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]
Thurisaz
Graveland Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But the intruder must beware of him, Because death sleeps in every thorn.
In the garden of human plants,
There is a lot of hidden thorns,
No one likes them, because the bring pain,
Pain or truth? No matter, they hurt the same...
Fear paralyses enemies. It's strong enough to make them dead.
I am the thorn of Darkness.
Reflection man's true nature.
I came to this dying world.
To celebrate upcoming end.
(Lyrics by: Capricornus 12/'96)
The lyrics to Graveland's "Thurisaz" speak of the metaphorical thorn, which represents the pain and suffering that one experiences in life. The first verse talks about the function of the thorn, which is to make a man aware of the taste of blood, and thus remind him of his own mortality. The second line of the verse warns an intruder to be careful around a man who has gone through this experience, as they are more keenly aware of death.
The second verse speaks to the larger context of life, where there are many hidden thorns that bring pain or truth. The thorns are said to be hidden in the garden of human plants, which could represent the human experience as a whole. The line "No matter, they hurt the same" suggests that the pain of these thorns is inescapable, regardless of whether the truth they represent is accepted or rejected.
The third and final verse is spoken from the point of view of the thorn itself, describing how it grows alone and proud, envied by every other creature. It speaks of the power of fear, which can paralyze enemies and make them dead. The thorn is presented as a reflection of man's true nature, and it has come to the dying world to celebrate the end.
Overall, the lyrics of "Thurisaz" are filled with dark imagery and metaphors, and can be interpreted as a commentary on the nature of existence and the human experience.
Line by Line Meaning
Sharp thorn hurts a noble man To let him know the taste of blood.
Pain can be a reminder of one's own fragility and mortality.
But the intruder must beware of him, Because death sleeps in every thorn.
Do not mess with those who are already hurting because they have little to lose.
In the garden of human plants, There is a lot of hidden thorns, No one likes them, because the bring pain, Pain or truth? No matter, they hurt the same...
Life can be painful, and difficult truths can be hard to accept.
Black thorn. Alone and proud he grows. And every creature envies him. Fear paralyses enemies. It's strong enough to make them dead.
Sometimes it is better to be a source of fear and reverence than to be someone who is easily forgotten or ignored.
I am the thorn of Darkness. Reflection man's true nature. I came to this dying world. To celebrate upcoming end.
The artist identifies as a symbol of negativity and death, and sees the end of the world as something to be celebrated rather than feared.
Contributed by Bailey B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Oliwia Chrapczyńska
Pozdrowienia dla wszystkich fanów Graveland! 🖤☠🖤☠
n1j4
Hail Us
Profile1
It's kind of odd seeing live images of Graveland. I remember an interview with Darken I read back in '95, when "Thousand Swords" had just come out, in which he stated that Graveland did not perform live because "there are too many people there who want to have fun". Opinions change, as you can see. Even the man himself seems to be having a good time. He earned it.
Kaos Kewenvoyouma
He put in the work. An artist deserves to enjoy the fruits ov his labour.
Questions Frog
Meh,i guess the Lord Wind sessions took his stagefright AND he found the right session musicians to perform GRAVELAND live. Some things take time and the scene wasn't as it is now back in 1995-2000. I'd rather watch Rob perform than going on a Marduk or Mayhem gig in 2023 tbh
ᚠᚱᚨᚾᚲᛚᛖᚷᛁᛟᚾ
Simplesmente puro e lindo 🤘🏻
Hail Graveland 👿🤘🏻
Greetings from Brazil 🤘🏻
Dunkelheit
Dobra robota D R SILESIA ! Kapitalne brzmienie i niezawodny Sigrunar za zestawem ! Miazga ! Hail polski BM.
Johnny Dark
Amazing band ! Amazing song !
María Unpajote
A true powerful and dark voice.
Milton Junior
Amazing video!! Hail Graveland!!