Interview with Frozen Eye (Excerpt)

Q: Hails, thank you for agreeing to do the interview! How is life going?

A: Everything’s great, thanks for asking. I definitely don’t feel like I’m past my prime, and retirement is still a long way off. Every day, I’m working on new projects—whether for the label, the band, or something else entirely—so there’s no chance of boredom or idle time here!

Q: To kick things off, how is work progressing with the upcoming Kyffhäuserreich album? What can fans expect from your interpretation of this ‘lost’ work by DMD from Absurd’s early years?

A: Kyffhäuserreich is just one of several settings where we’re currently being creatively active with Absurd. The original DMD concept serves only as a rough guide and basic inspiration, but apart from the lyrics, we won’t be using anything exactly as he envisioned it nearly 30 years ago. For Kyffhäuserreich, I’m imagining the grandeur of Wagner operas, both musically and visually, in the style of late 19th-century Romanticism, with a focus on neo-Germanic and neo- pagan themes. That’s the vibe this album is aiming for, though it’s not really representative of Absurd’s current direction. We’re also hoping for support from a talented guest musician who I believe is the perfect fit to help us complete Kyffhäuserreich: Athalwolf from Wolfnacht! He’s definitely interested, and we’re working to make it fit his schedule. Unfortunately, a release before 2026 isn’t likely, but progress is being made—the lyrics are ready, the visuals are already more than perfectly realized, and the music is currently in the works.

Q: How has Absurd’s ideological & musical Weltanschauung evolved over the years and through the different phases of the band’s existence, als die alten jung noch waren if you will?

A: That’s a question for a cozy fireside chat, haha. With a band history now spanning 33 years, there’s no short and sweet answer. Broadly speaking, Absurd’s story can be divided into three eras, each distinct in music and ideology, though with fluid transitions. The founding phase and first era ran from 1992 to 1999. Our early demos capture our initial musical and lyrical stumbles—very juvenile noise and chaos. Then, due to the imprisonment from 1993 to 1998, a coming-of-age happened, especially in lyrics and concepts, culminating in the 1999 release of Asgardsrei. The second era began two years later under Wolf’s leadership. He initially drew on DMD’s remnants but soon found a unique, striking style with Totenlieder. Unfortunately, this era ended ingloriously when temporary member Unhold, starting in 2012, nearly suffocated the band with his leaden apathy, killing Wolf’s passion for the band. In 2017, I decided to return and lead the band, taking it in a somewhat different direction. Still, there’s a musical and lyrical thread running through Absurd’s work from the start to now. Simplified, it could be seen as a search for a counter-reality, implying a crossing of boundaries.

Q: Your current fellow members seem to have integrated well into your Schwarze Bande. Widar especially seems a natural choice given Bilskirnir’s reputation & musical prowess! How did their invitations to join come about and how have they added to your vision for Absurd?

A: I’ve known Widar for a long time, and he’s always been a friend to me and Absurd. After he moved to Finland for personal reasons and found bandmates there to rehearse and record with, we talked about the possibility of a Bilskirnir performance in Italy. Due to the phony pandemic, that never happened, and instead, he used the opportunity with his new bandmates and rehearsal space to record ideas that didn’t quite fit Bilskirnir and shared them with me. I really liked what I heard, and together we decided to bring those ideas to life with Absurd. And so we did! As you mentioned, he’s the perfect choice as a songwriter for Absurd—he’s known the band for ages, is a big fan, but also stands on his own with Bilskirnir. He doesn’t need Absurd to prove himself as a musician, which allows him to handle DMD and Unhold’s musical legacy with confidence and ease. But the other (Finnish) members of Absurd have also made essential contributions to our recent releases, and I expected nothing less—after all, the Finnish local scene is globally renowned for its professional and creative work in black metal!

Q: Digging beneath the surface of Schwarze Bande & Das Heer Aus Dem Dunkel, many of the lyrics strike me as autobiographical, especially “In Blut Geschrieben” & “Begraben Für Die Ewigkeit”. To what extent have you consciously drawn upon your personal life when creating your music? Have you felt the connection between yourself & Werner Best’s heroic realism you claimed as a primary inspiration?

A: Autobiographical elements may exist in my lyrics, but they’re not the focus. Absurd isn’t about me, even though I realize and express myself creatively through this band. I’ve always found the idea of the anti-hero fascinating, as it’s often just a subjective perspective or politically correct viewpoint that casts a (historical or fictional) figure as a hero or a villain. You know the old saying about “one person’s freedom fighter is another’s terrorist.” The heroic realism of Werner Best is, to me, a guiding principle in my own life. Only by fully embracing the awareness that you’re fighting for a lost cause in a hopeless position, and will likely fall, can you preserve your idealism in this dark age. I’m deeply moved by stories of luminous figures and their visions, those who briefly illuminated our dark world with a flash of radiant light before being swallowed by the darkness. Or the empires they sought to build for a thousand years, only to see them crumble into fire and ash. Ach! To trade a lifetime for a moment of that radiant bliss in such a counter- reality, where you’re at peace with yourself, the world, and humanity, no longer feeling like a stranger in a hostile world—and then let the devil take me! That’s roughly the mood I aim to convey with Absurd.

Q: How have your recent split releases come about, particularly the Thuringian Pagan Madmen split with Goatmoon, Barad Dur & Dark Fury? Are there standards that other acts must meet before you choose to make a split with them? Are there plans for more of these in future?

A: We know all our split partners and consider them friends and comrades. That’s how you should picture our approach to collaborations—someone comes up with the idea together, or one asks the other, and they agree. So, there will definitely be more split releases in the future. I also see it as a great opportunity to experiment with Absurd and record something that wouldn’t fit on any other release.

Q: To pursue inspiration, which periods, Zeitgeists & individuals throughout history & mythology have had the greatest impact on your outlook, both artistically & personally? Are there any you would implore readers to study for themselves? Your essay on Baron von Ungern-Sternberg caused me to research this enigmatic eccentric myself!

A: There you go, haha, because if there’s anyone who could be a personal role model for me, it’s definitely the Baron! He’s simply the perfect archetype of black metal. A warrior and a mystic who walked the path of excess to the palace of wisdom, ultimately fulfilling the dream of becoming a god. At the same time, he reconciles the Occident and the Orient in a way that should point to the future. Terrible wars have been fought between West and East, while the common enemy has only grown stronger. Nothing does that enemy fear more than a declaration of war from an empire where the sun never sets! That’s what the Baron stands for, and it’s a vision I share and also champion!

Q: Your logo designed by Antichrist Kramer differs decidedly from Absurd’s iconic logo, how did Kramer and you come up the design? Was the change done to mark a break from the pre-2012 era of the band? It’s a shame to see such classic logo go unused on new releases!

Q: No, the new logo wasn’t meant to draw a line under a previous era. We already used the logo with the sunwheel and Mjölnir on Asgardsrei, and it will continue to be used in the future, for example with Kyffhäuserreich. I might be a secular pagan who looks fondly on the Nordic-Germanic pantheon, but now, as I write lyrics for Absurd, I want to focus on the human condition in all its tragedy, contradictions, and complexity, with religious themes playing only a minor role. Absurd doesn’t play pagan (black) metal, and the logo should reflect that!

Q: Now for some fun questions! What do you make of Unhold’s interpretation of Kyffhäuserreich, “Der Kaiser in Dem Berge” from 2024? Has this had an impact, if any, on your own release for the upcoming album, and how does it differ from your own version?

A: It’s just the usual recycling of leftovers with Unhold. By his own admission, he’s had these songs for over 10 years but never bothered to record or release them. Why? Because he didn’t think they were that great and always believed he could do better himself (which might even be true, except he hasn’t written his own songs in almost as long!). When it’s said that he stuck “as close as possible” to DMD’s original compositions during the recordings, it not only shows a lack of his own creativity but also raises the question: why didn’t DMD just go into the studio himself and record these songs with Unhold? I mean, what’s with this weird situation where someone is still active as a musician, perfectly capable of recording his own songs, but instead sells them to someone else who then records them “as faithfully as possible”? Very strange! I also don’t see this release being particularly well-received by fans. One comment called it “poor man’s Falkenbach,” and that says it all! When we release Kyffhäuserreich, everyone will see and hear how you can take someone else’s idea and develop it into your own vision.

Q: In respect to the drama over ownership of Absurd, would the option of legal action not be the best way to lay this to rest i.e. Gorgoroth’s 2007-2009 ownership trial? Have there been legal threats/actions taken or is there a roadblock preventing either party from pursuing this further?

A: Oh, come on, I’m certainly not going to drag the courts into settling the rights to my own band’s name. That was already ridiculous with Gorgoroth, and with Absurd, it would just be embarrassing! There was once a threat—or rather, a claim—that there’d be a legal battle over copyright, but that’s just hot air, and Unhold knows—hopefully!—exactly why. The question of exploitation rights for a band like Absurd, with many musicians involved over 33 years and recordings funded by third parties (who legally own them), isn’t something you can resolve with a Google search at the level of a first-year law seminar. Does someone really want to spend all that money and publicly go to court to claim rights to songs from, of all things, a “Nazi band” like Absurd, especially when they’ve had no issue re-releasing those songs on their own releases so far? I don’t think so. That’s why such a thing shouldn’t even be considered. Instead, I’d leave it to the fans to decide who represents the authentic Absurd today and who’s just a pretender.

Q: You claimed in a 2020 interview with Abominato Desolationis that “blood & soil are two pillars the entire genre of Black Metal is resting upon, knock them over and Black Metal will fall apart.” I’ve found the greatest artists reflect both tenants in their approach to music. How do you feel they are best expressed, and what forms do they take? Do they always be overt expressions of nationalism/racial pride or do you appreciate a subtler approach?

A: My understanding of “Blood and Soil” is explained by Blood = Descent and Soil = Origin. Ideally, the two align, as in my case, where my family has lived in the same country or region for countless generations, but alignment isn’t strictly necessary—it’s mainly about having a positive relationship with both. This is something you also find in Black Metal. When we talk about ancestors, their customs and traditions, or the beauty of the homeland that you wouldn’t want to lose, Black Metal, at its best, is national-romantic, standing firmly in the tradition of 19th-century European Romantic nationalism. Can you imagine Black Metal that condemns the past instead of glorifying it or curses the homeland instead of idealizing it? I think not. Norwegian Black Metal gained its immense power because it styled itself as the legacy of Vikings on dragon ships in majestic fjords, and this self-image resonated so well globally that Black Metal is now officially considered Norway’s most significant cultural export today.

Q: Can we expect any upcoming live performances from Absurd soon? A show sometime with Der Tod Und Die Landsknechte would be a phenomenal event!

A: We’ve received a ton of offers for gigs that we’d love to take on, but it’ll take a bit more time and preparation before we hit the stage again. I can already promise, though, that I know all the lyrics by heart and won’t need any lyric sheets on stage! A double bill with Der Tod und die Landsknechte sounds great, but it’d be a bit of an overkill. As an organizer, I’d split it into two separate shows to maximize audience response.

Q: To end, how do you personally measure success in Black Metal, and by this metric, what have been your most successful releases/highlights across your career?

A: I’m a humble person, and all that comes to mind is the proverb from the Hávamál: Cattle die, and kinsmen die, and so one dies oneself; one thing now, that never dies, the fame of a dead man’s deeds. So, it’s always those who come after me who can best judge whether I was successful or not. The best and most successful releases from Absurd are, of course, all those yet to come!

Q: Any closing statements?

A: Our next proper full-length album will be called Todeskampf and will deal with the final days of a collapsing Reich. I’m not explicitly referring to a specific empire—no, I have them all in mind: burning Troy, razed Carthage, plundered Byzantium, bombed-out Berlin, and many more. Such an empire isn’t built in a day, nor does it fall in just one. It’s often a slow and bloody process of decay and collapse, a veritable tragedy that pierces through marrow and bone even generations later, filling one with awe and horror. How something so grand, beautiful, and sublime can be brought to ruin and perish—what an immeasurable loss! And even in the face of its downfall, one still gazes in wonder at this marvel, this promise of an alternate reality, and then sees all those tiny people who, out of envy, hatred, and enmity, brought down something so mighty, and you refuse to acknowledge them as victors. No, you want to curse them, them and their children and their children’s children, so that humanity, even a thousand years from now, never forgets what they took from the world. As someone with a cyclical worldview, I know that decline and death are inevitable. But so soon? So cruelly? In the end, the only choice is whether to go out with a whimper or a bang. And my God, some of those dying empires left this world with a thunderous roar that can still be heard today, an echo we aim to capture with the new album!