We are all in all satisfied with it, as you can imagine, there are always some little detail that could be different, or better, or things didn't turn out as expected, but things also occurs that sounds a lot better than what you anticipate, so we are feeling good about the album, it has got the aggression that we intended to put into it, and all in all I think it is our strongest album so far.

"Ad Noctum". A mysterious title... Can you enlighten us a bit and give us an explanation of it?

It is a journey towards and into the night, and into darkness, and I think the title refers quite good to the contents of the album, the music is darker than it has ever been, and also the lyrics are more hateful, and dark……

The cover of Ad Noctum is another dark creation, mostly based on Egyptian themes. Is there some kind of connection between the album's subject and this ancient civilization? Is the album's cover created from you?

There are no direct links between the cover art and the album as it is, but I have always been fascinated by ancient Egyptian mythology, and I found it suiting to use it for this album, due to all their mysteries, and their fascination of death, and their belief in the afterlife….

Morfeus, you are responsible for the bewitching artwork in Limbonic Art's albums. What do you wish to express through it and why did you choose to do it yourself? How important is, to you, to create pictures?

I think that making album covers has been a dream that I have had since I was a kid, and I have always been drawing and painting, and when we got the deal with N.A.P. I saw the opportunity coming, and decided to do it myself. I feel now that there will not ever be another one doing the covers for a Limbonic art. album, cause I feel that there are too much of my feelings and me in it…

I would like to ask you the purpose of the bonus tracks in the vinyl version of your new LP. Is this done in order to show that you are fans of the vinyl?

That is one way to say it, you could also say that it is our way to try to keep the vinyl living as a music media, and it is also a hail to all those who still enjoys the vinyl….

Just because the promotional edition of Ad Noctum does not include any lyrics, I would like to ask you about the concept of this album...

Daemon does all the lyrics for Limbonic Art, and the fact that he does this so well, gives me the freedom to not think about it, so I'm really not in the position to talk much about lyrics. I'm not much of a poet my self, so I am more interested in vocals as an instrument, I need the sound of the vocals to fit the music, if you know what I mean. And Daemon has an incredible way of layering the lyrics so that it fits the music. There is no concept through the album, no story that runs throughout the album. As far as I know the lyrics are mainly based on thoughts, and reflections, more than stories and fairytales…

What do you consider to be more important for Limbonic Art, the music or the lyrics? Do you believe that your music could accompany different lyrics, or that your lyrics could be "dressed" by another kind of music?

I believe that there has to be a unity in the whole "product", only then can it be looked upon as finished or good. I think that we have achieved a unique sound that suits us fine, but I don't see why we should not be able to do other stuff……

The lyrics are one of Limbonic Art's main advantages. Could you tell us some things about the sources of your inspiration?

As I said, Daemon is handling the lyrics, and I know that he is reluctant to give much more information about them himself, so I won't go any deeper into them than what I already have, not that I have gone very deep at all though

Could you name your main influences, whether they come from the metal or the classical musical ground?

No, I won't, cause I don't feel that I have any particular band or composer that inspires me, and from time to time I feel that when listening to some music that really blows me away, I feel more discouraged than inspired. For instance, if I listen to some powerful choir like classical music, I would maybe want to make something like it, but where is my choir, on a keyboard…. No, I try to make music from my own head, as much as possible, from myself. I don't say that I don't get inspired from others, I do, but more from fragments of music more than composers, or bands…

As I have noticed, Ad Noctum does not include any electronic bits/sounds, like the ones in your past songs. How did you come up with this decision?

Wash your ears!

Is the drum machine going to remain a standard element of Limbonic Art's musical creations?

Yes it is!

Do you maybe plan to turn Limbonic Art into a full-member band? Was it your choice for the band to have such a form?

No, there are no such plans, we feel completely satisfied with Limbonic Art as it is now.

Is there a chance of making tours or giving some concerts, even with session musicians? And, is there any possibility for Limbonic Art to unfold their shadow over the Greek ground, with a possible live appearance?

We do appear live from time to time, the last thing we did was the Mystic festivals in Poland some months ago, and we are currently working to get a tour in Europe in the very beginning of 2000.

Please tell me a few words about your tour with Emperor, Morbid Angel and Peccatum.

First of all I would say that we had a great time on the No Mercy Festivals, It was a great tour, and all hails to the bands that we travelled with. I think the tour gave us the first taste of what a real tour was like, we had just done one or two gigs in a row, and the mini tour with Emperor before that, and we learned a lot from it, we gained of course a lot of live experience, and also the ups and downs of a tour, you know, getting to the venue far too late, bus breakdowns, and so on. But I think that it also gave us a bit of hunger in doing it again.

"Life is the enemy, while death is the sacred key". The key to what? What do you believe exists beyond or after death?

As it is Daemon who does the lyrics, I don't feel comfortable with trying to decipher he's sacred key, so I won't do that. What exists beyond or after death…. This is a very difficult topic to discuss, because there are lot's more questions than there are answers. I believe that if you in your life do the things that feel right, and you live as an honourable person, then I think that if there is an afterlife, it won't "suck". And if there is no afterlife, then we wouldn't know, right. So then comes the question, will we then be able to know that we are dead….? Maybe we are dead now….. and the journey to what we look upon as death, is a travel to life…….. Lot's of questions, no answers…….. What does the blind man see when he meets his death…?

Define your spiritual and religious philosophies with a few words.

No, those feelings and thoughts are personal to me, and not for the common audience. And I really feel that it has relevance to the point of why I am doing this!

Both the names Morfeus and Daemon are drawn from the Greek mythology. What do you know about it? Does mythology or traditions and religions in general, affect you when composing or writing lyrics?

I can not speak for Daemon on this topic, but as I see it, and to me it has nothing to do with Greek mythology, except for the fact that the names comes from there. I use the name Morfeus because it reflects the function I have in the band, I operate the synths, and I do the covers, which are the most atmospherical elements of the band. Daemon, to me he is kind of the demon, the aggressor, and the most hateful part of the band, and together we combine in a unity of death and darkness

Are there some specific images you want to imprint through your introductions? Many images come to my mind when I listen to the small, but uncanny introduction of "The Dark Paranormal Calling", as well as many others.

I like to think that If I can make someone imagine something, to make some imagery in peoples minds, then I have succeeded to some point, I don't want to create the images for them, or tell the stories of my own pictures, but I would like them to be as a door, a gateway for people to make their own images, and their own dreams…..

Which one of Limbonic Art's musical creations do you consider as the most paranormal and which one as the most remarkable one? Is there any of your songs that disappoints you after all?

Difficult to answer, I don't think that I have any favourites, as you are coming to a recording session, you may have some songs that you enjoy more than others, but in general I am happy with what we have come up with, and I stand for all that we have made, and I don't think that there are any of the songs that we have released that I don't like, there might be some elements that I feel is a bit misplaced, but I am satisfied.

Is it possible for the mind and the flesh to depart, without being both destroyed?

Definately!

Is Limbonic Art something more than a band to you? What aspects of your personality are expressed through them? Do you plan to create any projects, in order to expand your musical/artistic horizons?

In one way, Limbonic Art is more than a band to me, Daemon, and I, have laid extremely much work into it, and it is something that is on my mind more or less to all times, so it is more than a band, I guess it is a crossing between a band, a hobby, and a job. You have all the good parts, and you have the parts that are quite boring. Personally I have all kinds of music in my mind, and I have some plans to expand them in the future, and I also hope to be able to build up a small studio or something. Not to have other bands playing there, but for personal uses. As for Daemon, I don't really know, I guess he to has he's ideas and plans, but we don't discuss it too much, time will tell what will come out of it, but I'm most certain that there will be quality music also besides Limbonic Art.

There are many different elements in Limbonic Art's music. How would you characterize your music?

It is really for other people to "label" us, I don't like to do that, but I feel that a term like "extreme metal" would be suiting…..

What is your opinion about the Norwegian black metal scene? We were recently told that it is dead. Do you agree?

I don't pay much attention to the metal scene, and I don't really care if it is dead or alive, what is important to me is that there are independent bands that make quality music in the way they want it to be, and I think that it is a more mature force of bands that are out there now, they are not paying that much attention to what other people think or say, and that is how it should be I think.

Are you satisfied with your cooperation with Nocturnal Art Productions?

We are very satisfied with the work that N.A.P does for us, they have always supported us in our decisions, they have always been on time with all that they were supposed to do, payments, ad's and so on. Their promotion are growing, and getting better and better all the way, so it seems as we are staying there.

How far do you plan to take Limbonic Art's music? What are the new elements you'd like to add to it?

We have stated this before, and I'll do it again, we want to take Limbonic Art beyond. As far as it is possible for us to take it. I don't have any answers for what new elements Limbonic Art will bring forth in the future, only time will tell. We have not begun to create any new material, so it is way to early to tell.

I have reviewed Ad Noctum and rated it with 9/10. Do you believe it is worthy of such a mark or not?

It is not up to me to say, We are satisfied ourselves, it is up to you to "judge"

Express your opinion on the following bands: a) Emperor
b) Peccatum
c) Ancient
d) Satyricon
e) Haggard
f) Therion
g) Dimmu Borgir
h) Covenant
i) Cradle of Filth
j) Diabolical Masquerade
k) Limbonic Art!

I don't see the point in doing that, some of the bands I like, some I don't, some I haven't even heard. I won't bother to use an extra hour to do that.

Thank you very much for your time to answer all these questions. Please add a short comment for the readers of Altars of Metal and the Greek fans of Limbonic Art's dark cosmos...

All hails to you all, thanks for the support, hope to see you live sometime in the future.

Interview By Dimitris "Slatan" Petrakis and "Melissa".