The following words are the leader and sole member of the German Black Metal project Ravenfrost. He speaks from the influences of your project up on some very controversial within the Black Metal scene.
Read in full below:
UBM: As we can see, Ravenfrost is a mix of raw and deep Black Metal but has that Ambient too, how you decided to create this project?
K: I decided to create Ravenfrost because I started to listen to more and more black metal when I was 18 or 19 or so. And I had always been fascinated of the idea of a one-man-project with unlimited creativity and opportunities.
I always liked the mixture between ambient and black metal. I was fascinated by bands like Paysage D'Hiver, Xasthur and Striborg (to name a few). I also like raw and pure black metal but thats not the kind of music I want to play.
Furthermore, I had been playing around with virtual instruments like keys and strings before I even bought the first recording gear to record guitar and vocals.
UBM: When you say a project with unlimited creativity and opportunities do you mean that Ravenfrost can pass through its own barrier and play something more symphonic in the future?
K: Definitely yes. I could do everything I want. If I decided to make some pure ambient songs or drone stuff or anything else I could just record them and upload them for everybody.
In fact, I am currently going a little bit more back to the roots. The next release will be more black metal with less keys and ambient stuff. That is just how I feel in the moment and I can do whatever the fuck I want. Isn't that a great feeling?
K: I decided to create Ravenfrost because I started to listen to more and more black metal when I was 18 or 19 or so. And I had always been fascinated of the idea of a one-man-project with unlimited creativity and opportunities.
I always liked the mixture between ambient and black metal. I was fascinated by bands like Paysage D'Hiver, Xasthur and Striborg (to name a few). I also like raw and pure black metal but thats not the kind of music I want to play.
Furthermore, I had been playing around with virtual instruments like keys and strings before I even bought the first recording gear to record guitar and vocals.
UBM: When you say a project with unlimited creativity and opportunities do you mean that Ravenfrost can pass through its own barrier and play something more symphonic in the future?
K: Definitely yes. I could do everything I want. If I decided to make some pure ambient songs or drone stuff or anything else I could just record them and upload them for everybody.
In fact, I am currently going a little bit more back to the roots. The next release will be more black metal with less keys and ambient stuff. That is just how I feel in the moment and I can do whatever the fuck I want. Isn't that a great feeling?
UBM: Yes, I can see your point, and, since the beginning Black Metal always was about humanity freedom. You talked about ambient bands like Xasthur, and, as you said, ambient is something that it's always on your mind, right? However, are you interested in the many ways of Black Metal? Can you tell us about your influences and even other bands that you consider special?
K: I like nearly all different kinds of black metal. I like old school black metal like Carpathian Forest or Darkthrone. I love some of the raw traditional stuff, some of my alltime favorites are Inquisition and Darkened Nocturn Slaughtercult. One of the first albums I bought was Dark Endless by Marduk and I still love it.
There are tons of great bands, a lot more then I could count now. If I would have to name a few I would say some of the most inspiring are Inquisition, Immortal, Nagelfar and Anaal Nathrakh (they are probably more a mix of black/death/grind but anyway...)
The only thing which I do not support is all kind of racist black metal. Not only that most bands suck anyway, I just don't like the idea of something as great as black metal being infected with stupid nazi propaganda...
UBM: Now I understand why Ravenfrost has the possibility of being very wide, and this is a good thing because we don't know what is coming on. Mentioning "racist black metal" do you see many artists using Black Metal force to spread those people philosophy as a fact?
K: Yes. I think this is a huge problem. Especially in Germany but all over the world. There are a lot of bands which spread disgusting ideologies.
But the biggest problem is that shit like that is tolerated by the black metal scene. Most people are too lazy to think for themselves and they don't see that nsbm has nothing to do with the overall misantrophy in black metal. It turns the whole style into something that metalheads should be ashamed of.
In my opinion, if you do not clarify that you are strictly against nationalism and racism in black metal, you are part of the problem and help idiots to pollute the world with their shit.
UBM: Discussing about how many bands use Black Metal to "sell their philosophies", there are a lot of bands that call themselves NSBM (National Socialist Black Metal) so there are a lot of that call themselves "Unblack Metal" or "Christian Black Metal", do you think is a similar thing? People using the strenght of the Black Metal music to spread their ideas?
K: I think Christian Metal older White Metal is just ridiculous, especially in black metal. Black Metal stands for the denial of religion and dogmas. Black Metal is a musical and ideological force against christianity.
The philosophy behind that is to focus on individuality instead of just following some false messiah.
The idea that black metal could be christian is a paradox itself. I think everone should have the rights to have any religion they want as long as no one gets hurt. But black metal should not be used to promote christian faith.
UBM: Now talking more about Ravenfrost, the album "Ein Streifzug Am Abgrund Der Seele" show a good composition and a strong sonority, how much time you spent producing it?
K: I consider it as a demo, not an album because it was really the first release I ever made, although it is quite long.
"Ein Streifzug Am Abgrund Der Seele" (which roughly translates to "A Journey To The Abyss Of The Soul") contains songs and ideas from 2006 to 2009. Some songs were written in a few hours or days (like Marching Into Desperation) and some of the were riffs and fragments which I recorded, then put aside, then rearranged and so on. I worked on "Der Eiskalte Hauch Der Leere" for about one and a half year although it is a pretty short song. I just wanted to make it just as I wanted it to sound.
So you could say this demo took me nearly three years. Of course there were lots of other songs or riffs which I wrote and which were not good enough to be on it.
UBM: That's impressive, you rearranged very well and make a demo seems like a full-lenght and I say this not just because the number of songs, so, how is Ravenfrost now? Are you working on something new?
K: Thanks. Yes I am constantly working on something new. I can't help it. I think there will be a new song in the next few weeks. As I already said, it will be a little bit more black metal and less experimental. Maybe I will do another split. I don't know yet.
UBM: Any message to the black metal fans? And specially Ravenfrost fans?
K: Well, I hope there are a few Ravenfrost fans out there. First of all: Thanks to everyone who appreciates what I do. Spread the word about Ravenfrost and feel free to share all my music with everyone who is interested.
To all black metal fans: Support good underground bands. Keep your ears open for new interesting stuff and support blogspots and zines which help you to do so.
Thanks to ublackmetal.blogspot.com!
UBM: Thank you too! Success!
K: I like nearly all different kinds of black metal. I like old school black metal like Carpathian Forest or Darkthrone. I love some of the raw traditional stuff, some of my alltime favorites are Inquisition and Darkened Nocturn Slaughtercult. One of the first albums I bought was Dark Endless by Marduk and I still love it.
There are tons of great bands, a lot more then I could count now. If I would have to name a few I would say some of the most inspiring are Inquisition, Immortal, Nagelfar and Anaal Nathrakh (they are probably more a mix of black/death/grind but anyway...)
The only thing which I do not support is all kind of racist black metal. Not only that most bands suck anyway, I just don't like the idea of something as great as black metal being infected with stupid nazi propaganda...
UBM: Now I understand why Ravenfrost has the possibility of being very wide, and this is a good thing because we don't know what is coming on. Mentioning "racist black metal" do you see many artists using Black Metal force to spread those people philosophy as a fact?
K: Yes. I think this is a huge problem. Especially in Germany but all over the world. There are a lot of bands which spread disgusting ideologies.
But the biggest problem is that shit like that is tolerated by the black metal scene. Most people are too lazy to think for themselves and they don't see that nsbm has nothing to do with the overall misantrophy in black metal. It turns the whole style into something that metalheads should be ashamed of.
In my opinion, if you do not clarify that you are strictly against nationalism and racism in black metal, you are part of the problem and help idiots to pollute the world with their shit.
UBM: Discussing about how many bands use Black Metal to "sell their philosophies", there are a lot of bands that call themselves NSBM (National Socialist Black Metal) so there are a lot of that call themselves "Unblack Metal" or "Christian Black Metal", do you think is a similar thing? People using the strenght of the Black Metal music to spread their ideas?
K: I think Christian Metal older White Metal is just ridiculous, especially in black metal. Black Metal stands for the denial of religion and dogmas. Black Metal is a musical and ideological force against christianity.
The philosophy behind that is to focus on individuality instead of just following some false messiah.
The idea that black metal could be christian is a paradox itself. I think everone should have the rights to have any religion they want as long as no one gets hurt. But black metal should not be used to promote christian faith.
UBM: Now talking more about Ravenfrost, the album "Ein Streifzug Am Abgrund Der Seele" show a good composition and a strong sonority, how much time you spent producing it?
K: I consider it as a demo, not an album because it was really the first release I ever made, although it is quite long.
"Ein Streifzug Am Abgrund Der Seele" (which roughly translates to "A Journey To The Abyss Of The Soul") contains songs and ideas from 2006 to 2009. Some songs were written in a few hours or days (like Marching Into Desperation) and some of the were riffs and fragments which I recorded, then put aside, then rearranged and so on. I worked on "Der Eiskalte Hauch Der Leere" for about one and a half year although it is a pretty short song. I just wanted to make it just as I wanted it to sound.
So you could say this demo took me nearly three years. Of course there were lots of other songs or riffs which I wrote and which were not good enough to be on it.
UBM: That's impressive, you rearranged very well and make a demo seems like a full-lenght and I say this not just because the number of songs, so, how is Ravenfrost now? Are you working on something new?
K: Thanks. Yes I am constantly working on something new. I can't help it. I think there will be a new song in the next few weeks. As I already said, it will be a little bit more black metal and less experimental. Maybe I will do another split. I don't know yet.
UBM: Any message to the black metal fans? And specially Ravenfrost fans?
K: Well, I hope there are a few Ravenfrost fans out there. First of all: Thanks to everyone who appreciates what I do. Spread the word about Ravenfrost and feel free to share all my music with everyone who is interested.
To all black metal fans: Support good underground bands. Keep your ears open for new interesting stuff and support blogspots and zines which help you to do so.
Thanks to ublackmetal.blogspot.com!
UBM: Thank you too! Success!
