My hellish hail from Hungary, Wrath! Do you have any personal experience of my country? Have you ever been in my homeland? What do you know about us? What Hungarian bands or labels do you know? In 2015 Acherontas played on Inner Awakening Festival. Did you hear about this festival?
Hails from Wrath! No I have never been to Hungary before, but it’s one of my future plans to travel to your country. Recently my guitarist, Nadir (Nadiwrath) who also plays the bass for Thy Darkened Shade on their live performances, travelled to Hungary and participated at the Inner Awakening Festival. He had a great time while he was there. Semjaza (Thy Darkened Shade) and Nadir spoke to me about it with great words. It’s a very respectful festival. Eternal hails to Tormentor, Tymah and Hunok. Turanian Honour Productions is also a label that I highly appreciate and has released great stuff.
If it is truth, you have already 9 albums. The band exists more than 15 years. Having a look at your discography, you are a very productive band. What is the secret after all these years? I think lot of bandmates left your side through the years. How much do these departures emotionally scar you?
My devotion to my art and my philosophy gives me strength to create and also my everlasting hate to this filthy world and its sub humans. They were not band members, just session musicians. So their departure meant nothing to me and my band.
Do you remember the moment when you got the feeling to found Dodsferd? What was the impact, for what purpose was the band formed? Why did you choose this name? Is there any particular message of the band?
The only thing I remember back then was my need to exteriorate my hate! I felt disgusted about humankind and its paracitical way of living. Creating Dødsferd was the only way I could ease the demons in my head. I chose this Norwegian word, because it was something completely different here in Greece, away from the trends of the era. I chose it also because of the power of its meaning. It means ”Journey of Death”. I started a very difficult journey and I am continuing it stronger than ever!!!
Would you roughly introduce these 15 years? The atmosphere and the style of each album is rather vary, in my opinion. In the early years you preferably played old school black metal, then there were albums, where the Mediterranean specialities better appeared (Death Set the Beginning of My Journey), there was an album with slow, depressive tones (Suicide and the Rest of Your Kind Will Follow), then on the newer materials punk and rock influences can be heard (The Parasitic Survival of the Human Race), but what is always there, is the melancholic and negative mood. How can you explain these changes in style?
”Dødsferd” is the diary of my life. All these years I am expressing myself in the way I want. I don’t follow any kind of trends and I don’t depend on no-one’s opinion in order to create my music and my art. I do whatever pleases the demons in my head.
What inspired you to create ’The Parasitic Survival Of The Human Race’ album? How was its reception? Did many turned away, because you made such an album? Tell me about the birth of this album! What influences did you have at that time?
The crisis in Greece, was for sure a major reason for creating such a unique album for my band. I always listened to rock, garage, heavy rock, doom, punk and other syles of music. So I combined all these elements and created such an album, away from the liking of the masses. An album odd to the end of lies, stupidity and parasitic survival of humankind. It was an album that no one expected to be like this.
’Wastes of Life’ is your newest album, so far. From this album I have only heard a 9-minute long, stunning, depressive song. For me a little bit strange that there is such a strong change between these two albums. It seems like you do not find your place, but I think it is not the deal. So, what is the real deal? Please, introduce us the new album!
As I aforementioned, Dødsferd is my whole world and I do whatever I want. I know exactly what I am doing. I don’t follow any kind of trends or succesful recipes of the past. ”Wastes of life” is a very soul-destroying album on whichh I was working for more than 2 years. One of the most personal albums I ’ve created all these years.
There are many split albums. Who did you work with in the past and who will you work with in the future? Did you make any friendship out of these co-operations? I think a split album is a very good cohesive force in the underground, an alliance to support each other. Are these albums important to you or the idea of these albums came only from the labels?
I have allies who support my vision and my race against all these failures of life. That’s why these splits were made, to show our alliance and disgust for humankind. I don’t need anyone else to tell me what to do. Ganzmord, Necronoclast, Mortovatis, Nadiwrath, Infernal Hate, Warforged, Chronaexus, Happy Days, Psyhonaut 4 are the bands that I have co-opperated with in the past. A new 7” split Ep will be released in 2017 with the French horde, Fhoi Myore.
Greece always had an exotic, special place in the music underground. Were you there when the very first Greek metal bands started playing? If not, than what kind of stories did you hear from the older ones, who were there?
I have no stories to tell/write.
Varathron, Rotting Christ and Necromantia are the base of the Greek scene. What do you think about them? Personally, I am sick of the latest Rotting Christ materials.
I respect a lot their history and their legacy. That’s all.
How united the Greek bands are? Are there any groups who support each other, or groups who make others lives difficult? What do you think about the rivalry between bands and scenes?
This doesn’t concern me.
From the Greek Empire, the art of Human Serpent really caught me. Do you know them? What young Greek bands would you suggest to our readers? These days I am mostly listening to: Grim Deströyer, Burial Hordes, Sad, Chaoscraft, Hell Poemer, Near Mataron, Legion Of Doom, End, Riddle Of Meander, Enshadowed.
Isolert is a great promising horde which recently released their debut album. I recommend you to check them out.
Did the Scandinavian scene give the starting push to the Greek bands, or were there any other influences to this Mediterranean movement? What do you think about this? What do you think about the new and the old Scandinavian bands?
Does it matter? The important thing is that great albums from both scenes were released.
Bathory or Venom is the base of black metal? Do you have any serious ideological reasoning or do you not care about these kind of things?
Eternal respect to both of them!!!
Can the punk attitude to be linked to black metal? You have already covered GG Allin and Misfits songs, what was a pleasant surprise to me. I like these kind of ’not average’ covers. How much can yourself identify with GG Allin’s art and attitude? What do you think about his life and work?
Of course it can be linked. I appreciate a lot of the work of GGAllin. He was one of the few, who believed that rock was not for everyone. It was not for the masses. He was fighting against all. I have the same philosophy. Black metal is for the few and not for the masses. One man against all, surviving by his own means, without begging for anything at all, neither asking for help from others, or higher powers.
By the 21st century, the shape of black metal has completely changed. These days wearing corpse paint is not obligatory, though back in the old days that was determinative, and those not wearing it were looked at different way. These days the tendency is rather wearing hoods and black masks. How do you see this?
Long live the trends!
The corpse paint was part of your art. Do you still use it or did you leave that behind? If yes, what was the reason of it? Is there any serious reason of it or did you find it simply unnecessary? I do not find the corpse paint important, at all. There are traditional black metal bands, whom suit that and necessary, but there are many bands, who make themselves look like fools with that. What is your opinion on that?
I still using corpse paint. It’s part of my philosophy. So it’s very important for me. Others can do whatever they please. I have no inetrest to share any opinion on this issue. I didn’t use corpse paint for the first time, only on ”Wastes of life” album, cause it was something completely personal and unique for me and I didn’t want to create the same atmosphere like my previous albums.
What do you call black metal? Do you have a rulebook for that? I am an open-minded person, but sometimes I am sick of that they mix the style with all kind of ideologies and imagined worlds. I like traditions and I like innovations, but everything must be in the right place.
You should better ask this question to the ones that they consider themselves as black metal wise, experts...You know who they are. They advertise it every day behind their computers!!!
There are people who like to cut themselves with knives and other things. Do you have this kind of instinct? What do you think about this kind of thinking? Do you like pain?
I like seeing others feeling pain and destroying themselves. ...till the end of this world!!!
Suicide is central concept in many bands. It is a radical form of self-expression or a serious threat to the person him/herself? How much can be authentic a band with this kind of ideology?
Suicide was created by their incopetence. Nothing more, nothing less.
Would you like to die by your own hand or in natural circumstances? If you knew, you are deadly ill and you have only months left behind, what would you do?
My purpose is to live forever.
For me that person is a coward, who commits suicide, because cannot resolve his/her problems or because of a deadly illness, etc.. In my opinion, the truth courage is when someone ends it on the top, when thinks he/she has done everything in life and there is nothing left here to complete. What do you think about this topic? Have you ever had a near-death experience?
I don’t think that this thing is called ”courage”. If I ever had a near-death experience? No, never.
In art, such as music, the experimentation and the interpretation of negative things not necessarily means that the person lives its personal life so and vice versa. I think, someone deals with these kind of negative things, only tries to overcome of his/her negative experiences, utilizes them, making them useful, thus can live a whole, happy life. How do you see this?
Only cockroaches and parasites can live a happy life these days, because of their stupidity and ignorance. They struggle to survive in the expense of others, by using the power of the masses. They are satisfied and compromise with everythig it’s being served to them, even if it’s a pile of shit. In the end, that’s what they worth!!!
What is your opinion on the South-American barbarian hordes? I am always interested in what is the reason that those bands are filthier, more brutal, more barbaric, than its European counterparts. Are you interested in this or leaves you that cold?
They have their own sound and scene. I like their sound and the brutal atmosphere they create.
The Asian scene is similar, too. Totally different culture from Europe, but Metal is a common ground. What do you think about the Asian bands and scenes? Have you ever been in Asia?
The same here. Brutal and raw sound. But you can also find bands with a lot of similarities from the European scene. No, I have never been to Asia.
In the ’Spitting With Hatred The Insignificance Of Life’ song there is a Hellraiser monologue. What do you think about Pinhead’s character? What is the message of his personality, philosophy for you?
He is destroying every living ignorant leech through great pain. It’s like a punishment to those who think they know everything and seek without having the appropriate knowledge on things that they cannot handle.
What do you think about such rituals, where people hang themselves on hooks or pierce one of their body parts? Piercings and tattoos have spiritual meanings to some, others have them only for fashion.
Everything should be made for a reason and not just to follow any kind of trends.
Apart from Dodsferd, you are also interested in other bands. Please, introduce these bands!
Nadiwrath, Grab, The Fourth Eye, NunOnBong (Ex-Mortovatis) and The Olden Seed are some of bands/projects I am getting involved with.
What are your plans for the future? Tell us!
Recording the new album for Dødsferd and for my other bands / projects. Also, some live performances will be announced soon.
Thank you for accepting my referral, I hope you found my questions interesting. Is there any kind of question, topic in an interview, you do not answer? Your final words? All the best and good luck to Dodsferd!
Thanks for your great interview.
Total respect to all the Dødsferd followers all over the world.
Maybe some day we will spread our propaganda live on stage to Hungary.
Nothing is external!!!
With Respect
Wrath of Dødsferd!
Interview by Dr. A.
