Hello! My name is Arkan von Greifenstein, I am 25 and I come from Austria, Wien.
Hm, I dont know anyone who is not interested in music in general. But if you mean interested in Metal, then I would say, that it was sometime when I was 14 or 15, when I first heard Black Metal. I knew that this was the music I have always waited for.
Black Metal. May it be the more epic form with bombastic keyboards, or the raw kind.
I started this band, in the beginning of 2005. It is a solo-project where I dont just do all the instruments but also the recording myself. It gives me the freedom to fully create my music with the sound I want and I can work, whenever I want, without waiting or care for other people. Greifenstein is Black Metal, with occasional samples or keyboardparts and partly marching-drum elemtals.
It is about the thoughts and views, that I have in my life. I would say more or less esoteric topics, about Fear, Death, Nature, Elemental structures, spiritual thoughts and such. I didnt want to make another satanic band, or a band that is about Northern Gods. There are plentyof them already. I try to produce lyrics, that have some meaning behind it, which isnt always easy.
Silenius had told me that he wanted to make a Summoning song in orcish, but he didnt have the time to learn the language and write a text. Since I'm a friend of his he knew that I was into Tolkien as well, so he asked me to do it. So I learned the grammar and wrote the lyrics.
I hope, that I can start recording soon. I got myself new equipment, so there was some delay. I already have enough songs for the first full-length album and I'm sure it will turn out quite nice. There is no title yet, but I already got the cover and also some interested labels. I cant really tell when it will be out, but I would guess at the end of the year.
No-one really, because the musicians I really wanted to meet, are already friends of mine.
Firstly I cant name many specific people, who I respect for playing those kind of instruments. The whole output is for me more important than individual skills.
For me the guitars are the most important, so I want them to sound exactly as I want them too. I have respect for people, who are able to play very crazy rythm or very fast solos, but since such elements are not part of my own music very much, I put the main aspect more on simple melodies, that you will remember and a good sound.
Bass plays in metal a minor role in my oppinion. Of course there are some excellent people who add their own ideas to the music, but the usual bass line is just the same as the guitars. I think, that if you just put a fat sound with some bass to the guitars, you could even drop the bass guitar.
Drums carry the whole song. Unlike many people, I like drumcomputers as well. I like the precise playing and the ease, that you can use a drumcomputer. I'd rather work with a drumcomputer and some good samples, than with some drummer, where I have to exercise over months to get exactly what I wanted. I would say the drummer of my other band is someone you can respect for very good skills, and also Protector of Summoning for composing his drums.
There are many bands, who use keyboards and most of them do quite well, so there isnt some certain person, who I think is the best in it. Its not even a matter of playing skills, because you can always edit it.
Black Metal Vocals are such a beautiful thing. It is great to hear them, as well as to sing yourself. There are many good black metal singers. I barely like music that has only clean vocals, but there are some good voices as well, such to be heard on Falkenbach or Protector on Verbannten Kinder Evas.
Me three times. I dont think, that Im the greatest, but that way I could put my ideas faster into realization.
The usual I would say. Not very exciting to mention that all.
Yes. I play keyboard and sing occasionally in my other band called Dismal Lumentis. It is some mixture of trashmetal parts with complicated rhythm, melodic blackmetal parts and classical guitar parts. Playing this kind of music, is some other level than the usual blackmetal stuff.
We have a lot of concerts in Austria and a good fan response. We hope we can find the time to record the second album soon.
Thanks for your support.
