for Painkiller Mag #7
April 2003
Interview with Killjoy
by Yang Yu/Metalfan/Unique
all pics are linked from
by any problems refer to webmaster
Tell me your name concept of the band name - NECROPHAGIA, are there any horror related stories behind your band name?
From the very beginning of Necrophagia horror/gore has been the very essence. The word "Necrophagia" means the eating of corpses and flesh, essentially it's a ghoul, which is another name I considered early on, but Necrophagia sounded less typical and more obscure.
You started up in 80's , you were one of the first few bands who combined horror themes into death metal music. Were you mostly inspired by horror movies and comics?
We were the first band to sing exclusively about horror/gore related themes. no one came close to our passion and obsession we formed. We are definitely inspired by horror movies, books, comics and our own visions.
How was it in the very beginning, you started the band just for fun and it became more serious. Did you mean to stay underground and refuse all mainstream tendencies?
When I started Necrophagia it was definitely a way to have fun and be creative, which is still the goal I have for myself personally, but I didn't try to be underground or mainstream. I was just doing my own thing bringing my musical demons to life. I don't try to speculate what a mainstream audience wants or really care about gaining more exposure, if that were the case I wouldn't be doing music this extreme, or with our subject matter ha ha
Lots of mystical blasphemy words in your lyric, do you worship Satan or are you involved in any kind of Satanism, do you even practice any rites?
No my lyrics only deal with Satanism, occult and anti-Christian themes in the same way that the Exorcist, The Omen, or Rosemary's Baby deal with these themes. It's from the horror side, not a personal belief in any type of organized religion. I only worship at the alter of Fulci.
Do you think Satanism is a real religion? As far as I know you dont pay too much attention to any kind of religion, right?
I'm sure it's a real religion, just a lot less organized than Christianity, I don't follow any kind of organized religion. I just live my life to the fullest without intentionally fucking anyone over in the process, well unless they provoke me.
There is another band who have quiet a lot in common with you when it comes to doing horror stuffed early death metal. Do you know IMPETIGO?
Sure! They're cool guys, old friends, it's a shame they aren't doing anything musically, but there's still some killer horror/gore bands around like Gorelord, Abscess.
you have reissued a lot of your old stuffs (demos and records of very old days), do you think you are now more sucsessfull and more wanted then ever?
There was a lot of demand and I simply ran out of time to keep dubbing stuff off cassette copies. I thin a lot of people are curious to hear what we sounded like in the early days, so there was definitely a big demand
Lots of porn stuffs are in your blasphemal lyrics, what is your opinion about girls? anything you want to tell me and feel free. :)
I can't agree. Our lyrics are very horror themed, sometimes people are victims in our lyrics, more often women victims but never on a porn level. With ravenous I write some disturbing lyrics that are very graphic and vile and contain gorenographic lyrics ha ha but not with Necrophagia. I don't hate women or want to kill them. But from a killer's/psycho's point of view portrayed on the lyrics, if someone's going to get raped and tortured, I'm not going to sing about raping a guy. only nubile females for me!!!
You certainly do enjoy the blood/horror stuff in you songs/videos, is it just for fun and entertainment?
It's definitely something I enjoy but it certainly is only a form of entertainment. I'm addicted to horror but only as a form of entertainment. I don't ever watch the mondo stuff like Faces of Death
Some media reported that your CDs are forbidden in 13 countries, is that true? how do you think about this? maybe that is a good thing to support the sick image of your band.
A lot of our releases are banned in various countries, I really don't keep track of how many or which ones, I do not want our music art videos, or lyrics banned. I'm against any form of censorship, it's brainwashing and government control. Once a person is of legal age they should be able to view or listen to whatever they want as long as it doesn't involve illegal acts involving children or animals.
Did you ever get any serious problems with the laws, at least I can imagine that it would be quiet difficalt to provide your gore/horror stuffs in your releases especially in the staats.
I really don't get involved with anything like that, if it happens the labels and lawyers deal with it. We have so many things banned in different places that I just really don't pay attention to any of it.
Tell me more about your new line up, why had all the others have to leave the band? We are dealing with a completly new band, arent we?
There were extreme scheduling conflicts within the old line up, we couldn't record on a realistic time frame. The new line up is easily the best ever for Necrophagia, These guys have really got me inspired again
You are a good friend to the norwagian black metal scene, Euronymous or Maniac for exsample were ones of your best friends. You persional also prefere the norwagian kind of black metal too, isnt it?
Definitely early 90's black metal is some of my favorite music, Mayhem ,Beherit, Darkthrone, Marduk, Emperor, Immortal, Impaled Nazarene to name a few so it's not just Norwegian, but they definitely did the best in the early days.
Why did you changed to SEASON OF MIST now? You (Killjoy) have an own label, why dont you release NECROPHAGIA by your self? Baphomet/Houscore (www.baphomethhousecore.com) (what is Devil Master?)
Season Of Mist was able to provide Necrophagia with all the proper setting for Necrophagia to continue to spread it's plague of ungodly horror. My label isn't big enough to handle a band like Necrophagia. I'd rather help out bands with my label at this point. Maybe in the future that will happen but its just not the best situation. I'm no longer working with Housecore records, so it's just Baphomet. Devil Master was an early name idea for my record label but Baphomet was chosen instead
You will be on tour in EU. How many visitors are usually coming to your shows? Will there be any changes in your live performanc with the new line up?
We never played out with the previous line up, so it's hard to guess how many people will show up, we'll definitely have a horrific and violent show planned
Every one does run his own personal project who joint NECROPHAGIA, but how do you balance NECROPHAGIA and your other bands/projects?
We're all involved in various bands and projects But every member has made Necrophagia their top priority, We'll definitely keep progressing and putting out more frequent releases and doing more touring
Are you the main song writer and mind leader of all your projects? how do you deal with the song writing stuff? I mean how do you first of all write the songs and 2nd how do you seperate or decide which part or ideas shall belone to which project?
I usually write all the lyrics for the projects I'm involved in, except Wurdulak, Susan6 does a lot of those, musically I wrote some of the material on Divine Art it's very easy to write in different styles for all the different bands. It's never a problem for that process.
man, you have so much projects and stuffs running, how does a normal work day of yours look like?
I never have a normal day, but for me it would be watching movie and relaxing, that rarely happens except late at night when I'm about ready to fall asleep
tell us with simple words about all the projects you are running now. Which are more serious to run as real bands and what just for fun?
Right now my focus is on Necrophagia 100%, but we recently recorded the new Ravenous album called "Blood Delirium" totally sick old school death metal. Wurdulak has released it's sophomore recording Severed Eyes of Possession on Coffin Records. Mirai and I have completed the Enoch debut "Graveyard Disturbances" which is going to be out in May on Red Stream. I've been jamming with my good friend Jason Hoak in a band called Malaria, if we get time we'll record later this year. Hellpig has recorded one song titled Body Bags and Joey (Jordison) and Jason (McMaster) are working on more songs. Eibon is slowly but surely coming along and there's some other stuff in the works, but it depends on Necrophagia's schedule, nothing will interfere with that. I enjoy every band/project that I am involved in
Why do you even have so much projects? Do you think to run only one band is too limited to provide the whole of you?
In order to keep Necrophagia true to form I need these other projects/ bands to exorcise all the musical demons I have inside
How must a band be like so that you can tell it is a good one? What is your motivation to start a band/project in general?
Most of the projects I am involved in are with close friends that I have known for many, many years. We get together and construct our thoughts into music/ On order for a band to be a good one, It has to be original and come at you from the heart.
What do you think is your profession now? Musician? Artist in general even or just some special kind of producer?
I don't label myself at all. It's too restrictive. I do whatever I am called to do. If it means Writing music, singing music producing the music, It doesn't really matter to me. As long as I contribute and give 110% of myself to the situation at hand then that's what I will do. So I guess you could say I am all of the above.
What does "underground" mean to you, are you underground?
Underground is a term used to describe a form of media less well known. Once again I must say I don't label myself. I don't really care about stuff like that. I just create the most horrific music I can and let other people make their decisions based on the outcome of the bands work.
Is music able to provide or even cause violence or brutallity?
Music is pure and simple entertainment. Anyone who takes it any further than that has had some mental issues that needed addressed well before they heard the music. So my answer is no.
Your music has change in the new album, what do you think is the main difference to the pre one?
The Divine Art of Torture is easily our darkest, heaviest, most horror filled album to date. We have kept the basic element of Necrophagia and expanded further into the realm of horror and gore.
Which older or newer films/directors would you recommend to young horror/gore fans beside Fulci?
I would recommend Coffin Joe, Dario Argento, Mario Bava, Alex Chandon, Mike Mendez, Jim VanBebber, mostly all of the Hammer Horror films, and Let's Scare Jessica to Death. Bad Ronald, and Don't Be Afraid of the Dark
Are you tired of being asked about Jenna Jamison and her NECROPHAGIA-Shirt on?
No not at all, Jenna is a good friend, she is the beauty to the beast of Necrophagia, and a very beautiful woman
Thank you very much
Thanks for your support, Fulci Lives!! GORE FOREVER!!!
DISCOGRAPHY