Hails and welcome to the realm of the rising darkness! Let me thank you for the time you took for our interview! Let me start with some questions about the past days and the members of Setherial!

It has been a really long way you all had to go through since the beginning in 1993 till today! Tell me something about the beginning, the early times when the band was founded and the - of course stony - way till the year 2003!

Kraath: Our Biography as you can find on our website:
Setherial is formed in late 1993 by Mysteriis (Lead Guitar) and former member Devothan (Bass). Other members are Cheeroth (Vocals) and Zathanel (Drums).
1994: Thorn (Bass) joins the band taking over Devothans role, who instead moves on to Rhythm Guitar. Also, Kraath (vocals) joins forces with Setherial. The band record the debut demo entitled "A Hail to the Faceless Angels".
1995: Cheeroth is dismissed during the recording of the "För Dem Mitt Blod" 7", due to mistakes and personality conflicts. A contract is signed with Napalm Records and the debut album, "Nord" is recorded. Zathanel leaves the band after its recording.
1996 "Nord" is released. More line-up problems follows and ending with Mysteriis and Kraath being the only members left in the band. Kraath adds bassguitar alongside his vocalduties as Choronzon (Rhythm Guitar) joins the band and shortly after him, Moloch (Drums) also join forces with Setherial.
1997 The second album is recorded in Hellsound studios. "Lords of the Nightrealm" is released in late 1997, during a short European tour (Setherial, InBattle and Malignant Eternal).
1998 Moloch leaves Setherial, wishing to concentrate on other things and Mysteriis takes over the drums. Kraath and Choronzon begin sharing the guitar duties and Sasrof is brought in as a sessionmember, handling the bass. Also Wrath (vocals) is brought in, as Kraath's vocalchords had suffered a bit too much over the years. "Hell Eternal" is recorded at Abyss and after that, Setherial takes a break due to the members need to focus on other things.
1999 Almost a year after its recording, "Hell Eternal" is released. More than half of Setherial's rehearsing equipment is stolen from the rehearsal studio, forcing the band to hold back on rehearsals until the equipment had been properly replaced.
2001 Finally being able to properly replace the lost equipment, Setherial begin rehearsing more frequently. Sasrof moves away for studies and Zathanel (Bass) re-joins the band as a permanent member.
2002 The fourth album, entitled "Endtime Divine", is recorded at Abyss.
2003 Setherial's last release on Napalm Records is scheduled to be released April 7th 2003. It is a release containing old and previously unreleased material. "Endtime Divine" will be released by Regain Records, Setherial's new label, in May 2003.
Notes: The band has been active under the year of 2000 as well, it's just that no releases or line-up changes occured. We were writing material during this period.


Quiet a long time it has been quiet around the band - what were the reasons for the long break till the year 2003 began?

Kraath: A number of things really, partly the loss of equipment and search for a new rehearsal-studio delayed our work, and partly we just took our time with each step of the process this time around. The new album was actually recorded over a year ago, but we have been busy with different aspects of post-production evber since. We had the cover re-made a couple of times for instance, something that took time but proved really worth it once the final result became clear.


As I read there were several line up changes in the past of Setherial! Are there any special reasons for this?

Kraath: Each change has had it's own reasons I suppose, some just wanted to move on because of perrsonal reasons and some were asked to leave for various reasons. I don't know why we have had such unstable line-ups through the years, but it feels like the current formation will be intact for the next couple of years at least. Although there are never any way to be completely sure I suppose, but the feeling I get is generally positive. Some of the changes have actually just occured due to time restraints and such things, that were the case with Moloch as well as with Sasrof. They just had far too many other engagements outside the band to have the time needed to rehearse and record properly. There are no hard feelings between the band and the old members.


A big change was of course when Wrath of Naglfar joined the band on the album "Hell Eternal". How did you manage it that Wrath joined the band?

Kraath: He was actually our first choice when my vocalchords suffered before the recording of "Hell Eternal". He did some additional vocals allready on "Lords..." and we thought that he would fit in well within the band. We asked him if he was interested in joining the band, and he was very much into the idea.


Let's go over to Setherials music! Let me congratulate you for a real masterpiece of Black Metal! Your album "Endtime Divine" is out about a month now and the first opinions about it should have reached you! Tell me something about them!

Kraath: As far as I have understood it is beeing very well received by the people as well as the press, I have not read that many reviews as of yet but the few I have read reflects very nicly on the album. The general opinion seems to be that it is a development of our sound into a bit more musically progressed style without loosing track of the intensity. And that is pretty much the feeling I have for the album myself as well, so I can't disagree with those who say it.

My favourite song of the album is the fourth one "…Of Suicide"! I am very sorry that I didn't get the lyrics of the album so I would beg you to tell me something about the lyrics of this song!

Kraath: "Of Suicide" deals exclusively with the concept of suicide, with the thought of ending your life and spending eternity in willfull damnation. I's about the thrill of taking that final step towards nothingness, releasing your life to emerge into the abyss.


If I think about the fantastic nature and winter in Sweden I really can get the opinion that this is a big part of your inspiration for the lyrics and music. Would you agree with me?

Kraath: Well, on some of our early work it was a strong and clear inspiration. "Nord" would not be the album it is if we lived in any other geographic area. On the later releases I think that the inspiration is more of a subtle nature, meaning that it probobly does inspire us on a subconscious level but it is not our main inspirational source at this point. Nature can be very inspirational for moods and general wibes, but it is the inner forces and conflicts that really draws out the best creative inspirations I think.


In this way would you say that the cold atmosphere you create comes natural? Do you think it's typically a Scandinavian thing?

Kraath: It might to some degree be something to that, but it is not alltogether that simple. We have a subconscious inspirational-source available that bands from more southern countries do not, but I don't think that alone can be held responsible for the Scandinavian sound. There are many factors to be considered, although nature and culture naturally contributes to the mix.


Tell me where are you from in Sweden

Kraath: We are from a town called Sundsvall, except from Wrath who resides in Umeå


"Endtime Divine" - If you start looking around in our world, if you watch the news you could really get the feeling that it's gonna happen in near time! That's one possibility to see the album title! What would you say to this? How would you define the title?

Kraath: It is both a vision of a possible future and a observance of the present times actually. Not that the present is anywhere near being the actual endtimes, but we are heading that way. It is a homage to the end of days in a way, a tip of the hat to the destruction of civilization I suppose. It is designed to make you think, to make you take a stand on your own without anyone telling you what to think or what to feel. It is as always a call for independence among our listeners, a way to make people wake up and smell the lies.

What is the message Setherial wants to spread out into the world?

Kraath: I think that our lyrics speak for themselves really. But we are a Satanic black metal band in our lyrical aspects, we write about very dark subjects to make them known and accepted. By making theese things available we enable the listener to make his/her own mind up regarding theese matters, and form an opinion based on personal thought and philosophy. If I can inspire one person to make a stand for something they find within my lyrics I am very satisfied, it's all about sharing our views of the world through strong powerful metaphors and symbols as well as an expression of a Satanic lifestyle.


For your last album you changed to your new label Regain Records! What was the reason for this change and are you satisfied with all they did for you till this time?

Kraath: We changed label because we felt like it was time for a change and a new start for the band to keep inspired. The choice fell on Regain partly because it's a swedish label and partly because they seemed ready to really make an effort promoting the band on their end. I am very happy with the way things are developing with Regain, things are going smoothly and without friction. I would also want to point out that there are no hard feelings between us and NPR, we hade some very good years with them, but this was just something we had to do.


I think there is a really great cover artwork on "Endtime Divine". Tell me who did this for you and is this also your figurative opinion of the Endtime of all Divine?

Kraath: The coverart was created by Neclolord, or Christian Wåhlin if you will. We are really happy with his work for us, the cover looks really great. It is representative of the title I think, not that it is the definite realisation of the title, but it does reflect it well and fits with the mood of the album, both musically and lyrically.


The last thing I am interested is your opinion about Satanism! How would you define Satanism by yourself and would you call yourself a Satanist?

Kraath: I see Satanism as the road of the strong individual, the road of the one who won't let any false set of rules guide his thoughts. It is the ultimate call for intellectual freedom and creative energy for the individual instead of the many. It is the realisation that you are better than your neighbours, not their equals. It is the strength in knowledge of your dark aspects, and the force in knowing how to use them instead of fearing them. It is the thorn in the eye of organised religion, religions who base their work on fear of that wich the strong can exploit are terrified of the possibility of their herds relishing the things they learn them to fear and dread. Satanism does that, it explors the deepest pits of the individual and makes him stronger.
By my defenition of Satanism, am I a Satanist? What do you think?

Thank you very much again for your time, stay dark and keep eternal darkness rising!


martin