“See you at Underground for the Masses II” said Flo Musil, the mastermind, stage-shatterer and sonic destroyer from Theotoxin, so dare not waste your chance to witness their dark ritual!
Underground for the Masses II is creeping closer, so don’t miss the Austrian assault of Theotoxin! Known for their dark, atmospheric soundscapes and relentless energy, Theotoxin will bring a crushing blend of black and death metal to the stage. Their intense, ritualistic approach promises a performance that combines chaos and elegance, enveloping the audience in a vortex of sonic darkness. Ritual on stage? You can be sure of that! Until then, a glimpse into their minds and dark rituals… An interview with the masterminds of this sonic onslaught!
DinIntunerec: Hello, thank you for getting on board with this interview. How are you guys, what have you been doing lately?
F: Thanks for having us! Actually we are currently working on a new record. That´s the reason for the veil of silence lately.
Ragnar: We are currently going through the process of creating our next output, where most of the things happen behind the curtains and that´s exactly the way we want it to be.
DinIntunerec: Tell us a few words about Theotoxin, how did you guys decide to form the band and what did you have in mind at the very beginning?
F: Back in 2017, I decided to form my own band, because writing everything by myself is a way to express my creativity. I`ve got my own vision of black metal, which I can realize with Theotoxin and with my current band members I found brothers in arms.
Ragnar: I joined Theotoxin before we started to work on the first album of the Fragment series. I had a clear vision of the direction I would like to go and this was in perfect harmony with what F. had in mind. That´s how and when the two recently released albums Fragment: Erhabenheit and Fragment: Totenruhe were created and released. So I can´t really tell a lot about the beginnings, but
the musical progression we made is a quite clear one when you listen to the records and it´s not finished yet. I think we share the same vision of how Black Metal should sound and what it´s all about. That also distinguishes us from a lot of bands out there, who are doing Black Metal because extreme music get´s more attention nowadays than before.
DinIntunerec: What got you guys into extreme metal in the first place and who are some of the bands that got you into the genre?
F: The debut record of Burzum and Amorphis – Tales from the Thousand Lakes.
Ragnar: I listen to Black Metal since I was 8 years old. I got my first mixtape from a friend of my sister. It had various songs of Dimmu Borgir, Darkthrone, Burzum, Mayhem but also some old Pagan Black Metal stuff on it, which I really liked. After that, I started to discover the world of Black Metal – at first analogue and later on digitally-supported over blogspots, MySpace and other platforms. Some of the bands I have discovered back then I am still listening to, but I also still enjoy looking for new ‘diamonds’ out there.
DinIntunerec: What is the story behind the name of the band? The meaning is self explanatory: Theos means God in old Greek and we all know what ‘toxin’ means. Hence, I suppose the name of the band is a metaphor of how religion is able to poison our minds. My question is why did you choose this name. Also, were there other ideas that you have chosen from?
F: You got straight to the point – that´s exactly the meaning behind the name.
DinIntunerec: Tell us about your latest release, Fragment : Totenruhe. What are the concepts behind the album? Also, it is more melodic than the previous one, however without losing its roughness.
F: The whole lyrical concept is about life and death, i.e. you can see the tree of death on the front cover of the album. It wasn´t on purpose that the record turned out more melodic than the previous one, it just happened naturally through the writing process.
Ragnar: The idea was to create an album that was mostly focused on the topic of Death and various beliefs, certain encounters closely connected to it and current situations in this world we have to deal with.
DinIntunerec: About the first Fragment, is the term Erhabenheit meant in the philosophical interpretation of Edmund Burke as he stated that sublime causes some form of pain and horror?
F: Actually it was a term we wanted to use to express the sublime regarding the previous records.
Ragnar: It was the most suitable word for this new era of Theotoxin that we started when I joined the band and was therefore not connected to Burke or his beliefs. Although I have to admit that I often see myself as a preserver of things in this fucked up world.
DinIntunerec: Tell us about the video for World, Burn For Us. Why did you choose this song for making a video?
F: We chose this song because it has a perfect mix of melody and roughness to it, it was actually the first song I`ve written for that record.
Ragnar: It simply felt as the correct choice for representing Fragment : Totenruhe although it was a close run with Demise of the Gilded Age.
DinIntunerec: Totenruhe is an amazing song… Could you talk about the inspiration for this song?
Ragnar: The inspiration for this song comes from the atmosphere of a graveyard, I have been to in the last years. It´s located in the small city of Villach in Austria for those of you who are curious.
DinIntunerec: The cover art for the latest album is really memorable and I’m interested in the imagery and colours Jose Gabriel Sabogal used. What does that cover represent?
F: As already mentioned above, it symbolizes the tree of death from medieval times and Jose came up with the idea after we talked about the concept of the record.
DinIntunerec: The first Fragment also has an intriguing cover art. Tell us about it’s symbolism, please.
Ragnar: The part of a song called Philosopher that made it to the record Fragment : Erhabenheit describes it the best way: A king shall be crowned.
DinIntunerec: How does the creative process go in your case? Who does what? Is it a collaborative process or is it more like a one man effort?
F: Usually I write all the guitars by myself and record some demos. Afterwards Ragnar, Fabian and I work on the arrangements. Ragnar takes care of the lyrics. When the arrangements and the lyrics are done, we gather in our rehearsal room and I include the drum parts.
Ragnar: It´s my duty to bring riffs and beats of F. and my lyrics into a feasible structure and create the ‘overall view’ of a song. Then we work together on that song to make it a creation we all identify with and own.
DinIntunerec: What inspires you to write? How do you come up with the lyrics?
Ragnar: That´s a very simple question, because inspiration lies in everything. It´s my life, experience, the world and people I deal with as well as certain ways and codices I choose to live according to. Also I think that things which history should have thought us as human beings are a strong, yet frustrating inspiration for a lot of lyrical concepts out there as well as some of mine.
DinIntunerec: Could you explain how all the elements in the music help to build the atmosphere? Also, what does a good atmosphere mean to you?
F: It depends, Black metal overall should be eerie and hateful, but also could be melodic sometimes. It´s difficult to answer because mood is also a big thing when it comes to writing.
DinIntunerec: Your lineup has been pretty consistent over the life of the band, particularly the last few years. How do you keep a healthy band dynamic?
F: Actually we had a few lineup changes through the last years because for me, as the bands “dictator“, it´s important to have companions who share the same vision of Black Metal as I do and have a passion for music. Within the band we have a really good relationship and we can rely on each other, which is a very important part, especially when you are on tour together.
Ragnar: As always in life it´s about gathering high potentials, setting up clear rules, responsibilities and carry out smart expectation management as well as transparent communication. That´s the path to success!
DinIntunerec: When should we expect a new release? What future plans can you disclose?
F: I am in the midst of writing at the moment and it will be a much darker and brutal record.
Ragnar: New releases can be expected in 2026 according to plans at the moment. The new material is going to be much more ‘evil’, focusing on the very simple, yet not boring aspects of human beings minds, desires and the mystifying darkness each of us is embedded into, waiting to be explored within all those years of life.
DinIntunerec: Each band has defining moments, or turning points… What are the key events that shaped Theotoxin into what it is today?
F: A turning point for the band was when Ragnar took over the vocals. We both share the same vision of Black Metal and he is an outstanding vocalist and companion.
Ragnar: I got nothing to add here.
DinIntunerec: What were the main obstacles that you had to overcome during your activity?
F: Finding a lineup that harmonizes took some time and left some old members behind.
Ragnar: The lack of time.
DinIntunerec: What is the main driving force behind Theotoxin? What are the main principles that drive this project forward?
F: One word – dedication.
Ragnar: Power in it´s rawest form!
DinIntunerec: What’s the best thing for you about performing live?
F: The best thing about performing live is the synergy between the audience and the band. Theotoxin is certainly a live band and our music is meant for violent live performances.
Ragnar: To be able to carry out my proclamation and feel the power of our creation on stage.
DinIntunerec: Speaking about performing live, you will play in Bucharest in April, at Underground for the Masses festival. What do you know about Romania and about this black metal festival and what are your expectations?
F: I´ve been to Romania last year with Benighted, as their session drummer and we played in the same venue where the UFTM will take place. Therefore I already had a chance to visit your country. We are really looking forward to this festival.
Ragnar: My last memory of Romania is an unforgettable hiking trip in the Carpathian mountains with my girlfriend as well as Norway-priced gin tonics at a hotel bar. Let´s see what´s ahead – I´m not coming with any particular expectations other than our usual brutal show, as well as spending a great weekend with my comrades in Theotoxin and some old friends from the road like Kai and Raina from team AG.
DinIntunerec: What was the best or worst, an unforgettable incident, a memory that happened while on tour or during a live show?
F: There were a lot of unforgettable moments on tour, but this will stay in the tour bus. We often had cold water in the showers, bad catering, shitty and small backstage rooms and so on. On the other hand, we’ve met so many interesting and nice people on tour and fellow musicians as well, and for that we are really thankful.
Ragnar: It´s me somewhere in Poland, falling off a pretty high stage to the front row at the beginning of the first song because of the slippery fluid all over the place. What a glorious way to start a show – fuck that!
DinIntunerec: How do you see the underground metal scene nowadays? Apart from quantity, as it seems there are a lot of new bands emerging everywhere, do you think there is quality too?
F: In my opinion, I´m more of a second wave Black Metal listener. Nowadays there are a lot of good bands, but also a lot of wimps and posers.
Ragnar: As I’ve already mentioned above… If you are passionate into Black Metal, you will always be continuously searching for those few ‘diamonds’ that deliver a certain quality. They do exist, but, sometimes, they are not easy to find among all those Post Black Metal Bullshit-Bands that are growing like mushrooms in nowadays fully mixed up rock / punk / heavy scenes. We are all responsible to distinguish and fulfill our part in preserving the flame of Black Metal as it should be, to make future people remember what this is all about!
DinIntunerec: What is the most important life lesson that you have learned so far?
Ragnar: Be careful who you trust and choose your bonds wisely.
DinIntunerec: Thank you for your time, any final words for our readers?
F: See you at the UFTM festival. Support Austrian Black Arts!
Ragnar: Prepare for a demonstration of the powerhouse Theotoxin!
