Tsatthoggua has long thrived at the crossroads of black and thrash metal, where chaos and experimentation meet fierce, perverse energy. Returning from a 20-year hiatus, they’ve reignited their flame with a sound that channels their origins in the extreme underground.
With their first performance at Underground for the Masses II fast approaching, we caught up with Nar Marratuk to explore their evolution, musical vision, and the wild ride ahead. Here’s what he had to share.
Hails! Thanks for taking the time to sit with us for this interview. Let’s get into it—your band’s name is quite distinctive, and it has roots in the works of Clark Ashton Smith. What led you to choose this particular name for the group?
Nar Marratuk: Hailz! That’s right, we’ve always been interested in Clark Ashton Smith’s works and gods. We loved the strange names like Yog-Sothoth, Azathoth, Nyarlathotep etc., and wanted to share our name with these creatures as well. They all sound so perverse and sick strange otherworldly.
To us, Tsatthoggua represents a bizarre deity, dirty and grotesque. That’s exactly what our band should be like. We wanted to use philosophical, perverse and bizarre lyrics and arrange hard, fast music. That’s the story behind it.
Before Tsatthoggua, you were known as Dissection. How did your musical evolution between these two phases unfold?
Nar Marratuk: Back then, Dissection was pure death metal. We grew up with bands like Sodom, Metallica, Anthrax, and Slayer. Later, Morbid Angel, Death, Carcass, Deicide, etc. came along. So, we were more influenced by death metal. Over time, we sought greater extremes in all aspects. We were initially influenced by bands like Venom, Celtic Frost, and later Darkthrone, Enslaved, Satyricon, Immortal, and Marduk. They fascinated us. They conveyed the essence of evil and this profound aura. We wanted to capture it similarly at the time, only with a kind of chaos and madness. Our new album, “We Are God“, is, in my opinion, a mix of both styles with thrashy accents.
Tsatthoggua has been active since 1993, with a dormant period between 2000 and 2019. What led to the decision to reunite?
Nar Marratuk: We never officially split up. But around the turn of the millennium, we somehow lost motivation. Our drummer and I started families, had children, each of us pursued our own careers, and so we slowly went our own ways. In 2002, I moved to another city for work reasons and completely lost contact with each other. That essentially sealed the end. But we didn’t part in a bad way. In 2019, our singer, Northwind, met our former manager at a concert. They drank a few beers together in a relaxed atmosphere and talked about a reunion with all the old band members. A few weeks later, Northwind contacted all the weirdos and arranged a meeting with the entire band. At the meeting, it felt as if our paths had never parted and we had only seen each other yesterday. After many beers, we came up with the idea of playing a single concert where it all began. At that point, we weren’t even thinking about a new album. None of us even had instruments anymore. The audience feedback at the concert was incredible, and we had a huge party. Therefore, the next step was clear to us: Let’s continue and give ass kicks!
What has changed since then?
Nar Marratuk: For us personally, I can say that we’ve become more relaxed. We take everything as it comes and don’t force anything. We’re also no longer that eccentric bunch of weirdos who are up for anything. For us, it’s primarily about having fun together, having a good time, and meeting interesting people. Age is starting to matter to us, and we don’t know how much longer we can continue like this. So, for now, we’re just having fun.
Musically, there’s still mainstream and underground. I think the new generation in the scene thinks black metal has to be either raw or atmospheric. In my opinion, there’s hardly any truly crazy stuff these days. When I think of the first Napalm Death, Carcass, Impaled Nazarene, or our first releases, they were definitely riskier and more experimental. There’s nothing like that anymore, and that’s exactly what made us and those bands so special, because they did something different, something crazy. Unfortunately, in my opinion, the scene no longer allows for as much experimentation as it used to.
So, what do you think is the most important thing for most musicians to focus on when developing their sound or identity?
Nar Marratuk: There are so many outstanding and talented musicians these days who have incredible command of their instruments. However, in my opinion, few of them dare to be different. They should reflect who they are and not emulate role models. They should simply do crazy things that haven’t been done before, or haven’t been done for a long time. Be willing to experiment, sometimes fight against resistance like we did back then, and not just go with the flow of the mainstream to be heard.
When I browse social media today, I find countless bands that all do the same thing. Nevertheless, there are many very good bands out there that unfortunately fly under the radar due to the sheer number of bands. The bands that are different are few and far between. Others only stand out because of their personality or their crazy stage shows. So, be willing to experiment, utilize the existing potential, and do some crazy shit for us.
Now, let us have a deep dive into your releases! “Siegeswille” from 1995 marked the start of your path as a band. Looking back, what does that demo represent for you now, and how did the process of creating it shape your approach to songwriting and performance?
Nar Marratuk: This demo tape represents the beginning of our story. With this tape, we got our first record deal through Osmose Productions, which was something very special at the time. With this tape, we also showed our most extreme and experimental side. So this tape has a special meaning for all of us.
In terms of our approach to songwriting and performance, nothing from back then remains. As teenagers, we went into the rehearsal room and played wildly. Nowadays, it’s much more technical. The possibilities that technology offers us today are completely different. The fact that none of us had an instrument in our hands for 20 years meant that we had to come to terms with the new circumstances. That helped me progress personally in terms of songwriting. On the other hand, it also means that we unfortunately no longer do the crazy things we did 30 years ago. A blessing and a curse.
Moving on to “Trans Cunt Whip” from 1998, what can you share about the album’s creation process and the influences behind it?
Nar Marratuk: We’ve never let ourselves be influenced by any upheavals but have always done our own thing. What we’ve tried to do is make each album sound different from the previous ones. “Trans Cunt Whip” is more straightforward without any bells and whistles. Without keyboards, and awesome sick intros. Pure extreme metal. There were other reasons why “Trans Cunt Whip” sounds different from its predecessor. Part of the album was written on tour with Marduk and I think that influenced me personally when writing the songs. We wanted to follow up “Hosanna Bizarre” with another release as quickly as possible. I think that was reflected in the quality of the songwriting and I would never do it that way again. We also spent three full months in the studio working on “Hosanna Bizarre” and were able to continually make adjustments just like I do in my studio now. When we flew to Peter Tägtgren‘s house in Sweden to record the album we only had ten days. As a result, many of the finer details were missing. Those were the only influences we experienced at the time.
“We Are God” is your newest full-length album, released in 2024. What inspired its title, and how does it reflect your current vision as a band?
Nar Marratuk: The new album was actually supposed to be called “Gloria Extasia”. Just for old times’ sake and because we wanted to start over where we left off. But when we heard that a band we were friends with had received parts of the “Gloria Extasia” lyrics from someone in our inner circle at the time we decided against it. We don’t blame him or the band because no one expected us to come back.
We decided on “We are God” because we take the position that we are all our own goddesses and gods. We don’t bow to any religion and we worship ourselves. We exercise our own will and reject the death of the spirit. This title embodies what we stand for today.
How did each band member contribute to the production and arrangement process of “We Are God”?
Nar Marratuk: As I said, we had all completely removed ourselves from the scene and musically. Now that we’re starting again, we first had to get to grips with the new circumstances. These newly added technical possibilities were completely new to us. Triggers, modeling, and home recording were a completely new world for us, and we had to work our way around it. Home recording, in particular, has made a lot of things possible for us. I live in a different city than the other guys, and that means I don’t have the opportunity to jam after work. I then wrote the new pieces in a relaxed manner in my small studio, repeatedly reworked them, and presented them to the others almost finished. The final touches then took place together in the rehearsal room. Thanks to digital possibilities, everyone knew straight away which direction we wanted to go in, and we could then get to work straight away in the rehearsal room. Things were obviously very different 30 years ago. If you didn’t write a few riffs at home beforehand, which you then had to present to the others and sometimes convince them of, you just jammed a bit in the rehearsal room until you came up with something acceptable. But it was also an advantage that we worked on a song with several people, allowing everyone to contribute their own inspiration. Of course, that also made the whole thing more diverse and varied.
Still looking back on the recording process, is there anything you would do differently, or anything that really worked well and you’d want to carry forward into future projects?
Nar Marratuk: We wouldn’t want to change much as we’re very happy with the recording. We’re thrilled with the intensity and power of the recording. The only thing I’ll pay attention to in the future and something I’ve only just realized is that I feel the recording lacks some depth and atmosphere. That’s the only thing I’ll keep in mind for a future recording.
Out of your entire discography, is there a song that stands out as the most meaningful to you?
Nar Marratuk: I think it’s “Niemals Geboren“. It’s a groovy song that still gets people swaying to their feet today. A song that’s often requested by fans. It was also our first song sung in German, which was very unusual at the time. With it, we were able to express our otherness and our willingness to experiment.
Your stage presence is unmistakable, with a strong emphasis on distinctive clothing. How much of the outfit choices are deliberate, and how much comes naturally in the moment?
Nar Marratuk: Nothing spontaneously happens. We’ve stuck to our outfits from earlier years and wear the same clothes as back then. The only thing is that apart from our singer Northwind all the other musicians now wear masks. But that’s due to advancing age hair loss and our bass player’s ugliness ;-). In this respect too we wanted to be different then and now to stand out from the crowd and from the many other bands. When we came back, we realized that the things we were laughed at for back then are things a lot of bands do today. It’s a funny thing and to a certain extent we seem to have been pioneers in that regard.
Do you consider the visual elements of your live shows to be just as important as the music?
Nar Marratuk: Absolutely. In my opinion, especially with this mass of bands, you stand out mainly with your show and visual effects. At least, enough to stay in the audience’s minds. Then there’s the quality of the music.
With our outfits and the visual effects we’re better able to deliver an energetic show. As soon as we put on our outfits it’s as if we’re starting up an engine and reviving it to the limit. I can still remember to this day that a band cut off an animal’s head on stage (I think everyone knows what I’m talking about). Musically, the band didn’t give me anything personally which isn’t to say anything against the band but it stuck with me. Or others who are too drunk to play their set and fall off the stage. That’s not to say that animals should be slaughtered on stage or that I want to encourage people to drink!
Staying on the topic of live performances, you’ve toured with Marduk during the late ’90s, and that experience must have shaped how you approach touring, performing on stage, and traveling across Europe. Are there any other bands you’ve had memorable experiences with on the road?
Nar Marratuk: Over the decades, we’ve had many amazing and sick experiences; otherwise we probably wouldn’t be able to do it this way anymore. Especially when we were younger we experienced a lot with Therion, Gehenna and Atrocity. And yes, in addition to traveling across half of Europe we had some unforgettable experiences last year in Mexico, Turkey and Finland. Fantastic audiences and true enthusiasts! We received a great welcome and were treated exceptionally well. I’d also like to mention the great events like Steelfest, Under the Black Sun, Odyssey To Blasphemy and the Turku Saatanalle Black Metal Festival to name just a few. Thank you so much for everything, this unforgettable time and I hope there will be more to come!
Another stop is Underground for the Masses II. What’s your mindset going into this show?
Nar Marratuk: We’re really excited about the opportunity to play in your country. We want to kick the asses of people who don’t know us yet with our music and leave a lasting impression. We’ll be different and stand out. We’ll play an extreme, energetic show and have a great time with lots of new people. This will all be one big party for us, and we’re really looking forward to it.
Do you see Underground for the Masses II as an opportunity to showcase anything new or try something different?
Nar Marratuk: We won’t be presenting anything new or different than before. We’ll be sticking to what defines us and who we are: a bunch of aging motherfuckers who want to party. We want you to remember that you saw some amazing motherfuckers, a great show and good music. That you had a great time and were well entertained and that you’d love to see us again. It will be an honor for us!
Tsatthoggua at Underground for the Masses II
© Nexion Arts and Anca Kivart
Are there any new projects, tours, or directions you’re looking forward to exploring?
Nar Marratuk: We’d like to travel to America, Asia and South America again. Discussions are already underway. This year, before Romania, we’ll be performing in Lille France. Following Underground for the Masses II, we’ll be heading to the Czech Republic for Nice to Eat You Festival. In the second half of the year, we’ll play a few more festivals in Germany such as Hole in the Svn and Miriquidi Festival. A tour for 2026 is also planned but that hasn’t been finalized yet. So there’s still a lot going on.
Finally, do you have a message for those who follow Tsatthoggua and continue to support your music?
Nar Marratuk: We are still amazed that there are people like you, the Osmose staff or our fans worldwide who still like or love what we do and support us. This is the greatest possible honor! Thank you very much! Stay bizarre, kick some ass and dominate!
