fact!” Wino also made sure the crowd knew he loved the train trip from Oslo to Bergen, that Norway was a beautiful place but it was no better than California – Haa! Thank you gentlemen, we all need more LIVE Saint Vitus in our lives right now!!

all images are copyright Stefan Raduta

Hole In The Sky 2011
The Last Supper

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FESTIVAL OVERVIEW

DAY ONE DAY THREE DAY FOUR