Interview by Jeger
The mighty Archgoat! Finnish Underground Progenitors, Warmongers, Satanists, Blasphemers and Suomi BM elites have, since 1989, made it their modus operandi under the realization of the great lie to decimate Christianity! Disparage their places of worship, tear apart their bible, expose the church for what it truly is, cast the brightest light upon their hypocrisies and above all, prepare for War! Prepare for great orgies and the blackest magick rituals, goats, pigs and scorched Angel’s wings. Abominations! Sin and heavy-as-fuck, true Finnish Black Metal…
The coveted Finnish Black Metal scene as we know it today would not exist if it had not been for Archgoat. Bands like Profanatica and Black Witchery would not exist if it had not been for Archgoat, but mainly, it’s the art of blasphemy – the great slight against Christendom that AG are most known for perfecting. And with every one of their records, you’ll discover a Universe of diabolical wonderment: great summonings, salutations and homages to Satan/Lucifer, as wrought through infernal scores, atmospheric elements, highly visual cinematic effects and the sheer weight of their sound.
Archgoat’s road has been one fraught with tragedy, rage and unwavering steadfastness in the face of divine hypocrisy. Their music is a weapon! One forged under the whitest flames of forsake. We who admonish religion, we all have our reasons. We who stand under the Sign of the Black Mark are all here for a purpose. During my latest interview for This is Black Metal, Ritual Butcherer of Archgoat tells us exactly how he and his twin Brother, Lord Angelslayer, began their Left Hand journey, he discusses the current and former state of the Finnish Scene, the band’s early industry woes, the current state of Christianity and of course Archgoat’s brand new LP, “Nightbringer, Lightbringer”, which is scheduled for a September 11 release via Debemur Morti Productions.
This Is Black Metal: Hails! And welcome to This is Black Metal. Archgoat has been Underground Royalty since 1989, when you emerged onto the scene alongside Barathrum, Impaled Nazarene and Beherit. When I compare that era with the Second Wave, there are a world of differences, namely when it comes to the aggression of the music. What was it like to witness such a monumental shift in the scene once bands like Azaghal, Horna and Behexen began to make their impact?
Ritual Butcherer: Thank you — my pleasure. Personally, I have always felt that one of the most significant distinctions between the first and second waves of Finnish bands was their sense of originality. The first wave seemed to have a more instinctive and uncompromising creative vision, whereas the second wave, despite producing many good bands, was often more influenced by what had already been established. Being extreme was something we wanted and therefore we had in our music also elements from Grindcore as well as from Doom Metal to reach the aggression and the heaviness in the most extreme form.
I think the values the Second Wave took were more about bringing melancholy and minor harmonies into their music. When we killed AG in 1994, I didn’t have any reason or interest to follow the direction that the Black Metal Culture took and when in 2004 we made our comeback, these new bands had been around for over ten years by then. It was then interesting to see the difference that just a span of six years had.
TIBM: In 1994, you took an indefinite hiatus that lasted until 2004 due to feeling as though Archgoat just didn’t belong in the commercial BM Scene. What was it that eventually called you back to playing?
RB: It was the moment of realization that instead of showing a middle finger to the “commercial wanna-be scene” and refusing to be in it, we could return and show by example how BLACK METAL music – without compromises – was originally done. In all honesty, there was also the motivation that we did not feel that we had by then given all we could and felt the time for AG to return was relevant.
The fire inside wanted to compose new material and needed to be fulfilled. At this moment, we brought AG back and started to first rehearse our old songs and quite fast after that, compose new material for what would become our first album, “Whore of Bethlehem”.
TIBM: Archgoat has been nothing if not loyal to the craft of true Satanic Black/Death Metal ever since. Your records that deal in blasphemy, Satanism and Luciferianism have been stylistically/thematically consistent but never played out or boring. What is it that keeps you inspired after so long, particularly during an era when the disparaging of Islam is beginning to take the front seat as opposed to traditional anti-Christian concepts?
RB: First, to the topic of including Islam in music: we come from a land that has been brainwashed and oppressed by the Christian religion, and our aim is towards something relevant to us. AG will never be taken off the focus by following new trends. Till the very last day, this band will be spreading Satanism and opposing Christianity. I would say quite directly that we have our mission, and if somebody wants to expand his music against Islam, Spaghetti Monster or whatever, be my guest, but leave us out of the discussion.
For us to still stay motivated is understanding the limits where it becomes commercial and where it stays Underground. We dictate the phase of our releases, the number of shows we want to play and in a way, like athletes, we take time off to recover and keep things interesting for us. One example: the hectic 2025, when we played two tours and at the same time composed an LP and a Split. We decided in the fall of 2025 that for 2026, we would take a ten-month break from all activities, minus recording the releases and let our batteries charge. It was definitely the right decision.
TIBM: You’re on the cusp of a new album release with “Nightbringer, Lightbringer”, your sixth LP, scheduled for a September 11 release through Debemur Morti Productions. Judging by the cover, it appears we’re dealing in crucifixion themes? Can you explain some of the ideas behind the creation of the LP?
RB: The Crucifixion is one theme, and there is one song specifically dedicated to this moment called “Blood of Jesus Spilling Upon the Earth”. But for the album, the whole concept is about the two opposite sides to everything: light and darkness, beginning and end, creation and destruction, life and death. One cannot exist without the other, for every light casts a shadow and every beginning carries the seed of an inevitable end. The concept of this album is built around the coming of Armageddon—the final confrontation when the foundations of the old world begin to crumble and Christianity faces its ultimate destruction. Its symbols will be broken, its doctrines silenced and its influence finally erased from the face of this world.
But the darkness will not be the end. What is Night for Christianity will become the first light of a new Satanic Dawn. The fall of the old faith will mark the beginning of a new era; rising from the ashes of the world that came before it. The end will become a beginning. Death will become rebirth. Where the old light dies, another light will emerge from the darkness. This is the moment when light and darkness collide – when one age ends and another begins.
TIBM: I was picking up on many different influences during the duration of the record: some Punk, some Grind and even a few melodic parts. Definitely a different sort of album when compared to, say, 2009’s “The Light-Devouring Darkness”. What was the songwriting/recording process like and would you say that “Nightbringer, Lightbringer” is Archgoat’s most experimental album?
RB: With a new album, you must have the vision to create something that is constructed upon the layers of old releases, but also adding something new to it. In all of our albums, there has been something new; for example, with “The Light-Devouring Darkness”, we for the first time composed a song with no fast parts at all and this – to me – was something rebellious against what we had earlier thought about.
For “Nightbringer, Lightbringer”, I composed all the material, and as I have been living in Germany for eight years and the rest of the guys in Finland, the traditional rehearsal-room composing is therefore not an option for us. I demoed the songs something like eight months before we went to the studio and this enabled us to try new things and to fine-adjust the songs specifically regarding the synths and the ambient sounds. I would find it really boring to compose within the parameters of the old albums without being able to bring new elements to the songs.
TIBM: What are your plans as far as live rituals in support of the new material?
RB: With the new album coming out soon and the band full of energy, we have been filling our calendar, and so far, we already have almost 30 shows lined up for the next year in 20 countries and in four Continents. There will be two tours soon to be announced, which will cover three different Continents. I am sure that we will be adding some ten extra shows for the last quarter of 2027.
TIBM: And how would you describe the typical Archgoat live experience these days?
RB: I would say that you don’t come to see us on the stage as musicians, but rather to experience the Satanic atmosphere we create and to feel the dark Satanic energy of our songs flowing through you. We don’t do a Circus on the stage. Blood, spikes, bullet belts, and Pig’s heads on spikes. Everything you have been experiencing during the last 37 years is still present.
TIBM: I despise the power that religion (Abrahamic) holds over people and its capacity for turning ordinary people into maniacs. Those of us who detest Christianity, we all have our reasons. Was there anything specific that called you over to the Left Hand Path, or would you say that it was more of an organic attraction towards its principles?
RB: Death creates life – a violent, undeserved death of a close family member opened mine and my brothers’ eyes to see that the religion that was supposed to look after its flock was a catastrophic failure. With this happening – at the same time – we were looking at the lyrics of Possessed, Venom and Celtic Frost. It was a realization moment that we said for the first time: “I refuse”.
This, at the age of 15, made us want to burn every fucking Church and every bible and to attack the religion that allowed this to happen. We saw that there were other ways than the conventional and decided to craft our music to be the element to attack against the church of hypocrites and oppressors till the last day we breathe. And so, our crusade started.
Archgoat
TIBM: I’m of the mind that your music is ever important these days, especially considering the fact that the contemporary church is operating more and more under the guise of tolerance and progressivism, which we all know is an illusion. The dogmas don’t change. What is your opinion of Christianity as it stands today?
RB: I see Christianity for what it truly is: a force that seeks to safeguard its own interests by imposing its doctrines upon the individual; suppressing the freedom of thought and restraining the evolving mind with the same chains that religions have forged. Rather than encouraging the individual to question, explore and transcend established boundaries, it demands submission to a predetermined truth, preserving its authority by keeping the human mind confined within the limits of its Dogma.
All in life works in cycles, and it is just a matter of time before Christianity sets up a boost to get back to the prime of where they were, and for example, the mass immigration of Islamic cancer in Europe will be a motive they will be happy to support to elevate them from the low point where they now are. I would just be frank to say fuck them both, cancers…
TIBM: Do you have a message for the Horde?
RB: The new album is always the one to kill the old albums – “Nightbringer, Lightbringer” is an album that sums up everything we have been doing since 1989. See you maniacs on the road!
TIBM: Thanks for your time!
Archgoat – The Dawn to Armageddon