Interview with Lord Dying of Ibex Throne 2006

By Bradley Smith

You new album Total Inversion has been unleashed upon the world.  Can you give me a little insight as to Total Inversions’ development and how you feel it differs from your earlier material?

The album was years in the making. We never really rushed our song writing even way back when we started this band. We just like to let the songs develop to the point where we feel they flow in a manner that we can be comfortable with. So I guess the first songs were written even as far back as 2001, and then completed maybe in 2005. So within 4 years we had a lot of time to develop the music that you hear on the record. Since we recorded the actual first album in 2001 and it didn’t see release until 2003 this worked out for us. The main difference I would say now in overall sound is basically I think it is not a bunch of riffs just put together and we wanted the overall mood to have an impressive and dark sound. I guess with age you can mature in how you write a song, but overall the music is still vicious, raw and nasty as black metal always should be.

You said that after the recording sessions for Total Inversion it was the first time you had left the recording studio without feeling like you had been anally raped.  What exactly did you mean and how does that apply to your former output?

Well, here we are in Salt Lake City fucking Utah of all places, so I’m sure you could imagine there are not a lot of options for black metal bands to get a decent recording or work with people who have any clue as to put this sort of music onto tape. The guy we worked with was fairly competent and when we said the term “blast beat” he did not have a look of bewilderment on his face, plus he liked to drink beer and do drugs with us which is always a plus!

You guys are planning to release a 4 way split 7” with Bahimiron/Ashdautas/Skhirrus.  Can you tell us a little bit more about this and what it involves?  Why were these bands chosen?

Well yes, this plan had come out of an alliance with these other groups. Ibex Throne has had the pleasure of being able to play live shows with all of these bands and we all agree that they are some of the sickest and deadliest bands in the US right now. Whether other people will agree with that or not is of no concern at all because when they hear the records they will see that a release like this not only has some of the more talented and unique bands in the underground but those who also keep the old spirit alive and wholeheartedly give themselves to the essence of dark music. This will be a double 7” EP so no short tracks here. It will be a great release.

A lot of people have associated black metal with Satanism as its distinguishing attribute.  But I feel it is its calculating coldness and hatred that separates it from other styles.  What is your opinion and do you think Hatred is an underrated emotion?

I could agree a lot with that statement actually. The essence for me of Black Metal is the unadulterated hatred and alienation of all things that are derived from religious, political and basic social and moral values. Although we fully support the occult and black magic we do not consider this modern version of Satanism (be it Orthodox, LaVeyan, or any other bastardized form) to be the cornerstone ideals of black metal. Satanism in its true forms has it’s place in this music but we are going back to more of the ancient ideas rather than the religiously devised ones of today. Humanity in general is a sick dying idea and while Satanism is about pleasures of the flesh, we are not wholly interested in doing things for pleasure or to make ourselves content. We are doing this to rise above society and what is expected of us rather than in the end just simply become self indulgent and pretentious arrogant pigs. Hatred is an underrated emotion because hate leads to destruction without empathy, and empathy and happiness are the things we are fully against and do not support at all.

Do you still feel that Corpse Paint, spikes and bullet belts are an essential part of the black metal aesthetic?  Are Aesthetics even important when it comes to black metal or is strictly about the music and the hatred the music conveys?

Yes these things are still essential in some instances. While I do not participate in the wearing of war paint very often anymore, I still think the metal image should be upheld on stage and even in everyday life. It’s not important to wear spikes, chains, corpsepaint to walk around everywhere though. That would be way too silly and black metal is parodied because of people who think they must do this. For instance, I feel comfortable in a Mercyful Fate t-shirt and some black jeans everyday you know? Yet, I must say I believe that it is not a uniform you simply have to wear to be considered black metal. Look at how many bands utilize that image and totally fucking stink and have no feeling of pure black art. It’s safe to say that aesthetics like these still have validity in a large way, but I think you can see even with some bands, ours for instance, we are putting away the uniform and conformist look in favour for more of a hatred within the music and the live performance.

I have read that you hate this world more and more every day.  Are there certain institutions and/or people that draw the wrath of your ire more than others or is this just a general hatred that festers?

Oh man, it’s gotten to the point where I can’t even fathom it or give anything any attention anymore. I hate the fact that we are not free to give into any primal instinct at any given time. We all have to work and slave everyday. In fact, it’s all nothing but a large variety of slavery we live in. Consumerism, so-called patriotism, and even to the things that you feel you must do, say, feel or even think because you don’t want to break the law and be thrown in prison or alienate or upset someone in someway. It is more of a general hatred towards life in general these days, but I must say I do feel that Christianity is the worst, as well as Islam and Judaism, but Christianity is the worst. It is the crutch of the most weakest and worthless people who had no desire to think for themselves. We are bread but to be cogs and gears for the wheels that grind out our every day life and religion has always been at the forefront of trying to break us down, to tell us what not to do and that it is not natural to have certain ambition and thoughts. If you need the bible and the so-called “teachings” of Jesus to guide your life then you simply just do not have it within you to become who you truly are and should be. I also am fully against organiziations such as the Anti Defamation League, the Southern Poverty Law Center and the NAACP. Nobody should have organizations blanketing one race from persecution. I mean if a white guy kills a white guy its murder, if a white guy kills a black guy it’s a hate crime. This is just hypocrisy! I mean how is it acceptable that a black person can expect no repercussions for calling a white man a honkey, yet it’s like all hell breaks loose if we use the term nigger at all. I don’t buy that or believe it. No one should be limited in any way, for instance, if I wanted to kill somebody simply because I do not like them. I should have no fear of repercussion and incarceration. I mean what if I was the weaker or less cunning combatant I would lose right? Then I would be dead. This is the balance of what the world should be. That is the true nature and justice of man.

We First met as mild antagonists on the Darkthrone Yahoo chat group waaay back around 1999 or so.  Since I liked Darkthrone a lot and you thought that they had turned boring what is your opinion on their modern albums now?  Do you still maintain any contacts from that era/group? 

Well we’re not always going to agree with everybody and considering; and I must say you may be surprised how humble (or I would say more apathetic) I have become in my more recent years, I was a young man back then still just hating for hates sake without having a reason to do so. I felt sort of like Darkthrone was that one band I could always count on and when I felt let down I was sort of angry that the one musical entity that basically started the whole second wave of music, that I myself am a part of, you tend to get a little cranky. I am much more pleased with their later efforts actually now and you can be proud to know because of your influence (or at least our correspondence as of late) I have given the newer Darkthrone a second chance and I really like the albums Hate Them and The Cult is Alive these days. I don’t run into any of those folks anymore really, hmmm, none that I can really remember. Those were great days though and thinking about it gives me a sense of good nostalgia. I mean for hell’s sakes, we were on one of the only two Darkthrone tributes ever released! Of course the band was an influence and they are fucking great.

On your website it says that you specifically will no longer be doing interviews.  What caused you to stop answering them as opposed to any of the other bands members?

I got burned out on it for awhile. I mean you ever hear the phrase “the more you talk, the less people are listening?” Well this is how I felt after 5 straight years of doing lots of press and promotion. I just wanted to basically get away from the whole black metal game for a year or two and not have people concerning themselves with what I had to say because: who am I? I am a hateful, spiteful and arrogant fucking bastard and I know it, why does everybody else need to? I’ve since obviously changed my mind because now after sorting out all of my shit and maturing to some degree I think I want people to know what I have to think and say out there because a lot of who I am and who the group is quite frankly directly influencing the music myself and the other guys write is based upon. So I guess it’s kind of cool for me to let people see where all this shit comes from. On the other hand, a bunch of faggots and posers get easy access to it too and to all of them I say: kill yourself immediately.

The whole F.O.A.D. attitude is becoming a more and more prevalent expression in the extreme music scene.  I mean you have old Voivod issuing that statement waaaay back in the past and now bands like Thesyre, Carpathain Forest, Darkthrone, you guys and a bunch more issuing statements to that end.  Why is there this growing indifference and even scorn for people’s opinions?

It’s the only attitude to have. This isn’t high school prom here. I think the reason why there is a growing indifference because being open minded and more social didn’t get us anywhere. It’s not anybody in society’s right to have any influence on what you do or what you are into. This is not for people who are walking about everyday, so to them we say Fuck Off and Die. It’s basically the coup de taut saying “you don’t have any significance to me at all.”

The international underground seems to be becoming very scene oriented again after a bit of homogenization.  What do you think of this practice of separating the underground based on nationality?  I know you guys are automatically lumped in as part of the American Black metal scene.

We’re in them regional days as I call em. I think it’s easier to have your own scene then try to share it with the whole world really. I don’t think any band’s music should be judged on where they are from though, take Katharsis, Paragon Impure, us, Sarcofago, Abyssic Hate, Mortem, Blasphemy, Darkthrone, Abhorher, Sabbat, etc. etc. These bands are all from different countries and continents so that argument flies right out the fucking window. I don’t think we are part of any scene based on nationality. We are a band from the United States, and one of the fucking lamest states at that, fucking Utah. I don’t see it as a big movement or something to take part in, USBM that is, but my main point is, good underground black and death metal comes from fucking everywhere. Except fucking Africa! Haha, well no, I did hear of a band from South Africa recently that I found to be pretty good, they are not niggers though. Heh.

The 5 year Anniversary of 9/11 was just other day.  I have read some opinions from other people in the underground that they are happy that this event happened to the US.  Do you have any thoughts on the even itself and that of people who hold this opinion?

I think it’s a big conspiracy brought on by our own government and the continuing interference by Israel and Saudi Arabia in our country. ZOG is out there and it really does exist, people. I am not taking a racist stance by saying that necessarily either, but it’s obvious to see the apparent results of this international plot for control of the world’s wealth and interest. I say feel free to be indifferent and to hate anybody for any reason. So if all of the people died in the WTC, too bad, should have called in sick that day. I shed not one tear or let that shit affect me, unless I am in the airport and my plane gets delayed, then I can’t help it if it affects me, but it is a mere inconvenience. Oh yeah, I must say there is no way that two planes could take the buildings down the way they were designed. Also, that Larry Silverstein guy who only made a 147 million investment and got several billions out of the insurance? Does anybody ever bring that up? Of course not! Jews control the news on TV so this is no surprise.

What does the future hold for Ibex Throne?  Any touring?  New material being recorded/written?

Yes actually, tours will be happening early next year and yes a bit of new material is on its way!!

Any final words Before you Fucking Kill?

Yes, my final words are Fuck Off and Die (tongue firmly in cheek). Kill kill kill!!!