We do not own the copyright on this extremely kickass piece of art!
Have you ever listened to MERCYFUL FATE or a KING DIAMOND album and thought the amazing story telling in those songs would translate to a kick ass graphic novel? Well you are not alone! Graphic artist Mark Rudolph had this same idea and from there it grew until it became a full-fledged project. Entitled Satan Is Alive: A Tribute To Mercyful Fateis a result of a fascination with the band an a love affair with metal music. Not only is this a really cool idea, with the KING himself playing shows again and mounting a comeback, this will be essential for fans to own. To fully bring it to life, Mark has started a Kickstarter campaign so he can properly produce the book in a form worthy of the awesome content. He has not only recruited some of the top artists in the field but also a who’s who in the metal world to bring his vision to life. With just under a week left to the campaign, Metal Army America decided to touch base with Mark, whose art you have no doubt seen in fine publications like Decibel in the USA, Metal Hammer UK, Marvel Comics and other places about the project.
MAA: What inspired you to create the SATAN IS ALIVE project?
MR: I had just adapted an H.P. Lovecraft story into a comic and really liked the process, so I was listening to Mercyful Fate drawing one day and thought “these lyrics would make a rad comic.” A few emails later, I drummed up a lot of interest and it just kind of exploded. I’m mostly known for my metal-related illustrations and I’ve always wanted to do a “metal” comic, so this kind of satiated everything in one book.
MAA: How did you begin assembling the talented writers and artists?
MR: I met Tom Neely last year at a show in Minneapolis and briefly discussed the idea with him and from there it snowballed. I started emailing people and before long I had amassed a pretty impressive list. Even artists I’ve never met before seemed to be really into the idea and no one said no. This whole project is a visual tribute album to Fate and it’s clear in the art, that there is a lot of love in Satan is Alive.
MAA: Why raise money at all to produce physical copies and why choose Kickstarter as a platform?
MR: Physical books still mean a lot to me. As much as I like technology, I like the immersive experience you can only get from a printed book. I am offering PDF copies as well, but the goal is to have nice offset book. I’m using Kickstarter since I’ve had good luck with it in the past. I think it’s a great way to get niche projects funded without forking over all the money yourself. Like my last campaign, I had nearly the whole book completed before I even started the fund raising. I think that’s an important step to let potential backers know you are serious and not just throwing out ideas and hoping some will stick. I think that’s a lousy way to use the service. As of this interview the project is already several hundred dollars over our goal with 7 days to go.
MAA: What are some of the reward tiers you are offering for backers?
MR: Original art, hardcovers, co-publisher, retail bundles, prints and commissioned art. I try and keep it related to the book and not just “extra junk”. The book is the most important part, so I feel the incentives should enhance the book if anything.
MAA: I believe metal fans will be most familiar with your illustrations in Decibel Magazine. (your cover with DANZIG riding a wolf in 2010 is still my favorite issue). Where else can people see examples of your work?
MR: Haha! Thanks. My site cvomics.com has a ton of examples of my work (also portfolio and store), but I also do monthly illustrations for Metal Hammer UK and I’ll have an 8-page story in Henry & Glenn Forever and Ever #2. I’ve also done a bunch of merch design for bands like COALESCE, HELLMOUTH, BEAST IN THE FIELD and many others.
MAA: Any final message to the fans contemplating a donation to SATAN IS ALIVE
MR: With all the recent interest in metal history (Look at Bazillion Points, Choosing Death, etc) I wanted to add to that rich wealth with something totally different. If I really devoted the time, I’m sure I could write a book about a band or a genre, but being more of a visual guy, I thought doing a visual love letter to one of my favorite bands would be more apt. I can’t really think of another metal-related anthology book that’s filled with such a diverse group of artists either. I really need to thank everyone involved that’s made this book possible. If I did it by myself, it would have been about 30 pages and not nearly as rich. With the whole group it feels much more metal!
Mark Rudolph has many works in print, including this book!
You can learn more about the project and donate on the Kickstarter page.
That’s right, hessians, go growl it on the mountain – King Diamond is BACK! As you know, King’s lovely wife Livia informed us, almost exactly a year ago, that King was rushed to the hospital for triple bypass heart surgery. For those of us King-worshippers, this was very depressing news. Since then, Mr. and Mrs. Bendix(King’s real last name, if ya didn’t know) have given fans updates whenever possible, and all signs point to a complete recovery for the legendary performer.
Today, King fans are given a real gem - not only is he doing well, but Mercyful Fate reunited to PERFORM with Metallica at the second of four shows celebrating Metallica’s 30th anniversary. That’s not all – there’s FOOTAGE! Holy demon babies, Grandma!!!
Check out the video, be amazed, cry and hug your cat, then listen to Mercyful Fate’s entire discography for the rest of the day. WELCOME HOME, KING!
Personal opinions tend to vary greatly when it comes to deciding upon a creative apex for the work of Chuck Schuldiner and Death. While the legacy, lasting effects and impact of Schuldiner’s work for the death metal genre-effectively blurring the borders of what extreme metal musicians can achieve when incorporating a progressive mindset into the framework-remain unchallenged, all of us possess our own preferences when it comes to the man’s body of music.
Yours truly offers up two very diverse selections when it comes to personal favorites: Death’s charmingly raw and unerringly brutal 1987 debut Scream Bloody Gore and this, musically mindblowing ’93 LP, the massive Individual Thought Patterns. Featuring the legendary Gene Hoglan behind the kit, fat string wizard Steve DiGiorgio on the bass and King Diamond’s main axeman Andy LaRoque, Individual Thought Patterns sit snugly in the middle between its compatriot tech-metal juggernauts Symbolic and Human, offering up mature songwriting sensibility alongside Schuldiner’s almost effortless knack for rhythmically punishing metal.
To be honest, the decision process between Individual Thought Patterns, Symbolic and Human basically comes down to the question of which flavor ice cream one enjoys: in other words, there isn’t really a wrong answer. Individual Thought Patterns features a memorable set of songs, however-”Jealousy,” “Trapped In a Corner” and “Overactive Imagination” serving as certifiable highlights, alongside album closing classic “The Philosopher,” a song yours truly humbly covered in my own band back in the day-which eclipses the comparatively more sterile nature of Symbolic, while also coming across as a bit warmer when compared to the clinical precision of Human.
Epically reissued by Relapse, the grooves of “Mentally Blind,” “Destiny” and “Nothing Is Not” can now be enjoyed by a whole new generation of tech-death wizards, here graced by a double disc presentation which also includes a bevy of live tracks and a studio outtake of “The Exorcist,” for good measure. Does all of this add up to ‘essential?’ You bet your ass it does.We still miss you, Chuck.
Recently, ‘The Scream Queen’ Jenna Williams began to document and study the Norwegian Black Metal scene. At the center heavy metal controversy since the early 90s, Black Metal is often over-the-top and the press surrounding the genre is often misinformed. In the coming weeks, Jenna will be paying homage to the genre with a series of essays, interviews, etc. This is part one… Enjoy!
Venom, Bathory, Mercyful Fate, Hellhammer, Destruction, Sodom… These are considered to be the true innovators of black metal, the artists who inspired the infamous Norwegian black metal scene that unhinged the media in the early 1990′s, turning the genre into one of the most interesting and unique sub-cultures out there today. Although the personality of the genre still and always will remain within the mystique of black metal’s true roots; in this day in age, it isn’t nearly as bizarre or demented as it used to be. There aren’t vicious and menacing murders, an incredibly gruesome and shocking suicide, nor dozens of churches burning down anymore.
However, when a real and original Norwegian black metal band performs on a tour or festival, you’re bound to see decapitated animal heads, mainly from sheep or pigs, rotting animal carcasses, and maybe human bones on stage. You’ll not only just see a glimpse of what black metal was, you’ll feel the iciness, the darkness, and the evil that immerses the music itself.
As the media had already been engulfing Norway’s TV stations, newspapers, and magazines with the “Satanism” term against black metal, the attention only heightened when all “Mayhem” broke loose. Initially, what spiraled all of the news chaos out of control was in 1991, with the suicide of Per Yngve Ohlin, the former vocalist of Mayhem, who had been psychologically traumatized when he was very young, maybe ten-years-old, resulting from a near death experience, which oddly caused him to obsess about all things relating to death, thus his stage name, Dead.
Followed by Ohlin’s suicide, were two incredibly vicious murders.
Varg Vikernes smiles as he's being charged for Euronymous' murder and the church burnings.
“Faust” Bård Guldvik Eithun, former drummer of Emperor, killed a homosexual man on August 21,1992; he ended up serving nine years and four months of his fourteen year sentence in prison. Latterly, almost one year to the date of Faust’s victim, occurred the conceivably most famous murder of Norway at the time and undoubtedly the most notorious in the history of black metal. On August 10, 1993, “Count Grishnackh” Varg Vikernes, the session bassist for Mayhem, had stabbed his own band-mate, “Euronymous” Øystein Aarseth numerous times, reportedly twenty-three cut-wounds, until he died with a stab-wound through his forehead.
In the midst of the grim and morbid events, occurred even more turmoil for the country as dozens of historic Norwegian churches were set ablaze and destroyed between 1992 and 1996. Several of the burnings were presumed to have been connected to the black metal scene as an act of retribution, sparking protest against Christianity.
Burzum's 1993 release - "Aske"
Varg Vikernes, while being charged for Øystein Aarseth’s murder, he was also found guilty of allegedly setting fire to four churches; three of them reported to be Åsane Church, Holmenkollen Chapel, and Skjold Church. Vikernes also was strongly suspected of burning down Fantoft Stave Church. Nine months after the church had burnt down, Varg used a photo of the Fantoft Stave’s remains as Burzum’s second release, Aske – Norwegian for “Ashes.” It is believed that the photo may have been taken by Varg himself.
“Samoth” Tomas Thormodsæter Haugen, former guitarist of Emperor, was sentenced to sixteen months in prison for the arson of Skjold Church as well; it is believed that both he and Varg were involved in igniting this church.
Gaahl - Former frontman/vocalist of Gorgoroth
Figures within the genre have been passionately supportive about this matter over the years, especially Gaahl, the former vocalist of Gorgoroth; another evil-sounding and “Satanic” band that emerged in the early Norwegian black metal scene. Gaahl has been known to express his support for these burnings “100%,” that the symbolic value of doing this act is important, and believes that Christianity has no place in his country [Norway].
Norway was once a country with beliefs of Norse Mythology and Paganism for thousands of years. It wasn’t until King Olaf Tryggvason [King Olaf I] and Olaf II Haraldson [Saint Olaf II] after many years of converting Norway to Christianity, they destroyed many Pagan temples and landmarks to build Christian churches in place of them. Many Pagans who were against changing their faith were tortured and/or killed in the process of retaliating against them.
It wasn’t until in the early 11th century, the year approximately 1030, that the country was officially “Christianized,” which was King Olaf I’s ambition. It was this history that sparked such anger and hostility against the religion with these black metal artists, among fans and other people within Norway, thus resulting in the torching of the historical churches in the 1990′s.
Members from Mayhem and Darkthrone
Granted, this genre has and perhaps always will be identified with Satanism by the media, people in general, and many fans. Especially with the past it’s known for along with the music’s lyrical content. In the early 1990′s, that is what bands actually wanted you to believe, they wanted everyone to believe they were evil. However, many of the artists have frequently stated that it was just for pure shock value. In a way, it was almost an illusion of what they were exhibiting on stage, through their lyrics, and their infamous antics that would land them on every newspaper in Norway, as well as other countries throughout the world.
Although, there are certain artists who still do believe in Satanism, use the label, or believed in their lyrical writings and/or practices they use on stage (animal sacrifices), such as the now deceased Euronymous [Mayhem] and Gaahl [Gorgoroth], among a few others. Gaahl has in the past and presently still states that he is strongly against Christianity; he is not a Satanist, that he believes he is his own God, he is his own Satan, and believes that the God within yourself, is the true God.
Øystein Aarseth - Euronymous
In the beginning, when artists such as Mayhem, Gorgoroth, Darkthrone, Thorns, et cetera were first emerging themselves within the scene, the mindset they had were that they truly wanted to horrify people, they wanted to shock people, whether it be with their lyrics, their corpse paint, or their overall demeanor; they wanted to disturb people and be the “anti-trend!” They wanted to be strictly underground. They wanted to do anything and everything that would make them HATED, they wanted to not just sound EVIL, but BE evil. In a way, they wanted to be the antagonists of heavy metal. They wanted to go far against the grain, they didn’t want to be like the “trendies” as they would call them; they hated the fact that death metal was getting so popular, especially in the United States.
They had visions of what they all wanted black metal to be like. Those visions were of course none other than what Venom was at the time, they did after all have the “Black Metal” album, which is arguably how the genre name originated! Euronymous, before his death, genuinely believe that artists like Venom, Sodom, Mercyful Fate, Destruction, Bathory, et cetera were TRUE black metal; these are the artists are who inspired and heavily influenced early the early Norwegian black metal scene.
Mayhem
These artists who originated from the 1990′s generation, feel that black metal is now simply just a trend, and that is far from what they ever wanted it to be in the beginning. Many of the original artists from that time period refuse to even call the genre ‘black metal’ – they directly refer to it as “extreme metal.”
There are now many generations of black metal and even sub-genres since it’s early roots in the 1980′s. However, nothing will ever compare to the history that the early 1990′s had, and not many could ever compare to the unique figures within the scene back then, whether they still be alive or deceased. The most memorable, intriguing, and interesting personalities whom were extremely controversial and notorious, will soon be profiled individually. Artists such as Dead – Per Yngve Ohlin [former vocalist, Mayhem], Count Grishnackh – Varg Vikernes [former session bassist, Mayhem; vocalist/instrumentalist, Burzum], Euronymus – Øystein Aarseth [former guitarist, Mayhem], Gaahl – Kristian Eivind Espedal [former vocalist, Gorgoroth] will all have independent features written about them.
Louisiana’s own Excommunicated have their own, atmospheric take on death metal locked down, reverberating loudly beyond the boundaries self-set by most of their genre contemporaries.
One of the reasons why Skeleton Key succeeds is because of this open-mindedness to other genres, specifically traditional metal, a la classic Mercyful Fate and King Diamond. Of course, given the fact that Diamond/ex-Death axe legend Andy LaRoque guests on this record, this shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, yet Excommunicated manage to make each note count on this collection, with Skeleton Key coming across as well-written and conceptualized debut.
Meanwhile, the growling guest vocals of Acheron’s Vincent Crowley add to the band’s old school death metal cred, making sure that no one forgets exactly where Excommunicated are coming from here: brutal, old school death metal. The effect overall isn’t too far off from an atmospheric Bolt Thrower at times, perhaps blending a bit with the chaos of old school Morbid Angel, particularly on a song like “Minutes of the Corpse Trials.” The driving double bass of ex-Arsis, Malevolent Creation and Borkangar session man David Kinkade also hammers home the band’s down home songwriting, sounding organic and un-clicky enough to cement Excommunicated as a rising band to watch amongst the underground hordes.
With a band name like that, one might justifiably assume that Satan’s Host blasts out some blasphemous black/death, right?
Yes….and no.
By the Hands of the Devil is a bit more than that, really, because this eighth(!) LP from the band signals the return of Jag Panzer’s Harry ‘The Tyrant’ Conklin to the ranks of Satan’s Host, more than twenty years after singing on the Midnight Wind and Metal From Hell efforts from the mid-80s.
Believe it or not, The Host actually has a history which goes back to the late seventies, although you’d be hard pressed to guess that fact based upon how solid and workmanlike By the Hands of the Devil is, overall.
While not exactly blowing younger, hungrier bands out of the water with their brand of traditional, Mercyful Fate-styled metal meets extreme devil worship, Satan’s Host presents an aesthetic unique enough-the blending of Patrick Evil’s tasteful guitar licks with The Tyrant’s ever-piercing wail-to earn them a spot, if not at the top of heap, among a select few creative souls out there trying their hands at something different.
Indeed, Satan’s Host is, at the very least, a unique entity at best; an aggressive, near-extreme power metal act with balls to spare and ideas which should earn them some respect points at the end of the day.
“Conqueror’s Return”, the new video from Swedish metallers WITCHERY, can be viewed below. The song comes off the band’s new album, Witchkrieg, which sold around 600 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 84 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.
Witchkrieg was released on June 21 in Europe and June 29 in North America via Century Media Records. The CD was mixed and mastered Antfarm studios by Tue Madsen (DARK TRANQUILLITY, THE HAUNTED, HEAVEN SHALL BURN). The cover artwork, which can be viewed below, was created by Andreas “Diaz” Pettersson.
Witchkrieg features guest appearances by Kerry King (SLAYER), Andy La Rocque (KING DIAMOND), Hank Shermann (MERCYFUL FATE, FORCE OF EVIL, DEMONICA) and Jim Durkin (DARK ANGEL).
WITCHERY’s lineup reads like the who’s-who of Swedish metal: Guitarist Jensen plays with THE HAUNTED; lead axeman Rickard Rimfält rocks for SÉANCE; bass player Sharlee D’Angelo is in charge of the low end in ARCH ENEMY and SPIRITUAL BEGGARS; while drummer Martin “Axe” Axenrot pounds the skins for OPETH and BLOODBATH.
Witchkrieg marks the recording debut of new WITCHERY vocalist Legion (ex-MARDUK, DEVIAN).
When I was assigned the debut album by California’s BITTER FROST, and did a little background digging, I found myself already regretting the choice. “Okay, solo Black Metal project from California. It’s got to be either a XASTHUR or LEVIATHAN knock-off, right?” And no, I don’t care if mastermind Christopher Erikson is originally from Sweden, doesn’t change the fact that most solo BM “bands” falter horribly in one area or another, and are thus unable to make a coherent and unique sound that identifies them. Now, here’s where I eat a big, steaming pile of crow, because Bitter Frost showed me just how wrong I can be.
“Delusions Of Grandeur” charges from the mist, MERCYFUL FATE arpeggios racing over rugged riffery. Sounds kinda early DRAGONFORCE from here, but infinitely more grim and frostbitten, and that is not a bad thing, crafting an intro that actually fits and sets the tone for Bitter Frost. “Astral” brims with Covenant-styled skill (think Nexus Polaris), but here’s also where BITTER FROST begins to make the first of many strides in distancing itself from the majority of USBM and all of solo BM “bands” as well. No less than six vocalists are used throughout the album to lend diversity to an album already brimming with it, and when “Pagan Wheel” with its somber tone of dejection is halted abruptly by the BAL-SAGOTH melodic-yet-masterful chaos of “Novus Ordo Seclorum”, it’s nothing less than magical. “Signs That Point To Nowhere” is one of the most “typical” black metal songs to be found on Bitter Frost, but with the lyrical attack of Nemesis Divina-era SATYRICON welded to scattershot rhythms and epic arrangements, it’s hard to see even the seemingly familiar as a carbon copy of anything. (more…)
“It was just a self centered venture to make a band like I would want to be in and to write songs,” says bassist Jon Leon about his forming of WHITE WIZZARD in 2007. That certain kind of band turned out to be one heavily influenced by the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, yet the music of WHITE WIZZARD is not some modern twist on the storied NWOBHM style. While the musical blueprint followed is not exactly obscure, WHITE WIZZARD pays tribute to the beloved era with distinction and verve, rather than second rate mimicry. One needs only spin new full-length Over the Top to hear loud and clear a collection of traditional heavy metal songs written for maximum memory retention and delivered with power; in other words, with cheese-free catchiness and balls.
Leon’s vision led to the inclusion of a song on Earache’s Heavy Metal Killers compilation and the release of WHITE WIZZARD’s High Speed G.T.O. EP. “It was meant to be a high-end demo and a starting point,” explains Leon about the EP. “Earache came in after the first lineup dissolved and when I was forming the second lineup. They liked the songs and the vision and they wanted to put a song on Heavy Metal Killers too.”
And therein lay the rub, that is, the “second lineup” rub. Momentum had been gained and the band’s profile rose with the quick ascension from independent act to one with an EP released on heavyweight Earache and a song on a well known trad-metal compilation, yet by that time the original lineup had already imploded. A lesser person would have packed it in and shipped off to the land of 9-to-5 routine. Not Leon. He stuck to his artistic vision, revamped the lineup, and ended up recording an even better album in Over the Top, one that retains the infectiousness of its predecessor, yet showcases a more dynamic, mature, and muscular approach to composition. As Leon readily admits, sticking to your guns has its benefits, even if it requires drastic structural alterations.
“Old members wanted to do different stuff and were not behind my vision, which was pretty headstrong. We also had some personality conflicts. They went another direction and I kept going with a new lineup on the Over the Top record. The lyrics for the song “Over the Top” are actually about climbing the mountain and shooting for the highest goal; stick with it and take it over the top. The meaning is self-inspiring. So I just kept writing and progressing and that is where it is at now.” (more…)
