1. Greetings, Incarnatus! This year 2007 should be quite procreative for you. Tell us you plans without exception!

Greetings to you too. Yes, 2007 is looking rather busy. I am almost finished the recording of the new Pagan Hellfire album, which I think will contain 7 tracks in the end. It will see a release this year again through Tour de Garde who released my last album "The Will of Night". I am recording a split album with Folkvang from Belarus that is scheduled to be released this year as well if all goes as planned. Also, there is another split album coming up as well, which will be a 4-way split, but I will have to keep details at a minimum because it has not been officially announced yet. I assure you though it will be worth checking out. Lastly, Soldats Inconnus is giving "In Desolation, In Ruins" a proper CD release (re-release) in the spring of 2007. It will include at least one bonus track.

2. Five long years have lapsed away from your debut "A Voice From Centuries Away" to you next album "In Desolation, In Ruins"... "The Will of Night" was released the following year and now you are about to release a new one. It seems, that you don´t want to admit of another pause. What was "wrong" with those years 2000-2005?

After "A Voice..." was released, maybe around late 2001 or early 2002, I basically became sick of the Black Metal scene and did not feel any inspiration to make any more music with Pagan Hellfire. It was not a situation where I changed my beliefs or was opposed to the scene, but I just became distant from it and it was not in the forefront of my life as it had once been. The bottom line was that there was no point in putting out albums if I was not 100% into it. So, I took a break. However, it turned out time was essential to become more focused. In 2004, the fire deep in the spirit began burning again. The result was "In Desolation, In Ruins" in 2005.

3. The name "Pagan Hellfire" could be regarded as smiling or strange considering your music. It seems to me, that you are swathed in secret, you are very mysterious. I would say the same even about your music... I just wonder, why exactly "Pagan Hellfire"... I hope, you could explain it ;-).

Pagan Hellfire began in March of 1995 and I was rather young when the project started. The name was created then and in all honesty, it is just a name. However, the basis of the name is rooted in anti-Christian ideology. I often think of the name in terms of "Pagan" referring to an existence free from Christianity or the age before the Christian plague took over Heathen ancestry. "Hellfire" is obviously more rebellious in the sense of orthodox Christian thinking. "Hellfire" could be interpreted as opposite of Christianity and thus, anti-Christian. Due to the fact I do not deal with Satanism in my lyrics or concepts, you could say the "Pagan" part is much more representative of the project than the "Hellfire" part.

4. Do you find the themes, which you write and sing about, up-to-date?

Well, I am not really sure what would be considered up-to-date, but the themes I deal with seem timeless to me: nature, Heathenism/Paganism, death, destruction, anti-Christianity, and revolt against moderm society and its values. This is Black Metal, this is Pagan Hellfire.

5. By the way, are you somehow connected or are you interested in heathenism? Do you feel respect to your ancestors?

The connection to Heathenism for me and Pagan Hellfire is its representation of the past before the Christian plague swept Europe and the world at large. It is the essence of the ancestral spirit. And yes, of course I have respect for my European ancestors. In terms of Black Metal, you could say I am supportive of the Paganization of Black Metal.


6. Do you prefer studio or "home" work? Are you able to work better having enough time?

I do all my writing and recording at home in what you could call my "home studio". For drums I do have to go to other locations to record and usually it is never the same location as the previous album. I have had other people record Pagan Hellfire in the past and even once went into a real studio, but I strongly to prefer recoding everything alone and by myself rather than in a studio. It is better for atmosphere and control.

7. Could you describe each of your albums a little bit? A short commentary, evaluation, personal remarks...?

A Voice From Centuries Away (2000) - Raw Black Metal mixed with a few acoustic passages and 2 neo-classical anthems. A good effort for a release that I would consider my first real album. I like the recording and the closing track "Wolfland" is one of my personal favourite songs.

In Desolation, In Ruins (2005) - Perhaps the most aggressive album from me. It has the melodies and atmosphere of traditional early 90's Black Metal, but maybe a bit more aggressive - an element I was conscious of while recording it. I was missing the fact that a lot of modern Black Metal does not have much aggression and this was the result.

The Will of Night (2006) - My personal favorite album. I like the melodies, guitar sound, and raw recording quality. Maybe the truest representation of Pagan Hellfire.

8. Could you pick one or two songs, which you regard as the best (or your favourite), write here some short part of the text, analyze it, explain their keynotes and why you like them? If I should pick such a song, it would be definitely "Isolation".

I will leave it up to the reader to derive his or her own meaning from the words:

from "Night is When we March" (The Will of Night):

Would you adhere to the call
Of what we must complete?
Strength and Unity
Must carry Our Hearts.
The horn begins the march.
Our blades shine in the pale moonlight.
New Sun for tomorrow.
Black Sun for tomorrow.

from "Crimes Against Humanity" (The Will of Night):

When no law exists amongst the commoner,
Nature must be the only law.
They have committed crimes against themselves.
And now the moment has arrived for us.

from "Clean" (In Desolation, In Ruins):

With a few shakes of the fist
The hammer will strike down
To do the deed we could not undertake
A final sweep to cleanse.

9. It seems to me, that you often use the same rhythms, as for the drums... I admire your abilities, because you are able to manage everything, we could expect from band of people, but still - how long have you been playing the drums? Will you develop your creativity?

When I write for Pagan Hellfire I do not think in terms of being creative or refining my skills as a musician. While I don't mind having subtle changes within my songs here and there, the truth is that this is Black Metal and the framework I desire to work within is somewhat limited, as it should be. If I go too far it would not be Black Metal anymore. I have been playing drums since I was a child. I can play many other beats and other styles of music, but I only play what is necessary for Pagan Hellfire and Black Metal. It's not that I am against bands who experiment or anything, but for me this is how it has to be. There needs to be some resistance.

10. Fire is an element, which can both destroy things and bring them back to life... What is your opinion of anything so vital, yet so cruel?

Fire is essential to life. As we have seen, it is a force that can burn down Christianity's structures, but above all it is the element necessary to destroy in order to create. Sometimes certain things need to be burned and destroyed completely before something new can flourish. And when something new arises, fire can be symbolic of its will to live on and keep alive.

11. Do you live in a city or in some small town? Do you often meet people with similar taste for music or are you rather introverted? Is there also a kind of struggling between black metal and death metal fans in Canada?

I currently live in Halifax, the capital city of Nova Scotia. Although it is a city, it is small in comparison to other major Canadian cities. I grew up in a small town however and that is where Pagan Hellfire was born. I have my "comrades" who are into real Black Metal and keep in touch with them, but not many are here in Nova Scotia, so in a way I do not physically meet with many. I would definitely say that when it comes to Black Metal, it is something private and introverted for sure. I could not see it being any other way and I think most others who feel the essence of Black Metal would agree as well. I more or less balance being introverted and extraverted in my life. I don't know of any real struggle between Death and Black Metal fans in Canada. Many I have met are into Black Metal as well. Maybe not real underground stuff or NSBM, but that is to be expected.


12. I have made an interview with your countryman Annatar from Sombres Forets recently. It seems to me, that Canadian (or the whole oversea) metal scene gets stronger and stronger. There are many new bands, high quality releases... Your opinion and favourite musicians?

First of all, while Canada does not have tons of good bands there are great ones like Akitsa, Brume d'Automne, and quite a few others from Quebec especially it seems. I suppose Canada is like anywhere else: lots of bands, but only a handful or so being really good. I would say my favorites in the Black Metal realm would have to be Burzum, old Mayhem, Beherit, Graveland, Vlad Tepes, Akitsa, Fullmoon, Drudkh, and lately I am very impressed by Bilskirnir and Ulfhethnar (Germany).

13. You started in the year 1995, how old were you at that time? How do you look back upon the elapsed twelve years, on you musical and personal progress, now, when you´re older and more experienced?

I think 15 or 16...quite young. I would say the progression could be seen as rather natural. You start off experimenting and overtime become more focused conceptually, musically, and lyrically on how you want to sound. You are always getting closer to mirroring the vision you have in your mind to the recording process. I guess I am more capable of presenting Pagan Hellfire accurately these days in terms of what I want it to represent, while at the same time not necessarily spelling everything out clear-cut for people to understand because that would just be boring.

14. Do you believe, there´s something more than just this time, this life...? In short, do you believe or are you interested in anything hyperphysical?

I think it is very possible that there is more than just this earthly existence. Honestly though, I don't think about it much. I'll find out when I am dead. In the meantime I'll try to live my life with Honour.

15. What were you listening to during answering to my questions?

Ulfhethnar "Von Deutscher Art" and Forseti "Erde"

16. That´s all from me... Many greetings and best wishes to you.

Thank you for the interview and interest. All the best with your zine.