It's sad to see the nowadays Black Metal scene: big "extreme" magazines (sic !!) affirm every day that "this is the future of black metal.... that group is innovative...this is really experimentation" and so on, calling black metal to many groups that personally I'd love to see destroyed for their lack of attitude and meanings. I think Barbarud Hrom and Vlad Blasphemer, the two warriors behind the name Maniac Butcher, have thought the same before deciding to put the word end on this mighty group, surely one of the East Europe best act of all times. Once again, the bands with the right attitude and the true spirit should disappear, and the stupid vampire-gothic oriented teenagers group remains to show their "evolution"...
"Epitaph - The final onslaught of Maniac Butcher" is the last chapter for the glorious kings of Czech Black Metal Maniac Butcher. A really good album, maybe their best, edited in vinyl and in Cd format with a bonus video rom. Here we talk with Barbarud Hrom about the last (in every sense) album, in such way as to understand their reasons to split.

Hell-o Barbarud. It's sad for me to know that this is your last album. Why did you decided to stop with Maniac Butcher?

            We though about for a long time and few months ago we have finally decided that we don't want to be part of this shitty scene for more. We and our musical feeling stayed same but the scene around us was changed a lot in the last years. Many old great hordes already left the scene and there remain tons of sweet childish imitations full of romantic keyboards and female vocals. We are afraid there is no more place for hordes like Maniac Butcher on today's scene. Now nearly no bands plays that, what was called as Black Metal in the past... and that, what is called as Black Metal today, we call shit. We don't want to do anything with that shit. We don't want to be part of this fuckin' scene for more!!

I absolutely agree with your statement, the nowadays scene is full of shitty bands that should stop themselves, and not great hordes like you, but you know, it's the sad destiny of the underground…Can you tell us something about this "Epitaph" (one of your best works, absolutely and sadly, 'cause it's the last…) and about the decision to include a video track on it?

            The full title is "Epitaph - The Final Onslaught Of Maniac Butcher". It includes 5 blasphemies in total length about 35 minutes full of speed Black Metal with fuckin' raw and brutal sound. Of course, it is free of any fuckin' keyboards or female vocals. Also we made video for the first song and it is included on CD as bonus-video-track playable on PC.
We wanted to do it already for several years. Now I have finally good PC capable to work with videos (I mean to make the cuts and so). All production was very cheap, we made about 4 hours of videos in castle-ruins Pravda. Then I worked on that on my PC for 2 weeks.
In the past a lot of people asked us about videos from our gigs, so we wanted to give them something special. I think we made good work. We got many very positive responses about the clip.

Personally, I consider the idea to add a video on the Cd a nice idea, whereas the fact that it represents all the genuine and uncompromising attitude of the band. Your way of playing and interpreting Black Metal stayed always the same since the beginning, so I'd like to know what is Black Metal for you, your point of view about it…

            My favorite music, of course. But also my personal philosophy is very close with my music. I can say, (Black) Metal is way of my life. But I don't think we want to give some special message to another people. We just make music that we love, it fully satisfies us.
See, we were the first Czech band using war-paint, spikes, weapons...(the warriors image). I well remember our first "war-painted" gigs. The most of people were totally shocked. Some people compared us to KISS, haha. We were real pioneers of extreme Black Metal in Czechia. Later many other Czech bands started to use same image and after several years many of them stopped to use it. We always played same raw brutal way of Black Metal. In middle 90-ies many B.M. bands started to use keyboards and female vocals and later many of them joined the pseudo-thrash wave... We never cared about these fashion waves, we always played same music, we always used same image, we never betrayed our roots.

Ok, and about your influences in the music? What are the bands that Barbarud loved (and loves) to listen to?

            I always very preferred old stuff of old hordes like Mayhem, Darkthrone, Venom, Celtic Frost / Hellhammer, Sodom, Kreator, Slayer, Possessed, Piledriver, Razor...and many others. We were surely influenced by all these great bands.

Everybody knows the band, for the most of the time, has been composed by you and Vlad. In your shows you are often helped by Akhenaten (the sole member of mighty Judas Iscariot and member of Weltmacht). What do you think about him? Do you like his music?

            I have been in contact with him for many years, long before he moved from USA to Germany. I very like music of his both bands. By the way, I re-released one of Judas Iscariot's album on tape through my label. He plays bass for Maniac Butcher on gigs.

And about your side project Nhaavah? What does the name means and what kind of music you play with this band?

            This word comes from old-Czech language. It means "death" and it is also name for kingdom of mighty Slavonic warriors fallen in battles. Nhaavah is only studio project. It has different concept than Maniac Butcher. Our main idea was to make the rawest and fastest Black Metal ever. In 1998 we released limited debut mCD called "Kings Of Czech Black Metal". We recorded all in my house, all was mixed in my computer, and also drums were made there. We experimented with speed. It is total ultimate massacre. Very extreme music for extreme listeners only. I have never heard so fast and brutal Black Metal before... And in early 2000 there was out split-EP with German horde Katharsis. Some parts on the EP are still faster than on the debut.

Ok, a short time before I asked you about the reasons you decided to leave the scene, now, what's your opinion about the nowadays scene? Do you like groups like cradle of filth, dimmu borgir (you know, vampires, keyboards, sweet vocals and so on…), the new mayhem and so on? What's for you the future of Black metal?

            I see no future for Black Metal. Black Metal scene is nearly destroyed now. The most of old true hordes left the scene, which is now full of new sweet shitty bands. Big labels made business from Black Metal. They kill it... Black Metal children buy the stuff from big labels. They kill Black Metal... Bands, which signed to big labels, started to make sweet music for sweet Black Metal children, but all still call it "Black Metal". They all kill Black Metal.
About c.o.f. and d.b. I see all their vampire-like teeth and half-naked women on their covers as very stupid. Anyway it is good image to become big star worshipped by loads of stupid teens... and to sell them tons of CDs and sweet-shirts. It is just business, not Black Metal. We worship true METAL in old vein. There is no place for their fuckin' instruments. Keyboards are good for disco-music. We remember old times when it was a shame to use keyboards in Metal. And female vocals? We prefer to use mouths of girls for totally different activities... About MayheM, the new band without Euronymous has nothing common with old The True Mayhem. By my opinion, it is totally new and different band and it should have different name. Using of old name is just fuckin' business.

Ok, let's talk about your beliefs: are you a Satanist? What do you think about Satanism?

            Yes, I am Satanist. But not in LaVey's vein. I don't care on his rituals etc. It is stupid game for small children and stupid people in USA. The best synonymous for my Satanism is individualism. What is good for me is good. Moreover the name "Satanism" and some Satanic symbols are not so important for me. The philosophy (way of thinking, way of making decisions, way of solving problems...) is important for me. No heaven, no hell, no god, no Satan exist. I believe only in myself, my own powers, and my own brain. I worship only myself. I am my only god. What is good for me, is good…

And about politics? Are you interested in this kind of topics into Black Metal?

            By my opinion, the real BM was always about Satanism, hate and evil... not about politics or some fucking Viking mythology or romantic forests and nature... Symbols of real BM were always pentagrams, upside down crosses, number 666...but not some 88 or 777, Celtic crosses or Viking runes.

Ok, Barbarud, the last question: what about the future of Maniac Butcher?

            Hmmm, there is no future. Huh, some our friendly hordes from Czechia, Germany, Italy... already prepare our cover-songs for something like "The Best Of / A Tribute To Maniac Butcher", a special double-CD including collection of our songs from all our albums and demos, some special never-released studio-, live-, rehearsal- recordings, and covers of our tracks recorded by some our friendly hordes. At this moment there are finished recordings of Impending Doom (Germany), Avenger (Cz), Thy Winter Kingdom (Italy), Inferno (Cz), and Dark Storm (Cz). And some more bands should record their songs soon.

Ok, it's the end:

            Raw War!!

Thank you for the interview and best wishes for the future Barbarud !! Maniac Butcher will forever live in our black souls…

You must get "Epitaph", 'cause its a true Black Metal album of a true Black Metal band. And you must support the "No keyboards-No female vocals" campaign !! I think there's nothing more to say. Heils maniac Butcher !!