Interview with
Selim of The Devil's Blood
January 2010 by Steve Earles
In a decade were the term
‘extreme’ in music, frequently comes to imply maximum
velocity and minimum feel, The Devil’s Blood are a
breath of fresh air, for their music oozes with passion,
burns with love of music, and have helped restore my
faith in the power of music from the heart surviving, no
matter how cynical our world becomes.
In fact, in every sense of the word, it’s true to say
that The Devil’s Blood have brought the magic back to
the music, where it belongs. In the words of one of the
foremost philosophers of the 20th century, Aleister
Crowley, ‘Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the
law.”
Selim very kindly took the time to expand and explain
the concepts behind one of the most exciting new acts to
emerge on the scene…The Devil’s Blood
The Devil’s Blood are frequently described as black
metal, yet you sound nothing like a traditional black
metal, do you feel this could be a misnomer, many people
who would never listen to black metal, but are fans of
70s rock, astonished by how much they like The Devil’s
Blood when they hear your music?
Are we? I had no idea. We are obviously not a black
metal band, we do not play metal. We are a rock n roll
band that plays the Devil's music. We do not call
ourselves a black metal band nor do we want to be seen
as such. And to be honest I don't think we are seen as
such, I think a lot of black metal fans are also The
Devil's Blood fans but this has everything to do with
our message.
What inspired The Devil’s Blood, lyrically and
philosophically?
Satan. Lucifer. Sitra Achra. Chaos. Freedom. Death.
Excess. Reverence. Lawlessness.
Are you familiar with the works of Aleister Crowley,
a man who was profoundly (nay, deliberately)
misunderstood, but who was both before and ahead of his
time, a trait shared with The Devil’s Blood?
I am, I have read quite a few of his works. A great
thinker and a great practitioner of the Arts a great
many owe a great deal to this man. Are we ahead of our
time? I don't think so I think we came right on time.
Misunderstood, yes, everyone with a message will from
time to time be misunderstood.
Roky Erickson is clearly a strong influence on your
music, would bands like Coven, Fleetwood Mac, Pentagram,
and Black Widow be sources of inspiration?
Yes, they would and they are.
Apparently Leif Edling from Candlemass is one of your
fans?
He visited our first ritual in Stockholm in December of
2008 and he was very generous with praise. This is of
course a nice thing to hear from the man responsible for
"Epicus Doomicus Metallicus".
Your E.P ‘Come, Reap’, has already come to be
regarded as a classic, are you pleased with this?
It is fine that people appreciate, for whatever reason,
what we are doing but I do not care, at all, about
whether or not it is or will be regarded as a classic.
This is something that can only be said in retrospect
and I have no interest in that.
Yet, I feel with The Time Of No Time Evermore, that
you have topped this?
I absolutely agree.
There are a couple of other fine bands, ploughing a
similar furrow of occult-inspired rock, namely Blood
Ceremony and Jex Thoth, do you like these bands, and do
you have any kinship or contact with them?
I have no contact with them and have not heard them.
I feel your music is timeless music, not retro - we
are suffocated with retro-thrash bands at the moment,
no, to me, The Devil’s Blood produce music that was and
will be, that exists in its space and time - would you
agree with my sentiments?
If I would not agree with that sentiment there would be
no point in me continuing with this band and with this
music, would there?
The packaging on all your releases is gorgeous, it
just cries out for vinyl, clearly you would prefer vinyl
to downloads?
Absolutely, vinyl is for me the only way to truly
appreciate music.
You also still favour the 7” format?
We have done one 7" and will most likely do something
like that again. Although I have to say nothing beats
the grandiose glory of the gatefold 12" format to me.
Your live show is reputed to be spectacular, with
plenty of smoke, stage blood and smoke machines. Do you
feel this compliments the music or are you not worried
it might overshadow it?
No, not at all. All these attributes are there to
achieve a certain state of mind, within us and the crowd
and between both, that will allow for the channelling of
sinister energies.
If you’ll pardon the pun, I believe you recently had
some trouble with a gig in support of Trouble, I imagine
they liked your music but on hearing your lyrics, found
themselves intolerant?
No comment.
On a more positive note, you had quite a triumphant
Roadburn appearance?
We have performed a great many very triumphant rituals
that succeeded in great ways what we aimed for. Even the
ones with Trouble were absolutely successful.
I feel The Devil’s Blood are more extreme than many
so-called extreme metal bands, extreme in the sense of
escaping normal everyday matters. Would you agree?
This is not for me to say. I do believe that when viewed
from conventional standards and morals our message and
presence can be quite menacing and, indeed, extreme. But
to me this is still only the beginning and I feel my
distancing from humanity continuing everyday allowing me
to become even more free in my expression.
Finally, anything you’d like to add?
Thanks for this interview. Hail Satan!
