This interview is taken from: Lords of Metal Webzine 

Hail Kanwulf! Could you give the readers of Lords of Metal a short introduction to NARGAROTH and yourself?

Today is November 19th, 2004; at 8 o clock a.m. To your question, I think there is not much to say. For whom NARGAROTH is unknown until now, it's his own fault. My musically walked ways started even in the GDR (German Democratic Republic), which "died" in the beginning of the 90's last century. I had to go to take some piano lessons because of my mother's orders. There I had begun to write poems. But somehow something was missing. I had the words, I had the voice and so I had those two dimensions. The piano I played didn't fit well to the poems. Short after the break down of the socialistic system of the GDR I got an old country bass guitar, which I own and use until today on my albums. I started to learn how to use that thing and in my adolescence seeking for extremes I screamed to words I wrote as poems down once. As picture image I guys standing in the kitchen playing an old distorted Bass Guitar screaming his lyrics. So in the beginning that project I later named NARGAROTH was nothing more than a leisure-time activity. I was more interested in girls or go swimming or camping or driving without driver licence with my mothers Trabant (an old non luxurious car from the GDR) or I stole some small motorcycles and drove around until the tank was empty. Such stupid things. But over the years I felt unable to have conversations with myself in a developing meaning. So my music I created became that opportunity to talk to, to come in relationship to myself. To understand what drives me on, what rules my desires and behaviours? But that fact, I recognized very later, I think first in 1999/2000. Before I think I thought and used to be grim and evil. Sure my intention to express myself was there, but I didn't see this fact clearly at this time.

You have a new CD out called 'Prosatanica Shooting Angels'. Are you satisfied with the result? How have been the reactions so far? Who or what is Prosatanica?

As always with NARGAROTH releases, that album splits the minds of the fans. For one it's a good one, for others its crap. But unfortunately most of those guys are too stupid to cross their borders, which got set by my albums "Herbstleyd" or "Black Metal ist Krieg". Those two albums get always taken as comparison to new albums, but that never can work, because every single release of NARGAROTH will and must be different and never comparable to previous and future releases.

You use a couple of samples on this CD. From which movie(s) do they come? What other media influence the creation of your music?

That thing doesn't matter! I don't understand why people and fans are interested into the sources.

I think the production of 'Prosatanica Shooting Angels' sounds very poor. I get the impression that this is deliberate. Could you explain your intentions by producing this CD the way you did?

I could imagine that my next words break the illusions of many pro-NARGAROTH readers. But exactly that was my intention with this album!! But you want answers, so you'll get them! This album is besides "Geliebte des Regens" (Beloved of the Rain) my favourite one! Because of the circumstances it got recorded, the history or background and the intentions that came to birth during the 12 hour recording session.

Originally these songs were planned for a side project I wanted to make. It's name PROSATANICA SHOOTING ANGELS. The logo, with the 2 staked angels left and right, of this side project I placed on the bottom card of the so called NARGAROTH album and on the back of the shirt. But after the recording session I reminded me on some lines I wrote in the booklet of the "Black Metal ist Krieg" album with the content, that I prefer not doing a side project because NARGAROTH is in me as I am in it. And in respect to the sad fact of many spoken or written but not always respected words by myself in my life, I decided myself not to make that mistake again. And so it became an unplanned NARGAROTH album.

At the beginning of the side project, I had no idea how to make it. All I knew was to make it quite faster than I usually create songs. I went into my small studio in my apartment were I created and recorded all my releases until today, and around 12 hours later I left it with a whole album in my hands. The songs I wrote during the recording session itself. I just played something to the drum lines and when I liked it – I used it. Sometimes during the recording of the guitar lines, I made playing-mistakes and tried to smooth them by playing something else. And so I found new connection riffs to 2 different main melodies. And I made some experiments I usually never do! In the end of the song "Satan Industries" you hear a kind of synthetic noise. But that is my distorted Bass Guitar tapped just the upper string in the 4th or 5th segment. I can't remember right now. And everything you hear that sounds like a keyboard is even my Bass Guitar, just playing the main accord louder mixed than the rest. Nothing else and I love it! And the "poor" sound I made this way because I wanted it. And in my eyes – about a good HiFi or Stereo, you will hear it's a great sound. The scene became too spoiled by good productions and fat sounds. That is no mark for BM!

The lyrics I wrote all down in 50 minutes. I didn't want some very deep going, but dark and not typical words. I reminded me on earlier considerations about the topic of an always hating, everything destroying Satan. I found that imagination of Satan stupid since I heard that story the very first time. I could not imagine that some one who once got loved by some one hates all the time and shit. It seemed more believable for me, that a person or a thing that made the experience of real love is crying at night when no one is watching him, because of lost and missed line to the well feeling of loving and getting loved. And that the so called "Evil Face" is nothing more than a shield to hide that pain before the world. And sure, I took as comparison my own treatment to myself and others in that same situation, where, I am sure, everyone was in before in his life. And so I wrote a song about that. But the feelings are not going too deep. It is just a song and my considerations about the always as evil'n shit described Satan.

The first song of that album just describes my consideration to the only satanic thing that is useful in life – do what you want should be the only law. I think that a caged soul or a chained mind will wither and die over the years when you lock it away from your desires. That's all and even no wisdom! Just a song. The Intro name and sound came from my experience that the so called Love is always over after the ejaculation, if you're having sex with a One Night Stand or a new girl you conquered at a concert or where ever. I see the boys talking to some chicks and how they are playing something like hypocritical interest for her words, but in their head these guys only see a cum-shoot between her legs. They play comprehension for her attitudes and views and listen to boring story of other guys, Make Up and bands she is listening to, only to make themselves attractive as "partner you can also talk with" and shit like this. But the real intention is quite more primitive. I even knew this behaviour from me. I was listening to boring stories until my eyes almost shut down and so on, but I the only thing I really wanted was to make her ecstatically scream. But over the years I saw the non-honourable point in that behaviour and stopped it. The other reason was that never a respectful relationship rises from moments like this! And if you become older, affairs are quite nice, but satisfy not your wishes for safety or even a family.

The two ambient songs I made because I have sometimes under the influence of light drugs inspirations of sitting on the ground of a sea or the ocean in total darkness and hear only small sounds of living and I'm thinking. I got that imagined picture from the book "Killermachine", were a robot walked down to a seas ground and started thinking about his existence and he made experiences of meeting other life forms besides human. The other ambient song I just made, because I wanted it. There are no deeper intentions for making it. I took the end theme of an old semi-horror movie and cut in some spoken words of a devils actor. I brought his words in a sense making order and named it like the movie is named.

"Hunting Season" is even no deep meaning stuff. I was a sharpshooter at the army and so I made a -non deep meaning- song about sniper stuff. The last song is besides all the others important for me, because he reflects my momentary state of mind development. And he tells me all the time not to give up, even if I as a man made mistakes. "Black blasphemic…" I made because I know that what ever happens with me, if I die or become crazy or even worse things, that I hide my (im)mortal soul and thoughts inside my art. During the lyrics I wrote and the great opportunity I have in our time - to record them and to manifesting them on LP, Tape or CD. So I become immortal as long as someone reminds me and listen to the words I long written down.

But in conclusion it was quite strange how I did all. I had a good time in my studio under some light drugs and some Tequila. And this is why that album is important for me. Usually I am very strict how all has to sound, and all must be in the way I want it and there are no degrees of freedom for all things that got used. But this time I was very relaxed and took the things the way they came. No torturing deeper intention haunted me. It's just some metal.

Besides all this circumstances I had to do things that made me angry in the matter Black Metal Scene and too many pseudo NARGAROTH Fans! That's why I made the things they are in sound and in respect to the booklet, in artwork and hidden messages in the booklet.The scene is full of newcomers and poor minded BM "philosophers". They set rules that shake the foundations or the roots of this art. They create all the time new definitions of BM. At best, two times each year. They bring a destroying chaos into the scene and into this art. I know that well, because some years I was one of them too. But in opposite to this poor minded non-metallic idiots, I and many other old ones stayed in that art and we have to be in that chaos they left because they are out of their for extremes seeking adolescence or they became married or what ever. But it's hard to separate them before they leave again this art. I think that only those prevail in our art, which already have or seek truly and honestly for information's. Those who have – are the old ones, those who truly seek – gonna stay maybe.

Many things I wrote in the booktlet can be and got only understand by those guys I mentioned above. I know that only few understand what is really meant by the words "No Dark Throne". That it has to be considered very carefully how I wrote the band name and where it got written that way! Until today only 2 persons recognized this word-game. And such things I love! I often do things like this, which the idiots don't recognize and separate them from the good ones. I made things like this before. Once I made a Demo called "Fuck of nowadays Black Metal". I took a song as outro which is quite popular and every Metalhead should understand that it sure is a cover song and not an own song from NARGAROTH. So I put that as instrumental version on the LP and called him "Nortam Sagro". After this LP was under the people, I heard so many voices that I steal riff s 1:1 from other bands. Everyone screamed the instrumental outro is the song "Orgasmatron" from MOTÖRHEAD. They said they got the proof that I steal guitar riffs from MOTÖRHEAD.

Right here – right now I say: can it be true, that the whole scene is so damn stupid, that they don't understand the "joke" and are unable or too stupid to read the song name "Nortam Sagro" backward? I should name the next NARGAROTH album "Fuck off BM scene".

But besides this more hidden meaning are there 2 other more open problems I have with the cult position of DARKTHRONE in the heads of the people. A second point to this slogan and to the album which is not so important and deep is - if you listen to the music, the slogan seems more than strange and even ridiculous. My intention to this second point was to doubt on the so called "own" inspirations of bands, when the music of the band sounds like their in interview mentioned Faves. And the third intention to this slogan goes in direction to the all the time sadly not respected beginning days of GORGOROTH! Everyone in the scene mention DARKTHRONE as Fave and important band. In my eyes GORGOROTH is the owner of that THRONE! With their first Demo and their first Album with one of the best BM singer named HAT, they are always even worthy to be named!

Similar as I made it with the "No Dark Throne Fan" line, there are many things I made to separate the idiots from the Metalheads. Other examples are: Only old guys know what is meant with the words "Black and blasphemic Death Metal". These are quite famous words in BM history known only by older. Or the fact that I putted Bands likes AZHUBHAM HAANI under the Thought about Death Cocks rubric. Some small minded BM fags wrote me, why I could do such a "sacrilege" to put a "pioneer of BM" under a DM rubric. I couldn't stop laughing, although this is a very sad state! If they would know AZHUBHAM HAANI longer than from my Black Metal ist Krieg album they should know it! Fuck those losers! Another message is the photo of my person in the booklet and the so fucking stupid gun in my hand. I hate this fucking poser kids with their boring evil poser pictures with no atmosphere and vibes. They say it shows their true face…oh boy that pains sure in the head. Such nonsense and the inflationary use of the (un)holy attributes of BM destroys the once very important accessories of BM!!! That's why I made this fucking stupid Picture and I underlined it with the words "Poser Picture from Kanwulf…". If someone uses it, please stay to the points of being a poser, or make it honourable or let it fucking be! We need Metalheads to survive and no Halloween crap!

Well there are much more hidden things I will not list here, because it will be too long. I also don't want to explain anything here, because I want to see longer who is who and who is worthy in the scene. And as long as I get questions like "Who is Erik you mentioned in you "Black Metal ist Krieg" album?" or as long as I hear "The drummer on your "Black Metal ist Krieg" album is not so true, because he is laughing on the 2 small pictures of him in the booklet" (meant were the private pictures of Erik on the booklet pages to the songs I dedicated him), I say – Make your fucking Homework's!

I think a good cover very important; it really makes no difference to the music, but it just looks great. The cover of 'Prosatanica Shooting Angels' is almost too beautiful. Where does it originate from? How do you choose your covers?

I cannot say what my inspirations for the covers are. Maybe it is a song or a vision I have. But I agree totally that a cover artwork and the booklet must fit to the music. Both create an atmosphere. And the booklet triggers your mood before listen the sound. Regarding to PSA, this is a second reason why I like this release. This is the first and only release of NARGAROTH, where everything is different to other albums before, especially in the artwork. Take a look at the Bottom card. All the time I made them as I prefer them: the NARGAROTH Logo above in the middle and the song title centred down below. That didn't changes since the first Release. This time I changed it. That is no big deal, yes. But that album is so totally different at all and I never make that again that way. And in fact again to all idiots out there only listen to and waiting for a second "Black Metal ist Krieg" album – If you would read my words you wouldn't surprised by the always changing things in my albums, because there I wrote: There will be more expressions of myself which could not be more different and strange. Hence in all I am me, and I am in Nargaroth, as is Nargaroth in me. No compromise...

How does a typical NARGAROTH song come into existence? In what order do you write the music and lyrics?

I just let my emotions, my attitude and my imaginations rule the way of my work. I do what I want! That's all! And the backgrounds are my emotions. I am a man and I feel. I have emotions that lead me through life. And to get a conversation about those feelings I use the art and the music. And of course my development as man and the solutions and thoughts about my life, I transform into imagined pictures which lead to words, I write down mainly and preferred as poems. This should be normal for every musician. But the fact that this is considered many times as special, shows me, that this is quite rare and the main force of bands create only empty shells without meaning. This is the reason why BM is dead since years!

I am very sad and a little ashamed to admit that I have missed your performance in august at Baroeg in Rotterdam this year. I gathered from a couple of forums that most of the visitors enjoyed your performance. How did you experience it? Do you like to perform live? When will you be performing in Holland again?

It was o.k. the mood was good, the people seemed to be hot for seeing me. It was a gig that's all. Sometimes I like it, sometimes I wish to stay alone. I cannot make a clear answere, which changes from day to day. In Holland again? Sure, but not before end of next year.

I have looked all around the Internet, but could not locate your website: I gather you don't have one. Is that deliberately?

Full of shame and anger – I have none. But I would like to have one, because of news and information for the people. But I have no idea how to make that thing because I am a novice in the matter of computer stuff. And I also don't want a cheap page with poor pictures and no information value. If you know someone or some one well educated it this work read this can contact me.

How is the black metal scene in Germany? Do you know any interesting bands whose name you would like to mention here?

I feel nothing good about the B.M scene. And this since years and I rejected me from all this shit after my "Black Metal ist Krieg" release. In 2000 I was quite involved into the BM scene. I had more contacts to people I ever had before in my life. Many times my attitude crashed into the attitude of others and I wasn't willing up to that time to accept thoughts different to mine. I had an ideal from BM and the way their member has to be. I found none who could stand my judgement. Besides that very egocentric view, the scene and the bands mostly were terrible. On concerts I had to see shaming things of band members, which I will not mention here because there will not be space enough for. But the treatment of the persons to each other and the envy which grasps around the bands let me look with disgust to the members of an art, which once had the opportunity to stay special and intentionally deep.

Today I separate some individuals out of the masses to consider them as good. Although I must stand that this year, 2004, I came back some times to concerts or better, meetings. And its o.k. as long as I am there as person and not get seen as Kanwulf who has to answer all the times boring questions. And my feelings for the experiences are once again more than ambivalent. I take as a self experiment to look how I feel with that.

For an example: At the most recent Live Gig in Innsbruck/Austria on October 16th, 2004, which was the best gig I ever made and it was the best planned one, the first time I've been on stage as Ash without my Kanwulf-Outfit, performing my art as man. I also was the first time in the crowd. And this was a kind of experiment for me. At former shows I gave a shit about the persons. But after the Belgium gig on March 16th, 2002 I recognised that some of these people took very long travels to see Nargaroth. I was the same In Austria too. I think I had to respect the power and energy which some of the visitors had to bring up to come to this place to see Me! I talked with some of'em and sometimes I met smart people. Now I will see how I feel with my new behaviour. If I feel well, I'll maybe continue, if not I return back to old behaviour of retreat or I change to new experimental behaviour and the experiment of making new experiences goes on.

For Nargaroth – it does not belong the nowadays B.M. scene!!! Unfortunately belonging also not to the old scene, because I haven't released anything worthy before 1998 (Herbstleyd). There I was just a fan. I consider myself with my releases after "Black Metal ist Krieg" as musician or songwriter, belonging to no scene. Scenes setting borders. And I can't accept border in my music. What ever I want to do, I will do. And in fact, I stated more than one time: Nargaroth does not play Black Metal!! Although I know that the main force who listen to Nargaroth are coming from the persons belonging to this scene. And Nargaroth will be sure always labeled as Black Metal.

What does the future of NARGAROTH look like? What are your desires and ambitions?

To release all the stuff this is already finished in my head. That is fucking terrible if you complete your recent album and while you record it, in your head you are planning and creating the next 3 releases. Already recorded to that point are the upcoming "Semper Fidelis", than a new and more faster album in the being of "Erik, may you rape the Angels" that's not named yet and the almost finished "Raise again the thousand Swords".

And there is a song that I recorded through the recording session for the "Herbstleyd" album called "Left Behind in Suicide". He gets released as Pic 7" I think, because he is very different to the things I do usually and does not fit to any release. He was planned for "Herbstleyd" and later for "Rasluka - Part II", but it didn't work to put 2 different styles together. So he stud and stays alone. It was the song which was originally dedicated to my dead friend! And in my eyes, that's the only one for that intention!
But more private I hope to pick up my Chevy or my Chopper bicycle and get on the road with my sleeping bag and some good old road songs, to conquer all things I haven't seen yet.

We have come to the final part of this little interview. I have a couple of so-called or-statements. Please choose one of each. You do not have to explain your choice; you may of course if you really want to. It is just some silly thing I came up with and I would like to see if and how it works.

Coffee or tea: I prefer any kind of tea!
God or Satan: Both
Black or white: Both
Day or night: Both
Left or right: None
Ham or cheese: Cheese!
Man or woman: Woman
Snakes or ladders: Snakes
Young or old: Young
Flora or fauna: Both
Optimist or pessimist: Optimist (I hope so, or? Fuck - that sounds more pessimistic)
Cart or horse: Horse
Up or down: Up
Car or bike: Bike!
Walk or run: Walk
Knife or fork: Knife
Spider or fly: None

Thank you for your time and energy. I will leave the final words to you…

I am interested how the readers will (if they will) understand what I wrote, or if again the stupid ones open their worthless mouth to yell their gossips. But I know that the main force in BM scene is not poor minded, but psychic very deformed and that they distort the information they get, so that they fit to their imagination how the world runs and works. That's much easier than to change yourself or your thoughts and attitudes. But that keeps you away from the opportunity to develop and to become an honourable man, woman or even being. This will be the sick energy for the survival and to the decline for the art BM.

back