GRABAK - a group with a long history, coming from LEIPZIG - Germany. Let's ask them a few questions about that time and today.

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1. Hello, first of all, thank you for your time. First of all - music - why such style and such power?

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Hello back. Of course I would be happy to answer your questions. I believe music has always been and is an expression of rebellion and anger. When you make the transition from child to teenager, you try to find your place, be different and leave your mark. We all grew up with metal in some way and when you're looking for identity and extremes, you inevitably come to Black Metal. Of course Death Metal is also extreme, but we had the feeling then and now that cargo shorts and baggy shirts didn't really seem elitist. For us as a band, Black Metal is an expression of dark atmosphere and extremism. And our music should reflect that. If you listen to the first albums, there is this stylistic spirit that early works of that time exuded. From 2007, with the change of our drummer, we essentially changed the way we played Black Metal and we delivered a really extreme album. And we wanted to keep that energy. I hope we've managed that so far.

 

2.The group was created in 1995.Did the Mayhem concert influence it?

 

Well to be honest, it hasn't affected us half as much as you might think. In 1990, Mayhem weren't really that well known and the concert had more of a punk character than dark magic. The fact is, however, that the Scandinavian bands in the early 90s in particular managed to create exactly this feeling – the dark magic – and it seems like that a sinister spirituality that became music. You literally waited for the next album of a certain band and then listened to them more or less reverently at home. And then something happened that apparently led many musicians of the time to form their own bands. You want to be part of this scene, make your contribution and grow in it.

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3.7 albums, 2 demos - what future, plans, because after 2021 there will be silence! Why?

 

If you look at our biography, you'll notice that it always takes a few years before a new album comes out. On the one hand, this is because it inevitably takes time to write new songs and, on the other hand, because record companies and media always need some lead time. Even though the media landscape has changed immensely, the process of a release, especially in metal, is still very traditional. Even bands like Marduk or Behemoth, whose musical lives are based on this, need a certain amount of time between releases. However, you can rest assured, we are constantly working on new songs.

 

4.Concerts in Germany, and what else is there after the union?

 

After three decades on stage, I can say that the concerts in Germany are always very special. The organizers are very interested in making it as pleasant as possible for the bands. This became apparent at the beginning of the 90s, shortly after the unification of Germany. You shouldn't forget that there were also metal bands in the GDR. However, under the political leadership it was very difficult to organize concerts. Obtaining technology and instruments was also rather difficult. After the collapse of the GDR there was a cultural explosion. Bands, clubs and concerts sprouted up like mushrooms. I'm not just talking about Black Metal, but also techno or punk. One could say that the extreme forms of music fell on very fertile ground. Today the concert landscape has changed quite a bit. More and more clubs and organizers are withdrawing and nothing is growing back. I think this is largely thanks to the pandemic situation and the subsequent increase in costs.

 

5. Covid, war in the East, Israel - does this also affect you?

 

So you see, Covid has affected us - as a band - indirectly. We are professionally independent of the band, so we had no financial losses. However, I heard of other bands who had invested heavily in merchandise and were now unable to play a high percentage of the show. However, the entire situation led to several outcomes. On the one hand, many concerts have been canceled and now have to be rescheduled. The lack of locations for this leads to a further shortage of opportunities to play live. If the financial risk is too high, it will be canceled... so today, three years after the start of the pandemic, it is much more difficult to be on stage. On the other hand, I have the feeling that increasing anonymity is being accepted through live streams and increasing media presence on video and online platforms. What this entails is a lack of real, real interaction with the fans in front of the stage. I would really miss that in the long run. Are you asking about Israel, Russia and Ukraine? If there's one positive thing that global connectivity has brought about, it's the ability to communicate with fans from other countries. It is sometimes very stark how far personal reports and information and media reporting differ.

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6.Grabak is pure black metal, tell me something about it?

 

I would only like to speak for myself in this context, as everyone in the band probably has a different connection. It's best to approach the answer from different perspectives. Firstly, there is the musical side. If you look at the development, you might sometimes ask, is this still Black Metal? I think we have now developed our own style and have always mixed in different influences. This can hardly be avoided and that's a good thing. Everyone in the band has their own ideas about it and in the end five people have to be convinced of a song. Against this background, a completely surprising result can arise at any time. The only premise is, preferably an extreme songs has to be evolved... Secondly, there is the content or textual component. My lyrics, and I don't let anyone else have a say, are all what one would describe as prototypical black metal. It's about spiritual experiences, demonic apparitions and apocalyptic scenarios. I like death and ruin more than descriptions of nature and landscape. Abysses in human nature are usually deeper than geological ones. Thirdly, the optical component... we try to keep the original look from back then. Black clothing, corpse paint and blood… that’s all it takes. This is our pure black metal.

 

7.The German scene - how different is it from the late 1980s?

 

Phew.. in a word? Confusing. I no longer have an overview of which bands are active in Germany. New ones are constantly being added and others are stopping. Nowadays, with the right ideas and measures, you can quickly become known. But ultimately they disappear into obscurity just as quickly. Everything has become faster, immediately available and omnipresent. The mystical aura of back then has given way to a glassy transparency. Spotify and Instagram dictate the rules and an algorithm determines the reach. Sometimes I really feel like a relic. When I really think about it, there really aren't many companions left from our early days. There are perhaps a handful of bands that release music as consistently as we do. After 15 years of silence, others realize that it might be really cool to go public again. However, that is not my idea of continuity and sustainability.

 

8. Your final word!

 

Well, first I want to thank you for keeping the legacy of underground fanzines alive. Furthermore, I hope to be able to give a little insight into the band and get some people interested in us.