Interviewed by Markus & answered by Xul You had some line-up changes in the past since "Triumph Of Fire" - what were the reasons for them? Lineup changes have been a constant battle with us, mostly with drummers. This music is not about compromise. Finding the right combination of attitude and skill is one of the most difficult things to acquire in a band. Also at the time of TOF the band really only consisted of myself and Xaphan. The other members that were involved were just session for live play and our studio drummer. Once again "Oculus Infernum" is very fast and hateful - from were do you get that hate? This comes naturally and is a force within. Our music is our expression of how we feel about religion, hate, despair and how we can infect the rest of the world with it. As a band we have always wanted to play fast music… I think that we are experimenting more with different things but we still like to maintain the ferocity that we have always had. The songs I like most - "Invoking The Infernal Majesty" and the titletrack - have some slower parts. Why didn`t you use more of these parts to have more differences on the album? That’s just what came out in the writing process when it did. Like I said before, we are trying new things but they are to our tastes. Progression in writing is inevitable but they will be to our standards. I happen to agree with you to a point but that’s not what happened. "Oculus Infernum" has - for Black Metal - a real clear and powerful sound. Why didn`t you choose the typical Black Metal-Sound? We have always been about getting the most out of our recordings. I like necro sounding black metal but for KoA we have always decided that we want to put more effort and distinction into the sound production. I think its that more killer to hear a band with a good recording as long as it complements their sound and music. How big is the US Black Metal-Scene? You`re the only BM-Band I know... There are tons of bands in the US that are worth checking out. I highly recommend Xasthur, Krieg, Thy Infernal, Demoncy, Bloodstorm, Decieverion, and the list goes on… The black metal scene is scattered through out… What are the lyrics on "Oculus Infernum" especially about? Our lyrics are about satanic and nihilistic ideologies. The music inspires the lyrics and is always writtin after the music. I think that the lyrics are a lot more focused and well thought out in OI vs. any of our past recordings. The lyric duties have been broken up between all of us for that album but at the same time they all have the same vibe and structure, which brought out the fact that we were all thinking the same way and had the same goal. Don`t you have problems as a BM-Band in the USA? The only problems we have are keeping everyone schedules together so that we can continue with this band. This music is pure sacrifice and if your not willing to do it then it definitely will not come together by itself. Xaphan has been a huge contributor to keeping this horde alive. Can we await to see Kult Ov Azazel in Germany for some live gigs? There have been many almost occasions for going over for some live Euro dates… but nothing has ever happened. We will see what happens in the future; we would definitely like to come over and rape your girlfriends and brutalize you crazy fucking Germans. Thank you very much for answering the questions!!! Hails, thanks for the support. We will be playing the Northern Lights fest in Toronto, Canada June 26th. Visit our site for tour, album, and merchandise news. Burn the church.