Deathhammer interview with Sadomancer

MORBIDZINE: Hails to Deathhammer! Thanks for taking the time to speak with us. You offer a killer fusion of old-school death/thrash and early black metal, with a full-on '80s concept that true old-school fans will love. What’s the main ideology behind the band? And how did the idea to start Deathhammer come after Ghoul Cult?

SADOMANCER: Hails! Our mission is to keep the burning flame of old metal alive and to spread this to the correct headbanger faction who fully understand what metal is all about. We have no ambitions or ideals—except maybe to kill everyone on this planet. Me and Slasten actually joined Ghoul Cult only as live members when Johnny Tombthrasher decided to revive the band for a few destructive shows that went great. (Except maybe the show where we played as the opening act for Pagan Rites and Mortuary Drape, which could’ve been better.) Those shows were classy, and we’ve always been huge fans of Ghoul Cult.

MORBIDZINE: Your song structures are rich in raw metal elements from the ‘80s, especially in tracks like "Savage Poser Hunt" or "Forever Ripping Fast". Even though it sounds primitive, it’s still a hard sound to catch. I’m sure people compare you to some old bands—do you agree with any of those comparisons?

SADOMANCER: We don’t care much about song structures (at least I don’t, hehe). We just go with the riffs that fit the song best and always make sure to include a solo. If we start thinking too much about complexity or arrangements, that’s when we know it’s time to scrap the song. Some songs on the next release may be a bit more complex than the EP, especially our latest track “Queen Death”, which was inspired by the Japanese black metal gods Sabbat. We’re often compared to bands like old Kreator and Bathory—which are two of our main influences—and that’s great. What’s even better is when people recognize our massive influence from Sabbat. We’re influenced by ‘80s metal bands and styles, but also bands like Nifelheim from the ‘90s who played in an ‘80s style. Our core is simple: pure METAL.

MORBIDZINE: It seems like "Forever Ripping Fast" from 2008 leaned more towards speed metal compared to earlier recordings. Is this the sound Deathhammer is aiming for? Will your new recordings be different?

SADOMANCER: Hmm, we never really thought of speed metal while writing the riffs for “Forever Ripping Fast”, but we’ve always listened to a variety of speed metal over the years, so maybe it shines through. The songs on that EP are influenced by Destruction, Razor, Bathory, Sabbat, and Nifelheim, and in my opinion, they owe more to Slayer, Kreator, and especially Destruction, than to direct speed metal. It would be killer to do something like Iron Angel’s “Hellish Crossfire”—a thrash metal record that's just as evil—or a track like Exciter’s “Under Attack”, which totally fits our style (though we’d play it faster of course). Our next release, “Phantom Knights”, will be out soon via Witches Brew and features songs like “Graveyard Necromancy”, “Evil Blood”, and “Unholy Sacrifice”, which are darker and pure Bathory/Venom style. Not much change—just darker and more hellish. Same goes for “Onward to the Pits”, which we recorded before “Phantom”.

MORBIDZINE: I heard there were some updates in the recording process of your upcoming LP/CD “Onward To The Pits” (which will also be released as a 12" on Hells Headbangers). What can you tell us about this album?

SADOMANCER: The recordings for “Onward to the Pits” are done, but this time we used analog equipment for the first time, which made the mixing process a bit tricky. I still have a digital recorder too, but we’ll probably re-record the album with the same equipment we used for “Phantom Knights”, and add some new songs we didn’t manage to include the first time. Recording and mixing is a damn hassle, but once it’s done, it’s worth the effort. The “Onward to the Pits” session took over a month, and Slasten even lost his job because he spent so much time at my place recording and drinking, hehe.

MORBIDZINE: The "A Tribute to Sabbat" album was released, and you covered “Black Metal Vulcano”. Will there be other covers on future releases? And what are your thoughts on Gezol in honor of Sabbat?

SADOMANCER: Yeah, that’s right, and it turned out great. We recorded it at the Nekromantheon guys’ "ass-kicking studio", so cheers to them! It was released as a bonus disc with the English version of their 1999 album "Charisma" for Sabbat’s 25th anniversary. Being part of an official Sabbat release is extremely classy! Sabbat is the only band I can think of that’s worth the effort for a tribute. I’m not usually a fan of bands doing cover songs on albums—even if they’re good. We’ve played covers live from bands like Razor, Hellhammer, Motörhead, and Sabbat, and that’s always been fun. About Gezol? Sabbat will forever be kings of blacking heavy metal, and they’re one of the few bands who’ve stayed true to their old style. DIE HARD!!

MORBIDZINE: We hope to see a split with Deathhammer and another band. Any such plans? Would you consider doing it with a band from Norway or maybe a killer South American act?

SADOMANCER: There’s a 4-way 7" split coming at the end of the year, which we jokingly call “Negrothrash” (just a joke!), with Nekromantheon (again, just a joke!), Carniwhöre, and Black Magic (where I play drums and do vocals). It’ll be great. There are a few newer bands we’d enjoy doing a split with, but that doesn’t mean they’re particularly important to us. We’re in contact with killer South American bands like Witchtrap and Nightmare. If they asked us to do a split, we probably would. But we’re not the kind of people who spend the whole day hunting down bands for splits. Albums are what matter. (What a joker, right?)

MORBIDZINE: Since the start, Deathhammer has operated as a two-member band. Is it hard to find members who match your musical/ideological vision? Or is it purely your choice?

SADOMANCER: We’ve had others, but it never worked like it does with just us. For live gigs, we've had many members helping out, so live shows have never been a problem in that sense.

MORBIDZINE: The Deathhammer logo appeared in Darkthrone’s F.O.A.D. album. We know Fenriz is a fan and supports you a lot. Are you friends with him? Also, what are your thoughts on the latest Darkthrone albums?

SADOMANCER: Haha, a lot. We knew him a little and started spreading our name and stuff by going to shows, and since then he’s supported us. “Circle the Wagons”, along with the new Burzum album, is one of my albums of the year. (Still waiting on Sabbatrinity... and the new Körgull will be killer too.) I worship every era of Darkthrone, but what they did between '91 and '95 is some of the best music ever made. I'd even add “Hate Them” as my favorite black metal album after 2000. (Damn, he’s even talking about Burzum!)

MORBIDZINE: Your demos have interesting cover designs—they remind me of the early Sabbat releases. Were you influenced by them visually? What’s the story behind the covers? For example, how did you come up with the concept for “Wrath of the Antichrist”?

SADOMANCER: No Sabbat influence. The demo covers were just stuff I drew while bored at school. There should definitely be more demos, since now I’m working and even more bored, haha (at least I got this interview, hehe). The “Wrath of the Antichrist” concept is about a demon in hell throwing a poser into a lake of fire as he tries to enter the gates of hell.

MORBIDZINE: Sadus released "Death to Posers" in 1986, and at that time, the metal scene wasn’t as crowded with posers as it became in the '90s or now. Today the scene is filled with fake offshoots and trends, especially since the millennium. Yet old-style metal and punk/metal bands are rising. What do you think the future of the metal scene looks like?

SADOMANCER: Well, I always thought the metal scene peaked in 1986. Posers and trends will always exist wherever people seek validation, acceptance, and community—like Christianity or other dumb herd mentalities. I hate and despise them! The future of metal looks good with bands like Körgull the Exterminator (who made one of the best black metal records last year), Vomitor, Negative Plane, Hellish Crossfire, One Tail One Head, Salute, Obliteration, Nekromantheon, Slingblade, Portrait, Helvetets Port, Sauron, Teitanblood, and of course the immortal veterans like Darkthrone, Sabbat, and Vulcano.

MORBIDZINE: Many old bands are reuniting lately, but some lose their original musical form and end up sounding more melodic or groovy. Do you think reunions are a good move? Which reunited bands’ recent albums have impressed you?

SADOMANCER: No, it rarely works—but Vulcano released two killer albums after reuniting. (Just check their newest—better than the one before!) Also, the new Burzum album is mesmerizing, so never say never.

MORBIDZINE: What LPs and EPs have you bought recently? Also, what have been your favorite recent records? Let us know your favorite bands from South America and elsewhere.

SADOMANCER: I recently bought Tyrant - Too Late to Pray, Iron Angel - Winds of War, Carrie - Secrets, and the first Eddie Meduza record. Last night I listened to Burzum - Burzum. As I mentioned earlier: Witchtrap, Nightmare, Teitanblood... and I also like Disaster’s Criaturas del Mal from 2006 (and the Desquiciado demo is even better).

MORBIDZINE: Let’s move on to drinking. What kinds of alcohol do you use to shake your brain the most? Any brands you’d recommend?

SADOMANCER: I’m an active beer drinker and always go for the cheapest brands because I drink frequently and can’t afford to pay ridiculous prices for beer or any other alcohol, hehe. The brand I usually drink is called Borg and it’s sold at a local shopping center 20 minutes from my house. If they bring in another cheap brand, I’d drink that too, but cold Borg is good. For special occasions (weekends and travel), I sometimes go for Hansa Fatoel or Jim Beam.

MORBIDZINE: Thanks again for speaking with us at Morbidzine. It was an honor to talk with Deathhammer. Finally, name 3 legendary bands from the '80s you would have liked to play in. And feel free to send any final message.

SADOMANCER: I’d like to play in the band behind Samantha Fox and watch her change backstage before shows. Black Magic has a new demo out—if you want to buy it, email evilrites[at]gmail[dot]com. “Western movies!”