MySpace a place for friends

However you choose to define or perceive Black Metal, one thing is definite, unless there is a true understanding of the ethos that spawned the genre, then the modern day exponents can be nothing but pale imitations of those great bands that laid down the foundations. It is not enough to mouth obeisance to Satan and profess hatred towards humanity. You have to understand what that means. And what it does not mean is repeating the words and thoughts of others. It means walking the paths yourself, exploring and experiencing, until you arrive at your own conclusions. And when you have arrived, then you are ready to express those beliefs through your music in a manner that is yours, and yours alone. If that sound defies categorisation, then so much the better, because Black Metal always was, and always will be, about self-discovery, self-belief, and self-expression. One musician who has understood this completely is Daniel Markussen, who created WRATH PASSION in order to give voice to his own unique understanding of life. Markussen is not a man who follows the strict tenets of any belief-system. He seeks his inspiration in things that many don’t even know exist, and chooses to ignore as much as possible the mainstream media distractions that might affect his creative process. Being part of the herd is not what Markussen aspires to, because therein lies the main block to creativity and originality. By using layers of hidden, or occult, knowledge, Markussen aims to create a feeling in his music that is blacker and more intense than mere Satanism. Where other bands pay lip service to the darkness, WRATH PASSION, endows it with depth and substance. The very name of the band gives some inkling as to the workings of Markussen’s mind - "Wrath Passion" is quite simply an anagram for "Worship Satan". But at the end of the day, whilst belief and commitment are needed to make the work real and credible, it really all comes down to the music itself. Still essentially a studio project, with Markussen playing all the instruments, and Orv von Draugsang (DRAUGSANG) providing the vocals, WRATH PASSION released their first album "Careful Saint", on Infest Records in January of 2008. It’s an album that demonstrates that Markussen is not afraid to cross boundaries in his work, and includes vocals from Mortem on the track "Forpesta", and part of Ole Hallesby’s 1953 radio speech on "Helvetespreken", whilst the outro on "Corvus Corax is by Edvard Grieg. With "Careful Saint" on the way to selling out completely, Markussen is currently working on material for the new album. So how does he define his music? He doesn’t. It IS Black Metal, yes, both in spirit and in sound, so that’s as good a definition as any. But he would much prefer to think of it as being "good metal" without the need for narrow categorisation, or comparison. It is what it is, and what it is, is what you make of it.