Hi there Joseph, how are you? Any news from your part of the world?
"666! Hails from the Third World. Joseph Curwen here answering to the inquisition, it’s an honour to be in a traditional zine like Voices From The Darkside."

Please introduce us to the world of UNAUSSPRECHLICHEN KULTEN. Please give some small biography of your band and your early releases.
"We started as a project band named SPAWN inspired to create a "Band-Spawn" to the mighty Old Ones, but the moniker never convinced me so I changed it to the one that we have now. We were just two members and to invoke the songs we used programmed drums as a songwriting tool, just like bands like APOCALYPTIC COMMAND, PROSTITUTE DISFIGUREMENT, SARCOFAGO’s "Hate" or MORTICIAN, those songs were recorded in an experimental way just to have it registered, when we showed those songs to a few comrades, it became our demos "Cultes Des Goules" (Chapter Zero – Demo Tape), "Esoteric Order Of Dagon" (Chapter I – Demo CD-R), "Crawling Chaos" (Chapter II – Demo CD-R). Then, with much more clear ideas Butcher Of Christ joined in drums, consolidating a rawer, and even faster sound, this way we recorded our full-lengths "Wake Up In The Night Of Walpurgis" (Chapter III – Album CD), "People Of The Monolith" (Chapter IV – Album CD)."

You are deeply involved in the underground Death Metal scene. What does the whole Death Metal movement of today mean to you and what are the persons, bands and publications you have the highest respect for?
"We have been in the underground for many years, and we are in contact with a small circle of people here in Chile, among them our comrades from FORCE OF DARKNESS, GODLESS, ATOMICIDE, DIABOLICAL MESSIAH, DEMONIC RAGE, MAGNANIMVS, PLAGUE, and of course our comrade Pablo Clares, he owns a studio called DM6, where the most evil Metal from Chile is invoked. For fanzines that we respect, I remember Necroscope, Crypts Of Eternity, Temple Of Adoration, PrayerBook, hail to Cruelty, Noise and Shit, and classic stuff like Horrible Eyes, Desecration Of Virgin, Slayer Mag., etc."

How’s the interest and reactions from the fanzines and from the fans themselves to your releases so far?
"To be honest we don’t care much about any review, the "feedback" from reviews or fans at the time to write a song is zero, but I’m sure the most remarkable and honest review is from Necroscope (maybe one of few that we really take in count)."

According to the underground Death Metal movement – what do you want to avoid when talking about Death Metal? What is "Non-Death Metal" in your eyes?
"Principally is about the lyrics, Death Metal should always be about death worship, independently of the approach that you have: Satanic, Anti Christian, Occultist, Esoteric or maybe spiritually empty… just guts, depravity, shit and blood, but always in relation to the worship of the death, then it is Metal of Death. Therefore it should never have altruistic, humanitarian or philanthropic contents, finally in an implicit way Metal is antisocial and antihumanity, therefore all these social lyrics or any good intentioned word directed to the listener is an error, it’s stupid to speak against the paedophilia and the social injustices, Death Metal is not to improve the world, it is to POISON IT!!!!, it is to poison the minds of those who receive the message. Now about those bands with gore-grind subjects like pure guts and blood, I don’t think that they’re false, very in the contrary, the only thing that I can say is that they are spiritually empty, but we have to recognize that as an ode to the rotting, to the death and to the guts it’s an ironic way a jeer of the destruction of the human life and body, which at the end is also a worship to the Death, and in an unconscious way is a message of mockery to human dignity, I specially say it for classic works as "Reek Of Putrefaction" of CARCASS (old), REPULSION, IMPETIGO, BLOOD, NECROPHAGIA, NECROPHILIAC or AUTOPSY, bands that without a spiritual message leaves you clear the scorn to humanity of the creators, as much as for the lyrics as for the music that are an exasperation to the rotting, to the death, to the destruction of the human being. For occasions I value more a direct message of adoration to the rotting and the guts than a false "pseudo – intellect – ignorant – false – satanic" content that some bands do, having mixed concepts that they don’t dominate, they don’t even know that often such concepts are contradictory, I specially say it for all those pseudo Nazi Satanic Comunist Crowley Egyptian Sumerian Sud American Viking Norwegian Terrorist Blabla bands and who knows what other bullshit mixed in their stupid minds. Any person with medium knowledge and culture (even Metal) should know that Nazism and Crowley’s theories are contradictory; a cover with Runes, Odin’s hammers, with Hebrew letters, Nazi tanks, inverted crosses and signs of the jewish cabala and any other "nice" symbol tells me about the complete ignorance of the author and the lack of "thematic" in his work. Non-Death Metal is all those false appearances hop/core/adidas/gangsta dredloks and shit like this. Death Metal must be in only one way, like old VULCANO or old SODOM; leather, spikes, military boots, human bones, bullet belts and all the paraphernalia."

Right now you have 2 releases available: "Chapter III – Wake Up In The Night Of Walpurgis" and "Chapter IV – People Of The Monolith". Both sell in a strange but unique seven inch format. What was the reason for this format?
"The origin of this idea is from Proselytism, we like the format very much, it is original and exclusively for label stuff, and allows to give it the value that lyrics, graphic art and Metal deserves. If someone does not like it, it doesn’t matter, simply do not buy it, it is not for them."

One weird fact about UNAUSSPRECHLICHEN KULTEN is that you don’t have a bandhomepage nor a myspace-page about your band in use. Even your label Proselytism has no page available yet. What’s the reason for avoiding the possibility to gain some promotion through the internet?
"That’s mainly because we are from the Third World, many generations must pass until primitive creatures like us could assimilate this kind of information tool, hahaha!!! Internet is right next to TV or radio, they are massive and democratic media. Everybody have the "right" to information, and we are more for the underground, for the occult, in fact I’m answering this interview just because what "VFTD" represents as its past as a printed fanzine, more than to an online zine."

Are you satisfied with your latest releases? If there would be a 2nd chance what would you change on "Chapter III" and/or "IV"? And what are the facts about your two releases which you are the most proud of?
"You always would change the sound on some guitar solo, or the guitar equalization, or the snare drum sound, but to tell you the truth we are very satisfied with both of our full-lengths, not because they are the best of we can do or sound, you always can improve in that aspect, but because each one sounds as they "must" sound, because they represent the moment and the capacities we owned at that time. We just try to make our best effort, in any sense, the best riffs, the best lyrics, playing our instruments in the best way, we spend a lot of time and sweat on it, also we spend all money we have and even we don’t have…"

Can you tell us something about the releases "I" and "II"? Are your demos labelled with these numbers? I might be wrong here as I read that you released 3 demos before "Wake Up In The Night Of Walpurgis". Tell something about your first releases.
"There is an unreleased chapter also, "Chapter Zero", as I told you before the three demos are amateur recordings, just to preserve the songs written back then."

The label who took care of your 2 CDs is Proselytism Records, ran by your drummer Butcher Of Christ if I’m correct informed. Is the reason for this label just to release your own releases? In Crypts Of Eternity # 3 I saw an advertisement of upcoming releases, therefore I guess there’s more to come.
"Butcher Of Christ was part of Proselitysm back then, that’s why this label was the first option to release both of our full-lengths, but we are not closed, you are right about what you read in Crypts Of Eternity # 3, Ricardo Lucas is our alley and we are in conspiracy to release a dark revelation very soon, almost all the ingredients are already in the cauldron."

UNAUSSPRECHLICHEN KULTEN’s style is highly influenced by the American Death Metal scene, weird yet very technical and musically quite outstanding. Which are your biggest influences?
"The idea was to take influences from the most classic Death Metal, like NIHILIST / ENTOMBED, CARNAGE / DISMEMBER, CARBONIZED, ASPHYX, MANTAS / DEATH, GRAVE, MANDATORY, GROTESQUE, TRAUMATIC, ROTTREVORE, SADISTIC INTENT, INCUBUS, MORPHEUS… the Peruvian and Norwegian MORTEM, PURTENANCE, the Colombian MASSACRE demos , MERCILESS DEATH, Chilean DARKNESS, all that mixed with Death Metal from Tampa Florida…The good old Grindcore like IMPETIGO, REPULSION, BLOOD, NECROPHAGIA, CARCASS on "Reek Of Putrefaction", an hybrid mix between classic European Sunlight-like Death Metal, with the particular Swedish guitar sound (that seems to becoming a trend) plus the old bands from Thrash Records, Noise and Turbo Records, plus the Wild Rags bands, you know, Death Metal from later 80s / early 90s, adding the brutality and power from more actual styles like SUFFOCATION, GORGASM, and the Unique Leader kind of bands… But all these just about METAL, the whole concept is to take Metal that just means aggression, or blood and guts, take it to a more evil and blacker dimension, is like we are paying the spiritual debt of the brutal Death Metal. To put it in real example, our concept is to sound like MORTUARY DRAPE playing pure Death Metal."

On "Chapter IV" you covered a track from SADISTIC INTENT. Do you want to tell us something about this and why you chose a track from them?
"SADISTIC INTENT is a fucking amazing band that for many years was underrated, finally after all these years they are becoming the cult that they deserve. They still keep themselves loyal to the most dark side of Metal… Not many bands with the years of SADISTIC INTENT can tell the same… Most of the bands became "mainstream" "softer" or simply poser!!! Probably in our next chapter we tribute another band, always an icon of the underground."

Self Desecrator took care of the cover of "People Of The Monolith". Even as I don’t like this drawing that much I have a huge opinion about him as he did some really great covers and drawings for many bands already. What do you think about his way of drawing and his style?
"I appreciate your honesty to confess that you don’t like the cover much, however to me it is perfect!!! For "People Of The Monolith" more than anything I was focused in the ritual thing about Tsathoggua, besides and considering that the name makes reference to another apocryphal book from H.P. Lovecraft, wrote by Justin Geofrey and quoted by Robert E Howard in his short story called "The Black Stone", the concept was perfect for the cover, and it was amazingly drawn by SelfDesecrator, besides talking about the design I sent him texts with all the details of the cover art. In that sense SelfDesecrator is our alley and he is in conspiracy with us. He even tattooed my left arm with an amazing Cthulhu image!!! Personally I think his best work as an artist (until now) is the EKRON CULT – "Queen Of The Luxury" cover."

It’s nothing special to figure out that you are highly influenced by the work of H. P. Lovecraft. Your name and the lyrical contents, parts of the layout show hints of his work. What’s so special about H. P. Lovecraft for you and why do you think is he such a big name for the Death Metal crowd? Just because MORBID ANGEL started it probably???
"MORBID ANGEL started, then other bands like NECROPHOBIC, THOU SHALL SUFFER, SHUB NIGGURATH, ATOMIC AGGRESSOR, etc, follow the path. They all poisoned Metal with an H.P. Lovecraft influence. I was thirteen when I read "The Whisper in Darkness" for the first time and it blew me away, it made me anxious, the fear the author tries to transmit to the reader isn’t fear for the flesh, it’s a fear for the soul, the characters are not important but the facts, finally the climax and the ending of each story are pessimist, full of darkness, the author tries to make us perceive, to describe that Chimeras, Harpies, Gorgons and all others mythological creatures neither are in our minds nor the author as simple imagination or literature, but as a dark inheritance from the black spheres, that in some way it magically remains in the blood, transmitting to each other in a genetically way… revealing it as the forms of dreams and visions to the most receptive minds, the initiated ones… Would it be "The Call of Cthulhu" that made me call the band in that way??? Besides all of this, it’s the knowledge about occultism that H.P. Lovecraft transmitted between the lines, it would give us for an entire study besides this interview (as the ones wrote by Colin Wilson, Faber Kaiser, Sprague de Camp and many others)."

Why did you choose the grammatically not that correct German title "Unaussprechlichen Kulten" of the fictional book mentioned by H. P. Lovecraft as your band moniker?
"WHY??? FUCK!!! It is really a fucking moniker hahahahaha!!! Really the name is grammatically incorrect in German, but in Lovecraftian correct!!! Everybody always asks me about the same thing, I suppose that in South America (….and world???) this one always will be an obliged question. It is the correct name and destined for us, in the beginning we wanted to have a name in Spanish, "Culto Innombrable" was the indicated one, but later I realized the tongue, destined, suggested, mentally whispered by Azathoth, the "Coincidence" with the Lovecraftian Apocryphal German book "Unaussprechlichen Kulten", Spiritually perfect, devilishly whispered, I joust with the concept of the letters, pure H.P. Lovecraft."

Together with Gabriel Gatica you are working on a fanzine called "Compilation Of Death". Tell something about it and when can we expect the first release of it?
"Compilation of Death is ready, I hope it will be out in a week or two, it is a fanzine made by fans for fans, b/w printed, 100 pages full with nothing but DEATH METAL. Old and new bands plus some big "exhumations" made from classics fanzines like Slayer Mag., Decibel Storm, Mega Magazine, Thanatography, Putrefaction zine, Disincarnate, Mould, Sadistic Noise, etc… Even from VFTD!!! All Death Metal bands who want to be in conspiracy with us just have to keep in contact."

Are you an active live band? How often did you play live so far and with which bands did you share the stage. Tell us something about the live appearance of Unaussprechlichen Kulten and the Chilean crowd.
"The truth is we don’t play live often, only 5 or 6 shows in one year, strictly to promote "People Of The Monolith", but when we do it the response from the audience has been good, we always are very prepared, you always going to see our banner, spikes and leather, some human bones, graveyard crosses and a human skull on the microphone, to have it in front of my face represents to separate my being from the normal / every day person and channelling, becoming an "instrument" to the "cause", in a certain way it is Death through a dead person who delivers the message. All these elements help to create an ambient, in some way we forgot about the audience and we ignore them, just channelling the inner and outer "entities", all flows in a ritualistic way, it depends on ours, and when we create the right ambient… all happens in the right way."

I’m not sure if I’m informed correct but is it true that Blood Harvest will take care of the vinyl versions of your CDs? What do you think about this label and the releases of them?
"You are right, it’s a deal between us and Rodrigo from Blood Harvest Records, both records will be released in vinyl, we’re preparing something special along with Rodrigo, Blood Harvest is the right label for a band like us, Death Metal underground!"

Is it right that you played in the band MAGNANIMVS? Can you tell something about this band? I like their 7"EP on Blood Harvest a lot. I tried to contact them, but every link or email address I got didn’t work or they haven’t replied yet.
"Yes, I played for about a year in Magnanimvs. I left good comrades in the band. They already have new songs for an upcoming release and it is even more putrid and evil than before, for sure…"

Currently the Chilenean Death Metal seems to be very strong with names as Unaussprechlichen Kulten, GODLESS, MAGNANIMVS, DEMONIC RAGE, ATOMIC AGGRESSOR, THORNAFIRE, MELEKTAUS or TRIMEGISTO. What is your opinion about your Death Metal scene and the bands from your country?
"Chile certainly is becoming a Death Metal generator, maybe it is the fact that our country could be "exotic" to some people, or maybe it is the history of cult bands like PENTAGRAM, ATOMIC AGGRESSOR, DEATH YELL amongst others, or to name a few that not are my closer comrades (like ATOMICIDE, FORCE OF DARKNESS, GODLESS, MAGNANIMVS or DEMONIC RAGE), I heard MISERYCORE and I was blown away, really well done, very sharp riffs, well thought structures, etc… I also think BLACK GRAIL has a very furious attitude, necessary for a new band. I recently heard some songs from the upcoming DIABOLICAL MESSIAH release and it’s amazing!!! I think it’s going to take awhile but in a year or two it going to explode and Chile will become an underground center of attention… Already foreign labels like Blood Harvest and others are putting his eyes on Chile and releasing its bands…"

Not only the Chilean but especially the South American Death Metal scene with all its classic and cult bands did and do have a huge influence on the worldwide Metal scene. What do you think is the reason why, besides SEPULTURA, no other band really gained a worldwide success?
"To me SEPULTURA is not a good example, in fact I think they represent exactly what a band never has to do, I mean, from releasing such amazing LPs like "Morbid Vision" and "Bestial Devastation", and end up releasing crap (musically and lyrically) like "Chaos AD" and on. That’s exactly what happened to bands like ENTOMBED, CARCASS, THERION, PARADISE LOST and a lot more, their first records are classics and a must, and what they did after or now is just mainstream garbage, maybe the money is a main factor here, when they see Metal as a business, you know Death Metal doesn’t pay your bills, and everybody needs to work, maybe the better is to keep Metal away from your regular job. Anyway it is always good that things fall for their own weight, I mean that if they were posers, doesn’t matter the good records they released, sooner or later the gay/nice/Christian nature of the bands must to come out to the light."

Many bands from South-America got praised for their high influences since the early days of Death Metal, even bands as NIHILIST claimed to be influenced by SARCOFAGO (among others). Why do you think are the South American bands different and unique from the rest of the world’s bands?
"Wanted or not, there are many social factors that have an impact on Metal. Countries like Peru had a strong religious oppression and catholicism extinguished most of the ancestral cultures, so in the primal races of America the hate is in the blood and it is an inheritance. I.e. Brazil is a country where slavery exists, then all these rage from the slaves is keeping in the blood for many generations, and maybe without notice, a lot of the songs from Brazilian bands sound like rabid dogs in a cage…"

One of the most legendary bands from Chile is without a doubt PENTAGRAM. What do you think about them and the importance for your country’s Metal scene, about their recent shows in Europe and about their follow-up CRIMINAL? Do you mind that they left Chile?
"It is true that PENTAGRAM, along with POSSESSED, is a band that created Death Metal, absolute pioneers, their demos are total cult and a must. About the band today, I prefer not to say anything, Anton can do wherever he wants with the band, he is the leader and can ask for the recognition that he thinks he deserves (he is the owner of the cat and he can fuck it any time he want to… an old Chilean quote) But I prefer the real PENTAGRAM in the demo days…"

And one of the biggest names in Metal is for sure SLAYER. Does it make you proud in any way that Tom Araya’s origins from Chile?
"Araya is certainly a Metal pioneer together with SLAYER, perhaps here is represented what I said to you in the previous question. When you hear Araya’s voice on "Hell Awaits" you can hear vengeance, hate, oppression, in that moment he became a "tool", a "possessed"… It is good to know he is from Chile."

Well, we are coming to the end now. Do you have some final words to tell, some special offers to make at the end? Thanks for the answers and the time you spend.
"Thank you for your time. Remember the only official contacts with the band are joseph_curwen@hotmail.com and butcherofchrist_@hotmail.com, We are willing to any kind of trade, only worthy stuff, we have official t-shirts available in all sizes. Iä! Iä! Iä! Shub Niggurath ¡!! Let the fever, pest and plague lay upon the heads of the readers of this interview…"

Thomas Ehrmann