Interviewed by Lord Maleficarum & answered by Xaphan Kult ov Azazel horde has been in the Black Metal scene for a considered time, since 1999. Could you tell us the history of your horde? Both Xul and myself formed this band back in April of 1999 under the name Azazel and have been the only core members. As the first lineup the band consisted of Xul (bass/vocals), myself (guitar/vocals) and Beleth (drums). Within a month after the formation Beleth left the band and was replaced by Von. As this lineup we released a 2 song promo tape titled “Forever Heaven Gone” and recorded the “Order of the Fly” mCD that was self released to 200 copies. Von was out of the picture soon after the release of the mCD and then we went through many different drummers until we found Hellspawn in December of ’99. With Hellspawn on drums we recorded the 5 tracks that would become the Kult ov Azazel/Krieg split CD released by Genocide Music. To promote the split we distributed the “Of Evil and Hatred” 2-song promo consisting of one song from the split and a cover of Mayhem’s “Chainsaw Gutsfuck”. It would be in June of 2000 that Hellspawn was out of the band and the name change from Azazel to Kult ov Azazel occurred. Not soon after this we signed with Arctic Music for a 4 album deal and released our first full length CD “Triumph of Fire” in March of 2001. Your horde started in 1999, the “Anno Satanas”. Was it a coincidence or on purpose? A little of both I guess. I purposely formed this band because I had become sick of the gothic bullshit/techno direction that I saw becoming the trend in Black Metal. I saw Black Metal slipping away from what it once was. I had played in many bands in the past and wanted to start playing and writing again and found it becoming quite stagnant just writing and doing everything by myself. So by coincidence I ran into Xul not long after starting a new job and we got to talking and both shared the same interests in music as well as thoughts about the condition of the then current state of Black Metal. He had been doing his own project at the time called Erebus and was at the same time looking to form a band as well. The rest is now history… Do you or other members of your horde practice Satanism? Both of us do. Xul has his only form of Satanism as do I. I have been what one would call a practicing Satanist for over 14 years now. What message do you want to transmit in your songs? That we hate everything about humanity, from its religions to its existence. That we are Satanist and wish to see the destruction of christianity! Nowadays your horde has a good reputation in the Black Metal, but I think in the past it face big difficult. What was the worst problem your horde has faced? I suppose the worst difficultly we have faced was trying to get people to take us seriously since we are an American band playing Black Metal. Talk about your most recent material. How did audience react to your new material? Did it meet your expectations? I will say that the way the album came out and what we accomplished with it far exceeded my expectations. I am very pleased of the work and time we put into it and think it's by far the best material we have written/recorded to date. As far as what other people think I could fucking care less. We have received many great reviews and some really terrible reviews as well. The majority of the bad reviews come from Europe since these people think that Black Metal can only come from there or Scandinavia. So I guess bands from South America, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and other countries cannot have bands that embrace and execute this form of music? This way of thinking is just complete bullshit to me and emphasizes my belief that humans are fucking stupid and it's not only in America! But the fact is this, we don't care if people like us or not. As long as we are pleased with what we do is all that matters, not what some idiot that we don't even know thinks. Like us, hate us either way we will continue to create and perform black metal without fucking compromise! Your horde appeared in two compilations, one by the “Lost Disciple Rec” and the other by “Christcrusher Productions”. Tell us about them. How did people like them? You are a little confused here. The Christcrusher release was a 4 way split and not a compilation. This was a split with us, Humanicide (USA), Obitus (Sweden) and Thylord (France). The material that appeared on it was 2 songs from “Order of the Fly” and 2 songs from the KoA/Krieg split CD. So it wasn't any new material. I will say we were honored that these bands wished for us to take part in this split and hail Christcrusher Records for releasing it. We did appear on the Lost Disciple compilation titled “Visionaries of the Macabre – An Evil Elite” and send hails to Rich for everything he has done to support this band and our cause since our creation!! The other compilation that we participated on was the one put out by Infinite Darkness records out of The Netherlands that was titled “American Black Metal Assault”. This had 18 of the most elite bands from the US on it and it took a lot of balls for them to release a CD of this sort in Europe whereas I stated earlier bands such as these are hated. When are you planning to launch a new material? If possible, talk about the new record. Our next release will be titled “Black Mass Consecration”. This will be a live album of sorts taken from two different shows we have done in support of “Triumph of Fire” along with 3 new studio tracks and a cover of Beherit's “The Gate of Nanna”. The new material will be quite different from our past stuff yet will be 100% Black Metal. The newer riffs I have been writing are more mid tempo to slow tempo riffs. It will have much more of an old, raw Black Metal feel to them and we'll also be using another drummer to do these new studio tracks with. At this point the drummer is uncertain but it will definitely not be Vetis who played on “Triumph of Fire”. Describe a show of your horde. 30-40 minutes of total and complete hate and blasphemy through music. Are you planning to play in Brazil this year? At this point in time it is uncertain if we will play anywhere this year. I would like to tour at some point but it's too soon to speak about this. The reputation of the North American Black Metal scene is increasing more and more for having TRUE and REALS Black Metal horde in your scene. What about the North American Black Metal scene? What do you think about it? How is your relationship with the Americans hordes? I believe that the North American scene has great potential. But just as any scene it has its little dramas and name calling so over the years I have limited who I maintain contact with. I wish to be no part in the childish games that go on in this scene. I'm not going to name bands because it's only seen as favoritism and will just say that if you look into the scene here then you will find many worthy bands that totally follow the ways of what Black Metal stands for. Do you think your horde is influenced by some other horde? Yeah there have been many hordes that have influenced us over time. Venom, Possessed, Destruction, Exodus (RIP Paul Baloff!!!), Sodom, Mayhem, Darkthrone, Gorgoroth, Profanatica, Burzum, Mercyful Fate, Acheron, Beherit, Hellhammer, Bathory, Celtic Frost, Blasphemy, Impaled Nazarene, Hobbs, Havohej, (old) Slayer, Kreator, Bloodfeast, VoiVod, (old) Metallica, Dissection, Unleashed, Bestial Warlust, Marduk, Hypocrisy, Infestdead, Abigor, (old) Deicide, Pungent Stench, Morbid, Angel Corpse, Behemoth, (early) Morbid Angel, (old) Samael, Destroyer666, (old) Emperor, Mutiilation, Onslaught, and there's many more I'm sure that I am leaving out yet just because we are influenced by any of the above bands does not mean we copy them. Our objective is not to be just another carbon copy of some band. These bands merely shaped who we are today and we're not out to mimic them. Nowadays many hordes are adopting a pacifist attitude towards the inferior christians who try to penetrate in our scene. What do you think about it? What is the hordes attitude towards these inferiors? Christians trying to penetrate the Black Metal scene is laughable There is no place in Black Metal for christian ideals or beliefs. But just as they have done in the past, the christians not being able to think for themselves are trying to corrupt black metal with their spiritual bullshit as they have done with any other ideology or belief past or present. I have no respect for anyone that submits to an imaginary god or a religion written to control and brainwash. I think these types of human beings should be exterminated and buried in shallow graves. Let the christian holocaust begin!!! Before we finish I wish you left a message for the real and Warriors brothers who fight day by day for our scene and also a message for those who try to spoil our scene. First I’d like to say horns up to you Lord Maleficarum for giving me yet another opportunity to spread our propaganda and name among the Brazilian hordes! We can be contacted through our website at www.kultovazazel.com or through the mail at Kult ov Azazel, PO Box 23308, Ft. Lauderdale FL, 33307 USA. 666 fucking hails to all the warriors that continue to fight the war against christianity and its puppet better known as humanity! Death to all religions, all gods and the slaves that follow… Destruction through blasphemy and death!!!!