While information about the band's membership has never been officially confirmed (apart from Shaxul being known as the band's first vocalist), it is generally believed that Deathspell Omega was created by Hasjarl as a side project before Hirilorn broke up. After Hirilorn split, it is believed that Shaxul, Hasjarl and Khaos created Deathspell Omega, with Hasjarl's brother (no known pseudonym) on drums. Eventually, Shaxul is confirmed to have left due to his distaste for the band moving towards Orthodox Satanism, and is believed to have been replaced by Mikko Aspa on vocals. Apart from Shaxul's identity, there are no official sources for any of this, however; much of the information about the remaining membership appears to be based on correspondence with Shaxul himself, and it's speculated that additional musicians may appear on some of the band's work since he left. The band gave no interviews between 2004 (for Ajna Offensive) and 2019 (for Bardo Methodology); although the band has consistently taken pains to conceal its members' identities, the interviews are quite candid explications of the band's ideologies and mindsets at the times the interviews were given. The Bardo interview also addresses an ideological chasm in the band between the "French core" of the band and "parts of the second circle", which is presumed to refer to Aspa's involvement in the project; Aspa has noted associations with authoritarian political movements. The band gave another interview in 2020 with Roy Kristensen for the website Cult Never Dies in which they elaborated further on some of their ideas.
The Long Defeat, as of this writing Deathspell Omega's most recent release, reflects something of a shift in stylistic focus, as it brings the slower, more melodic elements that had shown up occasionally across the band's prior two decades of work (e.g., "Carnal Malefactor", "Apokatastasis pantôn", "Salowe Vision") to the forefront. It also clearly features several vocalists, although the exact number and which parts they perform remains a matter of conjecture. (Common conjectures include Aspa, Daniel Rostén of Funeral Mist and Marduk, Spica of S.V.E.S.T., M. of Mgła, and Silenius of Abigor and Summoning.) Lyrically, the album is centred around an allegorical fable about techno-capitalism and humanity's despoilment of nature, featuring a silhouette who represents a corruptible man, several beasts, and Satan in the form of a gigantic, diseased black poodle; many of the themes addressed in the Bardo Methodology and Cult Never Dies interviews reappear in the album and its accompanying fable. In addition to these, the album also features a two-metre-long mural addressing many of the same themes. The fable ends with the phrase "To Be Continued", suggesting that it is the first part of a longer work.
Hasjarl is the owner of End All Life Productions and one of the main forces behind Norma Evangelium Diaboli. Mikko Aspa is the owner of Northern Heritage Records and Freak Animal Records (power electronics label), and is also believed to own a progressive rock label called Totuuden Sarvi Levyt. Shaxul (ex-member) is the owner of Legion of Death Records.
In December 2015, the band launched a Bandcamp site.
Major releases:
1999 - Disciples of the Ultimate Void (demo, later re-released as part of Infernal Battles)
2000 - Sob a lua do bode / Demoniac Vengeance (split with Moonblood)
2000 - Infernal Battles
2001 - split with Clandestine Blaze
2002 - split with Mütiilation
2002 - Inquisitors of Satan
2004 - Si monumentum requires, circumspice
2005 - From the Entrails to the Dirt (four-way split with Malicious Secrets, Antaeus, and Mütiilation)
2005 - Kénôse (EP)
2005 - Crushing the Holy Trinity (six-way split with Stabat mater, Musta surma, Clandestine Blaze, Mgła, and Exordium)
2007 - Fas - ite, maledicti, in ignem aeternum
2008 - Veritas diaboli manet in aeternum: Chaining the Katechon (EP, also released on vinyl as part of a split with S.V.E.S.T.)
2008 - Mass Grave Aesthetics (EP, originally released in 2005 on From the Entrails to the Dirt)
2008 - Manifestations 2000-2001 (compilation of previously released material from Mütiilation split, Moonblood split, and Black Metal Blitzkrieg multi-artist compilation)
2008 - Manifestations 2002 (previously unreleased album)
2010 - Paracletus
2011 - Diabolus absconditus (EP, originally released in 2005 on Crushing the Holy Trinity)
2012 - Drought (EP)
2016 - The Synarchy of Molten Bones
2019 - The Furnaces of Palingenesia
2022 - The Long Defeat
Note that the material from the Clandestine Blaze split from 2001 contains material not on any of the other above releases. There are also two untitled, comprehensive vinyl box sets, one a five-LP set compiling all the material from the Shaxul era (2000-2002; LP 1: Infernal Battles, LP 2: Inquisitors of Satan, LP 3: Manifestations 2000-2001, LP 4: Manifestations 2002, LP 5: Deathspell side of Clandestine Blaze split) released in 2009 and the other a seven-LP set compiling all the material from the Mikko Aspa era's "trilogy" and related releases (2004-2012; LPs 1-2: Si monumentum requires, circumspice; LP 3: Kénôse; LP 4: Diabolus absconditus/Mass Grave Aesthetics; LP 5: Fas - ite, maledicti, in ignem aeternum; LP 6: Chaining the Katechon/Drought; LP 7: Paracletus) released in 2012.
Jubilate Deo
Deathspell Omega Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Pregnant nymphets hast they become
Defiled with divine faeces;
Despicable rot, tortured flesh
Those eyes have witnessed.
Organic procreation, mind-intromission;
Pubescent vaginas obstructed with the redeemer's holy essence
Humanity reduced to it's supreme worthlessness;
Children under His will, Ethic fulfilled
Those eyes were deceived.
Little children, praise the Lord,
Praise ye the Lord!
This is the day which He hath made;
All will rejoice and be glad in it
Born with the ability of begetting
Only but One gift were she granted
To excrete a new humanity unwanted
Reluctantly she - woman - loves the god of a creation within
Those eyes have binned.
Praise the Lord in His benevolence
For the disadvantage and their simplicity
Rape, incest, and insouciance
Of a magnificent power if unforeseen despondency
Those eyes lied zealously
Praise Him for His blessed act,
Praise ye the Lord!
This is the day which He hath made;
All will rejoice and be glad in it
Innocence sacrificed and heaven denied
Iniquity divine - no repentance - over mankind
Mind-raped, self-devoured, empty god-eyed
Transgression coercive, Redemption never to be found
Those eyes were blind
Under the altar of cannibalism
Man hast (thou) confessed the spiritual schism
And without pride mourned the loss of freedom,
Our blessed Lord have condemned you to martyrdom
Those eyes saw wisdom
Praise the Lord, for He is glorious;
Praise ye the Lord!
This is the day which He hath made;
All will rejoice and be glad in it
Inter spem et metum
Inter spem et metum
Inter spem et metum
Inter spem et metum
Inter spem et metum
Inter spem et metum
Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord,
Praise ye the Lord.
The lyrics to the song Jubilate Deo by Deathspell Omega are cryptic and disturbing, filled with references to defilement, rape, incest, and the corruption of innocence. It is a biting and nihilistic commentary on religion, and more specifically, the power structures and institutions that propagate it. The song seems to be criticizing the way religion can be used as a means of control, of subjugating the masses, and of twisting the natural impulses of humanity for the benefit of those already in power.
The lyrics describe thirteen apostles who engage in perverse acts with "pregnant nymphets," who become "defiled with divine faeces" and "tortured flesh." The singer in the song laments the way these acts have reduced humanity to "supreme worthlessness" and have caused "innocence [to be] sacrificed and heaven denied." It is a bleak and damning indictment of how religious institutions can justify and even sanctify the most heinous of crimes, all in the name of a higher power.
Overall, the lyrics to Jubilate Deo are a scathing critique of organized religion and its power over individuals' minds and bodies. It is an intensely nihilistic and anti-theistic song, one that challenges the very concept of salvation and redemption. Deathspell Omega's lyrics are often difficult to parse and require close reading and interpretation, but in the case of Jubilate Deo, the message is clear: religion is a corrupting, destructive force that must be rejected.
Line by Line Meaning
From the Thirteen Apostles men
Thirteen men claiming to be apostles used their influence to corrupt young girls.
Pregnant nymphets hast they become
These girls became pregnant from the apostles' abuse.
Defiled with divine faeces;
The apostles claimed their actions were divine, but in reality, they were defiling these girls.
Despicable rot, tortured flesh
The girls were left with physical and emotional scars from the apostles' abuse.
Those eyes have witnessed.
The girls were forced to witness and endure the apostles' abuse.
Organic procreation, mind-intromission;
The apostles used their influence to manipulate the girls' minds and force them to have children.
There comes the salvation
The apostles used their position to claim they were offering salvation, but in reality, they were causing harm.
Pubescent vaginas obstructed with the redeemer's holy essence
The apostles claimed their actions were holy and meant to redeem, but in reality, they were forcing themselves upon young girls.
Humanity reduced to it's supreme worthlessness;
The apostles' actions showed a sickening disregard for the value of human life and dignity.
Children under His will, Ethic fulfilled
The apostles saw these girls as objects to be used for their own will, rather than treating them with the respect they deserved.
Those eyes were deceived.
The girls were deceived into thinking the apostles were offering salvation and doing something holy, when in reality, they were being taken advantage of.
Little children, praise the Lord,
The song is condemning the apostles' abuse while urging children to turn to a real, true God.
Praise ye the Lord!
The song is calling for true praise of God, not the false, twisted actions of the apostles.
This is the day which He hath made;
The song acknowledges that each day is a gift from God and should be treated as such.
All will rejoice and be glad in it
The song calls for everyone to rejoice in the true goodness of God, rather than the evil actions of the false apostles.
Born with the ability of begetting
Women were given the ability to bear children, but this should not be taken as justification for the apostles' abuse.
Only but One gift were she granted
Women have many gifts and talents, not just the ability to bear children.
To excrete a new humanity unwanted
The apostles' actions were forcing women to bear children they did not want, and in some cases, were too young to handle.
Reluctantly she - woman - loves the god of a creation within
Some women may have felt forced to love the child they bore from the apostles' abuse, even though they never wanted it in the first place.
Those eyes have binned.
The woman's dignity and autonomy were taken away by the apostles' abuse.
Praise the Lord in His benevolence
The song emphasizes the true goodness of God and the contrast between that goodness and the evil actions of the apostles.
For the disadvantage and their simplicity
The song acknowledges that some people may be at a disadvantage in life and may not understand the full gravity of their situation - this does not excuse abuse.
Rape, incest, and insouciance
The song calls out specific forms of abuse and disregard for human dignity: rape and incest, as well as a lack of concern.
Of a magnificent power if unforeseen despondency
The song questions how a good God could allow such evil acts to occur.
Those eyes lied zealously
People may question how a good God could allow such abuse and justify it, but these questions and lies should not be used to excuse the apostles' actions.
Praise Him for His blessed act,
The song calls for true praise of God, for the positive things He has done, rather than the twisted view of praise that the apostles presented.
Innocence sacrificed and heaven denied
The song mourns the loss of innocence and the harm done to these young girls, while also acknowledging the spiritual harm done to them by these false apostles.
Iniquity divine - no repentance - over mankind
The song questions how a good God could allow such evil to occur, without the apostles showing any remorse or repentance for their actions.
Mind-raped, self-devoured, empty god-eyed
The song describes how the apostles' abuse left these girls with emotional and spiritual scars that may never fully heal.
Transgression coercive, Redemption never to be found
The song laments that these girls may never be able to fully heal from the abuse they endured and may never find true redemption.
Those eyes were blind
The apostles' own blindness to the harm they were causing is condemned in the song.
Under the altar of cannibalism
The song uses strong language to condemn the apostles and their abuse, comparing it to cannibalism.
Man hast (thou) confessed the spiritual schism
The song recognizes the spiritual harm done by the apostles and calls for them to confess their wrongdoing.
And without pride mourned the loss of freedom,
The song calls for true remorse from those responsible for this abuse and for them to truly mourn the damage they have caused.
Our blessed Lord have condemned you to martyrdom
The song condemns the apostles and warns of spiritual consequences for their actions.
Those eyes saw wisdom
The song recognizes the wisdom of condemning these evil actions and standing up for those who are oppressed.
Praise the Lord, for He is glorious;
The song emphasizes the true glory of God, rather than the twisted view presented by the apostles.
Inter spem et metum
This Latin phrase means 'between hope and fear' and may represent the struggle for those who have been abused to move forward and find healing.
Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord,
The song encourages all people to turn to a true and righteous God, rather than the twisted view presented by the false apostles.
Praise ye the Lord.
The song ends with a call to true and righteous praise of God.
Contributed by Lucy D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.