Band: DRAUTRAN
Country of origin: Germany
Style: heathen black metal
Questions by: Kai Mathias Stalhammar
Answers supplied by: Blutaar (vocals)

First of all let me wonder why is DRAUTRAN’s lineup comprised of no less than eight individuals? Of course, it’s solely my opinion, but the more people in the band, the more quarrels take place. Perhaps that is the reason why one-man outfits appear as much more successful in terms of producing perhaps not that top-notch but still enjoyable music without any possibility to once split up due to the plenty of disagreements. And besides that, the music you deliver isn’t that sophisticated in order to involve eight earthlings… HAGGARD is HAGGARD and DRAUTRAN is DRAUTRAN, y’know…

- At first let me say: I deeply respect those who have chosen the way of a lonely fighter and create metal only formed by their own hands. Everyone has got the free opportunity to make a solo player band. A lot of bands have proven to made this music worth and spiritual, for example a few faves like BURZUM, DIABOLICAL MASQUERADE, ARCKANUM or a least early GODKILLER. But for us companionship to other musicians is the most important fact: Only we seven individuals together form the community of DRAUTRAN, which was established to express our musical and lyrical opinion with a strong hand! Not to create music by ourselves! It may be great to be your own boss, but it is greater if you are surrounded by a unity of same-minded freaks, who share the same hunger for fast, melodic, and pagan metal! I take those few quarrels which occur as a procedure of musical development…

Secondly, let us know if we should consider “Unter Dem Banner Der Nordwinde” an album of the full value (i.e. the so-called “official” CD)? To me it easily can be named as the one, judging by the sound execution and musical canvas.

- Thanks for your positive words. Even if we are proud on this debut, it is furthermore important for us to title it a demo! Besides the acceptable sound and the fact that it is pressed on a real CD, it could never reach the level of a "professional" production of an official release. This is our opinion! So we decided to declare “Unter dem Banner der Nordwinde” a demo to represent our inner critical relation to this release. We want our listeners to realize and respect this. The importance in our definition of a demo lies in the status a demo has. It is our first output: a lot of details are imperfect and improvable on this self-produced demo-CD. We only wanted to release a demo, a debut to introduce DRAUTRAN.  Wait for our coming first “official” release, maybe allying through a contract to a label. It will content the whole essence of the DRAUTRAN force…

As a matter of fact, “Unter Dem Banner…” reminds me of those good ol’ times when those who took part in this or that black metal act, were writing music they felt their hearts belong to, for their own purpose, instead of following the their label’s needs as it seems to be common nowadays…

- I can only agree to this thesis in general, and especially concerning DRAUTRAN. What can I say? We are passionate freaks, taking serious what we live for. The main intern aspect is the music, the extern channel is DRAUTRAN. We do not care of people who can not follow our path. Nevertheless, it is good to feel the strengthening of our flames in form of critical and confirming resonance.

Alex @ War Is Imminent Productions told me he’s going to release a CD of yours in the nearest time to come, recently. Haven’t you managed to ink a deal with a bigger label? Furthermore, as far as I know, War Is Imminent cover the studio expenditures only after you send ‘em the master-CD, whilst the amount of royalties also is far from being huge. Furthermore, War Is Imminent is known for dealing with mostly (formerly I’d say “exclusively”, but everything changes with time) Spanish acts – while you’re of German origin. Do you consider such a deal profitable? Aren’t you feared of being rip-offed?

- Yeah, I spoke to Alex via email. He wanted to release our debut on a Digi. But as it looks, they will not release a second edition of “Unter Dem Banner Der Nordwinde”. The offer would have cost us too much independence for a while, so I don’t know of any negative aspects of War Is Imminent. We didn’t get any further in dealing, for me he seemed to be serious and careful about all of his activities… Until now, we do not have a deal with a label. And even if we might find a cooperative and advancing label, it must not necessarily have a profitable back round. We gathered to express our affinity for metal not to earn money. Rip-off is a rotting cancer of people addicted to commercialism and capitalism. We hope to find a label consisting of brothers in mind, not to corporate managers!

It strikes as you prefer German verses over the ones in English? Why? A trace of patriotism? The impossibility to compose lyrics in English, the ones which could be considered at least worthy enough? You know, there aren’t so many people in the world capable of speaking in German, and therefore, understanding what DRAUTRAN is all about lyrically…

- We just got a better way of explaining ourselves in German. My English will never top my mother language, even if I would like. And Patriotism means nothing to me. Anyone who wants to now more about our lyrics is freely invited to visit our website or contact us.

By the way, regarding that “patriotism” thing. How could your government let so many Turks and other “alien” nations invade the country you live in?? The immigration level is pretty high in Germany, I assume, and that makes me wonder if you feel uncomfortable beholding your motherland filled with various scum. Do you really feel yourselves guilty in starting WWII (a nonsense!), and hereby, try to expiate your sham and imaginary fault by inviting those of non-German origin…???

- At first, let me explain my concrete opinion about the thing called patriotism: I don`t give a fuck about that! I feel strong ties and emotions to the coast and of the place where I was born, both the Baltic Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. I DO NOT care about borders and states. I love the landscape, the people and the mentality of North-Germany, not its the capitalistic and corrupt politicians for the masses! I feel no responsibility to a form of government I really cant accept, a society that’s not worth living its current phase. So I just don`t care. I will leave this country soon enough… But to speak of this “scum” you mentioned: I don`t want to start a political debate about migration in Germany, I hate this theme and have to debate it at university! But let me tell you something shortly about my relationship to those people: A lot of my (best) friends are out of foreign countries, our producer Ali is a Turk, etc… why should I have anything against them? I judge people by their sympathy, their cunning and their attitude to this fucking world! And by nothing else! All other directions of judging people are dishonourable, weak-minded and against my art of common sense… I will not cross the point of arguing and answering political about the WWII topic, but will only reply shortly that I feel no guilty.

Where do you come from, Eastern or Western part of Germany? Even if the latter, could you please explain why does such a incredible amount of National-Socialistic movements and it’s advocates appear in East Germany here and there? In fact, it looks like those who adhere to such an ideology grow day by day – and isn’t it a predictable effect of what these people had to endure whilst living a “socialistic” State?

- I really have no idea why so many people follow an ideology here. I am not a sociologist  and come from the Western part of Germany; but definitely the appearance of national-socialistic movements is worse in East Germany. Suffering is guaranteed under ideologies, may these be socialistic or fascistic. And suffering engraves for revenge…

Many lives were ruined “thanks” to the policy pursued by ex-USSR, and I’m strongly convinced that all these individuals definitely have a right to hate those who once have oppressed ‘em… however, they simply don’t realize that USSR and Russian don’t have anything in common. I don’t blame Germans in that abandoning war (a war with no winners, so to say), so why do they have to blame me?

- The most contemptuous facet of dictatorship and regimes like the ex-USSR is that they have no place for individuality and free will. Hate is explainable, that’s right. It is a natural to oppression, that the one oppressed needs an enemy to blame if the original occupier disappears. But isn’t it stupid and weak by humans to judge others by prejudices? They even exchange their picture of true and created enemies like in your case. It is really irrational to me and against my sense of respect.

Where do you reckon yourselves to in terms of religion? Probably heathens? Then what if I’ll state that pagan revival can be perceived as nothing but an absurd, taking into consideration the fact we live in different time with different goals in life, as well as different approach to every single thing… Getting back to Nature seems to be sort of an utopia nowadays…

- Once again, it seems I have to explain my point of view first: I do not care about religions calling for supremacy! They suppress mankind and try to modify ones minds. It is pure propaganda. Only feeble and stupid people listen to their serpents speeches. But I have the veracious opinion that most kinds of religion will “get, what they deserve” (As always SODOM). They will fall like a weak man, wounded by their lack of spirituality and unearthly consciousness. Mankind will kill itself, for sure! In opposite to them, I call myself a pantheist, deeply connected to earth and water. Here for paganism shows me the principle of worshiping mother nature with a strong will: in northern mythology I found my own path to reflect my affinity to the powers of nature. And this includes my life in the 21st century CE. Technical and modern help is not a shame or utopia, if you try to integrate it to a pagan live. I don’t want to live in the woods nor lose my vinyl collection! Paganism is not a short period in time like common religions like the Bible or the Koran, it has an eternal and overwhelming validity in time.

Actually, the way you’ve entitled the first CD of yours, was the first and utmost reason to ask you the previous question. “Under The Sign Of The Northwind”… erh, isn’t is a sort of cliche? Especially for the band whose goal seemingly is to pay homage to the glorious past days – the ones, unfortunately never to return…

- It should be translated “Under the banner of northern storms”. It seems like a cliché? Well, you are not forced to deal with it. This is our expose. It is primary written and composed for us and our friends. By the way: It is a homage, yes. But not only the past, likewise the present and future is meant.

Unoriginal but sincere to the core, or incomprehensible striving towards originality. What kind of musical experience amongst the ones I mentioned, would you prefer? You see, I’d better go and listen to some raw-sounding band who actually have nothing new to offer, instead of torturing myself with yet another dose of experimental crap (the way most of contemporary black metal acts (as well as the ones formerly known for staying to their roots – naming ULVER and ARCTURUS would be enough, I guess) use to follow these days)…

- Impossible to answer! Both sides have enough extreme aspects I prefer, but in connection to DRAUTRAN: it is the spirit of originality that tends to appear in our minds and enchains the storm, metaphorically spoken. An aim of DRAUTRAN is identity and originality, we all stand for this. To speak of experimentalism: As before, I share opinion with you. I do not like bands like MYRGSKOG or newer SATYRICON, even if I respect those men as good musicians. I would near always chose a traditional album then to listen to experiments.  Actually there are a few talented bands like DIABOLICUM, ESOTERIC or NAGELFAR´s “Strongorrth” which aflame my enthusiasm.

A man misunderstood by society, left by everyone he considered dear to him – what should he do? Did we forget about everything that formerly distinguished us from animals – humaneness, respect and loyalty? Once I’ve written a short story of a man who lost everything and everyone he cherished and loved, a man who preferred to enter the sea and follow his way in reveries Mother Nature has granted him once he left this cruel world… Each of us, at least once in a lifetime, faces this “forgotten sunrise” and doubts if a dreamer has his / her place in a modern-day society… We’re carnivores attempting to find more and more victims in order to gain success, in the same time disregarding everything that differs us from the most loathsome animals, such as jackals and coyotes… day by day losing what our ancestors considered a meaning of their lives… Have you ever been obsessed by thoughts like these?

- Such a man mentioned is truly without hope. I am not a philosophical man, I for myself have a pack mentality and therefore could not live without the humans near to me. I am proud to be in their circles, for they are the ones who bear together with me the burden of our modern society. Your story sounds interesting, it shows a common idea that is planted into the hearts of so many metalheads. We are a minority in our todays society, we differ from the weak jackals that life for their regular daily procedure of slavery! Remember your animalistic and your human side! Those thoughts are common to me, even if obsession seems to be blind articulated.

Do you know anything regarding Russia? Any metal bands coming from
the country of mine you’ve heard lately?

- No, I am sorry, the only thing I follow are news concerning Russia`s future. This nation will have its qualified bands worth for international underground popularity as well. Maybe this interview will change that! Brothers in mind are welcomed to built contact!

Well, thank you for joining this chat. Hope DRAUTRAN finally will gain the success you deserve…

- First I have to thank you for those questions, near all were interesting to answer, Stalhammar! And I wish you what you are expecting from your life and especially from your music! May the Hammer smash our foes!

DRAUTRAN
P.O. Box 1926
24018 Kiel
Germany
Blutaar@web.de
www.Drautran.com