The Lodge @ Myrkskog Interview

Myrkskog
an interview with Savant M

Start this one by introducing Myrkskog (when was the band formed, if you knew each other previously and who performs what in it) and what are the major goals behind the philosophy of Myrkskog, as well as what does the word stand for?
Myrkskog consists of four individuals - Savant M, Master V, Destructhor and Secthdamon (I knew Master V before I joined the band).
My goals with Myrkskog are many; I try to get out feelings and thoughts with the music I write, which to me is the most important. The lyrics I write may contain almost anything, but they are all based on a Satanic structure.
Myrkskog is the Norwegian translation of Mirkwood, taken from Tolkien's Lord of the Rings.

I was told that your demo-tape from 95 (Ode til Norge) sounded quite akin to what Burzum conveyed in the earliest releases; is that correct? After this I believe you only released a promotional tape to a small number of people and most recently your debut album, Deathmachine, through Candlelight. Why did you take so long in releasing the record and, if my conjecture above is right, to what does it owe such a sweeping change of sonority and lyrical concept and what's the reason to link the words of the album title?
Our first demo was more in the vein of Burzum, yes. During the period from the release of our demo to the release of our promotional tape, we went through a quite turbulent period, as there was no real band. Members were coming and going, so nothing was done. Master V was also imprisoned for one year, which meant further stagnation for the band. Anyhow, our musical change was more of a growth in skill and musical taste. We all developed a lot during those years. I do not know anything about the lyrical concept before I joined, but I imagine it to be in the vein of all the other Black Metal bands from that time. Deathmachine is a machine that craves death - Modern Armageddon!

Misanthropy, Hate and Destruction are palpable elements of your lyrical gamut (which somehow personify the title). I was actually fond of the way the lyrics were written (and in some parts, the manner in how decadence was portrayed), but do they all appear from individual experience, or, to a certain extent, from dreams and visions you had (perhaps with the help of hallucinogenic assistance)? Who writes the lyrics and, picking up the thread, are you an aficionado of serial killers or mass-murderers?
The lyrics, so far, have been written by Master V and I. Personally, my lyrics are very much influenced by Nietzsche, Crowley, LaVey, Baudelaire, Darwin, Freud and many others. They are all based on a satanic fundament (meaning the system of beliefs that I have). Philosophise with the Hammer! They are all very immoral and all speak of my philosophy! Law of the Strong! The lyrics on Deathmachine are all given a futuristic and modern expression, as it fits the overall concept of the record.
I find serial killers and mass-murderers very interesting. I find the psychological approach to the subject to be the most interesting. In fact, I just saw American Psycho: brilliant!

Even though your sound is wholly fierce, I can note several electronic parts throughout the listening (especially on Pillar Deconstruction, a remix of Syndrome 9) and I know that you have an electronic side-project with Evil Homer. Do you think that these days there's a large leaning to explore such sounds on extreme Metal and, to a degree, do you concur that this may somehow out-water the genre? Why do you think this has ensued - was that the reason why many bands got tired of exploring atmospheres through the synthesizer?
I think a lot of people have jumped on to the trend of using electronic devices in their music, yes. I see nothing wrong with this, as it is used in a unique way, such as Myrkskog, Gorgoroth, Satyricon and so forth.
My project together with Evil Homer is Death Metal, not electronic. Besides, I do not play an essential role in that band, I only play guitar. I did have an electronic project together with Master V, but I have quit that. I have however had time to work on my oldest band, Maleficum, which now has changed name to The Antichrist, taken from Nietzsche's book by the same title. This band will be my heart and my soul, the essence of me. Later there will be more to come.

Time to reveal your thoughts on the Norwegian underground scene, the riots it spawned in the early part of the 90s and your thoughts on The Prince of Death.
Well, to be honest, I think the underground has changed immensely, due to the fact that Black Metal has changed as well. Black Metal is now popular, so there is not that much need of an underground anymore. Perhaps when the storm settles, the underground will grow stronger and more influential, but as of today, it does contain the same importance as it did (say 5 or 10 years ago). I think Black Metal would have gotten big, no matter if Aarseth would have gotten killed or not. I did not know Aarseth, but I very much liked his music, so for that sake I feel sorry, yes. I think a lot of the new bands still have a lot of the same values, though they have matured and perhaps re-evaluated what they are about and what they stand for.

Who is Savant M?
I am God!

Erik, from Ulver, once described a middling Black Metal devotee as a "stereotypical loser"; would you agree with his description, or in other words, do you think that to be a Metal enthusiast one has to always dress up in black, have long hair and the like (not to confuse with folks who just bear a resemblance to this due to their own personal penchant and do not feel into belonging to a certain set or entity)? I believe that this outlook of "fitting in" goes in opposition to what Metal was supposed to be (irreverent and defiant); what would you deem to be the factual meaning of Metal and what significance does it grasp in your life?
Well, Metal has always been something special. I think one goes a little too far when calling every person that enjoys Metal a "stereotypical loser". I do not think you have to do anything to be a Metal enthusiast, apart from liking Metal, of course. Metal is just a part of my life; it's the music that is closest to my heart. I do enjoy other types of music as well and see no reason to restrict myself to one type of music, just because it happened to be Metal that I found first. Don't take me wrong, I know exactly what Erik means and to some extent I agree. But also keep in mind what LaVey once stated: "it takes guts to be a rebel".

What do you think of live shows; do you think they portray faithfully what the band is all about, either conceptually or musically (your views on the band's performances would be additionally appreciated)?
We are at our best, live! Our music is perfect to be performed live and just returning from a month of touring in Europe, we are now a 666% better live band than we used to be, although life on the road is at times unbearable. But it is also a lot of fun, if you have what it takes, of course. But people's opinions vary, so not even everybody is fit to be on the road.

To sum it up, enlighten me about your future plans regarding Myrkskog and assorted plans.
Future plans regarding Myrkskog: we plan to play live more and then when autumn and winter come, we'll start making new songs until early 2001, when we will enter a studio to record our follow up to Deathmachine. I advice everybody to check out The Antichrist as well!
This interview was also very interesting; I think you covered the essentials and even got some quite exclusive answers; thumbs up! See you in Hell!

www.myspace.com/myrkskogmetal

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