SHADOWS OF DISGUST (www.shadowsofdisgust.com)
DMTR (Holland)

Congratulations Nordavinden, with the Bloodaxe release. What are the reactions so far?

The album was released on November 12th of this year (2004) so it hasn't gotten out that much yet, but reactions have been good. I'm not as happy as I should be with it... things never seem to work out 100 %. It's a progression from the last album in a lot of aspects. Still not the vision I have. The session drums are not what they should have been. A lot of people are singling that out. Obviously I progressed further then his capabilities. That problem is now fixed for the next release however.

Can you tell me something about the album and how it came to be?

I had just released the BLOODTHRONE album in the summer/ fall of 2001 and was visiting family and friends in the Nord Trøndelag area of Norway, and was depressed and inspired by a lot of the Viking burial mounds I saw. I remember looking at one in particular, with the wind from the sea in my face and just had a strange feeling overall, right then I decided on the title RAPING THE ANCIENT. I did all the guitar tracks in 1 sitting in February 2002, but because of problems with the studio and the session drummer a lot of the rest of the recording was delayed. Then I almost severed my right index finger and had to have re-constructive surgery to re-attach nerves and I couldn't do the bass lines until I was able to use that finger which was over 1 year. I still don't have much feeling in it.

The artwork is made by a well-known artist, isn't it? What's your connection with her?

I was at a friend's house in Oslo a few years ago and he gave me a book, Necromantic Ritual book. I never read it, just left it lying around. One day I found this wickedly fucked up website about death and some really strange artwork. I looked at the name of the artist (Leilah Wendell) and it seemed familiar so I pulled out that book my friend had given me and it was the same person. I contacted her and she allowed me to use one of her works "The Final Voyage" for the RAPING THE ANCIENT cover. I believe she has done some work for other bands including Cathedral.

I understand that you live pretty isolated in Canada. Is that a inspiring environment to create your music?

No, nothing about living in North Western Ontario is inspirational. There are no jobs, highest suicide rate in all of Canada, highest alcoholism, lowest life expectancy, highest crime rate..it sucks..it's a fucking nightmare. My friends are all in jail, on welfare or dead. There is no future here except a bullet in your head. Every day is a fucking struggle to live. A lot of the time I wish I lived somewhere else, especially when I need musicians, then I wouldn't have to rely on the incompetence of others merely because I have no other choice.

What's Rati's place within Bloodaxe? Is he a studio drummer or does he have any saying in the material?

Well Rati WAS a session drummer. He never had any say in anything other then the drumming. He was also the individual who owned the studio that we recorded at and he was also the reason this cd was delayed. His playing on this last release is far from interesting and his future has been decided.

What would you like to see happening for Bloodaxe in the future?

Although this has been MY project through the years, I have never had control over the most important aspects, the recording, mixing and so on. So I'm learning all this now. Getting a better overall sound to me is a VERY important thing. I'm never happy with the guitar sound no matter what. Right now I'm trying out a lot of ideas to get a better guitar sound, recording rough tracks for the next release, which will be a complete and total vision of what BLOODAXE is. Its entitled FOR THOSE WHO HUNT THE WOUNDED DOWN. It will completely fucking destroy EVERYTHING!!!

Your roots lie in Norway. Do you have any special connection with this country?

Norway is closer to me then Canada. My family hasn't been in Canada long enough to have that much of a history, and the history we do have is tragedy after tragedy. I have a lot of family in Norway and a lot of friends who I have met through the years. I'm thinking about maybe attending a university either in Norway or in Sweden to study Viking myth and Archaeology and then hopefully putting it to use in some way. Norway has/is and will always be my home away from home and eventually will be my permanent home. I've never had any interest in any of the Black Metal or the scene that emanated from there, I had/have more interest in bands from there like Turbo Negro, Black Debbath and Artch.

What's the story behind the White Legends label? I understand that you don't have any interest to bring Bloodaxe to any big label. Is that because you want total control over your own thing?

I'm a control freak... so my psychotherapist tells me. So the control aspect is correct. No promotional cds have ever been sent to any label, and no label has ever contacted me. I don't really give a fuck one way or the other.

What are your musical interests? And where do get your musical inspiration?

I'm interested mostly in folk and classical and old thrash metal, old American Death Metal like Morbid Angel and Obituary. Bolt Thrower has always been the band for me, fucking HUGE riffs. I don't listen to too much Black Metal; most of it makes me laugh. Mostly Biker metal, like Black Label Society, Nashville Pussy, Turbo Negro…as well as Norwegian folk/metal like Gåte. My musical inspiration comes from inside the cesspool of shit that spins in my head and the fact that it has to come out NOW or I will fucking KILL everyone.

What do think is the reason that many bands that consist of one or two members are way more extreme?

A lot of bands usually only have the one or two main songwriters. The others are usually just along for the ride. So with just two you have a lot more focus, more cohesiveness. Also not everyone can play nor do they want to play extreme metal.

I must give you my compliments on the way you promote your album. The button and patch are on my bag already!

They are just small things that help get the word out. The initial promotional items I had wanted to send out..would have probably gotten me arrested.

Any last words for the people in Holland?

Get the new BLOODAXE CD and drink lots of HEINEKEN and GROLSH and fucking RAPE and KILL all CHRISTIANS!!!!!

Thanks for your time and the opportunity to promote your work. All the best for Bloodaxe and White Legends!