Under The Black Metal Spell Of Hangatyr

Under The Black Metal Spell Of Hangatyr

Hangatyr has returned, unleashing kalt, their next glorious chapter of sonic artistry.  Their third magnum opus to date, kalt by Hangatyr presents thoroughly intensive black metal in its finest hour.  One of the most underrated collectives in the worldwide black metal genre, Hangatyr from Germany is sure to enrapture all who give a listen to the vast tapestries found within the exhilarating kalt.  Highwire Daze recently contacted vocalist Silvio to discuss the black metal spells of the mighty Hangatyr.  Read on…

Introduce yourself, tell me what you do in Hangatyr, and how long the band has been together.
Hi, I’m Silvio, vocalist of Hangatyr. We’ve existed in this constellation for two and a half years. The band itself existed since 14 years.

Where is the band based out of and what is the local music scene like there?
We come from Apolda and Bad Sulza, which are small towns on the eastern edge of Thuringia. Our drummer found his luck in Dresden/Saxony. Well, in my hometown the metal scene is as good as dead, I can’t really come up with an active band right now. But there is a lively scene in Thuringia with very interesting bands and clubs, where concerts are organized regularly.

Is there any overall story or concept behind the „kalt“ title?
Almost seven years have passed from the previous album Elemente to kalt. A lot can happen in such a time span. The lyrics I wrote for the album are very personal. In them I have digested emotions and experiences of that time. They were, as the title suggests, not only good ones. The concept can be summarized briefly like this. The songs are often about how it can look like in you when you suffer loss and disappointment.

One of your songs debuted on the Metalmessage compilation VII: Respect The Steel. How did that come about and what is the story behind Blick aus Eis?
I’ll be pleased to tell you about it. Alexander Dietz, our producer, invited us to his studio for a test recording. The idea was to see how we could work together. It started Sunday morning and after several beers we ended up with Blick aus Eis. We all thought that this day was very productive and the work was very worth it. Markus Eck from Metalmessage was looking for bands for his sampler. We didn’t miss this chance. As an announcement for a new album this is great promotion.

Select two other songs from „kalt“ and what inspired the lyrics.
With your permission, I’d like to tell you what brought me to Mittwinter. It is the idea of going into a cold winter night and never returning to enjoy this beauty for all eternity. Verweht is simply about that everything created in life passing away and in the end no one knows if any of it will last.

Who did the cover art for kalt and how much influence did you have on it?
The cover as well as the complete graphic design was created by Ute Ruhmann. I am very lucky that this great artist has chosen me as her partner. So the designing was a long process. It started with her creating a scenery for each song and culminated with the design of the cover. During all this we constantly exchanged our ideas.

How does „kalt“ compare to the previous Hangatyr albums Elemente and Helwege?
Well, I would say kalt is more Black Metal than the previous albums. While you could still hear influences from the Pagan genre on Helwege and Elemente, they have completely disappeared on the new album. With the songwriting we also proceeded differently. There is no typical song structure. Rather, every song is a flow. In the end we also decided to give the sound a clear Black Metal character.

What could one expect from a live Hangatyr show?
Powerful, energetic Black Metal that can put you under the spell.

Has Hangatyr ever played here in the States or plan to do so in future days?
No, so far we have not played in your country and there are no plans to do so. But hey, if you organize a little tour for us, we’ll fly across the Atlantic and play at your place 😉

Germany is famous for their BEER! What is your favorite beer of choice and why?
At least our country is famous for something delicious among you. With the german cars, it all went to hell. What I like best is a cold Hasseröder. It comes from the Harz mountains and I personally like it most of all from this huge selection.

What do you think has kept you inspired about Hangatyr and black metal for ten years and counting?
The best moments for me are always those when we work together on new material. When a new song is created, it ignites a combination of happiness, pride and satisfaction in me. A cocktail that is addictive.

What’s up next for Hangatyr?
Playing gigs and having a good time.

Any final words of wisdom?
Always remember to drink enough. Especially beer! Cheers!

Hangatyr Band Members
Ali – Gitarre
Basti – Gitarre
Micha – Schlagzeug
Silvio – Gesang

(Interview by Ken Morton)

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