interview w/hagalaz vocalist,bassist,synths for streben done by patrick

dark hails!!!
we have a new interview done with a new up and coming italian band streben.the band has released 1 demo so far and is finishing up their new full-length.if you enjoy melodic black metal with some experimental passages intertwined within the music.streben is a band for you!!
check out the interview with hagalaz founder,vocalist,bassist,synths



interview with hagalaz vocalist,bassist,synths for the band streben done by patrick


1. Hello Hagalaz how is your week been going so far? Please tell the readers a little about yourself ?

Hello there, thank you very very much for this interview! My week? Well, I’ve just had a little sister about three days ago, but, apart from this, my week has exactly been as the previous ones. Sure, I can tell them! I am 20 years old, I’ve got two legs, two years, an enormous nose and I bite my nails.


2. When did you first begin listening to music? Who are some of your all-time favorite bands? Who are some of your "current" favorite bands.


I began very early, because, since I was born and until I was 18, I used to live in the same house with my two aunts, which were very young at that time, and so, of course, they used to listen to a lot of music, especially the older one, who was about the same age I am now. The whole house was always full of music, so I began familiar with it when I was a child and easily learnt how to love it and make it a part of my life. My all – time favourite bands are Pink Floyd, the Who, Blur, Dornenreich, and Windir. Currently, I am listening a lot to Fear Factory’s first two albums, In Flames’ early stuff (from their 1st album to Clayman included), Beach Boys, Fabrizio de Andrè (an Italian artist), Genesis, David Bowie, and… many others I don’t remember.


3. I know in Streben you play bass, snyths and do vocals. Out of all the instruments you learned to play which one was the hardest? Which one was the easiest to learn?


Oh well, I don’t know if I can really say that I have learnt how to play an instrument! I’m basically a self – taught person, and my approach to keyboards and bass is definitely amateurish, as for vocals. However, the voice is maybe the easier instrument because your vocal chords are a part of your body; I manage to find a way out with bass because I’ve played guitar for some years when I was a child, but my keyboard skills are totally crap.


4. You have some pretty intense vocals that fit Streben's more black metal roots. Is it hard to keep up with this style of vocals for long periods of time? Do you do anything special to keep your vocals/throat healthy?


Oh no, man, no training, no constant exercise, nothing at all; in fact, I’m not so fond of my vocals, I handle vocals in Streben because it’s my own personal project and I don’t want any stranger to be involved in that. But this doesn’t mean I don’t have fun while singing; on the contrary, I love to perform screaming vocals and I wish I could do it often.


5. I mentioned above you are a part of the band Streben. Please give us a brief history of the band? What is the "current" line-up? For the readers who have never heard the band how would you describe the music of your band ?



The project Streben was already outlined in my mind since some years, even though at an embryonic stage. Anyhow, in the autumn of 2007 I finally found the courage to start it, and so I made Valker hear some material I had composed. He accepted to be part of the line – up as the guitarist of the band, and, some weeks later, Dark Shadow joined us as a guest member on drums. We started at once to work on “… of Melancholic Elegies and Wanderlust”, our first demo, which has been published in the spring of 2008. However, the new music from Streben will sound different from what people heard on that demo, which has been recorded in an enthusiastical, instinctive way and with a very low budget, this is why I cannot completely answer your question. But, by the way, the current line up is the same since the beginning: me and Valker as actual members, and Dark Shadow as a guest.



6. The demo "…of Melancholic Elegies and Wanderlust" is a amazing work of experimental melodic black metal. How long did it take to create the songs on the demo? Are you satisfied with how the demo turned out? Do you have a "personal" favorite song off the demo.


It took a very short time; we were excited, and impatient, so we did everything hastily and instinctively, so of course we have been satisfied of our work right after the releasing of it, but I think it’s pretty normal for a young band to revalue a past work, and to wish to bring the music to another level. My favourite demo songs are “In the Woods of the Satyr” and “Laguz”.




7. I know the demo has only been out a short while. But has the band begun work on the next demo or full-length? Any idea when it might be released? Have you all found a label to work with or are you all still looking?


Sure. I started composing the new songs right after the publication of the demo, and I readapted three old songs as well; this material will be part of a full – length that we are currently recording. We are still looking for a label to release it, but, in the case we will not find any, we are going to self – release the album.


8. I noticed on the demo cover that you write all the lyrics yourself. So I was wondering where do you draw inspiration for your lyrics? Do they have a special meaning or message you try to bring out in your lyrics?


My inner world is what I draw inspiration from; the lyrics deal with the contrast between reality and this inner world of mine: I haven’t any particular message to bring out because I basically make music for myself, but, if there was a voluntary message in what I do, it would be related to the concept of this project, which is about the juxtaposition I told you above: individuality contraposed to a dull reality, the inner world against the outer one.




9. Do you or Valker {guitarist,clean vocals} play in any other bands or side projects? If yes please tell the readers a little about them.


Ah ah, that of the clean vocals is a mistake! Valker was actually to record some clean vocals from Breidhablik, but then something went wrong with the software and stuff we were using and we had to leave it alone; but the layout for the demo was already done and printed, so I couldn’t correct that. You’re the first one that mentions it! Anyway yes, Valker is the guitarist and songwriter of Cold Empire, where also Dark Shadow plays drums. Cold Empire are a raw melodic black metal band which released a demo in 2007 entitled “… And the Cold Arrived” and they are currently working on a full – length album. I haven’t any side project or other bands at the moment.




10. The band comes out of the mighty italian black metal scene. What is your opinon of Italy's metal scene? Who are some of your favorite italian bands? Any new bands you think the readers should watch out for.


To tell the truth, I am not very interested in Italian scene, but I appreciate very much the work of Vultur, a black/thrash band in the vein of Celtic Frost, Hellhammer, early Bathory and Mayhem, and the music of Fearbringer, a black metal one – man band which only member, Fearbringer, is the mainman of several other projects as well.
Everyone should watch out for those two bands!



11. In your opinion what is the best and worst thing about the underground today? And what does the term "underground metal" mean to you ?


Both underground and mainstream metal scene nowadays lack of passion and sincereness so the word underground doesn't actually mean much anymore.



12. Well my friend thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to fill out this interview. Do you have any final comments for the readers?



Busy schedule? Ah, ah, come on! I have to thank you for letting me express a few things about my music, and, of course, thanks also to the readers that spent some minutes of their time to read.
Cheers!


to contact hagalaz and the band go to their "official" page.or check out the bands u.s street team.

http://www.myspace.com/strebenband

u.s street team
http://www.myspace.com/strebenusastreetteam