The legendary Tsjuder has a physique of labor that’s since earned them a status as one of many style’s most revered and influential acts. Fashioned in 1993 by Berserk and Nag, the band’s sixth album Helvegr is a uncooked, brutal, and fearless ode to authenticity that crushes listeners with the burden of a basic. It delivers precisely what you need from black steel whereas transporting you to an entire new underworld of fireside and ice. So evidently, we preferred it lots.

Nag has had a wonderful profession with Tsjuder and past, so we have been naturally honored to have the chance to talk with him about Helvegr previous to its launch.

I wish to begin by saying that l was fully blown away by Helvegr. I actually love the album. You truly informed Greece’s The Gallery that Helvegr is the report that greatest represents Tsjuder. That’s an enormous assertion, contemplating all your previous work. May you please inform me a bit bit in regards to the inventive course of?

To start with, in Tsjuder, we’ve got made music in a number of alternative ways. The best way we began out is that Draugluin and I sat collectively. He has many of the riffs as a result of he’s a guitarist. I additionally convey riffs to the desk. We make music collectively. That’s how we began the band. That’s the best way we’ve got labored for many-many years. Now we have executed some albums a bit otherwise. For some albums, Draugluin has made principally every thing. Antiliv is definitely the one album that we made principally within the rehearsal room.

For Helvegr, the plan was to make the album within the rehearsal room, and we tried to do this. I introduced riffs, and Draugluin introduced riffs, and we tried to make songs. However we found out that me and Draugluin assume alike, however Anti-Christian needed to do one thing totally different. We struggled a bit bit with that. And, yeah, finally, Anti-Christian needed to depart the band as a result of it didn’t work anymore. Throughout that point, I feel that Draugluin was fairly fed up, so he began to make music simply by himself. That’s how many of the album occurred — Draugluin made the music, and, after all, he despatched what he was making to me. I made feedback and was a part of making some minor modifications, nevertheless it was primarily written by him.

Do you assume that possibly the frustration helped make this such an unimaginable album?

Not likely as a result of most of the riffs have been already current. I feel Draugluin had a imaginative and prescient of what he needed to do, and he simply determined that with a purpose to make a brand new album he needed to do one thing. So, I don’t assume it modified something musically. The best way it turned out was the best way we needed it to be within the first place, nevertheless it was not what Anti-Christian needed.

I do need to say that Anti-Christian is wonderful. He’s been part of so many cool bands. You’ve been blessed with plenty of nice drummers. Jontho, for instance. Blod. Jon Rice, who you’re working with now, is clearly improbable. And there was additionally Desecrator. He returned that will help you write the lyrics to the title monitor. Seidemann contributed some lyrics as effectively. He made a visitor look, as did Pål Emanuelsen, who additionally produced, combined, and mastered Helvegr. So, is there something that you may inform me about how the lyrics have been composed this time round?

I misplaced depend of what number of lyrics Draugluin wrote and I wrote. I feel that what we tried to do began on Antiliv. Again within the early days, I might write lyrics, and there could be no modifications. However, let’s say, for the final 10 years, I could make lyrics that aren’t full. I can ship them to Draugluin and ask: “What do you consider this? Is there one thing we must always change?” He’ll give his suggestions and possibly make modifications or options. And it’s the identical the opposite approach round. At any time when he writes one thing, he sends it to me, and I give him suggestions on it. That’s how we work with lyrics.

Concerning “Gods of Black Blood” with Seidemann, the lyrics have been truly already executed. I used to be recording vocals, and I requested Seidemann if he needed to hitch me to assist out and provides me suggestions. I additionally had a plan to ask him to do some vocals as effectively. We found out that on “Gods of Black Blood,” it will be cool if he did his half the best way he up doing it. He has a naturally darkish voice. He wrote the lyrics for the ending of the tune, they usually actually match every thing. So, that’s how that happened.

However, normally, to put in writing lyrics, I must have some inspiration. I can’t sit down in the future and say: “Okay, as we speak I would like to put in writing lyrics.” That’s almost unattainable. I may be doing no matter. I can take a hike within the mountains, or I may be driving my automobile, or I may stroll the canine. Then, one thing hits me, and I get a place to begin for a lyric. And possibly what we battle essentially the most with in Tsjuder is having sufficient lyrics.

Was it arduous to sit down on this materials for a year-and-a-half earlier than its launch? And have you ever been writing new materials since?

The factor with Tsjuder — and that is in all probability the explanation why me and Draugluin have performed collectively for 30 years — is that we’re very a lot alike. However we’re additionally extraordinarily totally different. I’m the one that desires to push stuff. So, I’m pushing him to do stuff, to launch stuff, to report stuff whereas he’s the one holding again. We sort of steadiness one another out. So, yeah, as quickly as we completed the album, I used to be like: “Oh, come on! Launch it tomorrow!” However then, after some months, you don’t actually neglect about it, however you don’t actually give it some thought that a lot anymore. Season of Mist was working with the album, so it was completed a number of months after. They have been nonetheless doing stuff like the duvet and the packaging. After which, there was silence for one 12 months, I suppose. They began contacting us once more, I consider, in January, and I requested about doing the video. Then, the ball sort of began rolling once more.

The video is wonderful. Your collaboration with Season of Mist goes again about 20 years. You inked with them in 2004, or, a minimum of, that’s when your first deal was introduced. Desert Northern Hell was your first album with them. So, is there something you’d prefer to say about how your collaboration with them has advanced?

Yeah. Truly, I feel it was 2002 or 2003, simply after Demonic Possession. And, to start with, Season of Mist was, after all, a a lot smaller label. The explanation that we began speaking to Season of Mist, I consider, was Carpathian Forest. However then, we have been speaking straight with Michael [Berberian], the CEO. And, yeah, through the years, Season of Mist has grown. We’re in touch with numerous different folks in Season of Mist, not a lot Michael anymore. Via the years, they’ve been doing a wonderful job. They’ve been pushing us. They attempt to make life as straightforward as potential. And each time we ask to do stuff, they have a tendency to attempt to prepare it, for instance, the particular version of Helvegr. We didn’t focus on it, however they did what we needed. I feel we’ve got a mutual respect for one another.

Talking of the Helvegr field choices, you’ve the 5 Bathory tracks with Frederick Melander that represent Tribute to Bathory Scandinavian Black Steel Assault. So, that’s superior. You’ve already clarified elsewhere how that happened. So, I wish to ask: are there are some other bands that you simply wish to cowl sooner or later? You’ve lined a few Beherit tracks and Mayhem’s “Deathcrush.”

Yeah. I feel that’s a bit bit by coincidence… To start with, “Deathcrush” is a very simple, primitive tune, which is ideal to make use of as a warm-up whenever you rehearse. We performed it so many occasions that, okay, let’s simply report it. So, it’s only a rehearsal recording, principally. We recorded Beherit a very long time in the past. I feel Drawing Down the Moon and in addition The Oath of Black Blood have at all times been actually inspiring albums for us. Bathory has at all times been one of many essential influences. Now we have additionally lined Sarcófago’s “I.N.R.I.” And we may undoubtedly cowl extra bands. Now we have executed that within the rehearsal room, however I don’t know if we are going to report something. All of it relies upon. The Bathory bonus was primarily executed as a result of Frederick actually needed to hitch us for it. So, we thought that was a very good thing to do. And, yeah, then Season of Mist needed us to have a bonus, in order that was good.

I believed it was attention-grabbing that on The Thomas Eriksen Podcast, you said that you simply took a bit little bit of inspiration for Helvegr from Manes.

Yeah, I feel it modified a bit bit. After I talked with Thomas again then, I feel our songs have been sort of within the pre-recording part. And the sound at the moment was extra like a demo sound, which I actually-really like. A few of these songs have components that I actually assume, a minimum of with the sound we had, have been actually giving me the sensation of Manes. Their three demos are very particular to me. It’s not the sort of music that Tsjuder will play, however I feel the ambiance and every thing on these three tapes is simply superior.

Agreed. Whoredom Rife is one band who has lined Manes. You’re going to be sharing the stage with them in Denmark at a competition. And also you even have Midgardsblot and Mexico. However you simply performed Throne Fest in Belgium. How was that?

Throne Fest was good. It was a really totally different live performance for us as a result of Draugluin wasn’t capable of play, so Pål stepped in on guitar. That turned out nice. It was totally different, you realize. I’m used to having Draugluin there, nevertheless it was cool. It was good assembly up with Marduk and Nordjevel.

Nice bands, clearly. So, for Helvegr, how lengthy did the oldest thought date again, as a result of for Legion Helvete, for instance, you took lyrics from ’93-’95?

I feel, with Tsjuder, we’ve got at all times had the core of the band, which was sort of established in ’93 once we began. And we’ve got at all times, I don’t know what phrase to make use of, sort of stayed true to the core… It’s not about staying true to it — it’s simply who we’re. It’s the music we like and the music we prefer to play in Tsjuder. And the inspiration for every thing we do is kind of the identical. Once we go into the studio, we convey three albums. I feel we introduced all three albums for every thing we’ve executed as a reference. It’s nonetheless like that, principally. I nonetheless have to match every thing to De Mysteriis Dom. Sathanas and Pure Holocaust. And likewise, there’s a few Marduk albums thrown into the combo.

In fact, it’s actually vital that you simply, as you stated, have stayed true to your sound and picture. You’ve stored the motto: “No Fucking Includes!” So, it is a totally different sort of query: on Thomas’ podcast, one factor you probably did point out was that you simply used the rehearsal place on Skippergata with Mayhem, Ulver, Arcturus, and many others. You informed a sword story. So, I used to be questioning if there are some other recollections out of your time on Skippergata that you simply’d prefer to share right here.

That was time. The incident with the motorbike was particular.

What incident with the motorbike?!

Mayhem… If I keep in mind accurately, we had in all probability been at Elm Avenue [Rock Café], and we went again to the rehearsal place, which was in the identical constructing, simply on the other facet. There was plenty of noise within the hallway. I feel the rehearsal room was on the fifth ground. It turned out that Mayhem, or a few of the guys in Mayhem, truly introduced a motorbike up the steps to the rehearsal room. The objective was to throw it out the window. And the factor with the rehearsal room was that it didn’t have regular home windows. It had these tall spherical ones. They have been like, I don’t know, possibly 30 centimeters huge, or 50, or one thing like that. And, clearly, the motorbike couldn’t match. So, that was a enjoyable story. And, yeah, it was simply havoc. Like each time we got here to rehearsal, there was a be aware on the door from a lawyer, a warning or an eviction discover.

So, Krypt is one other band I actually love that options you and Desecrator. In 2019, on Fb, Desecrator wrote that you simply have been going to make a brand new album. Is that going to occur?

I don’t know. I feel me and Desecrator are very a lot the identical. Now we have at all times stayed pals, even after he performed in Tsjuder. He’s at all times been certainly one of my shut pals. We’re sort of like Ren and Stimpy conspiring to take over the world. So, after a few beers, yeah, we had large plans. It’s actually arduous to say. I imply, I do know that he has been making music. I’ve been making music, which in all probability received’t match with Tsjuder. Possibly it can match with Krypt. Pål can be part of Krypt. And, yeah, we discuss it like each month, so let’s simply hope that we are going to do one thing quickly.

You’ve been part of so many different unimaginable initiatives like Isvind. Gehenna stay. Beastcraft stay too — you appeared on a few their albums. You additionally made a visitor look on Urgehal’s Aeons in Sodom. Doedsvangr’s Serpents ov Previous. After which, there was Secht, which was such a cool mission…

Yeah, it was totally different!

So, I used to be questioning what your ideas have been when the concept to contribute was introduced to you, as a result of I really like the album, and, as you stated, it’s so totally different. Did you perceive what Secht was going for?

Not likely, as a result of it’s Vrangsinn. You by no means know what he’ll do. I don’t keep in mind when he informed me about it. It was fairly a while earlier than he truly recorded it. He simply despatched me the monitor and was like: “That is the monitor. Have enjoyable. Do your factor.” I actually respect him. He’s only a nice man. Dirge Rep was additionally concerned, however I consider that Vrangsinn was sort of the driving power. Dirge Rep can be an incredible man. I felt that it was an awesome factor to be a part of it. I’ve 100% respect for everybody who participated.

Similar right here. By now, so many black steel bands have had their very own beers. We talked about Thomas — Mork, for instance, has had three. You brew your individual. When are we going to see a Tsjuder beer?

Properly, we’re consuming it proper now. I imply, I brew beer in my storage. That’s only a interest, after all. I brew batches which can be 25 liters, or I can brew 80 liters. And if I brew 80 liters each week, clearly, I will be unable to drink it myself. So, I simply give many of the beer that I brew to pals. Draugluin and Pål and everybody round Tsjuder, they have been actually enthusiastic about all of the beers as a result of they really turned out superb. So, we did make a Tsjuder beer. There was “Tsjuder’s Black Blood #1.” I don’t keep in mind what 12 months we did that. Then, we determined we would have liked to do it once more. Possibly “Tsjuder’s Black Beer #2.” However it’s only for pals, you realize. We are going to by no means make an official Tsjuder beer. So, with a purpose to style that beer, it’s worthwhile to bribe me by some means.

It’s for the music gods solely. I wish to thanks for the improbable interview. In fact, I actually recognize your time and music. I can’t watch for all of the optimistic reactions as soon as the album drops. Do you’ve any closing phrases for readers?

Yeah, take a look at Helvegr when it comes out. It’s undoubtedly not for the plenty, and it’s Tsjuder. It’s black. We’re humble and recognize folks taking their time to do and skim interviews with us.

Tsjuder’s Helvegr is accessible now by way of Season of Mist. Order the album right here.