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Absurd is one of the best-known National Socialist black metal bands^[2] in Germany, classified as right-wing extremist by the Thuringian Landesbehörde für Verfassungsschutz.^[3] It was founded in Sondershausen by Hendrik Möbus and Sebastian Schauseil in 1992, with a third member, Andreas Kirchner, joining at a later stage. Möbus’ brother Ronald (who is also the owner of the label Nebelklang, formerly Nebelfee Klangwerke, on which Absurd are signed) had previously sat in rehearsal sessions with the band at the local YMCA, where they utilized a free rehearsal space open to local teen bands. Their lyrics concern nationalistic, pagan (Hendrik Möbus is the founder of the Deutsche Heidnische Front), and anti-Christian themes.

Despite being considered one of the most well-known and one of the first NSBM bands, these themes did not seem to become that prominent until the 1999 release Asgardsrei.

Though Hendrik Möbus claims Euronymous, the figurehead in the Norwegian black metal circle, wanted to sign Absurd after hearing their second demo Death from the Forest, this claim is neither founded nor plausible.

The band achieved infamy because its members murdered the fifteen-year old Sandro Beyer in 1993. The canonical motive is that Beyer was privy to an illicit relationship of Schauseil's with the mother of a schoolmate, and had been spreading rumours about this and other activities of the band. On 29 April in Sondershausen, Möbus, Schauseil, and Kirchner enticed Beyer to a meeting, and strangled him there with an electrical cord. Kirchner, in a now infamous quotation, was reported as saying: "Oh shit, I completely fucked up my life". Schauseil attempted a plea of insanity, claiming that voices in his head told him to murder Beyer. This was, however, thrown out in court, due to the testimony of psychiatrists who worked with Schauseil after the initial arrest.

Hendrik Möbus

In prison, Möbus was able to carry on with the band under the temporary name "In Ketten" (German for "in chains"); after the murder, this became a cult band with Neo-Nazi groups. No releases were made as 'In Ketten' but some of the tracks recorded were used on the 'Facta Loquuntur' album. The tape Thuringian Pagan Madness shows on its cover the grave of the murdered Sandro Beyer, and inside says: "The cover shows the grave of Sandro B. murdered by horde ABSURD on 29.04.93 AB".

The band members were released on parole in 1998, because they had been under eighteen when they had committed their crime. Shortly after release, Möbus violated the terms of his parole when at a concert he performed the Hitler salute, which is illegal in Germany. His parole was consequently revoked. He managed to flee to the United States, where he met William Luther Pierce, but was captured there. He was arrested by U.S. marshals. In 2001, after his request for asylum was denied, he was sent back to prison for the remaining three years for murder. For mocking his victim and for the Hitler salute he was sentenced to a further twenty-six months. On 15 May 2003 he was again sentenced to four years in prison.

Möbus is presently still incarcerated, and has ended his participation in Absurd. Schauseil is still involved with the underground metal-scene; he performed between 1999 and 2004 with the folk-influenced nationalist band Halgadom, the black metal project Wolfsmond (also featuring bassplayer Unhold, who currently plays drums in Absurd), and the neofolk band In Acht und Bann. He has distanced himself from National Socialism and politics in general, as evidenced by the current direction of Wolfsmond and as stated in an interview he conducted with Vampire Magazine.

Band history since 1999

The band Absurd has continued in existence since 1999, going through many changes of personnel, and losing all of its original members. The leader is Wolf, Hendrik's brother, with Sebastian Schauseil performing the occasional vocal part on releases such as Asgardsrei (1999), Werwolfthron (2001), Totenlieder (2003), and Blutgericht (2005). Because the band line-up and musical style has changed drastically, many people consider anything that was released after Werwolfthron to be an entirely different band.

This new lineup released a Best-of-album in March 2008 called "Der fünfzehnjährige Krieg" ("The fifteen-years-war"). The album contains re-recorded tracks from almost every release between 1992 and 2002. The title of the album refers to the 15 years between 1992 and 2007, the year the songs were recorded.

Music style

The demos and the first album “Facta Loquuntur” have strong Oi! and Rock Against Communism (RAC) influences.^[4] Musical idols were bands like Mercyful Fate, Manowar, Danzig and especially Der Fluch, a band covered by Absurd on both “Der fünfzehnjährige Krieg” and the split release “Weltenfeind”. On the other hand, the band called itself a black metal band from the very beginning; in an interview with the pupil magazine of his school, Hendrik Möbus said Absurd would play the hardest, rawest and most ingenious black metal in Germany^[5] Michael Moynihan and Didrik Søderlind classified the band’s early recordings as primitive 60’s garage punk, and according to Christian Dornbusch and Hans-Peter Killguss, the second demo Death from the Forest had no similarities to black metal neither of the first nor the second wave, but was rather a mixture of primitive hard rock and punk rock elements. Due to its musical dilettantism, the band was not taken seriously by black metallers for a long time.^[6] In an add in Sub Line magazine, the same demo was praised as “unholy, hard guitar rock, wild and boisterous; for all the dark souls out there” (“unheiliger, harter Gitarrenrock, wild und ungestüm; für all die schwarzen Seelen dort draußen”). The “Mansion of Metal” classified it as “essentially crappy punk rock/RAC” and claims the “Thuringian Pagan Madness” demo to have black metal influences.^[7] The music on the first album was classified as a mix of Oi! and black metal.^[8]

Hendrik Möbus called the “Asgardsrei” EP the band’s first wholistic piece of work, adjusted in concept and layout as well, and the band’s step away from its former musical dilettantism; however, still spoke of dilettante music, and Ronald Möbus criticised the final mixing.^[1]

“Werwolfthron” was the first metal release of the band, but also contained calmer songs and medieval music. The following albums are pagan metal, the vocals being mostly guttural with some clear parts.

Discography

Studio albums

EPs

External links

Absurd official website (German/English)
Vampire Magazine - Interview with Schauseil
Mourning the Ancient - Interview with Hendrik (2001)

References

^ ^a ^b Interview by Sheol-Mag
^ Thilo Thielke: Töten für Wotan, Der Spiegel 38/2000 vom 18. September 2000, Seite 134
^ Verfassungsschutzbericht des Freistaats Thüringen - 1999 (PDF) Punkt 4.6
^ Hendrik Möbus in a dialogue with Michael Moynihan
^ Billerbeck, Liane von; Nordhausen, Frank: Satanskinder. Der Mordfall von Sondershausen und die rechte Szene. 3. revised edition, Berlin 2001, p. 158.
^ Christian Dornbusch, Hans-Peter Killguss: Unheilige Allianzen. Black Metal zwischen Satanismus, Heidentum und Neonazismus', p. 52
^ “Thuringian Pagan Madness” review
^ http://www.anus.com/metal/absurd/

"ABSURD." Thepaganfront.com. 6 Nov. 2006. 15 Feb. 2008 <http://www.thepaganfront.com/absurd/>.

[sheolmag-1] Interview by Sheol-Mag

[2] Thilo Thielke: Töten für Wotan, Der Spiegel 38/2000 vom 18. September 2000, Seite 134

[3] Verfassungsschutzbericht des Freistaats Thüringen - 1999 (PDF) Punkt 4.6

[triath-4] Hendrik Möbus in a dialogue with Michael Moynihan

[5] Billerbeck, Liane von; Nordhausen, Frank: Satanskinder. Der Mordfall von Sondershausen und die rechte Szene. 3. revised edition, Berlin 2001, p. 158.

[6] Christian Dornbusch, Hans-Peter Killguss: Unheilige Allianzen. Black Metal zwischen Satanismus, Heidentum und Neonazismus', p. 52

[7] “Thuringian Pagan Madness” review

[8] ttp://www.anus.com/metal/absurd/

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@@ Line 18: / Line 18: @@
 Despite being considered one of the most well-known and one of the first NSBM bands, these themes did not seem to become that prominent until the 1999 release ''Asgardsrei''.
-Though Hendrik Möbus pretends [[Euronymous]], the figurehead in the [[Early Norwegian black metal scene|Norwegian black metal circle]], wanted to sign Absurd after hearing their second demo ''Death from the Forest'', this claim is neither founded nor plausible.
+Though Hendrik Möbus claims [[Euronymous]], the figurehead in the [[Early Norwegian black metal scene|Norwegian black metal circle]], wanted to sign Absurd after hearing their second demo ''Death from the Forest'', this claim is neither founded nor plausible.
 The band achieved infamy because its members murdered the fifteen-year old Sandro Beyer in 1993. The canonical motive is that Beyer was privy to an illicit relationship of Schauseil's with the mother of a schoolmate, and had been spreading rumours about this and other activities of the band. On [[29 April]] in Sondershausen, Möbus, Schauseil, and Kirchner enticed Beyer to a meeting, and strangled him there with an electrical cord. Kirchner, in a now infamous quotation, was reported as saying: "Oh shit, I completely fucked up my life". Schauseil attempted a plea of insanity, claiming that voices in his head told him to murder Beyer. This was, however, thrown out in court, due to the testimony of psychiatrists who worked with Schauseil after the initial arrest.