Although Abigor needs no introduction, give us a history and bio of
the band for those souls who have yet to hear your music.
ABIGOR was formed in summer 1993, by Thomans and myself. Immediately after that Tharen joined ABIGOR as vocalist. We recorded the first demo, entitled Ash Nazgh... in Autumn 93, the second demo Lux Devicta Est in December 93, then the Promo-Tape II/94, and in March we released the last official demo, Moonrise. After we released Moonrise we replaced Tharen with Silenius. The main reason for this was because the lack of dedication and passivity from Tharen`s side, so it was the only suitable solution for ABIGOR. In May we recorded a kind of advance tape, entitled In Hate & Sin, just to check out Silenius“ vocal performance.
We signed a deal with NAPALM after the Moonrise demo, and we recorded the debut album Verwustung / Invoke The Dark Age in June 94, but because of several problems - because of press ban in Austria and Swiss - it has been released in autumn 94. In November 94 we recorded the concept MCD Orkblut - The Retaliation. On one day in spring 95 we recorded the overworked demo song Shadowlord for the NAPALM compilation With Us Or Against Us Vol.I, and in may 95 Nachthymnen (From The Twilight Kingdom) In November 95 the first chapter of Opus IV - Horns Lurk From Beyond The Stars. In may 96 we recorded the second part of Opus IV, Blut Aus Aeonen, and finally Opus IV has been released in August 96.
In January 97 we recorded the MCD Apokalypse within a few hours, and in November 1997 we started the recording session for Supreme Immortal Art. The album was finally been released at the end of February 1998.
Within the next month NAPALM will release a 7" that includes 2 exclusive studio out-takes of the first two recording days of Supreme Immortal Art in 1997, the included songs are The Spirit Of Venus, and Magic Glass Monument, and at the 12th October a strictly limited CD (500), with a few selected demo songs will be released through NAPALM. Well, I guess that's ABIGOR`s history so far.
Tell us about your newest release, 'Supreme Immortal Art,' and how it
differs from the five previous releases.
The main difference is that we used keyboard throughout the album, furthermore the album is very technical and complex. It's for sure the most matured release so far, even I am not that satisfied with the production, anyway, I think we've managed to create a kind of restless harmony between the keyboards and the guitars, without any loss of the aggressive guitar sound.
I understand you plan to release some select demo songs on cd soon.
Tell us about this material and the motivation behind its release.
We decided to release that CD, because the inquire on ABIGOR demo's still enormous. So we thought that would be the best way, and with the strict limitation of 500 CD's we prevent a sell-out, so the demos and as well the demo CD will always be rare items.
Why did you choose to use a female backing vocalist in some of your
songs? Some people say that 'true' black metal is straight forward
aggression. No keyboards, no female vocals or 'clean' vocals(although we
don't believe this true.) What do you think about this matter?
Personally I think that it depends on the spread message, and the philosophy of the involved individuals, and not how one performs the music. And who says that Black-Metal with clean, or even female vocals can't be straight and aggressive too?! I think that's an idiotic matter. Also I see Black-Metal still as my way of self realization, and I create art that I like, and I give a shit if others can accept it.
The other members of Abigor and yourself are involved in a handful of
side-projects. Could you tell us about these? Does Abigor come first?
Yes, ABIGOR grant our full priority, and I think that these side-projects have no negative affect for ABIGOR at all.
Silenius is also involved in SUMMONING, and MIRKWOOD. But he has never written any note for an ABIGOR song, nor any lyrics - he is `just“ the vocalist. HEIDENREICH, the second band I am involved in will grow into more experimental fields of Metal, even the upcoming release Trance Of An Unholy Union will be still Black-Metal, but with more un-typical, and strange influences.
And Thomas is only involved in ABIGOR.
What are some of the things Abigor stands for?
ABIGOR represents the everlasting spirit of grow and decay, it's a restless demon, the demon of war. Sixty of the infernal legions are at his command, ABIGOR holds the banner of Satan high, and we are the mouth of Satan.
Surely your music draws inspiration from such things as aggression,
hate, etc., what other, less noticeable things inspire you, musically and
otherwise?
Personally I haven't any conscious influences anymore. I think everything influences me more or less, but maybe one can speak about a kind of hatred towards the (standard) human species, with their moral, and way of living, so maybe one can see this as a kind of inspiration.
Abigor has expressed a deep hatred for Christianity in past
interviews... do you see it as the culture-destroying, destructive,
alien force that so many others have seen it to be?
Christianity is responsible for the loss of wisdom that our ancestors have used for hundreds of years. The heathens have been conquered with sword and fire, and nowadays it's one of the world religions, and no-one doubts the truth and honesty of Christianity. That's in my opinion just weak minded, and I consider Christianity as a religion that instructs to beg for heaven - so if one sums it up it's a religion for sub-species that are unable to develop a kind of individual thinking, like 90% of today's population are.
How deep does your knowledge of Judeo-christianity go? Have you ever
read the bible or been to one of their churches?
Yes, I read the bible, and as I was young I also was in a church. I think one must know the enemy before one can fight, or judge it. It's easy to spread shit without any knowledge, but in my opinion not the way it should be.
When did you first realize the lies of this religion?
Puh, I can't remember, but I can remember that my parents always joked about the church and the pope, and that they always told me how false the Christian dogma is. Anyway, I decided to read the bible to have an individual opinion, but after that I agreed, Christianity isn't worth any attention, just a joke.
In contrast, what are your thoughts on Satanism, in general?
Personally I proclaim myself as a Satanist. I worship Satan, practise rituals, and honour the gods of our ancestors. My Satanism is very personal, because it combines philosophies of very different kinds of heathen and occult believes, even I see Satan as the `master“, I am above all these.
What about the death of Anton LaVey? What did you think when you
first heard the news of his death?
La Vey is dead?! Well, I really didn't know it. But it doesn't bother me at all.
What sort of books interest you?
I read everything I find interesting, not focused to any domain. But I like scientific books about the quantum theory, and the space-time proportion, and sometimes I read fantasy books, but these books got mostly boring.
If you could step back into time for one day, what age and place
would you go and what would you do for that day? And for what reason?
Maybe the battle of Stalingrad in the 2nd World War would be nice, mainly because I think it would be very impressive to see the dismembered, and frozen corpses of the fallen soldiers.
Is there someone of the past that inspires you?
Not really.
What Gods/Goddesses were worshipped in Austria before the coming of
Christianity?
In Austria we've had `polytheismus“, and the religions of Celts, and Germans, but mainly the early Austrians worshipped the gods of nature.
What are your feelings of paganism? Would you say there is a
resurgence of 'heathen' beliefs these days? If so, what do you think is
the cause of this?
Yes, it is a resurgence, definitely. Even in Austria it's more a kind of trend to be interested in it. I think at the moment we've an enormous boom of Esoteric here in Austria. But personally I am very addicted to paganism, even I think that depends on the education caused by my parents.
As living creatures, we are forced to contemplate our mortality.
Death ever looms over the horizon of life. What are your thoughts and
feelings of death? Do you believe in any sort of an afterlife?
I believe in an existence after death, I don't know who, and where, but I can imagine a kind of parallel dimension. Also our lives existence is energy, and energy can't be annihilated, only transformed into other form of energy, the only problem is, whether we can see the soul as a source or force of energy.
Hmm, I don't know how it should look there, I'll see it sooner or later.
What are some of your greatest goals in life?
I've no real goal in life. At the moment I live in a kind of inner harmony, I try to realize all my ideas with ABIGOR and HEIDENREICH, also I'd like to get more wisdom and knowledge, and as long as I can fulfill these `goals“, and I feel inner harmony, I am more or less satisfied with this existence called life.
If you knew the world was going to end tomorrow, and only you knew,
what would you do until then? What would the last words on your lips be?
I often thought about that, but I still haven't found any suitable solution.
But one thing I'd like to do before the world ends is, I'd like to kill someone. I must see the fear, and the death in the eyes of my victim. I think my last words would be - finally it happens...
A question we ask the bands we interview is if they see a decline in
the world and a fleeting hope for its future. Almost always do they
express to us a hopeless attitude, believing that the last days are upon
mankind. What do you think? And why? Will things only get worse?
If one takes a look on today's world situation it seems to be hopeless, but it doesn't bother me too much. I would feel deep satisfaction, if the world ends soon, because I think the planet must be healed of its disease called mankind.
Ok, back to the music, has Abigor done any touring? (if so, with who
and where/when?) Are there plans for touring in the future?
No, we haven't toured yet, nor have we ever performed any live-gig yet. Maybe we will play an exclusive gig at the Hellraiser Club in Leipzig (Germany) but it isn't sure yet.
What can we expect for the next full length Abigor release? Any
material recorded already? Can you give us a name or some of the song
titles? How will it differ from the last?
The new material will be more various, with more fast tempo changes, but also very technical and aggressive, also we will not use keyboards anymore, but we will try to work with 3-4 guitar-lines throughout the album. If everything works well, we will record the new album in December. Compared to Supreme Immortal Art the new material is much faster, and aggressive, but its still typical ABIGOR, await it.
Alas, final comments?
Thanx for your support. Satan lebt!
Abigor
Veriensgasse 25/20
A-1020 Wien
Austria
