Soon will be released book BLACK METAL: THE CULT NEVER DIES VOL.ONE. Here we propose to you read an informative interview with book author, Dayal. More about book itself you can read here.
Hello Dayal! Great to see you here on Antichrist zine space! Please introduce yourself to the readers.
My name is Dayal Patterson and I’m the writer (and photographer) behind the books Black Metal: Evolution of the Cult / Black Metal: The Cult Never Dies Volume One. I also write for various magazines and run (with some assistance) www.CultNeverDies.com, a publishing company specializing in metal and cult music.
Where are you from actually?
I am English – from the south, now living in London for about a decade and a half.
Well, the main theme of this intie is upcoming book BLACK METAL: THE CULT NEVER DIES VOL. 1, are there any news regarding it’s printing etc, when fans should expect that rag?
I actually received the test pressing copies a few days ago, and the first runs of books are going to print next week. The official release date is the 31st March and the books are already available to pre-order. By the looks of it they will be sent out a bit before that date, so we are well on target.
Is it your first book so far? If not, please tell us what the books you done already and how good they were sold?
The first book was Black Metal: Evolution of the Cult which was officially released via American publisher Feral House on the 31st December 2013/. That book began this project you can say and has been very well-received -sales are healthy although exact numbers are a little hard to say because a lot of them go via the publisher/distributor.
What drive you to write the books about metal? You know, nowadays people almost forgot what paper is all about, they just like surfing an internet and looking info at some sites or wikipedia (the last is most idiotic way to find some info as for me).
Yes and this is a great loss to metal culture in many regards, the internet has largely replaced books and fanzines for some and in the process the approach of some listeners has become rather more superficial. For those who discovered black metal after the nineties I think it is already hard enough to fully understand the movement, but if you’re relying on online pages for information you really don’t stand much of a chance. Another problem is that a lot of people writing books and making films aren’t even from the scene so you end up with the blind leading the blind and a false picture being built up. So all of this was the motivation really. I had waited for someone else to come along and create a book that told the true story of the movement but eventually I got tired of waiting and started it myself – that was mid/late 2009.
Returing to Black metal book. Do you make it alone or there is/are some people who help you with that?
No – aside from proofing, both books were created entirely by me and of course this meant a huge amount of work (much more than I originally thought actually).
How did you composed stuff for the book? I.e. did you had ALL needed thoughts all together BEFORE start writting or there are some ideas which you got while writting process directly?
No it definitely developed and evolved over the four years because I was constantly learning more and was being told things that hadn’t been shared before. Some of this time was also taken up waiting for interviews to happen as well so even after two years I still needed to get a lot of source material and speak to more people. The new book has been much quicker to create because people have a better idea of what the project is about, so tend to respond much more quickly.
The book also will have some notes from Black metal musicians. Do you know some of them personally or you just wrote/call to them etc?
Today I know a fair number of these people personally, though many I actually met creating the first book. I did already know some of them before I started though, usually because I had dealt with them in some context while writing for magazines. So it varied quite a lot – in some cases I contacted people directly, in other cases press agents, friends, label managers or mutual contacts would help me set things up.
I saw die hard layout made in very old-school way, who draw that?
Not sure which you saw, but basically all the layout for the new book has been done by me. The illustrations for the two covers of Black Metal: Prelude to the Cult came via two artists and friends of mine – Gareth Elliot and Venien (of VON). The main (photo) cover for the new book was made by me, and the alternative first edition cover was again created by Gareth Elliot with some art direction by myself. The Cult Never Dies logo was made by me and appears on the boxed edition cover. I think that covers everything.
What is your favorite metal genre, Black metal only, or you also listen to some other styles?
Black metal is my favourite genre in metal I would have to say, but I listen to most forms of music to some degree, metal and otherwise.
What is black metal for you personally? And what do you think regarding so called “Black metal evolution”, i.e. many old cult bands stopped play BLACK Metal and start play some Black metal parodies, with all those modern sounds and ideas?
I don’t think one needs to worry about bands changing style, because for every band that becomes progressive or experimental, another ten form who are dedicated to the old sounds of the eighties and nineties. And one must remember that if it wasn’t for bands breaking the rules there wouldn’t be black metal (as we know it) at all – all the important black metal bands of the eighties and nineties were doing new things and experimenting – just remember how many people hated what Mayhem, Burzum and Darkthrone were doing around 91, 92… and today there are 10,000 bands copying their blueprint. Black metal has always been defined by a twin current of innovation and tradition I would say.
Do you believe Black metal roots hidden behind Scandinavia only? You know, even those cult Black metal musicians told always the facts that is there wouldn’t such bands like Venom, Hellhammer/Celtic Frost, Possessed etc etc – there would NEVER be such black metal ala Darkthrone, Mayhem etc… And all respect towards Norwegian black metal was made just thx Varg, who burn the churches.
Black metal is an international movement and predates the Scandinavian explosion, I don’t think that can be denied. It was born in England with bands such as Black Sabbath and Venom and then transformed into what we know today by bands in Sweden (Bathory), USA/Canada (VON, Blasphemy, Possessed), Germany (Sodom, Kreator, Destruction), Brazil (Sarcofago, Vulcano), Switzerland (Hellhammer/Celtic Frost, Samael), Greece (Rotting Christ, Varathron, Necromantia), Eastern Europe (Tormentor and Master’s Hammer) and so on. But having said that, there is no doubt that Norway had the most profound impact in bringing black metal back from the dead, renenergising it both musically and aesthetically.
What can you say about Black metal gays? Yeah, you read correct – gays, I’ll not name the bands, but I’m sure you know who I mean. They even do not hide these facts, moreover – they shows it even on gigs…
I think that might be the strangest question I’ve answered so far for this book. Well yeah, I guess there are gay people in black metal; I think the percentage of gay people in the population is like ten percent or something, so the percentage of gay people in the black metal population is probably about the same (or maybe a little below). To be honest I’m don’t understand why some people become so interested in other people’s sexualities (unhealthy interests perhaps…) so I’m not sure how to answer. It’s a good time to be a straight black metal male, there are plenty of nice girls in the scene these days (which a great improvement from the nineties I must say) so why is anyone wasting their energy worrying about homosexuality? If we are only talking about bands then I think the musicians who I think you are refering (Shining?) are probably not gay, but rather provoking the audience. There are some gay people involved in black metal music but apart from Gaahl I don’t know that any of them are public about it? I guesss one day they will inevitably come out and thus destroy the worlds of those homophobic fans who once worshipped them (much as happened with Rob Halford and a few Priest fans I fear!).
Last years I often read such statements, like Scandinavian Black metal is dead ad unpure, and just French bands plays Pure Black metal, like their sound and music not belongs to old thrash / speed metal roots, but only based on purely dark and obscure rhythms etc. What do you think on this topic?
It’s an overstatement I guess, an over-simplification. The Scandinavian scene is alive and well with bands such as Mysticum, Mare, 1349, Dodheimsgard, Ondskapt, Archgoat, The Deathtrip, Kampfar, Vemod, Marduk, Craft, Arkanum, you know, the list goes on. But of course, that part of the world is not as important as it was in the early nineties, so it’s always going to be overshadowed by its own past. How could it not be really, it was the birth place of the second wave and everything has exploded in every direction during the twenty years since then.
Okay, let’s return back to the book. So, how many exemplares planned to be printed and how it will success with sales etc?
That is a good question and the answer is I don’t know. To release this on a specialist metal publisher is a big experiment and time will tell how this new model of working plays out. The advantage is that we now have complete creative control and can provide more in many respects in terms of quality and detail and so on (the boxed set edition is a thing of beauty for example). Disadvantage is that it won’t be in every book store on the street so we may make less sales in the end. But one thing I am fucking happy about is that all the people pre-ordering this book are showing their dedication to the project in a sense, there are no casual consumers right now. Reminds me of the old days haha!
Is there any secret you’d like to unveil partially to the readers regarding upcoming book?
The secrets are in the text itself, but I would say this book turned out a little darker than the last one because of the life stories of some of the participants. The only other thing I would say is that if you are a fan of bands such as Satyricon, Manes, Kampfar, Solefald, Wardruna/Jotunspur/Gorgoroth, Xantotol, Mastiphal, Arkona, Evilfeast, Mgła/Kriegsmaschine, Strid, Bethlehem, Forgotten Tomb and Total Negation, you will find a lot of previously untold information and personal insights.
Well, that’s all for now, just waiting for the book, it’ll be real pleasure to read it! Thx for your time and good luck!
Thanks for the interest and interview! Hails!
(c) Aleksandr Maksymov
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