Interviewed by Adrain & answered by Xaphan There are quite a few people who assume that when put up against European black metal that North American black metal is not as intense and the weaker of the two. How do you feel about those comments? How can one say that North American black metal is not intense as that from Europe not to mention the weaker of the two? I laugh at this! It is obvious that the ones saying this are clueless in the matters of which they speak. People can assume whatever the fuck they wish. It is because of this assumption that they are losing out. Let them continue to live in their disillusioned worlds! What US black metal bands are you into these days? What is it about these particular bands that interest you? Out of the entire scene here, my favorite band is Inquisition. The atmosphere they invoke within their music and lyrics mesmerizes me. As far as other active bands I’m into those would be Krieg, Thornspawn, Xasthur, Averse Sefira, Ibex Throne, Blood Storm, Teratism, Crimson Moon and I’m sure I’m forgetting a few. With each band having its own musical style and execution I won’t go into any ramblings about what they do for me musically but will say I think the bands named are among the best coming out of America. What interest me specifically about each of these bands is their commitment and dedication to their vision of black metal. When it comes to the music and ideas of KOA where do you draw inspiration from? Are there certain things that influence what you cover within? Musically many different things can provoke me to write a song. Anger, stress, disgust, an idea, a tone, it is endless. Overall there is no special atmosphere needed just different things trigger the motivation to write the music and then from the music the lyrics evolve. Lyrically the inspirations are drawn from my own personal involvement with the occult and the sentiments I harbor towards a filthy, blinded monotheistic society. The basic underlying theme within our music is those of satanic and nihilistic ideologies. What black metal (or metal bands in general) influenced the band early on and can you still hear those influences? Back in 1983 when I was still just a teenager, I heard this band Venom. The album was “Welcome to Hell”. At that moment in my life my view on music changed and I knew that what Venom was doing, I wanted to do. I soon after discovered Destruction, Sodom, Bathory, Hellhammer/Celtic Frost, Slayer, Possessed, Exodus and so on, all of which greatly inspired me as well. Then in 1990, I unearthed recordings by Darkthrone, Blasphemy, Mayhem, Beherit, and Profanatica, which also played an influence on my continued path. Overtime though there have been many bands that inspired me. There are even bands today that keep the spark going for me yet I do not hear any of the mentioned bands inspirations within our music. I think what we create both musically and lyrically has its own identity and does not reflect bands that have and continue to inspire me. Tell me about the Florida metal scene - once a hot spot for metal - it seems to have dried up and become a source of hardcore bands these days. There is not much to say about it and unfortunately, you summed it up yourself. Florida is not the hot spot for metal as people have equated it to in the past. Out of the entire state and my travels throughout it, I would have to say the scene here in Ft. Lauderdale and South Florida is the strongest. Just as an example, the Sun and Steel festival that happened in Tampa, which for those not familiar with US geography Tampa is on the west coast of the state, had the headliners of Testament, Hate Eternal, the reformation and first show in years of Obituary, Deicide not to mention the dozens of other bands that play. This brought a crowd of maybe 400 people most of which were from South Florida. A week later Cannibal Corpse and Hypocrisy played on the east coast here in Ft. Lauderdale with a turnout 800+. Therefore, if there is anywhere in Florida that supports metal it would be down here in Fort Lauderdale and the surrounding area. The shows here always have tons of maniacs that come out and support metal be it thrash, death or black. Imagery has always been a big source of inspiration for most black metal bands - how important is it for KOA? Yes, image is important to the music but there is also a line that can be crossed where it becomes all about the image and not about the music. I believe audio and visual portrayal allows the listeners to engulf themselves in the whole composition, it adds to the overall presentation of the songs and lyrics. We continue to use corpse paint and believe it is an integral part of the music. It also symbolizes our worship of death. It has become a ritualistic aspect of this band. Although I believe that image is needed with the music for the overall aesthetic presentation of an album, we do not use gimmicks when it comes to a live setting. We are firm believers in letting the music, the lyrics and the energy set the atmosphere instead of silly stage props and cheap special effects. So in a nutshell, yes image is important but most of the time bands take it overboard or use it to cover up their lack of talent. What do you think sets KOA apart from all the other black metal bands in the scene these days? Since our formation, we 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 be like other bands. This is probably the main reason why people have been supportive of us because we never set out to be a clone band. One (insert band name here) is enough no need for imitations. In addition, we have never strayed from the black metal formula, the ideals and passion behind this music. This is what sets us apart from all the others or so I would think. I could be wrong. Excited about playing Northern Lights 2004? What can fans of the band and all newcomers to your music expect? Yes, we are looking very forward to playing the fest. This will be our first time playing Canada and we are honored that Kult ov Azazel has been invited to desecrate this event. Both those that have followed the band and those that are new to it can expect to hear pure fucking blasphemy and inherit hate transformed into musical torture. Prepare to be eviscerated both mentally and spiritually!!