Wolfsgrey (Romania) 11/02/2014

Wolfsgrey is a band from Romania that apart from their good releases, very few information are available to discover about them. Because of their recent album Transylvanian Plaguespreader Committee, due to the mutual appreciation, Béla Lugosi the singer of the band decided to answer my questions. So, get to know a little better the wolves from Transylvania in one of their few interview.

1. Hails Béla Lugosi. I know that you don’t make any interviews and I appreciate that you accepted speaking to me. There are almost none information about you both as individuals and as a band so can you tell me a few things about you and Wolfsgrey?

Lugosi Béla: Yes, you are right, I hate answering to interview requests, I prefer to make interviews with bands for my zine, for answering questions is a pain in the ass, hehe, but let’s try it. So, Wolfsgrey is a Transylvanian Black Metal band formed in 2007, the members are involved in other notorious bands like Siculicidium, Death Nöize, Labyrinth of Abyss, Koldvoid, etc. We are a 3 piece band and for the rehearsals we have a friend who’s playing on bass, and important that this is not a boring project, Wolfsgrey is a real band with total old school attitude and spirit.

2. Does your name refer to the grey wolf, as I know, the largest member of the wolf family? Why did you choose that name? Does the character of the grey wolf describe your personalities?

Lugosi Béla: In some ways yes and other ways not, The Grey Wolves name was taken by a well-known power electronics band, so we decided to be Wolfsgrey. I know lots of bands have “wolfs” name, but we really like this name and all we love wolves and this animal describes very well our personality and attitude, we live (and will die) like wolves in this sick society!

3. The band is active since 2007 and after many demos, this year you released your first full length album, Transylvanian Plaguespreader Committee. Why it took you so long to prepare a full length release?

Lugosi Béla: So long? I think is not too long. I hate it when a band is coming out with a full length album without any initial release, we did 2 Eps, 2 rehearsal demos and one promo tape and after we released our first full length, in every year since 2007 we have had a release so this is just a natural evolution.

4. Do you want to give me some info about this album? How did the contact and agreement with Tenebrd Music happened?

Lugosi Béla: We recorded the album in 2010 at Nekroführer’s studio in a weekend and in 2012 we recorded the vocals and some additional guitar parts and solos. After we made a promo tape (Pure Transylvanian Style) and we sent to some old contacts/labels. Tenebrd Music is a new label from France conducted by Noktu (Celestia/Mortifera/Drakkar Prod). In the early 90’s (the best era of black metal) he released Mütiilation classics, Belketre, Torgeist, and he still releasing albums of Arghoslent, Grand Belial’s Key, etc. We got some good feed-back from other labels too (small and big labels too!), we choose Noktu, because we know him from long years ago and we know he is dedicated and very serious when we talking about black metal, absolutely rare in today’s scene!

5. What kind of feedback and reaction have you received by the fans and the press regarding Transylvanian Plaguespreader Committee? Did you expect it?

Lugosi Béla: We got very good feed-back from supporters and from media too, I have read only positive reviews (and some negative…), which is a bit strange for me, but people received very well our first album. Almost all our copies are sold out, for the rest ask Noktu.

6. As you can see in my review I describe you as a Hellhammer - Celtic Frost, Venom and old school Black Metal influenced band. Do you agree with that description? How do you get inspired to write music?

Lugosi Béla: Our influences are Venom, Motörhead, Vlad Tepes, Bathory, the Hungarian legend Tormentor, Celtic Frost, Beherit, Master’s Hammer, etc. old school black metal with edge and spirit with punkish “fuck you” attitude, this is Transylvanian Hooligan Black Metal!

7. As I noticed also in Siculicidium (another great band in my opinion) your lyrics speak about Hungary, although that you live in Romania. I know about the bad relations between the two countries leading to the war of 1919. Apart from that though I don’t know anything else. Would you like to discuss that matter with me?

Lugosi Béla: Totally wrong! Our lyrics don’t speak about Hungary (not in Siculicidium lyrics!), our lyrics are dealing with old legends, war spirit, Transylvanian mysticism, vampires, evil dedications, occultism, Yukio Mishima’s philosophy, patriotism, etc. about Hungarian well known persons like Lugosi Béla, Elizabeth Bathory (Pure Transylvanian Style), we sing about our homeland (Szeklerland) with good and worst things but we are not singing about political issues. We are proud Hungarians/Szeklers living in our ancient homeland Transylvania, simple. Our lyrics are available in the CD booklet, so everybody can read and define! E.g. Fuck the Jazz is about the metal way of life, we have no bad relation with Romanians or Hungarians we have supporters from both nations, for the bad relation is absolutely responsible the politicians of both nations! About the history, read books, use the internet we have no more space and time to explain everything in this interview. Our history is too sad, bloody and labyrinthine to explain everything right here. History online: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Trianon http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vienna_Awards http://www.trianon1920.hu/

8. Your lyrics also speak about Hungary’s liberation. Is there any movement in Romania that fights for Hungarian territorial or ethnic independency? What is your involvement into this?

Lugosi Béla: Our lyrics are not dealing with Hungary’s liberation as I said some lines before. We are not involved in political movements, we are just silent resistant. Some movements exist for fighting for the territorial and ethnic autonomy for Hungarians living in Romania.

9. So I understand that you don’t consider yourself part of the Romanian Black Metal scene. Is that correct? However, are there any other musicians or bands there that you share the same ideas and you support?

Lugosi Béla: In Romania black metal scene does not exist! Fans, supporters maybe yes, not too much, but exist, but bands are not. Some pseudo black metal bands, facebook, bandcamp bands pollute the music scene, but we can’t consider real black metal bands, nor scene. In Romania only one Black Metal record label working and releasing albums (real label with real releases, not net-label, or other bullshit digital stuff), which is sad and thinkable, in Finland you can easily count 50 labels, more than 1000 bands. If you want to buy Romanian printed magazines, fanzines you could get only one, or two, maybe 3, but no more! Romania is twice bigger with population like Finland…thinkable. We support the following Transylvanian acts: Siculicidium (Transylvanian kultur-terrorists), Death Nöize (total necro, Hellhammer meets Incriminated madness), Koldvoid (dark ambiental passage, trance), Klinikk (acid/depressive rock), Labyrinth Of Abyss (the 1st Transylvanian Black Metal band, check the Cult of Turul Pride album!).

10. I think that Wolfsgrey don’t perform live. Is that your attitude or there are other reasons for that decision?

Lugosi Béla: Wolfsgrey don’t play live, because I hate to playing live, I really like to be on concerts in the pit, in the audience but I really don’t want to play on stage. Other members are very interested to playing live, maybe in future, if we get a good offer, maybe, but not priority for me. We have some rehearsals in every year, I think it is enough for me. I really like to compose, record and release music. We live far from each other, to organizing a rehearsal is not simple.

11. Have you begun writing material for a future release? When do you plan to have it ready for release?

Lugosi Béla: We have a new MLP (6 new songs) completely recorded, just missing the vocal parts and some guitar solos, which we will recording in the next few months, so in 2014 we will have a new stuff ready!

12. My last question will be about Béla Lugosi. He must be a big influence to you for adopting his name for your nickname. Do you want to give me some information about that?

Lugosi Béla: Lugosi Béla is the greatest horror movie actor for me, the real Dracula, it’s a great pleasure to using his real name. Lugosi Béla is undead!

13. Do you want to sum up your near future plans and add any last words?

Lugosi Béla: Thank you very much for your interest in Wolfsgrey, I hope our answers will be fine for you, and thank you for your support over the years! Keep on good work! We will have next year a MLP and some merchandise stuff as well, keep your eyes on http://wolfsgrey.bigcartel.com, or other official domains of the band!

View The Gallery