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is confirmed to have left due to his distaste for the band moving towards Orthodox Satanism, and is believed to have been replaced by Mikko Aspa on vocals.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.
Malconfort
Deathspell Omega Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Emaciated beasts howl with angel voices
Thou shalt be desolate forever, Thou shalt be desolate forever
In this place shall infuse the venom
Drop by drop, in bloody mire, until the hearth of the earth
O abhorred, for so much in death and carnage you delight
Behold and rejoice, freed from the skein of time
Fulfill your sublime destiny and reveal your divine essence
I will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters
Saith the Lord Almighty
In remembrance, they shall pray backwards
As to pray is to breathe God
Words were spoken, a bilious stream alike
As the Spirit gave them utterance
Like a funeral larvae on the tongue
Like a gash on the holy bread
An ignited halo makes the skin taut
Verily I say unto you
It is a God that came to you in malevolence
(And it shall come to pass in the day that the Lord
Shall give thee rest from thy sorrow)
And ordained the unity
(Be ye separate, saith the Lord)
What communion hath light with darkness?
Whatt concord hath Christ with Belial?
This congregation was cast out of humanity
Under this dire sun of frost
Like an abominable branch!
The lyrics of Deathspell Omega’s song “Malconfort” are inherently mystical and evoke apocalyptic imagery of a world of chaos and despair. The first verse describes a desolate landscape where raging winds spread chaos and emaciated beasts howl with angelic voices. The repetition of the phrase “Thou shalt be desolate forever” indicates a sense of hopelessness and eternal damnation. The venom that is infused in the place drop by drop in bloody mire is representative of the evil that is seeping into the earth. The second verse addresses the listeners, urging them to fulfill their sublime destiny and reveal their divine essence, possibly alluding to a sense of spiritual awakening amidst all the chaos.
The third verse speaks of remembrance and prayer, with worship being described as breathing God. However, the worship is not pure, and the words spoken are described as a “bilious stream” with a funeral larvae on the tongue and a gash on the holy bread. This imagery suggests that even acts of worship and prayer can be corrupted in a world as dystopian as the one depicted in the song. The final verse speaks of a divine entity coming in malevolence and ordaining unity, while also separating light from darkness and casting out a congregation from humanity. In conclusion, “Malconfort” is a deeply layered, esoteric track that conveys a sense of despair, chaos, and the possibility of spiritual revelation in this chaos.
Line by Line Meaning
Raging winds roam over Babylon like a primal chaos spread
Chaotic winds lash over Babylon in a savage frenzy, embodying a brutal outburst of nature.
Emaciated beasts howl with angel voices
Beasts of frail form utter howls of angelic quality and create an impactful sound with their unlikely voices.
Thou shalt be desolate forever, Thou shalt be desolate forever
You shall experience permanent desolation and emptiness, an endless sense of loneliness and abandonment.
In this place shall infuse the venom
The deadly poison shall slowly and steadily spread through this location, possibly symbolizing harm caused by long-standing issues.
Drop by drop, in bloody mire, until the hearth of the earth
Violence and bloodshed shall drip and accumulate until it seeps into the core of the earth, becoming one with it.
O abhorred, for so much in death and carnage you delight
Oh, how you are despised for enjoying death and mass murder so much. This may be a commentary on the nature and reality of violence and its consequences.
Behold and rejoice, freed from the skein of time
Realize and celebrate the liberation from the constraint and limitations of time, implying a sense of freedom from temporal struggles and bondage.
Fulfill your sublime destiny and reveal your divine essence
Realize your grand purpose, and disclose your spiritual nature for an elevated sense of enlightenment.
In fire and hail, in fire and hail!
The sense of doom and destruction is imminent, coming with fiery flames and frozen hailstones.
I will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters
Saith the Lord Almighty
According to the Lord Almighty, believers shall be regarded as His children, a testament to the close bond between the Lord and His followers.
In remembrance, they shall pray backwards
As to pray is to breathe God
The prayer shall be recited in reverse, symbolizing the importance of remembering your past and turning back towards God, as praying symbolizes a connection with God.
Words were spoken, a bilious stream alike
As the Spirit gave them utterance
Words were spoken as a stream of vile matter, much like the Spirit guided them to speak in tongues, and may perhaps symbolize the harshness or difficulty of communicating spiritually.
Like a funeral larvae on the tongue
Like a gash on the holy bread
An ignited halo makes the skin taut
The words are difficult to say, and feel like a dead weight on the tongue, and the impact is felt with the sharpness of a blade or wound, yet fuels an energetic and mystical sense of power.
Verily I say unto you
It is a God that came to you in malevolence
(And it shall come to pass in the day that the Lord
Shall give thee rest from thy sorrow)
And ordained the unity
(Be ye separate, saith the Lord)
What communion hath light with darkness?
Whatt concord hath Christ with Belial?
A statement that possibly warns against the pervasiveness of evil, and calls for unity and staying separate from malevolent forces, and may represent questioning of the compatibility of good and evil, as well as the division between the divine and the profane.
This congregation was cast out of humanity
Under this dire sun of frost
Like an abominable branch!
This group was exiled and excluded from humanity, left in the cold and bitter sun, like a cursed branch that brings shame and malevolence.
Contributed by Tyler O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.