HELLEBAARD
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Hellebaard,
pagan black metal from heathen times.
1.TELL US IN A FEW WORDS THE MOST IMPORTANT
MOMENTS OF THE BAND'S HISTORY. WHICH IS TODAY'S LINE UP?
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Hellebaard is founded by Zarlack (bass,
drums and vocals) and me (Volmorth; guitars, keyboards and vocals), ex-members
and founders of the Dutch black metal band In Ruins (not to be mistaken
by the American goth/black metal band who stole our name). This is still
today’s line up. The most important moments of the band’s history are when
Zarlack and I got together again and started writing and recording the
first Hellebaard material.
2.WHAT DOES HELLEBAARD MEAN? DOES IT
DERIVE BY THE WORDS HELL AND BARD? HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THIS NAME?
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Hellebaard is the Dutch word for a
weapon, used in ancient and medieval times in Europe and Asia. The European
hellebaard, on which our logo is based, looks like a combination of a double
axe and a spear. Zarlack came up with this name, inspired by our music.
3.HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR MUSICAL
STYLE? WHICH ARE YOUR INFLUENCES? DO YOU REMEMBER WHICH BAND AND SONG IN
SPECIFIC MADE YOU REALISE THAT WHAT YOU WANTED TO DO IS PLAY MUSIC?
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We describe our musical style as pagan
black metal because it combines black metal with pagan metal. Speaking
for myself, I started playing classical music as a little kid. At
highschool I got interested in metal bands like Iron Maiden, Venom and
Slayer. By that time I switched from violin to guitar and started playing
metal. I joined a few bands, started In Ruins seven years ago together
with Zarlack, disbanded In Ruins one-and-a-half year ago, and started Hellebaard.
Zarlack is born as a metal head and started playing bass when he heard
Steve Harris of Iron Maiden playing. He has played in several bands. Before
In Ruins he played in Consolation, a quite well-known death metal band
back these days. Zarlacks influences range from Iron Maiden to Death, and
from true heavy metal to extreme black metal.
4.WHICH OTHER GENRE DO YOU FIND INTERESTING
TO INVOLVE WITH? IF YOU DIDN'T HAVE HELLEBAARD WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE TO
BELONG?
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Besides metal I like classical music
and some folk and celtic music, probably caused by my classical background
and playing violin. I also like ambient gothic and wave. Zarlack also likes
traditional hardrock, he even plays with a hardrock cover band now and
then.
5.TELL US SOME GENERAL THINGS ABOUT
THE BAND RELEASES. COMPARE THEM AND ESPECIALLY CONCENTRATE ON YOUR LATEST
RELEASE. ARE YOU STILL SATISFIED WITH IT?
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The first music we wrote for Hellebaard
was pretty much in the style of In Ruins, which was quite logical because
we had ended this band shortly before. The song “Mystery’s Nectar”, which
you downloaded from our website http://welcome.to/hellebaard,
is an example of that style. The music we have written later on and are
recording right now is in the real Hellebaard style as it is intended to
be, with more pagan influences. All new material will be published on our
website http://welcome.to/hellebaard as soon as it is recorded. However,
we are still proud of the older material.
6.WHAT ARE YOUR LYRICS TALKING ABOUT?
WHAT INSPIRES YOU IN WRITING LYRICS? WHAT TAKES AWAY THE ISNPIRATION FROM
YOU?
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Our lyrics are inspired by the echoes
of battle horns, knocking of weapons, and cries of victory and death in
heathen and ancient times. Writing lyrics for me is not the easiest part
of writing music. Zarlack is better in this, he is a very good writer of
lyrics who wrote also a lot of lyrics for In Ruins. The lyrics of the song
“Mystery’s Nectar” you heard are more fantasy based and written especially
for Hellebaard by a Brittish poet, Tyler Durden.
7.TELL US WHAT IS PAGANISM FOR YOU?
DO YOU REALLY BELIEVE THAT THE ANCIENT GODS EXIST OR IS IT A WAY OF LIFE?
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For me, paganism is a way of life,
meaning paying respect to the nature that surrounds us and to our European
culture and heritage. It is influenced and inspired by heathen and ancient
times. I do not believe in any god, I believe in my own powers. There is
no such thing as fate, I create my own destiny.
8.WHY DOES METAL KEEP INVOLVING RELIGION
AND THE OCCULT?
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The occult has always been a part of
metal, and it will always be.
9.SOMETIMES PAGANISM HIDES SOMETHING
DANGEROUS LIKE SATANISM OR NAZISM. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT IT?
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A preference for a nation’s or continent’s
own culture and heritage is often explained as fascism or nazism by the
so called politically correct left wing. To me, our culture is something
to be proud of and I don’t like to see it getting mixed up with other non-western
cultures. Zarlack is more open-minded on this subject. However, chasing
people because of their nationality, race or belief is a bridge too far.
10.WHY HAS YOUR PREVIOUS BAND DISBANDED?
WAS THERE A PROBLEM AMONG THE MEMBERS?
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There was no problem among the members
of In Ruins. Our drummer and second guitar/keyboard player, who were with
the band almost from the beginning, both had to quit because of several
reasons. They were replaced but the real creative spirit was gone. About
half a year later, Zarlack and I decided to end the band.
11.YOU SAY THAT YOUR MUSIC IS CLOSE
TO NORDIC BLACK METAL, BUT FROM A SONG THAT I HAVE DOWNLOADED FROM YOUR
SITE, YOUR SOUND IS CLOSER TO ENGLISH BLACK METAL, LIKE CRADLE OF FILTH
BUT NOT SO SYMPHONIC. DO YOU AGREE?
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The song “Mystery’s Nectar” you have
downloaded is an older one, but you are the first to hear influences of
English black metal. Most people, including ourselves, hear a sound similar
to mid-nineties Nordic black metal with pagan metal influences. New material,
which will be published on our website http://welcome.to/hellebaard soon,
is more in the style of Bathory, Immortal, Graveland and Summoning.
12.MANY BLACK METAL BANDS SAY THAT
THEY HATE PEOPLE AND DON'T WANT ANY CONNECTION WITH THE REST OF THE WORLD.
HOWEVER, THEY RELEASE ALBUMS AND SO THEY "NEED", "SEARCH" FOR THE RECOGNITION
OF THE FANS. ISN'T THIS A LITTLE STRANGE?
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Some band’s hate is true, for other
bands it’s just a pose. If you really and truely hate people, you are not
searching for the recognition of the fans.
13.AND SUDDENLY BLACK METAL BECOMES
POPULAR! MORE AND MORE NEW BANDS POP OUT SIGNING WITH BIG LABELS. HOW DO
YOU FIND ALL THIS? WOULD YOU RECORD AN ALBUM FOR A HUGE LABEL IF YOU WERE
GIVEN THE CHANCE?
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It’s a good thing that underground
bands get a chance to spread their music, but now also opportunistic bands
who are not so true are jumping on the bandwagon. We will only record an
album for a label which understands our music and identity and serves and
promotes Hellebaard the best.
14.HOW ARE YOU PLANNING TO PROMOTE
YOUR MUSIC? WHICH SONG OF YOUR DO YOU THINK IS THE MOST IDEAL TO REPRESENT
YOU?
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We will promote our music mainly through
our website http://welcome.to/hellebaard and underground zines. The song
“The Mighty Voices of My Vengeance” represents Hellebaard’s music the best.
This song will be available for download on our website http://welcome.to/hellebaard
soon.
15.WHICH WERE THE REACTIONS OF THE
FANS, MAGAZINES,ZINES THAT HAVE LISTENED TO YOUR WORK? IS THERE A LABEL
INTERESTED IN RELEASING YOUR WORK?
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The reactions of the fans are very
good, even those of the fans who joined us during the days of In Ruins.
We have had several positive reactions from underground zines, and a few
labels have shown interest in releasing our work. However, the ideal label
is not amongst them yet.
16.TO BE HONEST I BELIEVE THAT EVERY
RELIGION, EVEN THE PAGAN ONES, HAVE NO RESPECT FOR HUMAN FREEDOM. EVEN
THE ANCIENT GODS WERE BRUTAL AND CRUEL TO HUMANS. DON'T YOU THINK THAT
IT'S BETTER FOR THE PEOPLE TO BELIEVE IN THEIR OWN POWERS AND TO CREATE
THEIR OWN DESTINIES? AFTER ALL THE GODS EXPRESS THE HUMAN DESIRES...
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As I stated before, I do not believe
in anything but myself. I am the creator of my own fate and destiny.
17.THE BAND IS CONSISTED OF ONLY 2
MEMBERS. HOW DIFFICULT IS IT FOR YOU TO ARRANGE ALL THE THINGS FOR THE
BAND? WHAT ABOUT THE LIVE SHOWS? WHAT WILL YOU DO? WILL YOU HIRE SESSION
MUSICIANS OR WILL YOU FIND PERMANENT MEMBERS?
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With two band members the process of
writing and recording songs is ideal because Zarlack and I share the same
musical ideas and preferences, so we don’t have to deal with different
ideas and preferences of other band members. We will only play live at
clubs or festivals which fit best to Hellebaard’s music and identity. For
live gigs we will recruit session musicians who perfectly understand our
music and share our attitude.
18.WHICH IS THE BEST PART IN YOUR MUSIC
AND IN THE BAND IN GENERAL AND WHICH THING DO YOU THINK YOU SHOULD CORRECT?
WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU NEED IMPROVEMENT?
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We don’t have a “best part” in our
music, all parts are as good as the others. We will establish the Hellebaard
sound, and write and record songs that are even better than the current
ones.
19.IF SOMEDAY YOU HAD THE CHANCE TO
MEET THE CREATURE THAT CREATED THE UNIVERSE, WHICH WOULD YOUR BIGGEST QUESTION
BE?
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Can you stop humanity destroying mother
earth and it’s precious nature?
20.IF TIME TRAVEL WAS POSSIBLE, WHICH
HISTORICAL PERIOD WOULD YOU LIKE TO VISIT AND WHY? WHAT WOULD YOU MISS
THE MOST FROM OUR TIME?
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I would like to travel to ancient or
medieval times, but I would miss metal music, my musical instruments, and
my studio.
21.WHAT PROLOGUE AND TITLE WOULD YOU
LIKE THIS INTERVIEW TO HAVE?
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Hellebaard, pagan black metal from
heathen times.
23.THANK YOU!HAVE I FORGOT TO ASK YOU
ANYTHING AND YOU'D LIKE TO MENTION?
CHRISTINE
PARASTATIDOY