RavenFrost 2016 Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what is going on with the musical project these days?

Sure. Ravenfrost has been around for ten years by now and this is the second full-length album after "Agonies Of The Past". I'm still trying to improve the sound quality with every release and I think I've done that again. It's getting harder to keep up the work on this project since I'm working full time, have a family and another band but Ravenfrost will always continue.

2.Recently you have released a new album, what are some of the things you feel you have done differently this time around that you where not able to do with your previous release?

Most important is: I finally released an album with real drums. That's a huge step forward. Troll from Succorbenoth did a fantastic job and really nailed the drums just the way they needed to be done. I also took lots of time to write the songs. There were like 12 oder 15 of them but I only selected the best ones for the final version of the album.

3.How do the lyrics differ on the new album from previous recordings?

"Lucid Nightmares" has a lyrical concept. As the title says it's about nightmares and how dreams and reality can mix until you can't tell them apart no more. A lucid nightmare would be a state where you would have horrible visions but could not move or do anything about it.

4.On the new album you have also used a regular drummer, do you feel this has made your music more powerful this time around?

Troll definitely made it more powerful. He added something brutal and aggressive to the sound of the whole album. I did not really tell him how I imagined the drums. In many parts he did them totally different from what I had in mind and it turned out great.

5.Also this new album was self released while your previous releases had a label, are you open to working with another label in the future?

I am open to that and would love to work with a good label. Unfortunately I haven't found one at the moment. I only had bad offers so I'm releasing the album myself. Maybe there will be a second release by a label. You never know...

6.Also this year you had also released a full length with your other band 'Grau', can you tell us a little bit more about this band?

Yes. Grau released "Transzendenz" this year via Dominance Of Darkness Records. I play bass and do vocals in this band. It has nothing to do with Ravenfrost's depressive/doom style. I'd say it's fast and melodic black metal.

7.You have also been doing this project for 10 years, what is it that keeps you motivated after a decade?

Well I still have a lot of ideas for new songs and I'm already writing stuff for the next album. This time the songwriting will be different because I know that Troll will do the drums. That's something completely new. Stuff like that keeps me motivated. Also seeing that Ravenfrost at least has some fans in the underground after ten years.

8.The new album is also available on bandcamp, do you feel this site has been very helpful for underground metal bands over the years?

I think it helped a lot. It's easy to use and you can make your music available for the whole world. Personally I believe in sharing music for free. Maybe that's why a label isn't that important for me.

9.Where would you like to see this project evolved into musically during the future?

Honestly: I don't know. That makes it interesting. Troll has done a lot of fast and brutal stuff. Maybe there is a way to mix this style with depressive black metal. Maybe I'll try something more progressive. We will see...

10.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

Thanks a lot for the review and interview. To everybody out there: You can download the album from my site (ravenfrost.bandcamp.com). Feel free to share it and tell me what you think about it.

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RavenFrost/Lucid Nightmares/2016 Full Length Review

  Germany's  solo  project  RavenFrost  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  continuing  the  doom influenced  style  of  depressive  black  metal  from  previous  releases  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2016  album  "Lucid  Nightmares".

  A  very  dark,  heavy  and  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  album and  after  a  few  seconds  grim  black  metal  screams  make  their  presence  known  on  the  recording  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while  the  guitar  lead  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of
 dark  sounding  melodies.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  music  also  gets  very  depressive  at  times  and  some  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  deep  growls  can  also  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  songs  and  the  slower  riffs  are  very  heavily  influenced  by  doom  metal  and  as  the  album  progresses  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  one  track  also  brings  in  a  brief  use  of  ambient  style  synths.

  RavenFrost  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to  the  doom  influenced  atmospheric  and  depressive  style  of  black  metal  from previous  releases,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  depressive  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  RavenFrost  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  atmospheric  and  depressive  black  metal  with  some  doom  metal  touches,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Spheres  Of  Self-Destruction"  and  "Nocturnal  Terrors".  8  out  of  10.

https://ravenfrost.bandcamp.com      

RavenFrost 2013 Interview

1. Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the project since 2010?

A lot has happened since then. I have been improving my little studio more and more. I bought a new bass and switched to other software. Also, Ravenfrost developed from Depressive Black Metal to a mix of DSBM and Doom. The strings are tuned down to hell on the future stuff.

2.You have a new album coming out in 2014 can you tell us a little bit more about it and how you feel you have evolved as  a  musician with the new recording?

I'm very proud of the new record because it cost a lot of time and passion to make it. As usual, I did everything from writing to recording. I had the pleasure to meet some inspiring people and I was able to really find my own style which I have been trying since the beginning in 2006. 

So this is the first full-length album and a milestone for Ravenfrost!

3.The new album has all lyrics in English this time around, what was the decision behind using this language instead of German on all off the newer songs which was used on some  of the older material and also do you have any plans on writing in your native tongue again in the future?

The decision to only write lyrics in English just happened. I did not really plan it or even think about it. It's just what suits the music best in the moment. Maybe I will change that in the future, maybe not. I have considered writing "Einsamkeit II" as a sequel to "Einsamkeit" from the 2009 demo. We will see on the next album.

4.Can you tell us a little bit more about what the song lyrics cover this time around?

"Agonies Of The Past" sums up the concept of the album. I really had a hard time in 2011 because of some very stressful stuff that happened. I had the feeling that I could not live up to my own ambitions and I was totally broke, which ended up in kind of a burn out situation that gave me hell for a few months. So...what I was trying is to turn that into something positive and gain inspiration from it. I always thought that depressive music is the best way to cope with pain and despair. Not to give up but to get over it and move on. And that's what I did. The whole lyrics are centered around the feeling that you get when you're really desperate. Like you're standing on the edge of a cliff and there is no way out.

5.A few years back you did a split with Vintage Flesh, what where your thoughts on the other band that participated?

I still like that split a lot. I had been a fan of those guys and their creepy strange mixture of black metal, doom and horror themes. I also really like the vocals that Ray did for "Vizards To Our Hearts". We are still in contact and Ray from Vintage Flesh (he has a new band called Inverticrux now) did the cover artwork for this album.

6.I noticed that for a while you where using a drummer while doing all off the other musical instruments how did that work out and also are you still using a drummer?

It worked out pretty bad. One of the reasons for creating a one man project is that I did not want to be forced to rely on other people. The whole process of creating the drums went very very slow until I just decided to do everything myself. I'm not working with a drummer at the moment. Maybe I will, if I find someone who is really dedicated.

7.The new album is coming out on Tridoid Records, can you tell us a little bit more about this label and how they compare with the other labels you have worked with?

Tridroid Records is a U.S.-based label. So far, it was really nice working with them. I had the chance to have a track on their black metal compilation. After that I asked if they would do a vinly release of the album and they agreed which is a great chance for Ravenfrost. I'm really excited to get my hands on a vinyl version of the album.

I have made a lot of good experiences with labels. Like Victory By Fire, Pest Records, Runenstein Records and lots of others. No rip offs or assholes so far, let's hope that it will stay this way.

8.I remember a few years back you said you have some other musical projects, are they still going on these days?

Unfortunately, Megaera does not exist anymore. But I'm doing bass and vocals in a death metal band called Vintundra. We recorded our first album last fall and I'm really proud of it too. It's death metal mixed with some very interesting elements like oriental parts, acoustics and female vocals.

9.What kind of reaction they you feel you will get once the album hits the stores in 2014?

I think the album will be received very well. I've been getting a lot of positive response from musicians and labels. The only thing that's still unclear is who will do the CD-release in Europe but that will turn out pretty soon.

10.Thanks for your time, any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?

Thanks a lot for the interview and review. Check out Tridroid Record's black metal compilation, Inverticrux and Vintundra. And try to get your hands on a copy of "Agonies Of The Past", vinyl, tape or cd.

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RavenFrost/Agonies Of The Past/Tridroid Records/2014 Full Length Review

  RavenFrost  are  a  1  man  band  from  Germany  that h as  been  featured  before  in  this  zine with  the  musical  style  this  time  around  being  a  depressive  form  of  black  metal  with  doom  elements  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  album  "Agonies  Of  The  Past"  which  will be released  by  Trindoid  Records.

  "What  Doesn't  Kill  You  Makes  You  Weaker"  begins  with  some  melodic  black  metal  guitar  leads  along  with  some  drums  in  the  background  which  lead  to  some  depressive  screams  and  heavier  riffing  while  keeping  around  the  melodic  leads  and  after  awhile  the  music slows  down  and  more  black  metal  style  vocals  start  kicking  in  as  well  as  going  into  a  heavy  black/doom  direction  and  around  a  minute  some  bass  playing  starts  keeping  in  and  out  as  well  as  the  music  utilizing  some  synths  making  the  song  have  a  more  tragic  feeling  to  it  before  going  back  to  its  heavier  roots  and  mixing  some  synths  in  certain  sections  before  going  more  back  into  it and  adding  in  another  melodic  leads.

  "The  Roots  Unearthed"  begins  with  some  dark  atmospheric/ambient  synths  which  leads  to  some  melodic  doom  guitar  leads,  drums,  bass  and  heavy  rhythm  guitar  playing  setting  up  the  mood  for  some  deep  doom/death  growls  and  stays  in  that  direction  for  awhile  before  adding  in  some  black  metal elements  to  the vocals  while  still  focusing  on  melodic  doom  as  well  as  returning  more  towards  synths  and  bass  guitars  for  awhile  as  well  as  adding  in  some  spoken  word  parts  which  also  lead  to  the  song  getting  heavier  again  and  as  times  goes  by  another  melodic  lead  kicks  in  briefly.

  "Under  The Surface"  begins  with  some  heavy  and  dark  guitar  riffing  which  leads  to  grim  depressive  black  metal  vocals  as  well  as  some  melody  getting  into  the  riffing  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  clean  playing   along  with  some  bass  in  the  background  as  well  as  the  song  getting  darker  as  time  moves  by  and  you  can  hear  both  deep  and  high  pitch  elements  in  the  vocals and  towards  the  end  you  can  hear  a  small  amount  of  synths.

  "Melancholic  Maelstrom"  begins  with  some  heavy  and  dark  guitar  riffs  and  drums  which  lead  to  some  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams  kicking  in  as  well as  the  song  utilizing  some  primitive  early  90's  elements  in  the  riffing  for  awhile  before  adding  in  some  melodic  elements  and  deep  growls  which  take  the  song  from  black  to  doom,  as  the  song  moves  on  it  goes  into  a  soft  direction  with  synths  taking  over  and  dominating  before  returning  to  its  primitive  black  metal roots  while  also  mixing  some  of  the  other  elements  together  which  lead  to  some  powerful  bass  playing  being  utilized  with  the  other  instruments.

  'To Envy  The  Nameless  Dead"  begins  with  some  dark  guitar  riffing  which  leads  to  some  drums  as  well  as  adding  in  more  melody  and  heavy  parts  along  with  some  strong  bass  playing  setting  up  the  mood  for  some  grim  screams  and  after  awhile  melodic  leads  start  kicking  in  and  out  at  times  which  lead  to  some  DSBM  elements  as  well  as  the  song  utilizing  more  variety  as  times  moves  by  while  also  bringing  in  some  doom  metal  parts.

  Song  lyrics  are  written  in  English  and  cover  dark  and  depressive  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful  and  dark  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording  along  with  the  songs  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  RavenFrost  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  depressive  black  metal  with  elements  of  doom,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "What  Doesn't  Kill  You  Makes  You  Weaker"  and  "Melancholic  Maelstrom".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

www.ravenfrost.de

RavenFrost Interview

1. Can you tell us a little bit about the band for those that have
never heard you before?
Ravenfrost is a one man black metal project from Germany. I started
it in the winter of 2006. I had the dream to create my own songs for
some years and it was 2006 that I got the necessary equipment.
So far things are going well, my first demo is out and sells pretty
good and I'm working on a new cd for Victory By Fire Records.

2. How would you describe your musical sound?
It's definitely not limited to one genre. It's a mixture of black
metal, ambient and a little bit of doom and old school death metal.
It's important for me to use different influences and getting a
special sound. That's why I also use clean guitars and some keys here
and there.

3. What is the meaning behind the band's name?
Well, the name is derived from an a role-playing game. I found it to
be perfectly fitting, because it consists of two words and combines
two meanings. The raven stands for a dark and mystical side and a
fascination for death, which is the ambient side of the music. And
frost stands for the raw and brutal element which is black metal.

4. What releases have you put out so far?
Two demos, which can only be downloaded (Demo 2007 and Promo 2009)
and one physical release which is entitled "Ein Streifzug Am Abgrund
Der Seele" (which means "a foray to the abyss of the soul"). This
demo is limited to 100 pieces and can be ordered via Gottesrache
Records. I am currently working on a new cd which will be out on
Victory By Fire Records, probably in early summer.

5. How did you get in contact with Victory By Fire Records and how
has the support been so far?
I befriended the parent label Ziekte.NL on MySpace and they told me
that they liked a song of mine. When my demo came out, I contacted
the owner. He also owns Victory By Fire which is a label exclusively
for black metal and offered me a release there. The support has been
great and he is a very nice guy. Although the label is growing fast
and has a lot of great bands, he is always open for questions and
cares about the artists. It was a good choice for the release!

6. How would you describe the lyrical content of the music?
At first it was very much about blasphemy and the denial of
christianity. That is still an important issue but as the music
evolved from raw black metal to a more complex and individual style,
the lyrics got more subtle and describe the inner abyss that we call
our soul. The new cd will be called "Schatten Der Vergänglichkeit"
(shadows of vanity) and will be dealing with loneliness, emptiness
and the fear of death which are immanent in humanity.

7. How would you describe your musical progress over the years and
what direction do you see the music heading into on future releases?
As I said, in the beginning I just made raw black metal with some
keyboards. I'm constantly trying to create my own style of dark and
sickening art and push the boundaries of ambient black metal. So, the
future direction will be ambient black metal with a lot of influences
always trying to create a special atmosphere of darkness.

8. Do you have any other projects besides this band and if so who are
they and what kind of music do they play?
I also play guitar in a melodic death metal band called Megaera.
There is also a german black metal band with that name but there is
no connection to them. Death metal is one of my favorite musical
influences and we play a lot of great live gigs which is not possible
with Ravenfrost (at least not yet).

9. What are some bands or music styles that have influenced your
music and what are you listening to nowadays?
Bands who have influenced me are Marduk, Carpathian Forest, Burzum,
Striborg and lots of others. I also listen to a lot of Shining,
Limbonic Art, old Bethlehem and Xasthur.

10. Out of all the releases that you have put out so far which one
are you the most satisfied with?
I am most satisfied with the current demo although I think that the
next one will be even better because the recording is more
professional and the songs are more complex.

11. I know with some of your songs they are in German and you have
some songs in English, which language do you prefer to sing or write
in?
I write the most songs in English and also get ideas from english
lyrics or books. But German can sound very harsh and evil and
sometimes you can only express things in your mother tongue.
But generally I prefer English although I chose a german title again
for the next release.

12. Does Paganism, Satanism, or Occultism play any role in the music?
Well, I think it's wrong to devote oneself completly to one popular
belief. I'm influenced by anti-christian views and personally think
that Christianity is complete bullshit because it is based on false
moralility and believing in some invisible being without any evidence
is nothing that an intelligent person should do. But I have my own
point of views and like some ideas of modern Satanism. Occultism does
not matter to me. And Paganism...well, there are interesting pagan
cultures but you should not follow any so called Gods, so I do not
want to believe in any god, no matter what he is called.

13. How has your music been received so far by black metal fans
worldwide?
Pretty well. My first physical release has been out for 3 months now
and I think there is a growing number of listeners. I try to get more
and more attention for Ravenfrost. I am currently searching for
labels for a release outside of Europe, like in the U.S. or maybe
Asia.

14. I have read somewhere that the band is Anti Nazi but I can hear
some Burzum in the music, are you a fan of his music and not his
political views or is it just a coincidence that you have some
similarities?
This is an important issue. I am against any forms of racism and
think that politics do not belong in music. I also do not befriend
NSBM-bands and do not support any label that is into right-wing black
metal.
I think Vikernes can be considered as the father of one man black
metal bands. He created some amazing songs and had so much influence
on the developement of so called ambient black metal. "Filosofem" is
one of the greates albums ever, if you ask me!
I am definitely not a fan of the political views he later had. Being
a racist is something for stupid people who are willing to follow a
stupid ideology someone else has created. And that can never fit to
black metal. The point is that I don't think he was that way when he
created albums like Filosofem and even if he was, he never had any
political lyrics. That's what matters to me. I would never listen to
black metal with racist lyrics, even if the music was great (in most
cases the music is uninspired crap anyways).

15. What are some of your interests outside of music?
Some of my other interests are reading, especially about philosophy,
good movies and of course spending time with my girlfriend who
inspires me and supports Ravenfrost whenever she can. But my life is
pretty much all about metal, hehe.

16. Any final words or thoughts?
Support your local Black Metal Underground. Get my demo on my
homepage and watch out for the new cd. Ravenfrost has just started to
spread the plague! Thanks for the interview and the review!

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RavenFrost/Ein Streifzug Am Abgrund Der Seele/Victory By Fire Records/2009 CD REVIEW

RavenFrost are a band from Germany that plays a raw form of black metal with some doom influences mixed with dark ambient and this is a review of their 2009 album "Ein Streifzug Am Abgrund Der Seelee" which was released on Victory By Fire Records.

Drums are mostly mid paced beats with some blast beats mixed in to give the music a perfect balance while the bass playing has a very dark tone and utilizes a lot of fast riffing. Keyboards when they are utilized sound very depressing and bring an ambient feel to the music which seems to be heavily influenced by the pioneers of black metal.

Rhythm guitars use a lot of mid paced riffs that sound very dark and primal with some tremolo picking on the faster songs that has a lot of mid 90's to early 200's underground European black metal influences mixed in with a lot of influences from doom metal in the slower material as well as a small amount of death metal, guitar leads when they are utilized sound very melodic as well as depressive.

Vocals are mostly high pitched black metal screams mixed with some screeches as well as deep growling that's has a very heavy death metal influence to it as well as some occasional clean vocals, while the lyrics which are written in a mixture of German and English seem to cover a Luciferian approach to anti Christianity, as for the production it sounds very professional without sacrificing the raw black metal approach.

In my opinion this is a very good band and I see a lot of potential in their and I am looking forward to hearing their older as well as newer material. STANDOUT TRACKS INCLUDE "Aurora Lucferus" "Der Eiskatle Hauch Der Leeie" "To End Their Reign Of Lies" "Kenophobia" and "Risen From The Slaves". RECOMMENDED BUY

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