1. Greeting! Firstly I want to gratulate you for reunion and release of great "Race of Cain" album. How are you satisfied with it and what were the responses so far?

Thank you. The reactions have been great for the most part. We expected it to be 50/50 or so, but it seems to be more 70/30 in a positive sense. We are very satisfied with it. Very happy with the direction the band is taking, but this will be the only album of it's kind from Forgotten Woods. The next one should be quite different. That said, never expect us to go back to how we sounded in the 90's.

2. Is the "Race of Cain" conceptual album? What is the main message bound with this release?

It's an anti-conformity album. Anti-christian sure, but that all falls under the same banner to me. The message would be something to the effect of, Do not accept mediocrity as the norm. Intolerance before toleranse.

3. Novelty astonished me with it´s raw and almost rock sound, was that an intention? I would say that guitarwriting wear quite resemblance to joyless. What are the main influences for Forgotten woods?

The sound is intentional and the rock aspect simply turned out that way on some of the songs. The sound itself was always to be very ugly and uninviting however. The main influences for Forgotten Woods was (to cut it short) Bathory, Celtic Frost, a bunch of european Thrash, The Doors and The Velvet Underground. Main influences then and probably our main influences now and more in a attitude sense rather than a direct musical influence. I listen to just about any genre of music though as long as it reeks quality I simply don't give a shit if it's Black Metal, acoustic stuff ala Death In June or the latest hit-single for that matter. It usually tends to be quite dark music however, regardless of genre.

4. Why did you decide to quit Forgotten woods and move to Joyless? Were you getting tired of black metal or scene? Have you felt need to do something else, to experiment with joyless?

We were basically tired of the whole world that was Forgotten Woods. Alot of negativity around that time and that manifested itself within the band as well, so we decided to try a different path for a while. Joyless was of course meant to be something completely different and the possibility to do whatever was liberating almost. Of course Joyless turned into a rock/pop-band after a while and then I got somewhat tired of that too. I'm not a big rock fan to put it mildly. Either way, the possibility to experiment was the great part about Joyless as Forgotten Woods has a set foundation and that's it. We can experiment in Forgotten Woods as well, but to a lesser extent. The Black Metal scene we had little to do with in the first place so that had nothing to do with anything.

5. Similar question. Where and how did the idea of reviving Forgotten woods and releasing new album came?

I was not in the country for some time, but when I got back I eventually got to talk to Olav and it seemed we both felt it was time to do something as Forgotten Woods again. We initially had plans on doing a mini-album with a couple of new songs + re-recordings of a couple of demosongs, but the label never came around to do shit so we decided to go for the full-lenght. A format I personally prefer anyway.
Either way, yeah, so we scrapped the songs for the minialbum (although the two demosongs did get recorded, not released) and started out fresh with Race Of Cain. We might record the two new songs intended for the minialbum one day...who knows ? They are by far the harshest Forgotten Woods material ever... fast and/or ugly and dissonant.


6. I´ve noticed that in lyrics of song Third eye (new creature) you are quite often using nazi S.H. greet, but I know that you are not NS followers. what was the intention and sense of this greet? Were there any fault-finder which started to make thing bigger than they are?

The universal cry of idiocy. It was used to make a point and I hope people see it that way when reading the rest of the lyrics. The problem, if you will, was of course No Colours who refused to release it unless we censored those lines and then it kinda blew out of proportions. Over nothing, but whatever...

7. Personally I am quite delighted with song "The principle and the whip" which includes female singing. What can you say more about this song?

It started out as being an instrumental in fact, but it lacked something I felt. I asked the singer from this band, Harry's Gym, to do the vocals as I felt her voice would be perfect and I knew she'd do a stand-out job. I know her very well (as we are related) and she was happy to do it. That will be the last time we use female vocals though...probably. Never say never.
As far as the song itself, it's about discovering ones true ego, individuality and awakening of sorts. Denying what you're not. Intolerance.

8. When did you accept Neige as a member of the band and how did you made contact? How do look on his others projects Alcest and Peste noire, if you heard them. How is the cooperation with this musician going? I don´t think that he is able to travel to norway for weekend rehearsals.

Forgotten Woods consists of members that has virtually no contact other than through artistic endeavours. This also goes for Neige, but I keep him updated every now and then on what's going on, same as with the other members really. He will record the vocals in his own studio in France. I'm sure that'll work out well. If not we'll just have to fly him up to Norway for a week or whatever. Since we don't rehearse anymore it's hardly a problem to have people from other countries in the band as long as they can be trusted to do a good job, as is the case with Neige. I like all of hi
s bands actually, although Alcest is more for a specific mood for me. Not something I can listen to constantly. I'm not emotional/sensitive enough for that, haha... showgaze is cool though, but in small dozes. Peste Noire is the best Black Metal band I've heard in ages, so no problem there... Amesoeurs is the best of the bunch though. Very, very solid.

9. If I had to match nowadays creation with those created eleven! years ago, I could switch them both. How do you wanted to compose new stuff? "Race of Cain" act on me with feeling of big negligence and un-accesability.

The idea was to make an ugly and unappealing album in a sense. To rid us of the warm sound of old and go somewhere else with our art. Stagnation is never an option in this band. There is a thought behind it all and the thought behind the next album will be an entierly different one.

10. Your manifestation is now more reserved...IF compared to last album it is far more rawer and brutal. In which aspects do you think that you progressed most?

Where it in the old days was very introspective, it's now more focused outwards. I am delighted to say that it at least hit some people like a brick in the head and made them think differently. That s where we have changed the most... we now look out instead of looking in. We've covered that part plenty with both the old FW and Joyless.

11. Many considers music of Forgotten woods as depressive (I think that only "Curse of mankind" is depressive). What do you think?

Introspective perhaps is a better word for it. The Curse Of Mankind deals alot with suicide so it should be depressive to an extent, but again, introspective is a better word I feel.

12. How do remember on 1991? How old were you then? Norway raved with nowadays classic known acts and people. Were you too Influeced by persons of Euronymous or Grishnack? How did the underground accepted you?

In 1991 I was 16 and I had been mostly into Mercyful Fate, Bathory and a bunch of thrash metal up till then. Euronymous and/or Grishnack didn't influence us in any mentionable way as we had nothing to do with them. I spoke to Euronymous on the phone about 2-3 times and that was that. It was all business anyhow.
The underground ? Eh, who cares really ? We never cared much about putting our faces out there and we didn't get that great reviews in the first place. Promotion was non-existant and that was fine. Nowadays promotion is a lot better and everything is more in the open, but that doesn't mean we need to like doing interviews and such. It's just a matter of helping out a little bit.


13. How would you rate your old release "As the wolves gather"? I think that this is really overlooked release.

I never understood why people compared us to Burzum. A slight similarity in the vocals and that's about it to me. Anyhow, that's what everybody thought we sounded like, so alot of people didn't care to check it out. It's a good album. As a whole it doesn't work, but some songs are really great. Unfortunately, some songs are not quite up there (in my opinion obviously) so the album is not at all perfect. Compared to alot of other albums from around that time however it holds it's own very well.

14. As said before, you are on scene for a long time, you´ve surely noticed big movement of underground and come of the new technologies like internet, mp3 format, which of course infiltrated black metal. Nowadays many are spitting on it as a Killer of the scene or the killer of old-school metal feeling. What do you think? You experienced those beggining same as the nowadays hitech age.

The old-school metal feeling...uhmm... I don't know. It used to be a lifestyle and it still is to alot of us I'm sure. Anyway, I'm all for progress, but as far as the internet goes that has not caused any progression for Black Metal the way I see it. Some things are best when kept hidden and Black Metal is just one of those things. I isolate myself quite abit from everything concerning the scene and people connected with the scene. I do interviews, that's it. Forgotten Woods was never part of anything and that's how it will stay.

15. I see in the FW lyrics links to misanthropy and debauchery of the man. What is your opinion on man in larger scale?

I have no illusions as far as "my fellow man" goes. I see it as it is and it's something I choose to distance myself from. I have about two friends and that's enough. It's all about distance and being an observer, rather than an intruder which would be the case with me. I have little or nothing in common with those people, but that doesn't mean I can't function well amongst them. I simply choose not to get involved with them.

16. What about Forgotten woods and future? Do you have any plans?

Intolerance Div. will be recorded shortly. News for the band is that Thomas is out and Neige is in. Expect something different, but still 100% Black Metal. Black Metal at heart.

17. Thanks for the interview, for mortemzine is saying good bye HansKopf. Last words are yours

Be intolerant.