Kai (K): November ‘97 was the last time when we were chatting with you Ztephan, and since three years have passed, I believe that we should start this interview with what was happening to SATANIC SLAUGHTER during all this time.

- We have recorded a new album and we did a mini tour 1998 with LORD BELIAL and we have done some festival gigs. Some member has left the band, Kecke Ljungberg guitar and Robert Eng drums. They have been replaced by Martin Axenrot drums (ex-TRIUMPHATOR and NIFELHEIM) and Stefan Johansson guitar (ex-BLASPHEMOUS).

K: Once again the band’s lineup endured huge metamorphosis, however I guess it’s mostly Kecke Ljungberg who gave a certain impulse to your creativeness. Also let me assume that he’s the one who definitely took part in crafting the new and improved sound of SATANIC SLAUGHTER. Am I right?

- Yes, I have played with Kecke since 1991 when he joined MORGUE. He’s is great musician and have made a lot on the latest album. Unfortunately he left the band earlier this year.  He's  not into extreme metal. He’s more into heavy metal and symphonic rock.

K: What about that Helltower Studio? What roused you to choose that one, instead of booking Abyss or Sunlight…?

- We actually called Abyss but the studio where booked a year ahead. We decided to record in HELLTOWER. Our drummer at that point Robert Eng, played in band called CORPORATION 187. Their guitarist had just started a studio. We had all the time we wanted in the studio. We actually got our own key. We worked in the studio when ever we wanted.

Silvanus (S): Female voice? I guess most of those who get high on SATANIC SLAUGHTER were kinda shocked...

- We wanted to try female vocals. I don’t care what other says. We do what we like. If nobody like it I don’t care. Many people are scared of things that change the music but the music must develop. Sometimes I think it’s great with female vocals and sometimes it doesn’t fit the song at all.

S: Why haven’t the lyrics been printed in the booklet?

- I don’t know. If any one is interested in our lyrics,  send me an email and I will send it to you via email: ztephandark@hotmail.com

S: "Special thanks to Jorg and Folter Records"… Seems like this record company managed to help you out in the past times… or what?

- Yes, Joerg and Folter Records helped us with the mini tour 98 and they helped us to get the gigs at UNDER THE BLACK SUN festival.  He’s also helping us right now with the tour with RAGNAROK. This is the European tour 2000 with RAGNAROK.
1st December Rotterdam, (Nl) Baroeg, with RAGNAROK
2nd December Gent, (Bel) Frontline, with RAGNAROK
3rd December Day off
4th December Annaberg, (Ger)  T.B.A with RAGNAROK
5th December Hamburg, (Ger) Markthalle with RAGNAROK
6th December Kassel, (Ger) Musikfoerderverein with RAGNAROK
7th December Berlin, Knaack with RAGNAROK
8th December Hengelo, (Nl) Metropool with RAGNAROK
9th December Engelsdorf, (Ger) Hellraiser with IMMORTAL, PRIMORDIAL and RAGNAROK
10th December Feierwerk, Munich (Ger) with RAGNAROK

S: … and "Fuck off to Anton H. Leclerq (Eienstein)". Who’s that guy and what was his fault?

- He is a local journalist and photograph.  He has worked against us since the beginning  1985. He has always help bands from Linkoping, Sweden. He helped bands with bandphotos for free. Writing about them in the local press when they playing in Linkoping to get people to the concerts. He had never write about us but we got more people at our concerts than the other bands has together in Linkoping. In 1988 I arranged a concert with SATANIC SLAUGHTER, TOTAL DEATH and ORCHRISTE, He ripped us off. When we where on stage he took all the entrance money. He had nothing to do with the arrangement. I couldn’t pay the other bands gage. When we recorded the track "Mysteries Of Evilness (Divine Repulsion)" for THRASHING HOLOCUAST  compilation he tried to get us to pay twice for the studio. He has nothing to do with the studio. Now I know that he’s helping bands because he like "BOYS" with long hair. I have now realized that he's a disgusting gay. If I meet him again I will beat him to death. He has moved from Linkoping, lucky for him.

K: What about Loud’n’Proud Records? This seems to be a relatively unknown name to my ears…

- L'n'P is young label, started by Martin and Chrisse. They tried to start something great but unfortunately it hasn’t worked out very well.

S: What is the situation within Swedish music market at the moment?  What is popular, what is not? What problems did you have putting your album together, do you have any problems now?

- Black / death metal  best years has past away. More and more bands change style to thrash. Black / death metal best years has passed away in Sweden. More and more BM bands change style to thrash and DM bands to hardcore. Only the true bands survive. SATANIC SLAUGHTER have been around for 15 years and we will be around many years more. We had some problems putting our album out. L'n'P was very incompetent and lazy. The album was 3 months delayed. Lack of distribution and promotion is a problem too. L'n'P  have big economical problems. They have sign too many bands and can’t handle the situation. They released 3000 copies of AFTER LIFE KINGDOM and they are sold out. I don’t know if they can release any more copies.

S: Are you satisfied with the terms on which you work with your record company (Loud’n’Proud)?

- We are not satisfied but they are new label and they have much to learn. Their lack of distribution and knowlege about the buisness has caused some problems. They are very lazy aswell.

K: Three years ago, when I was chatting with you for the first time, you told me that there were twenty (or more) persons who took part in SATANIC SLAUGHTER throughout years, however (what’s most surprising) only few of them joined various bands of metal-genre later. Do you have an explanation for that?

- People develop in different directions. Many of the former members
left the scene totally, others develop as musicians and wanted to do
something different than metal.

K: "SATANIC SLAUGHTER is not a black metal band" - that’s what you’ve stated me back then. Then let me wonder, what style do you reckon yourselves to?

- I don´t like all these categories but of course it is easier for people to know what they are buying if you have a style.  We do music we like, call it what you want.

S: Why don’t you use corpsepaint anymore?

- It doesn’t fit the band anymore.

K: What happened to those "Witch Burner" and "Infernal Halls" tunes you’ve recorded in 1997?

- "Witchburner" is now a WITCHERY song. "Infernal Halls"....I don’t know. The DAT tape probably laying in a safe at NECROPOLIS office.

K: If I’m not mistaken, one of these compositions ("Infernal Halls" to be exact) later had to be included in "Gummo’s" soundtrack. Furthermore, SATANIC SLAUGHTER wasn’t the only (extreme) metal band who participated in this affair, and that’s why I would be gladly enlightened regarding the following subjects: a) the movie’s cinematic genre; b) release date; c) actors crew; d) is the soundtrack still available in music stores.

- We never appeared on the sound track because I told Necropolis to FUCK OFF just before. I think NIFELHEIM made a track for the move.
a) In the States, yes. In Sweden, no.
b) In 1998 is the only thing I know. They showed the move on the Swedish cable-TV a year ago but I missed it.
c) Unfamous actors.
d) I don’t know.

K: Do you know anything regarding Russia? What’s your attitude to the country of mine as well as it’s people?

- I can only tell you what I have seen on TV. Gray and cold weather. Problems with the mob, corruption, high criminality, alcohol problems, high unemployment, economical problems, starving and poor people, bad environment and problems with outbreaking republics.

K: Any Russian bands you’ve heard lately?

- When I’m visiting Tyrant and Hellbutcher of NIFELHEIM they always playing Russian metal. I can’t remember any names but there are some great bands. They have a lot of Russian metal.

S: Anything else you would like to tell us, your fans or it may be certain message to the whole world, please write below!!!!

- It would be great to come to Russia and play live. It seems that the scene in Russia is great. Interested promoters and clubs contact us at: satanicslaughter@hotmail.com