OCCIDENTAL CONGRESS :: Michael Moynihan interview

“Io chiudo cerchio e sacri confini intorno a me; sempre più esigua è la schiera di coloro che salgono con me su montagne sempre più alte: io formo un massiccio unendo montagne sempre più sacre…”
(Friedrich W. Nietzsche)

“G O O D M O R N I N G E U R O P A !”

INTERVIEW WITH MICHAEL MOYNIHAN (BLOOD AXIS) - Winter 1.998/1.999

OC: At last we can enjoy your last editorial labour: "Lords of Chaos", which is going to become a basic reference about satanic terrorism with a Black Metal matrix - many people has already described it as a kind of "bible" or "opera omnia" on the topic. Aside of good opinions, were you criticized or ostracized in the making of the book? In a preview on Esoterra you referred to this work as "Blood and Ashes"; why did you prefer this new title?

MM: Actually, to my surprise, the book has been very well-received. There have been only minor criticisms, and it has been reviewed very positively both in the underground and in much more mainstream places, and even in scholarly journals. I think we managed to put together a book that is intriguing to a wide range of people, including many who would never listen to Black Metal music or such things. I think this is very positive, as a large part of the book is about much more than music... it is about passions, ideologies, impulses, and even atavisms. I think the new title is more dynamic, but "Blood and Ashes" would have also suited the subject matter well.

OC: Misanthropy, which supports several entities in the Black Metal area (and among them Burzum), is now interested in "The Gospel of Inhumanity". Are there significative news about it?

MM: I've been in contact with Misanthropy for quite a long time, and they were always very supportive of Blood Axis. Also I appreciate the fact that they have genuine standards of quality, and always try to present their releases with the high degree of aesthetic prowess. So when they offered to re-release "The Gospel" with the same packaging as the original version, it was impossible to refuse.

OC: Do you think that Blood Axis (since it shares traits like Satanism, Neo-Paganism, European Folk-lore...) can find new disciples among Black Metal followers?

MM: I know there are a number of people in the Black Metal scene who have an interest and respect for Blood Axis, but probably there are many more who would not understand our work, or who dislike it because we avoid all cliches and formulas. But I am glad if the more intelligent and open-minded among the Black Metal listeners will also attempt to experience our music.

OC: In "The Gospel of Inhumanity" you thank "all those who helped the Cause". Which is exactly your concept of "Cause" you are crusading for with the Blood Axis?

MM: The "cause" is simple the exertion of Will upon reality. It is the manifestion of vision into reality. This always requires a vast amount of strength and willpower, especially when one is doing things in an unusual manner, and in a way which goes against most modern "ideals." Therefore, we are thankful to anyone who helps us to achieve our goals.

OC: You also thank the Seecamp Firearms. You alredy stated other times you own several firearms... as you know european laws are usually very restrictive about weapon permits. However, which is the importance you give to weapons? Is knowledge and familiarity with them important in daily life?

MM: Seecamp Firearms is a pistol manufacturing company of one of my German professors from the university. He was a brilliant professor, and very much illuminated my understanding of the Faust mythos, among other things. After becoming friends with him, he mentioned to me that his family had a company which made a very special pistol. It is the Seecamp .32 caliber automatic, which is renowned as one of the best self-defense weapons that has ever been designed. I was able to obtain a Seecamp (which is very difficult: only a few thousand are made every year, and normally you must wait on a list for many years before obtaining one), which carries the serial number MJM-666.
Weapons are important, and one should welcome their help and admire their function. But the most primary weapon is the mind, and secondly the body. Before taking on other (outside) weapons one must understand well his or her own mind and body...

OC: Kelly Kowan, Alfred Thomas, Robert Ferbrache... in the last incarnation of Blood Axis you appear together with Annabel Lee. How did it happened? Tell us about this "pagan marriage".

MM: Well, I should say that Robert Ferbrache is still a close collaborator of Blood Axis, and will certainly participate in many future recordings. Also Alfred Thomas was just a psuedonym for Thomas Thorn of the Electric Hellfire Club, who is a very old friend of mine for almost 15 years now. Annabel and I met through strange and unexpected circumstances, and it was almost like a reunion with a lost sibling. It is a very magical relationship, but I would prefer not to reveal much more of my private life!

OC: Do you think that a female figure can lead the Blood Axis to a new equilibrium?

MM: I think it leads us one significant step closer towards our goal, yes.

OC: In 1995 you moved from Denver (Colorado) to Portland (Oregon). United States’ north-western lands (Washington, Montana, Oregon, Wyoming, Idaho) have been described as "the Last Bastion" for people of european ancestors...

MM: In some ways this is true, but in many other senses the Northwest is as lost and hopeless any other area. The one important thing about this part of the country is that there is still space: it is not nearly so populated as the eastern half of the USA. So there is much more contact with nature here. I think this area might therefore be the last bastion of sanity, in some way...

OC: It seems that the New Age cancer is trying to clean the conscience of the flock from the materialist culture oppressing the western world. Lots of nice words about "peace", "love" and "spirituality" just to feed the need for protection, which our society is ultimately going to lose. Some people, in criticizing all this, claimed that Adolf Hitler himself was a new-ager, while - on the other hand - one of I.T.P.’s targets is fighting against New Age. All this seems to be very chaothic; however, what is your opinion about the New Age ? Do you think New Age followers can be described as "hippies of capitalism"?

MM: Your comparison is good. I think the New Age is hardly a positive response to the degeneracy of the modern age, but rather just a symptom of it. It is the worst example of materialism that has yet manifested: where even spirituality is something that can be bought and sold, like any other product.

OC: Don’t you fear that the consumistic New Age can try and prey on/misinterpret faiths as Asatru (as they already did with several oriental religions and philosophies) or different european pagan veins in general?

MM: They are already doing this, so it is not a fear: but rather a fact.

OC: In 1996 Boyd Rice produced "Death’s Gladsome Wedding". You talked about a similar project in 1995. Are you still determined to carry this work?

MM: The project that I was talking about was eventually released by Kadmon as a double 7" presentation. Actually I was the one who originally gave the tapes of the Iron Guard music to both Kadmon and to Boyd, around the same time in 1989. I obtained a cassette copy of the music from an obscure distributor who specialized in military music from Europe of the 1930's and 1940's. In any case, I am happy that both editions are available. I do think that Kadmon's version is much more true to the real spirit of the original Iron Guard.

OC: In the United States roleplaying is widely practiced; here, in Italy, during last five years, it became increasingly popular, even if before it was cornered as an underground phenomenon. Finally, last year the media (exploiting a couple of suicides as casus belli) pointed their guns against the world of gamers. You dealed with roleplaying several times (both in "Lord of Chaos" and in Momentum, while you were laughing at some neo-nazi); what do you think about it? Did you ever play, do you enjoy some particular game-system? Can we consider you as a role-player?

MM: I am not a role player, and I've never become involved in these "fantasy games." The real world is a much more fantastic and bizarre place to inhabit!

OC: Which is the last artist/album (not necessarily in our scene) that hit you positively?

MM: At the time I am answering these questions (the 9th of January, 1999), the last impressive record that I heard was something my sister gave as gift to Annabel for Yule last month. It was a new recording of the songs of Hildegard von Bingen by Jocelyn Montgomery and David Lynch (the film director), and I think these are the probably the best modern renditions of this music anyone has yet achieved.

OC: Why "Life" by Viereck? Can you tell me more about him and this particular poem?

MM: George Sylvester Viereck was a German-American writer in the earlier half of this century. He was a curious person, involved in many different things, from art and culture to politics. Some of his gloomy, romantic poetry is quite excellent (for example the short poem "Life" which we used!). During both World Wars he published pro-German magazines, and during the First World War Aleister Crowley lived for a time in New York and was a contributor to Viereck's paper. So most people, if they have ever heard of him at all, remember Viereck as "propagandist," but personally I think his poetry alone makes him worthy of investigation.

OC: How is going the work with "Ultimacy"; have you got problems or something other?

MM: We are slowly working on the next studio album "Ultimacy," but like most aspects of Blood Axis, we do this in an unusual way! We do not feel "rushed" to complete another record in a specific amount of time, since we do not play music in order to "make a living" or support ourselves. I think it is more pure that way, and less likely to be compromised. We prefer to let things develop "organically," and finally appear when the time is right.
Also we do not define ourselves only as "musicians" because we do many other things as well: for example I spent a year writing a book, and I am often working on other writing projects, or publishing, releasing other people's music, and so on. I do not ever want to be defined (or rather confined) by one form of expression.
Another factor which has very much delayed the course of recording the next album was our decision to play a long tour in Europe. However, we were glad we made this choice as the journey to our "ancestral homelands" has provided much inspiration and it was very invigorating to meet the people in the audience who consider our music important. Later this year we hope to have "Ultimacy" finished, and at that time we will reveal the details of how it will be released and distributed. We hope our listeners will consider it "worth the wait," as we say in English...

OC: After a so "bombastic live action" through nearly all the european lands, are you afraid by the possibility to see a "bootleg proliferation" (in the vein of Death in June: one concert-one bootleg...)?

MM: I'm not "afraid" of the possibility, although I hope it doesn't happen. I would have no problem with a show being released if we had total control over the presentation and if the quality was good enough. However, with most bootlegs they are presented in a poor fashion and the recordings themselves are not very good and don't reflect the power of the original show. They are simply released by people who hope to quickly profit off the name of a band. If people do have good recordings on audio or video from any of our concerts then I would urge them to send us copies, and if we decide there is a proper way to release some of the material, we will of course credit and thank those who helped record it, send them copies of the finished release, and so forth. This seems to me a much more honorable and "comradely" way to collaborate!

OC: Pityfully, at present, Europa cannot be considered "The Gates of Heaven"… What do you find most upsetting (generally or specifically) here in Europe?

MM: That most Europeans have lost any sense of themselves, and seem to want to be everything but Europeans. When one surrenders their identity and traditions, they enter the void... and most never return. But maybe this is simply our destiny. Hopefully we shall live to see a "springtime" after this winter of decay.