Interviewed by Mormo & answered by Xaphan

Hails Xaphan! Can you give me a brief history of the band, and it's current lineup.

The current lineup is myself on guitar and backing vocals, Xul on bass and vocals and Hellspawn on drums. Xul and myself conceived AZAZEL in April of 99. We have gone through many drummers and are very pleased with the one we have right now. This incantation of AZAZEL is the most unholiest has ever been musically.

Florida is most definitely known for its death metal scene, What about it's black metal scene?

I don't think Florida is too well known for it's Black Metal but there are only a handful of USBM bands coming out of Florida such as CRYPTIC WINDS, BLACK WITCHERY, LUNAR REIGN and ourselves. As far as South Florida goes we are the only BM band. I'm sure there are a few others out there but they have not surfaced yet.

How do you feel about the way people trash U.S. black metal, just because it is American?

People will always trash something just because they can. I couldn't care less about what these fuckers think! I don't waste my time and energy worrying whether someone likes our band or not. Personally I believe the most hateful blasphemous BM is coming out of the States right now. Take for instance bands like KRIEG, AVERSE SEFIRA, JUDAS ISCARIOT, THORNSPAWN, INTRUDIUM, VUKODLAK and the list goes on. Let people trash USBM because I don't give a fuck! We shall take over the BM throne and show the world that we are beyond all the pagan tree hugging shit that is coming out of Europe! The US hordes are true kults!

Do you feel the rising amount of boy bands has influenced black metal?

What the fuck are you talking about?

What has been your favorite show that you have played?

Honestly I can't pin point a favorite show cause they have all been great shows to me. We have shared the stage with many bands and always go out and give it 100%.

As we all know Azazel was the demon which taught man to make weapons. How do you feel this relates to your band?

Azazel the demon taught mean to make weapons of war and we ourselves are here to wage war upon christianity. I chose the name just for this reason. But it also goes a lot deeper than that. Our contempt for religion and mankind propels our hate and indeed it is war! The hebrew word for hell is also Azazel and that is another dimension of our style of BM. When we play we summon up the lower bowels of hell through our hymns of destruction and blasphemy. That's all I have to say about this subject, you'll have to listen and hear for yourself.

Where do you get your lyrical ideas from?

As I do not write lyrics except for the new song "Destruction to the Throne of God" which will appear of the AZAZEL/KRIEG split it's not really correct for me to answer this. Xul writes all the lyrics since he is the main vocalist and they stem from like I just said before our contempt and hate of mankind, religion, etc. The song that will be on the split that I wrote came from reading many books on the folklore of the war in heaven between God and Lucifer.

Do you feel that your dog has any affect on your talent, and your musical abilities?

Not at all.

Where did you and Xul meet, do you feel it was a fate, or was it just a weird way of friends meeting up?

Xul and I meet up at the place I work. It was definitely a weird way of friends meeting up since we both pretty much knew and hung out with the same people but had never physically met. When we finally did he was doing his solo project EREBUS and I was doing AZAZEL as a project. I had decided I wanted to change AZAZEL into a full fledge band and he was looking to do the same so we found a drummer and the rest is history.

Well we have come to an end of well-done interview. Any last words, comments, or prayers, to speak, let them flow now.

First and foremost I give many hails to you Mormo for this interview and supporting the kult of AZAZEL! I'd like to also send many hails out to the USBM hordes for we shall have our day! The mCD "Order of the Fly" is now out of print but will be re-released with a bonus live track by Lord Imperial on Blood Fire Death records and will be very limited to 50 copies. We will also be releasing a split CD with KRIEG. It was originally slated for a March release but has been pushed back due to the lack of funds by both bands since it is going to be a self funded release. Look for us also on the Unholy Blood comp as well as the Lost Disciple records "Visionaries of the Macabre-An Evil Elite", 7 Gates records comp. "At Last We Will Have Revenge", and the Mayhem tribute "Rege Mortis Aeterni". We shall forever reign in hell...HAIL SATAN!