Askans Arvet (Germany)
Two observations about Askans Arvet:
1. It is true that their sound is undoubtedly raw black metal, and as interesting as that is, it is in their imaginative framework of black metal plus hooks, folk/prog shades where the treasure lies.
2. They have a willingness to change the different sides separately, as in “Welke Blumen” (“Withered Flowers”) by itself and also together, within the context of a single song, as in the title track of their recording “Das Vermächtnis der Asche” (8:36) (“Legacy of the Ashes”) which goes back and forth between tremolo grim raw shrieked blasting black metal and mellow/proggy moments. Good!
www.myspace.com/askansarvet

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You recorded in your rehearsal room?! Sounds good!! Do you know sound engineering? The recording has a pretty good quality, right?
Yes, that is correct. We recorded Erleuchtung in the beginning of 2009 and the rest of our Demo in the summer. The demo was produced with help of Tom Schreyer from the second band of Thomas and Max who knows a bit about sound engineering.
Most Black Metal Bands have a sound that reminds us of a broken radio. Perhaps a lot of them think that the true Black Metal spirit only can be felt like that. For sure Black Metal has to sound different to other genres, but that does not mean that you have to lower the quality.

Drummer Valentin does drums and vocals. Is this also true live?
Yes, he also plays drums and sings live. He manages that good so far although it is difficult. Nevertheless we are looking for a separate singer for the performance.

Askans Arvet is definitely fast black metal. In addition, you have songs that are serene. Is there a “compromise” that Thomas Freytag writes serene, folky songs and Alexander Zaun writes more traditional black metal songs?
Definitely no. At the moment our most songs where composed by Alexander but everyone of us writes some songs. Thomas has also composed a few traditional black metal songs that will be played in the future. Welke Blumen actually was an exception because it was not really written for Askans Arvet. If there will be more songs like that in the future, they will be released as a solo project of Thomas.

How to get copies of your recording?
To get a Copy of our Demo you can write an E-Mail to contact@askans-arvet.de, with your complete address and a request for “Das Vermächtnis der Asche”. We will tell you the cost and an address where to send the money or our bank connection in case you want to transfer it.

Do you promote a political message? Your lyrics seem personal, existential, of the meaningless of existence, grief, death, etc.
No, we do not promote a political message. And Thomas who has written the most lyrics definitely does not think that existence is meaningless. The lyrics deal with the decay of the good side of existence. You can find a lot of beauty in nature for example. Humanity in its present form destroys a lot of this beauty as well as in nature and in the creative side of the humankind.

You lyrics are in German. Will all your songs be in German?
We think that ones mother tongue is the best opportunity to receive the message or the image that is delivered in the lyrics without distorting it. And by the way, it is clear that we do not have time to practice a non-native language on a level that allows us to express things in the same way.

You’re based in Aachen, Germany. How’s life there for the band?
Aachen is a pretty nice city for fans of metal music because there is a huge amount of people who like it. Of course, it is not easy for a young band to get good gigs, but we played in a few very cool locations 2009 and we plan a few other concerts for the beginning of 2010.

What motivated “Durch den Spiegel” (“Through the Mirror”)?
Durch den Spiegel describes a person who lost the ability to have aesthetical experiences and wants to die because for this person the aesthetic was the only good thing in life.

What does the name Askans Arvet mean?
Askans Arvet means in German “Das Vermächtnis der Asche” and can be translated with the “legacy of the ashes”. This means to us that every end means also the beginning of something new.

Is the song “Welke Blumen” part of a poem? You use the phrases “Lieblich glitzert der Reif…” (“Lovely glitters the frost”) in quotes? Is that not your own?
All lyrics are written only by Thomas. In “Welke Blumen” the phrases “Lieblich glitzert der Reif …” are in quotes because they are sung by the “Blumen“ (flowers) who cry for the lost mother nature.

What else?!
We would like to thank everyone who is interested in our music.
Greetings from Aachen. Askans Arvet. THE END.