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Samoth and Tyr (ex-Borknagar) Interview, 1999. Ft. Samoth being a massive cunt. Part One.

Originally, I was going to post a much more interesting ‘view of Emperor, but due to the nature of it, and Tumblr’s 250 blocks of text per post cap, I ended up doing this. Hilariously enough, this one ALSO exceeds the max so I’ll have to put it in two parts as well. At least this one is more easily managed, due to the lack of rambling answers.

The last two —and the mythical ‘view that never was— were all in writing, before being scanned, and then eventually typed up by yours truly. This one was actually posted onto the internet back in... I think the early 00s? I found it in class one afternoon, back when I was a high-schooler. It says on the bottom that it was written in 1999 but that might not be the posting date. It’s old though.

So, in other words, I just copy-pasted this mysterious interview onto here with some minor alterations to the format. Full credit goes to the original poster, who I’ll link— they made my job very easy.

To answer the question of “Ft. Samoth being a massive cunt”, I mean... I named all of my interview posts something sarcastic thus far. Of course, going out and calling somebody a ‘massive cunt’ is a little bit harsh, but.... Just read the interview, ok? It’s all tongue in cheek.

I’d also like to suggest a drinking game to pair with this ‘view... Every time Samoth says something a little bit TOO honest, I want you to take a shot of hard liquor. Afterwards, if you do this for whatever reason, I want you to tell me how drunk you got.

As always, any possible commentary is in (parenthesis) and bold. Asterisks below and optional, most of the time they’re just some added context that’s too long to put in the actual text.

Note: The next two interviews posted will be Emperor-related as well. I might post the other interview later tonight, but I’m not sure. The interview after that will be a very short one of Faust, where he rages about how he’s going to enact his revenge on Varg because I think it’s entertaining (but is it particularly insightful though....?). After that, it’ll be back to your regularly scheduled Mayhem programming.

Without further ado:

At the beginning of April 1999, Morbid Angel headlined various "No Mercy Festival" tour gigs throughout Europe, supported by, among others, Emperor, The Crown, Impaled Nazarene and Limbonic Art. After interviewing Morbid Angel and Limbonic Art, there was an opportunity to sit down for a while with Emperor members Samoth and [new bassist] Tyr. We talked with them about a wide variety of things - the Norwegian black metal scene, the early days of Emperor, the church burnings, Noctural Art Productions, a lot of things...

I: About the latest album, "Equilibrium IX"; people already said about the previous album there were a lot of eighties' metal influences on the album and I think it's especially true for the new album - do you agree?

S: Yeah, well, I don't think there is any direct influence, but of course we're all into the eighties' metal, so... Several people say that they can hear Morbid Angel-things and Mercyful Fate stuff in it... and so.

I: About the production - you changed production studios and it had a big influence on the sound... So why did you want to change the sound?

S: Well, we felt like that Grieghallen didn't really have much to offer anymore for us and we weren't that satisfied with the production of the previous album, so we decided to try a new studio and also work more creatively in the studio with the sound. I think the latest releases from Grieghallen weren't that good... I mean they do have some real classics like "De Mysteriis...", "In the Nightside Eclipse" and the Burzum albums, and stuff like that....It's not so much that we want to get rid of the 'standard black metal'-label, but because we want to try a new sound and also, we wanted to use a local studio, because we had booked three months in the studio - it's a small inconvenience if you just can't go home after a day of recording.

I: The bass player, Alver, he left - why was that?

S: Well, eh... I guess we demanded more from him than he could give us... He was also very busy with his job and he couldn't rehearse as often as we wanted him to, so.... he decided... I mean, he would have to really rehearse a lot more to get up to the standard for the new album.. so there are no hard feelings or anything - it was a mutual agreement that it's best that he would leave.

I: So now we have a new bass player*... Introduce yourself and have you been in any previous bands?

T: My name is Tyr - that's the Norse God. In my project band I also use this name - it's my artist's name. I've only played in amateur bands and stuff like that.

I: So, you were friends or anything?

T: No, just eh... there is a Norwegian magazine called "Scream magazine", have you ever heard of it? [Yes - ed]

S: It's the biggest metal magazine in Norway.

T: ...and they had placed an ad. So I auditioned; we played a couple of songs and I got the job, on the spot, so.

I: So how do you like it to play in metal legends Emperor?

T: I love it, yeah!! I come from a different scene, you know... This is the first black metal I have ever played. I am used to playing more progressive stuff - things like Dream Theater and stuff like that. But I must say there are progressive parts in the Emperor material as well... Actually I would like to say, that I am on a Fates Warning tribute album, it's coming out on a label called Planet Circus, a newly started American label - with my project band Morpheus Web and we're playing "The Sorceror" on this one. I think it should be released around May or June [1999].

I: Is there a huge progressive scene? I believe August (former guitarist of Arcturus, member of Tritonis) plays in a progressive band as well?

T: Yeah, Tritonis...They're a really good band.

S: We've played with them as well a couple of times.

T: There are so many good bands...

I: About the record company: Candlelight. I was thinking, you have a very succesful label yourself, why not put Emperor on Nocturnal Art Productions?

S: Well, for starters, we were committed to Candlelight Records, by conference... After "Anthems...", we wanted to change label.. and we were actually trying to get out for a while, but then things really changed with Candlelight - they kicked out the old label manager plus they get both fifty percent of the label and for the new album all has been going pretty well. I don't think we're actually going to stay with them in the long run*, but we're going to do at least one more album for them... because they treat us pretty good and we get good royalty rates and they have done a really good job for the new album. So things really progressed. We have been with Candlelight for so many years now, so we know the guys really well and they treat us... - we are their first priority, so it's cool. But we have got offers from bigger labels like Nuclear Blast and Century Media as well - we are discussing with these labels as well, but we'll see for the future.

I: Don't you think that if you sign to Nuclear Blast you will be 'just another black metal band' on the label?

S: No I think that if they would sign us, they would give us pretty good priorities.

I: ...and Dimmu would just have to step aside...

S: Naah, I think they would still have pretty good priority, I mean they're doing really good as well, so.

I: OK, well how is your label Nocturnal Art going?

S: Yeah, well it's going in the right direction, it's still a small label, but I mean I'm working on it, like, full time and it... everything has been going really well for Limbonic Art for example, so we have signed them for two more albums - it's going to bring the label up to another level. I'm working on it all the time, the label and the band; we rehearse three times a week and I have a lot of work to do for the label - it's getting pretty hectic as the band is getting bigger and the label is getting bigger as well... so I'm looking for somebody to work for me more...

I: Will Choronzon release another record on...

S: I don't think so, I mean, I really like the guy.. he's a really cool guy and he has some cool ideas, but I mean it's impossible to sell this... I mean nobody buys it - it's too weird so people don't understand it.

I: There was some old Thorns material which was released on Moonfog... I think originally it was supposed to be released on Nocturnal Art...

S: You're referring to the Thorns vs Emperor split... we'll we did a cover of Thorns and Thorns did a cover of Emperor and some other more weirder stuff. Yeah, well, I was talking with this Krupp [formerly known as Blackthorne, who was accomplice to the murder on Euronymous - he rang the doorbell, so Varg Vikernes could get in - ed] as he calls himself about doing it through NAP, but he later decided to sign to Moonfog, so...

I: So you had your first producing experience, I believe... How did that work out and can we expect more of you in this field?

S: Yeah, I was in the studio with Mactätus. I wasn't really the complete producer, it was recorded in the same studios as the new Emperor album, so it was the engineer who really did the producing, but I came in the room during the mixing process just as an objective ear to the sound. They we're satisfied...I don't think that I can do a full producer job by myself. I can like... - I've heard so much of this genre, so I know what's good and what's bad and what can be improved and stuff like that... I don't think I am the right person to do it really. I mean I don't have any technical background.

I: Faust, when he get's out of prison, will he go back into Emperor?

S: No, I don't think so, because Trym has been with us like for so many years and he's an important part of the band and I don't think it is fair to just check him out. It works really well with Trym... but maybe we'll do something else with Faust, I don't know... I don't think Faust thinks too much about it himself; he still has three years before he's out. I think he's being paroled at the end of 2002.... so, not that bad.. he's doing pretty good... He has hardly played drums for years, but he had a few leaves and he came up to see us and we were jamming a bit... And he still has it in his body, he just needs some time to get it back in...

I: ... maybe a sequel to Zyklon B...?

S: Maybe....time will tell.

I: About Emperor. What is more important - the music or the philosopical side, the ideas behind the lyrics, that sort of thing?

S: I would say the music.... but with Emperor it's important to have all the talents, you have the whole thing - you have the covers and the lyrics and the music and the whole thing has to be like one artistic expression. But music is the main thing.

I: The word 'Emperor' seems to be more than just the band name - the word comes up in the lyrics every so often...'I am the Emperor..' that sort of thing...

S: Especially in the older lyrics. It symbolizes several things...It can symbolize like eh...the Devil, I guess and it also symbolizes a mighty power ...the whole sound of Emperor is a mighty sound. It's like a matter of interpretation...I think the Emperor lyrics are like - there's a lot up to the listeners to make up their own imaginary world. We don't have a direct thing, like it's like this.

I: What does it mean to you? What does Emperor stand for to you?

S: I would say it means might, something mighty.

I: Do you know anything about the philosophies of the guys from Morbid Angel and what do you think about it?

S: I don't know to much, I think they've changed a bit since David Vincent left. So it's more back to the basic Cthulhu mythology and I don't know to much about that, but it's kind of interesting. He has some quite good ideas, this Azagthoth.

I: Do you prefer the period when David Vincent was still there?

S: Well, I very much like them now - I liked their last album*, but I think they were even better live than on CD. But I mean they are an excellent band.

I: Did you have any contact at all with the Morbid Angel guys? I mean they were really looking forward to being on tour with you...so I thought over a few beers...

S: We didn't party or anything, but we see them every day, so.. They're cool guys who treat us OK - they don't behave like rock stars or anything.

I: Do you listen to any recent black metal stuff yourself, or is it just the old classics?

S: Well, acually I think the new Dimmu Borgir is pretty good. Through my mail order I get almost every new black metal thing so I use to put them on and hear one song out, but there aren't that many albums that touch my feelings. I really like the old stuff like Tormentor as well, but I listen to a lot of different stuff, really, so it's not only black metal. I listen everything from techno and trance to black metal, electronic, ambient and stuff like that to eighties metal, death metal...

I: Do you have a lot of friends in black metal scene?

S: Well, a lot of contacts, but I don't hang out that much... First I live a bit far from the town and I am usually pretty busy with what I am doing, so... But I know all the bands, in Norway, more or less...

I: You decided not to wear corpsepaint because it became a trend, is that true?

S: We just felt like doing our own thing and it wasn't really because it became a trend, but just because we don't want to be like everybody else. When we first started out, we were pretty much like a standard black metal band, but these days, we are... not a standard black metal band so we don't wanna appear to be like just a typical black metal band. But I mean we still use some paint live and stuff and it's still important to have a 'performing image', but the average corpse paint is not so suitable. We just have white faces and look a bit pale.. It's just a show element.

I: Cradle of Filth have expressed their respect for you in the press, more than once and you've toured together a long time ago - are you in touch with those guys and what do you think about them?

S: I've met them a few times and we get along fine, so I mean I don't have any problems with them at all. I think they're, especially Dani of Filth, he's like a media bug, he's always in the media, whatever there is - but that's their thing.

I: Lots of black metal fans say: Oh, CoF - everybody is listening to that so that's..

S: It's very much a black metal thing. I mean bands like Cradle of Filth and Dimmu Borgir are being hated a lot, but actually those bands are professional bands with their own decisions and a lot of people say it just to put them on and that's just crap.

I: Do you think they' re making certain consessions towards their music, doing what the people expect of them...

S: I think they do what they want to do. So I don't think they've just changed their music to become more popular. I mean just listen to the new Dimmu Borgir - I mean a lot of people complain that Dimmu Borgir should sound like their first album, while their first album was really soft and really crap, while their new album is much more brutal. And Cradle of Filth as well, they haven't become any softer either.

I: What do you think is the destinction between confidence and arrogance?

S: [A long silence] You must have confidence in what you do, but I mean eh*...

T:...just don't let it go to your head and stuff like that. I think you can actually spot the difference when people just turn arrogant. I think I myself not being arrogant.

S: I think to a certain extent that some arrogance is also... I mean if you have made something of value in a way you have earned yourself to be, to have a certain like a certain arrogance, maybe, I don't know...

I: To put it a little more in a context: you made a few remarks during interviews that you thinkt the large part of the black metal scene is totally crap. There might be a lot of people around who think that's an arrogant remark.

S: Yeah, probably, but I mean if it's so, then I am arrogant towards some people, but I think a lot of people are crap, not only in the black metal scene and if that makes me arrogant to them, OK, then I am arrogant. But I don't really look on myself as being a complete arrogant person, really.

T: This is obviously a matter of a personal opinion. Everybody has a different taste, so... Of course, those are strong words, but - for a part it's wrong and for a part it's true. The musical aspects and their music is probably not as good as other bands, like Emperor I think.

That’s all for part one! :)

Asterisks in order of their appearances:

*Tyr was only in the band briefly, and didn’t appear on any studio album. He can be heard on “Imperial Live Ceremony”, released in 2000.

*They did, in fact, stay with Candlelight. With the exception of a few, almost every Emperor release to date has been done through Candlelight.

*The album he’s referring to is “Forumlas Fatal to the Flesh”, released in 1998. That said, I’m a big fan of Morbid Angel, and want to get around to translating one of the French interviews...

*When I tell you that I fucking ugly-laughed....

Here is the link to where I got this from: https://www.karsmakers.nl/metal-e-zine/emperor.htm

#emperor #interview #true norwegian black metal #black metal #samoth emperor #samoth #emperor band

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