ANTAGONIZÖR

The first time I saw ANTAGONIZÖR was in a video they did hyping their upcoming appearance at the Blades of Steel 2025 festival. I had no idea who the hell they were at that time. The video featured a demonic looking babe bellowing “WE ARE HEAVY METAL LESBOS FROM HELL!” and heaping tons of abuse on her drummer, a hapless bald headed chap. The other member of the band was a diminutive Asian girl wielding what looked like a mace.

Well, this was interesting, at the very least! Then I not only got to see them torch the house at Blades of Steel, but I got to meet them personally. We hit if off right away (even Mykel the abused drum slave) and ANTAGONIZÖR has become a huge favorite at the House of Mality with their VENOM inspired evil heavy metal rock n roll!

Thus we have the following interview, conducted with howling hellcat frontwoman SARAH in her Dungeon of Pleasure. I confirm I did make it out alive, if a little bruised and beaten…

WORMWOOD CHRONICLES: Hellish greetings to ANTAGONIZÖR! Welcome to Wormwood! Can you give us a brief history of the band?

SARAH: We started back in 2021 as a three-piece band with yours truly on vocals and guitar, my wife Tzu-Wei on bass, and Michelle on drums. We started as a dbeat punk band with some metal elements. We played a lot of politically charged songs back then because I was really angry at the government and society as a whole. That hasn't changed much, but the focus of my lyrics and the sound of our music have changed quite a bit.

We parted ways with Michelle in 2024. We wanted to stay an all-female band, but it's slim pickings for female drummers in our area. So we decided to compromise, but if we were to take a dumb, smelly man as our drummer, he would have to be our slave. Enter our drum slave, Mykel. He was the perfect candidate to be our victim, as he is very helpless, stupid, and has the type of stench you would expect from a dirty slave. He is also pretty good at drums. Just don't tell him we said that because it could disrupt the band’s power dynamic. NO COMPLIMENTS FOR THE DRUM SLAVE!!!!

WC: I understand the band at one time was all female. What led to you picking up a male drum slave to torment? Was it sheer sadism?

S: Welp, kind of got ahead of myself and answered that in the last question. But yeah, it was sadism, but also a mix of misandry and sheer desperation. I have had such overwhelmingly negative experiences working with male musicians in the past that I really wanted to avoid having men in the band at all costs. But we had shows to play and our first full-length to record, so we begrudgingly enslaved a male subject as our drummer. 

WC: It’s no secret that VENOM is a big influence for you. I can hear MOTORHEAD and BATHORY in there as well. What are some of the less obvious influences for the band?

S: Oooooo, we get VENOM and MOTORHEAD a lot, but not very many people compare us to BATHORY! Let's see, our earlier music was heavily influenced by early hardcore punk, namely DISCHARGE. But now we are playing more of a mix of speed metal, first wave black metal, and NWOBHM. So other influences I would mention are GIRLSCHOOL, SAXON, JUDAS PRIEST, and EXCITER. 

WC:What was the catalyst that made you want to pick up a guitar and play hellish metal rock n’ roll? Did all your friends and relatives think you’d gone around the bend or did they support you right from the start?

S: Well, my friend’s Dad was giving guitar lessons back when I was like 12, so my parents figured, “Why not get our little girl a guitar!” Little did they know, they made a huge mistake that would change my entire life’s trajectory. The lessons consisted of us strumming the same three open chords over and over, so I quit. In my teens, I learned a few riffs here and there and wrote some pretty horrible songs. Honestly, I just played power chords for about the first decade of playing guitar and in bands. Then I decided to start playing black metal, then heavy metal, and the rest is history. I would say I have improved the most rapidly in the last year since I started practicing scales consistently and learning new soloing techniques. SPOILER ALERT: album #2 is going to have more sick riffs and guitar solos!

I never let my parents see any of my bands. My dad thought it was cool that I was a musician, but he didn't have the slightest idea that I was playing such evil music. I regret that he only got to see me play one time when I did a solo set playing more palatable post-punk songs. He passed a few years ago, and it makes me really sad that he couldn't see me finally become a moderately successful musician. We are up to some cool shit, and I wish he could see that.

My mom is a bit faint of heart and is super Christian, so I have never let her see any of my bands. I have shown her like three songs I've ever written ever? Unfortunately, she recently stumbled across our social media, so that led her to try to convert me to Christianity AGAIN. But in her own way, she's proud of me for what I've accomplished. 

WC: ANTAGONIZÖR looks like a band that likes to have fun. Is there a serious side to the band or is it all about a good time?

S: We are very seriously cruel to our drum slave. He is very seriously in pain, torment, and in fear for his life. He is not allowed to have any enjoyment AT. ALL. Other than that we are a very fun band. 

WC: You guys played the Keep It True festival in Europe! What was that experience like?

S: Oh man, it was surreal. Got the complete rock star treatment, including charcuterie for breakfast, an autograph signing session, and a FUCKING ESPRESSO MACHINE backstage. Never. In my life did I think this was possible for me. The drum slave received none of this special treatment, but some people did want his autograph. Not sure why.

Playing on that huge stage in front of that huge crowd was like a rush I've never felt before. SO MUCH MORE ROOM FOR ACTIVITIES (eg. jumping, kicking, swinging a cat of nine tails around to threaten the drum slave). It was awesome. The crowd was engaged, excited, and hearing all of them cheer for me and my wife, and boo our wretched drum slave warmed my evil little heart. We got to take Drum Slave to a real medieval dungeon, and we told him we would leave his ass in there if he did anything to piss us off on that trip. I think he thought the dungeon was kind of nice though. More rats to eat and a little bit more space. 

WC: Was Keep It True the highlight of your career so far or have there been other apex moments to mention?

S: For sure. Also worth mentioning is the festival we played in Wisconsin, Blades of Steel. That was our first out-of-state festival, and it was a lot of fun. Getting our copies of the “Edgelords from Hell” vinyl in our hands courtesy of FHM Records was a highlight. I also would say getting asked to play Hell's Heroes and Muskelrock, which are two festivals I have been lusting to play for years. Had to go run laps around our neighborhood when we were asked to do these festivals. 

WC: Most of your lyrics are VENOM-ish in style but there are some exceptions. Some seem aimed at far-right knuckleheads, which there are unfortunately more than a few in metal. How important is it for you to be “out of the box” with your lyrics.

S: Welp, I get real mad. Got anger management issues. Music is the way I release some of that anger. I really fucking hate these right-wing Trump cuck bootlickers we have in the metal scene, especially in Florida (SPECIAL SHOUT OUT TO YOU, TAMPA!). These people are weak-minded fools who can easily be duped into worshipping Jesus and scumbag politicians. They bend right over for those Republican shitheads to fuck them in the ass. 

But I digress. I will write about whatever the fuck I want whenever the fuck I want. It just so happens that I mostly want to sing about Satan, sex, and motorcycles these days. But yeah, we will probably still churn out a few rage-filled punk songs every so often. I can't help myself. My head may explode if we don't. 

WC: Have you ever gotten any pushback against the band down in Gainesville? I wouldn’t think that’s a capital of enlightened ideology.

S: Actually, despite a few dumb rednecks here and there and the rich college kids, Gainesville is pretty liberal. You see, Gainesville is not known for having very much of a metal scene (with the exception of a few bands, LIKE STUNNER!). Gainesville is known for a music festival that was named with very little creativity. It is called FEST. The Fest is a gathering of nerdy hipster punks from across the globe. They come out in droves. And in uniform: plaid. beanies. beards. some of the worst battle vests I have ever seen. PBR and a slice of pizza in hand. 

We played the Fest once. I am not going to lie, I just agreed to it to make a buck. And to shock an unsuspecting audience with burlesque dancers in pasties and evil heavy metal. The promoters probably thought we were still a politi-punk band, but we had morphed into something much more sinister and metal. We have not been asked to play again. Probably because we asked for a million things, such as being granted permission to shoot sparks off the stage and have our fans fight each other with medieval weapons. I don't think they appreciated this very much. 

WC: Your latest album “Edgelords From Hell” came out in 2025. How has the response been so far?

S: Overwhelmingly good. Many people listed it amongst their top albums of 2025. It was listed on some sites for best of the year in our genre. It opened doors for us to play a bunch of cool festivals. We have a fan who said it pulled him out of a deep depression and made him feel 16 again. It feels amazing to make such an impact with music I've written. 

WC: Have you gotten any interest from larger metal labels? Are you happy with where you are?

S: We are very happy with the deal that FHM gave us for our first full-length. Ironbound Records and Morbid and Miserable also hooked us up with a great deal on tapes. The future is still unclear as we haven't finished the second album. I’ve asked the devil to give me fortune-telling abilities, but he said I need to do more of his evil bidding first. 

WC: Have you got any ideas for what comes after “Edgelords From Hell” or is it too early yet.

S: Dude, we started writing and recording music for the second album before the first one even dropped! I am so, so excited about our sophomore album. It is a pure heavy metal album, but still with that punky flavor we are known for. We have all grown as musicians since the last album came out. Drum Slave's growth can mostly be attributed to the enormous abscess that has grown on his head from the infected lobotomy wound. Last time we measured it, it added about 2-3 inches to the height of our drum slave. Yes, we tried to lobotomize him to make him more compliant. But I didn't know a lobotomy didn't consist of drilling into the top of the skull with a power drill. You live, and you learn! 

WC: Any plans for touring or big shows in 2026?

S: Fuck yeah, we are going to go on a mini tour out to Houston to play Hell's Heroes, and we are going to play Muskelrock in Sweden. Could it be that our Swedish debut is part of some grander scheme?!? HMM I WONDER…

WC: If you could have dinner with any 3 people from history, who would they be?

S: #1 OZZY OSBOURNE. BLACK SABBATH was the first metal band I ever got into. I fell in love at the age of 12. I had photos of young OZZY hanging on my bedroom walls. I am so sad that I never had the opportunity to see him live before he passed. I impulsively got his name tattooed on me the day after he died. It's an exact copy of his own impulsive “OZZY” tattoo!

#2 Rob Halford. One of the greatest voices in heavy metal. A gay icon clad in leather. I have read his books, but I would kill to have the opportunity to hear his life stories in person. I also love his love for cats! In addition to my OZZY tattoo, I have a JUDAS PRIEST tattoo.

#3 SIOUXSIE SIOUX: She has been a style inspiration of mine since I was a girl. I used to tease my hair out in an effort to look like her, but I just looked ridiculous, and my brothers were embarrassed to be seen with me in public. Now, some of the makeup looks I do are very SIOUXSIE-esque. I used to sing for a deathrock band, and people used to say I sounded just like her. That meant a lot to me. She is so iconic, her music and fashion sense are so eclectic. I would love to get to sing her praises to her face. I would also really like to hear some of her stories from her time in the early British punk movement. In addition to my OZZY and JUDAS PRIEST tattoos, I also have a SIOUXSIE SIOUX tattoo! 

WC: Has ANTAGONIZÖR ever had a “Spinal Tap” moment where things went crazy that you could share with us?

S: We tried to do a spinal tap on the drum slave before a torture session once. He had been practicing so tirelessly, we figured we would give him a little bit of reprieve, a little bit of local anesthesia. It went horribly wrong, and he was paralyzed from the waist down for a few weeks. Wasn’t even able to play drums! I really need to stop trying to do medical procedures on him. I’m not a doctor. BUT YOU ARE, ISN’T THAT RIGHT!?

WC: Any last words of sadistic blasphemy for the fans?

S: STAY EVIL. STAY SEXY. STAY TRUE TO YOURSELF. Come see our show on the planet Mars in 2026, because we are not only about to take over the world, BUT THE ENTIRE SOLAR SYSTEM! HAIL SATAN!

ANTAGONIZOR