The Metal Crypt - Deströyer 666 Interview

Interviews

Interview with K.K. Warslut
Interview conducted by Barbara Williams (Crowley)

Date online: July 20, 2003

Hails from "Hell" Paso, Deströyer 666!!!! How are you guys doing? What made you select that name and why did you choose the 666?

It is the "great destroyer," that which destroys the world. The great fire, the scourge of the earth. the great pestilence, the destroyer of illusions.

What made you form Deströyer 666?

An in creasing dissatisfaction with my previous band, Bestial Warlust. At fist it was nothing more than a release for some more thrashy riffs that weren't part of the bestial sound. It took another three years to actually form it as a band.

What holds your band together?

A common goal. A love of the music.

You are total death metal but your vocal style has some brutal death influences. How would you describe your musical style and what other elements would you say are prominent in your music?

Everything in metal. I don't think there's one style we don't borrow from time to time.

How do you write your music? Is there a set guideline or do you write what you feel as you go along?

Exactly. I know many bands have a narrow goal they try to achieve when writing, but that's not our style. And I was sure to make that a point of the band after feeling trapped by the one-dimensional view of Bestial Warlust. Having said that tho', I'm glad now that "Bestial" were like that and that they said "no"to my riffs. There is beauty in the purity of such things.

Something I once shared also, but lost when I felt the urge to write other things apart from full speed ahead..

How do you get the inspiration for your writing?

Just play. Never was too good at working stuff out from other bands anyway.

Do you write together or separately?

Both.

The music scene really changed between the 70's, 80's and 90's. What would you say has been your strongest influence?

The 80s without a doubt, tho' credit has to go the 90s as well.

Which bands are on your list of favorites?

Destruction, Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Morrigan, Bathory, Burzum, Dissection, Primordial and on, and Ad Nauseum.

If I were to look through your CD collection, what would I find?

The above, and …jesus…a lot of stuff: Manowar, Judas Priest, Evil Angel, Vomitor, Gospel of the Horns, Emerald, Von, Meggido, Iron Maiden. You would, off course, have to look at my LP collection as that always outweighs my CD collection.

How was your tour? Which cities have you played?

The last tour was fucking killer. It was in December with Behemoth and Diabolic. And without a doubt was our most enjoyable tour yet. The longest party I've ever been on. Great company, lotsa booze, great crowds for the most part. It was, in fact, everything you could ever want from a tour …for my books.

Which songs do you like most playing Live?

"Sons of Perdition," "Raped"…and Destruction"s "Antichrist."

Besides Metal, what other types of music do you listen to?

Loreena McKennit, Ordo Equilibrio, Lustmord, Charles Manson, and some other ambient stuff.

Do you consider yourself an Underground Death Metal band?

Of course. I mean there's no doubt about it; to sell some more records would be great. Maybe then I could buy some more equipment. But I must say im pretty happy with our band at the moment.

How do you feel about mainstream bands, especially those who at one point started out as Underground?

Well, ya know, the biggest difference I think from the 80s to now is a band in the 80s wimped out. When they 'wimped' out...meaning their sound went gaycore. These days, it's a bit different. Krisiun would hardly be called underground anymore, but they are still heavy as hell (omitting the dodgy drum sound of the last album.) So it has a all new meaning today. One I'm not too in favour of: a band like Dimmu Borgir, I felt, made a concrete effort to get big and leave the Underground by copying a lot of the elements that made CoF big. And this straight after touring with them. Their case is simple. Other bands, I'm not so sure about.

Hell, if a band like Primordial suddenly got bigger (without proofing up their sound) then I'd say power to them. At the end of the day, it's not album sales or image, record labels, or anything, that decides wether I like a band or not. It's the music. Infernal Majesty looked like "glam fags," but made one of the best death metal LPs of all time.

You guys have other "regular" jobs? How do you divide your time?

We don't work. We hunt.

Do you feel that death and black metal bands have it more difficult to gain recognition compared to those who play other types of metal?

No, not really. BM bands get a lot of attention for saying stupid remarks to magazines and wearing makeup a lot of the time. DM bands simply have to tune down, get a good drummer, and sing mideless shit about gore, etc. The only problem facing these bands is there is a million other idiots trying the same thing.

Do you think you're attracting new fans or are you pretty much catering for the ones who have been with you from the beginning?

Hell, I don't know. I think both. I'll have to check the record sales to confirm that one.

What does "metal" mean to you?

Fire and passion; the Luciferian principal.

Could a band be labeled Christian death metal or is that an oxymoron?

Well, I think christians have caused a million more deaths than most other "causes" within metal, so maybe they do a have a point. Wouldn't that be something…a right wing christian metal band singing proudly about ripping the fetus out of a still living pagan woman's belly.

Singing about hoodwinking the Vikings and then fucking all their sweet blonde chicks. Now there's a thought. They could really sing about the Inquisition with conviction, and they would have 2000 years of real life, idealistic, religious fervor to inspire them. I'm sure the US will be the first to spawn such a beast if indeed one would ever arise.

Any good drinks, smokes, books, movies or anything else you'd like to recommend?

Fight club. Book: The Lucifer Principle.

What are your plans for getting another album out?

Well, we have just release a mini CD/LP, so our next full-length won't be till next year.

Could you tell us a little about the lyrical concept for your next album?

It's hard to say; depends on where my head is at that the time. My only goal is that I hope they are better than last time.

How do you see yourself as part of the death metal scene?

I don't care.

Which element do you think makes Deströyer 666 different from the rest of the bands?

No one sounds like Deströyer whereas most bands today sound like someone else.

What is one of the greatest experiences when going on tour and when playing with other bands?

I think two things are killer: 1. Winning over a crowd that doesn't know the band at all. 2. Playing to killer crowdd like Gronigen, Holland, or a home crowd like Melbourne.

Who is your audience?

Jeff, Paul, Steve, Andrea, Bob, Rob, Marcus, etc....

Any last words to fans?

Yes. Stop burning our CDs, ya cheap fucks!

Other information about Deströyer 666 on this site

Review: King Of Kings/Lord Of The Wild

Review: Phoenix Rising

Review: Unchain The Wolves

Review: Cold Steel... For An Iron Age

Review: Terror Abraxas

Review: Defiance

Review: Wildfire

Review: Call of the Wild

Review: Never Surrender