An interview with Anthony the guitarist and Walid the Vocals of Kaoteon, the black metal band from Lebanon : "As for Kaoteon I think it is clear that we have NO religious or political goals but social, philosophical and chaotic views in our music."

Hello kaoteon! Let's start the interview with a usual question: please introduce the band with a short biography.
Anthony: Hello Redouane, Well it all started in 1998 when I decided to start a band and after a while We began Kaoteon and here we are now with a demo recorded that gained positive feedbacks and hoping that everything will be better in the coming future…

Kaoteon originally known as Chaotaeon (Chaotic Aeon), why was it necessary to change the band's name?
A: Well since you are familiar with the Arabic language so I guess you would understand if I tell you that it was read in Arabic by the monolingual policemen of our country as chaytan (satan in English) which has nothing to do with any aspect of the word Kaoteon so We thought it is a lot better to change the "CH" into "K" not to please the police but get rid of their ignorance since they could not establish to understand what "Chaotic Aeon" means so how would you expect them to merge these words.

What are your influences? What kind of music do you listen usually?
Walid: Well I'd listen to anything that sounds good as music, with an exception called rap lol, but when it comes to metal well I'm into everything except progressive and power metal. My influences when it comes to lyrics and vocals are society and it's so called guardians.

A: As for me I mostly like metal music but then metal is different for everyone like dream theatre is not metal for me and I do listen to non metal music such as classical, jazz, soundtracks and many other genres (like now I am listening to "The Cure - Blood flowers" amazing album btw) … so I cannot precise an influence and hope you will realize that when you hear the differences between an album and another… and I surely despise rap and pop music.

How would you describe your music?
A: This demo that you heard is like a story for me, the first track has that depressing but full of hate attitude that explodes with the harsh extremity of the second track as if you are in the middle of a conflict and the third one gets me to that victorious march and grand declaration of glory… so it is like a memorial written in simple riffs to express some thoughts without techniques, solos and all that show off package that is usually accompanied with the nowadays debut demos … that is of course my personal opinion about the musical content (drums, vocals, guitar) not the lyrical side of the demo that expresses a lot of digust toward the world...

W: The demo for me holds a different story, the first song talks about morals, and the deceitful nature of human beings, the second one describes something that I passed through in my life, it shows how some mortals would sacrifice and destroy anything no matter how dear it is for them, in this story I'm talking about people who still forbid love between different religious sects, no matter how harmful that is to their children.
The 3rd track talks about the future we're reaching, how this world would soon end when most of the female race is turning into cheap cheating whores.

How did exactly come the idea of recording Provenance of Hatred demo?
A: Throughout the years we composed several songs but none were recorded and this time we felt like recording these simple straight forward riffs especially that we had an interesting drummer so we gathered all the money we could and made it possible.

The sound is quite good, where did you record it?
A: The Drums and Vocals were recorded in one single take at a home made studio then I recorded the guitars on my pc without an amp (since I do not have one) and I guess we had a very good sound compared to these standards.

I think that "Provenance of Hatred" will be released by Unsung Heroes Records from U.S.A. how did a band from Lebanon attract the interest of this label?
A: As any band we sent our music to some friends and it seems that those who liked it passed it on to each others so it reached a lot of minor labels at last that were interested in the work. As for Unsung Heroes Records, well the band preferred this label because of UHR's reliable and respected reputation, anyway this is the first format to be released and there should be other formats soon on other labels if everything went as planned.

What about the deal? What they offered you?
A: Anyone that ever dealt with underground labels already knows that the label is responsible of releasing and distributing the release and the band gets a certain amount of releases to sell themselves (you know like a formula ½ or ¼, it depends)

Except for releasing "provenance of Hatred" do you have plans for a new release? Do you have any new songs ready? When we should expect a full length album from you?
A: Well as We already mentioned there should be other formats of the demo released soon and of course the band is composing new material for a new demo and a full length in 2005 plus there are 2 splits that might be released if confirmed and hopefully Kaoteon will show in several compilations but we can never say that everything is sure.

How's the metal in Lebanon and the bands there?
It is not horrible.

In your first email you said: "unfortunately we cannot send you the copies since metal is forbidden in Lebanon and we can't send or receive anything related to metal via mail boxes", it means that the metal is illegal in your country, is there any particular reason to that? And since when?
A: Hmm... Lebanon is a country filled with different religions that have a big influence over the people and politics. the majority are the Christians and the Muslims (Islam) so those thought after 1994/5 that metal is attacking their beliefs and it should be illegal because it is a bad influence for the people but I think the close minded human scum will always generalize their ideas over a whole section of music which is metal, I mean even in pop, rap and all this crap you have a whole lot of atheist and anti religious thoughts dealing with drugs, sex and suicide so why making restrictions about metal just because some metal bands like in any music
style express non ethical ideas in a savage way, I think this way of thinking has something to do with ignorance and this is why I hate ignorant humans.… As for Kaoteon I think it is clear that we have NO religious or political goals but social, philosophical and chaotic views in our music.

Is there any band you would like to play as a support act for?
W: I don't mind performing as a support act for any good band with a crazy presence on stage! I'd go with any sick gig out there! But opening for Testament or Kreator is a dream of mine; another dream that lays deceased is opening for Chuck Schuldiner (R.I.P)!!!!

Which are your 5 favourite albums of all time?
W: hmm these are the first that came into my mind, and not in order:
1- Judas Priest - Painkiller
2- Mayhem - DMDS
3- Hypocrisy - Osculum Obscenum
4- Kaoteon - Provenance of Hatred
5- Dissection - Storm of the Light's Bane.

Message for the Arab underground?
W: Learn how to support each others you maggots! To the rest of you out there, thanks for your support, you are the true ones!

A: The ignorant race is not worth living.

Thank you! Have I forgotten to ask anything and you'd like to mention?
Not really we just wish you the best with www.lelahelmetal.com and that is it, Later.

Interview by Lelahel

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