"so kani, das ist sie wieder! bei löschversuchen deinerseits - die seite ist innerhalb von 5 minuten wieder hergestellt."
This side: ENGLISH!
Auf der zweiten Seite findet ihr die DEUTSCHE Version (runterscrollen: Older posts)!
[…] On the other hand, the expression ‘Black Metal’ isn’t entirely correct for my ‘music’. Black Metal is of a Satanic nature; I, on the other hand, sing of deep emotions, the agony of a warrior soul and hatred towards the human race. Therefore, I refer to my music as ‘German Hateful and Misanthropic Metal’, even though in the old booklet you can still read the word ‘Black’ before the word ‘Metal’. Just because I wear make-up and my vocals have a characteristic that makes everybody call it Black Metal, I do not have the right to insult this precious cult.[1]
Kanwulf in The Gate magazine, 1999 (in exactly the same wording to be found in the same year’s Cothurnus issue, too)
(Hinweis: Es besteht auch eine deutsche Fassung dieses Dokuments.)
Intention and Addressed Audience
The purpose of this document is to help disassemble and eventually bury the still enduring myth around one of the most shameless, abject and detestable liars and impostors to the cult, namely René “Kanwulf” Wagner, as well as the allegedly Black-Metal-associated web of lies that he wove during the last ten years and which still enjoys tremendous popularity within certain circles: Nargaroth. This by documenting and, as far as possible, correcting at least some of the countless half- and untruths that Kanwulf once built Nargaroth upon and which now persisted for almost a whole decade. As a collection of the most “popular” of Kanwulf’s phantasms, this document is primarily aimed at those who have so far been unable to emend the once received false impression of Kanwulf’s aforementioned tissue of lies—and finally help overcome this inability.
Contrary to common practice, ortho- and typography of quoted passages have been adjusted for the purpose of better readability. Needless to say that meaning and essence of the passages did thereby always remain intact; the actual wording has, except for non-distorting omissions, in no case been touched. Due to both my rather bad English and Kanwulf’s lousy German, a few more (non-essential) portions (such which were overly difficult to translate and/or didn’t make sense in German to begin with) had been left out here than in the original German version of this document. Superscript numbers following translated portions refer to these portions’s positions within the German original, so that everybody can translate the missing parts for themselves, if they wish.
The already expressed allegation that this this document would rather strengthen the cult around Nargaroth than help demolishing it, its author meets with complete disregard. The allegation, however, that this document was published at least five years too late, he willingly agrees with.
Remains only to be determined that the author of these lines stands in no personal relationship to “Kanwulf von Nargaroth” and is in no way whatsoever involved into the entertainment industry around the popular “Black” Metal, therefore sees himself not dazzled by any personal feud or disfavour of whatever kind.
Popular Lies around Kanwulf and Nargaroth
His tongue speaks the truth. He is real, not a copy of someone else. His eyes show his stronghold and the kindness of a man. He takes honour serious and not as an image.
Kanwulf in Black Light magazine, 2001, asked for his definition of the perfect man
Sonntag, 2. Oktober 2011
Absurdly Wrong Release Dates
In his constant aim to be regarded as a part of the early-nineties Black Metal scene—probably due to the popular misapprehension that the degree of integrity and honesty (vulgo: “trueness”) could be calculated by the means of mere numbers—Kanwulf dates the time of the foundation of Nargaroth on either the year 1991—the same year he dates the appearance of the Orke EP to, as well—or, more frequently, even 1989. Kanwulf was, which might be of some interest in this context, born in 1975 and was thus at most fourteen years old back in 1989. The appearance of the “original” Herbstleyd demo, Kanwulf usually dates to the year 1993 and invented around it the following story:
I recorded the demo in my kitchen, and it was very dilettantish. I was naked and under drugs as I did it. So that’s why the side A of that demo sounds a little bit stupid.
Kanwulf in Black Light magazine, 2001
However, at least the release dates seem to be wishful thinking rather than anything else. Every single one of Kanwulf’s former intimates reports that Kanwulf didn’t get in touch with Black Metal at all before 1996, that he was rather belonging to the Gothic scene until then. Also, among the people who actually were involved in the cult at the beginning of the nineties, I know not a single one who ever heard of Kanwulf, Nargaroth, Orke or Herbstleyd before 1996/-97, and none of them ever heard of anyone who did, either. Quite remarkably for a rather small yet well-interwoven milieu like the German Black Metal scene of the early nineties … After all, it can be safely assumed that if the term Black Metal was familiar to Kanwulf at all before 1996, it was from marginal notes in Zillo or other Gothic magazines, and almost everything he fabled into the seven years before can be safely regarded as a pack of lies.
That he recorded the ‘Orke’ demo in ’91, it’s all a lie, the demo was recorded in ’99. And he was a Gothic and now claims that Nargaroth existed since ’91 or ’89. That’s a lie, I’m in the scene since the old days and know that he lies. […] I have a thousand contacs worldwide and pretty much know what I am talking about.[2]
Marcel “Darkmoon” Spaller (Sombre Records) in a letter dating from May 16th, 2005
It was not before aforementioned year 1996 that the Orke EP—within certain circles occasionally regarded as a “cult item” and therefore often dealt for horrendous amounts—was truly recorded, where, according to numerous reliable voices, 1999 is far more likely than 1996. In the light of all this, it, of course, isn’t overly surprising anymore then that Kanwulf himself was occasionally in doubt about whether this “’91” EP was limited to 300 (expressed, for example, in The Gate magazine) or 150 copies (expressed, for example, in Strength through War magazine).
Also remarkably: The alias “Kanwulf” descends from the Franco-Canadian Fantasy TV series Highlander, in which it denotes an “immortal” Viking warrior. (The name “Nargaroth” descends from the table-top Fantasy game Warhammer, by the way.) This character first appeared in the fourth season of the series, which, according to the Internet Movie Database, was first aired in autumn 1995 (Canada) or summer 1996 (Germany), respectively. A little surprising in this context is the fact that the name “Kanwulf” already appeared on the “original” Orke and Herbstleyd demos (see: “’91” Orke demo, “’93” Herbstleyd demo), which, according to Kanwulf, were released a whole two or four years before the series was first aired. (Or rather three or five years, considering that Kanwulf was very unlikely known to the series before it was aired in Germany.)
(Addition, February 26th, 2008: On the official Nargaroth Web site, which is on-line since early 2008, Kanwulf himself meanwhile admitted that both the names “Kanwulf” and “Nargaroth” did not come into being before 1996 [see this screenshot of the document, as it cannot be referenced directly] and thus—taking into account that the names already appeared on both Orke and the Herbstleyd demo—indirectly concedes that all pre-1996 releases were fakes and all of his earlier statements regarding this matter lies. Consequently, the official discography, as published 2008, now correctly starts with the 1998 Herbstleyd LP and leaves out the earlier fake “cult” releases entirely. I leave it to the reader to decide what share this document had in Kanwulf’s suddenly awoken “honesty” regarding this and some other matters.)
In the light of all this, Kanwulf’s mantra-like repetition of his feigned conviction that Black Metal perished in the year 1996 at the latest surely doesn’t lack a certain hint of irony. Following, a handful of more or less randomly selected statements of Kanwulf concerning his “substantial share” in the early-nineties Black Metal and his so “deeply felt grief” over its demise:
Black Metal is dead. What arises now is a rotten culture that serves self-portrayal. Where are the warriors of the old days? Have I been a sleeper for ten years? Are they dead or held captive in cells by the authority? Or did they resign and withdraw?[3] (Cothurnus, 1999)
These disputes are mostly started by people who have nothing to do with the Black Metal from 1990 to 1994. Then Black Metal started to become popular, and these oh-so-humanitarian hippies brought their opinions and ideas into the music. […] But what right to they have to do so? When in 1990 to 1994 the second form and generation of Black Metal arose, the one that I favour, these people hadn’t got anything to do with it and listened to some other Metal shit.[4] (Cothurnus, 1999)
This third generation, which from 1996 on began releasing something […], that didn’t have to do anything with Black Metal at all anymore.[5] (Magacinum ab ovo, 1999)
In the eyes of Black Metal maniacs from the old days, I was the warrior from the long forgotten time. (Black Light magazine, 2001)
I recorded the demo in my kitchen, and it was very dilettantish. I was naked and under drugs as I did it. So that’s why the side A of that demo sounds a little bit stupid.
Kanwulf in Black Light magazine, 2001
However, at least the release dates seem to be wishful thinking rather than anything else. Every single one of Kanwulf’s former intimates reports that Kanwulf didn’t get in touch with Black Metal at all before 1996, that he was rather belonging to the Gothic scene until then. Also, among the people who actually were involved in the cult at the beginning of the nineties, I know not a single one who ever heard of Kanwulf, Nargaroth, Orke or Herbstleyd before 1996/-97, and none of them ever heard of anyone who did, either. Quite remarkably for a rather small yet well-interwoven milieu like the German Black Metal scene of the early nineties … After all, it can be safely assumed that if the term Black Metal was familiar to Kanwulf at all before 1996, it was from marginal notes in Zillo or other Gothic magazines, and almost everything he fabled into the seven years before can be safely regarded as a pack of lies.
That he recorded the ‘Orke’ demo in ’91, it’s all a lie, the demo was recorded in ’99. And he was a Gothic and now claims that Nargaroth existed since ’91 or ’89. That’s a lie, I’m in the scene since the old days and know that he lies. […] I have a thousand contacs worldwide and pretty much know what I am talking about.[2]
Marcel “Darkmoon” Spaller (Sombre Records) in a letter dating from May 16th, 2005
It was not before aforementioned year 1996 that the Orke EP—within certain circles occasionally regarded as a “cult item” and therefore often dealt for horrendous amounts—was truly recorded, where, according to numerous reliable voices, 1999 is far more likely than 1996. In the light of all this, it, of course, isn’t overly surprising anymore then that Kanwulf himself was occasionally in doubt about whether this “’91” EP was limited to 300 (expressed, for example, in The Gate magazine) or 150 copies (expressed, for example, in Strength through War magazine).
Also remarkably: The alias “Kanwulf” descends from the Franco-Canadian Fantasy TV series Highlander, in which it denotes an “immortal” Viking warrior. (The name “Nargaroth” descends from the table-top Fantasy game Warhammer, by the way.) This character first appeared in the fourth season of the series, which, according to the Internet Movie Database, was first aired in autumn 1995 (Canada) or summer 1996 (Germany), respectively. A little surprising in this context is the fact that the name “Kanwulf” already appeared on the “original” Orke and Herbstleyd demos (see: “’91” Orke demo, “’93” Herbstleyd demo), which, according to Kanwulf, were released a whole two or four years before the series was first aired. (Or rather three or five years, considering that Kanwulf was very unlikely known to the series before it was aired in Germany.)
(Addition, February 26th, 2008: On the official Nargaroth Web site, which is on-line since early 2008, Kanwulf himself meanwhile admitted that both the names “Kanwulf” and “Nargaroth” did not come into being before 1996 [see this screenshot of the document, as it cannot be referenced directly] and thus—taking into account that the names already appeared on both Orke and the Herbstleyd demo—indirectly concedes that all pre-1996 releases were fakes and all of his earlier statements regarding this matter lies. Consequently, the official discography, as published 2008, now correctly starts with the 1998 Herbstleyd LP and leaves out the earlier fake “cult” releases entirely. I leave it to the reader to decide what share this document had in Kanwulf’s suddenly awoken “honesty” regarding this and some other matters.)
In the light of all this, Kanwulf’s mantra-like repetition of his feigned conviction that Black Metal perished in the year 1996 at the latest surely doesn’t lack a certain hint of irony. Following, a handful of more or less randomly selected statements of Kanwulf concerning his “substantial share” in the early-nineties Black Metal and his so “deeply felt grief” over its demise:
Black Metal is dead. What arises now is a rotten culture that serves self-portrayal. Where are the warriors of the old days? Have I been a sleeper for ten years? Are they dead or held captive in cells by the authority? Or did they resign and withdraw?[3] (Cothurnus, 1999)
These disputes are mostly started by people who have nothing to do with the Black Metal from 1990 to 1994. Then Black Metal started to become popular, and these oh-so-humanitarian hippies brought their opinions and ideas into the music. […] But what right to they have to do so? When in 1990 to 1994 the second form and generation of Black Metal arose, the one that I favour, these people hadn’t got anything to do with it and listened to some other Metal shit.[4] (Cothurnus, 1999)
This third generation, which from 1996 on began releasing something […], that didn’t have to do anything with Black Metal at all anymore.[5] (Magacinum ab ovo, 1999)
In the eyes of Black Metal maniacs from the old days, I was the warrior from the long forgotten time. (Black Light magazine, 2001)
Alleged Acquaintance with Vikernes
In the past, Kanwulf not seldom amused his environment with the allegation that he was personally acquainted with both Per Yngve “Dead” Ohlin (Morbid/Mayhem) and Kristian “Varg” Vikernes a. k. a. Count Grishnakh (Burzum), that he had visited the both of them at the beginning of the nineties in Norway and discussed with them the state of these days’s Black Metal scene. At my attendance in Norway in January ’91, I became acquainted with Vikernes[6], Kanwulf announced in an 1998 interview with German Ablaze magazine. Already at that time, Vikernes had entrusted to him that all of this (Black Metal) was fated to die—[…] and his eyes revealed to me, at that time, that he believed in it[7]. This and similar things, Kanwulf from then on repeated at every arising opportunity (although he was occasionally uncertain about whether he had actually met Vikernes in persona or merely maintained letter contact to him—and often left the meeting with Dead completely unmentioned for obscure reasons), so that at some point he possibly began to believe in it himself.
For well-known reasons, Dead cannot defend himself from these bizarre outgrowths of Kanwulf’s ingenuity anymore. Vikernes, on the other hand, stated, after being approached about Kanwulf by several persons out of the Deutsche Heidnische Front environment, that he had never heard of Kanwulf at all, let alone ever having been in contact to him.
Yes, I asked Varg about this, and his comment on it was, among other things, literally: This guy must be full of shit. Varg said that no foreigners at all—except for Swedish Black Metallers—were to be seen in Oslo at the Helvete back in 1991. Anyway, he hadn’t ever heard about either René ‘Kanwulf’ Wagner or Nargaroth before.[8]
Ronald “Wolf” Möbus (Absurd/Nebelfee Klangwerke) in an e-mail dating from August 7th, 2005
In the face of this, it appears needless to point out again that in this year 1991, in which Kanwulf claimed having perambulated Norway and with two of the most important guidance figures of the early-nineties Norwegian Black Metal wept about the desolate condition of the still young cult, he was at most sixteen years old and, according to everybody who knew him, familiar with Black Metal only from hearsay, if at all.
For well-known reasons, Dead cannot defend himself from these bizarre outgrowths of Kanwulf’s ingenuity anymore. Vikernes, on the other hand, stated, after being approached about Kanwulf by several persons out of the Deutsche Heidnische Front environment, that he had never heard of Kanwulf at all, let alone ever having been in contact to him.
Yes, I asked Varg about this, and his comment on it was, among other things, literally: This guy must be full of shit. Varg said that no foreigners at all—except for Swedish Black Metallers—were to be seen in Oslo at the Helvete back in 1991. Anyway, he hadn’t ever heard about either René ‘Kanwulf’ Wagner or Nargaroth before.[8]
Ronald “Wolf” Möbus (Absurd/Nebelfee Klangwerke) in an e-mail dating from August 7th, 2005
In the face of this, it appears needless to point out again that in this year 1991, in which Kanwulf claimed having perambulated Norway and with two of the most important guidance figures of the early-nineties Norwegian Black Metal wept about the desolate condition of the still young cult, he was at most sixteen years old and, according to everybody who knew him, familiar with Black Metal only from hearsay, if at all.
Talk-Show Appearance at “Sonja”
This point concerns Kanwulf’s “storied” performance on German tabloid talk show “Sonja” in December 1999. Wrapped in a lacquer skirt and a cobweb-pattern blouse, Kanwulf presents himself here under the extremely-affecting-the-world-public topic: “The very sight of you makes me sick”.
A fellow student and room-mate of Kanwulf, namely André, blames the latter here for playing his Black Metal—according to said André’s definition some guitar-threshing, and someone’s screaming something to it[9], by the way—all-too loud and thus maltreating his co-inhabitants taste and ear to a degree not longer acceptable. In addition, he criticises Kanwulf’s outward appearance—according to these descriptions, kohl, lacquer skirt and cobweb-pattern blouse seem to be firm components of Kanwulf’s clothing habits, not an one-time gaffe—and notes that, occasionally, he’d indeed feel embarrassed to be seen with Kanwulf in public. And, yes, sometimes he’d actually get nauseated at the sight of Kanwulf. We as the audience could at that time already catch a glimpse of Kanwulf and hence feel ourselves able to empathise with that André for once.
In the light of these revelations, the host now addresses some disapproving words to Kanwulf, whose room-mate meanwhile lapses into a dull numbness and does the audience the favour of losing his ability to speak for the rest of the show. The audience, in turn, are laughing at Kanwulf—albeit restrainedly, as, after all, one is used to a lot—for his faggy appearance, while Kanwulf himself is making a mock of himself to the best of his abilities. This whole sick farce, which binds us to itself for about six minutes with the morbid fascination of a traffic accident, finally ends in such a way that Kanwulf pledges to henceforth more often adjourn to his car in order to listen to Black Metal.
Kanwulf at German tabloid talk show “Sonja”
And although this may indeed sound quite unbelievable at first, it still remains the truth, and for those silly fanboys who sporadically express their conviction that this talk-show appearance never actually took place but is merely a mean fabrication of a handful of naggers and enviers, I decided to provide a recording of Kanwulf’s talk-show appearance here.
Link to the Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0U2oSExs4wc
By means of an entry in the then far more frequented Web forum of Eternity magazine, Kanwulf attempted to lie himself out as follows (why Kanwulf speaks about himself in the third person will likewise be answered a little later on):
Well, that talk-show matter. That was all a fake […]. He had lost a bet almost a year ago, and his stake in that bet was ought to be something that he’d never do normally! He decided for either having his hair cut or the above-mentioned. Well, he lost the bet. He now refused to cut his hair, as he always says it’d be some kind of pride to wear it. But he even more refused to do the other thing. This led to great distrust among his folks, as he always advances the view that a man’s word should carry weight and meet his honour. But exactly this wasn’t the case now.
But somehow he finally brought himself to do so, as his word shouldn’t be an empty one. So he went there with a false story and a slight acquaintance. He intended to appear without a shirt and ‘I hate you’ or something like that written on his chest. But they didn’t allow that (them from the show) and threatened him with legal action, as one has to sign a contract there. He put on the blouse of his wife then, as he didn’t want to show up with a Metal shirt on TV. He thinks that’d be the absolutely wrong place for such things. And right he is! He didn’t adhere to the answers that were given to him, either, and the discussion was eventually broken off by the host. He picked a quarrel with some technicians, too, because he wasn’t allowed to leave during the show. They even called security to stop him from walking off …
I think he condemns himself for doing that. But he didn’t break his word! The money he got there he gave a dosser on the street.[10]
Kanwulf (claiming to be Charoon), Eternity Web forum, April 5th, 2001
Kanwulf seriously seems to be keen to sell even this total ridiculing of both himself and Black Metal as an “honourable” act! Everybody, however, who watches the show by himself, will easily discover at least the following:
The clothes—more precisely: the cobweb-pattern blouse (it cannot be stressed often enough)—Kanwulf wears is by no means his then-wife’s. His then-wife is among the audience during the entire show and repeatedly caught by the eye of the camera (screenshot), so that each viewer can convince himself that if the blouse would have been hers, even the boyish stature of Kanwulf would doubtlessly have tore it apart like, … well, cobweb.
Another thing that everybody who takes a look at Kanwulf’s then-wife will quite certainly notice is the fact that she is completely dressed—what reason could she therefore have had to take that cobweb-pattern blouse with her that Kanwulf claimed having borrowed from her after being refused to show up undressed from the waist up? And why are we supposed to swallow that Kanwulf—who is filmed backstage laughing dumbly about his room-mate’s ridiculing definition of Black Metal—believed that TV’d be the absolutely wrong place for [Metal shirts] in the first place? It is the wrong place for Metal shirts yet the perfectly right place to make fun of Metal verbally?
Kanwulf and that sorely afflicted André do in no way give the impression of being—as Kanwulf later pretended—hardly known to each other. After all, the story they tell doesn’t appear to be made-up, either, but just as authentic as stories told in this kind of television show can possibly appear at all.
Neither the behaviour of Kanwulf nor the interaction between the involved persons altogether—clearly including the host—do at the least indicate that Kanwulf had “revolted” in any way. In fact, Kanwulf doesn’t leave the impression of being capable of such behaviour in the first place. Quite the opposite, Kanwulf appears overly friendly and considerate, is fooling around with that André and the host and, all in all, acting just like all the other sorry vermin who make fools of themselves in this kind of show every day. Consequently, and contrary to what Kanwulf said, the discussion was not broken off, and the incident that, according to Kanwulf, had occurred backstage is just as obviously mere fiction.
A fellow student and room-mate of Kanwulf, namely André, blames the latter here for playing his Black Metal—according to said André’s definition some guitar-threshing, and someone’s screaming something to it[9], by the way—all-too loud and thus maltreating his co-inhabitants taste and ear to a degree not longer acceptable. In addition, he criticises Kanwulf’s outward appearance—according to these descriptions, kohl, lacquer skirt and cobweb-pattern blouse seem to be firm components of Kanwulf’s clothing habits, not an one-time gaffe—and notes that, occasionally, he’d indeed feel embarrassed to be seen with Kanwulf in public. And, yes, sometimes he’d actually get nauseated at the sight of Kanwulf. We as the audience could at that time already catch a glimpse of Kanwulf and hence feel ourselves able to empathise with that André for once.
In the light of these revelations, the host now addresses some disapproving words to Kanwulf, whose room-mate meanwhile lapses into a dull numbness and does the audience the favour of losing his ability to speak for the rest of the show. The audience, in turn, are laughing at Kanwulf—albeit restrainedly, as, after all, one is used to a lot—for his faggy appearance, while Kanwulf himself is making a mock of himself to the best of his abilities. This whole sick farce, which binds us to itself for about six minutes with the morbid fascination of a traffic accident, finally ends in such a way that Kanwulf pledges to henceforth more often adjourn to his car in order to listen to Black Metal.
Kanwulf at German tabloid talk show “Sonja”
And although this may indeed sound quite unbelievable at first, it still remains the truth, and for those silly fanboys who sporadically express their conviction that this talk-show appearance never actually took place but is merely a mean fabrication of a handful of naggers and enviers, I decided to provide a recording of Kanwulf’s talk-show appearance here.
Link to the Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0U2oSExs4wc
By means of an entry in the then far more frequented Web forum of Eternity magazine, Kanwulf attempted to lie himself out as follows (why Kanwulf speaks about himself in the third person will likewise be answered a little later on):
Well, that talk-show matter. That was all a fake […]. He had lost a bet almost a year ago, and his stake in that bet was ought to be something that he’d never do normally! He decided for either having his hair cut or the above-mentioned. Well, he lost the bet. He now refused to cut his hair, as he always says it’d be some kind of pride to wear it. But he even more refused to do the other thing. This led to great distrust among his folks, as he always advances the view that a man’s word should carry weight and meet his honour. But exactly this wasn’t the case now.
But somehow he finally brought himself to do so, as his word shouldn’t be an empty one. So he went there with a false story and a slight acquaintance. He intended to appear without a shirt and ‘I hate you’ or something like that written on his chest. But they didn’t allow that (them from the show) and threatened him with legal action, as one has to sign a contract there. He put on the blouse of his wife then, as he didn’t want to show up with a Metal shirt on TV. He thinks that’d be the absolutely wrong place for such things. And right he is! He didn’t adhere to the answers that were given to him, either, and the discussion was eventually broken off by the host. He picked a quarrel with some technicians, too, because he wasn’t allowed to leave during the show. They even called security to stop him from walking off …
I think he condemns himself for doing that. But he didn’t break his word! The money he got there he gave a dosser on the street.[10]
Kanwulf (claiming to be Charoon), Eternity Web forum, April 5th, 2001
Kanwulf seriously seems to be keen to sell even this total ridiculing of both himself and Black Metal as an “honourable” act! Everybody, however, who watches the show by himself, will easily discover at least the following:
The clothes—more precisely: the cobweb-pattern blouse (it cannot be stressed often enough)—Kanwulf wears is by no means his then-wife’s. His then-wife is among the audience during the entire show and repeatedly caught by the eye of the camera (screenshot), so that each viewer can convince himself that if the blouse would have been hers, even the boyish stature of Kanwulf would doubtlessly have tore it apart like, … well, cobweb.
Another thing that everybody who takes a look at Kanwulf’s then-wife will quite certainly notice is the fact that she is completely dressed—what reason could she therefore have had to take that cobweb-pattern blouse with her that Kanwulf claimed having borrowed from her after being refused to show up undressed from the waist up? And why are we supposed to swallow that Kanwulf—who is filmed backstage laughing dumbly about his room-mate’s ridiculing definition of Black Metal—believed that TV’d be the absolutely wrong place for [Metal shirts] in the first place? It is the wrong place for Metal shirts yet the perfectly right place to make fun of Metal verbally?
Kanwulf and that sorely afflicted André do in no way give the impression of being—as Kanwulf later pretended—hardly known to each other. After all, the story they tell doesn’t appear to be made-up, either, but just as authentic as stories told in this kind of television show can possibly appear at all.
Neither the behaviour of Kanwulf nor the interaction between the involved persons altogether—clearly including the host—do at the least indicate that Kanwulf had “revolted” in any way. In fact, Kanwulf doesn’t leave the impression of being capable of such behaviour in the first place. Quite the opposite, Kanwulf appears overly friendly and considerate, is fooling around with that André and the host and, all in all, acting just like all the other sorry vermin who make fools of themselves in this kind of show every day. Consequently, and contrary to what Kanwulf said, the discussion was not broken off, and the incident that, according to Kanwulf, had occurred backstage is just as obviously mere fiction.
"Tribute" to "Cult" Acts
On Nargaroth’s 2001 album Black Metal ist Krieg there are, amongst other things, cover versions of songs from Moonblood, Root, Lord Foul and Azhubhamn Haani, and due to the fuss around Nargaroth, which was at its peak then, these bands saw themselves exposed to a mass of mere consumers, interested in Black Metal only as a cultural extreme and thus a welcome means of self-portrayal. As a consequence, virtually a whole generation of confused children, lacking any “philosophical” or even “spiritual” connection to the very own foundation pillars of Black Metal, who otherwise probably would have never got in touch with the works of named artists, declared these bands “cult” and reached any rehearsal recording, no matter how irrelevant, over the (mostly virtual) sales counter for downright preposterous amounts. Worth mentioning in this context surely is the Moonblood LP Taste Our German Steel which in March 2004 changed hands at the on-line-auction Web site eBay for sheerly tremendous nine hundred and thirty-five Euros—thereby probably only tackling the tip of the iceberg.
In interviews, Kanwulf was always keen to stress of what great importance these bands were for his development, both personally and artistically. The latter may actually be the truth, but for entirely different reasons than the ones implied. As, in fact, it was as late as 1998 at the earliest, when Kanwulf got to know Moonblood in the first place. As late as that year, Kanwulf told a former associate, Marcel “Darkmoon” Spaller (Sombre Records), that Moonblood were, quote, shit. Lord Foul, Azhubham Haani and Root, Kanwulf, again according to some of his then-associates, got known to not before 1999 as well—and covered them only weeks later for Black Metal ist Krieg.
That with the ‘Strid winter’ is crap, Kanwulf didn’t even know Strid at that time. […] Root, Azubham Hani [sic!], Lord Foul and Moonblood, Kanwulf only knows through me, as well. The lyrics Kanwulf got from me, too, and covered the songs a few weeks later for Black Metal ist Krieg. When he was on a birthday celebration of Akhenaten once, he still told me that Moonblood was crap, when I gave Akhenaten a Moonblood LP.[11]
Marcel “Darkmoon” Spaller in a letter dating from January 7th, 2006
Needless to say, that couldn’t prevent Kanwulf from strengthening the “legendary” or “cult” status of the mentioned bands before all those who at that time gathered around him in cultic adoration and attached the value of a papal bull to each of his words by statements such as the following:
‘Moonblood’ and old ‘Absurd’ are a part of my later youth and my Black Metal history.—Black Alchemy magazine, 2004
What arose at that time […] is the Black Metal I am dedicated to. That’s […] the Lord Foul demo, ‘Killing, Raping, Burning’ (rest in peace!), […] definitely A. Banhani [sic!] and a few single tracks.[12]—Moral I., around 2000
Azhubham Haani, that is one of the strongest and most profound trailblazers for this scene. Not a soul knows about that anymore![13]—Magacinum ab ovo, 1999
Sometimes I wore shirts of them (ed. note: Azhubham Haani, Lord Foul, Moonblood), and I mentioned them in some interviews. Many people were asking me to record them their songs. But I not do this [sic!], because they were my treasure.—Maelstrom magazine, 2003
Black Light magazine: List some of the bands you admire. Kanwulf: Azhubham Haani, […] Moonblood, Absurd, Strid, Nargaroth.
Although Kanwulf certainly is to a very high degree to be blamed for the suddenly arisen interest in certain bands, although thanks to him at least the owners of the one or another record label will probably have grunted happily and made a killing with hastily botched-down re-releases of various “cult” items, still none of these bands was paid actual tribute to by Kanwulf. Quite the contrary, these bands served Kanwulf merely as a means to satisfy his very personal craving for recognition, did he insult not just the bands mentioned, but again the cult as a whole.
In interviews, Kanwulf was always keen to stress of what great importance these bands were for his development, both personally and artistically. The latter may actually be the truth, but for entirely different reasons than the ones implied. As, in fact, it was as late as 1998 at the earliest, when Kanwulf got to know Moonblood in the first place. As late as that year, Kanwulf told a former associate, Marcel “Darkmoon” Spaller (Sombre Records), that Moonblood were, quote, shit. Lord Foul, Azhubham Haani and Root, Kanwulf, again according to some of his then-associates, got known to not before 1999 as well—and covered them only weeks later for Black Metal ist Krieg.
That with the ‘Strid winter’ is crap, Kanwulf didn’t even know Strid at that time. […] Root, Azubham Hani [sic!], Lord Foul and Moonblood, Kanwulf only knows through me, as well. The lyrics Kanwulf got from me, too, and covered the songs a few weeks later for Black Metal ist Krieg. When he was on a birthday celebration of Akhenaten once, he still told me that Moonblood was crap, when I gave Akhenaten a Moonblood LP.[11]
Marcel “Darkmoon” Spaller in a letter dating from January 7th, 2006
Needless to say, that couldn’t prevent Kanwulf from strengthening the “legendary” or “cult” status of the mentioned bands before all those who at that time gathered around him in cultic adoration and attached the value of a papal bull to each of his words by statements such as the following:
‘Moonblood’ and old ‘Absurd’ are a part of my later youth and my Black Metal history.—Black Alchemy magazine, 2004
What arose at that time […] is the Black Metal I am dedicated to. That’s […] the Lord Foul demo, ‘Killing, Raping, Burning’ (rest in peace!), […] definitely A. Banhani [sic!] and a few single tracks.[12]—Moral I., around 2000
Azhubham Haani, that is one of the strongest and most profound trailblazers for this scene. Not a soul knows about that anymore![13]—Magacinum ab ovo, 1999
Sometimes I wore shirts of them (ed. note: Azhubham Haani, Lord Foul, Moonblood), and I mentioned them in some interviews. Many people were asking me to record them their songs. But I not do this [sic!], because they were my treasure.—Maelstrom magazine, 2003
Black Light magazine: List some of the bands you admire. Kanwulf: Azhubham Haani, […] Moonblood, Absurd, Strid, Nargaroth.
Although Kanwulf certainly is to a very high degree to be blamed for the suddenly arisen interest in certain bands, although thanks to him at least the owners of the one or another record label will probably have grunted happily and made a killing with hastily botched-down re-releases of various “cult” items, still none of these bands was paid actual tribute to by Kanwulf. Quite the contrary, these bands served Kanwulf merely as a means to satisfy his very personal craving for recognition, did he insult not just the bands mentioned, but again the cult as a whole.
Bashing against Various Bands
Since he came into reach of a broader listenership by Nargaroth’s first musical sign of life, Herbstleyd, back in 1998, Kanwulf indulged himself in incessant bickering against particularly the bands Mystic “Circus”, Impending Doom and Agathodaimon, especially the involved individuals Martin “Sathonys” Wickler, Marc “Graf von ‘Brezelbub’” Zimmer and an Impending Doom bandsman remaining unnamed here. Referred be to not only Kanwulf’s wailing in numerous interviews but as well to the widely known backprint of the Black Metal ist Krieg shirt, the Amarok booklet and the public burning of Mystic Circle merchandise on various occasions.
He-he, no comment [concerning the phrase ‘Black Metal ist Krieg’]. Only this: Sometimes Black Metal is a good cover to hide the true motivations for ranting against some bands or individuals, too. I just think it’s a pity that Kanwulf built his reputation on numerous lies. Music-wise, he wasn’t really in need of it; even I liked the debut a lot.[14]
Sathonys (Agathodaimon) in an interview with the Web zine bloodchamber.de, 2002
In order to reason his aversion, Kanwulf used to argue that these bands and individuals weren’t close to the spirit of the music. This remains undisputed here, of course, but it should be apparent by now that Kanwulf’s whole obtrusively flaunted “dedication to the cult” is nothing but a cunning charade and thus of little plausibility as a reason. And sporadically, one certainly asked oneself as early as the late nineties why Kanwulf picked just these bands—even more: individuals—out of the vast mass of buffoons that the majority of Black Metal creators, after all, is.
Kanwulf, burning a Mystic Circle T-Shirt
First of all, it should be noted that—for once—Kanwulf’s agitation isn’t just words in this case, but—at least until, say, 2002—expression of sincere personal feelings. The motivation for it, however, is completely different from the one alleged: All of the afore-mentioned persons, accused by Kanwulf of not being close to the spirit of the music, were former fiancés or at least transient affairs of his then-wife. This as well as his then-wife’s liaison with virtually everybody who convincingly professes being capable of holding a guitar the right way around “unfortunately” wasn’t known to Kanwulf before the marriage.
We can thus conclude that Kanwulf would like to have even highly personal jealousies understood as indicators for his alleged “dedication to the cult”.
He-he, no comment [concerning the phrase ‘Black Metal ist Krieg’]. Only this: Sometimes Black Metal is a good cover to hide the true motivations for ranting against some bands or individuals, too. I just think it’s a pity that Kanwulf built his reputation on numerous lies. Music-wise, he wasn’t really in need of it; even I liked the debut a lot.[14]
Sathonys (Agathodaimon) in an interview with the Web zine bloodchamber.de, 2002
In order to reason his aversion, Kanwulf used to argue that these bands and individuals weren’t close to the spirit of the music. This remains undisputed here, of course, but it should be apparent by now that Kanwulf’s whole obtrusively flaunted “dedication to the cult” is nothing but a cunning charade and thus of little plausibility as a reason. And sporadically, one certainly asked oneself as early as the late nineties why Kanwulf picked just these bands—even more: individuals—out of the vast mass of buffoons that the majority of Black Metal creators, after all, is.
Kanwulf, burning a Mystic Circle T-Shirt
First of all, it should be noted that—for once—Kanwulf’s agitation isn’t just words in this case, but—at least until, say, 2002—expression of sincere personal feelings. The motivation for it, however, is completely different from the one alleged: All of the afore-mentioned persons, accused by Kanwulf of not being close to the spirit of the music, were former fiancés or at least transient affairs of his then-wife. This as well as his then-wife’s liaison with virtually everybody who convincingly professes being capable of holding a guitar the right way around “unfortunately” wasn’t known to Kanwulf before the marriage.
We can thus conclude that Kanwulf would like to have even highly personal jealousies understood as indicators for his alleged “dedication to the cult”.
Self-Adulation at the Eternity Discussion Forum
In early 2000, Kanwulf finally discovered the World Wide Web’s advantages in terms of target-group-appropriate rumour-spreading. Instead of an own Web site, however, Kanwulf chose the discussion forum of the Eternity magazine for his stage.
It started in April 2000, when under the name of “Charoon”—as is generally known, at that time a session musician for Nargaroth (sole musician, according to other voices, but that’s another story)—an entry with the title “Nargaroth rocks” was made, in which—nomen est omen—Nargaroth and especially Kanwulf personally were praised to the very skies. In the months after that, a number of not less enthusiastic entries followed, partly composed by trend-induced adolescents (vulgo: “fans”), partly, however, by persons who apparently possessed a lot of insider knowledge, namely “josh” and—awfully creative—“.....”.
On June 27th, 2001, Kanwulf posted an entry under the name of “KvN” in order to defend himself and No Colours Records against some accusations concerning commerciality that came up in the forum. That this “KvN” was actually identical with the real (well, “real”) Kanwulf, the latter never denied. Quite the contrary, Kanwulf offered everybody to verify this for themselves by means of an e-mail to his then widely known AOL address. In the course of a later conversation about Nargaroth—again users such as “josh” or “.....” interfered, idolised Kanwulf and mantra-like recited the ever-same lies around Nargaroth—finally one user expressed the suspicion that Kanwulf himself was hiding behind the alias “.....”. The discussion developed, harshened and reached its dramaturgical climax when “.....”, in reaction on some of Kanwulf’s lies being exposed as such in the forum by “Wolf” Möbus (Absurd), threatened the latter’s then-ten-months-old son.
Eventually, the administrator of the Eternity forum could by means of the logged IP addresses doubtlessly prove that the postings from “josh”, “Charoon”, “.....” and “KvN” were all sent from the same computer, a computer located at the University of Leipzig, which Kanwulf attended at that time. From which, again, with a probability bordering on certainty results that Kanwulf pretended to be other persons in order to strengthen his own credibility, to confirm his own lies as an allegedly uninvolved third person. So as “josh” he confirmed the wrong release dates of the Orke EP and the Herbstleyd demo as well as the lie that he was acquainted with Vikernes. Even the name of Charoon—who, according to associates, doesn’t even know what a PC looks like—he abused for this purpose, under it keenly participating on various discussions, always eager to create the impression that the real (“real”) Kanwulf would indeed match the fantasy figure carefully built-up in interviews.
All of this led to, firstly, Kanwulf vainly attempting to lie himself out again by means of another entry on December 5th, 2001. And, secondly, that in the course of the North American Black Metal Invasion concert in Bitterfeld, “Wolf” Möbus—father of a threatened child—broke Kanwulf’s nose, Kanwulf cowering on the ground, through shieldingly raised hands whining: “Wolf, it wasn’t me!” A true warrior’s behaviour indeed …
Closing Words
If you regard me as scum, all I can say to them or to you is: Welcome to the club.[15]
Kanwulf (as “KvN/Ash”) in the Eternity discussion forum, December 5th, 2001
It is possible that this document will at some time be supplemented by further of Kanwulf’s stories. Some worth being further examined certainly are:
the one around the Annaberg-Buchholz club Chicago, about which Kanwulf wrote in the Black Metal ist Krieg booklet that to some of us ancient ones, it and the cult concerts that took place there at the beginning of the nineties are still well-known[16] (and similar things at other occasions) and which—or rather: the ruins of which—he in truth set foot in for the first time years after it burned to the ground at the end of the nineties—for the sole reason to take pictures to illustrate his lies in the Black Metal ist Krieg booklet with (needless to say that not a single person of the early Annaberg-Buchholz Metal scene ever heard of Kanwulf prior to the end of the nineties)—,
the one around a breakneck flight from a gig in the Erlangen club New Force, which Kanwulf claimed having managed clung to the bottom of a car (!), but which miraculously neither the owners of the club nor the visitors of that concert are able to remember,
the one around Kanwulf’s alleged imprisonment for manslaughter, which at some occasions he claimed having committed in 1991 during his time at the military (It was during my time at the Bundeswehr, when, after a heated quarrel, the incident occurred […][17]—Ablaze magazine, 1998) and at others during a Nargaroth concert (At the same day, I made a concert with Nargaroth […]. During that concert, some shit happened, and after all, I killed a visitor of the concert.—Black Light magazine, 2001),
the one around that nameless “soul-mate” of Kanwulf, who he claimed got known to in 1992 and lost to suicide three years later, but about whom even the closest of Kanwulf’s former companions are convinced that the only place he ever existed is Kanwulf’s imagination, that he is just another means of the mystification of Nargaroth in general and the fantasy figure of “Kanwulf” in particular.
Reliable informations that could possibly aid the further growth of this document and thus further damage to Nargaroth are very much appreciated and can be addressed to my e-mail address.
About this Document
Written by Shaddai in order to fill various uneventful evenings of the years 2005 and 2006 with meaning. Scanning of Runenblut article and digitalisation of my VHS recording of Kanwulf’s talk-show appearance by Oliver T.
There is also a PDF version of this document (330.13 KB) which is particularly suitable for printing in A4 format. This as well as the plain-text version of this document—but not the HTML document at hand—are available under a Creative Commons license (“Attribution; No Derivative Works”).
Per Shaddai 308, villa Erlangon,
ante diem decimum Kalendas Augustas anno post mendacis natum MMVII
It started in April 2000, when under the name of “Charoon”—as is generally known, at that time a session musician for Nargaroth (sole musician, according to other voices, but that’s another story)—an entry with the title “Nargaroth rocks” was made, in which—nomen est omen—Nargaroth and especially Kanwulf personally were praised to the very skies. In the months after that, a number of not less enthusiastic entries followed, partly composed by trend-induced adolescents (vulgo: “fans”), partly, however, by persons who apparently possessed a lot of insider knowledge, namely “josh” and—awfully creative—“.....”.
On June 27th, 2001, Kanwulf posted an entry under the name of “KvN” in order to defend himself and No Colours Records against some accusations concerning commerciality that came up in the forum. That this “KvN” was actually identical with the real (well, “real”) Kanwulf, the latter never denied. Quite the contrary, Kanwulf offered everybody to verify this for themselves by means of an e-mail to his then widely known AOL address. In the course of a later conversation about Nargaroth—again users such as “josh” or “.....” interfered, idolised Kanwulf and mantra-like recited the ever-same lies around Nargaroth—finally one user expressed the suspicion that Kanwulf himself was hiding behind the alias “.....”. The discussion developed, harshened and reached its dramaturgical climax when “.....”, in reaction on some of Kanwulf’s lies being exposed as such in the forum by “Wolf” Möbus (Absurd), threatened the latter’s then-ten-months-old son.
Eventually, the administrator of the Eternity forum could by means of the logged IP addresses doubtlessly prove that the postings from “josh”, “Charoon”, “.....” and “KvN” were all sent from the same computer, a computer located at the University of Leipzig, which Kanwulf attended at that time. From which, again, with a probability bordering on certainty results that Kanwulf pretended to be other persons in order to strengthen his own credibility, to confirm his own lies as an allegedly uninvolved third person. So as “josh” he confirmed the wrong release dates of the Orke EP and the Herbstleyd demo as well as the lie that he was acquainted with Vikernes. Even the name of Charoon—who, according to associates, doesn’t even know what a PC looks like—he abused for this purpose, under it keenly participating on various discussions, always eager to create the impression that the real (“real”) Kanwulf would indeed match the fantasy figure carefully built-up in interviews.
All of this led to, firstly, Kanwulf vainly attempting to lie himself out again by means of another entry on December 5th, 2001. And, secondly, that in the course of the North American Black Metal Invasion concert in Bitterfeld, “Wolf” Möbus—father of a threatened child—broke Kanwulf’s nose, Kanwulf cowering on the ground, through shieldingly raised hands whining: “Wolf, it wasn’t me!” A true warrior’s behaviour indeed …
Closing Words
If you regard me as scum, all I can say to them or to you is: Welcome to the club.[15]
Kanwulf (as “KvN/Ash”) in the Eternity discussion forum, December 5th, 2001
It is possible that this document will at some time be supplemented by further of Kanwulf’s stories. Some worth being further examined certainly are:
the one around the Annaberg-Buchholz club Chicago, about which Kanwulf wrote in the Black Metal ist Krieg booklet that to some of us ancient ones, it and the cult concerts that took place there at the beginning of the nineties are still well-known[16] (and similar things at other occasions) and which—or rather: the ruins of which—he in truth set foot in for the first time years after it burned to the ground at the end of the nineties—for the sole reason to take pictures to illustrate his lies in the Black Metal ist Krieg booklet with (needless to say that not a single person of the early Annaberg-Buchholz Metal scene ever heard of Kanwulf prior to the end of the nineties)—,
the one around a breakneck flight from a gig in the Erlangen club New Force, which Kanwulf claimed having managed clung to the bottom of a car (!), but which miraculously neither the owners of the club nor the visitors of that concert are able to remember,
the one around Kanwulf’s alleged imprisonment for manslaughter, which at some occasions he claimed having committed in 1991 during his time at the military (It was during my time at the Bundeswehr, when, after a heated quarrel, the incident occurred […][17]—Ablaze magazine, 1998) and at others during a Nargaroth concert (At the same day, I made a concert with Nargaroth […]. During that concert, some shit happened, and after all, I killed a visitor of the concert.—Black Light magazine, 2001),
the one around that nameless “soul-mate” of Kanwulf, who he claimed got known to in 1992 and lost to suicide three years later, but about whom even the closest of Kanwulf’s former companions are convinced that the only place he ever existed is Kanwulf’s imagination, that he is just another means of the mystification of Nargaroth in general and the fantasy figure of “Kanwulf” in particular.
Reliable informations that could possibly aid the further growth of this document and thus further damage to Nargaroth are very much appreciated and can be addressed to my e-mail address.
About this Document
Written by Shaddai in order to fill various uneventful evenings of the years 2005 and 2006 with meaning. Scanning of Runenblut article and digitalisation of my VHS recording of Kanwulf’s talk-show appearance by Oliver T.
There is also a PDF version of this document (330.13 KB) which is particularly suitable for printing in A4 format. This as well as the plain-text version of this document—but not the HTML document at hand—are available under a Creative Commons license (“Attribution; No Derivative Works”).
Per Shaddai 308, villa Erlangon,
ante diem decimum Kalendas Augustas anno post mendacis natum MMVII
Abonnieren
Posts (Atom)