Diaboli

1992 - The Finnish Black Metal band was formed in summer as a five piece band under the name of Sigillum Diaboli. The first demo "Descent Into Hell " was released in November.
1993 - The band played their only gig in January. Later three members left/were kicked out of the band.
1994 - "Demo II" was released in June. Line up was: Pete-guitars (Depravity, Psychopathic Terror), bass, drums and Grimn`r-vocals.
1995 - In the summer the bands name was changed to DIABOLI, and later Pete parted ways with Grimn`r (vocals). In the autumn Pete recorded the first album "Mesmerized by Darkness".
1996 - "Mesmerized by Darkness" was released by UNISOUND RECORDS (Greece) in the summer.
1997 - In October Pete signed DIABOLI to American label FULL MOON PRODUCTIONS for two albums.
1998 - The second album "Towards Damnation" was released by FULL MOON PRODUCTIONS in January. The third album "Anthems of Sorrow" was recorded during the autumn. Vocals for this album were done by Grimn`r.

Diaboli - Totaalituho
(from the album 'Towards Damnation' Full Moon Productions 1998)


1999 - In the beginning of December Pete was arrested and charged with an attempt to kill a man with an axe. Later he was found guilty, and was sentenced to four years and six months in prison.
2000 - The third album "Anthems of Sorrow" was released in September by FULL MOON PRODUCTIONS. This year Grimn`r went to prison too for a few months because of some violence charges. The whole band was behind bars for a while.
2001 - In June Grimn`r (vocals) committed suicide.
2002 - Pete got out of prison in March. In September a Finnish label NORTHERN HERITAGE RECORDS released a limited edition (500 copies) 7"ep "Descent into Hell". The ep includes two songs from the first demo,which are re-recorded in 1999.
2003 - The fourth album "Unseen Age of War" was released in July by NORTHERN HERITAGE RECORDS. The album includes 12 unreleased tracks and both demos.

Diaboli - As I Walk Through The Shadows
(taken from the album 'Anthems of Sorrow' Full Moon Productions 2000)


2004 - The fifth album "Kirous" was released in October by NORTHERN HERITAGE RECORDS.
2006 - The sixth album "The Antichrist" was released in October by NORTHERN HERITAGE RECORDS.
2008 - Vinyl versions (500 copies) of "Kirous" and "The Antichrist" were released in March by NORTHERN HERITAGE RECORDS.
2010 - The seventh album "Invocation" was released in April by NORTHERN HERITAGE RECORDS.
(Bio taken from Diaboli website bio.)

Diaboli - A Sign For War
(from the album 'The Antichrist' Northern Heritage Records 2006)


Diaboli (Pete) interview 1997, by Steve Hoeltzel.
(Taken from Chronicles of Chaos)
CoC: Why did you decide to go "back to the roots" of black metal on Mesmerized by Darkness?
Pete: I don't know about going back to the roots. The music has always been in this style, so...
CoC: What are four or five albums that have had the greatest influence on the Diaboli style and sound? What else inspires you?
Pete: That's a hard one. One album I have to name which influenced me a lot when I heard it is Slayer's Reign in Blood. But speaking of black metal albums, there are many - Venom, Bathory, Celtic Frost albums, and a lot more. I think it's impossible to name just a few. And besides the 80s bands, some of the 90s bands have also influenced me - for example, Darkthrone. I can't deny that.
CoC: The album has a fairly raw sound to it (which I like!!). If you had the opportunity to record an album with a polished, big-budget production, would you take it?
Pete: Well, I think the first album almost sounds like a big-budget recording (!), but I don't know. I'm sure that if I had the opportunity, then I'd record a few songs and listen to how it sounds. It the sound was too clean, then no.

Diaboli-Victory Celebration
(from the album 'Mesmerized by Darkness' Unisound Records 1996)


CoC: Why do you choose to operate as a one-man black metal project? Has there ever been a time when Diaboli involved other musicians besides yourself? If so, what happened to them?
Pete: When the band was formed in summer 1992 and we released the first demo, Descent into Hell , in November 1992, there were five members in the band. But when we released Demo II in June 1994, there was only me and a vocalist left. Then our egos got too big and we were not getting along very well, so I parted ways with the vocalist, and Diaboli became a one-man band.
CoC: Were you involved in any other bands prior to forming Diaboli?
Pete: Yes. I played some not-so-interesting music.
CoC: Black metal is extremely fashionable in the underground metal scene right now, and it seems that there are new black metal bands forming every day. What do you think of black metal's sudden popularity?
Pete: That's really stupid, because there are bands who just put corpse paint on and can't make quality music, and suddenly they are selling thousands of records. But on the other hand, they are also spreading the anti-Christian message more and more, which is good.
CoC: Do you take an active part in any black metal "scene" in your area, or do you keep to yourself?
Pete: Here where I live, there is no black metal scene. But outside of this town, I meet a few people from the other Finnish black metal bands once or twice a year - not very often.
CoC: In your opinion, what are the best and the worst things about today's extreme metal underground?
Pete: Best = good bands. Worst = shit bands. [Hard to argue with that. -- Steve]
CoC: Many black metal musicians that I speak to say that black metal is more than just a musical style - it is a way of life. Is black metal a way of life for you? If so, what are the distinctive features of this way of life?
Pete: Yes, I think black metal is much more than just a musical style. It is elite music, above all other music, and it is a lifestyle.
CoC: When you are not making music, what kinds of music do you listen to?
Pete: I mostly listen to elite Scandinavian black metal, but because I play it too, I also listen to other kinds of bands - otherwise, I'd get bored and uninspired. But what kinds of bands those are, you really don't want to know!
CoC: What are your plans for the future? Will the world be hearing from Diaboli again?
Pete: I have quite a lot of new material recorded already, so wait for the second album to be released in 1997.

Diaboli - Utopian Vision
(from the album 'Invocation' Northern Heritage Records 2010)


Diaboli
Homepage: www.diaboli.net
Encyclopaedia Metallum: www.metal-archives.com/band.php?id=5724