BLOOD
AXIS NEWS - EUROPEAN TOUR, NEW RELEASES, WEBSITES, usw.
The Contents of
this update are as follows:
News
Tour Report
New Available Items
Recommended Websites
Blood
Axis News...
First off, we would
like to wish everyone a fine new year filled with strength and accomplishment!
We hope your winter solstice holidays were also inspiring and full of enjoyment
Indo-European
Sacrifice Tour
Blood Axis has just
returned recently from a nearly two-month long tour of the European continent.
This was a huge undertaking, and we are pleased to be able to say it was a success
in every way. For this incarnation, Blood Axis consisted of: Michael Moynihan,
Annabel Lee, Markus Wolff and Aaron Garland. Michael did vocals and played accordion
and bodhran (a tradtional Irish hand drum), Annabel performed on violin/fiddle,
Markus provided percussion in the form of a marching tympani, marching snare
and cymbal, and Aaron played electric bass and e-bowed bass. Robert Ferbrache,
who many know is an ongoing Blood Axis collaborator, was not with us for the
tour (due geographical obstacles) but was however very much present in spirit
as he provided various contributions in the form of keyboards, samples, and
mixing for the digital tapes which were also part of most of the performances.
All in all, sixteen concerts were given in eleven different countries. In the
course of our travels we went everywhere from the westernmost point in all Europe
(Cabo da Roca in Portugal) to Hungary in the East, and from Rome in the South
to Denmark and Sweden in the North. What follows is a rundown of the various
concerts...
The tour began in
Paris with a difficult show due to poor technical conditions, as well as a last
minute change-of-venue. Still a large and dedicated audience turned out, coming
from as far away as Belgium and England. In the end because of severe technical
problems we played an acoustic and minimalistic set, making the best of a poor
situation. Afterward we spent as much time as possible conversing with members
of the audience, who immediately impressed us with their depth of knowledge
and understanding of what we try to do with our music. We were also grateful
for the assistance of Stephane Duval, of the Athanor record label, who released
the excellent "Mysteria Mithrae" compilation, and who will soon issue another
compilation, "Lucifer Rising", with contributions from Bobby Beausoleil, Blood
Axis, Waldteufel, Der Blutharsch, Ernte, Ain Soph, and others.
The second show occurred
in the city of Rennes, France, in a huge modern theater in the middle of town.
The event was arranged in an incredibly professional manner by Thierry Jolif
and the members of his music project Lonsai Maikov, who also provided the excellent
opening set. A few days were spent in the area, which lies in the center of
Brittany, the most Keltic area of France. We felt an immediate affinity for
both the landscape and the people, which were both a stark contrast to the cosmopolitan
metropolis of Paris. Here one finds the forests of Arthurian legend, seemingly
unlimited varieties of mead (honey wine) brewed by local winemakers, and a very
unique cultural identity among the Breton inhabitants.
Madrid, Spain was the site of a concert organized by the wonderful
people responsible for Maldoror magazine. The show took place in an underground
club on a seamy sidestreet in the center of this beautiful city. We had no idea
how much interest might exist in Spain for our music, and were overwhelmed by
the positive response from the large audience the second the show began. In
general the concert goers in Southern Europe were some of the most passionate
we encountered anywhere. That day before the show we also visited awe-inspiring
sites near Madrid such as the Valle de los Caidos, the "Valley of the Fallen."
Anyone interested in the best Spanish-language magazine of European underground
culture should contact Maldoror and order their publication. They can be reached
via email at: MALDOROR@santandersupernet.com
With no sleep we
left in the early hours of the morning and drove to Portugal, arriving early
afternoon in the enchanted city of Sintra, about 40 minutes to the west of Lisbon.
Upon arrival we met our close friends Robert Taylor and his wife Karen (members
of the band Changes) who had flown to Portugal for a short vacation which they
timed to coincide with our concerts there. We were also greeted by the organizers
of our shows in Portugal: Mauricio, Nury, Bruno and their companions. The concert
in Sintra was staged in a beautiful hundred-year-old theater. The level of organization
for the show was impeccable, from the location and sound system to the security
provided by one of the local motorcycle clubs (beautiful shades of Altamont
flashed before our eyes, but alas...). Everything was run with military precision.
We were honored to have Sangre Cavallum as the opening performance of the evening,
playing a stunning set of music colored by the traditions of their homeland
of Northern Portugal. Robert Taylor introduced Blood Axis to the audience by
raising a toast with a large horn of mead to the band and the listeners present,
as an offering of friendship and camaraderie. The audience responded in kind
with enthusiasm and excitement. It was a magical night we shall never forget.
After some days visiting
the mysterious landscapes around Sintra with our hosts, we traveled north to
Guimaraes to play a second concert on Portuguese soil. This took place in the
turn-of-the-century monumental archeological museum established by Martins Sarmento,
the foremost researcher into the prehistory of the country, and specifically
the Northern territories. The concert was perfectly arranged by the people of
the Forgotten Blood record label. Special permission had been granted to use
the "Noble Room" of the museum for the event, a massive chamber with beautiful
traditional symbolic patterns painted on the ceiling, huge chandeliers, and
an austere atmosphere beyond description. This was not any typical place for
an amplified concert, and the permission for the event had only been given by
the museum's directors after much hard work on the part of the organizers. For
this performance the audience comprised of a small group, mostly arriving by
invitation. After an opening invocation by Robert Taylor, a horn of local wine
was passed first to the members of Blood Axis, and then Karen Taylor began to
move through the audience, offering each an opportunity to take a drink from
the horn. All the while Blood Axis played an extended acoustic version of the
Odinic mantra "Herjafather." The feeling in the room swelled in intensity, and
when the horn had been passed to each and every person in attendance, the music
crashed to a close. We then played a 30 minute set with acoustic versions of
a number of songs, some of which we had never attempted to perform in such a
manner. The result was a unique and intimate concert. Sangre Cavallum played
after Blood Axis, but first Robert Taylor took the stage to read two of his
epic poems, "The Grey Man Passes" and "Faust." Even those in the audience who
could not understand all the nuances of these verses in a foreign tongue were
captivated by the intensity of the delivery. Sangre Cavallum played a set of
their thunderous militant folksongs, which at times reached heights beyond that
of the louder concert in Sintra. After they had played for about a half an hour,
the members of Blood Axis joined them on stage. First two traditional songs
from Blood Axis were performed, with the members of Sangre Cavallum adding a
crescendo of percussion. After this members of Blood Axis joined on violin and
drums along with two of Sangre Cavallum's songs, and this fusing of willpower
was the highlight of the evening. The audience demanded more music, and at the
very end the bands played one final anthem together. Afterwards a long celebration
was held in the freezing air from a nearby hilltop looking down upon the town.
After the visit to
Guimaraes we returned for one last night in Sintra, and shared a final round
of wine at the very Westernmost point in Europe, the Cabo da Roca.
From Portugal we
headed East, staying in southern France for a few days and then travelling on
to Vienna. The concert there was the second and only other mild disappointment
of the tour. This was not due to the fault of the organizers, who secured a
great location in a large stone cellar under a Gasthaus in the center of the
city. After a hopeless six hour soundcheck, we had no choice but to begin the
concert as a substantial crowd had been waiting outside for hours. For reasons
no one could understand, the soundman that evening was utterly incompetent and
unable to provide anything resembling proper amplification. At a certain point
we decided the only way to proceed was to play semi-acoustically, but the soundman
was unable to cope with this either. Despite what we felt was a horribly disappointing
situation, most members of the audience still appreciated our perseverance and
were well aware the situation was totally beyond our control. We spent a long
enjoyable evening socializing with members of the audience after the show.
That weekend two
more concerts took place in Eastern Europe, both together with our friends in
Allerseelen. First we drove to Prague in the Czech Republic. In spite of a bizarre
setting (some kind of bombed-out anarchist club), the show was excellent and
the audience gave a rousing response. It was also a pleasure to see Allerseelen
play live. Our drummer Markus had a different perspective, since he had been
enlisted to provide percussion for Allerseelen's set, which he did in an exemplary
fashion.
Two days later we
went by train from Vienna to Budapest. The concert in Budapest was organized
by Alex of Scivias, who some people may recognize from their excellent contributions
to the "Mysteria Mithrae" and "Evola: Centenary" compilations. Like many of
the other concert organizers on the tour, Alex had proceeded with a high degree
of professionalism: posters had been printed, a unique venue secured, as well
as a great sound system. The show took place in a small renovated theater hidden
in the back of a chic restaurant. The soundman was rumored to be the best in
Budapest, and although he spoke nary a word of English (making it difficult
to communicate to him how we wanted the sound to be), he did an astounding job.
I wondered how many people could possibly have an interest in our music in Budapest,
and was surprised to see the room quickly filled just before Allerseelen began
their set. After another powerful show by them, we assumed the stage and played.
The audience appeared reserved at first, but by the end demanded a series of
encore songs. The owner of the theater and restaurant appeared terrified during
the whole proceeding, presumably due to the volume of the concert (which was
the first--and undoubtedly the last--to take place in this theater) and her
worries about disturbing the patrons of the posh eatery in the next room, who
we assume were having problems digesting their overpriced dinners.
The day after the
show we spent on a long tour of Budapest, one of the most intriguing and magnificent
cities we experienced on the tour, from the epic barbaric statues on the "Hero's
Square" to the dark caverns of the "Faust" winecellar beneath the palatial district
where we enjoyed Tokai, a traditional Hungarian wine made from raisins.
Two shows in Italy
came next, first Rome organized by the indomitable "Wolf Age" organization.
After an imperial day spent visiting the Mithraeum under the Basilica San Clemente
and the Forum with Depla and Tiziana of Misanthropy Records, we arrived at the
Club Velvet for the show. It was a fine underground venue (literally), hidden
beneath a busy Roman street. For this concert we had the honor of Ain Soph appearing
on the bill with us. Despite their aversion to ever playing in their home city
of Rome, they had agreed to make a special exception in our case. We all watched
with awe as they performed an incredible set, transforming the best songs from
their magnificent album "Aurora" into noisy electric anthems. Our own performance
went over extremely well, with "Lord of Ages" of course being a highlight for
the descendents of ancient Rome. Here we also had the pleasure of meeting some
truly dedicated comrades, such as Max Ribaric, who publishes a journal called
Occidental Congress. For his second issue he has put together the most complete
document we have ever seen on Blood Axis and the thoughts and ideals behind
the band. This is highly recommended for anyone who can read Italian, and would
probably be of interest even to those who can't due to its multitude of graphics
and beautiful design. For ordering information, email: riba@iol.it
To see photos from
the Roman concert of Ain Soph and Blood Axis, please look at the picture gallery
which may be found at: http://members.tripod.com/~OKLIM/OC/Sommario.htm
Genoa is a crazy
sailor's port town on the northwest Italian coast. The Blood Axis show there
took place in a bizarre Gothic club, which was run by an exceedingly generous
fellow who promptly took us out for a huge traditional Genovese meal upon our
arrival. Despite a seemingly inadequate sound system and a lack of even basic
items such as microphone stands, the concert ended up being one of the best
of the whole tour. The crowd consisted of some of the most sincere and energetic
people we met anywhere in Europe, as well as members of excellent Italian bands
such as Camerata Mediolanense and the kind people of Kirilian Camera. We were
also excited to have a large group from the Asatru organization of Lombardy
in the crowd. We even improvised an extra song during the encores as the crowd
refused to let us end the show.
From the Italian
Alps we crossed into Bavaria, Germany. Here would be some of the most potentially
dangerous or controversial concerts of the entire trip, with high probability
of trouble from political activists. The German part of the tour was organized
efficiently by the folks of Sigill Magazine, who handled everything extremely
well. The concert in Esterhofen, outside Munich, took place in a huge ballroom
with one of the largest audiences at any show. The level of organization and
the sheer size of the venue and crowd was incredible. Germany has always brought
both some of the most positive and most negative reactions to Blood Axis, but
on this night the positive forces were clearly victorious in every respect.
First came a fantastic performance from Allerseelen, this time accompanied by
Erik of Les Joyeaux de la Princesse on a "Landknechtstrommel" marching drum.
Second was the much anticipated live debut of Waldteufel, fronted by Markus
Wolff on drums and Annabel on fiddle, with myself providing some additional
percussion. The crowd reacted with obvious enthusiasm. Blood Axis followed to
a stellar response from the multitude in attendance. Afterward was another long
night of camaraderie and conversing with German friends both old and new.
The second German
show in Hannover had the highest potential for trouble of any we played, due
to a large presence of fanatical leftists in this city. The Antifa (Anti-Fascist
League) and Autonomes (generic squatter punks with too much free time) had vowed
to wreck to the show. The night before the concert they claimed responsibility
for blowing up the car of the show's organizers. They also attempted to assault
the apartment of the owner of a small record label (StateArt) who released a
special split 7" of Blood Axis and Allerseelen to commemorate the European tour.
Under cover of night some Antifa activists tried to throw bricks through his
windows, but only having the address of the apartment building--and not knowing
which windows were the right ones--they instead smashed out the windows of the
children's rooms of a family living in the same building, thereby demonstrating
themselves to be complete morons. Naturally these actions only had the exact
reverse effect of what they had hoped for, and caused the mayor and police department
to promise the concert would go on without disturbance, which it did. Taking
place in a completely inappropriate discotheque, the show again featured Allerseelen
and Blood Axis, along with two German bands, Jaegerblut and Ahnenkult. The sound
system was totally hopeless, but just as in Genoa, this ended of being inconsequential
in light of great performances from the bands and overriding fervor from the
audience.
The final German
concert took place in the eastern part of the country, in Meissen (near Dresden),
a town world-famous for its porcelain. Again leftists had tried to shut down
the show, but a judge's court order ensured it would take place as planned.
The event was held in a large theater in a converted industrial building. The
opening band was Voxus Imp., a Dresden voelkisch electronic band. Utilizing
a pyrotechnics show that would put many arena rock bands to shame, they put
on an incredible performance of synthesized rhythms overlaid with live drum
corps and inspired vocals, all timed perfectly with explosions and giant bowls
of flame. Blood Axis followed with a strong set, despite the lingering
effects of an undissipating cloud of black sulphurous smoke which Voxus Imp.
had left in their wake, filling the entire hall. The next days were spent in
Dresden and outside the city in the ancient countryside with its haunting jagged
rock formations and sacrificial stones.
After a stopover
in Hamburg, we continued on to Denmark for one of the most anticipated shows
- an evening with Blood Axis, Fire + Ice, Der Blutharsch, and Death In June.
The event took place in Aarhus, a small city in the north, as part of the series
of events put on by "Dans med Doden." Fire + Ice began with an unusual line-up
of Ian Read accompanied only by guitarist Karl Blake (of Sol Invictus and Shock
Headed Peters fame). The combination of Ian's distinctive vocals singing folk
melodies and Blake's distorted electric guitar was at times incongruous, but
when the two elements fused together during certain passages, the results were
magical. In between acts Boyd Rice showed films, from early 60's pop clips to
Death In June videos (such as the stunning one for "Leopard Flowers" by Swedish
video artist Michael Prey) and Yukio Mishima's short work "Patriotism." Der
Blutharsch followed with an aggressive attack of martial bombast, which was
enough to make you want to enlist in the nearest army. This shifted over into
Death In June at certain point, who gave a powerful set of old and new songs
for the rapturous crowd. After DIJ came Blood Axis, with Ian Read joining on
vocals for the first two songs, "Herjafather" and "Seeker" (which was, of course,
originally written by Herr Read himself). The show was well-received and especially
rewarding given the number of our friends and colleagues from the other bands,
all of whom we respect greatly, being in the audience.
From Aarhus we traveled
to Sweden accompanied by the charming Lina Baby Doll of Deutsch Nepal. After
a night of drinking with him in Gothenburg, we drove across the country to Stockholm.
The show there took place in great surroundings, inside the hull of a ship docked
in the harbor. The adjacent boat floating a few feet away happened to be a replica
Viking longship. After great performances by No Festival of Light, Ordo Equilibrio
(who we also had the pleasure of playing with a year earlier, and who organized
this concert in Stockholm) and Waldteufel (debuting a new song, "Luzifer"),
we played for a small but unusually dedicated crowd, some of whom came from
as far away as Finland by boat, as well as all parts of Sweden.
The last concert
of the tour took place in the ancient Belgian medieval city of Brugge, organized
by Grondwerken, in a modern club downtown with good sound and fantastic lighting.
Waldteufel played the opening set, and we were also graced with the presence
of Willi and Rosi of the German group Ernte (and also the driving forces behind
Cthulhu Records). We had visited them a few days earlier, and it had been agreed
that they would also perform two Ernte songs ("Sonnenwende" and "Stolze Herzen")
along with our providing additional accompaniment on violin and drums. This
was an inspiring collaboration, and the perfect introduction for the last Blood
Axis performance on European soil.
It was with heavy
hearts that we departed from Europe, and we can only say that meeting members
of the audience provided the highest reward of all, confirming our music is
indeed reaching people who are not just passive listeners, but powerful, perceptive
and impressive entities. We hope to return soon.
Michael
Moynihan
In
the wake of the European tour, some new items are now available:
"Blut: Sacrifice
In Sweden"--The new Blood Axis release on the well-respected Cold Meat Industry
label. This is reprocessed and remixed live material from our concert in Sweden
in 1997, which featured Michael Moynihan, Annabel Lee and Robert Ferbrache.
Incredible sound, and we even feel a number of the songs on this release are
superior to the studio versions. Elaborate packaging with a special cardboard
slide-out full color case, plus immaculate booklet with color live photos and
exquisite images uncovered during our travels in Sweden. The cover painting
is the controversial mural "Midwinter Sacrifice" by the most famous Swedish
painter of all time, Carl Larsson. Swedish Import. Price: $15 postpaid in the
USA/Can. $17 postpaid rest of the world.
"Sacrifice in Sweden"
limited edition double vinyl set--We have a small stock of the rare (it sold
out before it was even released) double vinyl LP version of the Cold Meat release.
This features slightly different artwork, and most notably a larger section
of the incredible Larsson mural is reproduced as the center spread of the stunning
gatefold packaging. Price: $25 postpaid in USA/Can $32 postpaid postpaid rest
of the world.
Blood Axis/Allerseelen
split 7"--Released to coincide with our concerts in Europe, this is a limited
edition (700 copies pressed) single with two otherwise unavailable tracks. Blood
Axis perform an electrified and aggressive version of an Irish traditional,
"The March of Brian Boru", and Allerseelen contribute an eerie tribute to Ernst
Juenger, titled "Kaeferlied." German Import. Price: $8 postpaid in USA/Can.
$9 postpaid postpaid rest of the world.
Amber Asylum: "Looking
Glass/Poppies"--We are proud to make available some of the last extant copies
of this beautiful 7" picture disc by Amber Asylum, where Annabel Lee formerly
played violin and contributed to song writing. Pressed onto an amazing picture
disc with a truly psychedelic "Alice Through the Looking Glass" motif which
perfectly matches the eerie music to be experienced here. Limited availability,
never to be repressed. Price: $10 ppd in USA/Can. $12 postpaid rest of the world.
Amber Asylum: "Avenging
and Bright" green vinyl 7"--Another beautiful and rare recording from Amber
Asylum, this time two Irish traditional melodies performed with unique arrangements.
Features Annabel Lee on violin and Steve von Till of Neurosis on drums. Pressed
on emerald green vinyl. Price: $6 postpaid in USA/Can. $8 postpaid rest of the
world.
Blood Axis Patches--we
still have a small quantity of beautifully embroidered patches remaining which
were made up for the European tour. These are immaculately rendered with black
stitched background and a knotwork cross variant of our symbol in the center
in blood red. The patches are circular with an earth-green border. Price: $5
postpaid anywhere.
Blood Axis Longsleeve
Shirts--we also have a few longsleeve shirts in stock which were made for the
US concerts (two of which were cancelled due to pressure from leftist groups).
These are black 50/50 shirts with a Blood Axis cross over the front breast with
the band name in a stylized typeface, and a knotwork cross on the back with
the astute Croatian proverb, "The tears of strangers are only water." Size:
EXTRA LARGE ONLY Price: $16 postpaid in USA/Can. $20 postpaid rest of the world.
PAYMENT: Makes Checks
(which must be in US dollars, and drawn on a U.S. bank), Money Orders or International
Postal Money Orders out to: STORM. Cash may be sent at your own risk (hide it
well, or send it registered). Send orders to: STORM--PO BOX 3527--PORTLAND,
OR--97208 U.S.A.
Recommended
websites:
Blood Axis information
website: http://welcome.to/bloodaxis
Blood Axis webpages
connected to the Electric Hellfire Club's site: http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Backstage/1864/bloodaxis.html
Esoterra magazine,
with extensive Blood Axis interview as well as other articles: www.galaxy-7.net/esoterra
Information on Italian
cultural journal Occidental Congress, plus live photos from Italy: http://members.tripod.com/~OKLIM/OC/Sommario.htm
Photos from the 1997
concert in Sweden: http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Forum/5056/BldAxs.html
We will be emailing
out an update with more website addresses soon!
Thank you for your
interest!
Note from AB!: other
resources of live Blood Axis pics are at Raven's Chat site - http://perso.wanadoo.fr/eldgamlaisafold/
and Ulla Tost Live Photo Gallery.