Blissfulviolet: Tell me about the history Gravestrom and where you’d like
to see the band in the future.
to see the band in the future.
Count Verdilak: We've been around for a little over four years. Our
lineup's changed a bit since then, and our bassist sadly will be leaving us
after the Demonic Gathering Fest. Other than that, going into detail over
our history seems a bit pointless. Where I would like to see the band in the
future is continuing to make, play, and perform our music. As for all the
additions to that such as albums, splits, etc, what happens happens. Our
main concern though is making, playing, and performing.
lineup's changed a bit since then, and our bassist sadly will be leaving us
after the Demonic Gathering Fest. Other than that, going into detail over
our history seems a bit pointless. Where I would like to see the band in the
future is continuing to make, play, and perform our music. As for all the
additions to that such as albums, splits, etc, what happens happens. Our
main concern though is making, playing, and performing.
Blissfulviolet: Describe Gravestorms sound.
Count Verdilak: It's difficult to describe our sound, especially since
anyone other than those who've watched us perform wouldn't know what we
sound like since our music sounds a lot faster and brutal than it used to
back when we recorded our old songs. We always try to make every song
we write sound different than all the others. This would explain why
sometimes we suffer writers block. Most black metal bands tend to make
their albums sound differently from one another, but the songs still sound
similar to one another. Gravestorm doesn't do this and perhaps more black
metal bands should follow that example. We would rather make one really
fucking good album in our music career rather than make a bunch of bland
ones.
anyone other than those who've watched us perform wouldn't know what we
sound like since our music sounds a lot faster and brutal than it used to
back when we recorded our old songs. We always try to make every song
we write sound different than all the others. This would explain why
sometimes we suffer writers block. Most black metal bands tend to make
their albums sound differently from one another, but the songs still sound
similar to one another. Gravestorm doesn't do this and perhaps more black
metal bands should follow that example. We would rather make one really
fucking good album in our music career rather than make a bunch of bland
ones.
Blissfulviolet: What inspires the lyrics of Gravestorm and what are some
of the bands influences?
of the bands influences?
Count Verdilak: Satan and misanthropy inspire the lyrics that I write for
the band as well as my experiences dealing with ritual practices, self
mutilation, and out of body experiences. What also works with me very well
is just sitting and listening to what my band mates are working on with new
material and just write in accordance to how the music's atmosphere is
affecting me. Our influences are very diverse since we're not close minded
and listen to a lot of stuff outside of black metal. How I feel on our
influences is that it's more like having something there that pushes us to
coming up with something for ourselves rather than it typically being that
you come up with something that sounds similar to what influences you.
the band as well as my experiences dealing with ritual practices, self
mutilation, and out of body experiences. What also works with me very well
is just sitting and listening to what my band mates are working on with new
material and just write in accordance to how the music's atmosphere is
affecting me. Our influences are very diverse since we're not close minded
and listen to a lot of stuff outside of black metal. How I feel on our
influences is that it's more like having something there that pushes us to
coming up with something for ourselves rather than it typically being that
you come up with something that sounds similar to what influences you.
Blissfulviolet:
Gravestorm will be
performing at this
years ‘Demonic
Gathering” April 14th
in San Antonio,
Texas and will play in
Austin the day
before. How does the
band feel about
playing in Texas and
will this be the first
time Gravestorm
plays out of state?
Gravestorm will be
performing at this
years ‘Demonic
Gathering” April 14th
in San Antonio,
Texas and will play in
Austin the day
before. How does the
band feel about
playing in Texas and
will this be the first
time Gravestorm
plays out of state?
Count Verdilak: We played a show recently in Sioux City, Iowa, so no it
won't be the first time we've played out of state. We feel very motivated and
are very excited about playing those shows. There are some very great
bands playing both shows and I look forward to finally playing a show with
other black metal bands.
won't be the first time we've played out of state. We feel very motivated and
are very excited about playing those shows. There are some very great
bands playing both shows and I look forward to finally playing a show with
other black metal bands.
Blissfulviolet: So what’s the black metal scene like in Nebraska, Has the
band been getting a strong following?
band been getting a strong following?
Count Verdilak: We basically are the black metal scene now since Talos
decided to call it quits without informing me first. I have a few friends
working on their own black metal projects, I still have yet to hear the music,
hopefully soon that will change. There are bands here though that do look
up to us, but they play their own music and even though I don't listen to or
like their music, I still respect them for doing their own thing. Our most
recent show had a very big crowd and a lot of people there who had never
heard of us before and loved what they heard. It was originally going to be
a death and grind show, but they decided to add one more band to the slot
and our friends in Sepulcro asked us at the last minute if we wanted to
perform. So I guess in a way we have a strong following that is continuing to
grow.
decided to call it quits without informing me first. I have a few friends
working on their own black metal projects, I still have yet to hear the music,
hopefully soon that will change. There are bands here though that do look
up to us, but they play their own music and even though I don't listen to or
like their music, I still respect them for doing their own thing. Our most
recent show had a very big crowd and a lot of people there who had never
heard of us before and loved what they heard. It was originally going to be
a death and grind show, but they decided to add one more band to the slot
and our friends in Sepulcro asked us at the last minute if we wanted to
perform. So I guess in a way we have a strong following that is continuing to
grow.
Blissfulviolet: What would you consider to be one of Gravestorms
greatest moments?
greatest moments?
Count Verdilak: Desecrating
Blissfulviolet: What does black metal mean to you?
Count Verdilak: Black Metal to me is left hand path music, not necessarily
for anyone who worships satan, but anyone who is not genuinely christian.
It's evil, hate, cruelty, and unbearable lust. Black Metal for any occultist,
Satanist, Pagan, etc who writes it and plays it is magick in one of it
strongest forms and unless you are one of those types of people, you're
only going to see it as just music and nothing else.
for anyone who worships satan, but anyone who is not genuinely christian.
It's evil, hate, cruelty, and unbearable lust. Black Metal for any occultist,
Satanist, Pagan, etc who writes it and plays it is magick in one of it
strongest forms and unless you are one of those types of people, you're
only going to see it as just music and nothing else.
Blissfulviolet: How do you feel on the topic that black metal should stay
underground?
underground?
Count Verdilak: I completely agree, if you're going to be a hypocrite by
having an "elitest" attitude, yet kiss everyone's ass who has the
connections into setting your band up with very big bands and touring out
of the country, you're just a bunch of posers. Gravestorm is nothing like
that, we're just a couple of arrogant egotistical assholes who play
underground black metal. If we obtain the leverage needed to succeed the
way certain "poser" bands plaguing our scene have obtained, that is
perfectly fine. But we certainly aren't going to be kissing anyone's ass to do
it.
having an "elitest" attitude, yet kiss everyone's ass who has the
connections into setting your band up with very big bands and touring out
of the country, you're just a bunch of posers. Gravestorm is nothing like
that, we're just a couple of arrogant egotistical assholes who play
underground black metal. If we obtain the leverage needed to succeed the
way certain "poser" bands plaguing our scene have obtained, that is
perfectly fine. But we certainly aren't going to be kissing anyone's ass to do
it.
Blissfulviolet: Is the band working on any new material? What goals have
the band set for 2007?
the band set for 2007?
Count Verdilak: We've written a lot of material the last few years that has
never been recorded. We are currently writing a new song that I have
strong faith we will be playing while we're in Texas. We're supposed to have
the guy who recorded Lucid Vile of Dreams contact us soon for recording
dates in March. Hopefully then we can finally get our debut album started.
Once that's done it's all a matter of either being signed and releasing it, or
us gathering up enough money to release it ourselves.
never been recorded. We are currently writing a new song that I have
strong faith we will be playing while we're in Texas. We're supposed to have
the guy who recorded Lucid Vile of Dreams contact us soon for recording
dates in March. Hopefully then we can finally get our debut album started.
Once that's done it's all a matter of either being signed and releasing it, or
us gathering up enough money to release it ourselves.
Blissfulviolet: Any final comments?
Count Verdilak: Ave Sathanas
| Interview with: Count Verdilak By: Blissfulviolet |