BACKLIT ZINE INTERVIEW
By: Dave Schalek
*Original interview published online @ Backlit Zine Issue #2 (Aug 2013)
Red, The Bleeding, The Blood Streams…VON
Bassist/vocalist VENIEN has recently reformed USBM progenitors VON. The reformation is a three-pronged approach. First, the legendary demo Satanic Blood has been re-recorded and released on VENIEN’s own label, Von Records. Second, VON recently delivered two suffocating live performances, one of which I happened to catch at the most underground of venues, The Black Castle in Los Angeles (nestled within a side of the city that never seems to appear on postcards). Finally, the resurrection of VON will be completed with the imminent release of three albums, entitled the "Dark Gods" trilogy.
Dave Schalek:
What prompted you to reform VON after an absence of over 20 years?
VENIEN:
Initially, as I had been going through all my early and current demos I had recorded, I started to buy better equipment to record more songs that had been on paper. But, what really kicked it into overdrive was a conversation with some old Bay Area friends about some bootlegs of the demos being released of our material that I had no idea were released. After much thought and finding out all the details about what went down with the demos, I started Von Records in 2006 and I started to get the band together again to finish what we never had finished, a real album.
Dave Schalek:
Did you attempt to recruit the other original members, such as Goat?
VENIEN:
I initially attempted to reach out to Goat but could not find him. As I searched for him in L.A., I asked a few people and they told me he was homeless, living on the streets of Echo Park. I eventually caught up with him via his ex-wife and she gave me a number. He called me back after a short time. Neither of us could find Snake, so I recruited a drummer out of Arizona, and Goat recruited Lord Giblete out of Echo Park.
Dave Schalek:
The original and legendary version of the 1992 cassette demo Satanic Blood is, of course, long out of print and is exceedingly difficult to find. What prompted your decision to recently re-record demo tracks, and who else performs on the newly revamped 2012 version of Satanic Blood?
VENIEN:
I like to just clear this up, for those that don’t understand. All of the demo material from 1987-92 featured on the official Satanic Blood album has been recorded by myself (vocals/ bass), Lord Giblete (guitars), and Charlie Fell (drums). All the demo material that has been copied, bootlegged, formatted, and sold in vinyl or CD form are just bootleg compilations of the demo material from tapes and video camera audio from 1987-92. There were a few songs here and there that never made it to a demo tape, but are now on the album as well. Bottom line, I took all the material that was a work-in-progress, and recorded them in a studio that I built in order to simply finish what I started in 1987. It’s as simple as that, nothing more. Unfortunately, after the debacle in London with Goat and him stepping down from the band to focus on his solo album and band Von Goat, he was not part of the recordings. In turn, Lord Giblete quit Von Goat and joined VON, and we went on to work on Satanic Blood and the Dark Gods trilogy of albums.
Dave Schalek:
Do you find any value in the various re-issues of the original demo and other early VON material that have appeared over the years?
VENIEN:
Not at all. However, I do understand the concept behind the position and meaning of what happened because of it and what form it holds and has meant to people that simply felt the need to be exposed to the music from hype or word of mouth. This is a simple case of opportunists capitalizing on material that they had no rights to, nor had anything to do with in the first place. Just as time went on, the Internet appeared and we found out that there are some diehards and critics that feel it’s something of a mockery for an artist to record their own material, especially since they say it’s not shitty sounding enough like the demos, or even relevant or trendy enough for the advance scene of what Black Metal has become, or what it’s supposed to be today in some people’s opinions. It’s all ridiculous, a touch of bitterness, and hyped up drama from a handful of “Cheetos” that live in their mother’s basements shouting as loud as they can on blogs and refuse to understand or accept VON today.
I am fully aware of what is apparent to them and why some might feel there was a value in all the bootlegs of the material, I really do. So, they can keep screaming “FUCK VENIEN” all day long for bringing VON back, but I’m back and here to stay. Those that do not subscribe to the “Cheeto”-mentality and are ready to check out this stuff that I have to offer, those will be the ones I am getting it to in the long run. I put value into what is VON and what I’m doing; I put value in this album and not in bootlegs.
Dave Schalek:
Black metal has evolved considerably over the last 20 years or so since the original release of Satanic Blood. Given that gulf of time, does your original artistic vision of VON still have relevance? How has your artistic outlook changed?
VENIEN:
Evolution is just that, everything evolves, and sometimes in some states will regress before moving to an advance state. If you look at every band, majority of the time will regress at some point. In my situation, I have evolved I would say as time goes on even more so, however I still maintain a significant regressed state of mind in terms of the vision I have for VON and the subsequent material that is used as its platform to tell the story. In the case of Satanic Blood, that material is in a primal form of what they call Black Metal I would presume, but the new material no one has heard to date on Dark Gods has evolved significantly, but is still cut from the same thread and has the same DNA.
Dave Schalek:
VON recently performed two live shows. How did you go about recruiting a lineup of musicians that share your vision for VON in order to deliver such a resonating performance?
VENIEN:
Since I started recordings for VON, Lord Giblete has been there from the beginning. I met Dirty FvKn! Pistols during the Tribal Blood and Dark Gods sessions in Chicago. Those two are both permanent members of VON as of today. As for our 2012 shows in L.A. and in NYC, I recruited two other guitarists, Xaphan and Hammer Of Dread just for those live performances, but they are not in the band. For the 2013 European Tour coming soon, we have another live guitarist from Chicago joining myself, Dirty FvKn! Pistols, and Lord Giblete: he calls himself The HangMan aka CG.
Dave Schalek:
The Los Angeles concert at the Black Castle featured very long, droning songs that are markedly different from the very short songs that VON are originally known for. Does this different approach in a live setting herald a new direction for VON?
VENIEN:
The ‘Ritual of The Black Mass’ is the vision, the path, and the platform upon which I will be performing the material. The direction is that of a dark, twisted, relentless, and the sometimes ruthless state of mind of VON and the MONSTER that it is, the performance and length will reflect that. Gatherings will include material from all four VON albums, including my solo album.
Dave Schalek:
Blood is an obvious theme for VON, both in terms of recorded material and in live performances. What does the adornment of blood signify?
VENIEN:
Blood is that of a symbol, a life force, a ritual to reflect the brutal rage coming from the mind and black heart of VON. I am just the vessel that the rage is channeled through. The MONSTER that is VON is the complete and unchained darkness and rage that lives within us all, that is the reflection and sometimes connection people might feel when they witness the ritual. For some, it gets their heart racing, blood pumping, and in some cases makes one feel alive, and in others it might channel the urge to smash your face in, either way to each its own. VON has its own unique therapeutic effects for each person that hears it. Some stand there in total daze and confused saying, “What the fuck is this shit?” Others will walk away, and some unfortunate souls will run.
Dave Schalek:
I’d like for you to give us some insight as to what you think of the status that VON has attained in the underground. Looking back on 20 years of history, are you surprised that the original demos from VON are highly sought after, and are as highly regarded as landmarks in the history of black metal? How does this status affect your decision to reform VON, and where does the band go from here?
VENIEN:
Fuck status, I care nothing about that, I am no better than any other fan, band, musician, or person attempting to present their thoughts and ideas to paper, then to music, and then, ultimately, live to other humans. If the music that has been presented in the past, present, or future that I do has been, or will become, a highly regarded piece of work for others in whatever level it attains, it is my duty to recognize that aspect. Ultimately, my opinion on status only opens those cans of worms that are filled with envy and hate. These are things that are present in the cold darkness within us all. There is enough of that in my music for everyone to focus and dwell on, than taking my personal opinion on who I think VON is in the grand scheme of music. I make music, the format is what comes out, not what is relevant. Von Records is a record label that I created to simply do the business side of things for the music to get out there to the fans, and not to dictate what the music is going to be (like some record labels do). VON at this point has four albums and those will be coming as fast as I can possibly make them and get them out with what means I have at my own disposal. So far, I have gotten tons of support from a growing base of dedicated fans and friends, but it has just begun.
Dave Schalek:
Thank you for your time
(Source: Backlit Zine) *site defunct