Interview с Verge : DARKSIDE.ru

ere exists an opinion that all desolate inhumans from the realm of black metal, who lead a wretched existence in the dread of this planet, are united by the collective mind.
Accordingly, it seems to be quite an unreasonable undertaking to interview the similar ones. Therefore, we will indulge together with Wrong in a shared contemplation of geniusly distant from perfection valleys of Chaos. Wrong is one of those personalities, who are able to generate an atmosphere of slight intellectual abberation...

Please, can you tell us about the name of the band? Is it the English word "verge" meaning "brink" or "edge" or some Finnish word unknown to us?

The name is meant to be read in english, although there is a "coincidence" that the name means in french "penis" or "rod".

What does the name mean to you?

The name was chosen quite intuitively without much conscious thinking, the meaning has grown during the years. I find Verge expressing something deep

and drastic related to the evolution of modern consciousness seeking its limits. It has to do something with choices of soul that can´t be undone.

Have you come to your current views due to initial interest in certain music and related things with consequential inner development and formation of your beliefs? Or vice versa, a certain system of beliefs and views brought you to black metal?

It´s hard to say whether black metal has changed my thinking or my thoughts have led me to black metal. But the question is rather irrelevant for me because I don´t see black metal, as it should be, only as a socio-aesthetic phenomenon in modern sense but channeling archetypal forces. When I came into black metal as 13-year old, I of course did not think that way as I do today. In that sense it can be said black metal changed my thoughts. But as I don´t see my interest in black metal back then as a coincidence, the question loses it´s meaning.

Do you have your

own theory on the origin of the information being received through the channels you mentioned? Or do you keep to the orthodox sources describing channeling?

Channeling is rather romantic expression, I could say as well "presenting". I mean just that we are working with archetypical themes. It doesn´t make a big difference if it is thought that we are channeling something that is beyond us or something that is our own deepest essence.

What are your ambitions and successes in this field?

Verge is in my view mostly about finding and understanding the essential conflicts of human nature. My ambition is to move people towards these same spiritual conflicts within theirself.

As far as we know, a lot of people in Finland get registered in Lutheran Church during their childhood. Many of them remain Lutherans during all their life and even pay taxes to the Church. It means that some members of Finnish black metal bands remain official Lutherans while play

ing their unholy music. How would you comment on it? How did Verge members resolve this controversy?

None of Verge members belong to any church. I see the church not even representing true christianity but more like a corrupted political foundation. It is strange if any individualist/esoterist person belongs to church. I guess it is the pressure from family and relatives or something... Not very big issue for me anyway.

In the late 80s and early 90s there was a wave of acts directed against the Church in Finland. In particular, members of Behexen and Exordium were found guilty in arsons and profanation. Was there a continuation of this criminal acts? What is the situation today? What is your attitude towards such deeds?

I don´t know exactly but I have the picture that most of the violent activity stopped around 2000. What I know is that there was all sorts of black metal related violent activity (even murders) here in Jyväskylä at 90´s. While I thin

k it is supportable to attack against church in more conservative circumstances, I don´t find it very essential for black metal. For me black metal has always been more about self-realization than anything outwards directed. The church is despicable but there is so much all other sorts of stupidity as well that it makes no sense to fight against it.

Russian underground metal shows are often poorly organized and fans are inactive. You played in Russia. What are your impressions?

The event was fine organized and fans were actually much more active than in Finland, at least in Verge´s case.

And if you had a chance to play with any three bands (active or split-up), whom would you choose?

Three bands... Let´s say Emperor, Antaeus and Peste Noire.

In relation to that show in St. Petersburg we would like to ask the question we were thinking about ever since. Do you realize that during a show you don't look much as a human being? A

re there any practical benefits from such state, besides obvious 'romantic' glamor?

No, I haven´t seen much video material from our performances and haven´t thought it much. Actually your comment is quite surprising as we are trying with Verge to remove the often boring, meaningless and untrue image from black metal shows and just channel what comes through us as ourselves. I guess it is the intense concentration on the very core of humanity that causes the somehow otherworldly look.

When your music starts, reality immediately gets painted in dark crimson color. All other colors cease to exist. What colors do you put into your music? Do you actually think about "painting" your music, putting certain colors into it?

I think colors mostly as correspondences to the seven cosmic rays from which dark green, indigo and violet have the most to do with Verge. Of course some people can associate colors with music from very many other sources too. I myself don´t s

ense music with colours very strongly.

We're very interested in the comments that you may have in relation to one of the most, in our opinion, unusual and talented black metal albums released last year. I mean Verge / Blood Red Fog "Because It's Wrong" split. What kind of manifesto was that?

It is as much a purely aesthetic release than "a manifest". Or it could be said, it is a manifest of the eternal possibility of consciously placing the aesthtetic over everything. It is the most subjective of our releases, and I cannot express such a deep spiritual process by words "I meant this and that". It is a treatise on human nature, God, Satan and hybris in a twisted postmodern language.

You have photos from this album's recording session on your MySpace. These pictures are very gloomy, with unimaginable range of alcohol beverages and autistic faces... Didn't you have a headache? And what is your opinion of different methods that musicians use to stimulate creative process?

Yes, we had a lot of headache, some of us were also in fever, heh. The point wasn´t at all to have fun but to create as chaotic circumstances for the recording session as possible. About stimulating creativity... everyone has his own methods. In Finland it is very typical for an artist to drink heavily. Actually, at least based on scientific research, it doesn´t stimulate creativity, quite the reverse. But it is still just the way it goes, heh.

By the way, did you like the artwork that Njard made for the album? In general, do you like such schizophrenic art style with a lot of small details?

Yes, it fitted very well to the album, especially the cover. I can´t say much about album artworks in general because I view them always only in relation to the specific release for which they have been made.

And on your new album "Sex & Violence". We haven't heard it yet, but the provocative brightness of the cover puts us on our guard. Please, tell o

ur readers about the concept of your new creation.

This might sound somewhat flat, but it is a concept album about Satan (as initiator). Physical sex & violence are just the most dense form of "the problem of otherness"; the top of the iceberg, it could be said. Suffering is based on the departing from unity. Suffering tends to take more dense forms when its causes are denied and not understood, and it is projected to others. Then the same cycle proceeds and the world becomes such machinery of suffering as it is. Satan is the cold logic behind this, and understanding His essence is essential for knowledge and wisdom, namely understanding unity and individualization not as opposites. In the physical world sex is a symbol of unity, violence symbol of departing. They are always intertwined and that is the cause behind most seemingly hopeless problematics. For example Dostojevski had brilliant insights in this topic in his book "The brothers Karamazov".

I undestand that the cover can be

seen as provocative, but that´s not the point. It is done by a occult traditionalist, and in that case the clearness and exactness of symbolism is more important than modern aesthetic standards.

It seems, that people treating Dostoevsky's insights with respect do not come up with simple solutions to human nature problems, but only increase these problem's effect on their lives. Isn't it too grim lot for a human being - to know that nothing in this world is for free. And if you say that most of the problems only seem to be hopeless, do you give any answers in your album or just outline the problematics?

I agree that the deepening of knowledge in a way also intensifies the problematics and usually removes them to a more subtle level. But when you have knowledge, you have at least some possibility of dealing with the problems, while most murderers and rapist act in the end rather mechanically. On the other hand, the potential to evil is also much greater and there is no more strict

boundaries between "good" and "evil" when you see that most evil is caused with "good" intention (by the way, the meaning of the name Verge is related essentially to this). I would say that banal acts of violence are in the end mostly caused by more conscious subjects who fail to deal with the problematics and project them forward to "lower" individuals. Is there a solution? From political, sociological or whatsoever point of view there is no solution. "The end of the world" must come. But I think a subjective solution in some measure can be found. As a black metal artist I mostly just outline the problematics, what else I even could do with words? But as the album is for some part also a meditation over my subjective experiences, maybe there can be found some "solutions" in implicit form.

What in your opinion is the potential for Black Metal? What can be reached with it in perspective? What do you plan to attain with Verge as the band, as well as the embodiment of your personalities?

I´m not sure what external achievements are possible for black metal in general and I´m not interested in that. For me black metal is a form of philosophico-religious art. Depending on the perspective, it is an end in itself or a tool for understanding. I have no plans with Verge, now less than ever. I just do what I need to, and have no reason to limit others getting into it. Personalities are the necessary form through which the formless manifests, nothing more, but on the other hand also nothing less. Personalities make Verge differ from everything other but they are meaningfull only in comparison with the whole.

If you woke up the other day and realized that you are the last homo sapiens on the planet, what would you do?Will you create an one-man band? Or one-demon-band to be exact?

Strange question. I guess I would just do anything that came to my mind. No noubt that music would be the most effective way to remain my sanity in such situation. At least there would be no money problems with instruments and other equipment, haha.
18 май 2011 the End


	( 1 )

Verge

Verge

ЯЕСЕРТОЯЯ