Good evening, thank you very much for answering these questions. How are things going in Flensburg?
SMN: So far, so good. The launch of the new album went really well, and the feedback has been very positive. The reactions have been quite polarized, which I actually think is great.
1. You've been active since 2008. How do you remember the band's early days? How did the opportunity to form the band come about? Why did you choose the name Verheerer, and what does it refer to?
SMN: Fun fact: None of us actually live in Flensburg anymore. Basti and I originally founded the band, but he has since moved to a suburb on the edge of town, and I live in a village three years ago about 25 kilometers away. Still, I guess I’m a Flensburg guy at heart... Anyway, before Verheerer, we used to play together in a pretty untalented Black Metal band. We eventually split that up, but it still felt like we had something more to say. We wanted a German word because we liked the contrast and mixing of languages, and we’ve stuck with that approach ever since.
BST: Verheerer can roughly be translated to “devastator”, but what sounds pretty common in english, is a seldom spoken word in german language. The exact meaning can differ from listener to listener, but from my point of view, it`s all about the devastation of the spirit…
2. You weren't a frantically active band. Your first album was released in 2018, almost ten years after you formed the band. How were those first ten years of Verheerer?
SMN: We started working on songs at my place, some of which actually dated back to our old band. That was around 2008... Over time, home recording became more and more accessible, so we kept tinkering with our songs on the weekends. Things took some pretty wild turns—the recordings leaned more towards Black ‘n’ Roll and maybe had something in common with the then-“new” (now not so new) Satyricon. It probably took until 2012 or 2013 for the style to really take shape.
We kept trying to play with different people, but that never really worked out. Then, by chance, I met our first drummer, Sören. He said he’d be happy to record the drum tracks, even though he didn’t really know much about Black Metal. He mainly wanted to test how well his recording setup worked in his rehearsal space. That’s when things really started rolling.
Our first EP came out in September 2015—it was completely self-recorded and mixed (I basically just clicked around until it sounded good). We played our first live shows in June 2016. After that, we started working on the new album, which was released in January 2018.
3. However, between 2018 and 2019, your first two albums were released. It seemed like you'd found the right path, as you gained some recognition, but then the silence returned. Did COVID-19 have something to do with this new hiatus, or did you just need to disconnect for a bit again?
SMN: Yeah, Covid definitely played a role. We had a bunch of shows lined up, including some festival appearances in the summer, but none of them ended up happening as planned. That’s when we started releasing songs individually on Bandcamp and continued playing live here and there whenever possible.
Another turning point was Basti’s cancer diagnosis, which forced us to take an additional break. On top of that, three-quarters of the band now have kids and families, so it’s not as easy anymore to just knock out a few songs over the weekend with a bottle of Flensburger rum and a crate of beer.
BST: -> All cured by now!
We also went through some lineup changes on second guitar, which added to the chaos. But now we’re continuing as a four-piece—and it’s actually working really well. Everyone knows their lane and has a pretty clear idea of what’s expected.
4. You'll soon release "Urgewalt," your third studio album. How did you approach the writing and recording process for this new album? Have you completely distanced yourself from the sound offered on your previous album, "Monolith" (2019),? What brands of instruments did you use in the process?
SMN: My general approach to songwriting hasn’t really changed compared to the previous records. What’s new, though, is that I used a seven-string guitar on a couple of tracks, which means we’re now hitting A standard tuning in places — and I definitely want to keep exploring that range. What did change was the way I handled the material afterwards. I spent more time curating the songs, tightening the arrangements, and trimming the fat. Sometimes that meant cutting sections that sounded cool on their own but didn’t really help the flow. Other times I’d ditch a melody line just to give the rest of the chaos — blast beats, trem riffs, layers of screaming — more room to breathe. No need to cram in a flashy guitar lead when everything’s already on fire, haha.
I don’t think we’ve completely distanced ourselves from the sound of Monolith — it’s more about presenting it in a different way. Monolith was meant to sound compact, cold, and massive. With Urgewalt, we were aiming for something a bit more punchy, and Nino from Skulltone Sound really managed to capture that vibe. I recorded most of the guitar parts using Jackson, ESP, and LTD guitars.
5. In some ways, your sound has always escaped comparison; the new album is no exception. However, in my opinion, there's a greater foray into classic sound terrain like heavy metal. This aspect is also evident in aspects like the vocals, which cover a broader range of registers. How would you define the sound of the new album? What bands and styles influence you when composing for Verheerer?
BST: we had no concrete style in mind when we started composing. For my part, SMN and I felt that those standard bm screams did not suit the musical direction we were taking any more. This already started with MONOLITH and now has been refined… Fun fact: most of the vocal recordings are happening at Simon's place, with him directing me. He knows my range very well, and so his orders and ideas are mostly: “That was good, but now, add some MANIA and do it again” Another thing is, that he added some really nice deep growls to the mix, which broadened the vocal part of the album. Besides that, we are both fans of old school heavy, thrash, death stuff, so a classical Maiden lead doesn't feel wrong in the whole picture.
6. Your lyrics have always maintained an occult tone, however, the new album aims to be an outcry against the rise of Nazism and extremism. What themes do you address in your lyrics on the new album? Why do you think it's important to focus on this topic?
BST: It just felt right and necessary. If you take a look at bandcamp, you can see that we released the first incarnation of TOTENVOLK already in 2021. This song has the strongest connection to modern day politics on the album and was a first reaction to the rise of oppressive regimes and the growing stubbornness of the people all over the world.
We never wanted VERHEERER to become an outlet for our political views, but rather keep it otherworldly, but as art is always politic, we just could not keep quiet any longer. We are men, fathers and humans after all. The downward spiral is turning faster day by day, and the time to speak up and make your point is now or maybe never. This does not mean, that the next record will deal with a war scenario again, but the underlying deeper themes that we deal with can be expressed in a multitude of scenarios.
7. You've been linked to Vendetta Records for practically your entire musical career. How did this alliance, which began back in 2017 with the reissue of your first EP in 2017, come about?
BST: Totally easy. Stefan liked our stuff and contacted us with the plan to re release our firstly self distributed CDr “ARCHAR”. And since the collaboration is totally fair and Stefan is a great guy, we stick with him. No business hassle, just pure respect, fair treatment and friendship.
8. You worked with Skull Tone Studios for the mixing, mastering, and recording of the album. What led you to work with this studio?
BST: We got the contact through our bass player MYR, who worked with him before. We just wanted to test how it worked out and we are satisfied.
9. Misanthropic Arts was responsible for the album's artwork. Why did you decide to work with them? What does the cover represent and how does it relate to the album's content?
BST: He already did an awesome artwork for MONOLITH, and after SMN came up with the first idea for the URGEWALT cover art, we got in touch with him, got a first sketch, and we loved it. Besides, he is a great guy with integrity! “Sometimes misanthropic - always anti-fascist”
As you see, we decided to go for a more subtle interpretation of the overarching lyrical motifs: The will to self destruction, toxic masculinity, blinding rage ....”
10. I suppose you'll soon start presenting the album live. What concerts do you have planned for the summer to present the new album? What can your fans expect from the live presentation of the new album?
BST: At this time, we have played one show with the new stuff at Hansemosh in Bremen…Up next are some shows in Germany and hopefully a few shows abroad in autumn. Our live shows are more or less rooted in the classic heavy metal way….No rituals, no staged acting, let the metal do the talking! We tried corpse paint for our first show, and we hated it :-D
Unfortunately, It`s very difficult for all four of us to find dates for shows, due to jobs, family etc.
Right now, we are looking forward to some pretty promising offers in autumn, but nothing set in stone right now.
11. You've been active for almost two decades now. How do you think the black metal scene in Germany has evolved over the years? Which bands from Flensburg would you recommend?
BST: I think the german black metal scene always had a broad and interesting range of styles. At the moment I am proud to see more and more bands raising their voices against fascism and nsbm shit. Take leipzig based Wrahha for example. Classic bestial war black metal, with a strong antifascist ideology!
Mhm, good bands from flensburg, or proximity? right now i cant find a good recommendation…(sorry to those great guys i surely forgot) But i am not that much into every underground band anymore…old and lazy fuck i am :-/
12. How did you get started in music: first concerts you attended, first albums you bought? What event in your lives pushed you to want to be musicians?
BST: For me, my journey into the more heavier fields of music started with my dad who, for reasons i can't understand, had a lp of body count which i blasted for weeks as soon as i got hands on it. ”Cop Killer”. Soon after that, somewhere mid 90ies i saw the cover of Sodoms “Agent orange” and bought it only because of the cover…from there it started to get worse :-D So black metal was the unavoidable path i had to take…Those times, i started screaming around in my room for hours, drove my dad mad and knew: this is what i wanted to do! (and as i lack any kind of real musical talent, this was the only path in music i could take :) )
13. Which album represents the essence of black metal for you? What recent albums have you bought?
BST: Hard question. Black metal has many facets, which, depending on my mood, are expressed in different forms…from raw folklore in first era ulver, truly grim and misanthrophic gorgoroth, bestial noise by beherit…. But to boil it down to the essence, i pick Panzerfaust by Darkthrone. It´s raw, it´s straight and there is absolutely no fun in this one.
There might be albums more brutal, more raw, more misanthropic, but the combined effort in this one got me sold. Nowadays i rarely buy new records, but Sumerian Tombs got my money. Oh, and i really dig HEXENBRETT at the moment <3 Obscure german heavy metal.
14. Thank you very much for taking the time to answer these questions for Black Metal Spirit. If you'd like to add something for Verheerer's fans, this is the place. I hope you enjoy the questions.
BST: Thank you and stay strong!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
No hay comentarios:
Publicar un comentario