Interview with Striborg

You know one of those numerous occasions when you accidentally set about your Girlfriend tape with a rusty chisel, drop it in a barrel of oil from a car deemed unsafe to drive by the Devil himself more than one hundred years ago, leave it in the car when it's picked up by one of those electro magnets, then crushed to the size of an apricot Copenhagen, and finally lend it to your friend who never returns your things in the same condition that they left your possession. Plus it wasn't Girlfriend at all; it was a recording of an oil tanker's hull ripping open. Well that's the sound of Striborg and Vail of Darkness. Just a few of the numerous names and projects which cover Sin-Nanna. Put simply; he/she/it is an entity, which does stuff! Read on!

You've been in a lot of bands, you are a lot of bands. Please tell us, briefly if you wish, about your musical career up to this point? And if you have a time machine, tell us passed this point also. (Boring question, I know).
Well I guess my first musical experience in extreme music started in 1988, I was using a bike and folder as a drum kit and two plastic things to hit it with, one in between the spokes and one on the folder, this was practiced with a friend on guitar (acoustic).
But seriously it started in 89 for me in a death / doom / black metal outfit named KRUCIFIOR, we even played with MORTUFUCKEDKATION in 91! Then that band turned into BAALPHEGOR in 94 then split up. AZIMUTH started in 96 playing live black metal, then split up in 97.
My personal projects started in 93 with KATHAARIA (black metal) which turned into STRIBORG in 97, as well as a BLACK AMBIENT project called VEIL OF DARKNESS. And I have played in ALPHA CENTAURI and collaborated with of course your very own LAMENTUM. (I only encourage name dropping in special circumstances. Well what do you know, this is one of them. Ed.) Boring answer, I know.
Oh yes, of course I play in a death metal band now as well called M.S.I.

I've heard you are planning to re - release some of your back-log of material on C.D. When is this to come about and which releases?
My back log of releases will be re-released on C.D. next year in a very small quantity, or even made to order. This will include all releases on FINSTERNIS PRODUCTIONS. (There will be cassettes as well).
What I'm planning on at the moment is releasing FINSTER 6. Which is STRIBORG/ VEIL OF DARKNESS: MISANTHROPIC ISOLATION/ In the valley of the shadow of death. This will be limited to 50 copies on C.D. and 50 copies on tape.
Next year I will bring out an 8" VEIL/ STRIBORG single limited to 20. I hope one day to afford a proper release or get signed.

Do you think it will be violence and aggression, or slyful manipulation, which will change the world? Do you think the world will, and or, can be changed?
I think the world is for ever changing and for the worst. There has, is, and will always be conflict and violence in the world because our minds are so rotten with hatred towards mankind. And so we should be (to most). As for slyful manipulation there are always people trying to change the world, manipulate and mould our pathetic lives with ever advancing society. There are so many sheep in the world affected by it. The world "mother earth" cannot be changed as far as the parasite US has cancered it. It has and will in the future put Karma back upon us with its own cancer and disasters. We are killing it, so it is killing us. We can't do anything about it now, it is too late.

Your solo albums have always had a raw and explosive sound, and the releases seem to get uglier and more evil. Why do you feel the need to batter us to a pulp with your music?
I play my music with one obsession (which is a cliche) total darkness, but there is one difference between my music and most black metal/ ambient bands and that is that it is dark as hell, with the exception of some true black metal bands. Or maybe should I say classic releases.
My ritual music is black meditation music for the soul, it captures feelings, anxieties and nightmares in soundscape form. The reason why I play it is because it actually exists in nature and everyday life. It's not Satanic Christian bullshit. I have my own beliefs as with some that do, but if I was to call myself of any religion, it would be of Paganism.
My black metal is pretty much the same, but more lyrical emotions and dark fantasy worlds created.
I don't think I batter to a pulp with my music, maybe KATHAARIA- Isle de Morts did that! I want to rather evoke the psyche, the spirit within the listener, to penetrate with pure negativity and fear of them selves and life it self. I guess haunt them. I wish I was a ghost.

What do you think about black metal bands in Australia, and indeed yourself if you do, who sing about ice and frozen landscapes, when it's so bloody hot in this country most of the time?
I only like two bands from New Holland, (this doesn't include VAN DIEMEN'S LAND, that is ABYSSIC HATE and BAALBERITH). The bands down here (Tasmania) are heaps better!
I do sing about our nature here and refer to mist, fog, snow, and cold landscapes, because our climate is colder here. It's ridiculous black metal bands over on the main land singing about such things when it is so hot. Anyone can have concepts to do with full moons, night and forests. We have that every where, but there needs to be a reason for doing it, not for fun, but some thing driving you from the cathartic soul.

I've read somewhere that you've had an extreme haunting experience. Tell us about it?
I was with a friend and walking home at night, I saw this house and it looked like a classic stereotype of a haunting house. It was vacant. I walked with my friend closer to the house. After walking onto the property, we had a dreaded feeling, my friend saw this figure with a glowing white head. As soon as I was in the radius the terror was more anxious, we walked right, it went left looking out the window, and when we walked left the same, peering out at us. (The song Beyond the Shadow of Silence is dedicated to it!)
We ran for a bit then walked down the street back home. Every thing was desolate. Wind gushed down the street, it's essence.
As soon as we got home a light globe blew, a string snapped on my guitar by itself. I felt at the edge of panic at all times. I said to my friend let's stay up all night until daybreak, I'm worried if I go to sleep someone will come around to visit at night and scare me. No one ever came around to visit at night but I felt strange and wanted to stay up. Every time we spoke about what had happened during the night, tears came to my eyes like my soul was crying even though I wasn't.
Anyway, someone did come around, about 3:30 am in the morning, so I was right, my instinct were right as though it was kind of protecting me. The next day I felt that I had a hang over and the day after that like whatever it was were trying to make me ill, it was a fucking negative ghost and we shouldn't have bothered it.
We went back to the house, there was nothing inside the room, empty. There was no street lights nearby to reflect off the windows, there was nothing that could have caused that illusion. We both saw it and felt it. Or was it an illusion, and did we bring it on, but what about the coincidences?

INDEX