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Silent yet
blasphemous, the seven years of interregnum in FILII NIGRANTIUM INFERNALIUM’s
career are now over. Belathauzer the Beast is back and with full force. The
EP A Queda (The Fall) thus reflects the mastermind’s unholy, unconventional,
anti-everything values and opinions, supported by regular live activity and
constant presence in the media. Belathauzer turned out to be an incredibly
thoughtful interview-partner… but that is hardly a surprise.
BTTG
– Mighty greetings, unholy Belathauzer, son of Darkness and other obscure
domains. Would you start this train of thoughts by presenting FILII
NIGRANTIUM INFERNALIUM to the readers of Back to the Grave? Please comment
also on the 7-year-long interregnum FNI went through (reasons, motivation to
come back, etc.).
BTTG
– What about the band name? What are these Sons of Infernal Darkness
up to? Belathauzer
– It’s our name, just as simple as that. Product of my main sources of metal
inspiration: VENOM, BATHORY and CELTIC FROST. It’s in Latin because I like it
that way. What I am presently has been forged through many hellish fires and
underground, cavernous, downearthpit experiences, metaphorically or not.
Therefore, it’s not a casual or nice-fitting name, it’s what we are, FUCK! BTTG
– Now off to A Queda, the reason why this interview came up in the
first place. Would you elaborate on its conception, the reasons why you
released it via Tenser Productions and mention all relevant information?
BTTG
– Musicwise, it is evident that the playing skills (or their application in
the songs for that matter) are significantly better than in earlier
recordings. Got tired of playing it raw, should music be secondary to lyrics
or how do you 'justify' the present songs? Belathauzer – Well, first of all, I don’t have to
justify my art. Any true art is, the way I feel it, unjustifiable: either you
like it or you don’t. Thanxxx for the accomplishment; wait for the new
material… About music and lyrics, well, I elaborate the vocal part, considering it an instrument. And I write and re-write constantly the words, since I think of them as poems. Quite in the decadentist and symbolist way. BTTG
– What have the reactions to A Queda been like so far? Do they mirror
the extreme pole-opposition I referred to earlier? Belathauzer – Yes, you’re absolutely right! BTTG
– FNI drink most significantly from the old school source. What would you
point out as the main common points (other than leather & spikes) between
FNI and the old Thrash/Black bands? I can see a relation between Puta
Infernal (Hell’s Whore) and WASP’s Animal (Fuck Like a Beast)!
It might be slightly forced, but it is still an… interesting possibility. Belathauzer – Uh… Bright you are, Morgana! In fact, WASP is one of my
favourite bands. We did once Tormentor on stage, years ago. And I also
like some KISS albums a lot. And Puta Infernal is a completely
Heavy Metal song. BTTG
– What do you think your favourite bands would say about your own necrocult
FILII NIGRANTIUM INFERNALIUM? Belathauzer – I don’t know, but I
don’t mind anyway. What would Quorthon say? [Not much, I suppose, now that he
is dead – M]
BTTG
– You constantly utter that ‘modern BM’ is sinking ever lower. Do you know
that many bands to say that? For one who is always clinging on to the past,
you seem to generalise things ‘a bit’… Were you ever familiar with the broad
BM scene?
BTTG
– Now that you are definitely back in active, what image do you have of your
return? What image do you project of the current FNI concerts as opposed to
the early live performances? How much did FNI (not) change? And by which means
do you as a band convey the Dark Message live? Belathauzer
– Nothing is definite!! I might be car-rushed next hour… hopefully I will…
No. Just unjoking, there’s still a
message of wrath and poisonous heaviness to be delivered to the metal scene
by me and my feasting comrades. We’re preparing new songs for… a PURE METAL
ATTACK! BTTG
– Rumour has it that you usually read excerpts of the bible in your
rehearsals. How inspirational is it? I suppose you do not use for
occupational therapy!
BTTG
– Why such a fixation for the bible, the holy ghost and christian religion in
general? Which main positive and negative aspects would you point at religion
in general? Belathauzer
– First of all, the Bible is a really nice compilation of books and literary
genders. Considering my impossibility to read it in Hebraic or Greek, it’s
also quite interesting to compare different versions and to know certain
translation traditions that have influenced one or another interpretation of
certain passages. I especially like The Genesis, Book of Job, The Leviticus,
Psalms, Proverbs… Isaiah is a blast. Lamentations and, certainly, The
Apocalypse. Regarding all my previous anti-christian statements, I must now
correct one thing: they lacked irony. I really think that The Holy Scriptures
are so creative and, in many passages, hilarious, that they are a permanent
source of inspiration. It’s the word of GOD, and he should get the Nobel
prize once and for all. Statements like “the Bible is the book of lies” are as childish or as
senile as… Stop! My preciouss… I don’t know, where were we? Hell, I could go
on with this literary issue, on and on.
And religion… ha, religion taken in the sheep mode/mood is as fartable
as any idiot-mass manifestation: national celebrations, star autographs
fan-hunting, etc. etc. etc. etc. BTTG
– Your interviews/ words are usually a mirror of (the way I see ) the band’s
philosophy: thoughtful and prone to two reactions only – love or hate. I
would say he who leads to such situations has a merit of his own. Are you
anyhow affected by these reactions? Which examples do you quote more often to
support this dialogical relation of opposites? Belathauzer
– Well, there have always been, since the beginning of FILII NIGRANTIUM
INFERNALIUM, enough strong and die-hard support. I can’t recall… My
preciousssssss. BTTG
– In relation to the previous question, your words are sometimes delightfully
venomous and so are your comments, especially in concerts. These might be
taken seriously, but then again maybe not. Are your cured of the ‘Virus of
the Holy Ghost’?
BTTG
– Despite absolutely surrealistic at times, none of your comments goes
unnoticed. Take a moment to reflect on the possible inspiration sources for
your current philosophy (and that goes for literature, music, rituals,
whatever). What inspires you to tread the venomous path of criticism (to
established and unestablished values alike)? Belathauzer – Everything inspires me, especially The Marx Brothers and Monty
Python. Alice in Wonderland. Poe, Huysmans, Wilde, Laforge. Rabelais.
Kubrick. Wagner and Bach. Sigue Sigue Sputnik. No dogmas and no
future either. The six hundred and sixty sixth cycle of reincarnations.
Carnivorous vegetarianism and sexual debauchery. Pornosuicidal mental
onanism. Anarco HEAVY metal. BTTG
– I do not know it for a fact, but I gather from your words and FNI’s image
that you are a pretty interested if not avid reader. What role does reading
play in your Un-Life? Belathauzer
– A quite important role, in fact. BTTG
– Unlike many other Black Metal bands, you are entirely anti-patriotism and
have referred to FILII’S music as anarcho black metal. Why do you feel
patriotism to be a limitation? Just for the arbitrariness of the place one is
born in? And the fact that, as with all ideologies, fanaticism tends to blind
the (mind’s) eye? Belathauzer – I think that patriotic
pride is vain and really circus like. For instance, the flags, the hymns
thing…
BTTG
– Now for a small technicality: is it somehow restrictive to answer
interviews directly in English? I have noticed that the writing in Portuguese
allows you most brilliantly to proffer those sardonic remarks of yours (to
the uncouth reader, sometimes out of context). What say you to this? Also, do
these decontextualised parts of your interviews relate to the anarcho thing I
wrote earlier on? Belathauzer – Yes,
It’s no use trying to make sense in a sensible way. Everything appears to me
as being grotesque, so I don’t mind talking or sounding grotesque, bizarrely
mixing apparently unrelated things. It’s only a matter of realism and
objectivity. The obsession regarding coherence seems to me quite vain. But
admirable, that’s for sure! And writing in English is easy, especially as
badly and baldly as I do. [Now, now… are we having a surge of false
modesty here?... – M] Concerning decontextualisation: I’m always decontextualised.
This present incarnation is a sort of error. I’ll fix it someday. BTTG
– Is FILII NIGRANTIUM INFERNALIUM's status abroad nearly as ... intensive...
as it is in Portugal? Belathauzer
– I don’t know about that. Sorry!
Brazil rules… Good reactions from Sweden and Deutschland. BTTG
– While not intending to invade your innermost privacy, I would still like
you to outline parts of your vision of «Satan». Do you envisage Him as an
entity, a state of mind? What do you hold of organised religion around the
concept of «Satan»? If «Satan» means Freedom, then it should not be connected
to any sort of organised cult, but to the individual. Do you agree? Belathauzer – Well,
now that you mention it, yes, We feel it like an invasion of our hearts and
souls. And I really don’t like to speak about Satan, since He’s an appendixxx
of God as a major and bigger (just
check this seven hundred and fifty five proof on the existence of Yaweh, on: www.bignaturals.com) entity.
And, on the other hand, I could say that “Satan” is a hebraic-rooted
substantive, etc. To me, it’s a powerful and ambivalent, rich, poetic and
philosophical symbol. I can’t
identify with any church at all, maybe only the Church of the Perfect Square
Circle, conducted by the almighty high-priest Mr. Xeper “Never Satisfied” who, revealing to me the powerful music of
CAGE, has really darkened my black soul… BTTG
– Thank you for your time and feel free to leave a last message to the
readers of Back to the Grave. Belathauzer – Well, you’re certainly
welcome! It’s been a pleasure to waYste our time. Excellent ‘zine you have
there, keep raging on, Mighty Morgana (M&M… joking!) – “A Queda é a minha
Ascensão!” - BELATHAUZER By Morgana - Back To The Grave July 29, 2004 E-Mail Interview Photos – Filli Nigrantium Infernalium2004 |
