This interview is taken from: Maelstrom Zine

Interviews with the glass-gargling German Black Metal mastermind behind Nargaroth are rare finds indeed; and securing one is rumoured to be almost impossible. Fortunately, after a two-year silence, Kanwulf has decided to make his voice heard; and thus Maelstrom was granted an interview. Since both Roberto and I are similarly enamoured of the band, this e-mail interview was written as a collaboration, with Roberto writing the majority of the questions to be supplemented by myself with any additional topics I felt he'd missed or wanted brought up for my own interest. Due to the huge number of forthcoming Nargaroth releases (Rasluka Part I - to be released on Sombre Records, Rasluka Part II - No Colours, Semper Fidelis - the infamous box set only to be supplied to worthy individuals whom Kanwulf will personally select, released on No Colours; and Geliebte des Regens - another new album, for which a label has not yet announced) this is a very interesting time for both the band and its acolytes; and hopefully this torrent of creativity will not dry up any time soon. Black Metal ist, indeed, Krieg. - Vargscarr

What a fantastic interview this turned out to be. An exclusive (forgive me for letting my imagination run a little wild) with Kanwulf of Nargaroth, the purveyor of some of the most harsh yet emotive music on the planet. ~Vargscarr~ pretty much said it all, so I'd just like to add that I have included my responses to the questions that Kanwulf asked us directly in the interview, and which I sent back to him. Get settled, 'cause it's a long and telling Q&A. - Roberto

Vargscarr: Nargaroth plays a style of raw, mid-paced Black Metal that is rarely performed live; usually bands playing in this style restrict themselves to album releases. What is the atmosphere like at these gigs; and how do you (Kanwulf) think the material translates to a live setting? I'd imagine a lot of the atmosphere that is created by listening to a Nargaroth album alone in a private context is lost - do you feel this is the case, or is a totally different kind of atmosphere created?

Kanwulf: If I visit a concert I don't wanna see boring artificial atmospheric shit. I wanna see brutal and raw metal. These two attributes are something that can be expressed in BM. I don't like keyboards at concerts. I want guitars, drums and a grim voice. 

Sure a lot of bands perform on stage the same way like on the record they released. But too often it becomes boring and weak. I recognized that although I prefer slow and mid-paced songs if I listen to BM privately, at life concerts I prefer a fast and straight performance. Yes of course a slow song can create an atmosphere too, but I get bored with too many slow parts in a life performance.

A raw performance creates an atmosphere. It's more brutal, more ripping. But at home in your very private context my art should create more than only this direction of atmosphere. There it should grasp you in a deeper way. At concerts I want to release the demons in your and in my head. This works at best under the influence of aggression. Maybe you've seen my live gigs on the video that some assholes sell at the fucking eBay international web site. There I think you can see the face of my demons that I released under the influence of my art and my being.

Roberto: I understand that there is a video of a Nargaroth live performance floating around. I'm told that in it you throw tear gas into the audience. Is this true?

Kanwulf: Yes I did it. I hated the audience. I was playing under another name called Herbstleyd. I wanted to look at what kind of people will come to a typical BM concert. If Nargaroth plays, sure some maniacs were there. But this way I won't got an objective view about my question. That's why I wanted to play under another band name. Well, the audience was shit and I showed them my attitude by shooting tear gas into them with my gun. I don't want to be respected for actions like this. I want to be respected for my art. Things like this I do are affective. I do it to state my attitude of BM and only for the art BM. Not for my own glory or anything. If I would do it only to get considered as evil and grim, I would do it because of vanity or something. This is not honorable. I do it for BM itself. Maybe that's honorable, but I want to get respected because of other reasons. My art for example.

Vargscarr: Do you consider yourself a Satanist? If so could you tell us a little about your interpretation of Satanism; for example do you believe in Satan as a literal entity of a faceless power; or simply the personification of evil within us? If not, how do you view the world and that which is beyond it?

Kanwulf: I do not believe in devil or god anymore. When I was a young teenager I believed in all of this. I summoned Satan so that some of my wishes would come true. You know, if you are alone you seek power that helps you. But after a short time I was more in believing in myself! I think that Satan & God are great metaphors to describe the duality of human behavior, through that every one can understand what Satan or God stand for without a long explanation. The meaning is clear. But I do not believe that there are such real personalities. If God exists than I will recognize this after my death. And I hope that I will be strong enough to stand for all what I have done, if I will stand before the grand court. "I am what I am. I'm just a man!" as I sing in my song "Amarok III." And that's the way it is. How I consider the world? I am a sociopath, better known as psychopath. Every interaction with people needs a lot of strength from myself. Every smile, friendly word or act of empathy I do is a lie. But I hate lying. That's why it's better to avoid the situations where I could lie. So I avoid humans. 

Misanthropy is, as I think, the basic dimension that leads all my interactions, goals and work. I can't do anything against it. It's a personal trait, I was maybe born with or I learnt over my development as a human in interaction with the surrounding world. I do not wish this kind of personality to someone because it makes the life poor. Happiness and joy is almost nonexistent in a life like this. A lot of people want to be "big Misanthropists" to be more true or evil. But I hate these shitty idiots. They knew nothing. The word -misanthropic- is violated by many assholes. They speak it but act like friendly people. They are in contact with a lot of people. I think, the present day scene does not know what real misanthropists are anymore. If they contact me or want to talk with me I don't or very seldom answer. I often say, they can fuck off, because I want to be alone! And suddenly these people don't like me anymore. Then I am "an arrogant" asshole to them. 

Misanthropy leads my thoughts and the treatment I use to survive. First I want to be alone to make plans and consider all my actions. Therefore it is necessary that no other human disturb my imaginations with his boring thinking. I also don't feel very well if I am surrounded by people. I also can't integrate myself into a team. On the second part it is of course a way of consider the world, the actions of humans. But, like I told you, this makes it hard to live. I am always alone, I never feel real happiness, I never can have a nice evening at a party. I'm always in a corner in the room, alone, staring to the ground. That makes life boring. So a real misanthrope, and I think I am one, doesn't have an easy or satisfying life. He is seeing almost always the bad side of life and human behavior. And the knowledge that he is also a human makes him sometimes fell like hating himself. And if you hate yourself, you can't be happy...

Roberto: Nargaroth claims to go as far back as 1989. What events led you to begin composing material 12 years ago? 

Kanwulf: I was a lonely teenager with strange behavior. I was then and to this day act in a theater. I wrote some lyrics, because it was the only way to communicate with myself in a way that worked. But I missed the dimension of the spoken. If 10 people read a poem, the lyrics are read differently 10 times. I wanted to rule the sound of the words, how they must be understood! 
That's why I took an old bass-guitar with distortion and I started to scream out my lyrics. But I believed at the very first beginning I wouldn't start a total serious thing. It was nothing more than a leisure time activity at the very beginning. I was a teenager, not a musician or an artist like today.

Maelstrom: What is the concept of your album Black Metal ist Krieg?

Kanwulf: Before I will be able to perform and express more up-to-date states of myself, I had to free myself from much older weight in my head that I never expressed before. This stuff was not able to be included on other records of mine or to other concept-albums. So I made a record with all these fragments of my soul.

In the course of a musician's artistic existence compositions arise and cannot be integrated into a single-theme album, be it on the basis of their independence relative to theme and inspiration, or simply due to their unique meanings. Such songs remain as a lonely presence in the conscious of the respective musician. But if their number becomes to great they inevitably clog the creative process like a spiritual void crying for expression. To free this energy-robbing force by reaching a near- catharsis form, an expression is needed and this time came together in the form of the CD you are holding. The recording of this release took place over a long period; beginning in the Czech Republic, the bulk was carried through in an extremely cold former BND Bunker in Nuremberg and finished on December 31, 2000.

The Nargaroth album presented here is not a concept album in the manner of Orke or Herbstleyd. But considering the points mentioned above, the songs are of one complete element in the sense that they are all based upon varied dimensions and consequent of extremes in diversity. This CD contains 10 songs independent of one another, be it through differences in style, sound, conception or substance. Their creation was motivated upon the most differing foundations: Political, historical ("The Day Burzum Killed Mayhem"), through far-reaching emotions of light ("Seven Tears are Flowing to the River") and deprivation ("Erik, May You Rape the Angels"), pure Black Metal ("BM ist Krieg" & "Possessed by Black Fucking Metal") as well as testimonies or tributes (cover songs...), etc… Because of their dissimilarity to the Nargaroth style, I could have developed these songs for use in a side-project. But I loathe this kind of behavior. What arises from my will is consequently bound to my persona and identity. To me, Nargaroth is not a band but rather a zenith of existence. I cannot just set it down and don a new "skin." There will also be future expressions of my persona that could not be more different and outlandish. On the whole I am, for I am in Nargaroth as Nargaroth is in me. No compromise...

Roberto: The last track on the Amarok album "And the Stars Took Me With 'em" is entirely different from any other material. That track is very minimal, ambient and ethereal, and has a calming effect that no other material I've heard from you. Please explain what went into the creation of that track.

Kanwulf: I feel myself out of place here on earth. I do not know if it's the wrong century or something else. But I feel a big longing for the universe. This longing is based on two aspects; on the one, I know something about the physics into space. About planets, stars, black holes, gas clouds into space and so on. This knowledge together with some more philosophic themes creates a dream world of fulfilled wishes. I wanted to go with the stars, to see the most beautiful things out there. I am a maniac for space photos taken from the Hubble telescope for example. This longing together with the personifying of the stars created a world into me, where I had to leave my human being to be worthy to go with the stars. This I expressed in the lyrics of the first part of the above mentioned song called "Escape through the gates to the stars." Of course the stars are not people or thinking beings, or someone who could judge me. But together with wishes and dreams and literally art it becomes a real part of my life. And this path to the stars I expressed with that song.

Roberto: Do you plan on creating any similar songs in this vein? Any plans to branch out in a more Black Ambient direction in the future?

Kanwulf: All songs for the next four releases are already finished. A lot of people define Nargaroth only with Herbstleyd. But I will and can never create something like that again. And this has got nothing to do with a lack of talent. The point is, new emotions need new and different expressions. Nothing else. I will not create over thress albums of the same songs. My emotions got many facets, so is my art! Nargaroth won't become better or even worse, but every time different!

Roberto: What is "Amarok, Zorn des Lammes"? Please explain why there are (at least) three installments of this song.

Kanwulf: The song that exists in 3 parts is translated "Amarok, the Wrath of the Lamb." Amarok itself is Inuit language and means Wolf. The wolf as a being is very important to my life. Wolves... He is the star that touches your eyes, which kisses the world with beauty by his presence. He is the diamond that shines through the dark stones of human sickness. He sings the songs we forgot as we became marionettes from ourselves, and he will sing on, even if we hunt him, because he remembers the true old spirit of man, as he can be if he wants. He is our spirit we fear and deny. He cares about us, but we not him. Whatever I will say it cannot reach what he represents in this world. Because our words are human. In his world these words don't matter...


The first part is more a private expression of impressions I got from the interaction with mankind. The second part is a story. I would say it's a sad story about a female star's child here on Earth. The third one, well I dedicated to my relatives that died into the World Wars. It has nothing to with wolves in general, but the wrath I expressed with the song was the legitimization to name that song in this way.

Roberto: What movie are the superb sound clips from Herbstleyd taken from? Is Herbstleyd indeed a concept album? If so, can you explain to us non-German speakers a bit about the story?

Kanwulf: Herbstleyd...mmhhh...I do not know where I should start. I love that album and I hate it because I fear it. This is a very long story. To write it down now is only possible because of the time that went by since the release in December 1998. Some years before today I would not have understood what that album did to me, the scene and what meaning it got. The songs on that album are quite old. And since their existence I tried to express them in a musical way that could satisfy myself. But I never was able to do it. Because of this, my madness couldn't escape my head. It got stronger and stronger. It tortured my being more and more. Many possibilities to make it a reality, to record it or so failed because of some problems that came up to that points. That made me crazy and the persons around me had to pay for this. I treated them like a despot, I 
treated them like shit. Some I beaten up, some I tried to kill and others I strangulated until they almost asphyxiated. This were the worst days in my life. I lost the control over my actions. If I didn't get into contact with the guy of No Colours in early '98, I sure would be in prison for murder or I would be dead. Only this two possibilities were possible. I was so kept with my madness so that I couldn't see the truth. All these unexpressed emotions ran crazy in my head.

The guy of No Colours visited me and he listened to Nargaroth and he liked it. He said he wanted to hear a studio track to get an impression of what could be created by me. So I visited Falkenbach at home and I recorded the song "Herbstleyd" as promo version. That song is the first song on the CD Amarok. No Colours agreed with my art and then, after years of suffering, failures, hate and pain I had the opportunity to make that release. You can't imagine what that meant for my life. Unfortunately I am and was very impatient. I wanted the satisfaction and my peace to my soul in the same moment Herbstleyd was released. But what has grown over years can't be stopped or changed in a few days. That I forgot. So I fell into the madness of disappointment and anger. Between 1998 until the end of 2000 I did a lot of shit because of this problem. 

But now I'm cleared in my head. Now I see what Herbstleyd has done for me besides the madness of the disappointment. It gave me the possibility to remember who I was. And when I look back to these days described in the lines above, I know, I will never become again the same person. Now I know that making songs means for me the maintenance of a kind of balance in my life. The sick, mad or better the human side of my being I can control by creating songs and sharing them with similar persons. For the BM movement in Germany it was a big impression. It was after some years a big impact on the scene. My ideas and ideology of BM changed in some people the point of view to BM. All in all, this album was and is able to give me and others the opportunity to feel or improve the human side in their life we so often want yet must deny to survive in the nowadays fast world.

Roberto: Why did you feel compelled to use session drummers for the Black Metal ist Krieg recording where you had done all the drums yourself on previous recordings?

Kanwulf: Every drummer got his own style of handling the drums. I like to use this. Nothing else.

Roberto: You cover Root on Black Metal ist Krieg. How do you feel about Root's current musical direction? 

Kanwulf: His current stuff I don't care. It's not my cup of tea. But we should not forget his earlier songs. And especially the song I covered is fucking good. His original version is good for the early 90's and my cover version is the translated version for the new century. Arrghh.

Roberto: Who are Azhubham Haani, Lord Foul and Moonblood?

Kanwulf: I will not talk about these bands. Sometimes I wore shirts of them and I mentioned them in some interviews. Many people were asking me to record them their songs. But I not do this, because they were my treasure. I thought, if I will cover them as well as I can, it is possible to honor them and to give all the interested guys a sound example of the bands without recording them for these persons. Unfortunately I set in a hype. Suddenly a lot of posers sold items from these bands for hundreds of dollars. A lot of fucking teenagers now have these bands in their favorite lists without even knowing them. Consequently I lost a very private part of my life, as I listen to around 10 demos and some LP's only since the early 90's. The reason therefore is my very own taste of BM music. By starting a hype, I lost the exclusive private thing behind my view of the diamonds I listen to. I never wanted this! But I saw what can happen if I mention something, that's why I will never again mention unknown bands I like.

Vargscarr: Were you familiar with the musicians comprising the Black Metal scene in Scandinavia around this time? Did you know Euronymous and Grishnack at all? "The Day Burzum Killed Mayhem" is a personal favourite track of mine; I'm glad somebody finally immortalised those events in song as they should be. Despite having listened to that track many times I'm still unsure of the lyrics - since you've covered Burzum material, you're obviously not as anti-Grishnack as, say, It of Abruptum who has threatened to kill him when he's released from prison. What is your stance regarding the murder of Euronymous, and was the song written to glorify either Euro or Varg or simply tell the story of Mayhem's demise?

Kanwulf: Well, I think it was necessary to immortalize it. Because it was one of the biggest influences in that art! But I don't see it as a pro-Grishnackh song or so. I wanted to work through what I felt this time and what happened with us. The fact that I covered a Burzum song live and on CD, doesn't mean that I am a total Burzum fan at all. I think that this murder was important for me as BM a guy, to see that this art is more than music only. It's a way of life. But today I know, that this deed destroyed more than other things in BM. Maybe Euronymous also had changed himself, but I think BM split after that murder. And the splitting of power, BM did not survive well. The people were more into fights between themselves than the real enemies, lies and rumors rose from this deed. And a lot of fucking money making was done through this murder. 

To the statement of IT from Abruptum. I do agree with him. But not for the reason murder, like IT would do it. My intention got the energy out of the fact that Count Grishnackh died for me in 1994 or 1995. The Vikernes from today doesn't interest me. Of course he is a man and I cannot rule his way of life. But as he stated, that BM is nigger music because of the fact it's a development from Rock n' Roll and Jazz and Blues, he became a traitor in my eyes. He denied his own music and art. His boring new attitudes and theories can fuck off. They are full of weak points. If he goes back with the music style to proof that BM is nigger music because it's from Blues, he can also go back in evolution of man. He spread the supremacy of the white race and niggers are sub-humans and similar to apes. Well, we were all monkeys some million years ago and the most came from Africa. So this is the "proof" that we all are niggers and apes. This is so fucking stupid. I get bored of his fucking politics. Politics are man-made and consequently ineffective, wrong and full of lies. I couldn't give a shit about politics! Of course I prefer my race, but to prove some thing, there should be some better statements that could not be crashed by a child's counterargument. But to get back to the song. Its more the story of an art's demise. It glorifies no one. Not Vikernes, not Euronymous. We can't say what could have happened if it had not occurred. Maybe the same shit. And so I do not really know if all this was positive for BM or maybe the beginning of the end. 

Roberto: We read from the No Colours web site that you have just recorded 20 songs that will be used over 3 upcoming albums. That is quite a creative burst from you considering Nargaroth has put out 3+ albums since its beginning. What can you tell us about the new material?

Kanwulf: The next one is called Rasluka Pt.II. It's Russian language and means farewell. I try to work through the suicide of the only person I ever called and treated as a friend until now. This release is split into three parts. The Rasluka series presents the attempt to interpret one of the most difficult experiences in my life, namely the passing of the only person whom to this day I could call a friend. It can and will only be an attempt as judged by the moment of writing of these lines; the material brought to sound still isn't in its completed form and I cannot expect a successful spiritual relief of the deceased as my experiences with the deceased cannot be related to any already-released Nargaroth works. In addition, the series contains thoughts from my perspective about the life and death of one of the last real rebels, one who played an important roll from my youth to today with no loss of intensity. Rasluka is the phonetic morphology for the Russian expression of "parting ways". The released works under this name should be rightfully understood in content as such.

The other release is a box called Semper Fidelis. I'll mention it later in the special question.
The third release is called Geliebte des Regens (Beloved of the rain). NO, no. That's no gothic shit. This songs are in my eyes some of the best I ever did. All are very slow. It is more something for the quiet and silent hours in life. I was emotionally so introverted that I started to cry while playing and recording the guitars...More will be told when it is out.

Vargscarr: How did you find the time to write and record all this material - do you have a day job apart from Nargaroth; and how did the writing of this sheer volume of material come about in such a short time?

Kanwulf: I am student of psychology. I have enough time. But the creative bursts don't pass time. I had a very deep depression. Maybe caused of the autumn, maybe other reasons. But very deep states are the greatest energy for creating. I was totally under confusion and my only honey that could caress myself was my inspirations and my guitar. I closed my eyes and my fingers created songs beyond my will and rationalism. Only my feelings and emotions ruled the creation. That's why I think my art is so clean and real...

Roberto: please tell us about the Semper Fidelis box set. We understand it is being made very limited and that you will personally choose to whom it will be sold.

Kanwulf: It contains a double LP, shirt and some other stuff. All will be limited to 99 copies. Its my farewell to pure BM. To be in BM I think the songs must be made for BM. But more and more I see myself as musician and artist making songs for his own survival. Of course it will be forever some thing that is called BM. But remember, I never called my art BM; it is German and misanthropic metal. I have not the right to define something as BM. That must be done by the persons who are close to my art and maybe understand it a little bit. Not by myself. Because of my development and especially a lot of fucking experiences I made with the fucking scene, I don't wanna feed the scene with my art anymore nor do I wanna fight for an art that seems to be dead for me since 1994 and carries such idiots like I mentioned before. This and some other facts don't permit me to make BM anymore. Its hard to understand, but its just a kind of definition. And it must fit in MY head. I will always be close to BM, and I'll never betray it. But my world walks a little bit different. And because of all this, I want to give it to individuals that I know and trust. It should not be seen on ebay or be given into the hands of a despised person. 
So is it....

Roberto: Do you feel that the term "black metal" no longer adequately covers all the offshoots that came from the original movement? Do you think it is time for a new movement to clearly distinguish what Nargaroth does from what other bands do?

Kanwulf: Nargaroth is real. It is something that many guys try to become. But it means more than only to use your instruments. Some say, I am sick or mad. Well, the hell yes I am. That's why I am into BM. BM is a summary of sick, mad and failed humans. We don't need some so-called "healthy" guys to tell us, we are bad and oh so stupid. I don't know if we need a new movement. I think it has nothing to do with will. It's more like the fact that it can never be like the old days again. All new bands will have it fucking hard to make something new. But something new is not always BM. And making individual back-to-the-roots music is not possible anymore. And if I listen to new stuff I know they failed. Too many Burzum or Darkthrone cover bands are there. On the guitar are not so many riff possibilities to always make new stuff. Sometime all has already been heard. BM is music that can be made with total low equipment. That's OK. But because of this, everyone can make it... It seems that every BM freak is playing in a band. So there are too many songs without meaning. It's like an inflation. Too much shit isn't good for an art. It can happen that it looses the attribute of art. It becomes profane, usual...

Vargscarr: How do you feel about newer bands; and what the old great bands have become? Whom were you influenced by in the old days and which original Black Metal bands inspired you as the scene grew in the early to mid nineties?

Kanwulf: I have no good imaginations about new bands. And what some older ones became is also full of shame, but maybe this is a development we cannot stop. I don't know what my influences musically could be. I think on Herbstleyd it was Graveland a little bit. But in general I have no idea. I like almost nothing in BM. Nargaroth sound absolutely nothing like the bands I mentioned above nor like the bands I avoid to mention. I really don't know. But for me it's an insult if some one would say Nargaroth sounds like Darkthrone. I am not a big Darkthrone fan. Well, Nargaroth sounds like Nargaroth and is a result of many emotions. Maybe Nargaroth sounds like emotions.

Vargscarr: What are your views on other musical genres? What do you listen to yourself?

Kanwulf: Classical Music some times, Soundtracks, traditional music of first-world nations and of course BM. Music in general allows the man to express himself by using more senses. You can consume music by using more senses and you can create music by using more senses. The body and the soul are so very close to each other. The body experiences as vibrations through a whole unit. This is very important in this busy and fast world of today.

Vargscarr: Is Nargaroth an NSBM band? What are your views on Nazism in Black Metal? 

Kanwulf: I am very close into the remembrances of fallen soldiers. Maybe the USA sent their boys into death too often, but you are strong enough to not to forget. Well, yes, with Vietnam there are some problems. And I don't want to clear all of it up, although the Vietnam War is my favorite. In Germany is a big problem with our soldiers from the 2nd World War. I think the only way to remember them is to blame them. I hope you understand my poor English language. This topic is very central in my life and I am not able to explain it in the way I like to explain. Arggghh....

In Germany we do a lot for the victims of 2nd WW. We build a lot of monuments to keep their memories alive, but we forget our soldiers that died in this war. I do not forget!!
In my family some young, unkissed boys died in war. I wanted to remember them because almost no one else does it. In Germany some stupid teenagers wear a T-shirt that shows a rotten corpse of a German soldier with the slogan "I was proud to be a German." Well, yes of course he had nothing from the fact of being German because he died useless in a lost, hopeless war, but these children wear it to show their disgust to this generation/nation. But this old, despised generation is still alive. They live within us and not all were murderers. They were soldiers like millions of others in the world. We can't push them away or forget them or terminate them off history, some of them had no other choice, they were children of their time, we can't judge them with our current knowledge of the historical happenings. This is not right in my eyes. Some of them lost persons too!! Persons or friends close to their hearts and if someone died, there was sure a mother who cried...

That's why I made the song "Amarok III." It's dedicated to my family members that died and to all others who died or have to stand the faith of the survival! The pictures besides the explanation to the song in the booklet of the Black Metal ist Krieg album are my family members. By the way, the female voice at the beginning of the song is not a woman. You wrote it in your review. It's me. My voice was tuned up until it sounds like female. This is the problem that I have when I explain my stuff and songs only in German in the booklet. Now I have a question to you if possible. Please if you answer, try to use an English so that I might understand somehow. What's your thought about the boys of Vietnam and the problem with them in general?

Roberto: I assume you are talking about the US soldiers in Vietnam. I understand that there was a lot of opposition to the war within the US, and with good reason. I would have been opposed to the war. I was opposed to the war in Afghanistan at the beginning, mostly due to the hypocritical attitudes of the government and people who would want to carpet bomb Afghanistan in order to kill the enemy, but also kill innocent people. I was very annoyed at the news coverage and attitude within my country, in that very little was said about why someone would hate the US so much. Anyway, I am largely digressing. From what I understand, many US soldiers returning from Vietnam were spit on by their countrymen. I think this is very sad. Sure, these soldiers no doubt killed many people, but that was their unfortunate job. This is what happenes during war. (That's why the war in Afghnistan scared me. The media likes to report on how great and technical the new bombs are, or give nice looking graphics of where US planes are in Afghanistan, but there is no accounts of carnage and psychological scarring. This way, people begin to think again that war is cool and almost fun, like playing with toy soldiers.) No one would gladly go to a jungle hell to face physical and mental harm. The people that spit on the returning soldiers were more heartless than any "evil" soldier that these people could imagine. The soldiers were alienated and hurt in Vietnam, and had nowhere to return to. It's very sad what becoming a soldier in war can do to someone: you are made into a hardened killing machine, so it is very hard to erase this training and re-acclamate yourself into society. I feel very much empathy and sadness towards Vietnam veterans, and veterans of any war.

Concerning the issue of German soldiers in WWII, I feel very much empathy. It's so wrong for the entire world (essentially) to sort of view the Germans (and therefore, the soldiers) as evil. These soldiers were not any more or less evil than the British, American, or Japanese forces. They were all doing an unfortunate job they were socialized into doing, but must all bear at least some of the hatred toward Nazi Germany. I believe Nazism is evil, but I don't think it's fair to make the German soldiers part of this view.

Vargscarr: What are your views on the September 11 attack on the World Trade Center?

Kanwulf: I watched an animal report on elephants, as suddenly came an underline info "Breaking News." I saw the burning tower and after a while the second impact in the other tower. I watched and the time passed by. I didn't notice the time go by. Usually I am not so empathic, but this was something without honor. I also never saw the towers, sad but true. This is of course not the main reason for taking it as a shame. On the other side it was a very good planned thing. Cheap and effective. But in my eyes it should had never happened! Short before that attack we sat together in our kitchen. We learned for an examination. And we discussed the topic human behavior. I said, that a very fucking aspect of my considerations to mankind, is the knowledge that the human race were able to treat each other much better. We have the knowledge to use the sciences to not contaminate the earth anymore. We have intelligence enough to live in a better way together. But that's what makes us human, our feelings and our thinking, it destroys all this visions of possible civilizations. And then, almost an half hour later, I saw this deed, this attack. What can I say? I can say that the US is itself responsible for that because of their world politics. I can say that religion is an evil in general in this world. Nothing will change the things nor the man. We've lost, lost in the whole case of being....

Maelstrom: Thank you for the interview, Kanwulf.

Kanwulf: Well, if you had contacted myself some years earlier, you might got a very different interview. But now, cleared in my head because of the effect of making songs, I am able to give you a real view on my being. There are sure many other aspects I could mention, especially about my songs, because I write almost all in German into my booklet and so it is not easy to understand my intentions. But maybe someday I will have an homepage for Nargaroth. It will be in English too and so if there is an interested person he can get more info about Nargaroth. I have still the attitude to kill the mankind, but I think it is not very necessary to spread these attitudes into the world, with the knowledge that it cannot be a possibility, especially to destroy mankind. It takes too much energy to think too much about it. Here in Germany if you meet a BM guy you must at first treat him as an enemy. I heard in US, it is more that you know that he is your comrade. Is it true? Last week some North American BM bands played here in Germany, and I think it could be true. All Americans I met in BM were real nice people. Many people here say that Americans are not able to feel BM. Mhhh, I don't know if this might be true, but I think if we, Germans or Americans, are in emotions because of loosing a beloved man, or because in hate and anger or in love, we are very similar. I think we are not so different in that situations.

So special thanks to Neill (Lord Imperial of Krieg), Andy (Akhenaten of Judas Iscariot), Jeff and thanx to all others I am in contact with from US, for showing me once more, that stereotypes and rumors are nothing other than phantasms of weak minds. I wrote a lot about BM and views to the world. At some the reader might agree. Of course, we are into a very special art. In some other views we might be different, especially in the dead or living state of BM. Of course, we are or seem to be all individuals. If you are one into BM and if you, as a reader thinks he is really into it, you should keep some of my words inside. I hope the reader will understand and keep in mind if he think he's one who is close to Black Metal!! For me, the real deep Black Metal is dead!! I hope, that the old warriors will keep their remembrances and feelings inside, that they never will 
betray this style and that the corpse of Black Metal won't be violated and raped anymore. Black Metal was there as we needed it and now this art needs us. The old days will never return, but we can show our respect to old days...Whatever you might I am real!!!

Honorably,

Kanwulf from Nargaroth

Roberto: You bring up some interesting and valid points about the BM scene in the US. I would like to extend my views to the worldwide bm scene, as I have tasted a bit from my travels in Norway and my contact with black metallers there. The irony (that I find refreshing) about black metal, and metal in general, is that there is a lot of love within the scene. People want to support each other and encourage each other, be it zines, bands, or labels. Many want to keep metal in the underground. I am largely in favor of this, as the camaraderie would suffer as metal becomes more mainstream. indeed, on a critical level, the whole idea of misanthropy is very problematic, as bands talk about it and at the same time crave acceptance and praise. I in some ways identify with this, and have seen my feelings mirrored in those who are actively involved in what I consider true black metal. 

I should give you a brief description of me. I am hardly a "black metal guy," in that I don't go around thinking I'm living any sort of so-called black metal lifestyle. My heroes are not black metallers because they are black metallers, and I don't take it nearly as seriously as some like to. I see those people as being lost, but not being able to accept their being lost, and dealing with their problems wholly by copying some persona that they see on an album. This way, they all become walking caricatures. There are many of these in all sorts of genres: hippy caricatures, black people caricatures, yuppie caricatures, etc... There's nothing interesting about these people: they're merely content with assuming a set caricature. This may seem too harsh and hypocritical of me. It does sound that way. There are many elements of bm that I like, but I'll spare you. 

Back to my point. I've seen a strange duality, both within me and with people involved in bm whom I respect, of on one hand hating people, and at the same time loving them and wanting to be loved. I'm not necessarily projecting these feelings onto you, but I can already tell that it is important to you for others to hear what you have to say and for you to be understood, or you would not have accepted to the interview and have written such long answers. So on that level, you are seeking acceptance. I have seen how sensitive and frayed (like the end of a rope) people who seem to really grasp black metal are. They are very hurt by people and society, and find solace in misanthropic feelings and attitudes, where what they crave most is acceptance. Sometimes when I feel very depressed and hurt by the world, a misanthropic attitude gives me a great deal of comfort, but it's not something I can maintain for long. Personally, I'm a very warm and loving person: I want to support others and share things with people (again, not very bm, is it?), this is largely why I started my zine, to support something I love and to do it with friends whom I love. But, most of the time I feel that others aren't like this. I suspect this is similar with others involved in this kind of music.

back