13 QUESTIONS WITH BELPHEGOR

3 QUESTIONS WITH BELPHEGOR” width=”200″ height=”300″ align=”left” />[MetalSucks writer Corey Mitchell recently had the opportunity to email some questions to Belphegor vocalist/guitarist Helmuth. Read his replies after the jump — about bondage, Satanism, Zombies, the band’s new album Bondage Goat Zombie, eternally keeping it br00tal, and more. – Ed.]

1. Though it seemed impossible that Belphegor could ever top its last album Pestapokalypse VI, it appears that you have done just that with Bondage Goat Zombie. How did you accomplish that seemingly impossible task and what separates your latest masterpiece from your previous albums?

Hell yeah, thanks a lot man, things are going infernally. We’ll do what we always do, to keep the fire burning, to continue to keep the demonic spirit in metal music alive, to push it further from album to album.

On BONDAGE GOAT ZOMBIE we tried a few new things, made some experiments, added some new elements, cold melodies here and there as we always do, trying to take our sound a bit further each time, and worked harder to try to raise intensity and dynamic.

We always want to offer ourselves a monumental opus, and also the demons who buy our albums and who support us with that. They deserve the best, only the best, so it’s our damn responsibility to give a hundred percent.

2. What are your favorite songs on BGZ and why?

We know what we are doing and we have an exact master-plan in mind when we write and record a new album. BONDAGE GOAT ZOMBIE is exactly what we wished to achieve for sound and where we are as a band in 2008.

We are real fanatics and take everything very seriously. A song only gets on the album if we are content one hundred percent, only killers – no fillers, man. I can say we’re pretty damn pleased with all nine song collages. Have a listen and destroy yourselves.

3 QUESTIONS WITH BELPHEGOR” width=”235″ height=”300″ />3. The title of your new album is sure to elicit a few chuckles, but there is a serious meaning behind it. Can you tell our readers a bit more about the title?

Think what you may, but at the very least, you can always count on BELPHEGOR when it came to that stuff. We aren’t here to piss around; people get what they deserve. If it says BELPHEGOR on the outside, BELPHEGOR is what you get.

The album deals with BDSM & Satan, overall inspired by the themes in the work of Marquis de Sade.

THE GOAT = our trademark since the middle of the nineties.
ZOMBIE = This goes along with my opinion that there are people who are fucked up zombies who sleep-walk the earth, infesting it like a plague.

The message is clear, its about rebellion in man, free will to make your own decision and walk your own path. In my opinion freedom is the most important thing in life.

Meanwhile, one should take it as it is and understand that the lyrics and themes therein have an element of black humor and that it is not so important within Metal to take everything too seriously, especially nowadays. When listening to BELPHEGOR it should be about having a good time, summoning your demons and being prepared for attack.

4. Have you guys found a permanent drummer? If not, who will be on the road with you to support BGZ?

[Helmuth chose not to answer this question. – Ed.]

5. Belphegor has busted out in America over the last two years in a fairly big way. How does it feel to be overnight sensations? ;)

Har har, we shred since end of 1992 under the BELPHEGOR flag. Overnightsensation…what the fukk man? Fukk trends, commercial label hypes and overnightsensations…

6. Tell us about your upcoming U.S. tour in October. Is it a headlining gig? Opening bands? How long will the tour last?

AMON AMARTH is headlining these 19 shows, we never played with them before, should be fun man and a huge challenge, as always. For me, its the best to play live, u know, we are always exited. Each show is beyond amazing for us and a huge challenge. We did so many brutal concerts the last decade, unforgettable good times, and met so many wonderful dedicated ppl worldwide.
Preaching the blast-beat in a live situation is our mission, we concentrate on the faster songs, har har.

Everywhere the maniacs are in a good mood, go crazy, scream their lungs out, begin to bang, to have a good time is always great for the band
and keeps you unchaining more and more energy in a live situation. Expect machine gun blasting hellfire.

7. So what happened with the Goat Zombie Terror Run Ov Latin America that was scheduled for August?

Postponed to end of the year/ beginning 2009.

8. Outside of music, what other art forms have influenced you? What specific works?

Literature, Books, Movies, Alcohol, Drugs…

9. How important is Satan to your ideology? Do you practice what you preach?

Actually, the music comes first and dominates everything. The rest is death, devil and tits. This was the case in the early days of the band, and so it remains today. Sex. Satan. Art. I really dig that stuff. Basically the lyrical concept of this album deals with the fascinating life of the Marquis De Sade; the topics are bite wounds, flagellation, all the cool fetish/ nylon stuff.

The word “sadism” comes from Marquis de Sade’s name. I’m more than impressed since 1996 by De Sade as I get my hands on 120 Days Of Sodom, Justine or Juliette etc. I really recommend these scripts. His work was a battlefield full of perverted sex and humiliation. But on the other hand his writing is pure poetry…its amazing, man. Also his life was very impressive. I used many of his original verses for the new album. He was a rebel and was in jail about 25 years for his art, ideals and even though he took refuge, he always refused to kneel down.

3 QUESTIONS WITH BELPHEGOR” width=”200″ height=”300″ align=”left” />10. What do you guys do for fun when you’re not creating “Supreme Black Metal/Death Metal Art”?

Music = life. The most important thing is that when you play a BELPHEGOR track, you immediately recognize that it is BELPHEGOR.

11. Are you a fan of the nunsploitation films of Jess Franco and Joe D’Amato? Have any nunsploitation film recommendations for our readers?

JUSTINE: SOAKED IN BLOOD…
Cool question, that shit is hard to get nowadays. Yeah, both broke a lot of taboos har har, and Franco also worked with the ingenious Klaus Kinski. Films about debauched, sexual perversion, vampirism, inquisition, torture, sadism, mass orgies and other funny stuff: movies that also deal with topics you can find in BELPHEGOR lyrics. When it comes to these themes, I recommend movies like Quills, 120 Days of Sodom and Caligula. I’m a huge movie fan, you know. I dig all the porno-fetish -horror-slasher-zombie stuff. I’m possessed by The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, the originals. The remakes are also fantastic, the saw is family…

12. Desecrated any churches lately?

Fukk the church, we need more Metal. Open these rotting shitplaces for gang bangs and bomb the vatican.

13. Any final words for the MetalSucks readers?

Regards to ya readership and all metal demons worldwide. See ya on the road in October.

Check out our new album BONDAGE GOAT ZOMBIE.

Throw thy horns Metal brothers and sisters, BELPHEGOR are back to skull-fukk you.

-CM

[Belphegor Official website]
[Belphegor on MySpace]