Interview by Jason Williams
Over the past three years or so, Austrian blackened death metal horde Belphegor had been forced to put their activities on hold as a result of vocalist/guitarist Helmuth Lehner’s serious illness, but with his recovery they’re now back with their tenth studio album ‘Conjuring The Dead’ which came out on August 5th via Nuclear Blast Records, and are gearing up for a North American headline tour with support acts Rotting Christ, Beheaded and Svart Crown. Earlier this week, our extreme metal specialist Jason Williams conducted an insightful interview with Helmuth to discuss his recovery, the material on the new album, future plans and more. Enjoy the conversation below.
It’s been three years since your last US tour. It was due to the health problems that ailed you after the 2011 South American tour. How have you been feeling since and how do you feel about returning to the States?
I’m doing good now. I’m pleased that I am allowed to play guitar, front my band again. It feels just great, and I am thankful for it. It took me almost 8 months to come back and be able to perform again. First months after the operation were tough. I was always very active my whole life, trained, did everything that was forbidden – many excessive memories stuck in my head where I could fill books. Worst was, I couldn’t play music, I never had such a long break from playing guitar. That was frustrating and new to me that my body showed me so many borders. I hated it to calm down, but I soon realized I can’t win races with only 3 damn wheels, so yeah I had to wait and time went by slowly. “Rise To Fall And Fall To Rise”, as one of our tracks from the last album ‘Blood Magick Necromance’ (2011) says.
In considerations to after the operation from the Typhoid Fever that was afflicted to you, have their been any adjustments that you have made in regards to the touring life, and when not on the road?
It changed a lot, yes, and I see many things differently now, but I didn’t turn into a reborn Christian. No way. It had some positives and a lot of negatives aspects. I never thought anything like that could happen to me. I still can’t believe that I’m back and still be able to play guitar, it’s an anti-divine miracle. We do less dates at once now and I have to take better care of myself. No more of the “suicide lifestyle” I lived for the past two decades. Don’t get me wrong, I do not regret it, and it was amazing. I traveled the world a few times, met so many great people from everywhere, was allowed to visit magick places, I mean what more you wanna ask for?!
‘Conjuring The Dead’ is your latest release, which has been receiving positive reviews all across the board and various chart positions around the world. How proud were you to release this album after three years since Blood Magick Necromance?
Feedback is amazing, man. It was a tough ride, lots of setbacks forced me to delay again and again. At the beginning it was kinda frustrating. I tought, I never can finish this motherfucking record, then a lot of hate and aggression was in me and I channeled all that into the new songs. I’m very proud of this release, it is a very special one to me, our most mature album to date and one of our strongest.
I was curious on the vocal delivery in ‘Conjuring The Dead’. Similar to your earlier releases such as ‘The Last Supper’ and ‘Blutsabbath’, your growling is much lower than recent releases. Was this something that just came natural in the songwriting process?
Yes, the vokills are more brutal, more growls to compliment the style and direction of the album. There are still my signature heretic grunts and other familiar Belphegor sounds in the vocals. As I started writing the riffs, I felt that on ‘Conjuring The Dead’ I needed to go for a, lets say more brutal death metal approach. My masterplan was I wanted to return more to our death musick roots, of course with the musical skills we have anno 2014. Yes. This was the vision I had when I started to create the tracks. It’s a sort of best of Belphegor record. You find everything that the band stands for.
This was the first time that you’ve worked with Erik Rutan as producer for your studio work. The guitars are quite powerful, clear and the drum sound truly impacts the listener with sheer, monstrous force. How would you compare working with Rutan to Peter Tägtgren who was your producer for your last release ‘Blood Magick Necromance’?
I don’t like to compare. Both producers are experienced, great guitar players and know exactly what they are doing. We’ve had the honor to work with many talented people. We always experiment and change things, bring in new blood, to keep the spirit alive. The collaboration with Erik was great.’Conjuring The Dead’ has the best, or let’s say tightest, guitars I ever tracked on a Belphegor release. Erik really can motivate you to get the best out of you. Sometimes I thought, fuck man, what does he want from me? It was great, and I know now why the US death metal troops have such tight guitar walls on their offerings. Erik forced me again and again to try harder etc, and at the end it all was worth it, all the sacrifices through these 3 years.
Next year will be the 10th year of ‘Goatreich – Fleshcult’ being released. As I’m sure you know, many bands have commenced various anniversary tours with some of their classics being played in their entirety. Is this something that we could ever expect in the future to show some of the more newer Belphegor fans your older material?
We don’t do that, nor do we care what other bands are doing or not doing. We always walked our own path, made our own decisions against all influences. I concentrate on the songs that really please me to play live, the brutal and the let’s say, high-speed tracks. That’s what makes a possessed Belphegor ritual outstanding, it’s dynamic and it’s ultra-brutal.
Currently, you have two live session members in the Belphegor brigade: “Marthyn” Jovanović on the drums and Schoft on guitar and backup vocals. Do you find this easier to just have Serpenth (bass guitar) and yourself as the core members of the group? Or would sometime in the near future, you would like the other positions in the band be on a more permanent basis?
Belphegor have been a two-piece band since end 2006 and that probably will not change. But you know, I learned something the last decade: never say never. Well, we always recruit experienced session musicians for stage rituals to guarantee a killer show for the audience. We don’t betray our supporters and do the “all is great” band thing. Many bands talk about how good friends they are, and then you play with them, see them acting backstage and a bunch even don’t talk to each other. Ridiculous. I talk about bands that are in the business 10+ years. Most professional bands nowadays are one or two pieces with hired guns as well, you know. It isn’t easy to lead a band such as Belphegor. Democracy doesn’t always work, man. That’s how we roll. Musicians who play with us must be metal, understand our vision for the band and be able to handle the physical intensity of our shows. The core is in command and it is perfect as it is, I just don’t see any reason for a change, man.
And my last question, after this North American run will you be able to tour more consistently across the globe, for the foreseeable future?
We are an über-active band since 2000, toured worldwide, this will be our 9th North American raid, first time that we headline a tour over there, a new challenge and we are ready for it. I hope people come out and attend the shows and support that killer package. We are still marching in worldwide and do not plan to stop. After the US, the known Loudpark festival in Japan get destroyed. Thanks for the space Jason. Furthermore, I want to say thank you to the people who listen to our records, buy merch at the shows, and all who attend Belphegor live rituals. See you all on the road. Hell awaits..
Belphegor links: website | facebook | twitter
North American tour dates with Rotting Christ, Beheaded and Svart Crown:
09/24/14 – New York, NY – Gramercy Theatre
09/25/14 – Montreal, QC – Club Soda
09/26/14 – Toronto, ON – The Opera House
09/27/14 – Lakewood, OH – The Foundry
09/29/14 – Chicago, IL – Reggie’s Rock Club
10/01/14 – Denver, CO – Marquis Theatre
10/02/14 – Salt Lake City, UT – In the Venue
10/03/14 – Seattle, WA – Studio Seven
10/04/14 – Portland, OR – Tonic Lounge
10/05/14 – Vancouver, BC – Rickshaw Theatre
10/07/14 – San Francisco, CA – DNA Lounge
10/08/14 – W. Hollywood, CA – House of Blues
10/09/14 – Las Vegas, NV – LVCS
10/10/14 – Phoenix, AZ – Joe’s Grotto
10/11/14 – El Paso, TX – Tricky Falls