In your bio, you talk of turning down record label interest, and decided
to form your own label and release your new release independently. Explain
the reasons behind this?
Tell us of some of the topics your lyrics deal with.
Explain your religious/spiritual affiliation. What are your feelings
toward Christianity and why?
In a past interview with 'Under the Blade' fanzine, you refer to Lavey's
brand of Satanism as 'politically-correct Satanism.' Go into more depth
with the reasons behind that statement for us.
In the same interview, you have some harsh words for Aleister Crowley.
Which we are in disagreement with. He was a man, indeed, of many human
faults, but a very wise and self-schooled person, not only speaking of
magick. What works of the literal hundreds of his have you read and explain
more in depth your thoughts.
Do you believe that in order to be a 'black metal' musician certain
qualities are required?
What are your thoughts on bands who utterly change their style for
purposes of so-called 'growth' and experimentation?'
Would you consider yourself an 'extreme' person by your societies
standards. What do you think separates you from the others?
The foundations of our 'global society' are decaying rapidly... and
this can be found of any society in the past, true, but not on the enormous
multi-faceted scale as seen today. A darker age awaits us. Tell us your
thoughts on this world and its future? Do you foresee things getting worse
before better?
There seems to be a lot of tension in Canada between the French and
English populations. Referring to the French population wanting their own
government/land in Canada. Could you illuminate this situation to us and
where you stand on this issue.
What would you deem some of the major problems prevalent in Canadian
society?
Tell us some of the things most important to you... your greatest
passions in life. In contrast, your deepest hatreds?
If you could know the answer to one question, what would the question
be?
Is their a person dead whom, if given the chance, you could meet, who
would it be? What would you ask/talk about with this individual?
What are your views of after-death. When you envision it, what do you
picture? Also, what would you say might be the last thoughts in your mind
as you die, and what words on your dying lips?
I'm sure you believe certain things in life are worth fighting for,
perhaps also worth dying for? What are some of the things you deem worthy
to sacrifice your life for?
And back full circle to your music... tell us what we can expect for
the future of Frozen Shadows.
Lastly, your final comments and words of wisdom.
Frozen Shadows isn't a name many people are familiar with in the black
metal scene. Introduce yourself and the band to those unaware of your
presence, and explain what, in your opinion, sets F.S. apart from the
multitude of others.
Frozen Shadows is a Black Metal band in the Truest of form, not a pathetic
parody of the gothic scene like so many "dark and evil" outfits out there!!
That is the first thing each of you should know about us...
This beast was born in late 1995, summoned by the union of Myrkhaal and
Namtar. Our circle was first completed by two other members which have since
left our ranks, and in 1997 we recruited Alvater. We have been a trio since
the dawn of 1998, Alvater handling the guitars, Myrkhaal the vocals and
keyboards and Namtar on bass and drums. Our demo "Empires de Glace" was
released in late 1996/early 1997, and our first album "Dans les Bras des
Immortels" was launched onto the unsuspecting masses on the 30TH of July
1999.
What sets us apart from the other BM outfits??? I'd have to say that our
breed of Black metal is not so common. We are an ultra fast and angry
entity, but we also do create dark atmospheres with the (moderate) use of
keyboards. Some have already labeled us as the "fastest band with keyboards
on earth". The fastest groups are usually devoid of any keys, while the
(very few remaining...) darker ones tend to slow the pace a bit. What we
have always tried to do is to blend the lightning speed parts with the
symphonic/atmospheric ones, BUT keeping the hatred as the dominant part of
our musick, a thing I believe very few groups have done, as they usually
tend to let the keys take over the rest.
First I would like to clear something: Sepulchral Productions is a true
label, so we do not consider "Dans les Bras des Immortels" as an independent
release at all. It was only logical for me to have my own band sign to it,
probably the same way it was for Satyr when he created Moonfog...
We had interest from labels, but most of them understandably wanted to hear
some new songs before offering us a contract, as it had been a long time
since the demo! Blame the struggling line-up for that... We wanted to
release our album as soon as possible, and since I had the money I decided
to form Sepulchral Productions and release the Frozen Shadows CD through
it. This CD has been made with a pretty good budget, and will get a very good
promotion, probably better than if we had signed on a label where we'd have
been but one band out of twenty, plus, we have all the control over this
release and won't end up making scraps out of the profits!!!
I view my lyrics as Satanic Poetry, dark reflections of my soul. As with all
poems, these are parts of myself I expose, but not always in a fashion that
everyone can understand. I think I have a very emotional way of writing as
opposed to some groups who just write Satan everywhere, I personally think
it is a lot darker that way. My hatred towards so called "good" ways of life
is the thread uniting all of my works, but the emotional approach towards
it varies from song to song. Some are more melancholic or downright
suicidal, while the majority are extremely angry and ghoulish.
I consider myself as a Satanist, but it's more a way of life or philosophy for
me. I prefer acknowledging, respecting and learning from the forces of
Darkness rather than following blindly a horned idol like a sheep, that's
for sure!
Christianity and the other white-light religions have been the scourge of
mankind since these plagues first infected the masses!!! They were designed
to serve as a breeding ground for feeble individuals enslaved by servitude
and incapable of leading their lives on their own terms. Religions value
weakness over strength, hypocrisy over truth and shame over pride, and
because of them we are now a society of invertebrated subhumans. I long for
the day when I'll see all of them hanging from the treetops!
The Church of $atan is a corporate machine designed for yuppies and
babyboomers in search of harmless thrills. Anton La Vey was obviously an
intelligent man, and some things he wrote made sense, but I think if you
take it in general, it is pretty tame, and nothing like the revolutionary
philosophy they'd like to make you believe it is. Most of their policies
have in my opinion nothing to do with Satanism, they probably only called it that
way for shock value/publicity!
For example, the church of Satan places way too much emphasis on
social/monetary success, and that has nothing to do with the strength and
mental awareness they say have sooo much value. How can someone take them
seriously when one of their most famous mottos is "do unto others as they've
done unto you", and they then say they are against anything illegal like
battery or murder. So if I gather it correctly, if someone was beating up on
you (an illegal act by all means!), you shouldn't act upon it. Isn't that
the same thing as "turn the other cheek"??? This is the same
hypocritical/two-standards way most "politically correct" persons use if you
ask me...
Hummm, maybe I was a bit harsh, BUT I still stand by what I said about
Crowley. I must say that I was in a very foul mood when I answered this
interview, and I think it is obvious by the whole tone of it. Perhaps I
voiced my opinion a little too loud, but I have always thought of Aleister
Crowley as a very overrated scholar...
I have read quite a bit of his works, so I know what I am talking about.
When I was younger and first discovered an interest for the Art and the
Occult, I naturally came across Crowley as he is probably the most often
mentioned with maybe Eliphas Levi and , on a lesser level, HP Blavatsky.
It's been quite a while, but I remember reading The book of the Law (who
hasn't???), Magick without Tears, The Heart of the Master, the tiny
Absinthe: the green goddess (I think it was called that way...) and a few
books on the Golden Dawn, and I must say I was not that impressed. True, the
man was intelligent and well-learned, but in my eyes his human flaws as you
say hinder his credibility.
First of all, I must say that I'd rather trace my own path than following
one already made by someone else. It is of course sometimes good to see/read
about other ideas, but in the case of Crowley people tend to get too
reverent, as if no other way could exist. Secondly, I believe in keeping my
mind in a crystal clear state during rituals, and Crowley put WAY too much
emphasis on the use of narcotics as a way of expanding the mind. I wonder
how much trust you can place on events related/lived under the influence of
hallucinogens? At least when drug-free, your experiences are much more
credible. Sex-Magic, on the other hand, is something I can relate to. It is
true indeed that releasing sexual energy can lead to very productive
rituals...
A dark soul above all else! Call me old-fashioned if you will, but I still
think that Black Metal is not meant for everyone, as opposed to most of
the "scene" of today! The name says it all: BLACK Metal. I simply cannot
accept any individual saying that he sings about/plays "evil" and "dark"
themes within the confines of his band, then behaving like any normal idiot
while outside of it. You must have a dark heart to play this kind of music,
period. How would you judge a grind/veggie band singing against animal abuse
and then learning they are meat eaters? Now can someone please explain to me
why it should be any different when it comes to Black metal and the
philosophies behind it?
I hate these bands! There is a difference between letting your style evolve
naturally and purposely tone down your music so that it can be more
accessible! To me, it just amounts to money-hungry people willing to lose
all their integrity for a few bucks more... Bands that are wimping/selling
out and then saying it should rather be called "experimentation" or "growth"
make me sick. If they truly were up to a point where their old musical
direction was not satisfying enough, then they should simply change their
name and start anew, rather than holding on to a name that has lost all it's
meaning!
Yes, I do consider myself as extreme by any means when compared to the weak
standards of society. I have very little value for human life, except for my
own and those of my few close associates. Most humans are to me like cattle,
both intellectually and in overall value. Where your average man is afraid
of the dark, I revere and enjoy it. I can only feel disgust for weaklings,
as opposed to the intolerable empathy this society seems to have for them.
In short, what these whelps consider "evil" I see as normal, and what they
hold in the highest of opinion I would like to crush.
Anno 2000 won't be the end of the world, that I am sure of. These are but
2000 years off the Christian calendar, which has no value for me, so I
really don't see why anti-Christians take this number as an Omen. True, this
world is being battered by the humans populating it, and corruption runs
rampant. If we do not self-annihilate within the next 15-20 years (always a
possibility), I see the years after that as extremely hypocritical, sterile
and puritan, where humanity, after a long self-examination, will try to
better itself in a foolish way, burying all of its problems under a facade
of a perfection. Imagine the "Politically Correct" system ten times worse,
that is what I see. Scary, isn't it?
Yes, it has been a problem over here for years. Here are the demographics of
Canada in short so that you can understand. Canada has a population of about
30 million, 7 million of it being of French heritage. 6 of these seven
million people live in the province of Quebec, accounting for 85% of
Quebec's population, as does Frozen Shadows. Quebec was a country of its
own called Nouvelle-France, colonized by settlers from France, from 1534 up
until 1763 where the English invaded it and annexed it in Canada AGAINST our
ancestor's will.
The English part of Canada has always tried to no avail to assimilate us, by
the government's politics as well as by their control over our economy. We
got our economy back in the fifties, and a movement for the separation of
Quebec from Canada and it's rise as a country of it's own has been growing
ever since. Of course, the rest of Canada doesn't see eye to eye with us on
that!
Frozen Shadows is for the separation of Quebec, as we want to keep our
culture and language alive. We are living a pretty unique situation in the
world, being but a mere 6 million French speaking people surrounded by
about 300 million English speaking ones (US included). Only by getting our
country back and making our own laws protecting our language can we preserve
what has been passed unto us by our forefathers...
Asides from the French/English tensions, I would have to say the economy!!!
Since the IDIOTIC Canadian government signed this accursed "Free Trade"
treaty with the US, it's been downhill. Before, we had protective taxes
against American products, but they have been eliminated by this treaty! Now
all of your American corporations can establish themselves in Canada,
crushing our companies, making thousands lose their jobs, while only handing
out hundreds of minimum-wage jobs. Then, they can proceed to take truckloads
of profits OUTSIDE of Canada to reinvest them in the US of A, making your
economy all the better and ours even more miserable! Sorry if it sounds a
bit harsh to you Americans, but it is the whole truth. How I would like to
get my hands on our ex prime-minister for that!
My greatest passion is without a doubt the Art I produce with Frozen
Shadows. Music and poetry have been the main focus of my existence since I
was ye high. My deepest hatred is towards Christianity and all "benevolent"
religions, it is simply visceral. I have always hated these as far as I can
remember, and I will probably be cursing them still with my dying breath.
Not very original of me, but it would have to be "What awaits me after
death". Probably more in a curious tone than the scared one normal beings
adopt when talking about this tough...
I would really like to meet the French poet Baudelaire. He is simply put the
greatest poet that has ever lived, and his "Les fleurs du Mal" (or "flowers
of Evil") book is an astonishing piece of Satanic poetry like I doubt the
world will ever see again. I would most likely discuss poetry with him,
especially his of course, what drove or influenced him towards poetry this
obscure in the rigid society of the mid 19th century.
This will maybe sound a bit strange to some of you, but I have no set vision
of the Afterlife! I try not to think too much on that subject, since I do
not want to have an image in my mind throughout my life, only to find out
how different from it it truly is. I have absolutely no fear whatsoever of
death, but since I do not have the answer on what it will be like, I simply
prefer not obsessing over it. My last thoughts when it will come will
probably be that I am proud of the life I have lead, and I am pretty sure
that my last words will be "I regret nothing"...
There are two things I would instantly lay down my life for, where I to be
sure it would lead to success: the independence of Quebec from Canada, or
the utter annihilation of the white religions. Since none have occurred yet,
I prefer to stay alive and keep fighting!
The answer to our first CD have been tremendous so far, so hopefully it will
permit us to establish Frozen Shadows as an extreme and tortured Black Metal
outfit worthy of attention. From that, we will have to see where our next
attacks on this rotten world will lead us to. Expect a new CD sometime next
year that will be another piece of Pure Blasphemy!
Thank you for this very interesting interview, your support is appreciated.
For all the True Black Metal freaks out there, our CD is available for 13US
$ through Sepulchral Productions. We salute the real warriors and spit on
the rest. Crush the light, embrace the Damned!
Sepulchral Productions
CP St-Andre
BP 32 128
Montreal, Quebec
(Canada), H2L 4Y5
