Demon Realm are a raw Black Metal outfit from Denmark who have been round in the underground for quite a few years now... This interview was conducted with Demon Realm's Sharund over several days between April 2001 and July 2001.
1. Firstly Would You Tell us who you are and give us a short history of your Band for the people out there who haven't heard of you before.
We are Demon Realm. We were not, now we are, some day we will no longer be, I should almost leave it at that hehe, but I will elaborate. We were formed and quickly after did a demo we entitled “Burning The Angel Wings”, which we however were not really pleased with and thus never released it. We then parted ways with the drummer, as he didn’t care so much for black metal anyway. Then after laying dormant for a while we got a new drummer, which Nocturnaz and I had actually played with in an earlier band called Sakrilegium. We did the “Upon The Altar Of Darkness” demo which we pressed in 150 copies, and we meant to press more when those ran out, but they were sold out sooner than we had expected in about 5 months or so, which surprised us as we were quite unknown, we then decided not to repress it as we had our next demo recorded already, but due to several problems it took about 9 months before this demo was released via Drakkar Productions from France. In the meantime we had agreed with Chanteloup Creations, also from France, to re-release the older demo and due to our usual delay curse this took around a year to be released. We had also before the “…Of Chaos Damnation And War” demo on Drakkar was released gotten to be a part of a 4way split 7” entitled “Awaiting The Glorious Damnation Of Mankind”, which has been the most severely delayed thing we have ever done, as it was recently released only about one and a half year after it was meant to have been released. Other then that we have been on a few compilations here and there and also a underground Darkthrone tribute.
2. The Name Demon Realm hints to me that your band is the average Satan worshipping black metal act, but this isnt so is it? what Is the band about? and what does the music of your band represent?
We dwell within the imagery and conceptualisations of black metal, which is why the name and also other elements would give the impression of an average satan worshipping band. The comparison I do not mind so much, as what the satan worshipping band’s vision of satan and what he represents more specifically, is much of the same which I worship, I merely do not involve the existence of a deity in my ideology. The band is about a concept which on the surface is a story about a man who becomes divine and hates humanity so he torments the lesser beings in all time. Which is an aspect which some might have a few problems with, but it is basically something taken from a quantum physics hypothesis, namely that all time is now, past and future are illusions, as only the present exists, but the future and the past are also the present, just alternate presents, and all time is tied together. It is an interesting hypothesis, as it can get around the paradox dilemma tied to time travel in theory, because theoretically you can not go back in time as you might make some difference which will alter the future, which then in turn will not allow you to travel back and make the alteration, there you have the paradox, but with the hypothesis from quantum physics you get around that, because whatever you do you will in a way already have been done, and you are doing it now, and you will do it in the future, it makes it impossible to create a paradox because whatever you do you would already have done it. Some do not like this theory as they see it as limiting their personal freedom, as in a sense all events are predetermined, but I personally don’t see it that way, it is simply a different way of looking at time which makes far more sense than the usual linear time perception that most people have, or even the superior to linear time perception that is circular. The linear perception is thoroughly based within judeo-christian dogma, whereas most pre judeo-christian religions employ the circular perception, and the circular makes more sense of the two because nature functions in a circular manner, day and night circles endlessly, as does the seasons and so on, it is a repeating pattern. With judeo-christianity came a different way of looking at the self, the individual which is the root of the linear thinking, as a person, an individual is born lives and does which is a linear pattern naturally, but a new individual is born replacing the old thus in a sense making it circular, although it does not appear that way to the judeo-christian, as they see their own individual self as the most important thing, except their deity which is also a big part of the reason why the world is in such a crappy state these days, as everyone are obsessed with their or should I say our? Irrelevant little lives, I don’t matter and you don’t matter, as one once said we are but specks of dust compared to the universe. Anyway as this character torments humanity throughout all time, which is a task a divine entity should be capable of as it would not be bound to the human limitations, the deity finds eternal existence a let down and decides to end it, but a deity can not just die, which should be seen in context of the old stance that a god only exists through the people that believe in it’s existence, so therefore to kill a god one must kill it’s followers and/or everyone that believes the deity to exist, and when returning to the story part we see that for this deity to end it’s existence it would have to kill everything living, and basically it does and existence ends, becomming the khaos, which is a greek term for the darkness before time, the void, the anti-existence, that which was before, the story itself has some deeper meaning than what it is about on the surface so to speak.
3. what do you use as inspiration and influences while writing the music?
Quite hard to say as we mainly just write our material not thinking too much of where our influences are. But in hindsight we can say that early Celtic Frost is a big influence, as well as early Kreator(Tormentor), early Sodom, Hellhammer, Mercyful Fate, old Mayhem, Possessed, Incantation, Mötorhead, Sarcofago, old Sepultura, Darkthrone, Assassin, old Samael and so on and on, I could go on about this for a long time. I suspect that we are influenced by basically anything we hear which we like, and so is every other band I think, although some things more than others.
4. Over the past few years there has been a huge increase in the number of bands who are anti-human rather than just "hail satan" bands, why do you think this recent increase has occured?
I think it is a growth within the form, and then the basic premise being philosophical rather than religious. I don't think even in the hail satan type of bands there are many who truely believe in an actual deity of satan, mostly they are worshippers of death and hate from where it grows. In recent years there have been an increse in "black metal" bands overall, but i think the genre ideology wise has progressed, so many more recent arrivals and also older ones follow this new path of those truely black metal. Although I wouldn't say it is a change from the old ways, it is more an evolution of the old ways, and also you could maybe set it up as a new generation/wave within black metal, where the originals were more satanic by imagery, the 2nd generation more satanic ideologically, the 3rd wave apparently quite ideologyless (not counting the NS offspring faction that came there ) and as an antithesis to the excisting, and again now a new generation as an antithesis to the ideologyless, but with a more all encompassing hateful ideology, or to say it another way these new bands are more angry, more hateful, more nihilistic and perhaps they realized the problem is not so much christianity, but the part of human nature that allows christianity to excist. All this does not really answer your question why, but then why are we humans no longer apes? Evolution, but why does evolution occur? That we have yet to find a real answer to...
5. Since you are an anti life band, i wonder, do you have any opinions about what happens when life is exterminanted. will there be an eternal void? or something else?
The most glorious khaosvoid, the perfect antithesis to existence, the perfection that only can exist in nothingness, this is my lord and master. I do not believe in an afterlife as such, although I will not discount the possibillity entirely, which is part of the reason why all must die, to ensure no afterlife, as a deity of the present concept can only excist through faith in the deity, and without the deity no afterlife, but I highly doubt that there really is any form of afterlife. The universe seems to be on a repeating pattern, constant switching like a pendulum of sort, day and night and day again endlessly, seasons changing endlessly, smaller things might end the pattern of themselves, but they always apart of something bigger a larger pattern, until you reach the largest pattern the universe itself. They say the universe was created in a big bang, but what was before none really knows. A theory I found plausible was that there was another universe, when a universe is born stars are created, stars change and eventually they become blackholes, who suck up matter and energy. They would theoretically devour the universe given enough time, but as least as we humans can understand it energy and mass are constants, they can not simply cease to be, eventually there will be one large black hole with all the universe sucked up in whatever form it is in there, and then basically causing it to devour itself, causing an implosion freeing the matter and energy, causing an explosion and there you go, a big bang and a new fresh universe awaits. But hell life sucks and then you die, but with the shitty way of the universe there might be a rebirth of sorts, but chances are your person will never excist again, not unless you recognize the concept of a soul, rather than a persons essence being purely a physical thing. One way or another when i die the answer will be there, if I am lucky I will not be there to know the answer.
6. has demon realm ever had any musical evolution or any kind of progression through the years of it's existance? or have you played generally the same music all the time?
Evolution and progression yes but only within the context of our form. I think you could say that we have grown since we started, but still we do play basically what we always did, we are getting better at it… or at least we flatter ourselves enough to think that heheh.
7. you were recently on a true underground tribute to the black emperors, Darkthrone. how do you think the morons at Moonfag and Fenriz would react if they were to hear this raw masterpiece?
I’d suspect Sigurd Wongraven would sue as fast as he could fill out the forms and Gylve Nagel would just open another beer and go watch Seinfeld. It might sound funny but I was never the biggest Darkthrone nut, I only like three of their albums, namely Soulside Journey Transylvanian Hunger and Total Death, the rest are not so interesting to me, and their most recent album is even totally boring, plus I know of their hippie past, so I am not one to get all that worked up about their attitude these days. Anyway about the tribute, I think it was good although to many of the covers just followed the original to a large degree, there weren't many bands make what I'd call a cover of a song rather than a copy of a song if you know what I mean. I think The Syre did an original cover, and hails to them for that although I didn't really like their cover, there was at least some effort behind it, there was another band who had a fairly different one as well but I forget which band it was, I also think we did a pretty original cover, in the sense that we played it like a Demon Realm song, which we always do when doing a cover, I believe our cover was actually described as perverse in a review somewhere, that was quite amusing. Of the bands that to a more true to the original cover I'd say Lycanthopy, Megiddo and Ibex Throne stand out the most as well excuted, although I would say there aren't really any of the covers that are bad, these are however the most noteworthy. The thing about this tribute that I think is great is the multimedia part, with lots of assorted info and so on, that was a very good and some unusuall idea.
8. does your band perform live? if not why not? and if you do, can we expect you to tour europe?
We have performed live once, honestly I don’t favour it so much but Nocturnaz likes it, and I suspect we will be playing live again in the future, but as of this moment it's not in the cards as we are without a drummer. I'm not opposed to playing live, although I could do without it so to speak, as I don't really like all those people looking at me heh, but well i don't know perhaps if we play a show where the audience really gets into it I might change my mind, it's hard to say, but i hear from people in other bands that when the audience really gets into it is then it is really good to play live, so I just reserve myself the right to alter my opinion at a later time. As for touring Europe who knows what the future brings, I am as said not opposed to the idea, but I will not on the other hand put much effort into getting to tour. I would rather concentrate on the creation process, as it is this part I enjoy the most, from an idea to a finished and recorded song, this process the aspect of the band I find the most rewarding personally.
9. Finally what are the plans for the future of Demon Realm?
We have many things brewing, firstly our main priority is to locate a new drummer, after which we will record our first full length entitled “A Legend Of Power”, which we were already meant to have done September last year, but due to drummer problems delayed it to April this year, which has passed by already, and we have in the meantime gotten rid of our drummer because of his lack of dedication, and so we are unable to record now. We will record the album as soon as we have a possibility for it and then shortly after a MCD which is also completely written. Then we can begin working on the 2nd album “The Avatar”, for which all the lyrics are done and there is a lot of ideas for the songs as well, although so far nothing structured as far as being an actual song. Other then that we are to be featured on two compilations that are still in the working, namely “63 And Still Counting…” and “Desekration Of The Human Race” and a Mayhem tribute where we do “De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas”, plus lastly we have a split 7” planned with legendary the Swedish black metal band Unpure, but the usual delay curse has struck again and thus the Unpure split has been postponed for now, to a yet to be determined time although currently late September/early October seems likely.
10. I have wondered about this current bullshit which is up with that idiot Bush in usa, and it seems like he's fucking up everything for that country, in the past week he caused friction in the ties with russia + china do you think he'll cause a nuclear holocaust?
I have been hoping for so long for the most glorious purification, I was however really let down by that whole Kosovo business, I really thought that was going to be it, but seeing how that turned out I have come to the conclusion that people fear the bomb to much to ever really use it. And no I doubt Bush will cause a nuclear holocaust, I have almost given up hope of seeing that happen, I figure almost the last chance is China invading Taiwan instead of just threatening to do it, if then the americans decide to try and intervene we might get to see the beautiful nuclear glare, so perfect and pure it will burn your eyes. But anyway who cares about Bush? Like that other idiot would have been any better. That country was fucked up way before they came along, hell politicians as a whole are some of the lowest scum of all humans, it is people like them that are a part of why humanity truely is filthy and should be destroyed, even when disregarding the nihilistic principles, humanity still derserves extinction because of it's pathetic nature, although it does have a certain potential but this is wasted, evolution is being hindered as much as is possible, they seem to wish for stagnation, a fate much worse than death. If our fucking species started to try and utilize it's potential, I might look past my nihilistic principles overall and not wish for total annihilation of all things, as with a higher evolutionairy stage the species might see things I and we are still far to primitive to see, and thus might have a better basis for this decision of the end to be made, but as humans are now this is no option, as something that is stagnant deserves no excistance, as potential is the one redeeming quality life forms has.
11. Since you support Death and Anihilation of everything living, what do you think the punishment should be in a prison for someone who is found guilty in court for Murder?
Prison? Such a person should be given a gun and a pat on the shoulder saying keep up the good work, either that or the death sentence hehehehh.
12. if you were to be imprissoned for murder, a lifetime of jail, would you support the decision of suicide? or do you stand by the fact that suicide is for the weak? suicide does cause what you support!
I have never been a vocal advocate of suicide being universally a weak decision as I think that depends on the motivation. I would say that if what drives you is a morbid curiosity to truly see what lies beyond death, then it is a quite honourable decision, also if one simple see no logical reason do sustain existence, such as for instance spending the remainder of ones life imprisoned or one simply reaches a new level of boredom, so why not? then there is the contracting of some disease, I also see no problem with ending existence on ones own terms rather than waiting to die from the disease (but then again life is the ultimate plague), on the other hand if the decision is a reaction to something going against you, what ever silly crap drives most people to it, such as some slut leaving them or something like that, then it is weak, and that is also good because the weak must die more than anyone else, so either way I would say I actually fully support suicide.
13. in an interview Nocturnaz did he said the name demon realm suits the band because your lyrics are a lot bout demons, so does this mean you are not an atheist but you do believe in higher beings?
There is a difference in what our lyrics deal with on a surface level, and what it deals with beneath the metaphors. If I believe in higher beings I would say yes and no. I believe in evolution, which I see as a means towards becoming divine. I believe what Theilhard De Chardin(who was a christian of all things) stated with his doctrine of the omega point was something along those lines actually, although it is an extremely strange position for a man of his religious conviction, his idea was something about mankind through evolution would become one with the supposed already excisting deity though, which I definatly do not believe. I think that given evoltion's time humans could evolve into a state of "divinity" although that is far far off. We as a species are children, and an illmannered one at that. But as for the supposed demons and deities that some believe in, now I don't believe in those. From the pre judeo-christian tradition deities and demos where primitive man's way explaining and defining forces of nature, an example could be when it thunders Thor rides his chariot and when there is lightning he throws Mjølner rather than the scientific explanation we have today, although I am not sure what this particular phenomenon is actually caused by, perhaps some friction between cold and hot air causes electric discharges, I don't quite remember, but I think it is something along those lines, thunder is the sound of these discharges and it comes later because sound is slower than light. Anyway pretty much all pre judeo-christian pantheons are of this sort, and hell even the early judaic tradition was littered with demons and demigods and so on, also their yhvh was originally a localized patron deity, along the Babylonian/Sumerian tradition, which you also found in Greek and Roman cultures as well, an example would be Marduk and Ishtar being patrons of the Babylonian capitol, conserts I believe they were said to be, Marduk being the male and of a warrior nature, he was the one believed to protect the city from invaders, Ishtar the female being of fertility was belived to ensure good harvests and such in the city, although they were major gods in the pantheon, and worshipped in other regions and cities as well, they were believed to have been patrons there, and back to the judaic yhvh, he was when the hebrews settled in asia minor believed to be patron of a specific mountain and the surrounding area. Although over time this concept withered away from the judaic tradition such was it's root. So overall, no I don't really believe in deities and demons, although I might use them as concepts and as metaphores for things in nature
14. I also saw him write god with a capital letter, i personally find it very stupid that antichrist people would write the word used to refer to the deity they so despise with a capital. it is a symbol of respect in my eyes. How do you feel about that? perhaps you find nothing here, it just somewhat annoys myself. also while talking on the topic of antichrist, in your eyes what does the word satanist mean?
I know what you mean about this God Vs. god thing, and I will usually not write it with a capitol letter either, but grammatically speaking you'd have to write it with a capitol, seeing that it is a name, and Nocturnaz does for the most part write very grammatically correct... where as I write whichever way it pleases me heheh, I will usually avoid writing god with a capitol by using other terms for the christian deity. The word satanist when looking at the ending -ist from a dictionary: “one that adheres to or advocates a (specified) doctrine or system or code of behavior
15. Thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule, Any final words you'd like to send out to the readers?
Hail death, disease and destruction!
If you want to contact the band, Visit
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Vorupvænget 33
6600 Vejen
Denmark
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