========INTERVIEW=======
Q - "Arising Realm" your last album was out in 1997. What's happened for Ragnarok since this time ?
J. : That is right!! We released the "AR"-album in -97......Since that we have played on a festival in Germany, been on a little tour and ofcourse made new songs which are now released on our new album called "Diabolical Age".... I know things have taken a long time since the 97 release till the 2000 release, but the main problem have been studio problems and the label's money heheheh
Q - Your new full studio album, "Diabolical Age", is released since a few days. Could you describe this new album? What has been the musical progression since "Arising Realm" ? I think "Diabolical Age" is more brutal, more aggressive than in your 2 first productions...
J. : The new album Diabolical Age is much faster and brutal than the two other albums we have released, we are also using minor of synth on this album but we still keep much melody in the riffs... but on this album we are using the guitar as the main instrument in melody and not the keyboards. The musical main progression is that we have been better on our instruments and are playing more professional and technical riffs on "DA" than on "AR"-album.
Q - It seems that the lyrics are not very happy with tracks such "The Heart Of Satan" or "Certain Death". Do you consider that this satanist approach is only for your music or do you live in this ideology? Are you against the Christians, like a person, or against the church which has enrolled them?
J. : I have to say one thing CLEAR to you and people around the globe: All of our lyrics are our personal believes, ideology and lifestyle...We are not using satanism just to sell a few album,to scare someone or just a image......We are one of the few bands that really are satanists and I personally started up with satanism a long time before I started to play Black metal......It is sad to see many people play so called black metal and don't know a shit about it.....The reason of why I just said "so called black metal " is because it is not a black metal band if the lyrics aren't Satanic..... Personally I don't go out on the street and beat up a christian because of his beliefs(that is more over to New Nazi attitude)... I am fighting the religion,the church and the christian society so that more people will understand that they have been brainwashed by the bible and so on.....
Q - In this way, what do you think about the physical aspects developed by bands such The Kovenant (ex-Covenant) or Samael ? Do you think that the black-metal style should have only a satanist vision
J. : As I said in the previous question is that a BLACK METAL BAND is BLACK METAL when the lyrics are satanic and the people involved is into satanism in one way or another....About Kovenant and Samael I don't know anything about their beliefs because I haven't talked with them for a long time...But I know that Nagash(Lex Icon) meant that I was a satanist some years ago...... Black metal=satanic Vision........Other bands that not have satanic lyrics should not call them self Black metal.... And what is worse that a black metal band sings about Love hahahahah BLACK METAL is Hate......
Q - As we said, "Diabolical Age" is released 3 years after "Arising Realm" which was out 2 years after "Nattferd". It seems that you take your time to compose your productions. Why this ? Do you prefer to privileged the quality rather than the quantity ?
J. : Well first of all many things around the late releases have been laziness hehe....But in the future we will not use that long time........I hope
Q - After the recording of "Diabolical Age", you vocalist, Thyme, has left the band. What's happened with him ? Have you found a substitute ?
J. : yes that is right...Thyme left because he wanted to earn his money in a factory and start a more straight life than rock 'n roll -life..... Any way we have not found a permanent member yet but we are searching as hell...so if anyone is interested contact me at jontho@sensewave.com we have a session though that is Caligula from Dark Funeral.......
Q - You have known an other change in the Ragnarok's line up with the coming of a new guitarist, Sander. Could you present us this new member ? What has brought Sander to the music of Ragnarok ? Do you think it was very necessary to introduce him in the band while you had already recorded your new album ?
J. : Sander is an old friend of mine that I also played together with in a band called "SHADOW DANCERS" and another project called "OVERLORDS"..... Anyway we had to have another guitarist to make our music even better in the future so we asked him and he started right away..... Well it was necessary to take him to the band because of different things...First of all our thoughts was that we needed a "step in" for Rym when I couldn't play live and such... also we wanted two guitarists to make even more professional riffs than before with maybe some solos and stuff...
Q - Since the beginning of the band, you are on the Norwegian label Head Not Found, subdivision of Voices Of Wonder. Are you happy by the work of the label ? Have you never thought to change your label for a structure more important ? How have you seen the evolution of the label and the evolution of Voices Of Wonder ? What are the bands that you support on Voices Of Wonder ?
J. : Well we are not pleased with the work they did on our Two first recordings because the promotion sucked so fucking much...But on the new one they have done a great job so far. We have ofcourse thought about changing label but after the first album VOW came up with a great deal that we said yes to two more albums on their label...Anyway these days we are searching for labels that is interested and want to prior us as number one...... so the future will tell whet label we will be on. Voices of wonder have done almost all the work with us so you can say that it have been great to have them beside just HNF....Metalion is a lazy rocker you know heheheheh On voices I don't support any bands because no one supports us heheheh Well serious we are first priority of HNF these days so I don't know....some of the bands is maybe Forlorn, Troll, Grievence and a few more.
Q - An other band in England has the same name that yours. Have you never had problems with this ?
J. : it have never been a problem but if it will be we just change the name and spreads the new name all over and then conquer the world once again with a new name:)
Q - I think that you have planned a tour for the promotion of "Diabolical Age"...
J. : Actually no!! we have many plans but nothing settled yet...Maybe we go with Dimmu borgir on a European tour but time will show.....But one thing is sure and that is that you will see us a lot on the road in the future....with blood spitting and whiskey heheheh
read more info on the band: RAGNAROK official site