There are more than a handful of "Heathen Metal" bands populating the metal scene today. A lot of them while claiming to long for times and ages long since passed, have a very updated and polished sound which almost seem to make them hypocrite's if you really think about it. England's Symbel strays from this flock because everything about the band screams "medieval". From the artwork on their newest album "We Drink-Hymns And Counsel Of Anglo-Saxon Heathenry", to their lyrics, to the ancient sword depicted on the back of the lyric booklet (instead of the shiny, polished brand new jewel encrusted swords most bands use on their albums), Symbel knows fully well how to make any listener feel like they are indeed in an ancient time and place. Sit back and take a short trip with Metal Coven as we talk to Symbel's lone member Sceot Arcwielder, and see what some of his philosophies are and see what Symbel has coming up in terms of new ventures.

Sceot: No problem Britton. I have only recently finished a phone interview with a certain mainstream UK Metal Magazine, so I’m in a talkative mood. In fact, everything that I meant to say in that interview, but forgot, (as is the case with phone interviews) will probably end up in this one.

Sceot: No, my mother did not call me Sceot Arcwielder at birth! The use of aliases is common in lore, both by mortals and gods alike, depending on their function and context within a story. Prehistoric societies are believed to have used differing nouns for objects, depending on what that object was doing. So, a stone would have one name when it was on the ground, another when it was flying through the air, another when wet and so on. And so it is the same with the names of the ancients, Woden having over 100 aliases, for instance. As the man behind Symbel I use the alias Sceot Arcwielder. Sceot is an Anglo-Saxon word meaning poet or spreader of words, and Arcwielder is an active suffix to give it power. Arcwielder is also a modern English variant of OE ‘Acwealde’, which means slayer, or axe -wielder. So put together you can understand what it might mean, and how it creates the right frame of mind for musical and artistic endeavors.

Sceot: Symbel is an Anglo-Saxon drinking ritual whereby the participants place themselves in the flow of fate, destiny, (or Wyrd as it was called) and call their ancestors and gods as witnesses whilst they announce their intentions for the path of this wyrd for the future, in a nutshell. It has many deeper meanings that become obvious once one reads the lore. The closest modern ritual is that of the wedding speech or toast. The current words boasting or bragging also come from the Symbel ritual, probably from cases where rather too much alcohol was consumed and some rather lofty statement were made! For example, my grandfather was an inspiring gentleman for me - he virtually built his own house. I called upon him and drank in his honour, and announced my intention to build my own timber outhouse (and I am no carpenter), which I did. Thus the flow of fate continues from his inspiring deeds - I took this path he provided, honoured him, and continued his work. Whenever I look at my work I think of him, and whilst sawing each piece of wood out in the freezing snow I thought of him. This may seem rather simple but it is fundamental to heathenism - keep the path going. The flow of wyrd is seen as in some ways inevitable, but as mortals we have choices to make. We can either let the thread weaken or meander, or we can strengthen our bonds with our ancestral past and channel this energy into the future, for our children and others. This is also how Heathen music differs to the negative and destructive qualities of Black Metal, although this is no condemnation of this genre as said qualities are often useful and necessary. The qualities of alcohol are also important, as the first few horns of ale or mead are those that inspire creativity and good humour. Ensuing servings, however, that inevitable cause you to begin to spray other people with spit whilst telling them how much you love them and how you’re definitely going to start a band / business / record label, before collapsing in a farting sweating mess of vomit are not the original intention of the Symbel rite, he he.

Sceot: I haven’t listened to it in a while, but it still worked for me when I last did. I was very happy overall with the way it turned out - I really wanted to make it sound ancient and simple, and was determined to sacrifice complexity and modern compressed production values for this. I put a lot of effort into getting the sound right. I have no idea how many are sold. Angelisc is nearly sold out of the first pressing, that’s all I know. I only wish for it to be heard by those who would really appreciate it, so I’m unconcerned about sales, nor actively seek exposure. There is talk of a potential second press by another label. And may I commend you on your good taste by putting it in your top 10 of 2003!

Sceot: It’s called ‘Gyddig - Possessed By the Gods’. On ‘We Drink..’ The ancestors had arisen and were banging their shields in the wet dark forests. On Gyddig, they have left the woods, crossed the battlefields and are tapping at our windows at night, wondering what their folk are doing. Expect drinking songs, songs of ancestral rage, some folkish epic heathen metal ballads, and lots of atmosphere. There is more use of live drums on this release too, and I guess it is louder and faster in places.

Sceot: No, but I’ll never say never. It would have to be a private performance. (I would never play Symbel on any metal gig circuit). It’s not out of the question but we’ll see how things go. Bretwaldas, the band I drum and play guitars in, is more likely to go live. One thing I’m toying with is the idea of ritual folk acoustic session recordings with two other female musicians using guitars, organ, winds and horns, in a very small room, preferably the back of an old English pub, but that may or not be under the name Symbel. (This can be something for the future of us heathen folk metallers - when we grow big beards, wear stripy jumpers and start hanging around folk festivals, he he..) One of my friends wants to do a live web link of a gig next to a Neolithic stone dolmen in Dartmoor in Cornwall where he lives. That may happen this summer with me on drums, accompanied by the sound of a petrol generator. The same chap is a member of the Astral Rune Bastards. I guess that sort of explains the kind of friends I have, ha ha!

Sceot: Like I just said I know two nice girls who could help out. A young lady who I know called Minerva has provided some Horns on Gyddig. I’m not sure if they will make the actual release or not. Another lady I know can play the organ very well, but this instrument is not of the Anglo-Saxon period. The only thing I would wish for was a really good drummer. Unfortunately they are not so common, and when they are, they tend to know it.

Sceot: Undoubtedly the way I play is affected by music I have listened to, but the intention was not to copy but to create first and foremost English Dark Age music. What happened on that album is just what came out. A lot of music I make has been called odd. Of course odd music can often be bad or non-music, but I don’t use anything that doesn’t sound good to me. I’m not saying that my music is better than those of others, I just have a lower tolerance for music that sounds, to me anyway, the same as everything else.

Sceot: There is undoubtedly a folk influence because of the ethnic and historical subject matter. The ‘folky’ sound people talk about is often simple metal, which uses the harmonic minor progression. Many believe heavy metal music to be the closest music to ancient English folk music that there is, and I think it very true. We are a melancholy lot, us English, and the disparity between the inherent sad sound of metal on one hand, and its inspiring loudness and energy on the other, is an appropriate comparison with ancient folk music around the world. ‘Saecsen Drinking Song’ is a good example of this, I feel. It sounds sad, yet is positive. It’s as if it is a song from old that says ‘ok we are in an adverse situation, but lets look on the bright side, and sing a song to cheer our bones’. It is has been suggested that folk that are more likely to have been oppressed at some point in their history are most likely to have a strong tradition of folk music.

Sceot: There has been much interest in this demo tape, and a UK label based in Northern Ireland intend to press some of the tracks onto a 7" release. So, those few who obtained a copy of the demo will be the only ones to have the full Tracklist. After the second CD is out I am also looking at the possibility of a vinyl EP consisting solely of 4 or 5 Heathen Warrior Drinking Songs, using the raw punkish element of Symbel, which a lot of people seem to like.

Sceot: The Bretwaldas of Heathen Doom is a project of heavy chaotic doom I play with my accomplice Dagfari Wartooth. He is an avid historian and reconstructionist. I have known him for many years although our paths musically have only recently crossed, shortly after the release of ‘We Drink’. So far nearly 300 self-released CDs have been sold of our first offering, ‘Droner’. Wartooth is a big fan of 70s doom like St Vitus and the Obsessed and together with our love of Folk and Heathen Metal we have created an original doom act. I leave nearly all of the lyrics to him - he writes all the melodies on a distorted bass and I supply drums, guitars and arrangements to suit, whilst he handles most of the vocals. We are recording the second CD - a full length with 10 tracks very soon. There are Mp3 samples of demo tracks for this release on the KING PENDA Website, which is the label we run in order to release BRETWALDAS, and also our latest project of interest THE ASTRAL RUNE BASTARDS. This is a collaboration between five individuals including myself. Originally I wanted to have nothing to do with the music but found myself CO-writing pieces for it. The style is ‘ritual ambient doom’. I find most music of this genre unappealing as a product, but this will be an interesting and worthy release. The subject matter is of the involvement of UFOs and extra-terrestials in ancient times, and I am writing a story to go with it over the Autumn, as the leaves begin to fall from the trees - ‘the sounds of the ancients, the sounds of Space, and nothing in between’. Mp3 samples from the coming CD are also at the site.

Sceot: The music of Forefather represent the most noble elements of Anglo-Saxon pride, with their good production, accurate well played riffing and memorable songs. I think that if these Anglo-Saxon warriors were making music today, they would sound like Forefather. I have visions of proud good looking warriors, that any mother would be pleased to have their daughter bring home. The warriors of Symbel would reek of ale and would probably have to wait for mother to go out first. I am very pleased with the success of Forefather so far and they are deserved of the title of Kings of Anglo-Saxon metal. Yes I like all of their albums.

Sceot: The contract should be up some time in June, then theoretically I could sign with someone else, if I wanted to.

Sceot: I think with a small run it is quite hard to get it right, but I am sure that at least 20% went to the USA, and it really is out of the hands of the label as to what happens to the CDs once they are sent out - perhaps someone buried them? A large following in the USA? Yes, that does surprise me.

Sceot: As a youngster I listened to all of the underground releases, which were mostly hard-core punk, grindcore, thrash, death and black metal, some early techno when it was very dark and twisted, and some gothic stuff. I couldn’t stand trad metal, or folk - funny that. Lots of bands inspired me personally but I would struggle to list them. Burzum was an inspiration for the creation of Symbel, in that it was a one man atmospheric and dark endeavor, although I don’t think I have ever even played any Burzum songs on guitar, so any similarity is subconscious. And lastly, and people seem to have a hard time believing this… Bathory were not an influence - I hadn’t even heard them! Currently I am listening to a lot of Heathen and Folk Metal of which I was unaware until after the release of ‘We Drink’. Obtest from Lithuania are undoubtedly my favorite HM band right now. I can’t get to grips with Moonsorrow. I also quite like some power metal like Luca Turilli. As I write I am listening to a really cool CD called Hidden - Spectral Magnitude. Very entertaining old school death with lots of interesting touches. Hey its on Red Stream, have you heard it?

Sceot: Apart from the pursuit of Heathen studies through hitting Dagfari Wartooth with a wooden staff, and testing the ‘strength’ of his period armour with sword blows, no, music is everything.

Sceot: Perhaps we could have our memories wiped of this time and then be reborn in the Anglo-Saxon ages! Life is too fast now. A shiny sword can be bought today with a few clicks of a PC mouse, whereas in Anglo-Saxon times it would have taken considerable effort and would have been treasured as an heirloom. The magic of objects has gone, now products are bought and these products are used to reflect ones identity. The choice of mobile phone, clothes, cars etc. are seen as defining of ones character, and I really hate this. I think that we can own and enjoy the things you talk about, but should remember that they are nothing in the overall scheme of things. Every society is three meals away from revolution, and we are all one or two pay cheques away from destitution. And modern conveniences are only relevant so long as fuel gets to your house, which one day it may not. That doesn’t mean you have to become a hippy eco warrior survivalist wearing second hand clothes. It just means that you have to remember from where your identity truly originates, and that what you create, (whether this is music, objects, poetry or writings) is more defining of your existence than being a simple consumer in this rather banal world. I urge people to make their own bands or contribute in other ways within this heathen metal scene.

Sceot: Thanks for your interesting questions Britton, I am now going to bed to dream of lusty Saxon wenches. God Aefen!