Recently, I got the chance to review the debut album of the Bulgarian groove/death metal band Grimaze. I got more curioues to know about their lyrical themes, music and upcoming plans. Let’s find out!
● Hey guys! What’s up? Starting with your band name, what does it mean?
Grimaze is a mysterious planet floating in our Universe.
We’ve noticed the meaning changes over time
● I noticed that the four of you already friends. So how the idea of the band shaped?
We are a bunch of kids who can’t grow up and music is our Neverland. Making songs is a lot of fun for us and music is literally our playground. We are pretty happy there and our friendship comes naturally as it is founded on something we all love doing.
● Well, I noticed that when you started you were more into heavy metal, when the shift happened by concentrating more on extreme music?
In the beginning we didn’t have a plan, we just wanted to play as much as we can together. We started by covering some of our favorite bands like Black Sabbath,Led Zeppelin and Pantera and then some riffs started coming along during our jams and we followed them. Back then we didn’t even know extreme music properly and we had no plans going there but maybe extreme music was already inside of us and it slowly started manifesting.
● Can you give me more info about the Bulgarian metal scene?
Metal music is not as popular in Bulgaria as it is in other countries, so bands feel discouraged. Most of them give up and continue doing something else. This is how we see the scene.
● Okay, tell me more about your debut release “Planet Grimaze”
It’s an expression of our longing for the connection with the suppressed higher being inside each of us. It’s the path of revealing hidden suffering and making it conscious. It’s experiencing beautiful brutality.
● You released “Endless Life Force” music video promoting for the band. Are you aiming for other videos very soon?
We are filming a video for Bleeding Earth in a few weeks and it will be out in late winter. We are excited about it as the song is among our favorite ones from the album and the emotions it carries are really powerful for us.
● [Melina] I really enjoyed your guitar style while listening to the album. What’s mainly influenced you while writing those riffs?
Hah. I’d say I’m mostly influenced by the emotional memories of numerous past lives. Somehow I forgot the stories but I did not forget the emotional experiences and they come out easily through music.I am also influenced by the grandness of nature in its silence and its extremes.
● [Melina] Actually, I noticed that you didn’t focus much on soloing, are you considering it within the next releases?
When I look at our songs they feel like paintings and I just don’t see solos on the canvas. Not sure about the next album but it is true that for some reason I am not in love with solos in the context of heavier music, so I don’t put much effort in that direction. Maybe only Dimebag could make it work, but he is gone.
● Tell me guys; what is the difference between preparing for a gig and a tour?
The amount and weight of the stuff you carry to the van
● Okay, tell me more about your plans for 2019 guys.
We want to spend a lot of time walking and climbing in the mountains and we are already working on a next release, so – lots of fun in the rehearsal room coming up, too. We will also play 15 dates with Pestilence in spring which is also exciting.
Recently the band is getting ready for their upcoming tour in February 2019 by sharing the stage with Pestilence. You can book your place and find all info through their website, the Facebook event from here.
Thank you for your time,
