To glorify extreme metal with Belphegor
Belphegor is no stranger to the death metal scene. I been a fan of the band since I heard "Bondage Goat Zombie". Hot on the heels of their fourth Nuclear Blast release "Blood Magick Necromance" and completed US trek with floridian death metal legend Deicide. Belphegor are ready to ravage our land again supporting brazillian thrash legends Sepultura. Here's my conservation with mainman Helmut.
Guten Nacht Helmut, I hope everything is all well with you?
Yeah, little hectic these days, always before we leave on monster tours. Alot to do and care of u know.
All is packed, we prepare and rehearse for the upcoming North Amercan raid with Sepultura and fly over to Canada on Sunday.
Tour kicks of in Toronto "The Opera House", looking forward to this Death Raid. Its a interesting billing, so I'm sure this tour will get a lot of attention...we are ready to rumble.
First I want to say I'm looking forward to seeing May 3rd at Trees in Dallas with Sepultura!
Belphegor are road - dogs. Musickwise your ears will get uttermost skull-fukked. Hell awaits...
Belphegor just about to complete your trek with Deicide. What kind of feedback did you recieved from the freaks so far, concerning the new album "Blood Magick Necromance"?
Was a massive tour, feedback from the demons was sick. A good extreme package u know. Its not a secret that I am a Deicide worshipper since a long time haharrr. Benton still has one of the best and most aggressive voices in death metal musick, it was definitely a pleasure and an honor to share the stages with this special band.
We also have a second leg with them in June/July, 21 dates across European cities, included are also some open air festivals.
In some ways Belphegor remind me of an old Nuclear Blast band from Austria Pungent Stench. Seem like the band learned some things from the masters of sado metal?
Pungent Stench was a big influence for many bands, worldwide... same as Autopsy etc. I dig controversial art, combined with brachial musick, for me its important, gets my attention, not this lame "ultra correct " sheep-horde bands.
Anyways, the musick thrones above all...and will remain. The Attitude, is the force - the legacy of the devil.
Being from Austria, do you like come to them for advice or what kind of impact Pungent Stench had on you and your mates?
Never needed advice. We know Alex and Martin since along time, and Pungent Stench was one of this special - unique bands.
They never cared about trends/sellings, did their own thing u know. Sikk-est death ´n´ roll. Offensive art, mixed with blackest humour. Fukking A.
How is the crowds been reacting to the new songs so far?
Beyond amazing. We also use some haunting album samples again, like we did in past, around 2002-2005.
So the concert, the tracks... the whole twisted convent gets more intense, and its more like a celebration for the devil than an average hippie metal show.
Tell about the tour with Deicide how well that tour go for the band? How the got along with guys of Deicide?
All was cool. We repeat this tor-tour in June/July, and shred European territory. I dig it to tour with bands which musick I really like.
When the tour with Sepultura start and is gonna have any days in between tours to recharge?
We do headline three shows in between, therefore we only have 2 day offs in 35 damn days, intense.
These monster tours need a lot of energy, so I try not to drink and party almost each day like the last decade haharrr.
Not easy for me, fukk no - I'm kinda addicted to these substances, but sometimes its better to stay in the bus and re-load the battery.... looks like the Goat gets wiser.
A couple years ago Belphegor did the Pagenfest tour in the US can you tell about the band experience on that tour?
Yes. Well, it wasn't a special tour to keep it like that, haharrr. We did it.
Belphegor also toured with two legendary bands Kreator and Exodus. What did you and Belphegor learned from that experience?
Blüarghh, what a great billing it was. We learned alot, many good memories stuck in my head - guess it was about 38 shows. Two absolutely great "important" bands, and both killed the crowd each night, musickwise tight as fukk... respect for this thrashing monsters.
Any summer festivals for Belphegor after this tour?
Sure. Open airs are always a challenge, you play these big stages - before a load of grazy m-fukkers. So well yeah, its a cool thing to destroy outside.
Showing the middle finger to heaven and mock the christian sheep.
Many open airs have amazing places, in magnificent woods, or mountains - this reminds me of Walpurgis night. The obscure celebrations on the Blocksberg (Hexenwahn) - surrounded by a big lake etc, that adds alot to the feeling/atmosphere of the show.
I adore the nature, exile - silence - to shred there is the complete contrariety so we really can go insane and enjoy shows like this, its special u know.
Away from civilization.... a real pleasure, to glorifying extreme metal with a shitload of insane die-hard demons.
I like to thank you and my boss Jorg said 'what's up' but I was supposed to say in it german but I forgot lol!
It's like "Hey du Schweine Ficker, alles klar?" this is the mean... the kinda slang thing u know, or u just say "Hey, wie geht es dir?"
Thanks for the space, see ya in Dallas.
A Honor - This Horror.