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An indifference to man and things
A submission to dimness
A reverance to demise
Venerating to nothingness
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If you’re the kind of person who pays attention to these things you surely didn’t miss Intricacies of Bowed Wisdom when it dropped back on 3rd of January. The debut full-length of Spanish horde Grimah is one of those releases that emits an understated yet remarkable power, tapping into an ancient and almost archetypal current of yearning, insistent mysticism… then running it through their own modernized filter of crushing nihilism and misanthropy.
It’s a wonderful clash of distinct forces, and one that they manage to make all their own. Yeah, yeah. Sure. You might trot out the tired line that they share some similarities with other well known acts, many have. But if you really listen such trite comparisons are misguided at best; for what lies within is far deeper than any snap judgements may suggest. These melodies and rhythms resonate with knowlege and secrets too complex for a mere surface glance; they demand attention, deserve time to unlock and understand. Once you do, you’ll never be the same.
I don’t want to say too much because the interview that we are privileged to have conducted with vocalist/guitarist/drummer Ludwigar below is one of the more in-depth discussions we’ve had of late and will tell you everything you could wish to know about the project. So without further ado, open your mind and crawl towards the void. Allow this, submit to this, and your rewards shall be great… for you shall be privy to the Intricacies Of Bowed Wisdom. Hails.
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Hails Grimah! Thanks for speaking to us today. Your debut album Intricacies Of Bowed Wisdom was released back on the 3rd of January and if you don’t mind me saying so, it’s a great listen. How have you found the reception to it has been so far, and how do you personally feel about it now that it’s finally out?
– Hails! Ludwigar here. It has been better than expected at first and there is very good feedback in general from black metal fans. Especially taking into account that we are coming from a country like Spain in which we usually don’t have as much consideration in black metal as other countries have. Also, we have been known that many people were following us since the single ‘Serpens Invicta’ was released and were looking forward to the full-length debut, something unexpected as well. As for sales of the CD, they have been overwhelming and we are about to run out of the stock we have from the band. Really, after a long and hard process with many obstacles along the way, we cannot be more satisfied.
I recall first covering your debut single in an old Bandcamp Misanthropy article some years ago, it’s great to see your debut album finally arise. What has the journey been like from then until now, and what was the creation of the album like?
– Since the single ‘Serpens Invicta’ was released the womb has not changed that much actually. The album was already recorded before the single was released and only the vocals left. At first, it was going to be performed by an American singer but after I changed my mind, seeing the project would become something more serious and introspective, I decided to take up the reins and perform the vocals by myself. Being my partner was Wolfnerva, the writer of the lyrics. Once we finished recording them in February 2018, after a long process of mixing and many headaches, I led the project to a period of lethargy in order to disconnect from it.
The creation of the album was short and long at the same time. I explain it, the genuine conception of Grimah (and the album) was a long time ago when I wrote the initial sketch of ‘Serpens Invicta’ and the completion of the song ‘Blaze Against Grime’ around the end of 2013 or early 2014. Also by that time a sketch that would be later ‘Thus Spake the Stone’ and some small ideas for ‘Péndulo de Agonía y Desdén’. At that time, Grimah was just an idle concept (mainly because I was more focused on writing for my former main band) that I left aside for almost three years. Then, after a murky period of my life having left the tunnel at the end of 2016 with the adequate motivation and mood, I resumed the project, shaping the sketches and finishing songwriting the rest of the songs in just a few days. Except ‘Façade of Futile Reflections’ which was composed during the recording process of the album on a gloomy afternoon of eve of the dismal Spanish Holy Week. An atmosphere that is reflected in the song and lyrics, besides having as a heavy source of inspiration both themed and musically the majestic Ingmar Bergman’s film “The Seventh Seal” (the sample from the beginning is taken from there, by the way) and the great Per Aspera ad Pestilentiam EP by Délétère which I did steadily spin by that time.
Thematically, the album definitely seems to have a nihilistic slant. Is this indeed the case? What sort of tale does Intricacies Of Bowed Wisdom tell the listener? From where did you draw inspiration?
– Yes, it has a clearly nihilistic slant and is philosophical thinking, from a misanthropic point of view and melted with a paganism and nature bias that is intrinsically attached to the human deep soul. After all, everything comes from the inner self, the forged experiences and the challenges that existence puts forward to us. Existence that will finish overcoming us at the end. But at the same time, it will be defeated – since without a pillar that holds it, existence becomes nothing. About the pariah that gathers the genuine and primordial wisdom, but is lashed by the vanity and bogus wisdom of a modern world. Crawling together and with no return into the abyss of the nothingness. Like the snake eating its own tail, the Ouroboros, but which will be reborn in a new shape, since the nature is the one that really rules the whole and thus will be the only victorious one. Having said that, with this paragraph we could describe the meaning of Intricacies of Bowed Wisdom from both an individual and universal point of view and what the work wants to convey.
Speaking track by track, we utter that eternal struggle of the pariah against the plebeian thinking in ‘Blaze Against Grime’; strokes of Nietzsche’s philosophy playing with paganism in ‘Thus Spake the Stone’; existential reflections in an altered state of mind, liberated by the nature and its psychoactive effects in ‘Veiled by Blossom’s Essence’; ‘Façade of Futile Reflections’ addresses those existential thoughts but now in a sober but exhausted state, overwhelmed by the inexorable. As previously mentioned, the song is completely inspired by the theme of the Swedish film, so it’s all said. Finally, ‘Péndulo de Agonía y Desdén’, which can be translated to “Pendulum of Agony and Scorn” and the title says it all. It addresses everything previously accumulated to bring it to the climax of an existential madness.
One thing I particularly loved to hear on the album was the addition of the guitar solo, it really adds something unique to the record and (although many would not agree with me here) is something I always like to see more of in black metal. I believe it was notably performed by a guest musician, the only one on the album – can you tell us a little about this?
– As you said, it adds something unique because in black metal it’s quite unusual. So I like when a band ventures performing a guitar solo. As long as it’s at the right moment if the song’s feeling asks for it. On this occasion, it was a collaboration of my good mate Edvard Førevinter from Blacksmythe one day at the rehearsal room hanging out drinking beer and listening to good music. I showed him the song (a few weeks before starting the recording) and we came up with the idea of adding a guitar solo since we felt that part really needed it. So, Edvard took the guitar and he wrote the solo in two minutes. That’s it.
By the way, if someone it’s interested to listen to his project of Pagan Black Metal: http://blacksmythe.bandcamp.com
Speaking of notable names – some may not be aware that the record was mastered by Devo (now ex-Marduk), who in my opinion did a fantastic job. What was it like to work with him?
– It was very easy. After the mixing process I was looking for a more professional mastering that would give the last push to the music and especially I wanted someone linked to the black metal scene. I was probing some candidates and finally decided on Devo. We contacted him, he agreed to work with us and in just two days we had the mastering ready.
Intricacies Of Bowed Wisdom has been released on CD by Vertebrae – a label I’m ashamed to admit I was not familiar with until now, but they seem to be doing some great things. How did this come about? Are you pleased with the partnership thus far?
– Vertebrae is a relatively young and not-so-known label but in five years of existence they have already released a bunch of very nice works of Spanish black metal such as Negativa, Nakkiga, Aanomm, Tetelis, Incorporea, etc. Also supports Spanish doom metal bands (a genre very minority in Spain) as Misty Grey or Simón del Desierto. But the people behind have partaken in the Spanish underground for many years with Open Grave Zine and organizing very exclusive gigs in Madrid performing international underground bands such as Turia, Lubbert Das, Angantyr, Rimruna, Drengskapur, etc. Therefore, we already knew them quite well for these acts and their supporting and worshipping the genre. Once we were contacted by them with the offer of releasing the full-length debut, we accepted with no hesitation though we had other offers on the table. Regarding the work they are doing, we are really delighted and satisfied since they have supported the project 100% and we hope to work again with them in the future.
Let’s dive into the formations of the project, back in 2017. What circumstances, events and/or desires originally led to the inception of Grimah? Had you been in previous projects?
– Grimah is a project that had been in my mind since at least 2013 in a need of focusing my artistic inquisitiveness to another path. In fact, as I mentioned earlier, nearly half of the stuff that can be listened comes from sketches of that time (not including subsequent arrangements and modifications). At that time I combined some songwritings of Grimah with those of my former project called Fathomhell, founded in 2010 (also the first project of Al-Wars and which Edvard Forevinter also later was part of). This project released two EPs (Non Pietatem Erit in 2012 and KvrX in 2014), and here it could be seen an immaturity but also a fiery desire of creating black art by 20 year old youngsters. Later this project was renamed as Squamatas, this time as I alone, with a full-length completely finished in 2016 and since then hibernating and waiting for a day to be brought to light. Once released, the project will be returned to the grave again but this time forever. I want to start recording it this year but we’ll see what happens. Also there are more projects and sketches gearing up with other people and by last, a couple of hidden projects having released several works in different formats around there. Only the astute listener will decipher and link them up. Regarding our bassist Maars, Grimah is his first experience in a musical project and Al-Wars also plays guitar in Oniricous, one of the best Spanish death metal bands.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but Grimah: A Void’s Black Metal Art seems to be the original full name of the project. What does this mean, and what is the translation of “Grimah”?
– It’s all about the concept that represents and tries to convey; the void we are dragging into little by little once we have crossed the horizon of events of the black hole through which there is no turning back. But during this process we must also address other challenges which to fight with in order to cope better with the fall and the inexorable end, such as the aversion to the modern world or the internal struggles of reflections, torments and illusions of death.
“Grimah” comes from the Spanish word “grima” for “aversion”, “grief” or “disgust”, it depends of the context; it also comes from the Gothic “grimms” which means “hideous” or “horrible”. The name was chosen in 2013 for what it literally means, but there were already several music bands with that name and I changed it to “Grimah” which gives a more mystical and differentiating aspect to the project without losing the primordial meaning. I have also to say that a few years after I found out the Russian black metal band Grima but it was never my idea to change the name anyway.
I’d like to address something, if I may. I’ve seen many people say you sound like Mgła, sometimes even stating that as a negative. Personally, whilst you certainly do summon a similar style of black art, I find your attack to be composed of differing textures to the Polish lords – and after all, people have been straight ripping off Darkthrone for years and nobody cares. I’m curious – how do you feel about such comparisons?
– First of all, it must be recognized that one of Grimah’s main influences is obviously the polish band Mgła, especially from early releases until With Hearts Toward None. The last album I don’t even name it because it has been released after our debut was written and recorded besides I have not really listened to it more than once yet, although it might seem surprising. The issue of all this paranoia is that a large part of current fans of black metal are people who, due to globalization and liberation of the genre, have discovered this music style listening mostly to the “representative” bands of nowadays. See Mgła, Batushka, Uada, etc. So, I think it’s normal to see how people with these main references, whatever resembles Mgła, they qualify it as a clone. For that reason, the so-called phrase “another Mgła clone…” abounds in the virtual scene.
But I’m still waiting that someone tells me – apart from the bands with hoods, leather jacket and face covered (which does not mean they are clones, since that aesthetic was not invented by Mgła, by the way) and exceptions such as Uada or Groza (that are really cheap and empty clones focused to the mainstream audience) – what else bands could be considered Mgła clones. Just look at the Metal-Archives tab for ‘’similar bands’’. Yes, there are bands like Plaga or Human Serpent that have Mgla-style riffs but they are NOT clones. Fuck, I’ve read that even Nécropole or Misthyrming are a fucking Mgła rip off. Really? That’s the level of the hoi polloi and that’s the issue you have to deal with when you expose your art to a large and hollow inexperienced audience in year 2020, result of the banal and trivial mood of the globalization/liberalization. But my question is… how many bands there are with Bathory, Darkthrone, Burzum, Dissection, Watain (they were the so-called Dissection clone in their early times) riffing style? If we apply the same logic, every band would be a clone of another one and we could accuse the early Mgła as a rip off of mid Arckanum and Sargeist, and the Finns a Seigneur Voland rip off. We must recall that Mgła didn’t create any genre, just developed a new path of black metal based on their particular influences – but this doesn’t give them the exclusivity of being the only ones to follow that path. As in other times other bands did like Deathspell Omega from SMRC album and many bands followed behind them, but every band with their individual focus.
On the other hand, I’m glad to see other more experienced and open-minded people in the genre have been able to dissect IoBW in a fair way or just appreciating and understanding the art. Many of them found other influences and “easter eggs” such as Drudkh, Enslaved (being precisely my favorite band ever), Swedish meloblack or the Québecois BM scene; the latter one very accurate due to by the time I begun songwriting for Grimah in 2013-2014 I listened to a lot of this scene, especially Monarque or the aforementioned Délètére in 2016-2017.
And finally – what lies in the future for Grimah?
– A new album is brewing and we hope it won’t take as much time as the first one took in the studio process. The songwriting is much slower as we seek to overcome IoBW in all aspects. It will be a richer album and possibly slower to digest, not that straightforward. On the other hand, we have arranged a couple of gigs like the one our label Vertebrae would organize as soon as we find a live drummer. We’ll see what happens since it’s very difficult to find one here in Spain, especially in our area. Anyway, if any European drummer is willing to join us, don’t hesitate to make contact.
Sincerest thanks for your time, Ludwigar. Any final words for us all?
– Nothing else, Aaron. Thanks so much for allowing us a space in your great zine. It was a pleasure.
Intricacies Of Bowed Wisdom is available now via Vertebrae.
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Purchase Intricacies Of Bowed Wisdom on CD and digital from the Grimah Bandcamp HERE, or on CD from the Vertebrae Bandcamp HERE.
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