Akhenaten considered the story of the band Judas Iscariot as documentation of one individual's struggle against the moral boundaries set by Christianity. Akhenaten stated that his music was intended to give others strength to live in a world compromised by materialism and irrational religious ideology. Some of the lyrics on early Judas Iscariot albums are borrowed from the works of
English poet and
Christian mystic William Blake, as well as from English poet
Percy Bysshe Shelley, fundamental for understanding the connection between
Dark Romanticism, the esoteric and their connection to heavy metal lyrics. Akhenaten repeatedly denied association with the
National Socialist black metal movement. In an interview he stated "Judas Iscariot is no Nazi band. I myself am no Nazi either [...] If other bands think they have to include politics into their music, it's their business, but this has nothing to do with my band." == Band members ==