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Gravewurm

Gravewurm is one of the best black metal bands I have heard in a long time and I was blown away by the band’s newest CD on Hell’s Headbangers. I emailed band member Kevin Nordavind some questions and he sent them back and I was sad to read that the band has broken up. I urge you to pick up this band’s music if you’re into some quality black metal. Here is the interview:

MC: Let's get the most boring question out of the way ha ha. How did the band form and what are the current members?

Kevin: BLOOD AND I (FUNERAL GRAVE) TALKED ABOUT FORMING A BAND IN LATE OCTOBER 1990 OUT OF OUR APPRECIATION AND INSATIABLE DESIRE OF COLLECTING EXTREME METAL OF ALL SUB-GENRES. CURRENT MEMBERS ARE NONE, GRAVEWURM IS OFFICALLY SPLIT UP. THE LAST LINE UP WAS MYSELF ON GUITAR AND STUDIO VOCALS AND ZYKLON ON BASS AND LIVE VOCALS.

MC: Did you go through a lot of line-up changes before you got to your current line-up?

Kevin: YES THE BAND HAS SEEN A HANDFULL OF CHANGES OVER THE 20 YEARS OF EXISTENCE...MOSTLY WITHIN THE PAST 7 YEARS. THERE WERE A FEW YEARS ALSO WHERE I WAS THE SOLE MEMBER.

MC: I just got a copy of your new cd that I assume will be out by the time this hits the internet. What is the name of the new CD and how did you come up with the name of it?

Kevin: BLOOD OF THE PENTAGRAM IS A FITTING END TO THE EXISTENCE OF GRAVEWURM I BELIEVE. IT IS SOMEWHAT OF A CONTINUATION OF THE 'BLACK FIRE' ALBUM AS FAR AS SONG WRITING AND RECORDING. GRAVEWURM HAS ALWAYS BEEN OUTSIDE OF THINGS...WE TRIED TO STAY AS D.I.Y. AS WE COULD OVER THE YEARS IN CONCEPT AND EXECUTION. SPENDING MONEY ON FANCY STUDIOS, SPIKED GAUNTLETS, BULLET BELTS, GOAT BLOOD AND OTHER STAGE PROPS WAS NEVER OUR THING. THIS ALL LED TO THE LOGICAL CONCLUSION AND HAVING THE TITLE BEING OF PURE PRIMAL METAL FITTING TO THE SIMPLICITY OF THE BAND.

MC: Since this is your 2nd release, did you do anything different in the studio this time as opposed to last time?

Kevin: THIS IS OUR 7TH FULL LENGTH RELEASE, THE 2ND OF OF THIS YEAR. THE RECORDING WAS THE SAME AS 'BLACK FIRE' BUT MORE TIME WAS SPENT IN WRITING AND MIXING.

MC: How did you come up with the name of the band and were any others considered?

Kevin: WE STARTED UNDER THE NAME DOMINION...IT WAS A TEMPORARY NAME REALLY UNTIL BLOOD AND I STARTED WRITING SOME CONCRETE SONGS IN 1992. IT WAS OUR FAVORITE BANDS AT THAT TIME WHICH INFLUENCED US TO CHANGE THE NAME TO GRAVEWURM...USING THE LETTER U AND THEN LATER WHEN CHRISTOPHER SPADJEL CREATED THE OFFICAL LOGO, HE PUT AN UMLAUT OVER THE U... AND HAS BEEN THAT WAY SINCE.

MC: Is there any other material out there besides the 2 CD releases and is the 1st one still for sale and are you happy with it?

Kevin: COPIES OF OUR VARIOUS RELEASES CAN BE FOUND THROUGH MANY DISTROS IN THE SCENE. THE METAL-ARCHIVES WEBPAGE HAS THE DISCOGRAPHY LISTED. HELLS HEADBANGERS AND DRAKKAR PRODUCTIONS ARE THE MAIN SOURCES I WOULD SAY. I AM PLEASED WITH THE WAY 'BLACK FIRE' TURNED OUT AND BLOOD OF THE PENTAGRAM EVEN MORE SO.

MC: Do you plan on doing any kind of touring for this release at all?

Kevin: THE BAND IS OFFICALLY SPLIT UP SO THERE WILL NOT BE ANY TOURING.


MC: I am not the biggest black metal fan because I think a lot of the bands all sound the same, but when it is done right, it can be some of the sickest vile music on the planet. What do you think makes your band stand out from all the other wanna-be back metal bands?

Kevin: WE STAND OUT FROM THE PACK MAINLY BECAUSE OF OUR SIMPLICITY AND CONTINUED D.I.Y. APPROACH. THERE ARE SOME GREAT PROFESSIONAL BLACK METAL BANDS OUT THERE...WE ARE NOT ONE OF THEM. WE PLAY UGLY AND PRIMITIVE MUSIC CONJURED FROM THE ESSENCE OF THE EARLY PIONEERS OF THE GENRE. THERE IS ALMOST NOTHING IN COMMON BETWEEN TODAY'S BLACK METAL GIANTS AND GRAVEWURM.

MC: How do you come up with lyrics and song structures and what was the weirdest song you wrote so far?

Kevin: LYRICS ARE TALES OF THINGS LONG AGO...THINGS THAT ONCE WERE AND ONE DAY, SHALL BE AGAIN. INSPIRATION FROM SOME GREEK MYTHOLOGY AND SATANIC PROPHETIC SCRIPTS ARE AMONG THE LOT AS WELL.

MC: For somebody who has never heard the band, what would you say you most sound like or would like to be compared too?

Kevin: GOATLORD, VENOM, EARLY SODOM, NUNSLAUGHTER AND HELLHAMMER HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A DIRECT INFULENCE TO THE MUSIC AND CONCEPT.

MC: How did you end up getting signed to Hell's Headbangers?

Kevin: I PROPOSED THE ALBUM TO CHASE OF HELLS HEADBANGERS IN LATE 2008 AND ALREADY HAD PLANS TO MAKE THE BONUS DISC SET ACCOMPANY THAT RELEASE AS GRAVEWURM'S FINAL OUTPUT. I HAVE KNOWN HIM AND THE BROTHERS INVOLVED WITH THE LABEL FOR A FEW YEARS AND SINCE THEY WERE PLEASED WITH THE OUTCOME OF OUR SPLIT 7" WE DID WITH NUNSLUGHTER WHICH THEY RELEASED, DOING THE FINAL ALBUM WORKED FOR THEM AS WELL.

MC: Do you have any goals for the band?

Kevin: I HAVE ACHIEVED A LOT WITH GRAVEWURM...MORE THAN MOST PEOPLE WOULD HAVE THOUGHT POSSIBLE CONSIDERING OUR REPUTATION AND DISREGARD FOR BECOMING A 'POPULAR' BAND. WE PLAYED SOME COOL SHOWS AND MET SOME GREAT PEOPLE OVER THE YEARS. THE MAIN GOAL SINCE DAY ONE WAS TO WRITE MUSIC THAT WE WANTED TO HEAR. WE JUST TOOK EVERYTHING ELSE AS IT CAME TO US...THE GOOD, THE BAND AND THE UGLY.

MC: If you could do cover tunes for any 3 songs what would the songs be and why?

Kevin: VENOM'S AT WAR WITH SATAN, CELTIC FROST'S THE USURPER AND SODOM'S WITCHHAMMER... THOSE ARE SOME OF THE TRIED AND TRUE METAL ANTHEMS WHICH WILL NEVER GET OLD AND NEVER GO AWAY.

MC: Do you think CD's will ever become extinct and be replaced with stuff like I Tunes?

Kevin: UNFORTUNEATELY YES... IT IS SAD THAT THE CD HAS GROWN AS BIG AS IT HAS IN SUCH A SHORT TIME...AND NOW IT IS ON THE VERGE OF EXTINCTION.

MC: Do you hope or will your new release comes out on vinyl and what do you think of vinyl?

Kevin: VINYL STILL RULES IN MY BOOK. BLOOD OF THE PENTAGRAM IS DUE OUT ON LIMITED LP AROUND THE END OF NOVEMBER.

MC: How did you come up with your CD cover?

Kevin: AS WITH ALL THINGS GRAVEWURM...THE SIMPLICITY OF IT. SETH BENNETT DESIGNED OUR 'NOCTURNAL INQUISITION' SHIRTS SO WE ENLISTED HIS MASTERY AGAIN FOR THE ALBUM COVER AND LAYOUT. SIMPLE AND TO THE POINT...THE GRAVEWURM WAY.


MC: What merchandise do you have for sale?

Kevin: FUNERAL EMPIRE CD
BLACK FIRE CD
BLOOD OF THE PENTAGRAM CD, DOUBLE CD
ANCIENT STORMS OF WAR LP
WARBEAST / COMMAND OF SATAN'S BLADE MCD
GRIM HORIZONS SPLIT CD WITH WINTRESS
SILKSCREENED LOGO PATCHES

MC: Is there any cool record stores near you and is there a healthy metal scene where you are from?

Kevin: METAL IS DEAD IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA. TOWER RECORDS CLOSED THEIR STORES A FEW YEARS AGO AND THAT PUT A HURT ON THINGS. SURE THERE ARE A FEW USED RECORD SHOPS AROUND BUT NOTHING MAJOR OF NOTE. THERE ARE SOME LOCAL METAL BANDS AROUND, BUT ONLY ONE OR TWO CATCH MY EAR. EXTERMINATION ANGEL ARE PRETTY GOOD AND ECLIPTIC IS SOLID.

MC: In your eyes or ears, what makes a good song?

Kevin: ANY TRUE METAL SONG IS FORGED IN THE ABYSS WITH THE GUITAR...WHETHER IT'S VENOM OR IMMORTAL OR SOME BAND INBETWEEN... THE GUITAR RIFF IS THE ESSENCE OF METAL.

MC: Can a band be original these days or is that impossible nowadays?

Kevin: ORIGINALITY HAS its PLACE IN MUSIC...NOT SURE ABOUT METAL THOUGH. IT'S AN OVERRATED TOPIC...

MC: Answer the following: Somebody should by your new cd because?

Kevin: IF YOU OWN A TURNTABLE, SPIN VINYL AND COLLECT DEMO TAPES BECAUSE YOU LIKE THE MUSIC OF D.I.Y. METAL, THEN YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT OUR DISC. IF YOUR MAIN SOURCE OF LISTENING TO MUSIC IS THROUGH AN IPOD, THEN DON'T BOTHER.

MC: In your opinion is the underground crowded with too many bands and labels?

Kevin: CROWDED IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT. THERE ARE A SHITLOAD OF LABELS OUT THERE AND EVEN MORE BANDS... THE INTERNET BROUGHT THE 'UNDERGROUND' AND 'INDEPENDENT' ROCKERS INTO THE MAINSTREAM. EVERYBODY IS CONECTED TO EVERYBODY. THIS IS THE INFORMATION AGE...NOBODY HAS TO WORK TO GET IT ANYMORE. THE ESSENCE OF THE TRUE UNDERGROUND SPIRIT IS WITHERING BY THE HAND OF TECHNOLOGY...WE ARE ALL TO BLAME...WE ARE ALL VICTIMS OF CHANGE.

MC: Plug any websites you have?

www.hellsheadbangers.com/gravewurm

www.myspace.com/gravewurm

MC: Any last words. Horns up for the interview.

Kevin: THANKS FOR THE INTEREST CHRIS... OLD SCHOOL METAL FANS, STOP BY HELLS HEADBANGERS ONLINE AND LISTEN TO THEIR ROSTER OF BANDS ON THEIR INTERNET RADIO...SOME GOOD SHIT THERE!!!