Interview: Ondskapt

Interview by Dagon M.

Ondskapt is a Swedish Black Metal band formed in Stockholm, Sweden in 2000. Their lyrical themes deal mostly with Satanism. They are currently signed to Osmose Productions. Ondskapt means “Created of evil.”

This Is Black Metal Webzine talk with Acerbus (Vocals, Guitars) about their absence since their “Arisen from the Ashes” and their last year come back with “Grimoire Ordo Devus”!

This Is Black Metal: Hello and thanks for taking time for this interview. “Grimoire Ordo Devus” marks your return after a 10-year absence. Was your return delayed by events or was it something scheduled?

Acerbus: Hello, It has been quite delayed due to Covid 19, the layout process was long and the studio session was a long one as well. 2019 in the summer we entered Wing studios and the album took 5 months to produce. The year after was one of a long wait due to combining factors. Ondskapt has always been cursed and still is.. Never easygoing and a lot of obstacles to overcome. Although, we fight and die for our strife. The winds of Ondskapt keep the torch lit and fires of hell burning strong!

TIBM: Would you say that the band’s character changed during this 10-year span or you continue moving on with the same mindset?

Acerbus: Although the line-up has changed and agendas as well, the mindset has been the same as evolving along the way. We played live for a while with the old line-up and that is a certain mindset in itself. When it came to the new album Ondskapt had a change in line-up and a lot of rehearsal went into that. Also, we had a long preproduction stage where we focused on the material and certain atmosphere to enhance the essence of our particular sound. The process of making things done the right way is very important. I mean things are meant to sometimes take time if they are to be done the right way.

Ondskapt

TIBM: How the new lineup did came to be and how do you feel about its dynamic?

Acerbus: After the last live show we did with the old line-up In Finland 2017. I had been looking around for new members for the band in the Stockholm area and got some tips through mutual acquaintances and it evolved from there. The line-up change was inevitable because of the changes in direction from only playing live. In the beginning, some members were replaced from an early stage and then we went from there. The line-up was formed around myself, Gefanfi Ör Andlät, Daemonum Subeunt and J.Megiddo, we firmly discussed the future of Ondskapt and the certain sound we were looking for in G.O.D. and executed our plans in the musical basis of our project.

TIBM: Your latest opus feels like an otherworldly experience, where every track leads into the next and builds up the finale, like everything we experience in our lives leads to our inevitable deaths. What was your main inspiration for this album and how did you decide on the order of the tracks?

Acerbus: I felt that the construction of G.O.D. a dream-like place in the mind. The metaphysical through the abstract. The important thing was to make this piece timeless. So many other albums have been built in a way that is almost meant to be like occult, magical handbooks. I wanted to do something completely different. I sat down a thought up a way to be entirely in the moment with the music and the content of the lyrics. The non-dualist approach is a very powerful way to be one with a piece of art. In a dream, you are one with yourself and the narrative that if leading a path in the conscience mind, even the sub-conscience is working on a much more linear level with oneself if reality is experienced as a dream. I have been inspired a lot by David Lynch in the makings of this album, his method of creating art is unique. It gives the viewer a chance to tap into its own mind on a much deeper level than a plane narrative. G.O.D. gives the listener a guided experience of essences far beyond this physical world. The things you can see while looking further beyond the realms of mundane reality are vast. The order of the tracks was done so that the dream would from birth to death in the order because of its natural procedure of life.

Ondskapt – Arisen from the Ashes (Full Album)

TIBM: The use of samples from the movie “Witch” makes for a great atmospheric addition in the prelude and also in the track “Possesion”. How did you come up with that idea?

Acerbus: When I saw the movie for the first time I was thinking: Ah… we already did a song about a witch on Dödens Evangelium, far before the movie came out and also that the music and sample from that movie was perfect for the album. It simply fit so to speak. The atmosphere in that movie is similar to Ondskapts music and the essence of witchery is useful to use from that movie. We don’t use samples from movies so this time when we did it was a good variation to what we have done in the past.

TIBM: The splendid vocal performance really caught my ear as it provided the album with diversity and breathtaking moments, reminiscent of Attila from Mayhem in some ways, as they always have throughout your releases. What is your state of mind while doing your vocal parts?

Acerbus: I do my vocals to fit the music and the mindset is that of demonic possession. I feel my way through it and live the essence of the atmosphere in the music. I try to be professional and do what fits the overall setting. The important thing for me is to sound unique and to have a broad variation in the ways the vocals are performed.

Ondskapt – Dödens Evangelium (Full Album)

TIBM: Living through this pandemic how has it affected your everyday life and mentality? Do you think like all this death was a path that the society of today was due to follow to preserve its existence?

Acerbus: Things, in general, become more difficult, even I am dependant on that society’s institutional function and run smoothly, I have felt frustration like everyone else in many ways. I don’t consider myself to be a strong part of the overall group mindset but I do live in the community. I think that like many sicknesses and viruses it comes from an anomaly, but only from mankind’s point of view. Chaos is only chaos if perceived as chaos. In many ways, Covid-19 is just a natural thing to happen, even though if it is a mistake. Like cancer, it is a mistake in that way that things just randomly “go wrong” by that I mean “go wrong” in the human’s critical way of seeing fault.

TIBM: Ondskapt have always been keen to show their hate towards religion. Was this something that was cultivated inside you by growing up in an environment that you could never be a part of?

Acerbus: I don’t hate religion, as being atheistic satanism I cannot do this. Although the religious institutions that often co-exist among other religions don’t often practice the theology correctly and that is often a subject to debate, saying and apple is black when green for instance. All shapes and sizes… The abhorrent hate towards religious practices are mostly in our mind concerning arbitrary lethargy.

TIBM: How do you prepare before performing live? Is it a natural expression of yourself and who you are?

Acerbus: We make sure that we live the music. Live is a physical manifestation of music. It’s important to enhance the essence of the music in the right way when on stage. The way it should be done is like going to a black mass. The crowd gathers as the ceremonial procedures commence. 

TIBM: Are there any plans for future live shows and events that you can share with us?

Acerbus: We did have a plan to play this year but unfortunately it must wait. Most bands are still not being booked until the earliest next year due to the current situation.

TIBM: I leave you to close the interview with a message towards your fans and hopefully I will see you at a live show in the near future.

Acerbus: To our fans: We are grateful for your patience and your faith in us. We exist mostly for you. We hope you all like our latest album. More is yet to come since we are writing new music. We will perform live like never before when the time is right. To all those that have been supporting us. We support you! Thank you for supporting us!  

TIBM: Thanks for your time!

Ondskapt – Grimoire Ordo Devus (Full Album)