1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
HW: Hails! HARM WULF was founded by Ansuz (guitars), Zephirist (vocals and lyrics) and Völz (bass) in mid-2015. All of us have been actively creating music for quite some time before, but there was a common passion for raw, atmospheric Black Metal that we felt we wanted to channel into a distinct form - thus this band came to be. The aim was, from the beginning, to deliver this music and all it stands for in uncompromising, pure essence.
2.In January you had released your first album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?
Ansuz: "Endzeitnächte" is a very dense album, with thick layers of sound that evoke a certain kind of arcane, or "transcendental", if you like, atmosphere we aim for. The songs are connected through instrumental interludes that, like an overture, introduce the musical themes presented in the following song(s). Everything has a purpose on this recording, it is not a random collection of songs.
Völz: Raw German Black metal with atmospheric influences.
3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
Ansuz: I am not sure if our debut can be called a "conceptual album" in the classical sense. Zephirist writes most of the lyrics. I wrote lyrics for "Sintbrand" on our album, about the inevitable purge of modern, as well as judeo-christian values - one day mankind will learn by force that our mundane lives are just masks we wear, in order to function within a fragile concept of "reality".
Zephirist: Well, the lyrics on this album are indeed not based on a single concept. They reach from hateful misanthropic visions of death and destruction to descriptions of endtime-scenarios and mystic nights in the woods. Sure, these topics are typical for almost every black metal band out there but in combination with the raw sound of the songs they fit just fine.
4.I know that the name 'Harm Wulf' comes out of novel 'Der Wehrwolf' by 'Hermann Lons', can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this author?
Ansuz: HARM WULF stands for the irrational, the archaic in man - hardened by and filtered through the life we lead. In the novel, Harm Wulf is a peasant during the Thirty-Years-War (during this conflict from 1618-1648 more than half of the population died in some areas of Germany). The brutal reality he and his kinsmen face as their village is pillaged forces them to shed their petty issues and earn their survival. This is knowledge of a reality, a natural law, that the last generations in Europe failed to pass on to their descendants.
Völz: Nothing to add.
5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and alos how would you describe your stage performance?
HW: Unfortunately, we haven't played any shows yet.
6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
HW: Yes we do. However, we live in different parts of Germany and it is taking us quite some time, effort and also logistic problems to rehearse frequently. Nothing certain can be said as of now.
7.On the band camp page you had a 'Nokturnal Mortum' cover and on the album you had a 'Dark fury' cover, what was the decision behind doing your own versions of these songs?
Ansuz: Both bands, especially NOKTURNAL MORTUM were great influences to me. The song we covered will appear on a CD compilation released by Azermedoth Records and this tribute was the main reason we decided to record the song.
8.According to the metal archives page you are signed to 'Werewolf Promotion', can you tell us a little bit more about this label?
Ansuz: Werewolf Promotion has been releasing quality music for a long time now, almost everything they release is guaranteed to be worth your time. It is a great honour to work with this label, and we plan to continue this cooperation. The quality of our album release on tape was absolutely flawless.
Völz: The cooperation with the label is working properly and they give us the necessary support we need. Moreover, Werewolf Promotion delivered perfect quality of the tapes!
9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black metal?
Ansuz: The feedback I received so far has been from average to very positive. I think we have made a first appearance, a starting point from which we hope to set ourselves apart from the flood of releases in Black Metal.
Völz: Far better than I expected.
10.What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that some of the band members are a part of?
Ansuz: I have a band called NOXIA. Founded in 2010, we play Post-Punk infused with some elements of Gothic- and Black Metal. So far, there's been one EP, a Split release (to be reissued on CD soon) and we have almost finished recording our debut album at this point.
Völz: Since 2015 I'm also a member of NOXIA, which has already been introduced by Ansuz. Besides I play bass in CH'AHOM. Black/Death Metal with pre-hispanic themes in the vein of SADOGOAT, PROCLAMATION and VON. We just released our first demo via Penetrationhammer and are working on further material.
Zephirist: My own project is called FREMDREICH and could be described as black metal with a pretty punk-ish attitude. I am currently working on the second full length which will go back to the more radical and misantrophic style like my debut since the last two releases were based on some personal issues of mine. But I figured out that black metal wasn´t the best platform to handle these topics.
11.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
Ansuz: I think we will continue the path we started. What I would like to do is broaden our lyrical themes and the musical depth to draw the listener further into our concept. Our inspiration is wide enough to realize this on future releases. Still, HW is - without compromise - dedicated to pure, traditional Black Metal and its values.
Völz: With our debut we created a distinctive sound. We'll try to pick up from this and develop our songwriting.
12.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
Ansuz: Influential artists definitely are bands like BURZUM, early KATATONIA, LASCOWIEC, A. ART, ENSLAVED, NA RASPUTJE, SOMBRE CHEMIN... I also have a passion for 80's Post-Punk and Indie-music, like RED LORRY YELLOW LORRY, THE SMITHS, UK DECAY and contemporary bands of this style: HOLOGRAMS, VARSOVIE, LOVESILKPALEMILK, to name a few.
Völz: As I started making music, I bought a shitty guitar and started learning DARKTHRONE and BURZUM songs. The greatest influence to me are primitive bands like BEHERIT, BLASPHEMY, ILDJARN, ØDELEGGER. The crude style is perfect to transport anger! Therefore, I'm also a huge fan of OHL, CHAOS Z and RASPBERRY BULBS. Other genres which I try to pick up are Ambient, Folk and Power Electronics.
13.Does Paganism or Occultism play any role in your music?
Ansuz: I am a pantheistic heathen and this is reflected in the aims I have with my musical creation - to evoke a sense for the irrational, archaic and untamed ways of nature.
Völz: Yes. HAIL SATAN!
Zephirist: I for myself do not believe in god or any other form of a “higher power”. People often use the excuse that religion gives them hope - but I don´t want them to have hope.
14.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Ansuz: I would like to thank you for this interview and appeal to every reader and/or listener to treasure and develop BLACK METAL as a spiritual weapon against the modern world. Don't let it become part of the "regular" metal scene, which is full of troglodyte idiots raveling in ignorance. Support underground bands, labels and fanzines!
Völz: Thanks for the interview and keep supporting the underground!
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