“MY MUSIC WILL ALWAYS RAISE HELL AND MAKE YOU FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE” – FINIAN PATRAIC

Despite dwelling in almost perfect isolation from an increasingly illogical and inverted outside world, Finian Patraic still succeeds in ruffling feathers through his incendiary and oftentimes inciteful propagation of indigenous Black Metal. As the swarm of Ifernach side projects multiplies and spreads like an insatiable plague, and the shrieking NS allegations of the disgruntled intensify accordingly, the restless Gaspesian insurgent swings his antagonistic axe once more. To set the record straight before splitting the skulls of his enemies. This greeting from Gespeg is a declaration of war. 

Considering that you have proudly used Ifernach as a vehicle to celebrate and honour your Native American ancestry, it seems somewhat ludicrous that NS accusations are constantly hurled in your direction. We seem to have arrived at a point in time where to be unapologetically patriotic or proud of one’s heritage is considered a hate crime.
“Well, where to start! First, glad you are still alive, mate. Not so long ago some people said we would die, guess I am still alive, sadly! Ah, the accusations are coming from the side projects. We might go deeper into the subject later. But for now, I can say that when you start isolating yourself from society and the insects all around you, you just go into this lonely path of despair and then you witness a total liberation and rebirth, you focus more on your inner self, the ‘ego mania’ as described by some. Is being selfish negative? There are levels to this, for sure. 
“The point where I want to get is that I had enough of poisoning myself, gathering with empty heads and weak people going nowhere. Getting fucked up when you are 15 is very understandable but growing old, I wanted to become a stronger version of myself. Yes, to some I have become human trash, but there is no way my old lifestyle would give me strength, tools to fight and survive, controlling my mind, heart and soul, avoiding traps of addiction, getting your life together, buying a house, buying land… These attempts led me back to basics: Who am I? Where am I going? Then, pride comes. Well, you rot or you rise back up. Then, belonging to the land comes. Claiming back identity and belonging, you will have to defend it one day. Strange to say today’s society promotes ‘being yourself’ but it can lead to downfall or decay. I will explain my point of view later.
“We live in very strange times; people try to claim back but without the fight. When I say fighting, it is not creating groups on social media, it is to actually ‘fight’ physically. When war breaks out, the courageous and proud go out onto the battlefield while the others prefer to flash anti-war signs in the streets. I know pride is a word that really evolved through time. But being proud of the land and the feeling of belonging is very strong. It can lead you to sacrifice everything you have. The fear of losing the land to the enemy’s hand. When you look back at WWII, you will find French volunteers dying in Berlin to block Bolshevism. All soldiers from both sides that were deployed in Normandy fought in Hell with courage and bravery. To me, it makes no sense to be proud and avoid defending what you have. 
“Also, it seems that the destruction of heritage is unseen by the majority. I guess we are blinded by the media and the parallel world we are fed every day. I also need to mention that if Canada goes to war, I have no interest in defending the liberal flag. Quebec is not a country yet, and no army truly represents the land where I was born. But when the invader arrives and knocks on your door to take possession of what you have, you take arms and fight back. This is natural, this is human. I know war is hell, but it will always exist. We can avoid war, but someday it comes back. Like life and death, love and hate, liberty or war. 
“Being born in a country that feeds on your identity confusion and the illusion of being in comfort, but never teaches you to be strong, we get the worst breed of humanity. To find the answers to this growing monster that is society adapting to new technologies, new confusion and new claims, I always go back to Mother Nature. When you bring things back to survival, outside our modern society of intelligent devices, if you don’t prepare camp for winter, you and the tribe will die. We have no time to talk about how you are different and you were born with imbalance, yes this is possible by the way, the urge to ‘fight, survive and work for the tribe’ is dominant in many situations. That being said, if feeding, sheltering or defending against rivals is not a thing in your life anymore, then it creates space for new directions, confusion and claiming of something that is just not existing in the wild life. 
“The NS accusations are from symbols or pieces of lyrics taken from side projects that I made. It was made out of the purest form of hatred, it wasn’t even national pride, more like rejection, war and chaos. Did people get it? Not so sure, but I knew it would go like this. Not that it was the plan. I was just not giving a damn about anything, anyone, anyhow at the time. I can say I have moved away from these darker days, it was never my intention to remain static. I know I might never get completely out of darkness and hate, but the journey still moves on.
“It was also a way of expressing what I felt inside, rotting, dying, as ugly as it gets. Stuff that I said, I don’t regret it. I have no excuses. A reflection of what I see and breathe every day, and this world can be ugly and cold, just like the music I’ve been doing outside Ifernach. My music can touch political subjects here and there but, in the end, I belong to no political group, no gang, no brotherhood, nothing. I represent myself, speak for myself and have no interest in being active in political affairs. But that doesn’t mean I will stay silent with my mouth shut, like a lot of people do, fearing losing sponsorship, for example. No one is endorsing Ifernach or any of the infectious side projects I have.
“Sure, you can go out there and try to classify me with what I said. But I am too much of a lone wolf for the left commune, and too tribal for the right. Tribalism has nothing to do with building great cities, empires… But can I leave behind this creative ground to explore more and switch narrative? Absolutely. Let’s take the debate somewhere else, what if society is actually the evolution of a tribe? Tribalism… old time tribalism is all about survivalism. Not conquering the world. But when you are hungry, and you know the other tribe has food, what are you going to do? And when a machine gun is pointed at a stone tomahawk, what are you going to do? I just love to settle debates and talk about things people forgot because the narrative pushed in society is controlled, filtered and far from reality. 
“No one should be stuck in one circle of ideas. Problem is, the internet police are looking at my lyrics and trying to spot the evil stuff I say to throw me in the fire. The power of art is what hides behind. That little thing belongs to the artist and revealing it completely destroys the essence, and the attraction of it. WWII black and white movies showing tanks and war, death and suffering, this is one grim big canvas for black metal artists. Someway somehow, it has become a dark source you can explore to summon hate and destruction. Maybe some never experienced hate and depression once in their life, that explains why they try to crucify every artist that has the guts to step outside the boundaries. Maybe it’s not having the guts, maybe it is the biggest fuck off or the biggest fist they can swing back. If you don’t know what I am talking about, then why have interest in ‘black’ metal? Trying to shut down music so dark because it is actually too evil … it makes no sense. All because this world keeps going soft. Or because some people are being cancelled just because they don’t share the modern narrative pushed by media, government and big companies. ‘We accept you, as fucked up as you are, just give us your money and we will empower whatever nonsense ideas you might have.’ 
“Thinking about the Reich, walking straight, sporting a fresh haircut, wearing one of the best uniforms out there, living in discipline and majesty. I am talking about Wagner, orchestral music. I don’t think minimalist raw metal would seduce any Reich members. Anyways, they are all dead! It is not na-zi music. It’s hateful and evil! Of course, you have bands that have a more serious political statement and defend ideas with honour and pride, it is more than music. It’s militant. In the end you decide what you want to support. But on the other hand, music that supports degradation, prostitution, regression or addiction is legal and considered good. If this wasn’t the case, maybe some depressed folk like me would avoid having an interest in darkness, occultism and esotericism. 
“We live in disgrace and dishonour. The music I make is a reflection of this feeling. Yes, some of it is really ugly and evil to some, and just common sense to others. And when you try to censor dark arts, it just adds more attraction to it. The bad guys are the ones who know the stuff. The good guys are boring and too sensitive. To end this very long answer, I would say that what people brand as ‘NS’ music is most of the time not as politically involved as it might appear. I never claimed to be such. And, they forget about that whole God and Country motto. I’m atheist but I do believe in natural spirits. Sometimes just because you are released by a certain label you automatically become ‘NS’, but in reality, some acts on the roster are pushing Christian Crusade romance and I am very far from that. 
“I do understand that the death of religion created space for a lot of degeneracy. That is why I go back to the laws of nature, even if it is very hard to bring back the old days in all this modernity. And to think finally that, modern weapons beat stone axes, we will prepare ourselves for when the apocalypse comes, survive, and go back at it. That is one thing people forgot, as a result of living a long life in peace and quiet. This is not wanting war, it’s preparing for it! When the wisemen of America (indigenous chiefs) said that the river, water, earth doesn’t belong to any men, I share that with all my heart. But this changes rapidly, when the invader comes and wants to possess. Now, the feeling of sharing and community switches to fortress, defence and roaring back! World peace will never exist. If it happens, it is going to collapse, and then tribal life on earth will come back again. I’ve been screaming anarchy and chaos since I was 15, with a bottle in hand. Yes, the confused years. Don’t get me wrong, it happens today with gender identification. Yes, confusion is real and existing, especially in a fucked-up world like the one we have today. Now I know in my 30s that if the police, law and government fades tomorrow, and society collapses, you’re gonna have to be one hell of a dude. 
“I can already picture the so-called anarchists dying in the early days, with their lack of survival skills, lack of resistance and no strength to match the rise of the evil ones. Yes, remove police force and laws, the evil ones will go back at it. Because all we worship now is regression and we protect it. The tree that grows in chaos will die young, ripped from the ground, or grow stronger and survive. Why are we stepping away from the laws of nature when we all know it is going to come back to hit us? Illusions of modern society, metaverse, new laws and terms to accept all this confusion, whatever shit’s in there.
“Talking about veganism. Industrialisation of animals is real. It is a disgrace. I know another way to fight this… bring out your knife and go grab food in the forest. Hunting, my friends. I never considered a moose head on a truck hood as an insult to the power of an animal. This is pride, this is one hunter shouting to the village that he will feed his family and friends for one whole winter. And with inflation hitting hard, hunting is not a hobby anymore, it is a duty.” 
More mud and slurs than hitherto have been brandished in light of the release of ‘Return to Jötunheimr’, the debut Aufnorden full-length, with a nice painting on the front cover. How do you respond to allegations that you are some form of First Nations white supremacist mongrel promoting Aryanism? Seeing as people get hysterical about everything that goes against the globalist grain in any way in 2023, is it even possible to set the record straight? 
“Aryanism is something I was looking at in the past through Lovecraft. My ‘attraction’ to this unique and weird human being is not fanaticism. It is trying to understand the mind and thinking. Because a deranged mind will create something out of the box. Yes, it can completely remove balance and the order of things in the world. Absolutely attracted by this. But I found no answers in Lovecraft’s race theory. Well, the arrival of new cultures in a native group that is struggling to survive, that is one thing I can relate to. And when you find out that they are portrayed as creatures or monsters in Lovecraft’s evil artistic vision, it helps you understand how betrayed and gutted you can become after seeing the land you knew since birth changed in a radical way by the hand of religion or just by the flooding of very cultural newcomers.  Or when you travel around the world to see ancient cities, and you just find the same-looking world city that is in every country now. Ancient cities had details in craft, and skills. Now it is just minimalist, straight rectangular, polished and perfect. That is weird and very ugly. I fear Canada will become a worldwide country, having the whole world back with their flags and people but living on the same land. That is one big nightmare. 
“‘There is something those fellows catch – beyond life – that they’re able to make us catch for a second’ [-Lovecraft]. The cosmic indifferentism really poked me also. I tried to match the concept with nature indifferentism, using natural catastrophes or calamities that keep hurting the human race who forgot how to shelter (see Gulguhk). But the existence of the Aryan race? Maybe. I love the power of the myth. You can apply it on both ends. But don’t get me wrong, it was not the only race that existed, if they ever existed. Who is stronger than who? Depends where you are hailing from, which tribe do you belong to? 
“Talking about the Nordic race. This is where I stand with Aufnorden. It is reopening the Nordic sagas, and I will look at everything. If you start seeing everyone as a tribe of its own, you can have a different perspective on things. It’s not always a question of bleach power. Do I need to remind the people that I am a tall brown-haired dude with brown eyes? The Northern blondes have a new rival! Some historians are always pushing the narrative of war for the dominance of a superior race with British colonialism, but it was imperialism. It is not the same to me. When the British fought the Irish, it was not about skin colour. When they came to America, then why did the British make alliances with rival tribes? I do not want to see history the way they wrote it, or the way the ‘woke’ mentality advocates it.
“As usual, my curiosity is a declaration of war on all the gatekeepers of world peace. Can we stay in the artistic world, saying that it will remain music at the end of the day? Sure, it feeds my conscience to a level you cannot imagine, and it is slowly driving me away from the hatred and war I wanted to swing at my surroundings for a long time. This time Aufnorden was born in hate, so the next step wouldn’t be hate, in the natural progression of the band. Have a chat with Darken, for example, it shows the progression of an artist and yes, you can dwell in very dark places in your life. What happens next? You stay there and rot, or you try to find new grounds. This is progression of the art. The real reason I am telling this story is because, back in the day when they cancelled the Graveland gig, they portrayed him as a terrorist and a threat to society. The ultimate na-zi evil. 
“We cannot allow people who avoid thinking to use fear propaganda to cancel metal shows and police everyone. But you know, only my opinion. Once again, don’t misinterpret what I am saying. I did not say that national pride is to rot, but surely in our modern times you have to be strong and a diehard rebel to push such dedicated ways. And when you constantly get cancelled or labelled, some might tend to go extreme or ‘more dedicated’ in their patriotic efforts. I do not speak to please anyone, and you can apply that statement to whatever side you want. I’m here to do what I want to do, explore, debate, find, lose, fight, rise, fall… Exist! Exist in rebellion and chaos! And at least you are invited to think, because the ideas I’ve been sharing shall never be forgotten, even if they are dangerous or prehistoric to you, proud defender of the new modern illness!
“Back to the accusations. Giant mythology is the bridge between my land’s culture and Norse culture. Let me get out of Ifernach for once, to go and find what I am looking for. These shores have seen a lot of people during the last hundreds of years, and they influenced our modern Gaspesian lifestyle (Acadians, Normans, Celts, English, Spanish). But my head is turned towards the North, and the myth awakens. Because this is where our people came from. No story or book is offensive enough to push me out of it. You can still read Marx if you want… 
“Now, talking about the art, it unleashed new grounds and themes to create. I will not just do 60 albums talking about the same stuff on and on again. My appetite is strong, my creativity is limitless, the fire still burns. Like it or not, I came like a plague, and it spreads. You can still cry about it and hope for me to die but the art will never fade. If you do not find it appealing, well, that is when you try to censor or defame what I do. That is empowering my fire too. People need to write on pages promoting my music that I will not change the world, or that I am a farce, like as if my music was actually getting out of the shadows. Sadly, for the haters, it is! I understand your fears, but I am not done yet. 
“Talking about the ‘Jotunheimr’ cover, everybody knows who did it. My answer to this ‘stolen’ piece of art is this: when I found that very image, it sparked the inspiration to create the music. There is no other artwork that truly represents the music on this album. I am not the first who did that, looking at the whole metal universe, the list is long. Early Misfits shirt designs, even the crimson ghost was reappropriation. You take an existing piece of art, use it as a canvas, then add your layers on it to create something new. In this case, horror punk. In my case, Nordic saga revival. I had the choice of paying an artist to reproduce the art, then get the accusations of copying, or just use it as a revival. This is what it is. Removing dust from the ancient art that was done in a way so pure! And giving new life to it. And because the warrior on the cover has blue skin. No, it is not white… The power of the myth! Well, I should’ve asked Ai… nein!”  

Speaking of the Irish-English conflict, you also have Irish ancestry – from your mother’s side, I believe. In Ireland, for centuries it was deemed patriotic and honourable to resist invaders at any cost but today if you so much as question the sheer volume of outsiders being ushered in by the compromised government on behalf of its masters at the WEF, then you are a racist. We live in a world of inversions. Here’s another one: in Canada didn’t Trudeau (another WEF gofer) label the freedom convoy protesters as Nazis – for protesting against his Mengelian medical-experiment mandate policy?
“My father gave me the Irish family name and lineage, but we have been born in America since the 1700s. Very rarely will I say I am Irish now, but it was very common when I was young to celebrate St Paddys and to wear green. I am a North American, and a Gaspesian. Yes, during the creation of the Druid Forest, I felt the need to step out of American grounds for artistic reasons, to get ideas from new spheres of creation. Also, when I found the beautiful painting of Megan Walsh, I was just blown away by how the piece of art was speaking to me. It also brings two cultures together, during this album. As you probably know, when you build a life surrounded by forest and old nature, you connect to the same spirits. And it’s a damn manifesto to the modern world or technological life in the city. We forget that the old world is the sworn enemy to the one we have today. In all aspects. And the old ones will never be proud of the lineage they left on earth, or what the sons of their sons have become.
“The convoy, what a story! Well, thanks to the Western Christians for defending our rights to live apart from all this authoritarian mania! Can you imagine that? Another stunning fact, as I never visited the Parliament in Ottawa, because nothing there attracts me, is that I have to also say thank you to the Senate. The Senate refused these new authoritarian plans from Trudeau and basically labelled him as a farce. This is very confusing to me, never in my life did I expect to find myself in a rally with Christians fighting for freedom…
“Well that Nazi flag was gold for the media, desperately searching for a bug or a bone to eat on. We all knew what the protester wanted to do, he wanted to expose Trudeau as an authoritarian leader pictured here as Hitler. Stupid idea, we can agree on that. Yet, this was the best thing for the media, as they shouted to the world watching that it was a white supremacy and hate rally. It is good that we are talking of this event as something from the past, but it is still disgusting to see what kind of idea can emerge from the brain of our national leader.”At least two of your side projects – the aforementioned Aufnorden and Maeströ Cröque Mört – are classified as promoting National Socialist themes on the frankly hideous Encyclopaedia Metallum website. The gatekeepers at the self-proclaimed Metal Archives are effectively accusing you of spreading NS propaganda, so it must be true! Do you think you are possibly sailing too close to the wind with the themes and ideologies explored on these projects or are people simply too ignorant and lazy to understand?
“So if I do one album tomorrow with a rainbow on it, then I shall promote 2LGBT or whatever letters they are adding to this stuff? This is madness. Yes okay, I’m a nazionale extremist according to the left, but bring me back to the glory days of the Reich, I would be a joke. Picture a dog that is born a puppy, grows up nicely and is gentle to the people and family. Then one day, stings and pokes coming from all around. Then, in just a matter of seconds, the nice little puppy turns into one roaring beast spitting all around and barking to kill. He feels the need to defend, something is attacking. This is what I did with MCM. I had enough of my surroundings, fake friendship, disgrace, drug circles, degradation, disloyalty, the abuse of my generosity and big heart. I would’ve given my life for others. I wasn’t born deranged or sociopathic. I was betrayed and then I hit the rock bottom of depression. What is my reaction? Get back up stronger and start a new life with a new meaning. Going back to the forest, holding on to an old tree so as to not fall down again in disgrace and dishonour. Dear mother forest, help me since no God is up there. This is radical liberation from everything I had before. A supreme rebirth. 
“Now, most of the people that knew me left me for good, and I have liberated myself from all the rottenness that was existing in this stupid commune. Always the same ideas, always the same ethics. And when someone steps out of the circle, they grab you in a hurry telling you that you are dumb and how deranged you are, because they don’t want you to go out there and get your hands on the forbidden lore. A dive, headfirst, into chaos. That is MCM. With that project, I was at a crossroads ready to hang myself. Depression kicked me real hard and blackened my heart. But instead of hanging myself, I chose to go to war with everyone around me and the scene. Career suicide. Wait, no, I actually killed myself during that time. There is no turning back from this dark descent. The old me is dead…
“People, or witch hunters, forget that there are no advantages to promoting indigenous romance in the so-called right-wing world. Some people calling you a bean, for example, and telling you that you are not pure white from the north. I stand with no sides whatsoever. I am a lone wolf, and will probably remain this way until I leave to the land of spirits. So, maybe I can be reborn as a dog. Shit and piss everywhere, no need to dress up in the morning, bark at the people I hate. You see, there is no obsession or love for authoritarianism. But they call me ‘NS’. It is too hard to think, I guess. 
“But I know why. Artificial intelligence, infinitely growing media power by all the platforms we have, it’s all thinking for us. We don’t need to think anymore, then we become empty and addicted to whatever drug they create for us. Poker machines, probably the evilest creation of men. I’ve seen the worst from it. I don’t know any other stuff that is as addictive. Casinos on indigenous reserves. What else to say? It’s legal, promoted by the government and no one has any problem with it, because money is flooding out of this thing. Yet, it destroys families, childhoods, everything. Like I said, those who defend ‘the good’ are not good. Then you want to break free from the ties you have with these people and society. In the end, you find yourself all alone. 
“Then covid mania breaks out, then you realize you were on the good path. Being alone is strength and discipline. Prepare for war because it is coming… Peace is just the quiet between two storms, don’t ever forget that. When was the last time you’ve hit a target with a bullet? War is war. But who is attacking who? Because if you defend, you have the right to kill without being a murderer. Sometimes, looking at war stories, you realize this feeling is shared by both armies. War is hell, oh damned it is. If you don’t possess anything in life, or you don’t feel you belong to something, then your patriotism dies instantly. When you invade, this is where the narrative changes. But who invades who? Who is the attacker? Who is the defender? Celebrating patriotism in America can mean so many different things. You can be a native celebrating the honourable that died at Wounded Knee and you can be a white dude celebrating Custer’s victory. Both are Americans. Now you have celebrations of the colonialist victory, and I have no interest in fighting against this. A war has been lost. What is needed is to regroup, fight back, and ride for the win. That will not happen with hashtags, crying, profile pictures on Facebook… not even with the music, I guess! It takes more than that. The ultimate return to nature.
“I don’t think you can take back using the tools that modern society provides us. Dancing back on the lost land because government is giving it back to you (we both know this is manipulation), that is not how it is supposed to be. Lost in war, you win it back in war. I am too prehistoric or delusional for today’s world… 
“Patriotism can be celebrated on any side. What political machine do you have to overthrow Capitalism? Socialism? When real chaos erupts, that is when life on earth gets back to what it really is. Do I promote cannibalism? No. But the hordes will feed someway somehow… I was born from British colonialism. This might explain the chaos that lives inside of me, and the storm that came with music projects that are different and enemies to one another. My blood boils with native and European ancestry. And I fight every day to go back to my Gaspesian belonging, in sometimes ugly and questionable ways. Still, I decided to dig deep enough to gaze at a life that existed before the colonialist days. The Queen’s crown can rot in my shit and piss. Never forget what I just said. Now you can call me whatever you want, it’s your interpretation! Do I have people that are here for the musical side of it? I think I did well with the music. I am really proud of that. Yes, it takes skills to do raw metal! Try it!”   

Isn’t Black Metal by its very nature supposed to be dangerous and antisocial? Offensive and fuelled by hate and rage? Wasn’t it always synonymous with a deep-rooted passion for tradition, culture, heritage? Again, it feels like we have been transported to an inverted, alternative reality where even extreme music must conform to the new snowflake, woke societal norms in a world where now women can apparently have penises. What future does Black Metal have if it becomes the latest ‘safe’ haven of the woke mob?
“Black metal will go back to Christianity. Some bands are already into it. First, because mainstream concerts and big companies are offering black metal as something safe and for everybody. The cross will be put back on its original side. Because the absence of religion made so much space for ‘freedom’, it created space for degeneracy. Now old paedophiles can be dressed like little girls, and they order us to call them as they are. This world just turned upside down. I know science is working hard right now to allow men to have babies. I bet this is true. This is madness. And what now, that twisted fucker is going to shit the baby? And when that pooped baby will grow up, we will have to feel guilty about him not being accepted as normal? Honestly, there are no boundaries to this madness, and when I say madness, I’m referring to authority figures or leaders in society promoting that confusion is good.
“Let’s explore this for a bit, as I don’t want this interview to turn into a gender debate. I know that some people are very confused with their gender. No, exterminating the confused is not something I advocate. One thing I believe in is biological truth. Now, the indigenous two-spirit gender culture is not a hoax, I just think that modern society reinterpreted having ‘masculine edges’ when you’re a woman or ‘feminine edges’ when you are a man to push the agenda of gender spectrum. If I go back to a time when sheltering, hunting or fighting for existence was the only truth, it was crucial for men to be men and women to be women. Oh, I am getting into dangerous topics right here. Men had to be leaders, strong for rivalry, the best hunters, dominant when conquering or defending. Once again, if you have a life away from these ‘human’ concepts, you might end up confused, then find out about the growing number of letters in LGBT on a Tik Tok video and think that you finally found your safe space and the solution to all your problems…
“Yes, we are all different human beings, I can share that view also. That means you don’t have enough letters in the alphabet to create the nonsense categories to put everyone where they claim to belong. Or maybe the alphabet needs to be destroyed too as it is a social construct! I didn’t even speak about the dying family spirit. I am interested in women but I prefer not dating any, since I suffer from the condition of ‘modern couple’ and ‘accepted prostitution’ on OF. Can you create that new category for me? I really belong there. And add some colours to my flag since the one you made for men interested in women is made of grey shades… Enough of this now! Starting to have some brain ache.
“There is a kid not too far from where I live that wants to be a dolphin, and you know they are out there supporting him. Do not ever say some bad stuff about him or against his ‘dream’. Damn right. Now the bank of Canada will give him money to help him build a pool with salted water so he can be himself. Doesn’t matter! As long as he never goes against the government and law. If you want to be a damn flamingo, just be one. It is just crazy to see banks, media, everyone promoting this kind of delusion. They are creating a generation of fucked-up kids. It is already fucked up to grow… can’t imagine being a kid right now. Arg! 
“One day an Iraq vet told me, let them be weak. There is no such thing as being strong, especially now. There’s a growing machine fed by the ‘allies’ and we need to stop it. Yes, they might have won the war, and they are always seen as the ‘liberators’. Never as simple as it seems. Sometimes your liberator becomes your tormentor (per example, Witold Pilecki). For me, the only ones waving communist flags in protests are in the capitalist regime. We all know they will not do such in the communist regime.
“Life on earth is never gonna get soft. Animosity, rivalry, violence. But life in society with leaders accepting all this confusion, it is getting softer. Softer means lacking strength, surviving skills, or leaving behind some animosity. So, people starting to have problems with this life that keeps spinning away from what it is for real. I include myself in this. Then, we are getting all fucked up and losing our minds with new technology and media, and this is where the government and big tech are taking the lead – they’re telling us it is normal and they are going to create new laws so we can all live in peace and quiet, and everything is all right … we have pills, we have science to modify life, to change the biological laws, we can change everything for you. Go crazy, get out of your mind. We support you. 
“Just imagine a kid in class asking how babies are made, and the teacher will answer something like: back in the day it was a man and a woman, now we have 100+ genders, and if you and your partner are game enough, you can go to the pharmacy, choose the sperm you want from a generous donor and create the baby of your dreams. I will say it again, be what you want to be, even in a concert, who am I to point at someone and tell him what to do? Who am I to say he is not accepted in the venue? If I ask for freedom of being, that is what the new genders would want too. But I will not promote confusion, I am not against it, I think it is nonsense. Since I have no sponsors behind me, no booking agency, no major label, I can say whatever I want and trust me it is heartfelt, this is my freedom and it doesn’t support regression. The reason why this thing is growing bigger is that nobody has the guts to speak about it, because the backlash is too dangerous for their careers.
“Flashing an inverted cross in a creepy venue in 1994 is not the same thing as going to an open air festival sponsored by Monster with inverted crosses and big lights on the stage. That is why bands started to flash the Hitler salute, they feel dumb in front of that crowd. They started from dark and cold venues and now they play in Disneyland. It is not that evil anymore. Think about it, big labels and tour agencies are promoting ‘evil’ music with an inverted cross on the poster, but imagine having a Mosque on fire. That will never pass. See, something is wrong here.”  

Even though the restrictions and discrimination that went with the Cov-ID hysteria have been resigned to the past, you have not integrated yourself back into society. I see and hear an even more alienated and isolated Fin Wolf than ever before. The rate at which you have been producing music backs up the notion that you are living the life of a reclusive outcast. Is this the case? Also, after being disgracefully blacklisted in 2021, you returned to the stage at Messe Des Morts last year – how did that experience work out – a triumphant return or a pyrrhic victory? 
“Hunting, dwelling in old forests, gazing at the ocean, fishing, cutting trees and planting new ones… waiting for society to collapse! Yes, it will happen. I enjoy my life in the countryside even if the economy is not going to recover from its downfall and yes sometimes I feel the gloom and sadness of being lonely and not having a circle of friends to support me in bad times. Yes, I am still a human after all and some decisions I’ve made are hurting me in some way. But I do not see this as defeat. When I look at people and they respond with angry eyes or just looking elsewhere because I am an extremist to them, I enjoy this more than having so-called friends stabbing me in the back when the time comes or just fade away when I really need them.
“I never experienced what it is to have a true friend in my life (tears). Honestly, I can deal with it. But I have this life of depression and a habit of gazing at the past like it was the ultimate glory. When you live in the countryside, you have all these people talking about you behind your back and betraying you, I have grown with this feeling of anger and you can ask the ones who left the land, ask them why they left. A lot of them will tell you because of the bad reputation you get or because people are always trying to infiltrate your privacy. I give them a lot of stories to feed on, that is no problem to me. I am a selfish prick to a lot of people, yet the small portion of people that know me are not buying this and we can still have a chat here and there with a beer.
“But yes, I consider myself a lone wolf and I do not belong anywhere except on my land. I would say the ‘covid vaccine’ situation did not help this in any way. Regarding the Messe des Morts, I really had a great time, and that is because of the people behind this festival, I raise my axe to them and they offered me a stage and a crowd to express some deep feelings I had accumulated from the past years, trapped in my home. Triumphant return, yes, I would say that. I was damn proud when I took the stage back and played my songs. Cheers to Messe des Morts’ staff and all the people that came to support the band, and also the ones that came to hate and criticize what I do as an artist.”With so many different one-man bands going at the same time (eight at the last count but no doubt there are more), do you have a fractured or splintered personality or existence? Who is the real Finian Patraic and what is Ifernach today?
“Asshole, selfish prick, degenerate, white scum, fake white, bean, fraud, suicidal, depressed, genius, skilled musician… maybe I am all of it. My pursuit is not to become a rockstar, to play big stages and get imprisoned into this portrait that people will draw of me. The second I say something that does not fit to that portrait, they try to censor or crucify me. I am free from everything. I am totally independent. My ultimate pursuit is to spread the music as far as it can go. The rest is your perspective: you like me, you hate me. But you heard me. And like the wizard, no one can really corner him. He always escapes, you think you know him but you don’t. This is what I do, you cannot draw a real portrait of what I am, it is too chaotic and contradictious. 
“What I do is black metal, true to dark arts and the occult. It’s not about saying the right stuff, I am perfectly imperfect, human, not a robot. Being free and saying what I want is more important than having a big record deal or a spot on the Hellfest gig. When you wear an Ifernach shirt, you support survivalism, strength, honour, pride, traditional ways, Gaspesian indigenous belonging. When you spark a fire sometimes it can spread and destroy stuff here and there… Ifernach is a two-headed monster. The first head fights against modern times and all its ugliness. Some concepts that were not even existing back in the 1600s! The other one fights for the dead lore of the Gaspesian land. You should understand that to take down the political mechanics of this planet you have to create something more evil, more dominant that what’s already in place. You can’t beat evil with love and world peace, I never bought that religious belief. That is the bullshit they are selling us.
“Finian Patraic is the name of the artist and Ifernach is the canvas. I can say I’ve put down my black cape and unleashed some more personal stuff for this interview, as I feel completely in balance and free when I speak to you. Now I need to keep some privacy for myself, in a way being known attracts people to want to know more about your life, well they want to know everything. I guess it is not going to happen. You can still interpret, in a bad or a good way.” 

If we liken Black Metal to black magic, and the artist to a magician, then he is not going to be a very interesting or effective magician if he is denied access to the dark arts, through censorship or whatever else. To maintain full control of the quality and content of your art / act, shouldn’t all the elements – especially the dangerous ones – be left available to you?
“What is black metal if we can’t practice esoteric rituals or black magic? How can we hope for a new alloy if the alchemist has no right to manipulate or operate? There was a time when you would just go to the record store and buy the stuff you want. Now you have to be ashamed when people disagree with what you do as an artist. Worst, they crucify and cancel you. Then, they call your touring agency, your label, the venues, to avoid any further happening of this dangerous music. It almost feels like when Slayer was first trying to exist. My music will always raise hell and make you feel uncomfortable. From these feelings we can now shake things and make sure we never become dormant, obedient and blind.”  

There’s a proliferation of indigenous Black Metal bands in North America now and it is interesting that they are not really part of a ‘scene’, so to speak. Each seems to beat a different drum, but with obvious common themes. Ifernach released a magnificent split with Pan-Amerikan Native Front and a new collaboration with another indigenous act is forthcoming, but do you associate yourself with or distance yourself from the others?
“As an artist, I have no interest in going out in public to discredit one’s path in the music world. We all have goals with our art, who am I to go out and criticize this and that? And I think the path I have chosen is very different from other American native bands that are aiming for the top. I am in my place, where I stand, in chaos and disorder, free and more alive than ever, and even closer to death. I hope the spirit behind Blackbraid finds the answers he is looking for and accomplishes everything he wants as a musician and as a proud indigenous American. I can tell that ‘indigenous black metal’ doesn’t mean all the bands agree on the same page. Of course, we could unite for a war to kick out the English Crown and Colonialism, or to kill Christianity for good – but what about protecting our land from the rising of Allah’s disciples?  I would love to gather around a big fire, after a day of hunting, with some indigenous artists to debate modern day topics and politics. I am sure that we would not agree on a lot of things, and we could have new ideas to get along, because we are not living the same life, and we are from different parts of the continent. I still have parts of my family that have no clue about indigenous traditionalism and the importance of the revival. I have no interest in starting wars with other indigenous bands whatsoever, but I can say I will handle all the controversy, the hate, the bullshit and the evil part. Leave that stuff to me. If I am too fucked up, too extreme, too offensive, too evil for metalheads, then you have a lot of good bands that you can go support outside of Ifernach. I think the hype train has fallen off the rails now and it is good news. Never will I allow you to put a tag on what I do, then be expected to say the stuff you want to hear, because I belong inside the tag you just created for the music I do. Ifernach is Ifernach.”

It’s great to see that Ifernach is still alive and kicking, with a new MLP just released, ‘Waqan II’. You hinted after the release of ‘Capitulation of All Life’ that you might lay Ifernach to rest after the next album and when ‘Neo-Tribal Manimal’ materialised in 2022 it felt like that might be that. But, thankfully new music is now appearing under this banner again. Was it a case of you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, you can’t kill a bad thing…?
“‘WAQAN II’ was initially a spin-off project but the label wanted it to be branded as Ifernach, so I ended up saying yes. ‘Fly Kitpu’ is a powerful gloomy track, I really love it. I have a challenge for the haters, try to spot the ‘stolen’ main riff and from which band? Guilty for being inspired! In the end, I love the rivalry and hate, I don’t want the bad reactions to go away, people need to think more and to be offended more. I have no plans to back down from this. Now, I needed to record new versions of some old stuff for the upcoming split with Maquahuitl and it sparked the hunger for some new material. It was not planned but it happened. I really thought it was over since my inspiration was drying out a little bit, yes I am human! A 7” will come on Tour de Garde, and a CD regrouping all the work I did this year (three EPs). After ‘Capitulation’, the world has fallen and hordes are roaming the dead earth to take back the vacant throne. This is the theme explored on the new album that is coming this summer.”