Despite both lads rightly claiming below that Hertogenwald is not a Belgian band per se, as two of the three band members are French, Hertogenwald is still considered part of the increasingly interesting and improving Belgian Black Metal scene. The band was formed back in the 00’s, but it took until 2019 before we got to hear the first result of their diligent work. Then last year Medieval Prophecy Records suddenly brought us two new releases, short players that is, but nevertheless the split 7” EP with Orkblut and the split LP with Regnum Tenebrarum were more than welcome. I spoke with Guido (G.) and Alrinack (A.) about the past period, these new releases and the future of Hertogenwald. Spoiler: we won’t have to wait another couple of years for new material from the band. Fortunately.
Hey guys, I warmly welcome you to these pages… Before we dive into your new releases, let’s go back in time first a little. The band’s roots go as deep as 2007, but it took until 2019 before the first demo would surface. How would you describe those first 12 years of existence? In other words, what were you doing in that rather long time running up to that debut demo?
G: All hail! Well, the answer is quite simple: we recorded both drums and guitars then left it on the hard drive without finishing it… Some stuff was even recorded in 2005. Sometimes there are weird things in life you know and situations later gave the opportunity to come back on this unfinished demo, completed it together with the arrival of Alrinack in the band, and finally released it through Medieval Prophecy Records.
A: For my part, I cannot speak about the genesis of the group, because I have only integrated it for a few years, but I am quite satisfied with the direction that is now taking HERTOGENWALD.
Overall, how do you look back at that first decade? Formative years usually help shape a band in terms of personnel and certainly also its core sound. How do you think it compares to the last few years? How did the music evolve into what it is now?
G: I was fully active with YSENGRIN and it certainly helped me to bring new breath to the HERTOGENWALD music. If you listen to the demo, then to the splits, particularly the 12”/CD one, you’ll notice the difference, not that big of course but we definitely evolved.
A: This first decade is rather rich in terms of evolution for HERTOGENWALD, both in terms of composition and philosophy of the group. I was quite active, through the different groups in which I evolve, and especially within YSENGRIN at Guido’s side. HERTOGENWALD allowed me a kind of back to the roots, namely, composing and playing old-fashioned Black Metal, this Black Metal of the first waves.. A cold music, quite minimalist but not devoid of emotions. And spiritually, we can address themes dear to each of us, the titles of the opuses speak for themselves.
Let’s go on with the overarching concept of the band. The name of the band might seem strange and German to some, Hertogenwald (or Hertogenwoud) is a forest in the Eastern part of Belgium, next to the German border and in between the southernmost part of The Netherlands and northern Luxemburg. Trees also make up an important part of your logo. Can you tell me about the importance and significance of that particular forest for you as individuals and how does that translate to your music?
G: This Hertogenwald forest is not particularly special, but as S.Nihil has written in a past interview, it is a place where you can lose yourself walking at night. When you are in any forest, there is something in the air when there is dusk for instance, the colours changing quickly, the menacing branches… The trees are definitely a huge influence on our compositions, be it on the lyrics or on the music, but nothing fancy or Wicca here. I can not see any single HERTOGENWALD release without something in reference to the trees, in one way or another. Concerning the logo, it is a perfect one for our band.
Recently you have released two new splits. A 7″ EP with Orkblut and a 12″ EP with Regnum Tenebrum, both via the revered Medieval Prophecy Records label. Do your contributions to those two split releases stem from the same musical mindset? Because, musically they feel quite different, with the songs on the split 12″ EP sounding significantly more atmospheric…
G: I really wanted that the music of the split with Regnum Tenebrum transpire the concept of the swamps, bogs of the High Fens. Hence, the atmospheric feeling on this split. Lyrics are obviously aligned as well, it’s a whole.
A: As Guido says, we wanted this atmosphere, sticky, suffocating, heavy and dark to speak for itself… From the first notes, the listener can immerse himself in it, feel invaded by this animistic vision of these places. Our relationship with trees and forests quite joins this concept of animism, essence of the different elements of nature.
In the review for the split 7″ EP with Orkblut I mentioned that your track reminded me somewhat of (very) early Enthroned. But, of course, the wish can be father to the thought. It happens that Enthroned has a song called Hertogenwald on their 1997 ‘Towards The Skullthrone Of Satan’-album. So, is this all just a coincidence and am I hearing things that are not actually there, or is there a creative and/or conceptual connection to the old Enthroned recordings?
G: No, when I wrote the main track of the split 7” I was not influenced by ENTHRONED, but of course the three of us like the old era of the band. My favorite record of them is clearly “Towards…”. When I discovered Black Metal, it was for sure the most famous Black Metal band from Belgium. Later, I discovered ANCIENT RITES which is cult as well. Back to your question and according to my ears, the 7” sound more like old Polish and Norwegian Black Metal demos.
A: Indeed we all three, followers of the group ENTHRONED, for my part until the departure of Sabathan.. The direction in which the group went after is much less satisfactory to me, even if it still works very well. Nevertheless, I do not think I was directly influenced by “Towards..” which will remain a timeless leader for the French scene, and a reference to the Belgian Black Metal.
As a whole, I think both of these split contributions are definitely a step up from an already very solid sounding demo. Although the demo was received with mixed favour, I always thought it was a pretty strong start for the band. How do you reflect on these somewhat lukewarm reactions to the demo now? And how do you see the band progress from these first releases songs to those new tracks?
G: Honestly the global feedback for the demo was very positive and I still think it’s a strong demo, with some weaknesses, but with some very good moments as well. Now let’s say, as a natural progression, each of our new releases to be both splits or the upcoming album, are a step forward.
A: I also did not find the feedback so mixed that after this, the chronicles remain views and feelings, specific to those who write them, a very subjective vision, as we often say, speak in good, or in bad, but speak in! And criticism is always interesting to receive, as long as it is constructive of course. I think the evolution is felt as opus, as I said above, the spirit of HERTOGENWALD is forged more and more, this should appear even more obvious on the album. We learn from our mistakes to sublimate them and make them strengths.
So, with all three of your releases, including the debut demo, sounding quite different from each other, what would you say is the artery that ties them together and makes them a living part of Hertogenwald on both a musical and spiritual level? Over the past few years I have reviewed a good amount of releases out of the current Belgian Black Metal scene, a movement that continues to amaze me with its many great bands and quality output. Of course, I am only able to look in from the outside. How would you describe your native scene? Is there something that ties you together? There are some rumours of internal rivalries, something I have personally never noticed. How do you look at this?
G: Keep in mind that in the band we are two from France and one from Belgium, so I guess we are definitely not a Belgian band! More a French speaking band. Anyway, I don’t really see any rivalry, but more a pollution due to the big amount of bands proclaiming playing Black Metal… Nowadays, everything is easier than before to create a band. But it does not mean that you have the keys! I’m definitely for the quality over the quantity approach. I also sold a lot of things and try to focus on the best releases, those who can vibrate into me. For example, in France I admire a band like S.V.E.S.T. with an immaculate discography; I hope they will release something new one day!
A: I fully agree with Guido’s answer to this question, we are indeed a French-speaking group and personally, I have no time to waste to look at stories of pseudo rivalries between groups, or Black Metal scenes from this or that country, who would be better than the others or not…
However great the local Belgian scene is, Hertogenwald, to me, feels a bit like an outsider. Not only are you guys not entirely anonymous, you also don’t belong to any “inner circle” like the Ancient Hounds like your split partners of Orkblut and Regnum Tenebrum do. Do you, as a band and individuals, consider yourself a part of it, as an active contributor, both musically and spiritually?
G: We belong to the Black Metal scene. The real one; it’s not necessary to add “true”, “elite” or whatever, I guess our most known projects for each three of us speak for themselves. We have nothing to prove; we just play the music we live and die for, a Sinister Art, born in the eighties, and transcended in the nineties. Personally, I play Black Metal since the last years of the nineties, but I have now a specifical vision of what Black Metal has to be, both musically and spiritually, forged with all these years listening to a lot of bands. There is something beyond the words, magical, that I have with my music.
A: Indeed it would be futile and rather childish in my opinion, to evoke elitism, free to think what you want, I started doing Black Metal around 1996, and I have never stopped since. I no longer have the age, nor the motivation, to come in and try to convince that my bands and/or my music are better or more qualitative than the others… I definitely don’t give a fuck. I do Black Metal first for me, for what it brings to me, a way of dissociating, beyond words, with the stinking reality of what our world is, and what the man is, plus it’s the best catharsis I’ve ever known since I have a certain awareness of what life is, my life! Black metal is a key to deep introspection, and a way to reach for me, a modified state of consciousness that is indispensable to me, my music is the expression of this!
Those two latest recordings saw the light of day five years after the first demo from 2019. Judging from your working pace in the past, does this mean we have to be patient again for another sign of life?
G: No, we are currently working on the album and we hope to record it in 2025 (by the way, some interludes are already recorded). So I guess you won’t have to wait too much this time!
All three of you are also active in other bands and projects like Eole Noir, Ysengrin, Nartvind, In The Mist and lots more. Is there anything new cooking for those bands?
G: We’ll have a very last YSENGRIN opus to be out one day… we have to complete this MLP, but it’s in the works for some years and it will be a great Dark Metal corner stone.
A: I join Guido about YSENGRIN. Regarding my other groups, indeed there will be a lot of news to come, I will not go into detail, because the deadlines for releases of each project are different and it would be especially boring to do, I do not want to make a list…everyone to look at the group or project that interests him hehe. So I will only talk about the main bands, for HAPPY DAYS we are working on a big album project, with a particular format. For SUICIDAL MADNESS, we are recording the new album, and some surprises should come in terms of releases. For IN THE MIST it’s the same, we started the composition process and we work in parallel on the project “ERRANCES” which is another part of expression of IN THE MIST. We should also release a volume 2 of the Cercle noir, in which IN THE MIST, ERRANCES and LOUP NOIR for which I am working on new titles. Finally I’m looking for a label to release several works already finished, for my Dark Folk project TEMPLE.
That was it from my side, thank you for your shared time and insights. I gladly hand you the opportunity to conclude the interview with some words of your own…
G: Thanks for your interest in our band.
“…Beneath a swathed and mummied sun, Descend where dayless dials rust, Where the, void hourglass fills with night; And seeing with still-living eyes Dim Acherontic rivers run…”
The Dark Chateau, Clark Ashton Smith
A: Thank you for this space of expression and interest brought to HERTOGENWALD!
