GORGOROTH Guitarist: 'You Dance With The Devil, You Take What Comes'

Newsweek Poland recently conducted an interview with GORGOROTH guitarist/founder Infernus. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow:

Q: There has been a lot of controversy about your concert in February 2004 in Krakov. Have you ever experienced similar problems (protests, abusive comments in the press, legal charges) in any other country you have visited during your career?

Infernus: No. As a matter of fact, this is to the extent it has developed been quite unique. We have, of course, faced all kinds of hassle during the years out travelling, for instance having members from the special force 'del cuerpo de Proteccion a Personalides Importantes' (PPI) to gas the audience at a gig in San Salvador the year after. It was a rather severe riot where people got injured followed by loads of media attention and amongst others negative critizism. Nevertheless, Poland is unique to the degree the public authorities, district attorneys and others, have been involved, and I guess its the only and perhaps last time in modern history a music band are brought before trial on charges of blasphemy. Say, don't you have better things to use the taxpayers money on in Poland these days?

Q: Recently Mr. Tomasz Dziubinski from Metal Mind Productions was sentenced for organizing your concert in Krakov in February 2004 illegaly. Do you also hold him responsible for not seeing to all the formalities? How would you comment on the accusations directed at Mr. Dziubinski? Is it just another sign of lack of tolerance and opression of Satanists?

Infernus: Hey, I wasnt informed about this. How much did he get? We hold him responsible to the degree we had a lot of work done together that now seemingly will not benefit much any of the parts involved. Morally wise, I hold nothing against him, he is to me only a businesspartner and a producer. I must nevertheless point out that it's generally speaking not a bad idea to mind one's steps. You dance with the Devil, you take what comes.

Q: You claim that your concerts are intended only for your own audience, therefore, no one should feel offended by your music. Do You believe in absolute freedom of expression, with no limitations? Should there be no censorship, or are there certain ideologies of hate, like racism, that should never be voiced.

Infernus: Racism, as you mention as an example, should be fought with reason and cleverness, not censorship. I understand that you have to deal with a certain amount of this as well in Poland. My suggestion, easy and one-dimensional it might seem though, is that you spend the above mentioned taxpayers money on sport activities and cultural arrangements for the kids giving them something proper to do, then perhaps in some magical way or another they won't go off beat some black kid instead.

Q: The famous calfs' heads on the stage of your 2004 concert are said to represent Christians. You claim that everything in your music is a symbol. Are you planning any new, even more original and bold stage settings in Your concerts?

Infernus: Sheeps' heads, you mean? For even the most illiterate, the sheep does represent flock mentality. Flock mentality has many names, and one of them is Christianity, with its contempt for real power and beauty. Even Jesus from Nasareth was on this the same mission. "My name is Legion, because we are manyfold." As I see it he had as a main mission bringing a message of a new time in which ethical sense would take over for the need of the Torah. What we might be planning or not is not to be made public at the time being. The world is, in other words, still not a safe place.

Read the entire interview at this location.