1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
HEVN III is a norwegian group that exists in a space inbetween black metal and noiserock. The music is heavy and dark(almost unbearably so sometimes), but still chaotic and unhinged. I started the band back in 2021, and it’s naturally developed into a trio over time. The music is a true representation of the most spiteful and miserable parts of my mind. It works like therapy. Like «here you go dear Audience, you deal with this shit now» kind of thing.
2.You have a new album coming out later in November, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style that you went for on the recording?
In terms of riffs and sound i can’t escape the fact that it is very true to old school black metal aesthetics . Waspy guitars, Half note celtic frost type stuff, high pitched vocals a lot of the time, but a lot more chaotic and furious than a lot of other «traditional» black metal bands nowadays. I don’t know why the fuck so many of these retro acts try to make their album sound as clean as possible and they just seem to take the melancholic and melodic component of early black metal without a shred of crassness or «evil» to it, fuck man it actually annoys me a lot, but i digress. There’s a very serious doom component to the album as well as clear references to punk and noiserock throughout the whole thing. I think someone from Polypus called the sound of the album venomous, like sulphur or something. I kind of get that, it’s a toxic sounding thing.
3.All of the band members are in other bands, what is it that you bring into the music of 'Hevn II', that you have not been able to do with your other groups?
Theres a catharsis in just screaming my head of which i don’t really get in other bands, not in that way anyway. I play in psychedelic bands and post punk bands, and that’s completely crucial for me. If i only played black metal, i would lose interest in the whole thing in two months. And as a lover of music of all kinds i love to play a range of styles in different projects. But HEVN III is the perfect band to play with when i have to get something of my chest or if i had a shitty day work to put it like that.
4.A lot of your lyrics cover the writings of Aleister Crowley, Fredrich Nietzsche and William Blake, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in their work?
William blake interested me greatly because he was a deeply religious man but his writings and a lot of his thoughts about archetypes and his symbolism is always kind of psychedelic and abstract, absurd sometimes. His language is his own, very poetic and beautiful. Crowley has interested me for years in terms of his ritual magick, and his life interests me greatly as well. He was a man unable to exist without extreme hedonism, i relate to that more than i would like to admit sometimes. Nietzsche is the most important western philosopher after Schopenhauer i think. I think he is greatly misunderstood. The bombastic nature of his writing really made an impression on me when i was a teenager. I find empowering still. His defiance, righteousness and ability to almost see in to the future is something very special. The way he detests the state as an entity, deeming it the coldest of cold monsters also resonates greatly hahha.
5.What are some of the other lyrical topics and subjects the band has explored so far with the music?
A lot of it is inspired by lucid dreams, halusinations and nightmares. Nasty mørkt stuff. I was very isolated for a long period of time a few years ago. Drinking a lot, doing the wrong drugs and barely leaving the house. After almost a year of just sitting in my room wasted and psychotic the difference between dream and reality kind of disapeared and i would start having extremely vivid dreams of different worlds, dimensions whatever. Red wastelands, pits of human limbs moving around, my own funeral a hundred fucking times. It was very therapeutic to write about that stuff, those dreams and that state of mind.
6.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Hevn III'?
The «III» is a reference to Satans trinity in the bible. I the devil, i the beast, i the false prophet. Hevn is the norwegian Word for revenge. Ive heard every possible revenge and film sequel joke about it for the last three years, so it’s nice to set the record straight hahha.
7.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?
It’s a William Blake painting named Minotaur. I think it compliments the album because of the complete madness in the main characters face.
8. What are some of the best hows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
I remember our first ever consert in Oslo. Everyone were kind of unsure about the structure of things, but it resulted in a consert with a lot of nerve and excitement. We played a show in Vilnius that was just fantastic as well. The day before everything went to shit in Riga hahha, but that’s another story.
9.Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released?
No, not yet. I need to let my hand rest up for a couple of months before i can commit to another tour. My wrist is pretty fucked nowadays, so probably after new years sometime.
10.On a worldwide level ho has the reaction been to your music by fans of black metal?
People are digging it it seems. Im getting some messages on instagram and bandcamp sometimes from people that are really into it. The thing i hear the most is that they respond to the emotions in the music, and enjoy the riffs. Which is cool, a great riff is crucial to black metal i find.
11.What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that some of the band members are a part of?
Love Big Dummy (psychedelic rock band) are recording our first album in the same place we did the hevn album right now. Feversea (Jeremies black metal/shoegaze band) just signed with a big label, not sure if Im at liberty to say which one. Sankt Tepes (me and Marius’ crustpunk/doom black metal band) are looking for a label to release our debut, wich is mixed and mastered. Im also releasing some new post punk stuff by myself under the name «Spite Fug» in a couple of weeks.
12.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
I don’t think we’ll ever make the same album twice, so the next album won’t be as traditional in terms of black metal as this one. I think it’s gonna Get even slower, Im also thinking of introducing more noise elements to it, make it more experimental and dissonant next time around.
12.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
HEVN III is informed by stuff like Amebix, Derketa, Celtic Frost, Early Samael, Cathedral, Diamanda Galas, Darkthrone of course. In other bands it all depends, but i always find myself creatively inspired whenever i listen to Captain Beefheart, Miles Davis, Minutemen or Public Image Limited.
Right now Im listening a lot to Worn Copy by Ariel Pinks Haunted Graffiti: super psychotic but still some of the greatest songwriting ever is on that album. Had a kick on Samhain again as well. Die Kreuzen as well as Beastqueef. Let me see.. Listening a lot to the new ep by the Oslo noiseband Live Aids. Really good stuff. Boards of Canada and Autechre too, probably my two favourite electronic acts. Oooh and that Some Rap Songs album by Earl Sweatshirt. I love his production on that album. Really beautiful samples to compliment the dark subject matter in his bars.
13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
I don’t know man, if you’re into noisy black metal and you don’t buy our album i will personally find you and shove a rubix cube up your urethra.
https://music.apple.com/us/artist/hevn-iii/1675914231
.jpg)
