“Helvete was a hangout for a bohemian culture. There were lots of regulars there, and some who dropped in. They had some decorations, but there weren’t many records, so I don’t think sales were particularly high. It was more like a leisure club for black metal people. I remember showing Ivar from Enslaved riffing and picking techniques in the back room.”

“I don’t think anyone understood the big picture until afterwards. While it was happening, everyone was preoccupied with their own thing. This wasn’t a scene where everyone agreed on most things. There was little unity, more cliques. [...] At the same time, no one thought about success. It was obviously not possible to become a pop star with black metal. It didn’t matter if 10, 20 or 100 people came to the concert, you played to meet like-minded people.”

“There was a split in the scene when crime came into the picture. But the most dedicated bands, where the music was most important, kept going separately. The development of Norwegian black metal has been like a marathon. You start at roughly the same place and then run in different directions.”

“Øystein started Helvete as a meeting place. In the beginning, there were almost no records there. [...]People came from all over the country. Most of those who were active in the scene came from small, rotten places. I think coming from a small, boring place creates a strong drive and creativity - in a metropolis, there’s so much else going on. People came to Helvete and listened to what Øystein (Euronymous) thought was good and bad. Remember:  We were 20-21, while the others were often five or six years younger. Young people need a catalyst, someone to give them a kick up the backside and get them to start doing their own thing.”