Interview with Eviga/Dornenreich
For your sixth studio album, you have decided to do an acoustic album. This exercise is complex and risky so acoustic albums are rather rare among the metal bands, why did you take this choice? Is it to strengthen the atmospheric side of your music?
Acoustic instruments have always been important to our artistic expression and we simply
felt the urge to create something out of our original fascination with music. Therefore
We tried to express ourselves truly organically and dynamically via acoustic instruments, exclusively. In my perception Dornenreich never lacked atmosphere, so I can not state that
we wanted to strengthen our atmospheric side, but we intended to focus on our organically passionate and primal side with “In Luft geritzt” (“Carved in air”), doubtlessly.
Moreover it was a profound joy for us to create wild and very intense moments by means
of acoustic instruments. Thus, the authenticity, strength and integrity of an absolutely acoustic
appearance was something we had to do for the sake of our bare hearts.
From album to album, your style move away from black metal style from your beginning to grive priority to the atmosphere and energy unleashed. Is it possible that for a further album, you will create a revival black metal album with raw atmospheres?
As I experience it our whole discography breahtes Black Metal in its emotional core.
To me Black Metal is a transcending way of yearning, primarily, and I feel this special longing when listening to our albums.
Anyway, our forthcoming album “Flammentriebe” (“Urges of the flame”) will be based on
very dramatic and passionately feverish atmospheres, yes. In spite of the fact that even
“In Luft geritzt” (“Carved in air”) meant “Black Metal” to me concerning the emotional content
“Flammentriebe” (“Urges of the flame”) will be “Black Metal” more – let’s say – obviously.
The elements of nature and the human condition seem to be recurring themes in your compositions. Is there other themes equally important?
What could be more important then the cycles of life in nature the human individual should experience itself as a part of? To me that’s crucial for (artistic) reflection of these timeless
contents connects me with the substance of life - and it enables me to come home in a way.
You've recently been in contact with the priest Robert Culat as part of his book ‘L’âge du Métal’. What did you obtain with this experience? Have you read this book and if yes, did you like it ? Did you keep contact with Robert Culat?
Robert Culat contacted me some years ago for Dornenreich meant a lot to him. He visited my home town once and I remember that we had an inspiring conversation back then and last year
he sent me a copy of his book, yes. Actually, his book offers some Dornenreich-lyrics that were translated to French, but I have to admit that my French is not that good anymore (- as I lack frequent practice -) and therefore I neither can judge whether the translations approach the original German version nor can I judge the whole book.
You will tour in Europe in 2009 with Agalloch and Melys to present your last DVD : Nachtreisen and also to present the forthcoming album Flammentriebe. This is your first tour since 2001 in a metal line-up, how do you feel? With the complexity of your music, is it not difficult to reproduce the atmosphere on stage? Do you adapt your music playing for the stage?
We will release this very DVD “Nachtreisen” (“Nocturnal Journeys”) in March 2009 and we’ll present it on the “Nachtreisen”-tour with Agalloch and Mely, right. One song of our next
studio-album “Flammentriebe” (“Urges of the flame”) will be introduced to the audience as well, but this album will be released in 2010, so the live-set will focus on our discography up
to the DVD. The enthousiasm we feel as for our return in Metal-Line-Up is enormous.
Naturally our songs will be arranged in special live versions as we go on stage as the three people we are.
For the occasion, your former drummer, the very busy Gilvàn will play with you. Will he or did he participate in the recording of Flammentriebe? If I am not mistaken, he didn’t play with Dornenreich since Her von Welken Nächten in 2001, how did you happen to work together again?
Gilvan is back, yes. He is a member of Dornenreich again and his drumming will be a part of
forthcoming realeases and live-shows for sure. Back in 2005 I contacted him for a cooperation as good as ours was between 1997 and 2001 should be given a second chance at least and due to the fact that we got along with one another even better than in the beginning of Dornenreich
he joined Dornenreich again in 2005, however, his activities for the band took place in the background during the last three years.
Thanks for the interview, a last word ?
In 2001 we played in France for the last time and consequently we are looking forward to our show in Paris in March 2009 and we truly hope that we will be able to play a couple of further shows in France next year.
To come to an end I would like to thank you for your interest in Dornenreich and your support.
"Nachtreisen" double headliner tour March 2009
DORNENREICH (AUT) & AGALLOCH (USA)
& special guest: MELY (AUT)
20.03.2009 DE - Würzburg / Posthallen
21.03.2009 AT - Henndorf / Wallerseehalle (Spring Metal festival)
22.03.2009 IT - Brescia / Covo Antico
23.03.2009 CZ - Prag / Exit Chmelnice
24.03.2009 DE - Berlin / K17
25.03.2009 FR - Paris / Glazart
26.03.2009 UK - London / Purple Turtle
27.03.2009 BE - Vosselaar / Biebob
28.03.2009 DE - Hamm / Alfred-Fischer-Halle (Tomahawk festival)
29.03.2009 NL - Den Bosch / W2 (afternoon show)
