Kult ov Azazel: The Unholy Alliance

One of the most powerful underground black metal releases of 2009 was definitely Destroying The Sacred by Kult ov Azazel. The band has been unleashing their fury for a little over a decade now and at press time have been scheduled to play metalfests in both Michigan and Texas. One of their crowning achievements is being the very first Black Metal band to ever be invited to be in Puerto Rico. Here is a recent interview we conducted with founding member Xaphan to discuss the history and happenings of this well respected USBM entity…

Introduce yourself, tell me what you do in Kult ov Azazel, and how long the band has been together.
My name is Xaphan and I am the founder, guitarist, vocalist and propagandist of Kult ov Azazel. April of this year will be 11 years since the band was formed.

Where is the band based out of and what is your local music scene like there?
We are based out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The music scene here has pretty much died again. In the early 90′s the scene was happening then it died around 1995. It resurged in 1999 but died out again a few years back. Not a lot of tours come this far south in Florida and there’s not a lot of clubs that will book extreme metal in Fort Lauderdale. The ones that did book metal have either gone out of business or have cut back on booking metal bands.

Is there any story or concept behind the CD title Destroying The Sacred?
The album was originally going to be a concept album. The title comes from a chapter out of Liber Null titled Liberation. The album was going to be based around chaos magic specifically around that chapter. Over time the lyrics written did not fit within the concept so that idea was thrown out. Instead the majority of the lyrics took on a more anti-theistic slant and that is the overall concept of the album.

What do you think of the current state of the US Black Metal scene and how has it changed since the band formed in 1999?
I have no opinion of the scene. I don’t think about it. I stay focused on what we are doing and not what other bands are doing. As for how it has changed there are many more bands these days. It also has gained more popularity in other countries. It’s not as shunned as it once was when we started out.

Your band recently played in Puerto Rico and had the distinction of being the first Black Metal band to invade the island. What was that experience like, and why no Black Metal there until now?
It was fucking insane! We were treated like kings, had good backline, good sound and a good crowd. The people there are very cool and extremely dedicated! I have no idea why other black metal bands have never played there. All I can say is to others out there, if you get asked to play there do it!

What was the experience like playing at the Autumn Equinox Fest with all session musicians and why was the regular lineup not allowed or able to perform?
It was strange but at the same time felt quite normal. Strange in the sense that it was the first time I had performed without Xul and Hammer but the guys I had session were close friends from other well respected bands so it clicked. Hammer was unable to do the fest because he was going to be in Europe working a tour. Then a week before the show Xul informed me he could not do it since his job at the last minute was sending him out of the state on a work assignment.

What does Satanism mean to you, if anything?
Satanism is the idea that individuals should be able to think for themselves and to follow their own desires.

Are you or any of the other Kult ov Azazel members involved with any other bands or projects at this time?
Only myself. I play bass in the death/grind band Hate Plow and I am a live session member of another Floridian black metal band Tenebrous.

How did the show in Los Angeles go last Halloween and when could we expect to see Kult ov Azazel back here in the so called City Of Angels?
The turnout was weak. The show itself sound wise was pretty decent. We just got a copy of the show yesterday and may include some of it on the DVD we are releasing this year. Overall it was ok but could have been better. Performance wise one of our best. Not sure when we will be back.

Did you get the meet Celtic Frost when you opened a show for them, and if so, were they cool to hang out with?
When we opened for them we didn’t really get to hang out. Martin did approach me when I was setting up our merch table and that developed into a lengthy conversation. He was a super cool guy who knew a good deal about us. Was humbling to find out that one of the founders of a band I consider very influential in my musical upbringing was a fan of what I have done over the years.

What could one expect from a live Kult ov Azazel show?
Devastating blasphemy.

What was your favorite CD of 2009 and why?
The new Absu. It was an amazing album. A most excellent return!

What is it you’d like a listener to remember the most after hearing Destroying The Sacred?
I’d like it to be remembered as a fist to the face of all religions.

Any messages for metal maniacs here in the Los Angeles area?
Thanks for the interest and interview. Also sending out our appreciation to those that came out to the LA show last year! Then finally, for those not in know go out and pick up the new album!

Kult ov Azazel Official Website

Kult ov Azazel on Myspace