The Lodge @ Malfeitor Interview

Malfeitor
an interview with Malfeitor Fabban and Hell-I0-Kabbalus

Given the members' prior commitments in other bands and projects, what were the causes, incentives and purposes behind your foundation and how do you look upon what you have achieved up to this day?
Malfeitor Fabban: It's important to clarify that Malfeitor is not such a side-project for all of us, but more than just a band. Malfeitor is like a family for me. I decided to form this band in order to express my lyrics while creating extreme old style shit; something really rare to listen nowadays. I think that when I need something that doesn't exist, it's better to create it instead of loosing time.

Unio Mystica Maxima features a gripping blend of ominous and transcendental atmospheres with prodigious moments of harsh ferocity; in terms of both concept and music, what were the catalysts, stimulus or incitements that helped bringing it forth and how long did the process last before making it available?
Malfeitor Fabban: I really don't know... we are not the kind of musicians who create albums on a table... we simply write music following our own instinct, taste and feelings inspired by our lyrics.

Satanism has been the prime matter of Black Metal since its inception, although the term's interpretation and meaning tend to gravitate inside its circle with considerable frequency; seeing that you tackle such subjects as Black Magic and the Left Hand Path in your lyrics, would it be fair to assume that your allegiance is more religious and theological, rather than irreverently philosophical? And how do you look upon the work and strategies that Anton LaVey's Church of Satan has established and is still set to keep accomplishing?
Malfeitor Fabban: Right. I think Black Metal MUST be connected with the Left Hand Path and the Occult side. Satanism is another big thing and we could open a new discussion about it. My personal connection with the Dark Side can be considered both philosophical and "real"; I mean, it's not a religion, but a way to find the light through the darkness. I consider and I pay attention to both light and darkness, like Sephiroth and Qliphot, Good and Evil. It's stupid to call it "religion", since it's just a point of view on life and existence.
I really don't care about LaVey or the Church of Satan: I'm an individualist. I just care about myself and I really don't need to be a part of any religion, sect or movement. I think Man must be the god of himself and I don't give a fuck about other religions: I simply don't care. I care about my life and my own ideas and philosophy - that's why I prefer not to talk about "private" beliefs of mine with people I don't know; I just don't want to share so much with others. Many people constantly look for a god to pray... it's like they lost their glasses but they have them on their head - it's just they don't recognise it. In my head there's my own god: myself.
Hell-I0-Kabbalus: Well, first of all, I want to state that everyone in the band has their own opinions on this matter. We are four individuals, so even if we have the same commitment regarding the project Malfeitor, we have different points of view. I won't define our allegiance as religious or theological, but rather "philosophical" in its literal meaning - as in "love for knowledge" - or even "gnostic". It's a process of self-purification through a descent to darkness in order to find the archetypal knowledge, the real self, unbound from all the illusions that our mind uses to keep us in this cage, in order to unleash the full power of the mind and become the demiurges of our existence.
I am not interested in the works of LaVey and I hate the need that most people have to share a belief with others. The path towards knowledge is strictly individual and does not need rules or dogmas or any kind of external influence or association.

In contrast to the more contemporary aspects of Black Metal, the aesthetic that swathes both your layout and photos is reminiscent of the more archetypal elements that helped to define it; what impelled you to lean in this direction and how do you look upon its more urban and dissipated impression of today?
Hell-I0-Kabbalus: It has been something quite natural; the music was supposed to match the obscure feel of the early Black Metal bands - even in our own way and taste - while paying attention to how the genre evolved in these last fifteen years and not just copying the old stuff. However, I really like all kind of experimentations and avant-garde music, but unfortunately in this scene there are so many people that are really narrow-minded due to their need for dogmas and false certainties.

You have covered Mysticum's Black Magic Mushrooms, a song from their exceedingly seminal debut; what fired you to settle on it in the first place and why this particular track for that purpose?
Malfeitor Fabban: It's my/our way to pay honour and respect to Ravn, Preben Mulvik (aka Prime Evil) and Mysticum, who are close friends of mine, great musicians and pioneers of Industrial Extreme Metal. I promised him to play a song from Mysticum and I did it. We also performed this song on stage in Oslo - both me and Preben did the vocals. A great experience and a great memory.

Unlike the more conservative cases, Unio Mystica Maxima has been released by Scarlet Records, a reasonably broad and widespread Italian label; how did the cooperation occur, how pleased are you with their work and do you look upon an ensuing association from now on?
Malfeitor Fabban: Useless to talk about the past, man. They did a cool work for us, but I have no idea about how much did Unio Mystica Maxima sold. They did a massive propaganda for Malfeitor, but the album talks about itself. Personally, I think it's a very good album.

All of the members in Malfeitor are known to have parallel projects; at the present time, in what side-commitments are you all involved in and what are their current developments? Speaking of which, how's the synergy developing in Aborym with Bård G. Eithun?
Hell-I0-Kabbalus: Actually, I am working with Fabban and Bård on the new Aborym stuff. I believe that we'll have the album ready before the end of this year. I can't tell you much about the music yet, but it will surely be something very negative and wicked.
About my other project, Kalki Avatara, we will have an album out these days through the Canadian label Shaytan Productions and Plastic Head Distribution. We're also going back to the recording studio by the end of the month to record a new promo.

To conclude, what are the aims set for Malfeitor in the medium-run and, if the band was to come to an end, what would be the endeavours you would feel most proud of in having achieved?
Hell-I0-Kabbalus: We'll be promoting our new album, Incubus that is going to be released in May by Agonia Records, both with live performance and interviews, in order to spread Malfeitor's sonic black magic everywhere we can.

www.malfeitor.net

© 2009 The Lodge

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