Doch endlich stürzt in letzten Flammen,
In gräßlicher Vernichtungspracht
Des Himmels "Herrlichkeit" zusammen
Und schwarz entsteigt die ew'ge Nacht...
HEIL LUZIFER. HEIL SATAN!!!
KATHARSIS released their killer debut 666 on this day in 2000. An album that owed much to Under a Funeral Moon, yet had a quality and relevance - which has never diminished - beyond many bands influenced by the same.
The original artwork (not shown above; that's the reissue artwork, first used on the Norma Evangelium Diaboli CD in 2004) is a collage made by Drakh (Vocals, Guitars). At the centre of that image, within the swirling cosmos, is a small part of Michael Whelan's Sailor on the Seas of Fate. One of a series of paintings designed for DAW Books' Elric of Melniboné paperback series in the late 1970s.
One of the reasons is that I'm quite a big fan of Whelan's art, I guess. He's one of the most gifted fantasy artists in my opinion. I liked the original image of the warrior a lot and decided the warrior could be used in the KATHARSIS cover collage as a perfect depiction of Lucifer, the great emperor on the throne of the universe, reigning in immortal triumph, high above the fields of hellish devastation. We decided to take the collage for the cover because it has a really grim majestic atmosphere. But, no doubt, the next releases will feature more hideous and sick art, originally drawn or painted for us. The editing of the layout at the computer was done by me.
- Drakh / Katharsis interview, Horrible Eyes #3, 2002
...the grail in the lyrics is to be understood as a solely symbolical entity, a concept mocking the traditional Christian doctrine and belief i.e. White Light / Blood of Christ mysticism. A blasphemous counterpart.
Just like most of the similar subjects, the Otto Rahn thing etc. is highly interesting indeed but is one of the most critical fields of research ('miened', as we say in German) since, in my opinion, the historical-esoteric-commercial complex has exploited it so much and there are so many rumours, assertions with little or without any substance. One must be careful about all those nice theories and books. Always keep the Ministry of Truth in mind, folks.
- Drakh / Katharsis interview, Horrible Eyes #3, 2002