1. Greets Asmodeus. You and Desdemon are founder members of the band. In 1996 you called your project Diabolus, so why the change to Asmodeus?

Ave,
the main reason for this decision was that „Diabolus“ sounded pretty normal and a bit to fashioned. „Asmodeus“ sounds more brutal, darker and evil. In the early days we played a mix of thrash and death metal and our intention was to do black metal in a very extreme way, so this was another reason to change the band name. All in all this name is the personification of our intentions and music.

2. Asmodeus means Hebrew devil of sensuality and pomposity. Props the name of band upon that fact, or it should pose something different?

There are some more meanings of the daemon ASMODEUS. The origin comes from Persian scripts where the demon was called Aeschma Daeva. The word Daeva stands for “higher being”. The daemon stands for anger and ambition. In the Christian and Jewish religion, Aschmodai prevented the bitch Sarah from marriage and killed her 7 callboys before they could fuck her.
Legends also tell that Asmodeus is responsible for the destruction of Sodom, Gomorrha and 7 more cities.
I think these are good reasons to let ASMODEUS continue his dark work and dedicate him our infernal art.

3. Your last album „Imperium Damnatum“ is just hot log in the fire. How do you perceive responses on this album? I was very suprised of your new album, you did a good job from „Phalanx Inferna“. How long did you work on „Imperium Damnatum“?

The overall response was pretty good. Sure, for some listeners, the album is too fast and too intense but it had to be this way. Everything on this album fits perfectly together. A brutal cover underlines the music which is simply unique in its brutality, fierceness and darkness. Imperium Damnatum grew over a period of about 1 year from the beginning of the songwriting process. There were many changes in some song structures until we all were satisfied with the final version. We also took the time to let more influences come into the music and also let it sound more various. It’s better to take all the time which is necessary to write a whole album, instead in one or two months just to have 8 or 10 average songs.

4. What was the dominant theme to new album? Is there anything, wherewith do the band deal, or wherewith is it linked…wherewith is the whole album bound?

The idea behind is a more or less second part of Phalanx Inferna. Phalanx is about an army or force of darkness and evil which is about to gain in strength to overrule the weak and finally claim the “Throne of devastation”, which is also the title of the last song of “Phalanx Inferna”. With the current release, this story is continued. More and more beings come under control of the sovereign until he gets enthroned, betrayed and a prior servant claims the scepter. The whole landscape is dark, brutal and fierce. But the way how things are described is not “direct” but more interpretable in different ways. When you listen to Imperium Damnatum, you dive into a landscape where you can find yourself as slayer of the damned or a servant of darkness. There is space for interpretation. Definitely you will dive into a different and fierce realm.


5. The question of black metal is more and more complicated. Many bands turn to hundred times rehashed bases, which are though important, but absolutely uninteresting. Then there are others, which join particularity and directly them majority convicts for overmuch progression. When you created „Imperium Damnatum“, which main music idea you based on? Did you draw from older albums, did you gain inspiration form elsewhere? I give you this question purposely…

Our intention is to write dark, cold, brutal music with some atmospheric or acoustic elements. But we all give a shit on trends or what people expect from ASMODEUS. In the first line we write the music for our own. It is the perfect way for all of us to let the inner daemon out and live it. The inspiration for all this comes from our every day’s life and our inner self. It is great if other people also enjoy our music and feel the same as we do when we play or listen to our music but it is not our intention to follow some trends or try to be progressive. I think the main thing on our music is black metal in its own pure most intense way, forced by our ideas and feelings. We don’t agree with people or bands, who write their music due to some fashioned style or daily influence.

6. Nowadays man bet on language variety, which I like to. Exploitation of not usual names, spinning stories, their musicalization…Did you somethimes srike anything similar? Asmodeus is in some measures resourceful band, which lightly rises from surrounding grey…

We tried sometimes to write some parts of lyrics in german language but finally didn’t use these passages since we didn’t like them that much. Maybe we will use some more latin parts, as we have already done within some song titles, in future. For me it’s important that we don’t copy our own music. This means that each song should sound unique. Therefore we often use non common chords and harmonies which sometimes sound a bit disharmonic. In future we will follow this path and probably a bit more often.

7. In promotion of new album you go on tour with Dark Funeral, Naglfar and Amoral. How looks common day with this bands? Dark Funeral we can regard as stars of black metal scene, how did you keep in with each members? Did they touch on you as conceited persons (it is said about them…)?

When we joined the tour we only knew the guys from Endstille who are friends of us. So we didn’t know how all the guys from the other bands are. After a few days we started to know them better and none of them is conceited. I don’t know where these rumors are from but they are wrong. We had a great time with all of them and finally there is a friendship between us. I wouldn’t hesitate to go on tour with them again tomorrow.

8. On tour you performed in three members, how did you enjoy it? In the Czech Republic you performed on one concert, do you like our public?

Yes, we had to play to whole tour with a reduced lineup. Since our longtime guitarist Naroth left us about 1 year ago we had some guitarists but none of them was willing to play the tour with us. So we decided to do it with only three members since this was a great opportunity for us to get more known. Meanwhile our lineup is complete again and the times where we had to play with only one guitar are over.
The gig in Zlin was one of the best we ever had in the bands history. The audience in the first few rows freaked completely out and we totally enjoyed playing. Since we are not well known in Czech Republic this was a big surprise for us and we would do some more concerts, if there is a chance.


9. Though, that Czech Republic border upon Austria, there are not so many fans, who know your band. Why it si, in your opinion? Don´t you think, that world black metal „scenes“ aren´t cooperate so much?

I think this is due to we have played only once in Czech Republic. So if there is no one who knows a band, no one can tell a friend about it. I wouldn’t say that the black metal scene is not cooperative. I personally know a bunch of people who do a lot for the whole scene. As conclusion I would say that the black metal scene is not more or less cooperative than all the other scenes, which operate in this dimension of musical business and we strictly don’t compare us with “common music”. The advertising possibilities have grown a lot in the last years since we have internet, but indeed there are not enough recourses to push the music directly to fans, without playing live.

10. Now, if you are four member band, do you plan in near future recording DVD with shots from concerts and attendant informations about Asmodeus? After all internet site don´t predicate all about band..

This is a wish we have since a long time. I hope that there will be a possibility to do that in the near future.

11. Now question specially for you. How long do you play on guitar and who did you drive to it? Play on that instrument must man faithfully rehearse, how much time do you apply to playing except rehearsal with band?

I play guitars since 1991. Unfortunately I have too less time to play guitar since work consumes too much of it. I try to play as often as possible to improve my skills but time is short.

12. Some black metal bands are famous for their positive attitude to satanism, how do your band stand to this theme? What is your opinion to this ideology?

None of us believes in Satan or in god. We are atheists. In my opinion most bands who call themselves satanic only use this image to get attention from kiddies who get scared. But I respect all bands which really live their satanic attitude. If it is truly meant I appreciate this ideology. I in personal like the dark way of life but I don’t need a “god” who tells me what is right or wrong or up and down. I think only weak people with no personal direction in live need a god to pray to.


13. Did you have in youth some ideal or anyone, who you would like to resemble? What music affected you? Not always children doing, what would like their parents. How was it by you?

In my youth I wanted to be like James Hetfield. I grew up with old Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer and many other thrash and speed metal bands.

14. Certainly you have also another attributes in your live, not only music. What do you do in your free time? Do you have any hobby, which you would like to say us?

In winter I like snowboarding in Austria in summer sometimes hiking in the woods and onto our mountains but during the whole year I enjoy drinking.

15. Best known band in Austria is in today´s underground world Belphegor or Summoning. Do you know with boys from that bands? Does there anywise exist rivalry?

I know the guys from Belphegor well. They are friends of us since a few years. Unfortunately I haven’t met Summoning yet. But there is absolutely no rivalry between us. Belphegor helped us a lot in the past. We played our first tour with them. If they wouldn’t like us or were jealous on us, they wouldn’t have asked us to join them on tour.

16. Thanks for your time, which you while by questions. I wish good luck to Asmodeus!

Thanx for the interview and your support!
May the empire of the damned come over you…
See you on the road.