Interview with Helmuth do Belphegor

CLIQUE AQUI PARA VER A VERSÃO EM PORTUGUÊS

André Luiz - Your expectation about Brazilian Tour was great one year ago…
Helmuth - Yeah, we are very enthusiasmed and hot about presenting our songs for the Brazil / Mexico die-hard metal demons, a big challenge for BELPHEGOR.

André - After these date changes, what do you think about this opportunity to play to one of better world audience?
Helmuth - As i said, the wait is over BELPHEGOR are already very glad to play in Brazil and of course in Mexico. It was a big wish to tour there, we’ll see how it works, but we’ve only heard the best about the demons there, seemingly very dedicated har har.

André - Official Website announced the delay to release new Belphegor album, due to problems with label. Hellmuth mentioned facts like the band had to pay touring costs, lack of support, etc. Tell me about this fuckin’ situation and if other labels contact you to release new album.
Helmuth - I wont vocalize this labels-name anymore, this fuck label doesnt have anything to do with metal. Lemme tell u, since GOATREICH -FLESHCULT 05 we only had bad experiences with this greedy rip-offs. Since 4th February 06 the new album ist finished, but we cant release it cause this so-called label has engaged a laywer & BELPHEGOR are put on ice, fukk them - eternally!

André - About Belphegor new opus, it was produced by Andy Classen on Stage One Studios, different of “Lucifer Incestus” and “Goatreich – Fleshcult” (recorded at Mastersound Studios with the producer Alex Krull from Atrocity).
Helmuth - Yeah, this time we're recorded in the Stage One Studios in Kassel with Andy Classen, he made us a brilliant sound / production and it was an great experience to work with him, the equipment and studio’s killer. The album title isn’t set yet, let me tell u the 9 tracks have reached a "new level" of dynamics, here are a list of some new sound-collages:

- Seyn Todt In Schwartz
- Bluhtsturm Erotika
- Belphegor - Hell’s Ambassador
- Chants Of The Devil 1533
- Das Pesthaus / Miasma Epilog

This time we worked with different guitars - and very unconventional moods in the hertz area, to let it sound more monumental, and to lift away more from the collaborating band flood. With every album BELPHEGOR try to go a step foreward in things like music and intensity. No matter if leads / vokills / drums, we try to set in the instruments more effective in each album, to arrange it better and to develope in every aspect, um,...its always a big challenge for us. I can say we're pretty damn pleased, can’t wait till this monster record gonna be released.

André - Few line up changes is very important too, do you agree?
Helmuth - Line up difficulties are not really good, but Sigurd and me are responsible for the songwriting for 90 % from the beginning, thats why we got better musicians into the band and could increase from album to album.

André - Nefastus was adding to line up in 2005, and recorded drums to new opus.
Helmuth - Nefastus is here since August 2004 and he is again an exceptional talent from Germany, on the new album # VI you’ll listen to the most aggressive drums you’ve ever heared on a BELPHEGOR album. Nefastus is an insane drummer, exactly what we have been looking for, he blasts the shit out of the fuckin nazerener zombie. He can reproduce the songs in a live situation for 100%, he fits both, mentally and musically.

André - Tell me about your impression about drummer work on studio.
Helmuth - Nefastus nailed the nine commandments in less then 6 days of hard snare attacking. This is definitely the tightest - heaviest drumming you will hear on a BELPHEGOR album till now. The high speed-blast-beats and double bass drums turned out most precise and brutal, to be honest it’s already blowing us away.

André - Barth has had an accident and due this situation, you’re seeking a new bass player to fix line up. What is Barth news? Will A.X. tour with band to Brazil and Mexico? Are there possibilities of A.X. to be added Belphegor line up or do you looking for a musician more experienced?
Helmuth - Robin Eaglestone, an Englishmen who play in Grimfist ( ex- C.O.F. ), will play the following shows and Brasil/Mecixco tours. If he’ll gets in after the summer 06 is not decided yet. We’ll play 15/20 shows together and we wanna se how it works, if he feels well with us and of course if we do...
Robin - Im really looking forward to my first time touring in Brasil/Mexico with BELPHEGOR as I think we share similar roots in extreme Metal, their music is the perfect blend of Death & Black Metal for me and I have the utmost respect for Barth's Bass playing. I hope the fans will not be too dissapointed with his replacement and I think the skills I gained in C.O.F will finally be tested to the maximum.

"With every album BELPHEGOR try to go a step foreward in things like music and intensity. No matter
if leads / vokills / drums, we try to set in the instruments more effective in each album, to arrange
it better and to develope in every aspect, um,...its always a big challenge for us. I can say we're
pretty damn pleased, can’t wait till this monster record gonna be released." - Hellmuth

André - Tell me about new album sound. Black metallers will see a band as brutal as last albums? What the difference between Belphegor sonority if you compare Lucifer Incestus and Goatreich with new opus?
Helmuth - Well, on the new opus we tried a few new things, as we always do, trying to take our sound a bit further each time. Well you know, the new opus is a concept album and the main themes are pestilence – the devil and apocalypse. This time we increased German poems again, next to Latin and Englisch.
BELPHEGOR´s sound has never been so epic and monumental, and I'm more than sure that this album gained a new dimension for the band, this album will be a new step forward for BELPHEGOR. A lot of new elements and a higher level of composition and structure are added as well, besides you will hear the most aggressive vocal work I’ve ever done. No bullshit when I say we will give the demons the strongest opus we’ve ever made.

André - Are there possibilities that you play any new songs in Brazilian gigs?
Helmuth - Nope, because the album gets released in Europe not before Oct. 06, the focus will be pointed at the last 3 albums and one cover track of German Thrashers Sodom. There is nothing better then to shoot the songs in highspeed blasts into the crowd and when the ppl begin to bang, to flip out, yeah that's it, it's a good feeling, a real pleasure if you have played a concert and if the maniacs like it, death metal is for the stage....

André - I know, that’s fuck to say about it because you are facing problems to release new opus, but do you plan record a live cd/dvd soon?
Helmuth - We’ll see, we already have some nice ideas, but there’s nothing concrete planned til now, maybe in winter 2007.

André - Belphegor touring for Moscow and Kiev in February/2006. We have few information about these country scenes, due to his politics problems. What do you tell to all about heavy metal scene in Russia and Ukraine: Belphegor gigs, the audience, the tour promotion in these countries…?
Helmuth - I don´t care that much about politics, institutions and their hypocritical - greedy fuck ups. Let me tell u it was fuckin awesometo tour Russia and Ukraine, the crowd, the organization / crew, the venues, hotels, vodka - everything were just great, we prepare for the next BELPHEGOR propaganda trip.

André - You were co-headliner in Kiev with Destruction, thrash metal legend. In Brazil, Germans touring with Atrocity and Leave’s Eyes. What do you think about reunion of bands with different sonority on great tours / gigs / festivals? Which band you wouldn’t divide a stage with (even if a promoter pays you much money)?
Helmuth - Haha, I don’t give a fuck Andre, no energy nor time for thinking on reunions or similar shit.

André - For the other side, which band you would like beside with (but you never played with)?
Helmuth - Well, difficult we played already with the most of our faves, ok Deicide, Krisiun for example and Black Sabbath with Ozzy and Iommi haha

André - Why Necrodaemon Terrorsathan and The Last Supper artworks albums were censored?
Helmuth - Ask and blame this bastards that censored the artworx in Germany / Austria / Switzerland, btw we had massive troubles w/ Goatreich

Fleshcult too, we’d to pay about 800 euros. The main reason, were as usual the lyrics and the huge demon-phallus-machine-gun on the cover artwork, haha this institutions of virgins and eunuchs can fuck off! BELPHEGOR dont care about if someone like the cover or not, its not kinda image / bad boys or whatsoever bullshit, we all adore that kind of art, and that became our "path of sin” since over an decade now.

André - Comment to me about this albums:
Hellmuth:
▪ The Last Supper (1995) - brutal
▪ Blutsabbath (1997) - hate & despise
▪ Necrodaemon Terrorsathan (2000) - rawest death / black inferno
▪ Lucifer Incestus (2003) - total blastterror
▪ Goatreich – Fleshcult (2003) - massive & extreme
▪ New album untitled (2006) - supreme - most intense - monumental

"...the new opus is a concept album and the main themes are pestilence – the devil and apocalypse.
This time we increased German poems again, next to Latin and Englisch. Belphegor´s sound has
never been so epic and monumental, and I'm more than sure that this album gained a new
dimension for the band, this album will be a new step forward for Belphegor. " - Hellmuth

André - I know Belphegor concept about this plague called religion. I’d like to know what do you think about churches fired for Satanists, black metal fans or/and religious fanatics.
Helmuth - We are not Satanists and we have never been man, we are enemies to the cross. BELPHEGOR are here to play good music, the rest is passing my ass har har, well, to be honest, I don´t give a fuckin shit man, u know,...its all about metal music. Like F. Nietzsche already said: "I damn Christianity", I can just agree with that. BELPHEGOR and my guitar are the most important parts in my life, i fuckin dig it to perform on stage and to record - create music. We are now there for so much time, and it still is a fun, the feeling to produce hard music is still in us, I'd say we are even more ambitious than ever before. Hell yeah, we are addicted to this sick hellride, the music thrones over all.

André - Talk about a real funny situation happened with you on or back stage.
Helmuth - No way man har har, but u won't believe it, i already got tampons, slips, a silver beer mug, porno mags, erotic photos, stuffed skulls - spiders, I got a lot of oddities the last years har har, and yes - i collect some of the weird shit

André - My time is gone… Thank you so much for these words. Let a messenger to Brazilian black metallers that wait Belphegor for many years. Have great days in Brazil, Cheers.
Helmuth - Hell yeah, anytime Andre, thanks for the respect and the space to spread the BELPHEGOR propaganda. Death regards to your readership and all die-hard metal heads who stuck with us, who just got into the band, or who came to the shows. You know, that's all I can say, see ya all on the road to hell.
www.belphegor.at