BlackmetalTR - Gorgoroth ( INFERNUS )

1-How do you describe Gorgoroth as far ? Does your past mean a bigger future ?

hey - what can i say. we are still on the same pattern as before, still focusing on the same: to stick to the original plans, the original plans made years before the recent exclusion of a certain counterpart: the ex-bassplayer and ex-vocalist. we are still in it for the satanism and the metal, and i am still the one in charge of business. the aforementioned counterpart made a lot of practical hassle lately when they tried (and ultimately failed) to run away with the band name, and they also brought a lot of confusion and untruths to the media, as a clear part of their strategy, when i spent time in the studio with my new line up. whether the future now is bigger or smaller, in terms of record sales, i do not really care. i do not think it will affect anything much in a big enough perspective, losing a bassplayer and a vocalist i could have been without in the first place. they are now where they belong: in a court situation having to take responsibility for their actions; and in the past, together with some more or less 25 other ex-members. big deal. now it is time to get back and to get the focus straight. then the rest, with a bit of hard work, by satan, will solve itself.


2-Could you introduce us the new crew? By doing that you can end the gossips about it.

definitely, i can. by new crew, it should be understood that i have put together a line-up of both ex-members, from the era before the memberships of the counterpart in fact, from the mid nineties, and i also added two new guys. this brings fresh blood in for sure, and i am really excited about it. it will also be easier to work with these guys on a more personal and ideological level, as all of them can be labeled personal friends of mine, and they do not have any problems fronting the necessary and inavoidable satanic ethic underlying the foundation of the band and what i do and live for. my present line-up is, and has been for quite some while now: tormentor, pest, frank watkins and tomas asklund!


3-What about your works ? In which state of mind are you while creating them?

i need isolation and piece for presenting something i can stand behind. i need isolation and piece for being able to get deeper into the essence of metal. this is in no way difficult for me. i am not much of a social being, and i resent rock-culture and everything it has to offer, so i work best at night time, when at home. alone. when that is said, some 50% of the upcoming album was written in prison in the winter of 2006, and i guess that was the thing needed to kickstart me back getting in touch with something providing me with - call it whatever you want, inspiration for example. again i had the feeling that i was able to deliver quality as opposed to quantity, and it was that feeling or understanding which i needed. whether we now are working on something which is able to stand the test of time or not, future will tell. it will reveal itself from october onwards.


4-The name Gorgoroth is defiled because of Gaahl so much. People have gone too far like calling it Gaygoroth which is a very awful definition. What are you going to do for erasing that bad image? Also , what is the begining of the name rights problem ?

i took the case to court, and i won. the verdict concludes that the counterpart which you refer to, illegally used the name after they successfully expelled themselves from the lineup back in 2007. now it is just a matter of finding the right way of making them compensate for that. i leave that for my lawyers, i have other things on my mind now. when it comes to gaygorgoroth etc i am pretty much confident that most people will be able to judge them for what they have said and done. i was not the one placing my nose in the media l, and i am not the one who should do all the explanations for whatever they did or said, or for whatever persons they are or are not.


5-What was the biggest pride for Gorgoroth ? You dealt with a lot of cause.

difficult to say. the history reaches long way back and there has more or less been something going on all the time from the beginning. there have been obstacles and there have been achievements. what there is to be proud of should be up to other people to judge.


6-Gorgoroth never feared being a guide, what was the biggest lesson do you want to impose to people ?

hehe, i really doubt this could be said and done in an easy and comprehendable way through an interview like this. but if pushed, a word of advice can be given: what about starting with that old cliche of being yourself, and try to be that in front of others as well. and, if into music business, do your things for the right reason, and do not try to take the easy way at any point. that would of course include: stay away from other people's already protected trademarks. hah!


7-Does your album covers reflect the image in your mind ? How do you chose them ? Is there any band which carries ideological thoughts you like?

i really cannot speak for other bands and what they might be having on their minds. the album covers should more or less correspond to the contents and topics of the albums. which again - of course - shoulld reflect what is on at least my mind when being into the production of the album.

8-What does Black Metal mean for you ?

it has become a life style and a code of being. and it has come to a point of no return. there are only a few people, me included, who are willing to dare to take it all the way. and after a while, it becomes obvious that even if wanted, these labyrinths are nothing you get away from, whether you want to or not. the mysteries of satan reveal themselves in the most interesting of ways.


9-What about satanism ? What is your personal opinion about religions ? Do you agree with " Religion is a penis for slanging people ." opinion ?

to me satanism represents my walk on the left hand path and it colours all and everything i see and i deal with. satan and satanism represents a central core of my religious universe. i am a man of god and thus i see the world accordingly. there is no room for me accepting or understanding otherwise than that man is a "homo religiosus". logically enough then there is no room or understanding of a so-called atheist look at things. nor a humanist such. i simply just do not hold man to be the centre of the universe.


10-What about your dailiy life, what do you do ?

i try to work as hard as i can with what i believe in and what i stand for. i try keeping myself as active as only time will allow me to.

11-Is there anyrhing that you stand against and don't want it be on Black Metal stage ? Nowadays most people are just clowning around…

i totally agree about that. i will try to keep clean from that and continue using every opportunity to stay miles away from that. black metal was never intended to be any such thing, and even though i do not regard myself or my band to be to closely involved in this decadent subculture, i will for sure try keeping both my focus and my dignity in all this, which i after all to a certain degree have to relate to in the future as well. mediawhoring and desperate attempts of self-mythologizations are at least two more concrete examples i can give you of things which are not for me.


12-What do you want to say to the mass which dislike Gorgoroth and disregard the art of it ?

stay away from it. we do not need you or your opinions anyway!

13-Now lets talk about your upcoming works … Is Gorgoroth preparing a new album ? Can you give us an approximate date for the upcoming album ? People are getting impatient.

yes, we are. it is called quantos possunt ad satanitatem trahunt and we are going to release it on regain records in october, and we will by mid-july or end of july even be ready to give a press listening session. the place will most probably be berlin, and the date will be made public during summer. then, and in october, the album will reveal itself.


14-Would you like to perform in Turkey someday? If you come to Turkey , what will be your expectations ? There are a lot of bands in Turkey which hold the spirit of Black Metal but are unknown to the other countries. Do you call it being underground or bad commercial ? And what do you know about Turkish Black Metal ?

absolutely. i would love to do that. and, as a matter of fact, i have travelled a lot, but so far never got the chance to see turkey yet, i'd in any case love coming there. especially istanbul, since i am interested in both topics like architecture and the history of christian thought. we will by june be having a new booking agent, as the old one - henk mol from vain prod. - was some kind of a rotten apple who helped the counterpart exploiting the name and logo of my band. when we have a new agent, i would be more than happy to get to the question whether we would like to come there. whether i have heard any turkish acts so far? no, i am sorry. i am not so much open minded when it comes to metal and newer releases, this even though i am running my own label, and perhaps i should actually have to broaden the senses a bit.


15-Thank you for answering the questions. Finally, is there anything that you like to say to the followers of the Turkish Black Metal and BlackmetalTR members ?

thank you for showing your interest. and thank you to all of our loyal audience who stayed with us through both times of hardship and others, in turkey or elsewhere. hail satan and fear the return!