Philip A. Wickstrand is a contributing freelance writer for Metal Psalter Webzine. He caught up with drummer T. Thelemnar at the Satyricon in Portland, OR on October 29, 2009.

Progressive German Black Metallers SECRETS OF THE MOON formed in 1995 and have released our studio albums. They do not compromise their artistic vision and keep their music true to its Black Metal roots. Their most recent album, Priviligivm, was released in September 2009 on Prophecy Productions and launched them on their first North American tour as support for MOONSPELL.

Phil: Tell us a bit about the new album, Priviligivm.

Thelemnar: It's our fourth full-length studio album and it's the first album without all the previous members, so two band members left us in the past three years and it's a good thing 'cause sG, our vocalist, and me, we have always been the main song writers since Carved In Stigmata Wounds. Everything was more relaxed, there hadn't been any discussions or something like this, so we were just able to do the music we wanted to do. So we just created for us a perfect sounding Black Metal album. Of course, together with our bass player LSK, but she's living not in Germany - she's from France, Paris. But we're very satisfied - it's kind of a not new level, but new step. Maybe a new path.

Phil: What can you tell us about the song writing process?

Thelemnar: We started writing the new tracks last year in summer. We are a band that is not rehearsing so often, so rehearsals are quite rare. We always meet up when we have the right feeling, the right emotions. And we were going to the studio a hundred percent prepared. This was also a new thing for us, so we had the chance to be more spontaneous in the studio. It sounds different than the previous album, but I think we found our own style.

Phil: What would be your favorite tracks off of the album?

Thelemnar: My favorite tracks? I like them all, but I think it's "Sulphur", the first track, 'cause this tracks combines more, I would say it's a bad word, but trademarks of our band - you have progressive parts, you have slow parts, fast one with the introduction and everything and also 'Shepherd', the last track. I like it very much. 'Cause it's so different.

Phil: Tell us about the concept behind the artwork.

Thelemnar: It's not really a concept. It was an idea of a friend of ours from France; he's a French artist who was also working for Norwegian bands like TAAKE and others, also for a lot of French bands and he came up with this idea with the apple. So for us, this apple is our own inverted cross because it's pure blasphemy, as it is the ultimate sin from the Bible. So I think it's blasphemous. And on the apple you can see this hole; it's a black hole, so you don't know what's inside. It's the same with our new CD - just get our new CD and you don't know what to expect.

Phil: Tell us a bit about the different limited editions of the album.

Thelemnar: The first edition is this digipak version with an extra track - I don't call it bonus track because this track is directly in the middle of the album. It's also cool, perfectly fitting with the other tracks, so it had to be embedded in the middle of the album. Then there is a limited double LP. As we heard, already sold out. Then we have the box with remixes from bands like MELEK-THA, IN SLAUGHTER NATIVES. This also includes a patch, the digipak version. It's also very nice. So we are very proud that our record label was able to produce something like this 'cause it's not usual for a small label and for a small underground band to do that.

Phil: I noticed that recently all of the band's albums were reissued on vinyl. Tell us how important vinyl is to the band.

Thelemnar: Oh, very important. Of course we were growing up with vinyl, we still love vinyl, we own a huge collection of vinyls. Not only Metal, also a lot of Rock LP's. I'm not a fan of MP3's and downloading 'cause when you like a band, you should also get into the whole layout, artwork, whatever. Also lyrics. For example, an IRON MAIDEN album - you have it in your hands, you can see so much of the cover and you can read the lyrics and just have a good time with it. So our records will always be released on vinyl. Of course with the previous album it took awhile. Now it will be released on vinyl three years later, but we're sorry about that. [laughs]

Phil: What is your opinion on the commercialization of Black Metal?

Thelemnar: I don't like it. 'Cause Black Metal is underground, was always underground. Of course, nowadays there's a big hype, especially in Germany - we have so many bands calling themselves Black Metal bands that it's just crap and if they're not able to write good songs or to handle their instruments, they just take away the ideas for an image, maybe from the Nazi times or whatever, so it's NSBM and this is only shit. As I just said, I think Black Metal can never be commercial or whatever. Also bands like DIMMU BORGIR, no. It's a very good band, but for me, it's not Black Metal. It's entertainment, that's it, for the kids. It's good, it's a great band. But I think, for example, bands like SAMAEL - for me, they are still Black Metal 'cause Black Metal is not only music, it's also a feeling and this comes from your heart. So a lot of people show up and say "Hey, your new album is not Black Metal anymore." I say it's one hundred percent Black Metal 'cause we are writing black and dark music - Metal.

Phil: Recommend a book for our readers and then explain why.

Thelemnar: A hard question… there was a German occultist; his name was Agrippa von Nettesheim. You've never heard of him, but he lived over three hundred fifty years ago and he was one of the first occultists. This is very interesting 'cause you have the chance to get the vision of back at that time what people were thinking about the whole earth and about dark things. And I would recommend, I think most of all, the Crowley works. If you're interested in occultism, you should not buy a book for five bucks somewhere in a store that says "The history of occultism and Satanism" or whatever. I think Crowley is something that needs a lot of time to get into. He was a very weird man. So just say, go to the store and buy "The Book of the Law". When you understand this, go work on it.

Phil: Is there anything else you'd like to add?

Thelemnar: I thank all the people who showed up at our concerts and shared some time with us and who were supporting the band with buying merchandise because this is really good support for us. It's not about money making; it's just the only thing we get on the tour to survive, so it's really good. And I thank all the people who take the time to get into the new album and the previous ones.

Secrets of the Moon's T. Thelemnar

June 4, 2010

Interviewer: Philip A. Wickstrand

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Formed: 1995
Osnabrück, Lower Saxony Germany
Label: Lupus Lounge
Genre: Black Metal

CURRENT LINE-UP:

sG (Shammash Golden):  Vocals,
                              Guitar & Keyboards
Ar (Michael Zech):  Guitar &
                                      Backing Vocals
LSK:  Bass & Backing Vocals
Thrawn Thelemnar (Jörg Heeman): 
                                                     Drums

DISCOGRAPHY:

Auf Einer Wanderung Durch
               Goldene Spharen (Split-1999)
Stronghold of the Inviolables (2001)
De Musica Mundana:
                   Best of/Compilation (2002)
Black Metal Endsieg III (Split-2002)
Live in Bitterfield 2001 (2002)
Bestien in Engelsgestalt (Split-2003)
Carved in Stigmata Wounds (2004)
The Exhibitions EP (2005)
Antithesis (2006)
Privilegivm (2009)

PHOTOS BY PHIL A. WICKSTRAND

(Click on Photos to Enlarge)

(Click on Photo to Enlarge)