AMEN Frontman: Convicted Murderer FAUST Is 'The Nicest Man'

In a recent interview with Britain's Rock Sound magazine, AMEN frontman Casey Chaos spoke about his SCUM project, which also features in its ranks Samoth (ZYKLON, EMPEROR),Bård G. Eithun (a.k.a. Faust) (ex-EMPEROR),Happy Tom (TURBONEGRO),and Cosmocrator (MINDGRINDER). Asked if he ever addressed Faust's past with him (the drummer was jailed in 1994 for arson, burglary, and murder, stabbing a homosexual man 14 times outside the Olympic Park in Lillehammer, Norway after the man made a pass at him),Casey said, "No, I never addressed it and I never judged. I never really thought about it. To me, American murder is as common as apple pie. Rappers are killing left and right and center. There are a lot of people who kill; they kill their neighbor for a yelling dog or whatever, and they get out on bail the next day. When I met Faust, I can honestly say there isn't a single human in the world that I would trust with my finances [more] than him. He is so dedicated, full of integrity and honest. The prison system in Norway differs from the prison system in America; you're a better criminal when you come out in America, when you come out here, he is a changed man, he is the nicest man. You would never imagine the stories you hear about that guy. I think the biggest crime is they [Samoth and Faust] haven't been able to play together for 10 years."

SCUM's debut album, "Gospels for the Sick", was released in Europe in early September via Dogjob Records, a division of Tuba. Candlelight Records USA issued the album in North America on October 4. A video for the album cut "Protest Life" can be viewed at this location (Quicktime required).