Satan's Host

Robin Stele, was the original drummer for Satan's Host, on their early days, known as "D. Lucifer Stele", having recorded their debut "Metal from Hell & Midnight Wind.” After that, he joined the thrash metal band "Anathema", also from Colorado, having recorded two demo tapes with them.

Q. – Hey Robin! When did you join Satan's  Host? Tell us a bit about the beginning of the band.

D. L. S. - Patrick Evil Elkins and I met when I was 15 years old, he was 14. We were both really just beginning to get to a level where a band was possible talent wize. We played a lot of covers to get started, AC/DC, Judas Priest, Scorpions, Tygers of Pan Tang, Saxon Etc. When we had played a couple parties it was time for a name. I had been checking out occult books from the library   we wanted a name that would set us apart and create a mysterious story about what we did. In one of the books Patrick and I were looking at was a name that just said everything we wanted. SATAN'S HOST! That was “the Beginning”.

Q. - What were your main influences at the beginning?   

D. L. S. - The bands that really influenced me were more blues based, I loved rock and roll too. My earliest influence was deep purple but I also was a huge fan of Kiss. Later my taste refined, I listened to Led Zeppelin, The Doors, The Who. But my whole life changed when Patrick played In trance off Tokyo Tapes, GodDamn what a great Record. All I knew was I wanted to play great metal and scare the crap out of people.

Q. - At this time did you play some covers too, or was it only your own songs?

D. L. S. - At first we played covers, all the songs we loved hearing. Not that shit on the radio, but real music, real metal. Soon we started experimenting with song arrangements, Patrick and I wrote over 200 songs one summer.

Q. - How about shows? Did you play regularly in the Colorado area back then or was it hard for a heavy metal band to be booked at that time?

D. L. S. - In the beginning we played these massive parties around Denver, they were called “Major Rager” parties hundreds sometimes a thousand people would show up there. After we released Metal From Hell we played a few Metal shows.  Around 1986-1988 We warmed up for some great bands, VoiVod, Kreator, Dark Angel Possessed…. For some reason Denver was pretty cruel to the hometown bands back then. I remember at the possessed show there was a crowd of head bangers standing in the middle of the audience booing and shouting for us to get off the stage. Fuckin assholes had no idea what respect was. That behaviour didn't happen after that show, we were gaining momentum.

Q. - Why "Midnight Wind" didn't see the light of the day back in the day?

D. L. S. - The truth is we did the pre-production, but W. E. B. Records had sunk a ton of money into another artist on the label and put Midnight Wind on the back burner. So we started writing again, the next record was supposed to be called KEEP THE SECRET, We even wrote a song called Satan's Host to be released on that disk.

Q. - What lead to the end of the band in the eighties? When did you split and for what reasons?

D. L. S.- I want to be clear, the band went through a hiatus period, but Satan's Host Flame NEVER Went out. It's true I left the band I'll admit now I think it was a mistake. But during that time I wanted to get a lot more serious about recording & touring. But the label was going through some growing pains and if we were going to tour that meant finding the money to make it happen. Rehearsals were diminished, I got fed up and left the band. The next day Megaforce records sent over contracts to look over. At the time I had no idea they had even considered us. It never came to pass… I

I moved on.

Q. - Did you stay in touch with each other over the years? You're all still friends?

D. L. S. - Patrick and I played in a band we put together called PSYCHONAUT a heavy speed metal thrash band, we did one demo. After that I moved out of state. We did not speak again for 20 years. That's when Patrick had heard I had been killed under mysterious and sordid circumstances. I was listed as deceased in the encyclopedia Metallum. He even did a few interviews where he said he heard I had been murdered. That's what inspired me to write my book about the early days, called METAL, MAYHEM & MURDER (unpublished).

Q. - Do you miss Satan's Host? What memories do you keep from those early live shows?

D. L. S. - Patrick talk off and on throughout the years. I do… I

I miss writing with Pat. I miss the brotherhood we all shared. When we hired Harry Conklin to sing on the album, we actually kidnapped him. At the after party of a Jag Panzer show we asked him (Harry Conklin) to follow us outside to go over the tracklist and lyrics for Metal From Hell. Unbeknownst to him we were taking him to Denver. We had booked time in the studio for the next morning and come hell or high water he was going to sing on our record. So Patrick got in on one side Harry got in, I pushed him into the middle jumped in and we tore out of there burning rubber. Yes we kidnapped The Tyrant!!!! Worked on lyrics all night, he recorded 5 songs the next morning.

Q. - Then you went to join the thrash metal band "Anathema"? For how long did "Anathema" last? Tell us a bit about those days.

I joined ANATHEMA shortly after I left Satan's Host. We played together for about two years. But I wanted to play a more power metal/ thrash style. I was really into Megadeth and Helloween at the time.

Q. - Did you try to approach some labels at that time? Sent the demos to fanzines?

D. L. S. - Yea the guitarist Jeff Harmson was really good at what he referred to as PenBanging. Nothing came of it.

Q. - How do you see this "Anathema" recordings after all these years?

D. L. S. - I still listen to the demo I was on. I only played on one release. The first one, The Trauma Never Ends.

Q. - In your opinion what are the main differences between the eighties and the reality of today? Do you keep an eye to the metal scene of today?

D. L. S. - Back then the world was a lot smaller. The bands were more competitive. But we still had a sort of state of mind about it all. We were living in a time of kill or be killed mentality metal was everywhere, figuratively speaking. The world was ours for the taking. We rehearsed 6 days a week and went out every night after rehearsal to promote our bands. It seems to me that it's not as easy to brand your bands name on the minds of the fans today. With the invention of digital music sharing and social media, any jackass with a laptop will over share their unrefined recordings.  I really try to keep up with what's being released, but Really!?! There are just too many bands I can't keep up. I find myself very often going back through my old favorite songs and just pulling my van over to blast some Priest. I know a lot of Metal heads are going to cringe when I say this but my favorite  bands right now are Hellyea, Disturbed and I still listen to Pantera’s Cowboys from hell.

Q. - So what are you doing these days? Do you still play in any band? Tell us a bit about it.

D. L. S. - I'm not playing with anyone right now, but I had played with a punk band called Cathartic Dissent a few years ago and I'm talking to the Vocalist about writing a Punk metal album. So we'll see.

Q. - Did you take a listen to what Satan's Host have been recording nowadays? Their latest recordings? What do you think of it?

D. L. S. - I'm really happy they are still writing, releasing stuff all the time. The nightmare will never die!!! I will always be a fan of Satan's Host. I would love to write and record with Patrick again someday. We both know “WE HAVE UNFINISHED BUSINESS”.

Q. - How do you want to end up this interview? Anything more you want to say?

D. L. S. - I don't do a lot of interviews, I'm just not that relevant anymore. But one thing is certain in my life. I will always listen to metal. That much about me is a fact. As long as I draw a breath and can hold a drumstick in my hand I will be drumming. I don't care about fame or all that bullshit. True metal is forged in the fires of passion not on the pages of Facebook. Although I have been, an artist all my life I am first and foremost a fan.

Thank you for your time, and wish you all the best for the future!