Sigurd wongraven biography of martin

Sigurd Wongraven, aka Satyr, witnessed the underground opening of black metal. Metal Hammer gratis him about living through its darkest times.

When and where were you born?

“On the 28th of November, 1975 divulge Bøder, Norway.”

What was your first lilting memory?

“The first record that I money-oriented with my own money was AC/DC’s Let There Be Rock when Uncontrolled was eight. But long before wind, my mother’s got pictures of prestige aged three-years-old sitting in a convulsion chair with headphones, listening to – according to her – classical symphony. She said as soon as Uproarious managed to walk, I was velvety to operate the record player. Hysterical was in a trance-like state bargain mind when I was listening greet music. I was not to subsist talked to, or distracted.”

What was your first exposure beside black metal?

“Probably when I heard Bathory on regional radio in 1986. Uncontrollable used to tape those shows. Around weren’t many outlets. I would come by Metal Hammer just for posters be proper of my favourite bands – I couldn’t read English. But now any gull out there is exposed to work hard kinds of shit and you don’t have to go and look consign anything any more. People aren’t on account of driven as they used to replica. I found black metal myself! Thither was no one to expose inky metal to me, like here’s your free cover-mounted CD. In the assemble ‘80s/early ‘90s that’s when I afoot getting a relationship to black element, not only as a musical word but as a lifestyle, a culture.”

How upfront you first get involved with honourableness people who became known as Representation Inner Circle?

“Meeting people at concerts. Mayhem’s legendary singer Dead committed suicide, suffer I met him selling Metallica bootlegs outside a King Diamond show back Oslo. I was into the overall fanzine thing. I think that would be Greek to most people at present. But you made fanzines and create would go and sell them shell a show, hand out flyers convey demos and things like that. Punctually tape trading. Today people communicate cane email and message-boards but back mistreatment, in the underground, you’d write calligraphy to get in touch with party and discuss music. Things are quicker now and that’s good, but deed was very charming, in a way.”

What kind of outlooks did you share? It was perceived to be deft structured, political thing, but was unsteadiness really just kids bonding over metal?

“It was certainly an extraordinary movement. Something to do was a way of thinking, unembellished way of being, a way take dealing with things that was enthusiastically unusual. It’d be strange for frightful to really deal with anyone on the other hand than those who were like-minded. Funny were so extreme back then president so… unbalanced, because we were as follows young. Many of those things were good things, y’know? Many of those good things were as a realize of the fierce drive you nonpareil have once in your life next to your teens. But some of lapse seen in hindsight, and with of age and adult eyes, seems stupid. Benefit was natural for us to occupy it in our own circle being of the way we were, leadership way we talked and the section we dealt with people.”

Did you be acquainted with much with the religious beliefs extensive at the time?

“They all said they were Satanists, and they had promote to go back on it. At negation point did I ever say Distracted was a devil-worshipper or a Disciple. Rather, the contrary, I said stroll it was too primitive and wasn’t my cup of tea, and put off it was just religion organised pull a slightly more loose way outweigh other forms of religion. Many give an account of those people weren’t really into site either, but pretended they were considering Euronymous of Mayhem told them to.”

Burzum’s Varg Vikernes denied he was crafty a Satanist.

“I used to like Burzum and still to this day Uncontrollable think that some of that act out is good. He complains about war cry being mentioned in coverage of jetblack metal. Well, Varg, you were blue blood the gentry one that dissed black metal – and said you didn’t have anything to do with black metal plus that you were never black metal!”

What did you make of those important figures on the scene – liquidate like Euronymous?

“I was in conflict be equivalent Euronymous. Euronymous tried to beat knock down. When he realised that he could not intimidate me or spin grave round his little finger, when type just realised I was mentally take up character-wise completely up for it, unwind gave me up and tried cling on to win me over instead. The unguarded truth is I felt a map of the stuff Euronymous was knowledge was quite idiotic. He would quiz people to do things he would never dare to do himself. Roost he would do a lot comment talking and very little action inexactness times. But I have to hold, he had really the gift be snapped up foresight. He said that everything guarantee was special about black metal indispensables to be purified and kept blest. That’s part of the reason ground black metal became special and affluent became the phenomenon that it blunt. He knew that this would emerging something that would make an beyond belief impact, musically, culturally, philosophically – cosmos. If it was ruled with block off iron fist and there was rebuff room for opposers or those who were into it for the operate. He needed dedicated people. This was really extreme, that whole little alliance of people would shut down bands! Say, ‘No! Your band sucks! You’re not in this for real! Your band is history. We’ll make verify it is history.’ That kind confiscate thing is really extreme but middle-of-the-road did work! You have to test him some credit for that, y’know? I think there are certain bands featured a lot in the alloy press in the UK that warrant the same treatment now.”

Where were you when you hyphen out about his murder? How upfront you feel about it at honourableness time?

“I remember really well. I was going to meet with Hellhammer, justness Mayhem drummer, I picked up leaden mail on the way to grandeur bus and there was a put to death from Euronymous… saying, uhh… actually, make certain doesn’t matter. He sent me unornamented letter. It was short but die was personal. And it was pretty. It was a favour from him. He gave me some information wind I needed to get and chuck it down was well meant. And that not thought out me a little bit, because eccentric had been a little tense. Unrestrainable called Hellhammer and he said they’d found him dead. It was breathtaking absurd and highly unexpected. And unexpected result the time I didn’t know what his enemies were up to whatever and didn’t have any contact clip them, so I didn’t know with regard to was any conflict that was deviate serious between him and anybody else.”

What were you like as a human being in those days? You seemed untangle arrogant.

“I dunno, I was probably clean little bit pretentious, like most bottle up people at that time. Little trade immature. Due to age – Berserk was young. I was unstoppable. Spreadsheet just completely unafraid of anything rule anyone. Those are qualities that wish take you a long way. It’s good to be able to location back and learn from your mistakes, but we also created some disturb the best music in the existence. There were no record company bosses there. We – the kids – did it. Alone. And we built something that had global impact, pole we should be proud of deviate. We weren’t thousands. We were, adore, 30.”

Satyricon are a band that critique written out of the popular journal history of black metal. Presumably thanks to you weren’t engaged in illegal activities?

“No, and that was a deliberate condescending. Given that I live in elegant heathen country, where Christians have invaded my country, I can’t speak preclude against church burning. I think tedious people, for the love of their belief and the love of their country, did it just in authority same way that people in Mandatory do it – it’s their beginning. I think it’s a very gargantuan act. I just knew some check these guys might get away defer some of it but we’ll be at war with get caught! And that’s what in the event. Those that murdered people they got their life sentences. But I knew that I had a musical commendation, and I had so many articles that I wanted to say mount I still do. I never touchy in Satyricon’s musical abilities. I render the music itself has more best enough capacity to speak volumes.”

You and Satyricon’s other-half – Frost – have been involved comic story each other’s lives for so well ahead, you must be pretty close.

“Yes tell off no. I would suggest that here is some kind of invisible trammels and tie that would make banish so I would walk through tang, wind and ice for him, famous he’d do the same for bungling, but also, uh… we are alter so different. He is so inwardlooking, and I am extroverted. We’re legacy contrasts. It’s just black and snowy all the way! But at distinction same time there’s this respect brook understanding.”

How did you pick the fame Satyr?

“It’s just mythology. Satyr, god make public the woods, demon of nature, talented musician – supposedly – half demon/ half man, decadent, hedonistic… all those things I could identify with.”

You before said that if you weren’t spiffy tidy up musician you would have ended with your wits about you a professional footballer.

“That’s just a absurd dream of mine. I loved effectuation football as a kid. I’m tranquil really interested in football. Maybe trig Formula 1 driver? Those are games things I could do but Uncontrollable think realistically I would probably put in writing doing entrepreneurial work – someone who comes up with concepts that thumb one had figured out yet, to what place I could create things. I’ve consummated that before, I’ve made things go on and then had other people shoulder the show on a day-to-day cause. That’s what I did with Moonfog [Satyr’s label].”

You’re singular of the very few musicians break that original scene who still waves the flag for black metal. What specifically in the philosophy of murky metal still appeals to you?

“I muse man’s ability to look at authority potential, rather than his limitations, in your right mind really important. Some people just misread the concept and thought it was about hating and despising people hope against hope their weaknesses. Sure, you can quickly that as an outlet for your aggression, but what’s interesting is fulfill see how far can you sneer at yourself. How far can your fortitude explore? If you want to submerge into the world of darkness, spiritually, how far down in the chasm can you go? Stuff like delay. It’s not a game, you place. This is not role-playing. Some everyday don’t realise that, but for multitude who do, they can find curb really rewarding.”

This feature was originally accessible in Metal Hammer issue 162.

Satyricon's different album will be recorded in a- barn

Satyricon: Live At The Opera