http://www.imnebel.com
Sergiy Ermolaev – Bass
Tim – Drums
Michael Lenz – Guitars, Vocals
Vasil Doiashvili – Vocals
Gregory Lobjanidze – Guitars
IM NEBEL [German for: in the fog] - a rather peculiar name for a Georgian Symphonic Black Metal band. Nevertheless in terms of sales, they're one of the most popular metal acts on the Caucasus. Reason enough to get in touch with the guys and chat a little about the state of things in Tbilissi and Georgian Black Metal. But first of all: what about that German band name? There’s a poem by Hermann Hesse titled „Im Nebel“. Am I right in assuming that your bandname is a reference to the poem, Michael?
Michael: You are absolutely right. When we started to rehearse with the guys, I had four unfinished songs. The names of the songs were "Im Nebel 1, 2, 3 and 4", and the writing of these songs was inspired by Hermann Hesse’s poem “Im Nebel”. The other three songs were renamed to “Faded Mankind”, “Inconsistent Thoughts” and “Unbeliever’s Script“. They are on the album „Vitriol“. Actually the imagery that Hermann Hesse describes in his poems is similar to our real lives. I think, the title IM NEBEL is also a good name for a band ...
There’s another German title on your debut album „Vitriol“, which you released in 2008. The song is called „Zeitgeist“? What are your special connections to German culture/literature?
Michael: Not in this case. The song Zeitgeist took its title from a movie with the same name. Dmitri, our drummer at that time was inspired by this movie. You can also tell this from the lyrics.
Michael: Starting the band was really hard, because Tbilisi is not a big city. Our idea to gather a group arose in 2004. Most of the musicians around here know each other and they play in two or three bands together. Sergiy and me started looking for a drummer to create the backbone of the band. Then we invited Dmitri, who was the drummer in a band I had played in before. Also after some more time, Helen and Vasil joined us, and the band was complete.
Did you play in any bands before you started IM NEBEL?
Michael: There are many bands in which I played before. Something like nine or ten ... Anyway all of these bands failed, as it usually happens with bands.
Sergiy: Yes, but IM NEBEL is the only completely successful project. I find it hard even to imagine to play in any other band.
What inspired you to start a symphonic/avantgarde Black Metal band?
Michael: My third band was a cover band. We played a lot of Metallica cover tunes. After that I couldn’t listen to Metallica anymore, haha ... Nevertheless this experience influenced my visions regarding music, also other bands I had listened to at that time. In Georgia Thrash and Death Metal are really popular. But when you listen too much to this kind of this music, it’s getting really boring soon, you know ... We always want to find something new ... I also love classical stuff, that magical sounding, sometimes mystic ... it's a way to get away from too primitive sounds and it adds an epic feeling to the music.
Sergiy: I'm a big fan of bands such as UNEXPECT, D.S.O., ARCTURUS, ULVER, TWILIGHT OPERA, SOLEFALD and others. So that influenced me and always inspired me. I think, there are too many thrash/death/black metal bands around who are all playing the same kind of music. You cannot see any difference between them. Avantgarde/extreme styles - it’s like fresh blood in metal, it’s a possibility to be original, to play something new and completely different.
On your album „Vitriol“ you’re playing a very technical style of Extreme Metal. Your playing skills are really impressive. Would you label IM NEBEL a „progressive“ band. And can you give us your definition of „Progressive“?
Michael: Thank you for such an assessment. But really I would prefer to stay far away from this title, and also from other titles too. But “Progressive” – in terms of style – is now a stamp or a status for bands who are using much too overloaded parts. Sometimes it’s better to play a simple melody with the most simple arrangement to preserve the feeling and the idea of the composition. Music of modern “Progressive” bands looks like this: band collects all riffs they have written, band puts them in one song. The result: it's sounding ridiculous, it's fake art. This is what happens when musicians are unable to write songs. The label "Progressive" is not a solution for this kind of "creativity".
Michael, your clear voice reminds me a lot of ICS Vortex and the symphonic arrangements make me think of bands like Dimmu Borgir, Emperor and Tartaros. Also your lyrics, which often about finding one’s individuality, are in the vein of Arcturus, Winds, later Borknagar. How much of an influence is the Norwegian extreme metal scene to you?
Michael: Unfortunately, I hadn't listened to their music until four years ago. My favorite Norwegian band at this moment is OLD MAN'S CHILD. I'm trying to develop my vocals in “bel canto” style, which is similar to all operatic-like singers. But the truth is, everything I'm listening to is an influence on my views. This is really cool, because that's creating new dimensions in music for me, where I'll be able to operate.
Your technical skills and demands are very high. But how do you find the right equipment and studios in Georgia to realize your visions?
Michael: Thank you! Really we had to do it much better. In Tbilisi the studios have good equipment, but the cost of recording is similar to that of some famous studios in the USA. The main problem is that the studio employees are no professionals. They only have good equipment. We are trying to get the best we can. At this moment it is impossible to record a good quality album in Georgia without computer programmed drums.
„Vitriol“ was released through Russian label Haarbn Productions. How did you get in touch with them? What’s the situation with Georgian labels?
Michael: Den, the founder of Haarbn Productions, is very interested in Georgian metal. Georgian labels are releasing only pop and folk music. Metal is totally ignored by the media. Many people think that we are drinking blood and raping virgins. That’s because of post soviet propaganda and the influence christian orthodox lobbies still exert on people's mentalities.
You released „Vitriol“ in 2008, shortly before the war about South Ossetia. Do you remember the situation back then, can you tell us more about it?
Michael: Politics are a dirty thing. Many young guys died on this war.
Sergiy: We released our album not in the best period. Haarbn, a russian metal label which releases a Georgian metal band? There was a lot of criticism, not about the quality of the album, but about the origin of the album.
Georgia has a lot of very ancient mythology and pagan folklore. For example Jason and the Argonauts, or Schota Rustaveli or the pagan rites from Svanetia. Have you ever thought about working on an epic by Schota Rustaveli, for example?Michael: I'm really not expert on this themes. Anyway we would get too much negative criticism from native Georgians (because I'm not Georgian by nationality...).
Sergiy: It’s not so easy to adopt such themes for metal music, maybe Vasil with RUINS OF FAITH will create such an album.
When you talk to metalheads from Armenia, they say that the scene in Georgia is the best on the Caucasus. But when you talk to metalheads from Georgia, they say that Armenia has the better scene. So who’s right? What are the pros and cons for the two scenes?
Michael: Both scenes are great, I think. It's just that people are comparing the differences and are seeing positive sides that they can’t find in their native metal scene. Anyway here's my opinion: our Armenian friends are more practiced playing live and they have the better sound engineers.
Are you in touch with the scene in Azerbaidjan? Can you tell us anything about it?
Michael: Unfortunately no. I just know that some of our metal bands were there once on their metal festival.
I remember when we were talking in the Warsteiner-pub, you guys always talked about „going to Europe“. I found it strange, because Georgia and Tbilisi seemed totally European to me. Don’t you consider yourselves European? Don’t you see the Caucasus as a part of Europe?
Michael: I have a true European heritage. Georgia will be a part of Europe when the peoples post-soviet and orthodox mentality will be replaced by a new open minded one.
Sergiy: It’s a hard question. Honestly, I don’t consider Georgia and Armenia completely European or Asian cultures, because both are just a big mixture of European and Asians traditions. We should consider the Caucasus countries as a unique place, as a bridge between the two civilizations.
What are your plans for IM NEBEL? Are you planning a new album? If yes, can you tell us more about it?
Michael: The material for the new album is completely done. But at the moment the recording process is kinda stuck. We want to move far away from sampled drums and midi drums. Now we are able to record with a live acoustic drum kit. This is the core for studio recordings. Tim, our new drummer, does a great job! The rhythmic patterns on the new album will be awesome. Also I’m almost finished with writing the lyrics. The story of the album I'd prefer to share later when everything is done. All I can say is that the album will be mystic and will feature orchestral arrangements. Now we are just trying to record it in a better quality.
Sergiy: Yeap, it's partially my fault, that we are stuck with the recordings of the new album. Last year I was busy with my job and I could not pay proper attention to the band. But in the near future, we will continue with the album recordings.
Will you release the album on Haarbn again, or are you looking for a new label? Maybe an international label?
Michael: I don’t know. We want to share our music with metalheads from central Europe and the USA. If the production quality of our new album will be acceptable for international labels, it would be great.
Michael: Acharian Khatchapuri, Soko Ketsze (mushrooms on the clay pan with cheese), Khinkali, Chikhirtma (soup), Satsivi.
Sergiy: I prefer Chinese food. After two decades, even the most delicious khinkali is starting to bore me, but homemade mcvadi (georgian BBQ with spices) or any kind of khachapuri is always appetizing.
DISCOGRAPHY
Haarbn Records
1. Intro
2. Inconsistent Thoughts
3. Faded Mankind
4. Zeitgeist
5. Unbeliever's Script
6. The Journey to the Center of I
7. Exodus
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