Lords of Chaos

by Michael Moynihan

  When the reality of the preceding frenzied few minutes sunk in, Andreas is alleged to have remarked, “Oh shit—now I’ve completely ruined my life.”11 The other two convinced him there might be a way they could get away with the crime; they simply needed to dispose of the body. The three hauled the corpse about a hundred yards away from the cottage, where they hid it in a dilapidated shed by a creek. They went home for the night.

  It was only a matter of hours before Sandro’s parents and the police were looking into the disappearance. On May 1st the three members of Absurd returned to the scene of the crime and dragged Sandro’s corpse, wrapped in a blanket, to a nearby excavation pit, where they quickly buried him.

  The corpse was found almost immediately, and the trail of the strangled 15-year-old quickly led to Sebastian, Hendrik, and Andreas. Once caught, they were tried for murder and convicted. The case elicited a steady stream of excited headlines from journalists determined to present it as some kind of “Satanic sacrifice.” During the initial police interviews and on the stand in the court hearings, Sebastian only provided ambiguous justifications for the killing, none of which had anything to do with Satanism. “It could not have happened any other way. It was simply inside of us, like a compulsion,” he explained. He admitted that the idea of killing Sandro had been come up a week before the deed, but maintained the murder had been “relatively spontaneous,” and there was “no logical motive.” In Sebastian’s words, “the guy simply had to go.”12

  Asked whether the violent imagery of Black Metal music had provided a motivation for their behavior, Sebastian conceded it may have been a slight influence, but he was reluctant to blame Heavy Metal. Despite the brutal lyrics, the music was not a main factor in what they had done. Sebastian related a strange personal anecdote: about six months before the murder he heard a voice in his head. It was difficult to understand; he thought it uttered the nonsensical phrase “Küster Maier.” Later he decided it probably must have said “töte Beyer” (“Kill Beyer!”). He added, “It sounds crazy, I know, but I can’t really say what I have experienced.”13

  SEBASTIAN AND HENDRIK

  THE LAST PHOTO EVER TAKEN OF SANDRO BEYER

  Hendrik and Sebastian were clearly the real forces behind the ideology and imagery of Absurd. Andreas appears to have been mainly an impressionable follower. All of them have refused interviews for years and would not speak to the press about the action they took. The story detailed above follows the chronology presented in Satanskinder, although the book embellishes it with endless psychological speculation. The descriptions of the authors are based entirely on comments by disgruntled ex-friends and hangers-on who had interacted with the killers, since the latter refused to speak to them. The picture painted is one of an outsider group of youths whose fantasies got the best of them. Increasingly driven by melodrama, they finally crossed over the line to where the horror and violence turned real.

  How much of a resemblance the Satanskinder account bears to reality is hard to say. If one speaks to the killers directly, it becomes apparent that there was clearly more going on in their minds than the book would have you believe. The following interview is derived from correspondence that took place during 1997–2002 between Hendrik Möbus and the authors of this book. It was the first time he had agreed to speak about the murder of Sandro Beyer since the killing took place. The reader should keep in mind that his answers come with the hindsight of a number of years which have passed since Sandro Beyer fulfilled his date with “death from the forest.” Hendrik’s replies also illustrate well the extent that strains of esoteric racialist mysticism have permeated some aspects of Black Metal. For the present edition of Lords of Chaos, some answers in the earlier interview have been revised or expanded upon, and Hendrik also discusses events that took place after his release from juvenile incarceration. In a number of instances he appears to have tempered some of his earlier rhetoric. Those wishing to read his previous responses may consult the first edition of this book.

  HENDRIK MÖBUS

  WHAT WERE THE PRIMARY INFLUENCES WHEN YOU WERE YOUNGER?

  I guess we always felt linked to some kind of “counter-reality,” to the things that were “absurd” to society. Certainly this link must be seen in reference to our life in the Soviet Occupation Zone of East Germany, where we grew up for our first fourteen years. The East German government was a totalitarian one—the dictatorship of the workers and peasants. People raised in the “Free World” will never wholly understand these kinds of social structures. Besides, it was never anything but a satellite of “Big Brother” Moscow, totally oriented toward and dependent on the U.S.S.R. Thus we were taught to love everything Russian, but to hate our own nationality. But nobody can deny his origin, and this contradiction-in-terms displeased us, making us look for something beyond the Communists’ agitprop.

  INFERNUS FANZINE, WITH ABSURD ON COVER

  WHAT SUBJECTS WERE YOU INTERESTED IN?

  At home, I learned quite a bit about ancestral research, German history, about folklore and fairytales, and of the love for untouched nature. As a kid back then there was much less of a possibility for wasting away one’s day in front of the TV, and so a lot of time was enjoyably spent outside. At church—keep in mind, though, that the East German society was almost wholly atheistic—I learned to deal with religious topics, but unfortunately I also learned all the Semitic fairytales from the Old Testament. But at least through this I got an insight into the Christian mindset. However, Sebastian and my big brother and I all felt the same way, and like certain others our age, we tried to escape the dull and indoctrinated society by affiliating with some kind of youth culture.

  HOW DID YOU FIRST BECOME INTERESTED IN EXTREME MUSIC, AND LATER BLACK METAL?

  To listen to any other music than the “politically correct” was of course frowned upon, and thus, it became a special form of protest. We used to listen to British and German Punk Rock, British Oi, as well as Thrash Metal. It was rather hard to get any releases; mostly we obtained Polish or Hungarian bootlegs, or recorded stuff from the West German radio. We developed more and more of a preference for the “sinister” Metal stuff (both in terms of music and attitude)—for example Slayer, Destruction, Sodom, Morbid Angel, Possessed. We felt this music best fit our attitude and point of view.

  DID YOU HAVE A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE, OR DIFFERENT ACCESS TO THESE THINGS SINCE YOU LIVED IN WHAT WAS A PART OF EASTERN GERMANY?

  In late ’89 the East German government fell apart, fading away like a flame without fuel. We had realized that this system couldn’t survive without Soviet support, even if the Communist Party tried to teach us that Communism would one day achieve worldwide victory. Now we have seen that a system that wants to equalize people by oppressing national feelings holds no great future.

  All that we learned from the East German experience is that we must remain linked to our origins, as a condition for vital development. To sever the roots leads to disadvantage in every way, and that is true in individual circumstances as well. The Communists wanted to teach us Strength and Honor about being part of their “World Revolution,” but they revealed weakness and dishonor—we loathe them and their utopia. Nevertheless, from the ruins of East Germany we followed our trail for strength and honor, and I guess it was just a question of time before we became aware of splendid bands like Deicide, Beherit, Sarcofago, Bathory, Mayhem, and Darkthrone...

  WHEN DID YOU FORM ABSURD, AND WHAT IS THE EARLY HISTORY OF THE BAND?

  We didn’t choose the bandname on a whim, but rather because to our minds “absurd” was a very fitting description for the attitude held by the wider masses toward those things which we did at that time and which were dear to us. We were never actually understood. Our thought and behavior was seen as being in conjunction with manifestations that were wild, bewildering, destructive and subversive. This chaos, which we apparently represented for many people, was seized upon and manifested by us.

  Though we started the band on January 2, 1992,
we had played music together before, but more just for fun and without serious intentions. Up to this time, Sebastian already played guitar for many years, and I attended a local music school; thus we always listened to music as well as created it.

  Nevertheless, after Darkthrone released their awe-inspiring A Blaze in the Northern Sky album in 1991, we felt the urge to express our very own “sinister attitude” in music as well, namely the reborn Black Metal. And even though we were quite impressed by Norwegian Black Metal, we didn’t want to copy their style of music.

  WHAT ELSE INSPIRED YOU?

  The Black Metal we play is influenced by Oi and R.A.C. [Rock Against Communism, a Nazi skinhead music organization] as well, and our inspiration came from various bands like Der Fluch, Mercyful Fate/King Diamond, Manowar, Danzig—this probably explains why our own music is so “un-Nordic” in sound. The classic movies of Bela Lugosi, Fritz Lang, Vincent Price (mostly the Hammer films), and Leni Riefenstahl influenced our ambience due to their own atmosphere and aesthetics (especially in regards to Riefenstahl). Almost the same goes for modern films by Dario Argento, Sam Raimi, and such. The biggest inspiration, though, came from the Conan the Barbarian film (and its soundtrack). Unjustly this film has been deemed a B-movie. The direction was done by John Milius, who among other things wrote the screenplay for Apocalypse Now. For Conan he wrote the screenplay as well, together with Oliver Stone. The result was a very multileveled and powerful film, the theme of which is probably obvious: the confrontation between the man of the North, adorned with a sunwheel, and the high priest of the Semitic snake cult. The movie is fantastic and, for us, possibly the best motion picture made since 1945. There have been many inspirations we tried to drop into our music, but the most important ones came from our inner self.

  DID YOU PLAY CONCERTS?

  Even when we had the chance to play live in our local Youth Center, we cancelled our participation, because we didn’t want to be onstage alongside the leftist morons of various Punk bands, or the faggots of a Blues band.

  GERMAN HEADLINE: “HIGHSCHOOLER (15) STRANGLED

  WITH CORD. SATAN CULT IN SONDERSHAUSEN.

  CHRONICLE OF AN ANNOUNCED MURDER”

  HENDRIK IN PRISON

  WHERE DID MOST OF THE FANS OF ABSURD COME FROM?

  Our strongest supporters come from Germany, mainly central Germany (the former East German territories), but from the western part as well. Besides this we have fans in many other Black-Metal-compatible countries around the globe. We praise everyone who really feels attracted to our music, and who supports us. It is also observable that many of the fans don’t originally come from the Black Metal scene at all. Among our fans we have skinheads and people into Industrial and Ambient music as well. And inevitably just as there are many fans, there are also some enemies. The latter mostly turn up in those circles where Black Metal is just one of the musical genres they listen to. They level the incensed, jealous accusation against us that Absurd just want to drag Black Metal into the dirt.

  WERE THE NORWEGIAN BLACK METAL BANDS AN INFLUENCE ON YOU?

  As far as the music is concerned, we received less influence from Norway, but considering their “way of life,” we still are rather fond of them. The Svarte Sirkel [Black Circle] exactly expressed an attitude similar to ours: fierceness, darkness, cruelty, somber mysteries, and extreme denial of the “Christianized modern world.” The behavior of the Svarte Sirkel bands/musicians towards the music biz impressed us quite a lot, and we were glad to see Black Metal boycotted by the major labels due to the “shocking and entangling” image the Norwegians had outlined for themselves. Reviewing these glory days of ’92 and early ’93, I doubt there will ever be such splendid feelings toward Black Metal again. Reminiscing about it brings on nostalgia.

  SEBASTIAN (FAR RIGHT) IN PRISON BAND

  DID YOU HAVE CONTACT WITH PEOPLE FROM NORWAY?

  We have had and still have a strong relationship with the Norwegians. Before he “moved to the beyond,” Øystein Aarseth wanted to sign Absurd to Deathlike Silence, since our Death from the Forest demo appealed to him quite a bit.

  WHICH GROUPS DID YOU FIND THE MOST IMPORTANT FROM THIS TIME?

  Actually all of the Deathlike Silence bands, such as Mayhem, Burzum, Emperor, Enslaved, and of course Immortal and Darkthrone. Especially Count Grishnackh, Varg’s alter ego, projected a very grim, somber, and eerie image of Norwegian Black Metal. But as far as the music is concerned, Mayhem (with their furious De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas album) and Darkthrone are the most influential.

  Norway will stay the source of supreme Black Metal. Without Øystein the Black Metal revival is unthinkable, but without Varg, neither is its transformation from music into action.

  WHEN YOU FIRST HEARD OF THE CHURCH BURNINGS IN SCANDINAVIA, WHAT WAS YOUR REACTION?

  HENDRIK MÖBUS AFTER HIS INITIAL RELEASE

  We heard about the arsons rather quickly; I guess shortly after Varg burned the Fantoft Church near Bergen on the 6th of June, 1992. We were electrified by the wave of fire that struck Scandinavia from that point on.

  WERE YOU INFLUENCED BY THE FACT THAT THE NORWEGIANS MOVED FROM MUSIC INTO ACTION?

  I wouldn’t say it “influenced” our attitude, since from our very core we always support everything that contributes to the rotting of, and which weakens and undermines the Judeo-Christian regime.

  If an artist really believes in the art he/she is creating and performing, then they must also draw the conclusions and transform this art into action. That’s exactly what the Svarte Sirkel has done, and we truly appreciate these heroes of the anti-Jewish/anti-Christian resistance, for their participation in the overcoming of western Christendom.

  If I am correct, then from the first beginnings until today, more than 100 churches have been burned (or damaged), and I’m sure IT WON’T STOP!!! Before our incarceration we also had made plans to become similarly active, but didn’t achieve any concrete results.

  Many people declare such arsons as “foolish,” because the churches will be rebuilt sooner or later, and the popular solidarity that it generates for the congregations affected is very large. But I’ll reply to that with the essence of a statement from Mao: “Burn one—threaten hundreds!” Be aware it’s not an economic form of warfare but a psychological one.

  ABSURD HAS CALLED ITSELF “LUCIFERIAN PAGANS” AND MUCH OF THE EARLY IMAGERY IS A COMBINATION OF SATANIC/LUCIFERIAN INSPIRATION AND THEN GERMANIC HEATHEN INSPIRATION. FROM WHERE DID THESE INSPIRATIONS DEVELOP?

  You can use the terms “Luciferian,” “Promethean,” and “Faustian” to describe one and the same principle: reaching out toward a higher stage of existence and awareness by facing and overcoming the limiting circumstances. That is the trail we are on. However, a “Luciferian will” on its own would fall into hedonism and egomania. For that reason we need heathenism; on the one hand for expression of free will, but also for its channeling toward the greater good. In other words, a person of this sort should not operate only according to self-interest, but rather should serve his ethnic community and be the “light bringer” for it.

  WHAT ARE YOUR VIEWS TODAY?

  Our comprehension of philosophy/religion/mythology is far-reaching, but we try to avoid Judeo-Christian areas. We are deeply rooted within a “Blood and Soil” cosmology. We are fascinated by blood mysticism and through this developed an interest in genetics and eugenics. “Blood and Soil” was of course a slogan associated with the Third Reich. It is much deeper and more encompassing than a short-sighted interpretation would have you believe. On the cosmic scale every human being is only a single molecule. If you do not want to lose your way, you have to sense and recognize your nature—that despite your singular vanity, you are thoroughly important through history, and even can become immortal as a component of a long chain of ancestors. For such a realization one must naturally look beyond the horizon of the individual and understand that the “molecule man” exists in an organic unity with others who are of the same kind. The greater races
of mankind are one such type of organic configuration. Every race has a specific genepool, and the DNA is the source for physique and appearance as well as the collective subconscious, with its archetypal symbolism and instinctive behavior. With the human being and the differences in races and subraces nature has created such a wondrous work of art, one that only the really ignorant would be unable to recognize and would want to destroy. It has nothing to do with “racism” when I mention that the “White,” i.e., Indo-Germanic race, was and is, from its natural potentiality, chosen for developing superior civilization and for imperialism. The world history bequeathed to us is that of the White Ones conquering the earth.

  When the Cro-Magnon archetype of our race appeared in prehistoric times, he conquered Europe with supreme skills and abilities, wiping out the competing race of the Neanderthals. That was the first known example of genocide—and does it not say something significant about the ambivalent nature of the White Man?