NOX-your band has a truly unique image you've even been described as snow wizards in one review.is your image something you have built gradually in conjunction with
your lyrical content or was it a more deliberate thing from the beginning like gwar or slipnot?i cant really think of another black metal band who has such a strong visual image.how did you come to fore go the traditional corpse paint of the genre? is there a method to the madness? why do you prefer to stay hidden?
ICE: We did not create our image, it was created for us...The clothing we wear simply conceals us amongst the vast frozen landscape during our communions. We need not be disturbed by any who may spot our ritual gatherings. Most often we are led to deep caverns below the glacial frost, but we also need open and vast snow covered flats to perform invocations with the astral winds of the GÃ¥morkian fluid. Also these cloaks
and masks conceal and hide our now sunken and frozen bodies...hideous are flesh as become through the transformation. We feel nothing and our blood now pumps sheer ice. Our masks further conceal not only our sunken flesh, but any symbolic reference to our once human identities, while instilling the cold, bleak and blank face of the crystalline spirit on the tips of our features for all humans to reflect upon. You human apes put so much importance on the flesh molded features of a face and corporeal extensions. In dead cold, all such things shatter off in the convulsing chills of truth and true power.

NOX-your cd has been out since late fall of last year yet your band has yet to garner a great deal of
press.do you feel your look and image has been somewhat off putting?i find it fascinating myself.
ICE: We could care less about any of you humans or your feeble brain functions....All those hope filled, ignorant mammals who shun the message of ICE, are revealing to the rest of their genetic monkey pools, their own shaking and frail human nature of FEAR. They fear what they do not know or understand, like every other scrambling animal on this doomed planet. We are pleased to know and it is expected that the masses of fh on this planet will dismiss ICE, this will only ring them more pain in the END. When the first snowfall begins, and the skies are swarmed with the throbbing pulse of the heaving GÃ¥morkian winds, the earth will foolishly cry to their selfish and self created gods in futile anguish. We are glad to open the doors of truth to the ears of the contemplatable human race...let them know of there oncoming demise...there is more pain and fear that way....unlike the wild animals who are oblivious to the approaching apocalypse. Be aware and know, that soon the time shall come, and you will ALL succumb. Those of you however who embrace ICE, and the coming of the
END....who have always looked at this existence and known that something is not right, something is wrong.....you look with hate and misanthropy...ICE is for you...to open your souls and have the great eye of RÃ¥vaskieth stare into you. Feel the hate, and when the cold winds come and the screaming begins....take your knife with you into the snow....bury yourself deep and end your own life, then and only then will you who understand, perish in emptiness without the vicious pain of the astral cosmic regime...

NOX-your look and image lends itself to a more symphonic approach ala arcturus.i was pleasantly surprised by the savageness of your debut.what inspires you to create such violent blasting misanthropic sounds?and have you been attempting to mix the to polar opposites of a symphonic image with a bestial raw metal sound?
ICE: We do not plan or control any of this nor make conscious efforts on spoken tongue. It all flows from us, at the same time...it is all done at the moment, spontaneously, and naturally it comes out hateful. When we gather our conscious minds disappear and the spirits to which we where called possess our astral GÃ¥morkian fluid, thus controlling our moves and up heaving the ancient hatred through the tools of our corporeal extensions. This is a very rapturous experience, as is when we gather for the invoking rituals. If this music sounds inhuman to you, then you are correct. Just by playing the album in your speakers, you are opening the eyes of the other side to peer right into you....and you feel that as the music rages on. These songs all come from a collective, as the lyrics spill forth as warnings from RÃ¥vaskeith......we gather together in this form only so often to spit forth this human way of expanding the mind and soul. Our inhuman souls are constantly colliding together on the astral level intertwining, and inspiring each other.....hence all these songs come forth naturally as a combined unity of power and conviction. No one person creates, we all just flow. We do not handle things as normal human men can comprehend....It is hard for me to explain...This music just IS....as we just ARE....

NOX-you are signed to crash music a near major label in terms of underground music.crash are not well known for promoting the raw underground sounds of black metal so I wonder how did this deal come about and are you happy with the way crash has been treating you?can a true non -glamour/symphonic metal band find a home and artistic freedom outside of the underground?do you worry about your credibility with the scene?
ICE: We have human followers and supporters would understand the power and rightful truth of RÃ¥vaskieith. Thus, they have taken it upon themselves to promote ICE and spread these sonic vibrtions to those who would understand and relate to the hatred of ICE. These earthen animals contacted Crash, and hence Crash immediately contacted us in interest of ICE. We worry, nor care not about anything of our label or credibility, our only concern is raising the apocalyptic end in white, RÃ¥vaskieth, and the extermination of all universal life through cold abysmal hate.

NOX-cradle of filth was one of the headliners on the ozzzfest second stage in 2003.dimmu borgir starred on the main stage in 2004 and arch enemy,soilwork and mastodon will be appearing this year as well.has the underground finally been co-opted by the mainstream?could you imagine i.c.e on the second stage next to nu -metal crap like hate breed and black label society?should people stop being so elitist about black metal and stop complaining about all the experimentation that’s going on and accept and enjoy the fact that black metal know has many different genres and images or is this mongrelizing killing black metal dead?
ICE: We do not understand these creatures you are talking about..., I do know that before we took it
upon ourselves to take the jump and move to the wilderness of the north - feeling the pull of
RÃ¥vaskeith, we were all musicians as humans...outcasts...different. We know that before the transformation during that great blizzard of RÃ¥vaskeith's then unknown seventh eclipse, we were mortal souls, musicians, and astral space-time thinkers. Those general genetics are still engraved in our mortal shells, and corporeal field, but each of us, retain nothing of who or what each of us where or from whence we came. We do not listen to music. We spend all our time and communion yearly traveling back and forth between each of this earths frozen poles.
Through communion with the ancient spirit of RÃ¥vaskeith, we were chosen to be the ones...the ones to bring the subzero kingdom of old to existence once more, and that is our only day long, night long goal. If we were called upon to appear at one of these fests, we would care for nothing but showering the mortal monkies with frozen hate and disgust.

NOX-the Norwegian scene is dead.to much experimentation and to many defections to industrial or death metal has crippled it.do you feel as I do that the future of black metal lies in the united states and canada.don’t we now carry on the true spirit.the true pounding blackened heart that ripe experimentation erased?
ICE: Again, we cannot recall or understand these references to scenes and such. We will however carry on the flame of RÃ¥vaskieth till the ends of the earth.Imperial is the army of cosmic emptiness, Imperial is each spirit of astral GÃ¥morkian fluid within our icy veins, Imperial will be the reign of the blinding new order that is to come....likewise, Crystalline is the unified heart of RÃ¥vakeith's mortal servants and slaves alike, Crystalline is the writhing soul of the ancient, waiting behind the vast supernovas' of cold space, Crystalline, and Imperial this mighty force will ravage and entomb this tiny planet within it's abominable frozen grasp, destroying all life in a hailstorm of ice and snow forevermore. We are IMPERIAL CRYSTALLINE ENTOMBMENT. The name says it all, but you will not be able to comprehend this or it's meanings until you are convulsing in terror and pain as you see the endless snow falling over your strained and wincing face. Then and only then will you know the meaning of this Imperial Crystalline Entombment.Beware THE APOCALYPTIC END IN WHITE!

NOX-your on a virtual major independent can we expect a tour from i.c.e in 2005?perhaps with kult of azazel in the future.i believe they will be headed my way in august and I cant wait.
ICE: We are glad to open the doors of truth to the ears of the contemplatable human race...let them know of their oncoming demise. This is why we have gathered to create these mortal sounds capes, to have those who instinctively feel the ever rising pull of the orbital RÃ¥vaskeith, to rejoice in the return to old, and prepare for death with open arms, while we scorn and blaspheme the ignorant and childish, hope filled human race with hatred and contempt. Touring would be an ideal way to gather these open eyes and an even greater magnetic pull of the distant GÃ¥morkian crystal fields, but at the same time our work must be done. It takes many years and much time and painstaking sacrifice to channel the correct astral wave for the ancient RÃ¥vakeith to manifest from. We were called for a reason, and that goal must be achieved. We simply cannot just leave our caverns and communions to do such a thing as touring or appearing for live shows. Perhaps on our travels from northern pole to southern, and vice versa, while continuing the aurora alignment rituals we might feel the engraved human plight to perhaps appear at a gathering festival or two, as we have taken such time to record this album, but time shall tell.

NOX-what is the true conception behind i.c.e?song titles like glacial lyckanthrophic horde and hypothermic possession remind me a great deal of the work of immortal at least lyrically.they bring to mind cds like blizzard beasts and song titles like in my kingdom cold.how much an influence were the demons of metal on your sound and what exactly are the bands true musical root influences?
ICE: We cannot describe what influences we may have had during our pathetic mortal shells. In each spoken transaction we partake in, with you foul inquiring humans....we keep hearing this reoccurring name of "immortal" being brought up, which is what I'm sure your hinting at. We do not know of this "Immortal"? Surely there can be no immortal on this planet.....this is a corporeal planet, and thus all living energy will eventually be frozen dead, once the GÃ¥morkian powers make their way from the abyss across the frozen emptiness of space....all will perish. There are no immortals but those who still dwell within the strain of the frozen black holes and expanding nebulae. If there are some forces within your world who produce similar soundscapes and sonic summoning then they are among those who instinctively feel the pull of the great orbital RÃ¥vaskeith, as we did as mortals before the CALLING. We do not listen to music, only to the whispers of demonic truths that echo through the frozen winds of the GÃ¥mork, and to the hollow screams of the spirit army beyond, which make themselves present during our ritual communions.

NOX-does the occult fit into your bands conceptual identity?years ago frater u.d the brilliant European occultist who wrote sigil magick proposed a form of atavistic ceremonial magick he called ice magic.there was even a book published under that title.in several role playing games I have played there are featured characters called both ice wizards and ice shamans.astral frost invocation sounds less like a song title and more like a magickal ritual so I must ask are you occultists and do you perform or adhere to many philosophical or occultic doctrines? what books or magickal texts inspires i.c.e.s unique chilly lyrical content?
ICE: Ravaskieth is more than occult...The alphabetical accumulation of letters into speak able form is not the true name or calling of the great RÃ¥vaskeith. We are merely mediators between the ancient and this corporeal universe. All your human scientists have comprehended that the concept of time is nonexistent, and "just is" and has been, far before humans designated "time" to it. They also have stumbled upon the hundreds of traveling black holes that sift through this sun's star cluster alone, and yet they are still far from realizing the origin of these shifting masses and there power as well as the empty black matter that fills the vast, cold abyss of space. We where chosen, conjured and brought to the north to be the first creatures of this universe to conjure and summon the waves of ice through the ever expanding universe. This is fact, and we have no control nor invention over this power, RÃ¥vaskeith will make the truth known soon enough, then all will know of RÃ¥vaskeith without explanation. RÃ¥vaskieth entered our lives because he chose us.....chose us to be the ones to lead the incantations into evoking the portal and cosmic alignment....the ancient need a mediator force from the inside. We were CALLED forth because of our subconscious strengths and inclinations toward knowing
the truth, and recognizing the cold, bleakness within all living matter.

NOX-is i.c.e beyond mere medieval devil worship ala early mayhem or Carpathian forest?your music reminds me of a grim journey into the very heart of lokis rotted daughter hels domain.one can imagine oneself suffering eternally in a grim icy sleet covered purgatory.is hell cold and grim?most people envision a flaming pit not an icy grave.will i.c.e ever abandon this current image and move toward a more satanic or misanthropic one as marduk did with plague angel?
ICE: we will never change, nor rebel against the truth that is RÃ¥vaskieth. The apocalyptic end in white is a return to old. The vast and bleak cryonic powers of old, which live in a permanent state of writhing hate,fiending for the blood of the rebellious but weak energy of life will spill forth and destroy that which should not exist: life itself and every creature birthed from it. We are the bringers of the apocalypse, the keys to the kingdom, and the foreboding of the END. The almighty RÃ¥vaskeith and the legions of the GÃ¥mork will tumble forth through the epic spinning orifice of astral space time, making it's rightful frozen throne known to all. Before the blackmatter, there was an endless, bleak abyss of blinding white. We are the ones who shall restore the universe to it's proper alignment and bring the apocalyptic end in white!

NOX-please tell my online readers who are not familiar with your band how you came together and formed.a bit of band history if you will.
ICE: Through the blinding white chaos of the Gåmorkian blizzard, during the then unknown seventh eclipse of Råvaskeith, we where brought forth together in unity for the CALLING. None of us in our mortal confines, knew of each other before the CALLING. We where each individually beckoned to give up our futile and pathetic human lives and to travel north, and strip our mortal flesh naked, into the freezing wastelands of arctic snow. We where each drawn north for possession, to become entombed in the crystalline hypothermia, and cast upon the great blizzard shrine to become one with Råvaskeith, and become the chosen astral gateway keepers – chosen to invoke the return to glacial doom. Only after our communion and ritual initiation, were we able to discuss this great rapture that had been given to us, and come to discuss what memories we had of our past lives, and affirm our new conviction together as MAMMOTH, BLEAK,ICESICKKILL AND BLISSERED.

NOX-what future plans do you have for this year and the future?is there a second full release in the works and is it nearing completion?
ICE: There is nothing else in our lives / death apart from ICE. We were given a new life, and until our
mission is complete, ICE and the summoning of the END, shall be the way. We will continue to thrive amongst the northlands, hidden within caverns of ice and snow, communing with the ONE. Your children shall continue to be abducted by us, and skinned within the piercing blizzard winds of astral nebulae, and we will continue to record these frozen sonic vibrations as a spit in the eye of all humanity.

NOX-sadly in jan 2004 windir singer valfar died suddenly.he froze to death attempting to reach his cabin in a nearby valley.a very tragic grim death that oddly mirrors the lyrical content of many black metal songs.many have seen the irony of a black metal musicians life being taken by mother nature herself.oddly i immediately thought of his death while I listened to your cd.were you fans of windir and would such a grim death be pleasurable to you whether it befall one of your enemies or yourself?
ICE: Hypothermic pain will befall everyone and everything that exists when the chosen time has come. Whether valfar recognized it or not, his death was a just one, as is all our deaths. Even after the frozen apocalypse we too, shall spill our own frozen blood upon the earth as a final sacrifice to the wholeness and truth that is the empty frozen kingdom of GÃ¥morkian bleakness. We were not meant to exist. It is only JUST and right that we die.....and die painfully for the injustice we have unknowingly conceived through creation and procreation.

NOX-once again your music is as cold as the heart of Norse giant ymir.i envision as I listen to it a land of ice and snow and numbing cold and the beasts of the north who reside in its dark nether regions.to me cold is emptiness.cold is sorrow.it is also in a way uniquely Norse and scandinavian.you come from the east coast known for there dark freezing winters but they are nothing like the grim cold months of the Norwegian north.how much inspiration comes from the Norwegian eddies and odinism?your music isn’t overtly pagan or
asatru but I cant stop thinking of the frosty realms of the Norse jotun while I am listening.
ICE: Our presence is not confined only to the east coast, we are travelers, traveling from pole to pole, collecting our advirices and offerings. We have seen and have summoned colder and darker storms than any man has ever seen....there is nothing as horrific and humbling as the blizzard winds of the astral GÃ¥morkian fluid.


well I do thank you for this truly unique interview.be well.
NOX