This is the second interview with ZØRORMR that I have featured on this site, but the first one was aaaaaaaggggggeeeeeeessssss ago, so I think we’re well overdue one.

Not only will you get a highly interesting interview on this page, but there is also a competition at the end! Woo hoo! Keep reading to find out more

Anyway…. let’s roll…

Lou: Greetings Moloch! I’ve just realised that it’s been a few years since we had a ZØRORMR interview on Loucifer Speaks. Let’s rectify that now! How are things in your dark little corner of the universe?

Moloch: Hell-o Lou! It’s been a long time since our last chat, definitely too long… but I’m glad we can finally have this conversation! Everything is OK for me at the moment; I’m focusing on the promotion of “HIS” after the release. It’s been some time since that and now it’s all about interviews and reviews (laugh).

Lou: “IHS” has recently had its official release. What sort of feedback have you received for it so far?

Moloch: I think the feedback is pretty amazing; having in mind how many media in Poland was interested in supporting this album. People really enjoy the album; they don’t whine and bitch about it, so that’s a kind of relief (laugh). But seriously, there are some negative reactions to it, I do have some “anti-fans” or “haters” but I don’t give a fuck about that. What matters most is that there’s a lot of people that really relate to what I do, and that’s pretty amazing.

Lou: If you’ve got “haters” surely that means you’ve made an impact? What sort of negative comments have you received? Do you feel the urge to quote any of them? I could do with a laugh!

Moloch: Hard to tell if I made an impact. To be true I don’t really think so. But I read some opinions full of hatred and jealousy about my music, mostly from people that don’t know shit about what I do. Sadly, it’s normal nowadays. Polish internet, same as the World Wide Web is one big dumpster and it’s full of assholes. I have to deal with it and I do, in my own way. What’s really comforting that they are the minority, and the majority of people online are really cool. Even if they don’t tattoo the ZØRORMR logo on their backs they don’t bitch about it. And that’s a positive thing (laugh).

Lou: How do you feel about all of the keyboard warriors that the internet has spawned? Everyone’s a music critic these days (including me!). Do you try to read all of ZØRORMR’s reviews? Do you ever respond to the negative ones?

Moloch: Tricky question. I’m really grateful for a tremendous work that many “keyboard warriors” put to support ZØRORMR! You know that you are one of the brightest stars supporting my cause (laugh). The internet press has helped me much in my crusade. But there are better and worse websites, zines and so on. It was different 5 years ago when I was doing dark ambient. Many of those zines don’t exist anymore, new have spawned. Their quality is another thing, but those people are mostly amateurs that do it because they love metal. Can’t judge them because of that. I really read all the ZØRORMR reviews mainly because there aren’t hundreds of them so I can control it. I tried to respond to every negative review I got back in the days but now I don’t give a shit about that. I don’t write music for the journalists I do it for myself and for my listeners. Period.

Lou: For me, “IHS” feels like a more mature and complete album. Don’t get me wrong, I love “Kval”, but you’ve definitely taken “IHS” to another level. Would you agree with that? Were all of the tracks on “IHS” written specifically for the album?

Moloch: “Kval” was supposed to be raw, because it was the sound of my fucking basement (laugh). Also the story behind the debut and the message was pretty simple and needn’t any kind of sophistication. With “IHS” the story is different, mainly because I had something else to tell my listeners both through music and my lyrics, so the second album had to be more complex and intense than the first one. It’s still some kind of a basement feel and sound but really more mature than its predecessor. I can agree with that 100%. As for the tracks, they were all recorded for that album. It’s how I work. I always have the concept in my head and then write the music. There were no leftovers from “Kval”, I had some ideas from that time but left them alone. I sat down with the “IHS” concept in my mind and wrote the whole music in a month or two.

Lou: Why is “Arise, Cthulhu, Arise!” not on the official release?

Moloch: This track was meant to be on the final version of the album but I decided not to release it just before the premiere of “IHS”. Some of the adverts still say it’s 45 minutes of music – and that was including the 12th track. It’s a good song but I think it doesn’t really fit the whole “IHS” concept so much, it has become too much of a chant or a “sea story” or whatever. Don’t forget that the 11th track “I Am Become Death” is a classic “grand finale” so there was nothing more required after that. But be patient, I will release the track someday, perhaps as a free download?

Lou: So, where was “IHS” recorded?

Moloch: All the guitars, bass, keyboards and vocals were recorded in my own Red Dragon Studio named after a red dragon print that I have on my wall. It’s a really small room with few instruments and a considerable collection of liquors (laugh). I recorded all the instruments besides drums between August and October 2011 under the supervision of Quazarre. He was a real pain in the ass always bitching about my technique and precision. But thanks to him this album really is the shit, you know? Icanraz recorded his drum parts in Studnia Studio in Bialystok a month earlier than I recorded the guitars. Then everything was put together in Flumen Studio in Warsaw by Flumen himself. So I’ve done the bits and pieces of the album here and there as you can see.

Lou: Are you a fan of that rough production (or, at times, lack of production) that some Black Metal bands go for?

Moloch: Depends. It has to really fit into the music itself and what the band has to offer. Making raw production only to pretend to be “true” is pointless. Also too much Pro Tools is a fucking disaster in music. You got to have that “human touch”. You play good, you play precise, but this can not sound like you are a damn robot. And many bands go for that and “overproduce” their music. This is what happened to DIMMU BORGIR with “Progenies of the Great Apocalypse”. The album was pure plastic (laugh). I really enjoy the sound of WATAIN, IMMORTAL and bands like that. I’m not a great admirer of black metal riffs that melt into one big piece of shit where you don’t know where’s the beginning and where is the end of the song. Those times are prehistoric. Now I think that this rough production must be natural to the band’s message and image. It can’t cloak their inability to play at least decently. ZØRORMR’s sound, due to many reasons, was raw from the beginning. And I think that it will stay that way for some time…

Lou: Even though “IHS” sees you team up with a number of guest musicians, ZØRORMR seems to remain a solo project. Why is this the case?
Would you ever consider getting some musicians together to play some shows? If you went on tour with Devilish Impressions, you’d have Quazarre on hand for some tremendous solos

Moloch: Ha ha ha. That’s a good idea, why haven’t I thought about it? (laugh) But ok, I’ll answer you in a different way. Everybody asks me these questions about live shows and so on. I would like to remind you that it’s not the core of black metal, never really has been. I’m no purist and don’t give a fuck about the canon but playing live is a rather complicated and risky endeavor. Would like to play a show or two with Q. as my lead guitarist but I don’t know when or if it will be ever possible. I would need a full time band for that which I don’t have. Why I remain a solo project? I’m a control freak. My vision is what really matters and I always want to achieve what I aimed for. I don’t have the time nor the stomach to deal with compromises, other people’s visions and shit like that. And that’s the thing you have to deal while having a regular band. Besides that I’m a misanthrope, don’t you know? I really hate the fucking crowds (laugh).

Lou: Why do you consider playing live to be risky?

Moloch: Because you never know if you won’t be hit by a half empty bottle of beer (laugh). But seriously, to perform ZØRORMR live I would have to have a regular band under my control and people that I could trust and understand 100%. And it’s something you don’t get with session musicians or people you’ve met 2 months ago that auditioned to play a gig. Since I don’t have all what I need to perform live now I won’t do it. I need this to be perfect, so I won’t risk doing it having in mind the facts that I told you. Other thing is that playing black metal live should be a ritual and that’s not so easy to achieve as one may think…

Lou: If you were able to get a band together, what would your live ritual involve?

Moloch: Through ritual I don’t mean to have naked guys on crosses with their dicks out or some animal heads stuck on pikes. That’s so cliché (laugh). The ritual should combine of music and visuals combined in a matter that should give you the opportunity to transcend beyond… I won’t say more than that. You’ll just have to wait and see what I’m talking about. Perhaps you won’t have to wait so long to live the experience…

Lou: Which bands have managed to achieve ritualistic live performances in your opinion?

Moloch: It’s hard to name those bands. Like I’ve told you sometimes the so called “ritual” is all about showing tits or pouring animal blood on your face. It’s atavistic and intense but then again primitive. I’m looking for something more sophisticated. But from the bands I listen to the most amazing and ritualistic performances are given by WARDRUNA. As for black metal I think that WATAIN would be my pick.

Lou: You’ve mentioned that playing live is not at the core of Black Metal. If that is the case, what would you say is at the core of Black Metal?

Moloch: Many black metal bands choose not to play live, because it’s not really important for them. The important thing is the message, the music itself. It must be contemplated by the listener; he must truly melt with the riffs and open his mind to something really disturbing. So it’s a kind of ritual that you don’t need the company of others (like on a live gig) but you can do it alone. For me black metal was always a music for strong individuals not the typical “team players”. As for the core, it’s quite simple and obvious. It was, it is and always will be Satan.

Lou: Would you say that Satan (or satanic imagery) features in your music? What are your personal beliefs? Do you think it’s important for your listeners to be aware of and/or agree with your beliefs in order to appreciate your music? (Three questions for the price of one there!)

Moloch: Satan is the keyword for rebellion and struggle. Of course it should be associated with Lucifer but he becomes Satan and under this name the rebellion rages on! I would rather think of those figures as metaphors for certain truths and views that I have. I’m not a theistic Satanist nor do I follow the path of La Vey. My views are in the lyrics of both “Kval” and “IHS”. I think that the listeners should go through the lyrics and then they will know what my music is all about. As for the agreement in the line of my views and my listeners views… If they listen to the music they must appreciate the whole package. Otherwise it wouldn’t make any sense. But I’m no preacher for them and I’m not giving them anything more than doubt. For now…

Lou: You’ve described the core of Black Metal as a whole being Satan. What is at the core of ZØRORMR?

Moloch: The core is yet to be revealed. For now it’s covered in darkness, totally obscure and hidden from the human eye. The concept is evolving, taking shape. I don’t want to discuss this matters right now. The layers of my philosophy have been shown but the true revelation will come later. The third album will give you answers, I guess…

Lou: Quazarre has created some fantastic solos for this album. What was it like to have him back on board? Did he join you in the studio, or did he record his parts separately?

Moloch: Yes, he did. He also helped me a lot with my guitar playing skills, supervised the guitar recording process so he really contributed a lot. After we were done with me recording the bass and guitars he recorded solos in his own little studio. He is a very talented musician and a real live performance musician, he loves the stage! I’m a little bit different, so is my music that’s really not like what he does with DEVILISH IMPRESSIONS. I think that he really enjoyed helping me out with “IHS” and this won’t probably our last collaboration…

Lou: Now that I’ve had the chance to read through the lyrics whilst listening to album, it feels like there’s a strong ‘occult’ element running through “IHS” (particularly in “Harrowing of Hell”). What draws you to this kind of imagery?
Religion, in some form or another, appears frequently in Black Metal. Where do you stand on the subject?

Moloch: Satanic imagery like goats, pentagrams, tearing up the “Bible” and all that shit really is not enough for me. I also don’t put an effort to be more occult than satanic or pagan… It’s all too shallow for me, sorry… The lyrics must make a fucking statement, you know? And since the occult philosophy is a part of my life it’s just a part of who I am. So I guess I’m not drawn to it from the outside, but it’s something that consumes me from the inside. Other thing is that with BM bands many times all that matters is the speed, technique, sometimes rawness, brutality or simply pure noise. I work hard on my lyrics because I believe that it’s an important part of my message and of what ZØRORMR is. As for religion, Christianity in this case, I think that I needed to focus on this subject on “IHS”. It was natural for me at the time I wrote the music and the lyrics. Christianity has made a huge impact on me and I’m in the process of detoxing my organism from it (laugh).

Lou: There are many Black Metal bands that feature a lot of occult imagery in their lyrics, how important is it for you that they ‘practice what they preach’? Is there a need to be authentic when it comes to that kind of thing or do some take themselves too seriously?

Moloch: I think it was always important for me to “practice what you preach”. But then again how can you expect a BM musician to be this true incarnation of Satan 24/7? When I was younger I thought that being true was all about make up, cone studs, leather pants and angry grimaces (laugh). But it’s only a façade or a pretext. Also for me. There has to be something more, because if there isn’t anything more in this it’s not worth the discussion. I really enjoy both the simple black metal message of bands like CARPATHIAN FOREST and the sophistication of late EMPEROR so I think that it’s important to find the golden rule between the corpse paint and being serious. I try to do this in ZØRORMR but then again I get a lot of shit for doing it this way. I don’t want to be too serious, because then you become funny. And even then that I really enjoy what I do with this project it’s not just for fun. I think that my listeners know what I mean and if they dig through my riffs & vocals they will really find what they are looking for.

Lou: You’ve said there that if you take yourself too seriously, you become a joke. Who do you have in mind when you say that? I can take a few guesses!

Moloch: Name just five… (laugh).

Lou: No, you go ahead, name some names

Moloch: Naming those guys isn’t such a big problem; many of them are in the spotlight right now. Playing big gigs and posing as celebrities… But who cares about them? I don’t. I’d rather tell you which names are really inspiring and which I truly respect, because they are true to themselves. You don’t have to like them, you don’t have to enjoy their music, but I think we should respect them for who they are and what they have done. And I’m talking about musicians like Rob Halford, King Diamond and Rob Zombie. Three different persons, three different music styles, but similar attitude on stage and in life. Hard to find this in black metal nowadays. Too much “true wannabies” and not so much serious people around if you know what I mean. But then again if I had to pick from this field I would say that Ihsahn would be my pick, even though I’m not a fan of what he does now, but he is a real something. An artist true to himself with a huge impact on the genre. That would be my pick…

Lou: Back to your own music…

Moloch: Finally! (laugh)

Lou: Quite a few bands have returned to releasing music on analogue formats – such as vinyl and cassette. Would this be something that you would consider doing for future ZØRORMR releases?

Moloch: Vinyl perhaps, a cassette… possibly some day. But only just for fun, really. I don’t think it’s the main format I would ever use. I have some cassettes but they are only getting dusty since I have no player required right now. My old car had only a cassette player so I was listening all the time to OBITUARY, HALFORD and PANTERA (laugh). Now I can finally listen to my NAGLFAR albums and that’s a true blessing… As for vinyls I’m no vinyl freak. It’s a popular trend right now, own as much vinyls as you can. People miss the old days, the 70-ties perhaps, so they try to bring that spirit of vinyl mania back. I don’t care about that since I’m a kind of an 80-ties guy and do prefer the CD. But like I’ve said it would be fun to see ZØRORMR on vinyl and cassette.

Lou: Do you think that we will eventually come full circle with the way that we listen to music? MP3s and the like are wonderful for convenience, but there’s something about listening to an album on vinyl – another ritual, if you will.

Moloch: We all live in a fucking rat maze. Always in the rush. There’s not too much time to celebrate music like people did only 20 years ago… I rarely listen to full albums at home so I use the “convenient way” and use digital music. A track or two from this, a track from that and so on… Not the best and “true” attitude but that’s how real life looks like right now. It’s funny but I mostly listen to full CD’s in my car now. Hard to call that a ritual… Perhaps when I’ll retire I’ll have more time to read books and listen to vinyls. Let’s hope it will be possible some day… Only then the circle will be complete.

Lou: Since this interview is getting rather long, I think we should try to wrap things up now. What’s next for ZØRORMR? Do you have any news on the horizon? Anything that I could announce as a bit of a Loucifer Speaks exclusive?

Moloch: I don’t think so (laugh)

Lou: Ah, go on…

Moloch: OK. Right now I’m focusing mainly on the promotion of “IHS” which will last for a few more months. But that’s quite obvious that you promote your latest recording… You wanted an exclusive, and so I’ll give you one: In early March I’ve started gathering ideas for the next step and until now I’ve already written 11 tracks for the follow up of “IHS”. This makes almost 60 minutes of music, so intense and insane that will fucking blow your mind! In the next few months I will be making the final arrangements to record guitars and drums. By the end of the year the album will be ready and hopefully in 2014 it will hit the stores. Satisfied? (laugh).

Lou: Thanks again for talking to me. As you know, I can’t rate what you do highly enough. Is there anything you would like to add? For instance, where can people buy the new album from? (sorry if that’s a bit mundane!)

Moloch: It was a real pleasure Lou. Thank you very much for your continuous support for both me and ZØRORMR! Nothing more, nothing less… Only this: buy the damn CD (you can do it here: www.hellshop.eu) and support my ongoing crusade at ZORORMR.net and facebook.com/ZORORMR ! Stay heavy and remember, Black Metal ist Krieg!

Now for the competition……..

Would you like to win a copy of ZØRORMR’s first album, “Kval”, on CD? Of course you would! To enter, simply leave a comment below. The comment can be anything you like – even if it’s just “I want the CD, ta very much”. However, any comments that make us smile will gain extra points

The winner will be chosen by me on the 1st June 2013 and announced shortly afterwards (the official closing date is midnight (GMT) on 31st May 2013).