Interviewd by Lord Beck, answered by Xaphan Hails, Kult ov Azazel. Tell us a brief history about the band. To make it short, we formed in 1999. First with Xul, I and a drummer who did not last long. From that point until 2001 we had nothing but drummer problems, many came and went, some made it onto recordings yet our vision never waivered. After the “Triumph of Fire” recording I met Hammer while in Europe and he joined in the summer of 2001. During the writing/recording of “Oculus Infernum” the decision was made to bring a second guitarist into the fold. Since this decision we have had a revolving door so to speak with guitarist. First it was Nocturath and then VJS who appeared on “The World, The Flesh & The Devil” and then Necrol who played three major shows with us in 2006. Just recently, a decision was made to keep the core of the band in its original form that being a 3 piece band. Also VJS has re-entered the picture and now both VJS and Necrol will hold live session positions within in the band. KoA hails from the United States (Florida). Are there any other bands in the USA that plays a similar genre as your “Heretical Black Metal” style? I'm sure there is yet doubt any of them have been doing it as long as us. With how diluted and shallow much of today's so-called "scene" is can't say I keep up with all the new bands and one-man projects that pop up every second of every day. What is a must-have album in your opinion? Or perhaps I should be a little more specific. Say, you went to jail for burning numerous churches and were only allowed a compact disc player, headphones and one album. What would you choose? Tough decision. It would either be Venom's "Black Metal" or Mercyful Fate's "Melissa". These two albums I can listen to over and over for hours/days/weeks and never tire of them. Pure masterpieces. Alright. Say, that the authorities wanted to torture you to death by playing the world’s most awful music (truly a heinous way to die). What album or artist would they choose? Most definitely any Abba or the Grateful Dead. Okay moving on to a more serious question. Tell us a little about the new album, “Destroying the Sacred” and how the album is coming along. Things are coming along well. We have 8 of 10 songs written at this point. Titles so far are Prelude to Holocaust, The Plagues of Mankind, Slaughter the Prophet, I am the Devil, Sacrilege: Destroying the Sacred, Gutting Religious Heritage, Conquer & Annihilate and The Lucifer Principal. I think the song titles reflect what the lyrical content will touch upon. Music wise it will continue in the same path yet exceed what we did on "The World, The Flesh & The Devil". What is your favorite track on the album thus far? Can't say at this point. Do you have any live shows planned after the release of the album? Can we expect to see Kult ov Azazel in Canada? We will definitely be looking to tour in support of it. No dates are booked at the moment but as time draws closer we'll either look to jump on a tour package as support and if that doesn't happen we'll take matters into our own hands as we have done in the past by putting our own tour package together. However, you see the problem with Canada is it's a bit difficult for me to enter due to my criminal record. I got through once when we co-headlined the Northern Light Festivals yet on our west coast tour later that year we were denied entry. Not because of my situation but due to other reasons, shit that almost sent us to Canadian jail along with our equipment and transportation being confiscated. As we were being detained I was informed by Canadian officials that if I wanted to enter Canada it would cost me an enormous amount of money to do so and in future visits. Eventually we were made to sign some forms saying that we refused our right to enter Canada and were sent back to the American boarder crossing. Was a tense situation. However, we have been talking to someone that may be able to remedy my situation so perhaps we'll make it back somewhere down the road. Tell us about the disastrous show in Pittsburgh, PA (in 2005). Poor turnout, horrible sound, many technical problems; the list is endless. Inform us about religion and your opinions. I fucking hate religion and see it as the one of the many reasons why this world is in the state it's in. Religion has done nothing but weaken humanity through deceit and lies and from the beginning it has been a tool used to oppress or blind. My opinion is that all three Abrahamic religions need to be done away with then erased from human psyche. It disgusts me to the point I formed a band to be a voice of opposition. What does Black Metal mean to you? First off, it is the embodiment of hatred and blasphemy in musical form used to invoke or provoke. Secondly, it is a lifestyle as it has meaning and a direct purpose behind it unlike many other genres. On a more personal note, who deserves to die? Every worthless human. Thank you for this interview, friend. The last words are yours. Thanks for your support and interview. Those interested in booking, merchandise or contact can find us through www.kultovazazel.com and www.myspace.com/kultovazazel. Hails to those that continue to support our endeavors and a two fist fuck you to those that stand in our way... AMSG!