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The following interview is done with Myrkhaal...


Frozen Shadows isn't a name many people are familiar with in the black metal scene. Introduce yourself and the band to those unaware of your presence, and explain what, in your opinion, sets F.S. apart from the multitude of others.
Frozen Shadows is a Black Metal band in the Truest of form, not a pathetic parody of the gothic scene like so many "dark and evil" outfits out there!! That is the first thing each of you should know about us... This beast was born in late 1995, summoned by the union of Myrkhaal and Namtar. Our circle was first completed by two other members which have since left our ranks, and in 1997 we recruited Alvater. We have been a trio since the dawn of 1998, Alvater handling the guitars, Myrkhaal the vocals and keyboards and Namtar on bass and drums. Our demo "Empires de Glace" was released in late 1996/early 1997, and our first album "Dans les Bras des Immortels" was launched onto the unsuspecting masses on the 30TH of July 1999.
      What sets us apart from the other BM outfits??? I'd have to say that our breed of Black metal is not so common. We are an ultra fast and angry entity, but we also do create dark atmospheres with the (moderate) use of keyboards. Some have already labeled us as the "fastest band with keyboards on earth". The fastest groups are usually devoid of any keys, while the (very few remaining...) darker ones tend to slow the pace a bit. What we have always tried to do is to blend the lightning speed parts with the symphonic/atmospheric ones, BUT keeping the hatred as the dominant part of our musick, a thing I believe very few groups have done, as they usually tend to let the keys take over the rest.

In your bio, you talk of turning down record label interest, and decided to form your own label and release your new release independently. Explain the reasons behind this?
First I would like to clear something: Sepulchral Productions is a true label, so we do not consider "Dans les Bras des Immortels" as an independent release at all. It was only logical for me to have my own band sign to it, probably the same way it was for Satyr when he created Moonfog...
      We had interest from labels, but most of them understandably wanted to hear some new songs before offering us a contract, as it had been a long time since the demo! Blame the struggling line-up for that... We wanted to release our album as soon as possible, and since I had the money I decided to form Sepulchral Productions and release the Frozen Shadows CD through it. This CD has been made with a pretty good budget, and will get a very good promotion, probably better than if we had signed on a label where we'd have been but one band out of twenty, plus, we have all the control over this release and won't end up making scraps out of the profits!!!

Tell us of some of the topics your lyrics deal with.
I view my lyrics as Satanic Poetry, dark reflections of my soul. As with all poems, these are parts of myself I expose, but not always in a fashion that everyone can understand. I think I have a very emotional way of writing as opposed to some groups who just write Satan everywhere, I personally think it is a lot darker that way. My hatred towards so called "good" ways of life is the thread uniting all of my works, but the emotional approach towards it varies from song to song. Some are more melancholic or downright suicidal, while the majority are extremely angry and ghoulish.

Explain your religious/spiritual affiliation. What are your feelings toward Christianity and why?
I consider myself as a Satanist, but it's more a way of life or philosophy for me. I prefer acknowledging, respecting and learning from the forces of Darkness rather than following blindly a horned idol like a sheep, that's for sure!
      Christianity and the other white-light religions have been the scourge of mankind since these plagues first infected the masses!!! They were designed to serve as a breeding ground for feeble individuals enslaved by servitude and incapable of leading their lives on their own terms. Religions value weakness over strength, hypocrisy over truth and shame over pride, and because of them we are now a society of invertebrated subhumans. I long for the day when I'll see all of them hanging from the treetops!

In a past interview with 'Under the Blade' fanzine, you refer to Lavey's brand of Satanism as 'politically-correct Satanism.' Go into more depth with the reasons behind that statement for us.
The Church of $atan is a corporate machine designed for yuppies and babyboomers in search of harmless thrills. Anton La Vey was obviously an intelligent man, and some things he wrote made sense, but I think if you take it in general, it is pretty tame, and nothing like the revolutionary philosophy they'd like to make you believe it is. Most of their policies have in my opinion nothing to do with Satanism, they probably only called it that way for shock value/publicity!
      For example, the church of Satan places way too much emphasis on social/monetary success, and that has nothing to do with the strength and mental awareness they say have sooo much value. How can someone take them seriously when one of their most famous mottos is "do unto others as they've done unto you", and they then say they are against anything illegal like battery or murder. So if I gather it correctly, if someone was beating up on you (an illegal act by all means!), you shouldn't act upon it. Isn't that the same thing as "turn the other cheek"??? This is the same hypocritical/two-standards way most "politically correct" persons use if you ask me...

In the same interview, you have some harsh words for Aleister Crowley. Which we are in disagreement with. He was a man, indeed, of many human faults, but a very wise and self-schooled person, not only speaking of magick. What works of the literal hundreds of his have you read and explain more in depth your thoughts.
Hummm, maybe I was a bit harsh, BUT I still stand by what I said about Crowley. I must say that I was in a very foul mood when I answered this interview, and I think it is obvious by the whole tone of it. Perhaps I voiced my opinion a little too loud, but I have always thought of Aleister Crowley as a very overrated scholar...
      I have read quite a bit of his works, so I know what I am talking about. When I was younger and first discovered an interest for the Art and the Occult, I naturally came across Crowley as he is probably the most often mentioned with maybe Eliphas Levi and , on a lesser level, HP Blavatsky. It's been quite a while, but I remember reading The book of the Law (who hasn't???), Magick without Tears, The Heart of the Master, the tiny Absinthe: the green goddess (I think it was called that way...) and a few books on the Golden Dawn, and I must say I was not that impressed. True, the man was intelligent and well-learned, but in my eyes his human flaws as you say hinder his credibility.
      First of all, I must say that I'd rather trace my own path than following one already made by someone else. It is of course sometimes good to see/read about other ideas, but in the case of Crowley people tend to get too reverent, as if no other way could exist. Secondly, I believe in keeping my mind in a crystal clear state during rituals, and Crowley put WAY too much emphasis on the use of narcotics as a way of expanding the mind. I wonder how much trust you can place on events related/lived under the influence of hallucinogens? At least when drug-free, your experiences are much more credible. Sex-Magic, on the other hand, is something I can relate to. It is true indeed that releasing sexual energy can lead to very productive rituals...

Do you believe that in order to be a 'black metal' musician certain qualities are required?
A dark soul above all else! Call me old-fashioned if you will, but I still think that Black Metal is not meant for everyone, as opposed to most of the "scene" of today! The name says it all: BLACK Metal. I simply cannot accept any individual saying that he sings about/plays "evil" and "dark" themes within the confines of his band, then behaving like any normal idiot while outside of it. You must have a dark heart to play this kind of music, period. How would you judge a grind/veggie band singing against animal abuse and then learning they are meat eaters? Now can someone please explain to me why it should be any different when it comes to Black metal and the philosophies behind it?

What are your thoughts on bands who utterly change their style for purposes of so-called 'growth' and experimentation?'
I hate these bands! There is a difference between letting your style evolve naturally and purposely tone down your music so that it can be more accessible! To me, it just amounts to money-hungry people willing to lose all their integrity for a few bucks more... Bands that are wimping/selling out and then saying it should rather be called "experimentation" or "growth" make me sick. If they truly were up to a point where their old musical direction was not satisfying enough, then they should simply change their name and start anew, rather than holding on to a name that has lost all it's meaning!

Would you consider yourself an 'extreme' person by your societies standards. What do you think separates you from the others?
Yes, I do consider myself as extreme by any means when compared to the weak standards of society. I have very little value for human life, except for my own and those of my few close associates. Most humans are to me like cattle, both intellectually and in overall value. Where your average man is afraid of the dark, I revere and enjoy it. I can only feel disgust for weaklings, as opposed to the intolerable empathy this society seems to have for them. In short, what these whelps consider "evil" I see as normal, and what they hold in the highest of opinion I would like to crush.

The foundations of our 'global society' are decaying rapidly... and this can be found of any society in the past, true, but not on the enormous multi-faceted scale as seen today. A darker age awaits us. Tell us your thoughts on this world and its future? Do you foresee things getting worse before better?
Anno 2000 won't be the end of the world, that I am sure of. These are but 2000 years off the Christian calendar, which has no value for me, so I really don't see why anti-Christians take this number as an Omen. True, this world is being battered by the humans populating it, and corruption runs rampant. If we do not self-annihilate within the next 15-20 years (always a possibility), I see the years after that as extremely hypocritical, sterile and puritan, where humanity, after a long self-examination, will try to better itself in a foolish way, burying all of its problems under a facade of a perfection. Imagine the "Politically Correct" system ten times worse, that is what I see. Scary, isn't it?

There seems to be a lot of tension in Canada between the French and English populations. Referring to the French population wanting their own government/land in Canada. Could you illuminate this situation to us and where you stand on this issue.
Yes, it has been a problem over here for years. Here are the demographics of Canada in short so that you can understand. Canada has a population of about 30 million, 7 million of it being of French heritage. 6 of these seven million people live in the province of Quebec, accounting for 85% of Quebec's population, as does Frozen Shadows. Quebec was a country of its own called Nouvelle-France, colonized by settlers from France, from 1534 up until 1763 where the English invaded it and annexed it in Canada AGAINST our ancestor's will.
      The English part of Canada has always tried to no avail to assimilate us, by the government's politics as well as by their control over our economy. We got our economy back in the fifties, and a movement for the separation of Quebec from Canada and it's rise as a country of it's own has been growing ever since. Of course, the rest of Canada doesn't see eye to eye with us on that!
      Frozen Shadows is for the separation of Quebec, as we want to keep our culture and language alive. We are living a pretty unique situation in the world, being but a mere 6 million French speaking people surrounded by about 300 million English speaking ones (US included). Only by getting our country back and making our own laws protecting our language can we preserve what has been passed unto us by our forefathers...

What would you deem some of the major problems prevalent in Canadian society?
Asides from the French/English tensions, I would have to say the economy!!! Since the IDIOTIC Canadian government signed this accursed "Free Trade" treaty with the US, it's been downhill. Before, we had protective taxes against American products, but they have been eliminated by this treaty! Now all of your American corporations can establish themselves in Canada, crushing our companies, making thousands lose their jobs, while only handing out hundreds of minimum-wage jobs. Then, they can proceed to take truckloads of profits OUTSIDE of Canada to reinvest them in the US of A, making your economy all the better and ours even more miserable! Sorry if it sounds a bit harsh to you Americans, but it is the whole truth. How I would like to get my hands on our ex prime-minister for that!

Tell us some of the things most important to you... your greatest passions in life. In contrast, your deepest hatreds?
My greatest passion is without a doubt the Art I produce with Frozen Shadows. Music and poetry have been the main focus of my existence since I was ye high. My deepest hatred is towards Christianity and all "benevolent" religions, it is simply visceral. I have always hated these as far as I can remember, and I will probably be cursing them still with my dying breath.

If you could know the answer to one question, what would the question be?
Not very original of me, but it would have to be "What awaits me after death". Probably more in a curious tone than the scared one normal beings adopt when talking about this tough...

Is their a person dead whom, if given the chance, you could meet, who would it be? What would you ask/talk about with this individual?
I would really like to meet the French poet Baudelaire. He is simply put the greatest poet that has ever lived, and his "Les fleurs du Mal" (or "flowers of Evil") book is an astonishing piece of Satanic poetry like I doubt the world will ever see again. I would most likely discuss poetry with him, especially his of course, what drove or influenced him towards poetry this obscure in the rigid society of the mid 19th century.

What are your views of after-death. When you envision it, what do you picture? Also, what would you say might be the last thoughts in your mind as you die, and what words on your dying lips?
This will maybe sound a bit strange to some of you, but I have no set vision of the Afterlife! I try not to think too much on that subject, since I do not want to have an image in my mind throughout my life, only to find out how different from it it truly is. I have absolutely no fear whatsoever of death, but since I do not have the answer on what it will be like, I simply prefer not obsessing over it. My last thoughts when it will come will probably be that I am proud of the life I have lead, and I am pretty sure that my last words will be "I regret nothing"...

I'm sure you believe certain things in life are worth fighting for, perhaps also worth dying for? What are some of the things you deem worthy to sacrifice your life for?
There are two things I would instantly lay down my life for, where I to be sure it would lead to success: the independence of Quebec from Canada, or the utter annihilation of the white religions. Since none have occurred yet, I prefer to stay alive and keep fighting!

And back full circle to your music... tell us what we can expect for the future of Frozen Shadows.
The answer to our first CD have been tremendous so far, so hopefully it will permit us to establish Frozen Shadows as an extreme and tortured Black Metal outfit worthy of attention. From that, we will have to see where our next attacks on this rotten world will lead us to. Expect a new CD sometime next year that will be another piece of Pure Blasphemy!

Lastly, your final comments and words of wisdom.
Thank you for this very interesting interview, your support is appreciated. For all the True Black Metal freaks out there, our CD is available for 13US $ through Sepulchral Productions. We salute the real warriors and spit on the rest. Crush the light, embrace the Damned!

Sepulchral Productions
CP St-Andre
BP 32 128
Montreal, Quebec
(Canada), H2L 4Y5


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