Asgrauw has been forging its path for years. After five full-lengths, last year saw the release of their sixth, Oorsprong. The perfect opportunity to sit down with the band and ask them how it all came together.
First and most importantly, how are you guys doing?
Thanks for asking, we’re doing well! We’ve had a great year with some memorable performances, and there are more shows coming up. We’re also really looking forward to performing Verloren Vertellingen live. In the meantime, we’re busy recording a new album, although we’ve had to work around some of the band members’ holiday plans.
Being active for more than 10 years, in which ways have you improved as a band and in what ways do you aim to improve in the future?
This year, we’re celebrating our 15th anniversary. Over the years, we’ve grown together as a band and honed our instrumental skills, but we’ve also discovered the roles that suit each of us best. Vaal is the one who creates the blueprints, while Batr has taken on the role of producer — overseeing the final production, recording, mixing, and even experimenting with mastering. As for me, Kaos, I’ve stepped into more of a managerial role. My responsibilities include structuring releases, handling label contacts, managing distribution and digital music, coordinating EPKs, and liaising with bookers and venues. Looking ahead, we want to take things to a more professional level when it comes to songwriting, recording, and improving our live sound.
As a long-standing trio, how do you keep the chemistry alive and continue writing new music? How do you resolve internal disagreements without disrupting the band’s chemistry?
After our first year, we became a trio when our second guitarist decided to split with us during the demo recordings. At that point, we chose to remain a three-piece, because in our view a triangle is stronger than a square and decision-making is easier with an odd number. The following year, Takk left the band: he felt his future lay outside the Netherlands given his frame of mind at the time. That same year Batr joined, and the rest is history. Over all those years, our bonds have grown stronger both musically and in camaraderie. We can read each other with nothing more than a nod or the slightest change in a strum or cymbal hit.
Of course, there are struggles and disagreements. But we know each other inside and out, and we understand that any friction comes from the best intentions — always in service of the band and the music.
When it comes to writing music, we use a very old-school approach. Vaal writes a wealth of riffs, then selects the ones that can form a coherent song and maps out its structure. He brings those ideas to our weekly rehearsals, where we jam until everything falls into place; this is how we refine the riffs and discover the bass lines and drum patterns that fit each song. Once the composition is locked, we record it, and afterward Vaal and Kaos hold lyric-writing sessions to ensure the words match the album’s theme.
Is there a thematic thread running through all (or some) of the albums?
Death, danger, the unknown, and the end; this boils everything down to its core. With “Promo 2012”, we explored three of the seven deadly sins. “Schijngestalten” (2014) was originally meant to be the full seven-sins album, but as we wrote it, we abandoned that idea and zoomed in on the darker corners of our mental states. That focus carried over to “Façade” (2022), where we examined the struggle between life and death and the human instinct to survive and endure.
On “Krater” (2016), we plunged into an apocalyptic scenario: a caldera erupts and plunges the world into darkness for centuries. “IJsval” (2020) follows a similar thread; an apocalyptic tale written in 2019 that depicts the catastrophic fallout of environmental collapse: melting ice caps, rising seas and temperatures, unleashed viruses, and how all this leads to societal decay and ultimately humanity’s self-destruction.
Our third thematic path delves into dark history, myths and legends. With “Gronspech” (2018) we explored local folklore, then expanded that theme with two extra tracks on “Verloren Vertellingen” (2023 split w/ Hellevaerder, Duindwaler & Schavot). On our latest album “Oorsprong” (2024), we presented an alternative origin story for our planet and species.
The only standalone release is the single “Doemprofeet” on “Utopia” (2017 split w/ Meslamtaea), which centers on cult leader Jim Jones and the Jonestown massacre.
The sound of Asgrauw has changed over the years, was this purposefully chosen or was it something that came naturally?
Everything developed naturally, but for multiple reasons. One is that we’ve mastered our instruments more and grown together as a single entity. On the other hand, we have gained a clearer understanding of who we are. We pay homage to the second wave, but we’re not an occult, blood-drenched black-metal band, so we felt free to abandon strict “kvlt” rules and add our own twists. Kaos draws on his punk and hardcore roots, and Batr finds inspiration in his progressive tastes.
After our debut album, we decided to take full control of the production process, for several reasons. Initially, it was mainly to avoid time pressure and unnecessary stress, but as the albums progressed, we started achieving more and more on the production side as well. These days, it’s no longer just about recording songs, like it was in the beginning; it’s about capturing an entire album with the best possible sound. And we’ve grown to really enjoy that process more and more.
’Oorsprong’ is a really solid piece of work. I’ve seen some social media posts where you delve deeper into the lyrics. How did you come up with the idea to use the Anunnaki as inspiration, and how did the lyrics take shape? Do you tell the exact story, or do you work with your own interpretation?
I don’t think there’s any way to tell the exact story, because all sources are interpretations of ancient clay-tablet translations (cuneiform) and, in some cases, supplemented by other mysterious finds from excavation sites.
Kaos collected numerous books, documentaries, and studies on the theme and conducted his own research to identify a common thread in those translations and form a coherent narrative. He then divided that story into seven chapters for the lyrics and added an eighth track about how it all leads to the end or the cycle’s inevitable loop.
Most of our inspiration came from Erich von Däniken’s books and lectures and Mauro Biglino’s “Il libro che cambierà per sempre le nostre idee sulla Bibbia” (The Book That Will Forever Change Our Ideas about the Bible).
We receive varied reactions to the lyrics. Those familiar with the Anunnaki theory often say it’s a solid summary of what can be translated; others find it refreshing and enlightening. But some listeners don’t understand the lyrics simply because they’re not versed in the Anunnaki narrative. A random track can indeed be complex, so Oorsprong is best experienced by listening while reading the full lyrics.
How do you try to reflect the concept within your music?
Almost every time, the concept comes first, the music second, the lyrics third, and then the visuals. The theme essentially sets the mood, which guides Vaal in writing the riffs and shaping the music. This, in turn, inspires Kaos to develop the thematic outline, from which a conceptual story begins to take form, driven primarily by instinct and feeling.
Which thematic and musical direction do you want to explore for your next album?
We won’t reveal too much about this theme yet; we can only say it will have thematic links to Façade, as well as to the conclusion of Oorsprong. By the time the album is released, I’ll explain everything that needs explaining.
Each of your album covers is painted in a distinctive style. How does that visual approach connect with the stories you aim to tell through your music?
Most of our artwork is hand-painted; only the Promo release, all versions of Schijngestalten, and both splits are exceptions. Krater, Gronspech, and IJsval were painted by J. Putman (Owl & Kaeck), while Oorsprong was created by Ronarg (Bloedmaan, Antzaat & Ars Veneficium).
We provide the painters the album’s thematic concept, often accompanied by a rough sketch or idea for inspiration, but we prefer to leave plenty of room for their own interpretation. We also send over raw demo recordings of the album the artwork is meant to accompany. Then… the waiting begins.
On the album Façade, there’s a shadowy figure visible, whereas none of the other covers feature anything like that. Was there a specific reason behind this choice?
Asgrauw’s focus lies more on nature than on humanity, which is why our artwork mostly features landscapes devoid of human presence. The initial artwork by Putman was turned down by the label, as they felt it was too vibrant and wanted something darker and more macabre. They suggested a few artists to work with, and we chose Luciana Nedelea. She painted a piece that better matched the label’s vision.
She added a silhouette struggling to escape fate, which fits the theme of Façade well, even though it marks a departure from our earlier artwork. We specifically requested that the figures be kept vague. Clearly defined fantasy characters quickly feel too kitschy to us, and that doesn’t suit our style. We prefer to keep things somewhat abstract, leaving room for the listener’s own imagination.
That said, we also really liked the original piece by Putman, and included it as an inlay in the vinyl edition.
If I’m not mistaken, you’ve worked with multiple artists in the last 10 years. How do you go about choosing the artists who create your cover artwork?
Because Asgrauw is heavily inspired by 2nd wave black metal, we always look for artwork that fits that style: old school, handmade, and creative. We definitely don’t shy away from colorful art, as long as it maintains a dark atmosphere.
Putman offered to create the artwork himself. We had known him for years through mutual friends and from seeing each other at local shows. After his Krater cover, we kept asking him until we arrived at the Façade artwork. When we had to tell him in person that the label had other plans, we didn’t dare ask him again.
In the meantime, we’ve been looking for artists for the various projects within our collective. Kaos got in touch with Ronarg, with whom we had even shared a stage before. That’s how the idea came about to collaborate with him on the artwork for Oorsprong.
You perform live regularly, how do you try to convey your music to the audience? Does playing live feel like a chore or is it something you all take energy from?
First, we should note that Asgrauw live is quite different from the studio version. On record, we aim to perform at our very best in the moment, pushing ourselves to a new level and laying the groundwork for the next release. Live, we present a stripped-down version of ourselves: no synths, no second guitar lines, and often shorter intros or outros. We become a three-headed hellhound ripping the stage apart. We focus on the more aggressive tracks (including some punk-influenced ones), sometimes playing them faster, angrier, and with more fury.
For me, playing live demands more energy than it returns, but in a good way. I live so much inside my own head that once I’m on stage, the outside world vanishes. I’m completely in the moment; I don’t even feel my body. I become a burst of energy, expelling all my negativity. After a show, I’m drained, yet I feel free and calm.
Vaal enjoys performing live, but our introverted Batr has always preferred the studio to the stage. Lately, he’s come to like live shows a bit more, as routine has made our performances smoother. We’d rather play a handful of great shows than many mediocre ones.
Being connected with Void Wanderer Productions through bassist/vocalist Kaos, what other labels are you working with? Why those labels?
We’ve had support from labels around the world. Hidden Marly Production (Zero Dimensional Records) from Japan was the first to show interest in releasing our music.
Fun fact: Void Wanderer Productions was born out of Asgrauw’s own needs. We self-released the Promo and Schijngestalten, and while distributing them, Kaos traded extensively with labels worldwide. That’s when he discovered that labels preferred trading with each other over trading with bands; sparking the idea to create VWP. HMP, however, was one of the labels that wanted to trade, and they went on to release the CDs for Krater, Gronspech, and Oorsprong.
Of course, Zwaertgevegt deserves mention as they (re-)released most of our albums on tape and vinyl.
Void Wanderer Productions partnered with Heidens Hart to release Gronspech on vinyl, and VWP now handles all of our merch and runs our Bandcamp.
IJsval was released by the UK label Death Kvlt Productions, which later became Death Prayer Records and released Façade.
Other labels that deserve mention include Sylvan Screams Analog, Manto Negro Producciones, Adirondack Black Mass, Mospharic Recording Limited, and Fólkvangr Records (all from the USA), as well as Pest Productions from China and Brutal Insanity Records.
Asgrauw gave birth to the Zwotte Kring, how did this unfold and are there more bands, projects and endeavors on the horizon?
That’s right: Zwotte Kring, like VWP, was born out of Asgrauw’s needs. VWP is known for its PR expertise, and to translate that into support for Asgrauw and our other bands, Kaos proposed combining all our projects into a single Facebook/Instagram presence under de flag of Zwotte Kring. This lets us avoid multiple individual social-media pages that only peak around each new release and helps us stay relevant.
But in the end, ZK became more than that. We formed an internal community of friends and musicians who help each other with new releases, promotion, and even sharing stages. We launched a podcast and began a low-key e-zine featuring interviews, reviews, and columns on topics that keep us interested. Next month we will present a new Zwotte Kring act!
Kaos is already onto the next step. He won’t reveal too much until it’s ready to be announced, but the name “Umbra Pact” is one to watch.
What are the upcoming releases and live dates?
Zwaertgevegt recently repressed IJsval on vinyl, and VWP re-released some logo shirts last month.
This month, we’ll play a show in Heerlen on the 19th alongside Nether and Serotonin. On the 27th, we’ll take the stage at Tormented Spirits Blackfest with our ZK brothers: Hellevaerder and also Tsatthoggua, The Chösen, Bezwering and Prophecy of Asaf.
On November 8th, we’ll perform a special Verloren Vertellingen show with Hellevaerder, Duindwaler, and Schavot at the RMS Meeting. That same day, Zwaertgevegt will re-release the album on tape, and VWP will drop VV merch.
On December 20th, we’ll crush Roosendaal together with Grafjammer and Abrahimic Lairs.
Our 2026 calendar is starting to take shape; so bookers, don’t hesitate to reach out!
Thanks for the time and interest to answer some questions. Any last words?
Thanks for your questions!
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