Darken sees himself as a Heathen and Christianity as the worst enemy of white Europeans. He exalts the latter’s return to their ancestors' heritage, and has spoken out against “race mixing”.[2] On the Graveland EP Raise Your Sword!, he declares Heathendom to be the religion of white Europeans.
Darken has been accused of being a neo-Nazi. However, he has made statements to contradict this accusation, even speaking out against the Third Reich and their ideology: "I do not see any point in referring to NS because I do not see any point in referring to any ideologies that lost. It is against logic and eternal law of evolution"[3] and "If you are White proud of being White and proud of your forefathers faith, if you politically incorrect, if you dare to criticize the politicians and it you point at the existence of a strong powerful Jewish lobby supporting Israel – you are called nazi and anti-Semite. And the special institution start to persecute you. I am called ‘Nazi” but no one has any proof of my nazi background. They just repeat once heard someone else words having no proof of it."[4] And "In Poland many people refer to Slavonic heritage as many refer to German. And I think that those who refer to Slavonic culture are the majority but they do not make big show of it. For me there is no difference between pagan beliefs of Vikings and Slavs. The names are different but the core is the same. Different stories but the same Gods with the same attributes. The ideologist of the Third Reich were responsible for the division between German Aryan world and Slavonic world. They distorted the historical facts in order to separate from Eastern world. Communist did the same but they of course favouritized [sic] Slavs."[5] Yet, in a 2006 interview with Decibel, he stated that "Graveland is regarded as a NSBM band because of my political convictions, [which] most people would call extreme right-wing National Socialist convictions," and "people I played with were Satanists and they were not interested in paganism. Due to these differences, we finally started to walk separate ways and Graveland became [a] one-man band again. I understood that I could not support Satanism [because it] was a part of Judeo-Christian religion. In the Third Reich, Satanists would end [up] in gas chambers."[6] In the same interview, he stated "I do not see any point in referring to [National Socialism] because I do not see any point in referring to any ideologies that lost. It is against logic and the eternal law of evolution. I think that white men should search for new ideas that would be well adapted for the current reality and the problems of [the] contemporary world."[6]
Intro
Graveland Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
hands of the dead beat the kettle drums with wrath.
Wolfish hordes awoken by the fullmoon,
follow the smell of blood and death.
The opening lines of the song "Intro" by Graveland are evocative of the pagan and primal elements in black metal. The Carpathian forest, a region in Eastern Europe that is dense with forests, has a reputation for being a place where old traditions and mythologies still hold sway. The "awoken spirits" suggest that there is a sense of the past coming to life, as if the landscape is haunted by the memories and ghosts of the people who once lived there. There is also a sense of violence and danger, with the "hands of the dead" beating "kettle drums with wrath." The image is both eerie and thrilling, as if the listener is being drawn into a world of dark forces that cannot be controlled.
The next lines introduce the idea of predatory creatures on the prowl: "wolfish hordes awoken by the fullmoon, follow the smell of blood and death." This imagery taps into the archetypal fears that humans have of wild animals and the brutality of nature. The combination of wolves and the full moon suggests a kind of supernatural transformation, as if humans are becoming more animalistic and less rational. The scent of blood and death brings to mind the idea of sacrifice and ritual, as if these creatures are seeking out a source of power or nourishment that is beyond human understanding.
Overall, these lyrics convey a sense of primal power and dark forces that are beyond human control. There is a sense of ancient traditions colliding with modern fears, and the result is both terrifying and exhilarating.
Line by Line Meaning
Awoken spirits of the carpathian forest come,
Spirits that were once dormant in the Carpathian forest have been called upon and have arrived.
hands of the dead beat the kettle drums with wrath.
Skeletons or deceased beings are ferociously playing the drums with intense anger.
Wolfish hordes awoken by the fullmoon,
Werewolf-like groups have been stimulated by the full moon and are now active.
follow the smell of blood and death.
These wolfish hordes are tracking and pursuing the scent of blood and demise.
Contributed by Aria G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.