Hello Helmuth how are you doing today?

All good, thank you. Just destroyed China, Japan and India. The responses from the crowds were brutal! Always a pleasure to play shows for dedicated Metal soldiers around the world. 

 

If metal music hadn't worked out, what career(s) could you see yourself pursuing instead?

I never saw it as career, you know. I just love musick and playing guitar. I feel better when I know my guitar is around, these 6-string fukkers kinda control my life, haharrr,…all that band-related stuff- to play shows, travel the world, meet many interesting people, create art with them together- it's just impressive and exiting, and I am thankful for it. I don't know where I'd be if it hadn't worked out, really. Musick is my lifeblood.

 

How did you and Serp meet each other and why has he seemed to remain Belphegor's only other "permanent" member?

The founding members were myself and Sigurd. A lot of artists played in this band, mostly as live session members, not involved in the creative processes or recording.

I am still in contact with some and they are thankful and proud to have gotten the chance to tour with BELPHEGOR around the world. Some are pissed because I kicked them out because of lack of practicing, or

just couldn't develop as I wanted them to. Also alcohol and drugs were often a huge problem. I know, we demand a lot, that's right..but that's what I tell everyone who joins the Death horde- practice, adore what you are doing, ...don't get lazy after a year, keep the energy and fire or they have to leave. And that is what keeps a band fresh, even after 2 goat-fukking decades. Anyways, as Sigurd left BELPHEGOR in 2006, Serpenth and I decided to march onward as a two piece outfit. It is a good thing to recruit new artists, it keeps everything fresh and interesting while the core members are still in charge of the greater vision.

 

How was it most recently going back to South America? Fans hoped that it would be much better, and that you have recovered from the past uglies and illness from there fully by now? How has it been going with the end to your fast exciting suicidal lifestyle, and what alternatives besides your insane live rituals keep you going?

Musick keeps me going. It's my number one passion. It felt strange, deciding to return to the country where I almost died a few years ago. I had needed over a year to get back on track, find myself able to play guitar at length and lead BELPHEGOR again. My rule for my entire life before then was kinda like "No risk – no fun". So yes, I saw it as a important challenge, going back to South America and mastering it as proof for myself that I could still do it. Nowadays I take better care of my body and survive. Let me tell you, it was excellent,  just pure awesomeness to perform for those loyal headbangers in Latin America. BELPHEGOR will return 2016!!

 

I see that Switzerland is next on Belphegor's hit list, how long have you had a break in your intense touring?

We played Switzerland in January. Now we're currently concentrating on the European Open Airs in the coming months. "With Full Force" festival in Germania is next. The following months we march into Sweden, England, Netherlands, Belgium, France, Switzerland again and loads more. After the Open Air season, we will be heading back to North America in October-November with KATAKLYSM. After that, in December we want to tour Europe again. There are so many upcoming hell-rituals on the map.

 

Please share some recent tour highlights also?  

Tough question, we did so many shows the past two decades, I could fill a book. There were so many highlights and unforgettable performances that myself and hopefully the audiences will never forget. 

Recently we played for the first time in India, China and South Africa which was beyond amazing. Those rituals demanded a lot of dedication, exhausting traveling/ flights, but I feel very passionate about having done it when I think about how I was able to see those countries, how wild and intense those Metal communities celebrated brutal Death Metal with us. We always enjoy marching into new territories, welcoming the excitement of a challenge. A BELPHEGOR live show, is one of the most brutal experiences in extreme Metal. Many dig it and respect our legacy, which of course is highly appreciated. Some hate it, some are just offended, all fine by me.

 

On your facebook page I see where you ask the demons to share their Belphegor related tattoo's and artwork, some incredible stuff, it must really feel incredible to see such devoted soldiers who  brand their bodies with statements of dedication to Belphegor?

It is still unreal to see people inking their skin with BELPHEGOR designs. What a true dedication to our legacy. An honor – this horror..

 

Speaking of tattoos have any of you gotten any new ink? Anything on the "wishlist"?

I got a small one near my thumb inked by the Japanese tattoo artist Mr. Yamoto Bonten. Serpenth got a traditional Tebori style tattoo, also done by Yamoto, during our stay in Tokyo the day before we nuked Loudpark festival in Japan 2014 to total death. It's another important memory to me. Serpenth has a lot of new ink, but I couldn't tell you how many tattoos he has gotten, hahar. One of his dedications to this genre of Musick is a 30 x 20 centimeter tattoo that just says "METAL" on his stomach. I guess that says everything...

 

I read in a previous interview that you hope to get some older Belphegor material re-released, has anything been able to be put into action for that? And anything in  you can tell us about new material, will we need to wait for the next release until 2016? 

We will release the first 3 BELPHEGOR Lp´s on triple CD format in late 2015 or early 2016 via Season Of Mist records. THE LAST SUPPER 1995, BLUTSABBATH 1997, NECRODAEMON TERRORSATHAN 2000. We don't have a specific release date at the moment. Just let me tell you this will be a great thing, because those three Lps are in high demand but have been sold out for a long time so they are difficult to find. Our loyal supporters will get all those three Lp´s as a special price in one brutal box, with the original formerly "censored“ artworx.

Regarding a new album, I can't name anything specific at the moment. We are solid booked til 2016. So if there's a new BELPHEGOR Lp it will be after summer 2016 earliest. I don't want to rush it. We also have a new drummer, Bloodhammer, who will bring  a lot of new details, more fills, more breaks and energy to new album # 11.

 

Please share with us some of the things involved with being the main man of such a incredible band, the glue that holds it all together, all the demands placed on you, some things that soldiers may not realize?

It's a tough business, the whole music industry. It was and still demands a lot of persistence and sacrifices to be one of the Diabolical Death Metal spearheads. BELPHEGOR was always different, we never followed any specific formula. Well, I can only say that I absolutely enjoy and take pride what I am doing, otherwise I would have retired +10 years ago. Thanks for your words Melinda,..highly appreciated!!

In the end, I have to thank the people who attend our shows, buy our merchandise and listen to our Musick and support us with that. They are the reason why we can march on with full capacity and continue to perform live, still firing our tracks in the crowd.

 

As with all Belphegor albums Conjuring The Dead is incredibly punishing, relentless, and everything else we have come to expect from Belphegor! What can you tell us about Belphegor in the studio, do you a have any sorts of routines? Do you like to keep it sporadic?

I had to undergo a difficult operation which saved my life in the beginning of October the 4th, 2011. It took me almost a year and a half to come back and be able to perform again. First half year after the operation was tough; I couldn’t play Musick, that was frustrating. Also a lot of setbacks during the healing process didn't make it any easier. RISE TO FALL AND FALL TO RISE, as one of our tracks from the album BLOOD MAGICK NECROMANCE (2011) says. I’m doing good now. I’m pleased that I am allowed to play guitar, front my band again. It feels just great.

I never worked so hard on another release. I always had in the back of my mind, and feared after my life-threatening illness, it could be the last BELPHEGOR album. So I didn't want to fukk around, I wanted do things absolutely right. As I started writing the riffs, I felt CONJURING THE DEAD needed a more brutal Death Metal approach. My master plan was to return more to our dark and brutal Death Metal roots, of course with the musick-al skills we have anno 2014. It’s a sort of best of BELPHEGOR record. You find everything that the band stands for on the latest Lp. And no, we don't follow a particular routine. As with session members, we change producers/ studios to keep things interesting, as well.  The collaboration with Erik Rutan was great. CONJURING THE DEAD has the tightest guitars I ever tracked on a BELPHEGOR release. Erik really can motivate you to get the best out of you. Sometimes I thought, fukk, man, what does he want from me? It was great,..he forced me again and again to try harder…at the end it all was worth it. Hails to Serpenth, Marthyn, Norwin Palme and Erik Rutan for sharing my visions and for having made this difficult project possible. Another dream came true, I always wanted to record a BELPHEGOR Lp in the USA with this sharp, precise sound. We did it.

 

When do you find time to put together new material with such heavy touring?

I play a lot of guitar on my own time. If I feel inspired or I want do a new project, I start by getting 666 percent into the process, I work, play, and write my ass off til I can offer myself, the band and our loyal Metal family (supporters..) the best result possible. But I never write on the road, mostly at night in the rehearsal Bunker in Abtenau near Salzburg, Austria when I am alone and enjoy total silence. I love the nature, Austria is known for beautiful mountains, big lakes with water clean enough to drink and huge forests,…yes, I adore silence and after touring I really need it to re-charge my batteries for more assaults. It's all about magick and freedom, the most important things in life..

 

 

 When you were a young child, did you ever dream of or think that you would be in such a well know band with fans worldwide? What were your thoughts on Metal music then?

Harr, I never expected something like this, never ever. I remember when I read an article back when I was young about how the ROLLING STONES had been around for 20 years. I thought to myself: damn, what are they doing, it's weird, haharr. With BELPHEGOR, 2016 its 23 years. Goat-damn, it's still unreal to me that we've lasted this long, never split up or changed our attitude, nor jumped on a trendy band wagon. We always did our own thing, hermetically, by our own rules for everything, each step was always under full control of the BELPHEGOR Reich.

 

You must eat alot of interesting cuisine on the road, some of your favorite foods, any weird things where you are just like, "oh hell no" not eating that, or that you tried once but not again? 

Since I got and survived that typhus infection, I have be way more concerned with what I eat and drink on the road. My favorite kitchens are Austrian and Italian. Of course, when it comes to meat, South American cuisine is amazing.  I hate that fast food crap you get everywhere nowadays, it's the downfall of culture. Also, I try not to eat meat more than twice a week. It's my respect for the animals, maybe that sounds strange. I know what some people may be thinking because we use real blood. Thing is, when they slaughter animals the blood goes directly down the drain, so we're essentially recycling it. We use it with respect for the animal, because being drenched in blood gives you a particularly morbid feeling it's perfect for the diabolical spirit of a BELPHEGOR Ritual. Magick!!

Although I tell people this all of the time, I want to say this once more, no animal was ever killed or tortured for our stage shows. I am absolutely against the industries which profit off animals and mistreatment of animals.

 

One last thing, on the last leg of your tour for this year, one of the first things you want to do is? Anything else we should know?

There are many dates left, actually. I still live for touring and traveling the planet. I never get sick of the amazing sightseeing, meeting crazy people in the Metal communities and of course performing extreme hell-sounds. What more could you ask for???

 

Thank you so much for your time! 

Thank you for your support, the space in this magazine and for some of these outstanding questions. I appreciate it. See you on the road to hell.