Interview Helmuth Belphegor

Lineup: Helmuth - Vocals, Guitar Serpenth - Bass Morluch - Guitar

Twilight of the Thunder God Tour Amon Amarth Ensiferum Belphegor The Absence 10/26/08 Interviewer: Kate Wilcox

“Throw thy horns Metal brothers and sisters, BELPHEGOR are back to skull-fukk you.”

BELPHEGOR emerges as one of the most extreme line-ups to ever come out of the death black metal scene. The band members themselves describe their hellride as “Supreme Death/ Black Metal Art” With their seventh album, suitably titled Bondage Goat Zombie, the Death/ Black Metal institution crushes all their previous releases! A real massacre of pounding Death Metal and majestic, hyper fast Black Metal spread out over nine killer songs full of diabolical possession, and pure darkness! Bondage Goat Zombie is their most mature effort up to day, this time BELPHEGOR have managed to melt ultra blastbeats and heaviness to one union. Vocalist, Helmuth, took some time out to answer some questions for me and it was much appreciated!


Kate Wilcox: You had just finished a tour in Europe how was that for you guys?

Helmuth: Yeah, two months full of chaos on the road. The European run with NILE and GRAVE was brilliant. Everything was cool, you know the whole run was great,...I don't see touring as job dude, I really dig it to travel around, visit places, sightseeing, to be on the road and meet cool Metal ppl all over the earth or living in a fucking night liner and I also dig it to sleep in the small bed when the bus is driving har har.


How's the new tour with Amon Amarth, Ensiferum, and The Absence going?

It's been great! Everything worked fine, it's something very special to tour as a European Band in the USA, it was again a special kind of experience. We truly love it to shred the USA/ Canada. Lemme tell u, this whole thing with AMON AMARTH just exceeded our expectations, yeah it was a real blast again, a pleasure for us to meet so many dedicated die - hard maniakks and the venues were really packed. Fukk, the troup is looking forward to return with KREATOR and EXODUS in April/ May 2009,...be prepared!


How was the feedback been for Bondage Goat Zombie?

So far, the feedback are enormous worldwide, got a lot of huge responses from magazines, radio - TV stations, many reviews are brilliant, seems to me that Metal heads are as content as we are. Hell yeah it was challenging to create this album and we gave everything of our energy to explore our sound and take it to the next level.


Are you planning on releasing a new album or are you mainly focusing on this one right now?

Yeah, we already started the songwriting for a new Werk in the middle of this year; the release date should be via Nuclear Blast in the end of August 2009.

 

Who came up for the artwork for the album?

Mr. Ralph Manfreda an ingenious artist from Wien/Austria, he did an amazing job, it looks sick. I dig it and it was a privilege to work with him again. He’s the man when it came to that morbid-twisted-fetish art. Ralph did also THE LAST SUPPER (1995) AND GOATREICH FLESHCULT (2004) artworx. BELPHEGOR demons get what they deserve; we are not here to piss around har har.


What have been some great shows and who have been some greats that you've toured with in the past?

We did many tours the last decade with great bands, and traveled the world a few times now. For me, its the best to play live, u know, we are always exited, each show is beyond amazing for us and a huge challenge, we did so many hellish concerts the last decade, unforgettable good times and loads of impressions and memories. We shared the stage with many great bands, to mention a few, MAYHEM, NILE, MARDUK, GRAVE, SLAYER, CANNIBAL CORPSE, MORBID ANGEL, KRISIUN, PUNGENT STENCH, the list is fukking endless.

 

Has there been much change with your music over the years?

It is BELPHEGOR to the bone. To becoming mightier, more intense with every opus has always been our aim since 1993, we all have exercised a lot on our instruments the last years, to improve our playing and compositorical abilities, raise intensity and dynamics, to just get better in all musical aspects,…stagnation = death. The most important thing is, that when you play a BELPHEGOR song, you immediately recognize that it is BELPHEGOR. Experimenting a bit is important for a band to take the sound further and to keep things sounding fresh, everything is allowed u know...


What inspires you?

Chaos, Sathan, Weight training, Alcohol-Drugs, Musick, Rough Sex-Fetish-BDSM, Art.


What are some of your favorite tracks to play live?

STIGMA DIABOLICUM, SEYN TODT IN SCHWARTZ, LUCIFER INCESTUS, BONDAGE GOAT ZOMBIE, SWARM OF RATS, HELLS AMBASSADOR, we always concentrate on the fast stuff in a live situation, to preach the blastbeat is our mission.


Who have been some of your influences?

BLACK SABBATH - NWOBHM - SLAYER - MORBID ANGEL. Its more an inspiration than influence.


Any new bands out there you think we should watch for?

Musick = passion = life. I support what i like and ignore the rest, of course, there are so many talented and amazing bands out there.


What's your take on the black/death metal scene? Do you think it's changed over the years?

Many people listen to Rock and Metal again and they realize that it is the only real, honest music. It is definitely a good time for six string assaults. Nowadays Death/Black Metal rules the world and is the strongest, the most archaic of all kinds, we always have to search for evolution and explore the music, and bring it a bit further each time, thats our masterplan.


Future plans for Belphegor?

Nonstop touring and a new opus in end of August 2009.

Any words for your fans out there?

I hate the word fans. Anyways, throw thy horns Metal brothers and sisters, BELPHEGOR are back to skull-fukk you.

Thank you again guys, I really appreciate it!

Thanks for the space and support Kate, see ya on the road, regards to ya readership and all Metal demons worldwide. www.BELPHEGOR.at

We would like to thank Helmuth and the band's camp for making this interview possible.