Swedish black metallers NIFELHEIM have released a statement clarifying the comments they made in the latest issue of Sweden Rock magazine where they appeared to be disrespecting the memories of both METALLICA bassist Cliff Burton and PANTERA/DAMAGEPLAN guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott.

In the Sweden Rock article, which was based on an interview conducted in late September during NIFELHEIM's Finnish tour with WATAIN, NIFELHEIM bassist Tyrant (real name: Erik Gustavsson) is quoted as saying, "MÖTLEY CRÜE and MUNICIPAL WASTE are likely the worst bands in the world. Next to METALLICA."

When reminded that the day before marked the 22nd anniversary of the passing of METALLICA bassist Cliff Burton, Tyrant said, "That's right. I laughed and pissed on a photo of him. Speaking of which, when did that Dimebag Darrell [late PANTERA/DAMAGEPLAN guitarist] die? Damn how I cheered! Fucking glamf*g. One - nil to NIFELHEIM. Too bad Phil Anselmo [PANTERA singer] didn't die too; that was probably the only time I wished PANTERA had actually played."

NIFELHEIM has released the following statement to BLABBERMOUTH.NET regarding the comments that were attributed to Tyrant in Sweden Rock:

"To start with, NIFELHEIM respects both Cliff Burton and Dimebag Darrell!

"The 'statements' by Tyrant in Sweden Rock magazine have [been blown] way out of propotion!

"The background to the Cliff Burton and PANTERA insults was first of all purely a (bad) joke. It started with that NIFELHEIM and WATAIN were on tour in Finland, and on the tour bus, both bands were talking about bands they like and so on, and the subject came to IRON MAIDEN which we (NIFELHEIM) are huge fans of. The crew and the guys from WATAIN were joking and making fun of IRON MAIDEN just because they know that we are so easily insulted by that matter, and someone said that MAIDEN are nothing compared to METALLICA and that it would be great if MAIDEN's plane crashed and such things, and in that moment Tyrant replied with the things about METALLICA and Dimebag which was purely and obviously just a bad joke, made only to piss WATAIN off. It was not meant to be taken seriously. This conversation was not even meant to be part of an interview, but there was a guy from Sweden Rock magazine who was going with us all the time to do a tour report and he obviously picked up these jokes and printed those things in the magazine totally taken out of context.

"We understand [why] people not knowing the background to this subject [would] get very upset, but please understand that it was not meant to be taken seriously, nor [was it an] attention-seeking statement from us; it was just a bad joke in what we thought was a private conversation that unfortunately [was blown] way out of propotion!"

Video footage of NIFELHEIM performing at the Metaltown festival on June 27, 2008 in Gothenburg, Sweden can be viewed below.

NIFELHEIM released its latest album, "Envoy of Lucifer", on November 19, 2007 via Regain Records.

NIFELHEIM in 2006 released a split EP with VULCANO via I Hate Records. NIFELHEIM's songs "Sepulcral Fornication" and "Raging Flames" were recorded at a Swedish studio in May 2006 and were described by NIFELHEIM guitarist Vengeance From Beyond (a.k.a. Sebastian Ramstedt; also in NECROPHOBIC) as "a total attack of satanic black metal." He added that "this split [is] the true synergy of evil."

NIFELHEIM's current lineup features former ENTOMBED drummer Peter Stjärnvind, who left the long-running Swedish metallers in order to concentrate on his membership in NIFELHEIM.

NIFELHEIM last year completed a Scandinavian tour as the support act for British black metal pioneers VENOM.