by Kenneth Morton

Merrimack is a Black Metal band from the French underground, who has just unleashed an all-new collection of Satanic hymns entitled Of Entropy And Life Denial. Inquiries were sent regarding a wide range of subjects. Darkened enlightenment commences here…

What is the metal scene like in France and how does Merrimack fit into the scheme of things?
T: The French scene is very good in my opinion. It’s probably the best with the Swedish one. We have tons of great bands like DEATHSPELL OMEGA, TEMPLE OF BAAL, ARKHON INFAUSTUS, HELL MILITIA, ANTAEUS, VORKREIST, MUTIILATION, BAEL…

Did you really want it to take four years for this new CD to surface?
T: Of course not! A lot of line up changes have altered the band, until we found the perfect members again. We’ve also played a lot of gigs, including two European tours. We like to take our time and compose quality, and not necessary quantity.

Where did you get the idea for the title Of Entropy And Life Denial - any story behind the title?
T: The entropy is a physical measurement of the disorder rate of a system. This law teaches us that every ordered system tends naturally to go to a state of lower order, and thus increases its entropy. This is the mathematical proof of the absolute ineluctability of everything’s decay. Everything tends to its end, to which every passing second get us closer so fast. Everything dies in the end. This is a teaching about life worthlessness. Let’s quote the first sentence of Melancholia Balneum Diaboli on our new album: “Only the man regarding nothing as important is able to fully sacrifice his life on the altar of his god.”

Where do you get the ideas for some of the lyrics this time around?
T: The album is completely dedicated to the faith in the satanic might. The entropy is seen like the work of the Devil, the fruit of His odious deeds in this world. All the lyrics are rooted in the slavery to our God and our will to serve. Some of them portray the conception, birth, life and death of a character. He progressively realizes the presence of the Lord and submits to His might. The lyrics are religious and spiritual reflections directed to those who consider Black-Metal for what it is: the gospel of Satan, the instrument to His glorification.

When you listened to your work on Obsecrations To The Horned, what do you think of this early material now?
P: I still like most of the stuff featured on this demos collection, even though nowadays it sounds totally different to the actual standards of Black Metal. Maybe it’s only nostalgia, but it’s a part of our history, and it shows the evolution of the band, the natural progression which leads to the Left Hand Path.

What is meant by the term Ashes Of Purification? There seem to be many ways to interpret this phrase.
P: The annihilation of mankind when the day of Apocalypse arrives.

What does the term Satanism mean to you, and how do you apply it in your everyday existence, such as with friends, family, and workplace?
T: To me, and also for the other Merrimack members, Satanism has nothing in common with pseudo hedonism like the worthless works of LaVey. To worship the Devil means to recognize and acknowledge Him as the almighty purveyor of sadistic entropy and decay, and to take part of His works. Applying it in everyday life = waiting for the right occasion to act.

In this jaded world, how shocked do you feel people are these days by Satanic imagery in music and other forms of "entertainment?" And is your mission in Merrimack to shock or to educate through your music?
P: We’re not teenagers in quest of rebellion. We don’t want to shock anybody. We just preach for what we believe in. We are religious, devoted to our God, and we practice what we preach, just like Christians go to the Church every Sunday morning. We don’t consider Black Metal as an entertainment at all.

Did you read The Da Vinci Code, and if so, what did you think of its theories?
T: I haven’t read it. It sounded way too stupid before opening it. People seem to be quite fond of occultism / spirituality / religiosity these times. This is probably a good thing. It’s now a way too long time that Religion hasn’t caused damage and atrocities on our lands. Let it rise again!

What is a live Merrimack show like for those of us who have yet to see you play?
T: You can expect Black-Metal fanatically respectful to the tradition: blood, spikes, corpse-paint, leather… As every decent Black-Metal band, we must create the right atmosphere of darkness, danger and death.

Any chance of Merrimack coming over to the States for some performances?
P: Nothing has been discussed about this matter so far. It costs a lot of money to make us cross the ocean, and it looks like the attendance at the BM gigs in USA is not really impressive. So I doubt any promoter or tour manager could take this risk.

For Under The Black Sun Fest, it looks like you guys performed in broad daylight. Either that or the lighting was really bright! How strange was it to perform Black Metal under those conditions?
P: Yes, unfortunately, we had to perform during the afternoon. It was not the best conditions to show the maximum potential of the band, but the crowd has totally been convinced, and all the reviewers agreed that we should have played during the night. We try to avoid such situations as much as possible, but the devotion and energy of the band cannot be altered by such a futile detail.

What do you think of Dimmu Borgir, and would you ever want to play in a big festival like Ozzfest?
P: We don’t give a shit about Dimmu Borgir. I’ve never listened to them after the For Al Tid album. So I can’t judge them. I’m not interested at all in their evolution. We don’t mind playing at big fests. It’s a good opportunity to spread the message and it’s a different experience. Playing in front of 50 die-hards is always a great ceremonial, but playing in front of thousands of people must have been an intense experience if you succeed to make at least 30% of them understand the message/ideology/musical intensity of the band.

What do you think of the Internet and websites like Myspace as a resource to get your message out to the people?
T: There’s a time to react like a typical psycho rigid person, and a time to realize you gotta live with your time. Of course I could tell you that everything was better 10 years ago when people only had flyers, snail mail and tape-trading. But on the other hand it’s really useful and it has allowed me to discover some really great bands (like Monarch for example, listen to it or die). The only real fucking shame with all these technologic stuffs is the downloading of entire works on Emule or Soulseek. This is so fucking gay and lame…
P: Since nobody nowadays takes the time nor energy to use the good old correspondence ways, Myspace is a good alternative to stay updated about some killer acts. I’ve also discovered some awesome bands, like Portal (Australia) through this media.

Do you think it will be another four years until your next release?
P: Only time shall say. We will take the necessary time to release what we consider as a perfect album. No need to hurry.

How would you like the music of Merrimack to be remembered 20 years from now?
P: We don’t care. We don’t play for fame or glory, and I honestly think that in 20 years BM will be forgotten for a long time.

Do you have any messages for black metal fans here in the States?
T: Thanks for your interview. Check out our new CD / LP Of Entropy and Life Denial, and we hope to see you all on tour! AMSG.

Merrimack Links

Merrimack: Their Official Home Page!
Moribund Cult Records: The Record Label for Merrimack!
The Highwire Daze Home Page: Return to the Main Page!

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