Lords of Chaos

by Michael Moynihan

  Compared to the multinational record companies, Nuclear Blast Records is like a hot dog stand. But the German label has its home base in the world’s biggest market for heavy metal, and is serious enough to have an American distribution deal with Warner Records. And Nuclear Blast know how to “move units,” in record business parlance. The Marketing Director of Nuclear Blast, Yorck Eysel, says Dimmu Borgir has sold 150,000 copies of their last album and 400,000 discs in all during the time they have been with his label. These numbers are repeated like a mantra by everyone that works with the band, but should be taken with a pinch of salt, as exaggerating sales figures is the oldest trick in the book for vinyl and CD pushers. They know that it is easier to sell you a record that has been in the charts than one which has only been coveted by a few obsessive collectors. Even if the sales figures might be inflated, Dimmu Borgir has sold an impressive amount of records, and Eysel thinks that is due to the band’s merit.

  YORCK EYSEL

  HAVE YOU HAD ANY SPECIFIC MARKETING STRATEGY FOR THAT BAND? HOW DO YOU SELL A BLACK METAL BAND TO A WIDER AUDIENCE?

  You cannot call the promotional and public relations work, or the marketing, a “strategy.” We just work with the tools that we get from the band, for example the photos and the artwork, or the video, and finally the music, the records. The promotion and marketing can only be as effective as these tools are in getting the interest of people, but again, it is ultimately the music or the current album that determines whether people will buy it or not, or whether the press will love the album or not.

  With the last studio album it was also the print media that gave the band a lot of lead stories, making them more popular than before. What I want to say is that the simple question is not an easy one to answer, and you cannot reduce the success of a band just to the marketing—it is much more complicated.

  DO YOU FEEL THAT THE “SHOCK VALUE” BLACK METAL MUSIC USED TO HAVE BECAUSE OF THE CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR HAS HELPED TO SELL DIMMU BORGIR RECORDS OR TO GIVE THE BAND CREDIBILITY?

  As far as I know the band was never involved in making bullshit comments to the press where they claimed responsibility for anything stupid and brutal.

  In Poland, where a Black Metal fan did commit a murder, or in Sweden, where Dissection was actually involved in a murder, it did not help to sell records at all. In those places we had no increase of sales and we won’t use those facts for any kind of slogan on advertisements. It would simply be ridiculous.

  BLACKLISTING

  Arvid Skancke-Knudsen was the editor of Norway’s leading Rock magazine, Rock Furore, when the Black Metal wave first hit the small, but active Norwegian music scene. He is regarded as a senior music writer, and has a long track record following the developments of various strands of Norwegian Rock culture.

  Skancke-Knudsen explains that at first he saw Black Metal as an exciting new stylistic development in Rock music, and recruited writers from the scene for his magazine in an attempt to give it accurate coverage. Later, he felt compelled to withdraw from contact with the scene after some of the leading figures made statements in the media that gave a distinctly racist impression. One must assume that the crimes which ensued didn’t make Skancke-Knudsen any more keen to deal with Black Metal, and his attitude was shared by many others who were writing about music at the time.

  As the subculture grew more extreme, the music press withdrew and the crime journalists took over. The Norwegian mainstream media found a milieu that would say and do things to justify any headline. Interestingly, during Varg Vikernes’s trial a Burzum album was reviewed in the news section of Dagbladet, one of Norway’s most important tabloids; this was at a time when his band was being treated with contempt by the Rock press.

  As the sensationalist accounts of Black Metal excesses led to fame and brisk sales for the bands abroad (at least by Norway’s standards, since Pop music there generally has been difficult to export and the Metal bands regularly outsell the “commercial” Norwegian bands), the press would eventually have to acknowledge that the Black Metal scene was primarily about music. Thus Sigurd Wongraven of Satyricon, who had earlier starred in a Rock Furore exposé about racism in Black Metal, later received the full Rock star treatment in mainstream tabloid Dagbladet for a two-page article which focussed on the fact that Wongraven liked Italian designer clothes. Black Metal had become popular enough, and house-trained enough, for the mainstream press to dispense with the barge pole when touching it, even if the specters of racism and Satanism still surfaced often enough to make the bands seem somewhat scary.

  SMOLDERING PR STUNTS

  Ketil Sveen, a co-founder of the record label and distributor Voices of Wonder, was one of the first people to sell Norwegian Black Metal records on a bigger scale. He ended his cooperation with Burzum after Varg Vikernes stated that he was a National Socialist. Today there is a racism clause in the contracts which prospective artists have to sign in order to work with Voices of Wonder.

  KETIL SVEEN

  HOW MUCH DID THE SHOCK EFFECT HELP THE SALES OF BLACK METAL?

  Black Metal sold long before the church fires and murders came along around 1993. Øystein Aarseth had been doing this since the mid-’80s, and the first Mayhem record came out five years before anything criminal emerged from the scene. On the other hand, the fact that this was in the news the world over probably made people aware of Black Metal. We sell Black Metal in 25 countries—there’s not a lot of other music that we get out to so many.

  NOW THAT SOME BLACK METAL

  BANDS HAVE REACHED A CERTAIN STATURE, WILL THERE BE A POINT WHEN REAL MAJOR LABELS START TO SNIFF THEM OUT?

  I think that might happen, but not if you are talking about the first generation of bands, like Burzum or Dark Throne. But with the new generation of bands I certainly think it is possible. I heard recently that the French division of Polygram was interested in The Kovenant.

  VOICES OF WONDER ALSO MADE THE INFAMOUS PROMOTIONAL LIGHTERS

  FOR BURZUM’S ASKE ALBUM WITH THE IMAGE OF THE SMOLDERING RUINS OF FANTOFT STAVE CHURCH.

  I’ve done a few stupid things in my life, and that lighter was one of the stupidest. In my defense I want to say that none of us suspected Vikernes had really done anything like that [burning churches]. We figured that if he was crazy enough to torch a church he would not be crazy enough to go around bragging about it. So the lighter was supposed to be a take on all the exposure he got in the media. Under the circumstances at the time I thought [making the lighter] was okay; in retrospect I would prefer not to have done it.

  GERMANY DESERVES SPECIAL TREATMENT... I LOVE GERMANY AND THE GERMAN FOLK... THERE IS NO PEOPLE IN THE WORLD WHO HAVE BEEN TREATED MORE UNJUST THAN THE GERMAN FOLK; THE LEAST I CAN DO IS TO SHOW ... BURZUM FAVORS DEUTSCHLAND TO THE REST OF THE WORLD. RISE DEUTSCHLAND, TAKE BACK YOUR GLORY. WOTAN IS WITH US.

  —VARG VIKERNES1

  11

  FUROR TEUTONICUS

  IN THE FALL OF 1994, THE UBIQUITOUS GERMAN WEEKLY DER SPIEGEL, THAT country’s left-leaning equivalent of Time magazine, published an article in its national pages under the “Youth” subsection. “Infernus and Sacrificial Blood,”2 the headline screamed. In the center of the page the reader encounters an illustration from the fanzine Infernus—an image of corpses in battle gear juxtaposed with a xeroxed picture of an SS ceremony from the Third Reich. A statement adjacent to the pictures is also legible:

  The pope himself should be raped by thirty Satanist sisters and I also would like to desecrate his lovely asshole. There is no punishment cruel enough to let him suffer for his mistakes and lies but I guess it would be nice to shred him.3

  Welcome to the world of German Black Metal. Less well known than its Norwegian counterpart, the German scene remains genuinely underground, an obscure exit off the darkened Autobahn of extreme Rock. That changed briefly following the night of April 29, 1993, however, when the members of the Black Metal band Absurd followed the example set by Bård Eithun and Varg Vikernes and replaced thought with crime. Th
e exploits of Absurd lacked the grand drama and notoriety which surrounded the “Grishnackh-Euronymous affair” later that year, but the violence was just as intense. They demonstrated that while fewer in number, the Teutonic wing of Black Metal was willing to live up to its Nordic cousin in terms of making a point without fear of the consequences—be they derision or prison time.

  DER SPIEGEL ARTICLE

  The article in the normally staid Der Spiegel begins in a manner more befitting a pulp tabloid:

  By night the clique meets for macabre rituals in an old quarry. The leader, dressed in black, praises the angel Lucifer with outstretched arms. Then, according to a 17-year-old who was present, he grips the hand of the one to be baptized, draws a knife, and makes a cut in the arm of the initiate. The Master slurps the blood and licks the knife. He then declares the ceremony has ended.4

  The article continues, explaining that the Satanic baptism which took place in Sondershausen was only a prelude to a more gruesome event to come in April, 1993. On that day, members of the group of high school students who allegedly called themselves the “Children of Satan” engineered the murder of a 15-year-old class-mate. The murderers were later found to all be members of a macabre fledgling music group named Absurd.

  The Spiegel piece was one of dozens in a media frenzy that brought national attention to the nondescript town of Sondershausen, located in the state of Thuringia in former East Germany. The research of two journalists from Berlin, Lianne von Billerbeck and Frank Nordhausen, culminated in the book Satanskinder (“Satan’s Children”), published in 1994. The subtitle of the book is “The Murder Case of Sandro B.,” which refers to the name of the victim, Sandro Beyer. Written in a straightforward manner, Satanskinder attempts to unravel what really happened within the youth milieu surrounding Absurd, and what influences may have contributed to the murderers’ behavior.

  According to the authors’ findings, a small subculture had emerged amongst a few young high school students who shared a growing fascination with extreme Heavy Metal, the occult, violence, and horror films. Such curiosities were difficult to satisfy until the Wall fell in 1989 and East Germany was opened to the West. At this point previously forbidden or impossible-to-obtain records and videos steadily came within reach. The three 17-year-olds Hendrik Möbus, Sebastian Schauscheill, and Andreas Kirchner began to draw attention to themselves with their Satanic obsessions and penchant for Black Metal. They were antagonized for their interests by many of the other kids in town—both left-wing punks and right-wing skinheads—but developed a group of admirers among the local schoolgirls.

  As their imaginations were increasingly stimulated, they began to meet with a small circle of adherents in the rock quarry where they supposedly held Satanic “baptism” ceremonies like the one so dramatically described in Der Spiegel. At a certain point in 1992, a younger student, a 14-year-old named Sandro, also developed a fascination for the members of this sinister band and their associates.

  The descriptions of Sandro Beyer in Satanskinder make it is hard to sympathize with his personality. Widely disliked due to his irritating manners, he had almost no real friends. He quickly began to adopt the style and interests of the “Satanists” and desperately tried to ingratiate himself into their circle. He would ask to attend band rehearsals and began corresponding with them and the others in the clique around Absurd. Satanskinder describes a peculiar “letter writing culture” that thrived among all of these youths. Opinions, concerns, and demands were sent back and forth among the penpals, even though they lived within walking distance of one another and met frequently at locations such at the Youth Center, where Absurd rehearsed for a time. Heated arguments also took place there between them and members of the Christian Youth Club, which met regularly at the Center as well.

  SATANSKINDER BOOK COVER

  ABSURD LOGO

  Sandro’s parents, both Christians, frowned upon his new clique and refused to tolerate the accouterments that had come with it. On one occasion they burned one of his T-shirts, which bore a pentagram, after his father exclaimed it was a “symbol of the Devil.”5 Only a short time passed before Sandro himself realized such things were not his cup of tea, anyway. The boys of Absurd had never accepted Sandro into their fold, and visibly displayed their dislike towards him. In response to their constant insults, he began to argue and taunt them in return—further provoking their wrath. At one point he promised his mother, “Mommy, don’t worry, I won’t hang around with these people, they’re too brutal to me,” and threw away all the Satanic items in his room.6

  SANDRO BEYER

  Despite his claims that he had broken all ties with the Absurd crowd, he still felt drawn to them. His attraction was now soured but consuming, like that of a spurned secret admirer. Together with a young girl named Rita, Sandro began to plot actions against Sebastian and Hendrik, hoping to make a mockery of them in Sondershausen. He began a campaign of writing slander letters and spreading unpleasant rumors. He was also aware of an ongoing affair between Sebastian and an older married woman named Heidegrit Goldhardt, now pregnant with Sebastian’s child. Sandro threatened to reveal the clandestine adultery to the rest of the town. Upon receiving word of this, Sebastian replied to Sandro in writing, issuing the threat: “Primitive violence is not our thing. Sorcery is more effective.”7 He sent a further message, partially in English: “The hell come to your home. You will die. Sathan awaits! Stay away from us you whimp and poser! Sathan be my guard [sic].”8

  All the while—if the statements in Satanskinder are to be believed—emotions were tense among Hendrik, Sebastian, and their close friends. Intrigues and jealousies arose over new allegiances and preoccupations. Sebastian’s romantic relationship with Heidegrit, who oddly enough was an evangelical Christian schoolteacher, had produced some unexpected results. He had joined in with her pet projects for environmentalism and animal rights, and now spent time writing polemical letters to the newspapers about such issues. He developed a double life between these activities and nights spent with Absurd, rehearsing their Luciferian hymns and drinking. The parties occasionally led to wild outbreaks; one night they invaded a deserted house and destroyed much of the contents in a drunken fury.

  SEBASTIAN SCHAUSCHEILL

  The biggest problem for the group—one that they all agreed needed to be dealt with—was Sandro. Sebastian later told the police, “It was only just that lately Sandro had gotten on our nerves with his appearance. He had such a tactless manner … and because we were slightly fixated upon him, this caused an idea to form.”9

  In a bizarre interview done with a high school fanzine in late 1992, Hendrik broadcast an array of vehement unpleasantries and exaggerated claims, much in the same spirit as some of Varg Vikernes’s grandiose early statements to the Norwegian press. When asked who Absurd considered their allies, he took pains to specify by name that “Sandro B.” had nothing to do with them—he was the type of person they abhorred. Undoubtedly the publication of this interview slammed another thorn in the side of the disgruntled Sandro, increasing his resolve to embarrass Hendrik and Sebastian.

  Absurd no longer rehearsed at the Youth Center, but had moved their equipment to a small cottage built by Hendrik’s father in the nearby woods. Through the guise of a female friend, “Juliane,” a letter was sent to Sandro in which she confided her hatred of Absurd. She asked Sandro to meet her one evening at the Rondell, a WWI memorial in the forest above the town, in order to discuss how she could contribute to Sandro’s campaign against the Satanists.

  HENDRIK AND SEBASTIAN

  Sandro arrived at the Rondell as scheduled. It was 8 P.M. on the evening of April 29th, the night before the heathen and Satanic holiday of Walpurgisnacht. “Juliane” didn’t appear, but the members of Absurd did instead. Sandro must have been confused, but dismissed any idea that he had been set up. They then somehow convinced him to accompany them elsewhere so that they could all discuss an important matter.

  They led him through the woods to the bungalo
w belonging to Hendrik’s father. At approximately 8:30 the group of youths entered the cottage. Once inside they invited Sandro to take a seat, giving the impression that they now would undertake their discussion. Sandro was unsure what was going on, and stated, “It’s getting to be too much for me.”10 He was ready to leave. Suddenly Andreas grabbed an electrical cord and wrapped it around Sandro’s neck. A struggle ensued, Sandro tried to scream for help. At this point, Hendrik is alleged to have pulled a knife and cut Sandro. They tied his hands behind his back. Sandro begged to be let free, promising to never speak about anything that had just happened. They could even have his life savings—500 German Marks (approximately $325). The boys considered the idea of letting him go free in the woods, but feared he would not keep his promise of silence about the abduction, especially now that he had been wounded.

  Sandro began screaming for help again and struggling to break free. The boys leapt upon him, Hendrik grabbing his legs. Andreas and Sebastian threw a piece of the electrical cord around his neck and tightened it from both sides with all their might. They held it in determined tautness until certain that Sandro’s heart had come to a standstill.