NIFELHEIM
INTERVIEW BY DANIEL SÖDERBERG, PHOTO BY KRISTIAN BENGTSSON
Until recently, twin brothers Hellbutcher and Tyrant of Nifelheim have been famous mainly for their extreme taste in studs, their Iron Maiden obsession, and living in a castle. But then they released their latest album, Envoy of Lucifer , and now, whether they want it or not, Nifelheim are touring the world, selling t-shirts by the pound to those weird metal-t-shirt-collector types, and having all their old albums rereleased. This is all happening about 18 years into their careers. But does this make them happy? No sir-ee, these Complainy McGrumpypantses won’t be happy until they blow up their devoted audience. Good luck, Nifelheim!
Vice: How was Nifelheim born?
Tyrant: At the end of the 80s, at the same time that true heavy metal died, me and Hellbutcher started to feel like everything was so goddamn pussy. There were brown suede jackets with tassels as far as the eye could see. We wanted spandex pants and studs and corpse paint so we decided to start a proper fucking brutal band that could hold things down. We were very much into genuine black metal, like Bathory and Mayhem, so it seemed natural to play the most brutal and uncompromising music we could think of.
What was the black-metal scene like during the early 90s?
Black metal wasn’t always just fun and games, the way it is now. It was before you could buy Dimmu Borgir albums at Toys “R” Us. But after Euronymous was killed it blew up like an atom bomb. Bands grew out of the underground like fucking weeds. There must have been a million black-metal bands forming during the ’94 to ’95 period, and that’s when a big part of the genre died, at least to me.
Back then you said that you wanted to kill your audience.
One day, we will! We just need to do a few more gigs to build up for the ultimate ending, but it will probably come with bombs and napalm. Just liking Nifelheim won’t buy you a free ticket to escape the final judgment.
Yikesy. Your new album, Envoy of Lucifer, doesn’t sound like it was recorded in a dumpster 200 feet away. Are you getting soft?
Hell no! Throughout the years we’ve come to realize what absolute brutality is. It might seem like an utterly screechy noise is the most brutal sound in the world, and you might think that when you’re a teenager, but when push comes to shove, it’s the soundscape on Envoy of Lucifer that is the ultimate sound. You should be able to listen to it in the car without hearing just “kiiiiiish.” We’ve found the recipe that in the end will turn out to be the truth.
What’s the ultimate goal for Nifelheim?
It’s Armageddon! The ultimate termination. Everything will die. Much more than just the world, everything should die! Death is everything, life is nothing.
OK, thanks!
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Anonymous, on Aug 1, 2009 wrote:
When you’ve reached the point of being middle aged and you still can’t afford a decent apartment, let alone stereo, the ultimate idea of brutality and destruction ultimately end up as blasting your band’s shitty music in a 1991 Honda Civic.
With that said, I still play Devil’s Force in my metropolitan idiot shithole every now and then. But at least I have a dishwasher. | | Anonymous, on Dec 19, 2008 wrote:
Hahaha I love Nifelheim.
I ran into Hellbutcher inside the washroom of a bar during their aftershow party, and he accidentally bumped me and said in a funny Swedish ESL accent: "Aaaah excuse me, I am so fucking drank! I consumed a lot of liquours today!" | | Anonymous, on Dec 2, 2008 wrote:
I blew lines all fucking night with them in Mexico, shit, I should work for vice. | | Anonymous, on Dec 2, 2008 wrote:
I blew lines all fucking night with them in Mexico, shit, I should work for vice. | | Anonymous, on Nov 19, 2008 wrote:
d20 saving throw to salvage reputation. | | Anonymous, on Nov 7, 2008 wrote:
hahahaha...
it’s like watching the WWF. | | Anonymous, on Nov 6, 2008 wrote:
LOLZ
ALLTIMAYTE BRUTALITIEZ PLZ | | Anonymous, on Nov 3, 2008 wrote:
yeah deathklok right. | | Anonymous, on Nov 2, 2008 wrote:
tr00 black metal! br666tal! | | Anonymous, on Nov 2, 2008 wrote:
Dethklok? | | Anonymous, on Nov 2, 2008 wrote:
please kill yourselves. | | Anonymous, on Oct 30, 2008 wrote:
These guys should go back to Gorga Morga or where ever the fuck their from and do another roll of the die to get more charm points. Their virginal fat acneid fans would love it. | | Soda-POP77, on Oct 30, 2008 wrote:
fuck yeah NIFELHEIM!!
Didn’t know they were coming out with a new album!?
And re-releasing old one?!?!
I’m still running around with bootlegs!
Devil’s Force anyone?? | | Anonymous, on Oct 30, 2008 wrote:
Nifelheim are the best black speed metal band in the world precisely because of this belligerent baiting and the willingness to talk about what they like to wear to look cool. And also they make metal with balls, not unintelligible trash can recording bullshit. Shit-talkers FOAD. | | Anonymous, on Oct 30, 2008 wrote:
yeah metal is all about death.
if life is nothing then why are you even here?
kill yourself you fucking pussy. you’re a gutless cunt. can’t do it, can you. if you truly believed in wat you say you’d jump off a bridge. | | Anonymous, on Oct 29, 2008 wrote:
BECAUSE METAL IS ABOUT THE ULTIMATE DEATH AND ULTIMATE BRUTALITY YOU FUCKING CUNT WEINER INDIE PANSY!!!! MUSIC AND LIFE ARE NOTHING!@@@ GO SLICE YOUR LITTLE DICK OFF WITH A SMASHED HOOTIE AND THE BLOWFISH RECORD AND PREPARE FOR JUDGEMENT FAGFUCK!6!6!6! | | bunny21x, on Oct 29, 2008 wrote:
So they started a band based on their distaste for suede and a belief that spandex is "brutal"? How about starting a band based on music or sounds, stupid? | | Anonymous, on Oct 29, 2008 wrote:
i agree these guys are rocking the cover band look more than anything else | | Anonymous, on Oct 29, 2008 wrote:
only a swedish band could be this lame | | Anonymous, on Oct 28, 2008 wrote:
absolutely nobody cares about black metal anymore. nobody. | | mrpopenfresh, on Oct 28, 2008 wrote:
Why are they so happy to hate everything. | | Anonymous, on Oct 28, 2008 wrote:
Anyone here realize this is part of an act? Didn’t think so.
Heavy Metal is always humorous, and Black Metal is fucking awesome.
Grow a dick. | | Anonymous, on Oct 28, 2008 wrote:
they dont really even look like a black metal band. they look more like a iron maiden cover band. | | Anonymous, on Oct 28, 2008 wrote:
Pig Castle! Pig Castle! Arrrrgh me so crazy! I fuck chinese clay soldiers! I paint my face with vomit! I sniff my ass and gargle! I beat off with my mothers panties! I love the black metal! | | Anonymous, on Oct 28, 2008 wrote:
woa first! | | Anonymous, on Oct 28, 2008 wrote:
guy on the far left looks like sebastian bach | | Anonymous, on Oct 28, 2008 wrote:
and this is why the world laughs at black metal. | | Anonymous, on Oct 28, 2008 wrote:
if death is everything, why don’t these fucktwats kill themselves?
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