KULT OV AZAZEL is something which I have not been that familiar with for too long now. I enjoyed thier split with KRIEG when it was still fresh but didn't think much about pursuing the band. After hearing thier latest opus "Oculus Infernum" I wish I could detach my leg and kick myself in the ass. This LP is everything a great black metal album should be, and KoA earlier works "Order of the Fly" and "Triumph of Fire" are no different. I can't blieve that something this great has been passing out its propaganda through the underground without my knowledge, or interest being there to snatch it up. Luckily though, I was albe to send an invitation out to KoA guitarist/vocalist Xaphan and snare his presence for our tour in The Gallery. His portraits don't disappoint. Interviewed by Wilhelm.

Welcome to my Hell. These people around you are "The Visitors", those oddities close by are "The Four" and this place we refer to as "The Gallery Of The Grotesque". Are you ready for your tour?

Let it begin.

KULT OV AZAZEL is something I've been only familiar with for a year or so now, though the time I've spent with the band has been very satisfying. Obviously, you're an integral part of KoA, otherwise you wouldn't be here, and if you weren't in the spotlight, you'd either be a "Visitor" or chow for "The Four". Either way it's nice to have you along. Ah ha! I hear our visitors are eager to get this exhibit started. Maybe we should examine the history of KoA to start with. Sounds good?

We formed in April of 1999 basically as a two piece, this being me (guitar/vocals) and Xul (vocals/bass). We then incorporated a drummer and soon after released our first demo MCD "Order of the Fly" under the moniker Azazel. Not long after this came out we booted our drummer and ever since have used various session drummers to do our recordings and play live shows with us. In 2000 we recorded the tracks for what was is now known as the Kult ov Azazel/Krieg split and in that same year we signed a 4 album contract with Arctic Music, changed our name to Kult ov Azazel and recorded the tracks for "Triumph of Fire". In 2001 both of these recordings were released and at that point we started to seriously search for a permanent drummer. By the end of the year we had found one in our new drummer The Hammer. So after this we spent the beginning months of 2002 writing and also incorporated a second guitarist, Nocturath, into the fold. October '02 we entered the studio and recorded our newest blasphemy "Oculus Infernum" which was released June '03.

I sense something rather revolting down ways a bit, Xaphan. Perhaps we should scoot along now and see about this malignant energy. Ah yes, it's quite appealing. This "thing", in essence, is without shape or form, though reveals itself to us as something called "Order of the Fly". I see there is a connectedness existing between the two of you Xaphan. Explain this to us.

"Order of the Fly" was the first time we recorded together. We used a friend and his digital 8 track and went in and banged it out in a few days, a week I think is what it took to record and mix down. Most songs had been written by Xul for his band "Erebus" and 2 songs written by both of us the first time we jammed together. My thoughts on it are still positive as I think it was a good release for what it was and the time it came out. We were accomplished musicians from past bands but very unaware of each others writing abilities. It probably could have been a lot better if we would have taken our time and not jumped head first into recording as fast as we did. We'd only been together less than 2 months when we recorded this. But this is the recording that gave notice to what we were doing.

Now, I am aware of something even more chaotically evil and "black".... Cold and desolate in a strange sort of way. Look at this interesting portrait! The title is etched with the lettering "Triumph of Fire" and I assume that this is another great thing done with your blessings.

This was our first full length album and the first one we recorded in a real studio. We spent about 4 months writing the material and both of us had by that time matured greatly both as writers and players. We spent 4 weeks tracking it and a month mixing/mastering. I am a big speed metal freak so this album to me was all about speed so we decided to write an uncompromising full out black attack. All in all I think it was a big step forward for us.

And of course, we move on now to one of our feature presentations within the KoA tour. Let us examine "Oculus Infernum", new KoA album and in my humble opinion, one of the very finest black metal recording made available here in the states in many years. In many ways, "O.I." Greatly outshines the previous LP and demo CD. Vocally, the delivery is much more cruel and the musical attack ferocious and spiteful on "O.I.". On the other hand, there is a somewhat "melodic meets chaotic" approach being taken with the new work, which is reminiscent of older, faster black metal from Sweden and Norway. I think this was put into good use at the hands of KoA- while most bands are merely copies of the originals, KoA take a generous chunk from the said "area" of black metal and craft into an equally useful though entirely different weapon. Overall, the experience I had with "Oculus Infernum" was engulfing and highly rewarding. This is pure BLACK METAL in its original form.

Your comments are appreciated and it is nice to know that others can connect with the music we are creating. With "Oculus Infernum" you get what both of us have been trying to achieve since we formed this band. Unfortunately on past albums we did not have capable drummers that were able to play what we envisioned and that changed a lot of the vibe and direction the songs took once put to drums. On "Oculus Infernum" we have a drummer that grew up on what I grew up on, 80's thrash, speed, black and death metal. This helped a lot once we incorporated The Hammer since he wanted to commit to this band 100% but also could see our vision and where we are going musically and shared the same. Plus with the addition of Nocturath who contributed to writing on some of the songs, I think this is by far the best stuff we have executed both lyrically and musically.

Should "Oculus Infernusm be viewed as a lesser evolved version of the next KoA out take? This is asked knowing that each cut/album has progressed in some way or form- not becoming more "extreme" in the sense of loosing any bit of melody but powerful without sacrificing that which makes your sound tuneful yet furious, barbaric and raw....

To be honest with you I have no idea what the next full length recording will be like. It will most likely be a smorgasbord of what we have been doing all these years. It will still be barbaric and furious that's for sure. That's a trait that's been with this band since day one and one we'll never compromise. It's just really hard to say as each song takes on its own form once they evolve from riffs into actual songs.

"Order of the Fly", "Triumph of Fire" and soon "Oculus Infernus" have been / will be released on limited edition LP. I have copies of the first two on LP, both of which are satisfying- though the idea of making an album available on vinyl for a ridiculously low quantity seems to be the kind of thing extensively used lately. I have some thoughts on this, but maybe it would be better for you to elaborate- why vinyl? What is essential about vinyl and KoA's music being pressed onto this medium for a very limited print run?

First of all the reason why we have released albums on vinyl is because I, as a few others in the band, grew up listening to vinyl. Many of us still have nice vinyl collections. So it was merely for our own purpose to see them released on vinyl. Why they have been released in such limited quantities is because there's not much of a demand these days for vinyl, not to mention that it is the label who releases it who decides on how many copies will be printed since they know how much they can invest in printing the album. The only reason the stuff is considered limited is because in essence it is, vinyl is not easily accessible that much any more and there's only one run of the release. But there are many people that place too much emphasis on limited releases and think they are more "kult" than others for it. It is not about this for us, we just wanted to see a goal materialize and that was to hold our own releases in our hands on vinyl format.

I'd like to place you into my shoes for a moment. Please unlace your boots and we'll swap footwear. No actually, I am just joking, like a smartass would, you know? We'll take the first line out of that bit and use it for this- if you were critiquing KoA's music from a fans perspective, what would be the most appealing aspect of each release? How about the most disappointing or unappealing aspect of each? If you've successfully pinpointed an area that you feel could have been worked better, either lyrically or musically, what would that be?}

Being one of the creators it's hard for me to critique our work as a fan would. I can tell you what I think are the strong/weak points with each release from my standpoint but not from yours. So here's the run down, "Order of the Fly": It was refreshing and had its own style/vibe to it but sounded very rushed and uncompleted. "Split w/ Krieg": Faster material, the songwriting begins to get better but it wasn't enough songs. "Triumph of Fire": Very harsh and barbaric, was our first approach at using guitar harmonies in the songs and is 40 minutes of blistering black metal but had some songs I am not happy with and there's a few flaws in it which I won't point out. "Oculus Infernum": Cold, dark, vicious black metal, the way this band should have sounded years ago (if we would have had the right drummer all this time) and matured song writing but if I could remix it I would lower the kick drums some and bring up the guitars a bit more.

Finally, YOU as a FAN, what sort of reaction would you get after having consumed the lawlessness of KoA and digested it in full? If we were observing this moment through a one way window, what would we see you doing after the recordings have finished their round?

I can't answer this question. Like I said just a minute ago, I can't get the same reaction or put myself in that scenario being that I created it. I honestly can't say what I could see myself doing after listening to one of our recordings, unless I have been drinking... but seriously, this is next to impossible for me to do, it's like role playing and that's something I have no interest in it. I can tell you after a million listens to songs over and over in the studio I felt like slitting my wrists. But I know these answers will not be satisfactory for you so I guess it would leave me in mix between despondent/cathartic states of mind. This is how I feel after a show or a long night of rehearsing.

What do you think makes KULT OV AZAZEL a special black metal band? Why should we be convinced at all that KoA is a legit force in underground Satanic music? A typical response, from most black metal bands might be "Well, I don't really care what people think! FUKK OFF!" However, this won't work here, mister Xaphan. We expect more out of you than that, especially considering that there has been a very supportive fan base of your music for a couple of years now. You must be doing something right, correct? What is KoA doing that thousands of other black metal bands are incapable of?

We from the beginning have been a band that set out to create and perform music our own way. I think this is where many bands fall short because the majority of black metal today consists of bands trying to clone other bands. This is probably the main reason why people have been supportive of this band because we are not a clone band. One (insert band name here) is enough no need for imitations. We also have never strayed from the black metal formula, the ideals and passion behind this music. This is why we are a legit force or so I would think. I could be wrong.

And, for what important reason does KULT OV AZAZEL exist? Though the bands activities, what will be accomplished for you, the band members, for fans, for enemies and for those who are unaware that KOA is out and about?

This band exists to spread anti-monotheistic propaganda and blasphemies against the religions of lies. It's our vehicle in spreading satanic and nihilistic ideals through musical violence.

One of KoA's biggest (with allot of emphasis on "biggest") supporters seems to be 400+ pound Neill from KRIEG. Even though the guy has a massive, protruding belly, jiggly man tits and engorges himself on pizza, hotdogs, tacos, cream potatoes, ice cream and various other junk, he seems to have had found the time to spread the music around of KoA in the early days in support of the band- or so I have heard? Not to mention he was capable of hefting his huge fat ass up off his sofa in order to assist in a split with KRIEG and KULT OV AZAZEL. The two bands together performed quite well, each delivering a venomous dose of stellar, unadulterated black metal Hell. How do you think this release complimented both bands, yours and Neill's? Do you think KoA / KRIEG side by side was the best choice?

Yeah it was an excellent choice, insofar as we are going at it again with a split 7" to be released sometime in the future. We'll actually start writing tracks for this soon, but I'm getting off subject. So on to the topic at hand, how this complimented both bands. Well I know that Genocide Music made it very available and that opened both bands up to a broader audience. Many that bought the CD for us ended up hearing Krieg for the first time and vice versa. Neill has been a close ally for many years and yes it's true that he has shown support for us in the past, as we have Krieg. I have been a strong supporter of Krieg since I heard "Rise of the Imperial Hordes" and it was an honor for us to have done a split with him and will be again once the next split is finished.

The portraits on our walls show many things. One of them appears to be a young Xaphan with a ravenous appetite for metal music, black metal in general. You've been involved with this for a long time, haven't you?

Yeah I grew up on music. By the time I was 12 I had found extreme metal. Back in '83 my neighbor turned me off of Motley Crue and onto Venom and from that day forward I have been into metal and more so black metal exclusively since around 1994 as far as music is concerned.

In the Gallery's halls, we have a place to examine the "self". You as Xaphan are now on display. What would you like to tell us about yourself?

When it comes to things not related to the band I tend to procrastinate on them. My next favorite thing to do besides playing/writing/mixing music is sleeping. I can sleep for days straight. I enjoy being in the subconscious world more than I do the real. I like to take mind altering drugs (this goes back to being in subconscious worlds) and have been told I drink too much for my own good. I tend to joke quite often and have been told that I'm a good story teller, whatever that means. I'm not much of a talker outside of doing interviews and because of this have earned the title of being a dick from others. I'm very opinionated on things I hold of high interest, when I set my mind on something I never give up and last but not least I have a very short temper.

I understand that you are an active member of the CHURCH OF SATAN. I know very little about this organization or what they stand for, save for the countless members of black metal who have been rather vocal about bashing this group. What makes COS subject to ridicule and what should be said in the groups defense? Otherwise, tell me something more related to your involvement with them, what it means to be a member and why you chose to associate yourself with their movement.

The Church of Satan bashing is something that has been on going since the 1980's so that's nothing new to me. If you are asking me what my thoughts on the bashing are then your answer is that it has never influenced my opinion and to this day has not changed my opinion on them. I think and draw my own opinions/conclusions and don't really care what others think of them. I am not here to defend the CoS as they are perfectly willing to do that themselves and need not my help. Besides I'm tired of answering questions about something that has nothing to do with this band. If people want to inquire about the Church of Satan then they should start directing their questions to them and not me. It's nothing personal, just I have been asked this question for the past 4 ½ years and the answer is and will continue to be the same and that is my involvement with them is not active as I became a member out of respect for LaVey and nothing more. The bottom line is that these people who do all the bashing are way too focused on the wrong cause and need to understand that it's not the Church of Satan that's the problem. The problem is the religions that wish to force their beliefs upon the world. It's the Christians and the Muslims, the fundamentalist and religious zealots and this is something people need to wake up and realize.

In modern black metal, there is "black metal" concerned with partying hard, bad English catch phrases and themes involving retro-nostalgia. In modern black metal, there is "black metal" concerned with National Socialism, adhering to said doctrines and spreading propaganda to help crush specific "races" of inferior subhumans. And in modern black metal, there tends to be a lack of that which put the "black" in "black metal". Maybe you know what I speak of and maybe you have some thoughts on the subject of Satanism / Occultism being void from Black Metal music?

It's like any other music, there are ones that wish to bastardize it and use it as their own personal soap box. My personal opinion is when it moves away from occult/satanic subjects then it's not black metal. Black metal is not only about the sound of the music, it's about the lyrics as well. Once it has a political motive or any other agenda it loses its black metal status.

KoA was originally titled just "Azazel". I would ask for the rundown on this, though I think it's pretty much well known already that another band had existed with this name. Instead, there was an interesting concept involving the name and why you choose it. How is "Azazel" representative of your own character?

This is because in true form I have seven heads, fourteen faces and twelve wings. Anyhow, with all joking aside, it is because Azazel was one of the first angels to fall for refusing to bow down to Adam. For the proclamation "Why should a son of fire fall down before a son of clay?" he denounced the commands of "god", ultimately defying him. This represents my exact sentiments, as I ultimately defy "god" and all religions that bow to such drivel. I make my own rules, choose my own path and forge my own destiny, no ones else decides these for me, be it humans or bogus religions.

Have the masses been taunted with a live assault by KoA? I missed it of course, being on the other side of the country. What would I have seen?

Many times the masses have been assaulted and abused. We just recently played with Bloodstorm and Decieverion up in Philadelphia, PA. We in the past did the "Sacrifice of the Nazarene Child" Festival which included Inquisition, Krieg, Absu, Thornspawn, Black Witchery, Noctuary, Ouroboros, Gnostic and a few others and we played NYC with Cadaver Inc., Goreaphobia, Black Mass and others. We've also done a ton of shows here in Florida. It's not so much as what would you see but rather what would you hear. Visually we aren't very pleasing to look at; we just get in our zone and go, props and gimmicks aren't our thing. Musically you would hear pure fucking blasphemy and inherit hate transformed into musical torture. You would leave eviscerated both mentally and spiritually.

KoA has a handful of great music, shirts and other items! Of course the visitors would like to contact you about these things and more for after we end our tour. How can they contact you if needed?

We can be contacted through our website, www.kultovazazel.com, or at Kult ov Azazel, PO Box 23308, Fort Lauderdale FL 33307, USA.

Thank you for your time Xaphan. It was an honor to have your thoughts, music and other portraits on display for us to view, discuss and examine. I'll pass the opportunity of last words down to you. Good night....Don't let the bed bugs bite.

It was a pleasure and I thank you for giving us space in Gallery of the Grotesque to further our conquest… Revelabitur atrocitas Infernum!!!!!!