1. Hails to Bergen. How are you doing and what´s the weather in the North? Here it is quite weepy, it´s almost always raining. I heard that in Bergen you have to wear rubber boots all year long. Is the weather really that bad?

Hails. I’m doing good these days as the sun is shining like never before. We’re used to heavy rain, so a bit of sun is quite nice. It hasn’t rained for almost a month now which is really strange.

2. Your novelty „Kaoskult“ is out for some time. What about the responses? Do you know how is the album selling?

The response so far has been really good and it seems like people really understands the album. I think the selling is much better than our previous album although I don’t know any figures yet.

3. What mades „Kaoskult“ so special that it radiates so powerful atmosphere? How the making of the album proceeded?

We’ve tried to follow up the 2nd part of our previous album „The journeys and the experiences of death“ with the epic and mournful feeling as the whole lyrical concept of the album are of that nature. The making of the album goes as it always does. Myself, H’grimnir and Thorbjoern presents our ideas and we all set the right mood to it all in the rehearshal room.

4. I won´t exaggerate if I say that I am truly excited from your album. I´m not happy to say that I don´t have exact knowledge of your discography. Except „Kaoskult“ I heard only your debut. I assume then that you have greatly evolved since then. Can you recall the beginnings of Helheim?
Could you personally describe the development of the band and your style of playing since 1992 to recent days?

I can recall it like it was yesterday even though it seems like it’s hundred years ago. We were really young back then and unexperienced musicians that only wanted to create brutal metal music. We were really hard working, so our first and second demo came out quite fast and we grew also fast as musicians. Then we recorded „Jormundgand“, but still as quite fresh musicians, but we think that the outcome of the album’s fairly good even though we hear a lot of mistakes and so on it. „Av Norrøn ætt“ was much more mature and experimental in a way and in many ways set out the course for Helheim showing that we will never repeat ourselves musically. „Blod & Ild“ is maybe our strangest album where a lot of different musical styles are presented. „Yersinia Pestis“ introduced the new face of Helheim where the musicianship had grown to a new and higher level. The sound on this album was also the best to date and the album also presented some electronic influences. „The journeys and the experiences of death“ was our hardest album to create due to the lyrical concept and the fact that it was a concept album. A proud moment if you ask me. „Kaoskult“ shows the best of the best of Helheim both musicaly and lyricaly. We’ve grown even more as individual musicians and we’re still growing never to alow stagnation.

5. Although the lyrics are more related to Viking and pagan themes your music does not sounds like influenced by these themes. How come that you hadn´t played in Viking/pagan genre during your beginnings?

Because this musical genre doesn’t please us in any way. Our music presents the darkness and obscurity within the Norse pantheon and the traditional pagan/viking style is to „happy“ sounding if you ask me. We’ve got nothing in common with this style.


6. What about Helheim and gigs? In march you did a Europe tour with Dark Fortress. How you were satisfied with it? What about visiting Czech republic in near future?

Helheim are and will always be a live band. We really feel home on stage and to play live are really important to us. The tour with Dark Fortress and Vulture Industries went really well and I think the fans enjoyed it as well. We’re actually trying to set up a tour in November and then Czech is one of the places that are planned to visit.

7. I suppose that you know Czech republic and some of it´s bands and musicians. At least you know some musicians with which you have already worked. I´m talking about Jiří „Big Boss“ Valter and his vocal parts on your „The Journeys and the Experiences of Death“. What made such cooperation possible? Within the frame of Aeternus you also met Radek Němec. Did the work with the Czech musicians gave you something?

I know some of the bands but by far the best are Root and Masters Hammer. They are both among my favourite bands. The co-operation with Big Boss was easy as I just sent him an e-mail asking if he would be interested in singing on two songs, and as youknow he said yes. We thank him for that and he really brought „Oaken dragons“ and „The thrall and the master“ to a higher level. Radek is Polish and a hell of a guy.

8. I was really captivated with you kindergarten‘s idea. I would say that this event is really rare in the spheres of metal music. I read some short informations about it. But that´s all. Video recording in Norwegian also didn ´t enlighten me. Could you describe the event in „Klosteret Barnehage“ by your own words? And could you also put more light on a reason why you did so?

„Give Odin and metal to the children before Jesus takes them“ is the motto for the Kindergarten stunt. The event was really weird and we had to think different since we were presenting music to children. We rehearsed a few times trying to set the right feeling to the songs in an acoustic setting and it went well I think. The response was good from both the kids and people within the scene.

9. My friend organizes trips to natures with small kids. This guy is really mad into metal music and he always steers few children into metal music. I find it cute. You haven´t played metal in kindergarten but do you think that you have left some impression in them which may influence their later musical searching?

I can only hope so, but it’s a long shot, you know. At least we’ve tried and at least this is something some of the kids will remember either for good or bad.

10. Another question pops in my mind: Do you consider yourselves as the mongers of the your national and cultural traditions or is the Ásatru your religion and philosophy? Because of your name I would guess the sekond named.

I’m a pagan by heart and passion, but I don’t follow any religious dogmas but utilize the Norse pantheon and understanding as means of a weapon against modern monotheistic religions which corrupts our society in every way. The symbolicism of the Norse is fantastic and the secrets of the runes are really fascinating and shows a lot of honesty it themselves and also proves the essence of purity in many ways.

11. Norway is black metal betrothed country. Not long ago we had on our zine an enquiry, where Norway won the first place in musical popularity. Chat do you think, what makes Norway specific? It is because peoples mentality or because of the conditions in your country which are supporting extreme artists and bands? It is because your beautiful mythology and nature? Or something else?

I think Norwegians are good at looking within themselves rather than looking outwards all the time. We’re trying to capture the essence of things instead of seeking others. This is the way of musical awareness and I think a lot of other countries have found this as well, not only Norway, but in other musical genres. BM blew out of propotions in Norway and I think people had a hard time following. Suddenly we where on the throne.


12. Recently I interviewed Nag of Krypt and I also asked him about some local bands. He had to name a few bands which deserves more attention. As I expected he named orthodox stylized bands. I would ask you the same, but you are not bounded by metal genre.

At the moment none no matter genre.

13. You are really busy musician, you´re playing in some well-known band such as Taake, Deathcon, Aeternus. It is admirable that you manage to play in all those bands. Pardon me, but I guess that you sometimes have to give preference to single project to handle everything. Do you have some recipe to avoid such a problems?

To always plan ahead. That’s the only way to make things work. Right now both Aeternus and Deathcon are laid a bit on ice, so i can focus more on Helheim and Taake. Ares of Aeternus are learning a new drummer the songs and are also creating music, and in Deathcon we also have a new line-up and I have to create new songs. This takes a while.

14. About Taake… It´s generally known that the title means Mist in English and that lyrics are about seven misty hill situated around Bergen. I suppose that you have already visited some of them. Do you think that the music composed by Hoest is worthy homage to this piece of nature?

Definitely. He’s a great man and a great composer. His music is utter Bergen.

15. Are these hill favoured by tourists too? Or did Hoest just romanticized and idealized them and also gave them status of exceptional land?

Absolutely. The hills are well known and Bergen is personalized in many ways by these mountians.

16. Do you have your own special place? If yes, why then?

My home is my specail place, hehe.

17. In the end tell us about the intentions of Helheim . What can fans expect?

New albums and tours and pagan propaganda. Remember; Heathendom is resistance!

18. Well, the last words usually belongs to interviewed person. I can‘t thank you enough for your time you spent with these questions and I wish Helheim best of everything!

Thanks a lot yourself.