WOLVENNEST from Belgium, are one of the most enigmatic and adventurous european bands that combine a unique mix of doom metal, dark ambient, psychedelia, and post-rock sounds.
On Saturday, March 22, they will perform in front of the greek audiences for the very first time and promise to spread their darkness all over Athens!
We had the chance to speak with Corvus von Burtle (guitar, bass, keyboard), who was kind enough to answer our questions.
Check out the interview below.
RockOverdose: First of all we would like to know how it feels to be perceived warmly despite your style being really unique, it is something that gives you motive to go on doing things your way?
WOLVENNEST : No, it does not change anything. I mean, it’s only a matter of devotion and pleasure. I’m honestly surprised that so much weirdos love our music. It’s welcome of course, but in a parallel universe where nobody would care, I would still do it, no doubt ! If you do something to please the others, only a therapist can help you, not music, and especially not occult and underground music.
RockOverdose:In a band of six people, where personal output may occur, how easy or difficult is to compose this material where six personalities may offer each their own ideas?
WOLVENNEST : Only three of us write the music. I usually send demos to Marc and Kirby (guitars), they do a selection, and they also come with their own demos or ideas. At the end, with the input of everybody, it will sound like Wolvennest. We are all very different regarding the sound, the vision and the vibe. But all together, it’s an organized and organic chaos where a glimpse of harmony will appear. It has been super easy for “Void and Vortex”, more complicated for “Temple and Dark Path”, and again super easy for the next release. I guess we have learned a lot from eachothers those last years, and we all let the ego die in the thrash. At the end, it must be fun. It’s all about riffs, weird sounds and dark trip. “Ritual Lovers” is quite a good example : I did the demo, Kirby did the lyrics, Marc came with a great solo. Then you have Shazzula’s theremin and conviction on vocals, and you got a song that our audience seems to love. All in the hands of Déhà, who mixes our albums and feel the music like no one else.
RockOverdose: The covers of the albums are quite amazing, do you prefer to symbolize meanings that others may interpret their own way? Or are there more things hidden in them that we may realize?
WOLVENNEST : Both ! I’m indifferent to artworks with one layer of thoughts. I mean, when I was a teenager, I could listen to an album and watch the cover for hours, trying to figure out the meaning. It’s part of the game, so it’s better to let some explanations in the dark. The artwork part is quite tricky, as it needs to capture the soul of the album in one image. But I’m quite happy how the things turned out so far.
RockOverdose: You are lucky enough in my opinion to cooperate with Van Records, a company whose material is carefully selected and released. We want to know your relation with them and bow much they have helped you with your vision.
WOLVENNEST : We had the choice between several options, we opted so far for Van records because this label released fantastic music in good LP editions. Urfaust, Devil’s Blood, Ruins of Beverast and more, all winners ! It was the sign that the label cared more about the quality than other ones. Van records created a legacy that will last, that’s for sure.
RockOverdose: It would be interesting to know how a Wolvennest song is born, do you follow a same pattern or it can differ based on the offer of each member?
WOLVENNEST : Kirby, Marc and I wrote the songs, but if you are an outsider, goodluck to know who wrote what. At the end, it does not matter. When I do demos, I make sure that the riffs and patterns will be something that will please them. Because if you have to play a riff on stage that you don’t like, it will be fake. We all respect the Wolvennest environment when a demo version is proposed to the others. I’ll give you an example : a few months ago, Kirby showed me a video of himself playing a three notes riff on an acoustic guitar. That’s all I needed to hear to know it would become a great song. I’m more about proposing a full preprod, while Marc comes, approximatively, with one song per album. But Marc has a major input on all our songs with his lead guitars. We always find a balance between the three of us. When it comes to Shazzula, it’s more about the magic and the joy of the moment regarding synths and theremin. And we can count on a fantastic bass and drum section. Those lads save our asses at each and every show, and they never fail.
RockOverdose: Do you have a melody or lyric ready and work on it, or do they become a full result simultaneously?
WOLVENNEST : It can start with a dream or a nightmare, a smell, colors, whatever triggers our senses ! For the lyrics, it depends, as there is sometimes a gap between the music and the words. But there is no written rule. Some songs even happen almost by accident.
RockOverdose: There is a deep live feeling on your recordings, those of us who haven’t seen you live yet, what are we about to face soon in Greece or in any other place fans may see you for the first time?
WOLVENNEST : Some shows are clearly influenced by the energy of the audience. If the response is wild, we’ll response to it accordingly ;=)
RockOverdose: There’s definitely something spiritual coming out from your music. Do you connect everyday’s experiences with the innermost abilities of each person, so it pours out as a whole result? Or is it something that is just produced naturally?
WOLVENNEST : It comes naturally. We do not overthink. And again, the magic of the moment is important. We all have other bands, projects, but Wolvennest is special, like a little sanctuary. We do not want to fuck it with bad songs, stupid and meaningless lyrics or fake IA artworks. It is all about human interaction and respect.
RockOverdose: The last album is called “The Dark Path To The Light”. Do you also believe that no matter the obstacles and difficulties, we all come to reach a point where everything lights up eventually?
WOLVENNEST : Nobody has the answer about what will come after, even if eternal oblivion is probably the scenario. I’ll do my best to at least smile at the very end, we never know how much the last emotion may influence what could come after.And if there is nothing, it’s fine. At least I’ll go with a smile.
RockOverdose: I find a positive meaning behind this, what is your perspective?
WOLVENNEST : Life is short, then you die. But that’s ok, it gives more meaning to every single experience. That’s why we approach every show like it was the last one. And at one point, it will be.
RockOverdose: It’s been a year and a half since the release of the last album, do you have any material written for a possible new album yet? Or should we wait a bit longer?
WOLVENNEST : A lot of music has been recorded. It’s quite safe to say something will be released later this year.
RockOverdose: The scene on your country produces so much bands in different genres, from Amenra and Butcher, to Evil Invaders and Wolvennest. Is there a secret for the rise of Belgian scene through the years?
WOLVENNEST : The bands you mentioned have all played abroad quite early in their development. If you do so, you’ll realize there is a world outside your own country and you will develop faster, plain and simple. Belgium is a small country, and we can’t complain about the quality of the bands, but why, I have no idea ! At the end, the audience decides.
RockOverdose: Last but not least, we would like to know your future plans and primary goals as a band and persons in it after you visit us in Athens. See you soon, thank you for your time and availability.
WOLVENNEST : At this stage, we want to have fun while proposing quality shows and albums. I’m super excited about the new album, and can’t wait to be able to have it in my hands. We all have a good feeling about it, as it has been recorded with an excellent vibe, like a first time, which is a good sign after a decade. See you in Athens !
On behalf of RockOverdose,
Aggelos Katsouras
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