martes, 8 de marzo de 2022

VRAG - INTERVIEW



Why did you decide to create Vrag? What does Vrag bring you compared to other bands like Frozen Wreath or Witcher, of which you are a part? What does the name Vrag refer to and why do you decide to use it?
The thought of Vrag came to my mind at least 20 years ago. I admired the works of bands such Burzum or Nargaroth, that I felt an urge to create an equivalent dark and atmospheric music. From the very beginning, my goal was to sacrifice on the altar of dark art all alone.
Vrag gives me total freedom, where only my ideas and thoughts count. For example, in Frozen Wreath, I am responsible mainly for the lyrics and vocals, the music of WitcheR is determined by Karola’s keyboard-works and most of the ideas come from her part, as well. In the case of Vrag, I do everything alone. This was like that from the beginning and stays like that in the future.
The word „vrag” comes from the Slavic dialect and means evil. I live in a small village, where Hungarian-Slovenes live and they are quite superstitious and withdrawn people. Especially the old folks called me on that name when they saw me with long hair, all dressed in black, and I liked the sound of this word and decided if I ever have my own band, I would call it Vrag.

“Harcom” is your third studio album. How has the process of composing and recording the album been? As the only member of Vrag, what musical section resists you the most when it comes to recording? of instruments have you used for the composition and recording of the album?
Creation is a long process for me. I practice a lot, when a lot of riffs born, which I record and when I feel there are a good amount of great riffs together, I try creating songs from them. When everything is done than I start the recording. Everything is done by myself in my home studio.
Personally, I prefer the guitar-recordings, in the process a lot of enrichments, many times complete harmonies born, which could give brand new characters to the songs. During the recordings, I used Jackson and Ibanez guitars, I have an Ibanez bass with active pick-up and a BC Rich bass with passive pick-up, but I do not know anymore which one was used, as I have already started recording the new Vrag album and my memories are a bit blurry.

The sound of the album is reminiscent of the Scandinavian black metal of the nineties in all aspects, from structures to atmosphere. How would you describe the sound of the album for those who have not heard it yet? What influences can we glimpse from other bands and styles in the album? final sound of the album? 
I am truly happy that I could re-create the atmosphere of the 90’s black metal, though it was not instinctive, but at the end, when I heard the final sound, I was proud of that. It is not easy for me to describe my own sound, as I do not hear it as an outsider, but I think people will enjoy ‘Harcom’, who like the sound of bands like Burzum, Nargaroth, early Ulver or early Gorgoroth. I suggest everybody to listen to the title song from the album and immediately get a picture what this album is all about.


I was previously commenting on the classic black sound branch of his proposal, however I also wanted to mention that his proposal is not a mere clone, in his sound we can discover some pagan elements and a cold and perfectly constructed atmosphere, while flowing and exploring lands away from all conventionalism, what do you intend to convey to the listener with your proposal? Do you think that today the back scene has lost part of its original essence?
I am glad you noticed these elements in my music, as well. My intention was not to steal any of my great favourites’ sound, since there are many Burzum copy bands out there in the scene and I did not want to be one of them. My goal was to proof that in 2021 one can still create an exciting black metal album, which is faithful to the roots of the genre, but not posing in baseball cap and tight jeans on the cover. Regarding to your last question, I would like to stay diplomatic: in my opinion there are still many good black metal bands in the genre, I focus on them and try ignoring the hipster bands, who try selling satanic metalcore as black metal.

Vrag is a project, so to speak, "so" personal that you yourself have been in charge of the entire recording, mixing and sound engineering process. Do you feel that it is necessary to take charge of all these plans in order to be able to Vrag sound to the terrain you want? Where did you get all this knowledge to face this process?
Exactly, Vrag is like my own child, my flesh, my blood, my life, such personal thing, in which I am the beginning and the end. I truly believe in that black metal is not for expensive studios. I am not saying that because I could not pay for an expensive studio for the recordings, I just simply do not want to do so, because I am the only person who knows how a Varg album should sound. I collected my experiences in studio work during the years, I read a lot about it, I saw many videos, I asked people with more experiences about it, though I still consider myself a beginner, I think the quality of my nowadays products are already acceptable.

You come from a relatively small town like Szombathely, how is the black metal scene in your area and in a country like Hungary? Would you be willing to bring Vrag's music to a stage in the future?
This information is not correct, which is available on the internet by mistake, but I do not mind. In fact, I live in a place 70 km away from Szombathely, in a hidden, small village, surrounded by nature, practically, in a valley, in the middle of a forest. Nonetheless, I know Szombathely very well, from example Zoltan from Frozen Wreath lives there, and I have to say the black metal scene at the moment is quite dead there, in fact it was always like that. Of course, everybody knows Sear Bliss from here, but apart from it, there are only small attempts here these days. Regarding to your last question, I would not like to take Vrag on stage now, I cannot even imagine these songs live. However, never say never…

Mysticism, nature and a dark tone are present in the lyrics of “Harcom”, why do you decide to deal with these themes in your lyrics and how do they relate to your music? Do the lyrics adapt to the music or vice versa? At what time and why did you decide to use Hungarian for the lyrics?
I only use themes in which I am interested. I will not write about Satan or Satanism, as I am not interested in them. The lyrics of ‘Harcom’, apart from the things you have already mentioned, are about total disengagement, resistance and fight against the values and ideas of today’s modern world. The world is marching towards the end on this front and I do not, cannot want to assist for this. 
Lyrics always come after the music. I chose to use native language, because in that can I express myself the best. My native language is so sophisticated, many times is painful to see the stripped down English translations, despite the fact, that Zoltan (Frozen Wreath) did a great job with the translations, he put all my thought perfectly in English.

What close relationship exists between the record label Filosofem Records, in charge of publishing the album, and Vrag?
As close as it is possible between a record label and an artist, since Filosofem Records is also my child, I do the whole thing alone, from the production, through the promotion, until the trades. After my experiences, I could not trust in another label. Of course, many say I am obsessed and crazy to carry everything on my own shoulder only, but I was never interested in other people’s opinion, I like to do this, even though many could not even imagine how much work you have to invest in this.

The cover of the album has been the work of Anvil Kult, why did you decide to work with them? How does the artwork of “Harcom” relate to its musical content?
For the previous Vrag and the latest WitcheR album Anvil Kvlt did a terrific job, he created two memorable covers. That is why I decided to trust him with ‘Harcom’, as well. Looking back, maybe a darker cover would have fit the album better, but I still like how he re-created my imagination. The cover relates to music and lyrics in such a way that a hermit living in the mountains is just as interested in the modern world or in today’s social norms as I am: not at all.


How were your beginnings in music: first concerts you attend, first albums you buy? What happened in your life pushed you to want to be a musician?
This did not start straight with Burzum, of course. My first big love was Iron Maiden and when I got on vinyl the first EP of Helloween and the second album of Hungarian heavy metal legend Pokolgép, my life changed forever. They put me on a brand new path, but albums like King Diamond’s Conspiracy or from the black metal genre Burzum’s Hvys Lysett Tar Oss were also a great impact on me, or I can also mention Mayhem’s first album as decisive.
Gigs had not so much impact on me; I started to go to gigs quite late, from the end of the world, without any related people, I could not really go to anywhere. There was only one thing what inspired me to make music: the passion for creation to get rid of the demons inside me. 

What album represents for you the essence of black metal? What recent albums have you bought?
The true essence of black metal for me are still the second-generation Northern bands.  The ‘De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas’, the ‘Hvis Lyset Tar Oss’, the ‘In the Nightside Eclipse’, the ‘Transilvanian Hunger’ or the ‘Dark Medieval Times’. To whom these albums mean nothing, they could never understand the true ideals of black metal.
I trade and buy loads of albums, almost every week I got new materials, because I put my hand on everything what is black metal, everything what I can get. Suddenly I do not know what the last thing I got was, but I know that I pre-ordered the latest Dark Funeral album today, so I can listen to it on its release day.

What future plans do you have for Vrag in terms of upcoming releases or reissues?
I had many plans, for example, to release a demo compilation, but at the end, I decided to start recording the 4th album, as so many ideas had come together. At the beginning of this year I have already started the process, guitar parts for four songs are already recorded, though I am at the beginning of the recordings, I can already say that a faster and angrier album is on the way.
Of course, many long months’ work is waiting for this album, since this year is all about the release of the new WitcheR album, entitled ‘Lélekharang’, these days I prepare everything for that. Before the new Vrag album, there will be the second release of Frozen Wreath, which is also almost done, only the lyrics and the vocal recordings left behind. Meanwhile, I work simultaneously on Vrag’s new album. 

Thank you very much for taking the time to answer these questions for Black Metal Spirit, if you want to add something for Vrag fans, this is the place. I hope the questions are to your liking.
I thank you for the interview, for the interesting questions, and for supporting my work. I would like say thank you for everybody, who, in one way or another, bought, listened to or commented the last Vrag album, you gave me a huge push for the sequel. Keep alive the trve spirit of black metal!

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