1. Slava! At first, I would like to thank you fot this interview and for your readiness! How do you feel these days? Could you scatch HIEMS´s history with commentary of important moments?

Thanks to you Fastred! Well, I started the whole thing in 96, when I had the absolute need to express a dominant part of me through music. From 96 to 99 I recorded 3 demo tapes, the first one with a different monicker (SN). Then I decided to freeze the project for different reasons, and only in 2003 I started to work on Cold Void Journey with the help of G. Potenti, drummer of Frostmoon Eclipse/Handful of Hate. This album represents the first 9 years of HIEMS, and it stands also as the beginning of a new Era for the band. HIEMS is back to stay!

2. It´s quite short time since your first long-playing release… Have you got, what you have expected of musical aspects? Is there anything (after time) that are you not satisfied with?

I think the album is ok, but you must know that almost all songs are quite old for me now, and since I’m always looking forward I don’t like to criticize the past works. I love the album as it is, because it describes some particular moments of my life.

3. Where ´Cold Void Journey´ was recorded? Tell us about reactions of fans and journalists, please.

I recorded the album in the same studio we used for the last Forgotten Tomb opus; it took quite a long time, even if the effective recordings were made in few hours. The reason is that I had to cover studio costs, and also that time is always short being in other 3 bands! By now I really can’t say how the album is going, but the first reactions both from fans and journalists are surely good. Anyway, there’s nothing now that can stop me; I mean, if you believe in something you must go on STRAIGHT regardless of critics. Wise men know how to handle a bad critic and how to turn it in their favour.


4. ´Hiems´ means Winter, in English … do you feel inspired by this season? If yes, than tell us the reason please. What´s the lyrical theme of your songs?

Sure...seasons have a great influence on me, as I’m part of Nature and of her eternal cycle...and when it comes to my music, winter is simply the perfect ambiance. Talking about lyrics, generally they are about the dark and sick aspects of real life: fears, loneliness, altered states of mind, disturbing thoughts and visions. Man usually don’t look in the abyss of his mind – it’s much more easy to live this way. Ignorance is a sort of universal pain-killer; and religion is one of his names. But I have this constant need to look in my personal abyss, and that’s the source of my music, of my pain, of my lyrics. As I say in a song, to see is to bleed...

5. ISO666 have released the new CD. How many discs they have released ? How do you feel about the work of label for you?

ISO666 is a good label. They have released until now more than 30 albums; they work fast and they do all this with true passion. After this album I received proposals from biggest labels, so now I’m evaluating all possibilities for the next work.

6. Italy is unique country for making extreme metal music. Is there solid black metal base in so strong religiously based country? How do you appreciate your Italian fans?

Italy has now a good metal scene, expecially when it comes to Black Metal. There are a lot of new great bands like Spite Extreme Wing, Black Flame, Sacradis, Beatrik, Nefarium and more, and obiouvsly we have legendary acts like Mortuary Drape, Necrodeath and Bulldozer... .

A new union of Italian Black Metal bands is rising; we have many plans for the future, but it’s still soon to speak.

7. Do you think there exists something like black metal scene? More and more of the bands dissociate of others and they are (becoming) playing just ´for themselves´ …

This is a big contraddiction, because if one wants to play just for himself then he would not release cds and stuff. I can say that I play MAINLY for myself, that’s right, but not just for this...I feel I have something to say to this world, and that’s why I record albums.

Regarding the scene...I don’t care so much, I have my own ideas and I wanna make MY music, even if I feel really close to certain bands. There are too much things I hate in the metal scene today.

8. Does HIEMS play live? If not, do you plan to change it in future?

Not at the moment, since I am the only member...but I am working also on this, and I hope to make some shows in the near future. The only thing I can say is that I want everything to be perfect! I’ve seen too much shitty shows in the past, and I wanna give to HIEMS the right live dimension. I think that this kind of music needs a particular atmosphere to give the right sensations to the audience.


9. Is it optimum for you to create the music on own? Does it provide you better outlook and possibilities or…?

It worked fine until now, of course it’s not easy but I like to have the total control on my music; I could hardly accept compromises when it comes to my art, to my pure Idea of the whole. I’m not making some entertainment shit, I am trying to put in music my personal hell. By the way, sometimes I like to collaborate with musicians that I respect, because I know that they can add another dimension to my music.

10. What is the best relax for you, in your life? Is there any favourite location in the nature, where do you go to get the power?

Well, I live near a big natural park where I love to spend time. The pics I used on Cold Void Journey are taken down there...nature has a big power on me, and I like to escape from the city and from the noise of man when I can...modern life kills us within.

11. Was it your idea all the time to play ´clear´ black metal? Don´t you think about the adding of new ingredient? Pagan or folk.. for example…

I will NEVER use folk elements in my music, but in the future I will surely introduce brand new elements in it. The next album will represent a big step ahead, keep in mind that Cold Void Journey is more a summa of all the past years of existence...

12. Which bands give you possible inspiration while making the music? And which gave you the inspiration during the past years?

Old style stuff like Venom, Celtic Frost, Bathory always inspired me. I like also all the first norwegian BM like Carpathian Forest, Darkthrone, Gorgoroth (hey!) and so on... But I listen to a lot of different music, from industrial to blues, so I really can’t say what is inspiring me the most.

And I wanna say also that MOTORHEAD is the best band on this fucking planet, if someone disagrees: DIE!

13. You play the guitar, drums, bass guitar and also you sing. You also operate on various projects… how could you catch it all? It´s not very typical in one person´s life.. Is there any activity, which takes dominion over the rest? Which do you prefer?

Music is my life. That’s how I can play in 4 bands! Well, i have a work and so on, but every second of my free time is dedicated to music. I simply couldn’t imagine my life without this. I like all the instruments that i play, maybe I enjoy mostly drums because I can really spit physical hatred on it. I begun playing guitar like 12 years ago I think (on Black Sabbath songs, ah!), then in 1999 I started to beat drum heads in a local band, seeing how difficult was to find a drummer! Being a guitarist, I always played bass too, and when I entered Forgotten Tomb as a bass player I developed even more this role. By the way, I never took lessons – I just studied piano and cello when I was a little boy.


14. Do you hide any surprise with HIEMS? Or do you hope in-to-be-surprised by ownself ? :)

Maybe...but i’m not gonna tell you! It would not be a surprise then...

15. Have you based HIEMS hearty on image? Is it entire part of black metal feeling, what do you think?

I think image is important – it can add another dimension to music, and it helps the listener to find the right mood; anyway, it’s not the first thing in HIEMS. Music – and lyrics – comes always FIRST.

16. Are you interested in literature? Is there any work/book, which inspired you to do anything and you love it?

My favourite writers are Lovecraft, who reinvented horror, Poe, that knew how to paint with words, and Nietzsche – simpy genial. Expecially the last one influenced me a lot.

17. This is the end… In conclusion, thank you again for your accomodation, Algol. I wish you many successes in musical and personal battles… SLAVA!

Thanks for the interview....HIEMS is back to stay, worship or die!

Algol