Today, Lachryma Christi brings you an interview with a Portuguese band, called Grievance.
Grievance is a one man band who has been around for a long time, but only recently they started playing live, with session musicians. Lachryma Christi had the pleasure of seeing them in Lisbon, with Invoke and Hecate Enthroned, back in 2019. Before all the madness of Covid started and made all shows be cancelled.
Grievance released their 4th full-lenght last month, called Nos Olhos da Coruja.
Lachryma Christi had the opportunity to have a nice conversation with Koraxid, the man behind the whole thing.
What is the origin of the name Grievance? What does it mean as a name for a project like this?
The name was taken from some lyrics of the album In the Nightside Eclipse, by Emperor. It is a name that has a multitude of meanings, hence the fact that it was chosen for the band, as well as transmitting a certain environment or "background" for the artistic creation of extreme music, a release from all these "grievances", in Portuguese, claims of displeasure towards a certain and determined situation, person, moment or thought, as well as transmitting the same emotional load when living a moment of release from anger or inner hatred.
What themes are portrayed in Grievance's songs?
Regarding the themes, the band's releases are divided in two phases. The first one, demonstrated in the two first releases (Retorno and Pilar, Pedra e Faca), is more focused in the inner upheaval, it is a lot more personal, in addition to concentrating on a sharp focus on what brought up to this time, where we come from and a reinvigoration of those latent forces with access to the primordial paganism of these lands as source of internal fortification. The second phase, demonstrated in the two more recent releases (Em Lucefécit and Nos Olhos da Coruja), also incorporates legends and stories about the mysticism in the Iberian Peninsula, and above all, a stronger and powerful feeling about the human condition and all the channels towards which we can express ourselves and emerge wiser and more experienced. Other themes are exposed, at a more worldwide level, such as Mistérios da Ordem from the album Em Lucefécit or Tel Megiddo from the album Nos Olhos da Coruja. It is my idea to not have creative limits and write as much about themes linked to the Iberian Peninsula as linked to worldwide history.
Grievance wasn't always a one-man band. Would you like to tell us more about the story and evolution of the project in that sense?
In 1997 the band was founded by me and Azarath. On the first released demo in the same year I recorded the drums and the voice and he recorded the guitar and synth, this was the base lineup of the band, up to 2011. Along the way we crossed path with various musicians and we did varied experimentations; those were very interesting times, but in the end of the decade of 00 there was nothing to do about it and Grievance seemed to have died for good. In the meantime I composed a solo album which would come to be the album Retorno, and I thought of incorporating this song in the project Grievance; I spoke to Azarath and as a mutual agreement I kept the control of the band, from then on as a solo project. Even now, my relationship with the co-founder of Grievance is the best, but because he lives in the South of Spain and the distance being so much, besides other personal impediments, the continuation of the band was finalized in case we didn't decide to go separate ways. Azarath participated in the most recent album Nos Olhos da Coruja with the guitar for the track Seres Alados in an allusion to the link with the past of the band, which has here a homage and a continuity seal.
How would you define the musical genre of Grievance?
That's a good question but I prefer to define it in the most simple way: Black Metal. There's no point in creating the thousandth sub-style, the final conclusions are for whoever reads this interview and listens to the music.
The first album of Grievance, Retorno, was released many years after the project took shape. Was it planned to be that way, or wasn't it possible at all to make it happen earlier?
The arising of the first album coincided with the lineup change from a duo to a solo project; the facts that made the story of the band to develop this way were mentioned above, but it sums up to the fact that this material was composed completely solo, being this the testimony of the new path of the band.
After so many years in the industry, how do you consider the Black Metal scene in Portugal? Do you believe there has been evolution?
From what I know, there are very good bands in Portugal, who have been building a successful career. The Portuguese scene has been attracting more and more the attention of new fans in a worldwide level, so in my opinion there has been a huge evolution, especially as in the quality, and I hope it goes that way in the future.
Since it is a project of mainly one person, with session members for the live performances, how does the dynamics work, regarding the preparation for the same?
Basically we rehearse as a normal band to prepare the shows, where live I'm only the vocalist. The big difference is that I have to teach all the bits and pieces to each member of the session. As I compose and record all on my own, that is the only way. We rehearse regularly, so we are ready to play at any time, and the setup of the songs is updated as new albums are composed and released. My idea is to be very much at ease playing well together as well as bonding; all those details contribute for us to have the best live performance possible, and in fact the atmosphere between me and the session members whether it is in the rehearsals or backstage is always very informal. When we step on the stage then all changes and the scenic and musical performances are what counts only, being it from my part, or from the part of the session members.
How has been the reception , regarding the most recent album of Grievance, Nos Olhos da Coruja?
No doubt very good, this release in my opinion is being showing up a lot, even more than I would expect from a band that only recently started playing live and is still new for many people who like Black Metal. It is always an honour to receive positive news, whether it is reviews, or comments, and that has been happening with most of the reviews and comments I have received from fans and from media.
Since it is a project of one person only, how does the process of composing the songs work? Which is the order of things, usually?
I work in a not very conventional way. Since I am a drummer and that is with no doubt the instrument I am comfortable with, I start by recording the drums lines in total improvisation, I build as I record, but I don't do "collages" from parts as usual. Afterwards I compose the riffs for the rhythm guitar, solo and leads and only after that I record the bass. The lyrics and voice are left for the end and they work as a complement to the musical landscape.
The album Nos Olhos da Coruja was released in the middle of the pandemics. Was there a need of cancelling any promotional shows for the album, or when the album was released you already knew it wouldn't be possible to play live? How has the promotion been, since it's exclusively online?
The album Nos Olhos da Coruja was schedulled to be released in April 2020, but for obvious reasons it was postponed consecutively and ended up coming out in December of the same year. Promotional gigs at the moment are impossible to happen, but as soon as it is possible Grievance will go back to the stage to promote the release. Regarding the promotion, this one has been done the best way possible, through Internet. Unfortunately bearing in mind the current situation that's the only it can be done.
Still regarding the pandemics, what are the plans for Grievance for the near future, taking into account the impossibility of doing live shows, at least for now?
I am already composing and recording new material, that will come out in a split which will be announced whenever it is more appropriate. If all goes well there will be new tracks very soon; I can say in advance that there are already three new songs made and a quarter of another one being composed, as we speak. Since playing live is out of the question, the time has been spent to compose new material and work on the conceptual part for the new tracks.
Since grievance is such an old project and active for so many years, is there any advice you would like to give to the new projects starting right now?
Yes, my advice for the new musicians who would have an interest in starting to play and compose is mostly one: Perseverance. Without it, all fades away, and nowadays there are a lot more advantages and technical means. I remember when I started playing I didn't even have a computer, let alone internet, it did exist already but it was in its initial stages, and the recordings were done with a tape player, because it was extremely expensive to record in a studio and the material to do it at home was also very expensive. Nowadays everything is easier, but the most important, the perseverance, sometimes fails and many people give up when they see the difficulties they have to face to keep a band going. All the bands that exist and that are known had to face all kinds of problems to be where they are and they are a testimony that our dreams can come true. With strength, courage, intelligence and determination all is possible.
Koraxid, it is a pleasure to be able to have this conversation with you. Is there anything else you would like to add to what was already said, that you consider important?
It was a pleasure to answer this interview, I hope the zine keeps divulging extreme music and I hope things get back to normal quickly. There is a sense of withdrawal from everyone, including me, about shows, in my case from going to the shows as well as playing them. Regarding Grievance, consult the official website (grievance.pt) so you have more info and can listen to the music of the band. I take the chance to thank all your support, as well as from the other webzines, zines, bands, labels and fans of the band, may the ancient gods of Lusitania be with you!
(all photos were sent to Lachryma Christi by Grievance)
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In case you're interested in reading the review to Grievance show in Lisbon, as mentioned above, please go here:
