by Niklas Göransson

Seemingly cursed from the outset and six years in the making, Kohanic Charmers emerged not as the return of Grand Belial’s Key, but a scorched testament: drawn from poisoned scripture, fuelled by contempt, and sealed in temple desecration.

 

GELAL NECROSODOMY: When “Weltenfeind” came out, G.B.K. stood at a crossroads. I’d definitely lost some enthusiasm. Honestly, I couldn’t fucking believe the black metal scene would ostracise a band simply for playing by the underground’s own rules: extreme music and lyrics. Apparently, we were ‘too extreme’, which made no sense.

World Terror Committee and The Shitagogue Records released “Weltenfeind” – a split album featuring GRAND BELIAL’S KEY, ABSURD, and SIGRBLOT – in August 2008.

The four songs G.B.K. contributed were recorded during the 2005 “Kosherat” session. When they finally came out, the band had been inactive for two years following vocalist Grimnir’s passing.

GELAL: G.B.K. never officially broke up, despite people’s assumptions. But I didn’t wanna start looking for a new singer again. Besides, we’d also begun drifting from The Gulag – losing both our vocalist and drummer meant rebuilding the band entirely, and I just wasn’t keen on that.

Surely, by that stage, interested parties must have approached you?

GELAL: Of course, we had plenty of volunteers: the vocalist from DISIPLIN in Norway offered to join, along with several others who contacted us or sent recordings. But these guys were just regular metalheads – I knew immediately none of them would click.

DEMONIC: G.B.K. has always been a part-time deal for us, something that came together naturally when the moment felt right. I doubt either Gelal or I ever worried about it not happening again. Given the circumstances, the slowdown wasn’t exactly unexpected either.

GELAL: I must credit two people specifically: Unhold, whom we got to know in person when he played New York with ABSURD in 2006, and Marcin of Strong Survive Records. Both of them were constantly in my ear, urging me to get back in the studio – like, ‘Hey, what’s going on? C’mon, you need to do this.’

UNHOLD: I’d been a fan of GRAND BELIAL’S KEY since the early days, and once we’d played together in New York, the band meant even more to me. The guys seemed serious, true to themselves, and completely authentic. I thought “Kosherat” was a strong album and really wanted to see them continue.

GELAL: Now, I can’t recall whether I asked Unhold or if he volunteered first – either way, around 2009, both of us agreed that he should join G.B.K. as vocalist.

UNHOLD: Gelal called me and announced, ‘Okay, you’re singing for us, or it won’t happen at all.’ I told him, ‘Wow, that’s a really crappy idea. Can’t you find a vocalist in the US? Makes much more sense.’ And he said, ‘No, not really.’ Gelal isn’t really in touch with the scene. After some discussion, I agreed.

So, you were already in Germany’s most controversial black metal band, but – clearly not thinking your life was complicated enough – figured, ‘Why not join the American equivalent as well’?

UNHOLD: <laughs> You know it yourself: people like us don’t think in these terms. Just like with ABSURD, they were one of my favourite early black metal bands – and that’s it. I never wondered, ‘Is G.B.K. considered problematic?’ or any such shit. It didn’t really occur to me; what felt important was to keep GRAND BELIAL’S KEY alive.

 

In December 2009, GRAND BELIAL’S KEY appeared at a festival called Hooligan Black Metal, organised in Chicago by Strong Survive Records. It marked both the band’s return to the stage and its live debut featuring Unhold on vocals and ARGHOSLENT drummer Ulfhedinn behind the kit.

DEMONIC: Ulfhedinn is a solid drummer, so I had no doubt he’d deliver. With Unhold, there were a few early bumps – but once we got on stage, I knew the new line-up would hold strong. Like so many times before, everything just clicked.

UNHOLD: The atmosphere felt really special; one could say the air was burning. I saw some photos the other day… the security guys looked like actual, proper hooligans with completely rage-filled faces. Very tense mood, but I liked it. Not the kind of safe space everyone expects these days – quite the opposite.

GELAL: It went great – I immediately felt, ‘Yeah, this line-up can continue. No need to keep searching.’

Band chemistry aside, an American band with a German vocalist sounds cumbersome to the extreme.

DEMONIC: Sure, it might seem impractical on paper – but again, G.B.K. has always been a part-time band. Having a member in Europe never felt like a huge obstacle; Unhold had already visited the US, so we knew travel wouldn’t be an issue. He seemed enthusiastic, we had complete confidence in his abilities, and – most importantly – he was a friend.

 

The following year, GRAND BELIAL’S KEY performed at Hammer Open Air in Lieto, Finland, alongside a rather respectable billing.

GELAL: Huge fucking festival. Personally, I dislike playing outdoors during daylight hours, but those events are always arranged that way. Still, anything in Finland tends to impress me because it’s so unusual. Hammer Open Air took place in the middle of nowhere, yet hundreds of people turned up.

DEMONIC: Great festival. The open-air aspect didn’t really stand out to me as much as the overall context. What I’d noticed beforehand – and looked forward to – was that it would be summertime. For once, Europe wasn’t freezing during our visit, which made for a welcome change.

GELAL: I hadn’t realised people travelled from as far away as the States. Though, to be fair, I didn’t meet or speak to any Americans there, nor did I interact with many fans. Actually, hold on… I might’ve spoken to your Swedish friend. What’s his name – the crazy guy from Gothenburg? Yeah, Matte.

DEMONIC: Hammer Open Air was well-attended, and I ran into many people I’d corresponded with for years but never met face-to-face before. Honestly, the calibre of European fans is simply better; there were no negatives whatsoever to that experience.

GELAL: I was shocked to see Europeans camping. People actually brought tents and stayed all weekend just to attend a metal event, if you can believe it. The festival had an entire tent city; unheard of here. Have you ever done this? Really? Fuck that – sounds completely unappealing.

Did you even enjoy your first open-air festival?

GELAL: Not particularly, no. Nothing noteworthy about that performance stands out in my memory. By then, everyone lived in different countries, so we couldn’t rehearse properly; as a result, I didn’t feel our set was especially strong. The audience seemed satisfied, though.

 

The day after, GRAND BELIAL’S KEY returned to Italy for the first time since 2002.

GELAL: Make sure to ask Unhold about the helicopter move he pulled off on some drunk Scottish dude.

UNHOLD: Oh <laughs>. Yeah, we arrived at the venue and started settling in, trying to get into the proper mood. We went to eat some food, and this guy came over with his girlfriend. Seemed normal at first – but after a while, it became clear he was a complete mongoloid.

ULFHEDINN: He sat down at our table while we were trying to order, just acting like a complete dick – totally shitfaced, being rude to the waitress. We went, ‘Man, you need to go. You’re a fucking goofball.’ His girlfriend wanted them to leave, and Unhold warned him several times.

GELAL: Yeah, never bother Unhold while he’s eating pizza.

ULFHEDINN: I think he started calling us rockstars or something, I don’t remember. Eventually, Unhold pushed him over. He got back up, and that’s when Unhold put his foot behind the guy’s leg and shoved him backwards. The noise his head made when it hit concrete… I thought, ‘Oh shit, he’s dead. We’re fucked.’

UNHOLD: He fell badly and hit the back of his head on… hmm, some kind of plant container out of concrete, I believe. And I thought, ‘Damn. I’ve had a few fights over the years without anyone dying, and now I’m going to prison because some idiot cracked his skull on a flower box?’ My mood was no longer the best.

ULFHEDINN: I think the guy might’ve been out for a bit, and his head was definitely split open. We went in to play the show and didn’t think about him for a few hours – but then he turned up again with a screwdriver or something, as if threatening to stab us <laughs>.

UNHOLD: We were standing outside; there was some tension, and he pointed his finger at me from across the parking lot. I kind of snapped and rushed over there, tackled the guy to the ground, then grabbed his legs and spun him around like a helicopter.

ULFHEDINN: Unhold grabbed him by the feet and started swinging him in a circle – like Fred Flintstone – and then let go.

UNHOLD: To my surprise, it worked really well; he actually flew through the air, like a bird. Then suddenly, once he struck asphalt, applause came from the venue. Apparently, lots of people had been standing there watching the whole thing.

 

Over the years that followed, live activities ceased entirely. Gelal relocated his family to Argentina and resumed his football fixation, thus leaving G.B.K. with four members spread across as many countries on three continents.

DEMONIC: At that stage, the band wasn’t a primary concern for me – more like something in the background. I’d see Gelal socially, but we weren’t jamming or actively working together. Still, I knew he was busy composing new material.

Did you think you’d ever prepare for an album as thoroughly as with “Kosherat” again?

DEMONIC: I probably hoped we could, but it didn’t pan out that way. Honestly, geography wasn’t the main issue – it came down more to life circumstances. Everyone except Unhold had kids by then, making it impossible to just sit around and jam as we once did.

It doesn’t sound like you were overly motivated to continue.

DEMONIC: Well, I recall suggesting to Gelal and Unhold that maybe the time had come to pursue something new. I felt we’d already made three stellar albums, and perhaps it was best to leave things there. Neither seemed to take it seriously, though – or perhaps they simply weren’t interested.

 

No less than six years passed before GRAND BELIAL’S KEY showed renewed signs of life. Unsurprisingly, their return occurred in Finland – at the Apocalyptic Rites festival outside Kuopio.

GELAL: People have misconceptions about Finland, assuming it’s ultra-right-wing because shows of this nature happen there. In reality, those same fans attend regular concerts as well. Finns are mostly indifferent to censorship and political shit – they just don’t care. At those festivals, you’ll see drunks stumbling around naked; it’s not conservative by any stretch.

As most well-travelled metalheads will know, nudity is a deeply embedded phenomenon in Finnish metal culture.

GELAL: Finnish society is generally pretty open-minded. Plus, the far-left presence is minimal – if it exists at all. We’ve never encountered police interference or had any trouble. There’s basically no serious opposition attempting to shut shit down; no one’s raining on their parade.

The following evening, GRAND BELIAL’S KEY performed in Helsinki alongside AEGRUS and Russia’s BLACKDEATH. I recall feeling utterly perplexed by their decision to curate the setlist with both demos in chronological order.

DEMONIC: I’ve always liked the idea of special or themed sets – some see them as gimmicky, but it can be a cool approach. As with everything, there are fans who live and die by the demo era, so it felt like a perfect opportunity to do something unique.

GELAL: We hadn’t performed all those demo tracks in one show since the early days, so it seemed like a good idea. Revisiting our oldest material after so many years proved interesting, especially since we’d also been jamming new shit. After those Finnish dates, to maximise the trip, we flew to Germany and recorded “Kohanic Charmers”.

 

Following the Helsinki show, GRAND BELIAL’S KEY found themselves in rural Germany, preparing to record their fourth album, “Kohanic Charmers”. Most of the material had been written by Gelal in 2012 and then arranged with Demonic.

DEMONIC: I definitely contributed to the arrangements. On a couple of tracks, I made substantial revisions – mainly adjusting how certain riffs flowed and the number of repetitions. Some parts felt cohesive from the outset, while others, especially in the first few songs, were noticeably looser.

Did you demo the material this time?

DEMONIC: No. In fact, only around eighty per cent of the arrangements were finalised by the time we reached Germany, which threw me off. It’s not necessarily a bad way to work – some musicians thrive on spontaneity – but it definitely pushed me out of my comfort zone.

How much did you rehearse the completed material beforehand?

DEMONIC: Gelal, Ulfhedinn, and I rehearsed back in the US prior to the trip, but it was limited. Overall, I felt somewhat disconnected from this recording; it didn’t come together as smoothly as earlier sessions. I prefer entering the studio better prepared.

UNHOLD: I had to go home to Berlin for two or three days; during that time, the guys stayed in the studio and worked on the songs – practising, making some adjustments. When I returned, most of the instrumental parts were already recorded.

As with “Kosherat”, my main curiosity going into “Kohanic Charmers” concerned the vocals – particularly since they were delivered by a non-Anglophone singer performing outside his native language.

UNHOLD: As the huge G.B.K. fan that I am, the thought of carrying on The Black Lourde and Grimnir’s work was just horrifying <laughs>. But what can you do? I tried my best. At some point, we were running out of time, so I figured I could finish the vocals alone if needed. But then I realised, ‘No, it’s not possible.’

GELAL: Unhold didn’t feel entirely comfortable singing in English, so he insisted on my presence. I ended up returning to Germany several times just to ensure everything sounded correct. Usually, listeners aren’t bothered by peculiar pronunciations from non-native speakers, but Unhold was adamant about avoiding it entirely.

Once again, hearing the result brought great relief. The vocals follow the arrangement style of previous records, delivered with a broad vocal range and suitably dramatic intensity.

GELAL: Unhold’s role extended far beyond simply singing, though. Since there are no credits on “Kohanic Charmers”, it’s difficult to appreciate the extent of his involvement. For instance, the first half of the guitar solo in “Fiscus Judaicus” is actually his – I played the rest. Once you know, you’ll clearly hear the difference.

The acoustic section in “Crud Drips from the Shofar” is another one of Unhold’s contributions.

GELAL: I’d originally written the main riff on Spanish guitar, but since I play with a pick rather than fingerstyle, I asked Unhold – who’s a skilled classical guitarist – to record it properly. He played the melody beautifully and added a bassline underneath, transforming my basic idea into something richer and far more detailed.

 

Since the very beginning, GRAND BELIAL’S KEY have incorporated atmospheric interludes, evident in demo tracks like “The Seventh Enochian Key” and “Erebus”, each creating a uniquely mystical ambience. “At the Blessed Grotto” from their debut album continued this tradition, as did “The Hexenhaus Vigil” on “Judeobeast Assassination”.

On “Kohanic Charmers”, tracks such as “Crud Drips from the Shofar” and “Adrift in the Viscera of She’ol” see G.B.K. expanding the “Kosherat” concept of incorporating Jewish religious music into their compositions.

GELAL: Such parts are meant to establish the historical context and atmosphere of the biblical era – similar to scoring a film. Obviously, black metal didn’t exist back then, so we’re interpreting what life might’ve sounded like in those ancient times, when rituals and prayers were commonly heard.

The album closer, “Turbans Nailed to Their Heads”, is a musically and conceptually updated reworking of “Sleeping Princess of the Arges” from the 1994 demo, “Triumph of the Hordes”.

GELAL: When we revisited “Sleeping Princess…” while preparing for that demo set in Finland, I thought, ‘Fuck it – let’s finally do this song justice and remove the feminine aspect.’ So, obviously, the female vocals had to go.

In the original version, vocalist and drummer Lord Vlad Luciferian took it upon himself to include a female narrator speaking at considerable length about her undying love for him.

GELAL: Ever since I first heard that fucking spoken-word passage, it left a bad taste in my mouth. We rewrote the lyrics too – maintaining the Dracula theme, but ditching the fantasy vampire bullshit in favour of a more historical approach.

The title references Vlad Tepeș, a 15^th-century Wallachian ruler whose brutal resistance to Ottoman incursions inspired the Dracula mythos. “Turbans Nailed to Their Heads” alludes to a particularly gruesome incident where the Transylvanian warlord punished enemy envoys by driving nails through their head coverings, symbolising his refusal to submit to Islamic authority.

DEMONIC: Solid track – but honestly, it was never among my favourites. There’s so much baggage surrounding “Sleeping Princess…” from over the years, especially Valerio’s handling of the original recording, that I can’t view it objectively. The song holds up musically but feels somewhat out of place on “Kohanic Charmers”.

GELAL: As I’ve explained before, I like re-recording old tracks on newer albums to see how they integrate. If you didn’t already know that song, you’d never guess it was originally a demo. Plus, this version finally allowed us to complete the cycle of “Triumph of the Hordes”.

Just like “Goat of a Thousand Young”, the second G.B.K. demo featured three metal tracks and a hybrid ambient outro. The opener, “In Rapture by the Fenrir Moon”, was later given the full album treatment on “Mocking the Philanthropist”. The second, the aforementioned “Sleeping Princess of the Arges”, resurfaced on “Kohanic Charmers” under a new name with revised lyrics.

The third, “When Darkness Rears Itself a Throne”, was dissected and absorbed into later works: its faster section appears midway through “Lamb of God Slain Will Be” on “Judeobeast Assassination”, while the ending is part of “The Holocaust Trumpeter” on the debut. Only the instrumental bass outro, “Erebus”, remains untouched.

As for the first demo, G.B.K. reinterpreted “Shemhamforash”, “Sumerian Fairy Tale”, and “The Seventh Enochian Key” on “Mocking the Philanthropist”. The “Goat of a Thousand Young” title track, on the other hand – its only later appearance was on “A Witness to the Regicide”, recorded with the same four-tracker used for the original.

GELAL: “Goat of a Thousand Young” probably won’t ever be re-recorded – it would lose its charm. Some songs need that sloppy, raw energy. In general, though, I prefer having definitive album versions, since most people don’t bother checking out demos. I rarely do so myself; I’d rather hear a proper record first.

 

After finishing up the August 2016 studio recording, GRAND BELIAL’S KEY flew over to the States to perform at the third edition of Hells Headbash – a label fest organised by Hells Headbangers – in Cleveland, Ohio.

GELAL: We arrived in Cleveland and even managed an acoustic rehearsal in our hotel room. We used the same setlist – both demos performed chronologically. Since the older songs are less complex, it worked perfectly. My recollection is that this was a strong performance with the perfect G.B.K. line-up.

DEMONIC: I definitely remember a sense of anticipation and energy; we were tight and fully locked in. This would’ve been the first American show where it felt like GRAND BELIAL’S KEY received the kind of enthusiasm we usually associate with Europe. That same spirit was present there.

GELAL: The response was incredible – huge crowd, probably the first time we’d played a show in America where such a large audience clearly attended specifically to see us. By then, I could definitely tell that G.B.K. had gained some recognition stateside.

UNHOLD: It was almost overwhelming. After the gig, people came up to us, using words like ‘a dream come true’. I felt really baffled by how much it meant to so many of them. And I liked the festival – great lineup, killer bands. All in all, a good experience.

How did Hells Headbash compare to similar events in Europe?

UNHOLD: I think people were a bit more… what’s the word, receptive? Like, not so saturated. In Europe, you can go to a festival every second weekend if you want. But over there, it seemed to mean a lot to them; they truly appreciated it. There was good movement in the crowd – people were loud and demanding. I liked that.

GELAL: The venue itself was a huge old theatre, packed with fans who knew our music well. In comparison, the earlier Chicago gig put on by Strong Survive felt more like a private affair, as many fans didn’t feel safe attending – which is a good thing – and missed out. Before that, we hadn’t performed since 2006. Ten years later, our fanbase had grown noticeably.

DEMONIC: Great crowd – many familiar faces, individuals I’d corresponded with over the years, and some new ones as well. A lot of people seem to have preconceptions about who G.B.K. are and what we’re like, so they’re often surprised upon meeting us. Sometimes in a good way, other times not <laughs>.

 

How did you get along with your peers?

GELAL: I remember meeting up briefly with Antichrist Kramer (INTOLITARIAN) and Lauri (SATANIC WARMASTER). Jim Crow from MUDOVEN was there as well. I may have briefly said hello to Pete Helmkamp (ANGELCORPSE) at some point – but otherwise, I didn’t really speak to anyone.

DEMONIC: I don’t recall interacting at any greater extent, honestly. We’d exchange hellos here and there, maybe chat briefly, but not much beyond that. The truth is, I’ve never really felt like GRAND BELIAL’S KEY had many peer bands in the traditional sense.

GELAL: Another thing – with so many established acts playing, we didn’t expect such massive interest in our merchandise. Chase (Hells Headbangers) later told me people were practically following him around as he carried the merch box, desperately trying to buy one of the few remaining shirts. For once, demand greatly exceeded the supply.

In a 2024 Hells Headbangers feature, Chase Horval said, ‘GRAND BELIAL’S KEY were a huge fucking draw; I’ve never seen such a long merch queue in my life. You would’ve thought Elvis was in town or something.’

GELAL: Given we hadn’t released anything new since “Weltenfeind”, fans were eager for anything related to G.B.K. Since only Demonic lived in the US, we didn’t carry any merchandise of our own. Strong Survive handled my mail-order while I was abroad, so Marcin drove down from Chicago with whatever shirts he had available.