interview by: Roberto Martinelli

A logo plays a huge part in the image of a company or product. This is also certainly the case with bands, and especially so when the band in question is part of the black or death metal underground. In black metal particularly, there is a certain revered esthetic, like spikiness, illegibility, intricacy; to those things are added that intangible element that tells the connoisseur "this is a cult album that is worth your time."

Attentive fans of black metal have no doubt remarked how many logos are designed by "that 'Spujaddle guy.' Who is this guy, anyway, and why does it seem that every fifth black metal band's logo is designed by him?" It is truly remarkable how much the work of Christophe Szpajdel (pronounced "shpydel") has helped to shape black metal's image. Would Emperor be the same without their logo and trademark "E"? How about Graveland, Tsjuder, or Nargaroth? How much different would their careers as revered black metal bands have been without that logo that helps to round out their image?

It turns out that Christophe Szpajdel is a Belgian forestry engineer whose second passion is promoting the underground metal scene. I've always wanted to know about this guy, so I tracked him down and compiled this information about him via a phone conversation and info that he passed along to me by email. Szpajdel had just come off one of those massive European metal tours - the likes we never see in the United States - featuring Cannibal Corpse, Kreator, Marduk, Dark Funeral, Nile, Krisiun and Vomitory, in which he did his usual duties of running the metal merchandise stand. After a discussion in French and English in which Szpajdel taught ME, the guy from San Francisco, about the Californian metal scene, we began the interview.

Maelstrom: Please tell us about how you got started designing logos.

Christophe Szpajdel: I started to draw these logos when I was a small kid, in the middle of the 70's when my musical interests were clearly hard music-oriented. I was already fascinated by bands like Kiss, AC/DC, The Rolling Stones, Blondie or Black Sabbath. Extreme Metal grew in the mid of the 80's and found a vocation in me when I discovered bands like Slayer, Venom, Hellhammer, Mercyful Fate, Bathory, Kreator, Destruction, Dark Angel, Darkness, Running Wild, Helloween, Motörhead, Possessed, Iron Angel, Agent Steel, Judas Priest, Sepultura (in their brilliant epoch!), Mutilator and many others. That was the origin to my fascination in calligraphy.

The Medieval and Heroic Fantasy domains were a perfect completion and gave me a natural inspiration. In these times I was satisfying myself by redrawing logos of Venom, Celtic Frost, Helloween on paper but also on the wall of the toilets of my school (haha!). (Horna logo below)

In 1987, my interest started to grow for unknown bands, and I went deeper in that domain by checking out rather obscure bands like for example Necrovore, Torture, Deadly Blessing, Blood Feast, Sadistic Intent, Morbid Angel, Nocturnus, Autopsy, Immolation...to mention US bands, Obscurity, Mefisto, Nihilist (now Entombed), Merciless, Dismember, Morbid...to mention Swedish bands, Mayhem, DarkThrone to mention Norse bands, Black Shepherd, Cyclone, Warhead, Acid, Ancient Rites, Morbid Death... to mention some of my landmates and of course South American bands like Masacre from Colombia, Sarcofago (cult band!!!), Mutilator, Necromancer, Insulter/Sextrash, Tharithimas, Genocidio, MX, Explicit Hate...to mention bands from one of the countries that procreated one of the wildest scene...Brazil! You would never think about it but it is the truth, just listen to the inheritors like Krisiun, Rebaelliun, Ancestral Malediction, Abhorrence, Ophiolatry...the Brazilian scene is one of the most fascinating to me. The East European scene is also fantastic and some bands from there like Vader, Imperator, Hate, Lux Occulta, Behemoth, Kat, Pandemonium...from Poland or Krabathor, Pandemia, Sanatorium, Dementor, Root, Törr, from Czechoslovakia, Regredior from Lithuania, Deathvomit from Russia...you can see all these bands contribute to strengthen my fanatism to support the underground.

Maelstrom: Tell us about your beginnings in the underground metal scene.

Christophe Szpajdel: In 1989 I started to draw for a zine called Septicore and a comp tape called Morbid Noise. That was the first logo I did that was used and spread through the underground. Then I did in 1990 the first successful logo for a Finnish band called Disgrace. Two years later I did a surprise for Havard Ellefsen (now Mortiis) and Tomas Haugen (Samoth)...a logo for their newborn band Emperor....and my name appeared on their debut CD cover "In The Nightside Eclipse". I also did logos for Blaspherion (Pre-Enthroned), Excidium (Ita), Maleficarium (Ita)... Now I am involved with a newsletter called Devil's Elixir and I organize some small concerts. And my name started to get famous.

One day it happened (1994) when I got my first interview in Fear Of Life mag (nl) and a small article in Ornament mag (nor)...Then I started to get a demand from many bands to do a logo...Covenant (nor), Arcturus (for one album), Old Man's Child, Autumn Leaves, Falkenbach, Desaster, Horna, Tsjuder, Avatar, Enthroned, Magia Posthuma, In Memorian, First Born Evil, Goldenpyre, Seth, Bekhira, Cryptic Tales...which were executed in my very classic style. But I got more and more inspiration to explore many other styles, still having my own touch!

Around 1994, I felt a very strong breath of freedom and independence, starting to travel across Europe by my own means (hitchhiking) I did in the spring Czech Republic, in the summer the South of France...even if I was used to travel a lot before. In 1998 I went for several months to the Azores for my job (Forestry engineering) where I had the best moment so far in my life. Eastern Europe, America and New Zealand are for sure the next country I will visit!
Nature, Science, Culture...and Open Minded attitude!

Architecture, Natural surroundings like landscapes, forests, lakes, mountains were my principal source of inspiration. My other passion is Ecology, Wildlife Conservation and different projects that consist of the biodiversity conservation. It's been so many years I am deeply interested in the studies of a big number of Animal species (especially Insects, Reptiles, Amphibia, Fishes, Birds and other sensational creatures..) and it's a need for me to be constantly in direct contact with the nature, especially breathtaking mountain and marine landscapes. I really prefer warmer countries than Belgium. My favorites would be for sure South America and New Zealand...with its mystic lands.

Yes, this may be the strangest fact. When listening to such hard music like metal, I also need to find an opposite...Last years I really started to enjoy ambient, classical music, atmospheric/ethereal, popular music which has been played for so many centuries in Europe or South America...and I enjoy some non-metal bands like U2, Depeche Mode, Visage, Blondie...
These last years I also had a turning point in my life; These travellings across Europe opened my mind to many other fields of interests and brought me new viewpoints on today's human kind.

Maelstrom: Which single logo are you most proud of?

Christophe Szpajdel: I think the logo of Emperor, the logo of Enthroned (at right), and the logo of a Dutch band with Asphyx member called Soulburn.

Maelstrom: What makes you most proud of those logos?

Christophe Szpajdel: It's a massive logo. It's simple but very efficient. It's readable. The songs of Soulburn is exactly the taste of music I enjoy the most, that is old school death metal in the way like Sadistic Intent, like Autopsy, like Massacre...

Maelstrom: Which Massacre?

Christophe Szpajdel: The one from Florida. I also like Massacre from Colombia, and Massacre from Chile. Also Massacra from France!

Maelstrom: Which logo has given you the most recognition?

Christophe Szpajdel: I think Emperor (at left).

Maelstrom: How old are you, Christophe?

Christophe Szpajdel: I'm 31.

Maelstrom: Do you still have the logos from your school days?

Christophe Szpajdel: I have some of these logos.

Maelstrom: It'd be cool to see those.

Christophe Szpajdel: I really started to get the recognition in '94, when Emperor got over the underground, and they released In the Nightside Eclipse.

Maelstrom: Are you paid for your work? (Tsjuder logo below)

Christophe Szpajdel: You know, I'm not paid. I'm not a businessman. But I think there is a kind of agreement I do, and it's very seldom respected. If I do a logo for a band, my request is to get 10, maybe more, copies of the CD when it's out. It's a simple reason: to promote the band and make some money. I mean some additional money. I have various jobs, like the job with Metal Lycée, which is an organization in Belgium. My main job is in forestry. This is my main passion: to keep drawing the logos, to keep publishing the newsletters the very few times I'm home. Very often I'm on the road, and I like this way of life.

Maelstrom: You're on the road for what? For bands?

Christophe Szpajdel: For bands, for tours, and also for research for a job. I'm searching very actively outside Belgium, including the USA. I've never been in the USA, but I'm planning to visit California for 100 percent sure. It seems to me the most interesting state. The Yosemite Valley, the Rocky Mountains, I prefer this landscape. New York and the East Coast seems to be a bit too much European. Anyway, I'm quite interested in the Appalachian Mountains, not only of its forests, but also because of its very specific scene. There are some bands like Exterminance. The mountains aren't very high, and they have a special mood. It's like the Carpathians.

Maelstrom: Tell us about the Carpathians.

Christophe Szpajdel: The Carpathians are part of Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, a little part of Hungary, and mostly Romania.

Maelstrom: They're very popular in metal.

Christophe Szpajdel: Yes. Transylvania is a part of the Carpathians. Dracula's castle is in Transylvania. It's not a myth. It's a reality. Another thing that's not a myth is the club called the Chicago in Annaberg, in Germany. It's one of the few places where Mayhem did their first gigs in Europe in '91, when Dead and Euronymous were ruling. It's also one of the first places where Gorgoroth did their concerts. I visited this place when it was burned down. I've even slept there. This place is haunted. A lot of very strange things arrived to me during this night when I slept in the ruins of the Chicago.

Maelstrom: Can you tell us about that?

Christophe Szpajdel: Strange noises. Strange visions. Very twisted dreams. At 7 o'clock, the police wakes me up.

Maelstrom: What for?

Christophe Szpajdel: They checked the place. In Germany they are quite strict. It was an identity control. (Seth logo at left)

Maelstrom: Can you tell us more about the visions and the sounds?

Christophe Szpajdel: Fires, twisted people, but mostly a very undescribeable scenes. It was so close to reality that it could have happened next to me?

Maelstrom: Do these sort of things happen to you often?

Christophe Szpajdel: It's just when I was in some places. I think there is some sort of subliminal...it exists. I think there is a link between dreams and reality. I was dreaming very intensely about a girl, and a few days later I met her. She was very similar to the one I dreamt about. I met her and it was a real communication.

Maelstrom: What happened with this girl? Do you still talk to her?

Christophe Szpajdel: Sometimes. Always when I have these very interesting meetings, it's very far from my home.

Maelstrom: Christophe, I want you to tell us about this "greatest moment" that you had in the Azores.

Christophe Szpajdel: Azores is in Portugal. It's a group of nine islands. I've been there for practice to be a forestry engineer on the few islands of the central group: Terceira, Pico, Faial, São Jorge, and Graciosa. I also went to São Miguel, because it's the main island. The greatest moment I had was on the ascension of Pico. It's a mountain not higher than the Fujiyama, in Japan. It has the same mood. It was a very interesting trip; I did an ascension of the volcano. It was very intense because I had a view I could never have had before, walking through the fog, through the clouds. I spent the evening there, and I saw the sunset. It was absolutely the most impressive moment I've had in my life. These islands, they're in the middle of the sea. You see the neighboring islands; you can see very, very far. (Nargaroth logo at left)

Maelstrom: I think it's fascinating and inspiring to meet someone like you, who's managed to find his bliss in both the professional and hobby field. Maybe you could tell us more about your job as a forestry engineer?

Christophe Szpajdel: This job is the reason I studied agronomy; mostly to be in the field, so I can really see and taste the things as they are in nature. I was always fascinated by wildlife. The evolution, the behavior of the wildlife population. There are some laws in the nature between different species. Only by watching them is it possible to discover that not only between people there are rules, but there are very hard rules in the nature. I wanted a job that allows me to visit a lot of places and to be most of the time in the field, in the heart of nature. Making observations and sensibilizations of the population. Meeting other people who could be very sensitive and also spread the message to other people.

Maelstrom: What are your contracts for?

Christophe Szpajdel: For the moment it's for things like the World Wildlife Fund. With the tour, keeping the metal stand, the metal market with the CDs and t-shirts, it allows me to meet quite a lot of people. It's been already two years that I've been doing the tours.

Maelstrom: How many languages do you speak?

Christophe Szpajdel: Eight. French, English, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, and also of course Polish. My first language is French.

Maelstrom: Do you speak German?

Christophe Szpajdel: I learned German quite intensively, but it's the hardest language for me.

Maelstrom: There must be a huge demand for your work. How do you determine who will receive a Szpajdel logo?

Christophe Szpajdel: Very complicated. For the moment for me, I think the conditions are that the band is dedicated to what they do. No matter the music style, as long as they consider their music as a lifestyle. Not only music bands. I also would like to work with movie actors and producers; to be outside the metal district.

Maelstrom: Metal, and especially the bands which you design logos for, promotes an image of darkness, misanthropy, evil and pain. However, you seem to love life and have much positive energy. How do you view the apparent mutual exclusiveness of your interests and hobbies and your personality?

Christophe Szpajdel: It's a kind of equilibrium. The dark side of myself and the light side. I'm very interested in all the fields of darkness: pain, evil, misanthropy... And also I'm interested and feeling very enthusiastic in meeting a lot of people and to enlarge my horizons. I think it's stupid to say: "I'm only metal, I only stay in my circle." I think open-mindedness is the key of success. That was something Bill Steer of Carcass said in 1989. Anyway, metal is a lifestyle for me. I am myself and nobody else. I keep this way of life. If someone may disagree, I just hope I can be respected as I respect any other artist who are dedicated to what they do

Maelstrom: Do you find that depression or negative feelings are as a result of liking metal, or liking metal as a result of liking metal? What draws what?

Christophe Szpajdel: I feel I have these feelings, especially when I listen to the album by Abyssic Hate, Suicidal Emotions. There was a moment in the lyrics where I was about to really start crying because that day I was really depressed. It was a need for me to listen all the time to Abyssic Hate. If I had had a rope, I would probably not be here to answer your interview. So you see, Abyssica Hate had a very important impact.

Maelstrom: But it was sort of what you were looking for. Abyssic Hate didn't make you feel that way, it was the other way around.

Christophe Szpajdel: It was a need for me to get this album. I get some free CDs by working at the metal market, which is apart from my wage, which is about $50 a day. Not very much! But there is a big passion. I have a real, real enjoyment for what I do for the music. I like to go on tour with small, underground bands as merchandiser or roadie.

Maelstrom: You said you have a newsletter. Please talk about that.

Christophe Szpajdel: The underground has a very important role. In the underground there are a lot of bands that in a few years will become cult bands. A demo is, for me, much more interesting than a CD already released by a shitty band on a shitty label.

Maelstrom: Have you ever had the desire to be in the band?

Christophe Szpajdel: I had a desire. I was very strong for me. The only problem is that in my area it's impossible to find musicians. I would like to do vocals. The music I would like to play really old school stuff like Possessed, Sadistic Intent and Celtic Frost, which are my three favorite bands of all time. There are many others. I would mention a book.

Maelstrom: Which are some of the coolest band logos that you haven't designed?

Christophe Szpajdel: I think the coolest ones are definitely Sadistic Intent, Mayhem and Darkthrone. I also like very much the logo of Necrophobic. Celtic Frost, Venom are also excellent.

Maelstrom: Give me the names of five bands that you think are terribly overrated.

Christophe Szpajdel: Immortal, Cradle of Filth, Sepultura, Hammerfall, Dimmu Borgir.

Maelstrom: On the opposite, which are some of the bands that you like but have terrible logos? In other words, which bands do you wish you could design logos for?

Christophe Szpajdel: I would improve the logo of Possessed, even though I like it very much; Blasphemy from Canada; Conqueror from Vancouver... I can't say much more for the moment, because it's something I've never thought of.

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