| Band: | Voidhra |
| Release: | Only Cold Winds Will Carry My Name |
| Genre: | Black Metal |
| Country: | South Germany |
| Release Date: | 31th of January, 2025 |
| Released via | Crawling Chaos |
| Cover Artwork: | Blasphemator |
When Friedrichshafen-based Black Metal outfit Voidhra released their debut album Sorrow Guides Us All, we were extremely excited about the output at Transcended Music Blog. Let’s not make this a secret, of course this also partly stemmed from the fact that original band member Chris is a close friend of some of our members. Having seen the development from a mere one-man idea towards the full project that eventually got signed at Crawling Chaos Records was absolutely amazing. After the release of their debut, Voidhra progressed towards a full band that was able to play live shows as well.
With the release of the sophomore release Only Cold Winds Will Carry My Name, Steven sat down with Voidhra’s Chris and Mike to talk about their self-organized show Hell over Kvltfern, the progress as a band, the recording process of their sophomore full-length and musical influences that impacted the songwriting of this album.
Interview with Chris and Mike from Voidhra
Thank you so much for taking the time for this interview! We last spoke a year after your first release Sorrow Guides Us All from 2021. Voidhra had evolved from a solo project to a full-fledged band after the debut and, besides other gigs, played the first rehearsal room concert under the banner Hell over Kvltfern. We’re in the same rehearsal room today to talk about your new album Only Cold Winds Will Carry My Name and other topics. How are you doing at the moment, so close to the release of your new album?
Chris: We are doing well! We are curious and of course a little excited to see how the new album will be received. There have been one or two delays in the last few months. The promotional machinery, if you can call it that, is running at full speed, haha. Holger from Crawling Chaos is doing a lot in the background. All in all, it was a lot of hard work, and it’s a real load off our minds that we’ve now made it.
In November 2022, you performed L’ Appel du vide, a song from the new album, live on Hell over Kvltfern I. When did you start working on new songs? After the debut, it wasn’t necessarily clear whether there would be any further output.
Chris: There wasn’t a specific moment when I said: ‘I have to make an album now!’ It just felt right at a certain point in time. As you know, we were supposed to release a vinyl version of our first album, which unfortunately turned out to be a pipe dream. A planned tape release with another label didn’t materialise either – that was pretty frustrating.
Nevertheless, we quickly started working on “L’ Appel du vide” in the rehearsal room, and the song is still an integral part of our live set today. After that came a flood of ideas – some were discarded, others developed a momentum of their own and eventually resulted in the new album. Over time, it just felt right.
Mike, were you already involved in the songwriting at this point and were you able to contribute creatively?
Mike: Yes, I think so. We sat together a few times, discussed ideas and arrangements. I at least hope that I was able to contribute something creatively, haha.
Chris: Definitely! A lot of ideas were incorporated. Of course, there were also songs that we discarded – probably six or seven really good tracks that didn’t fit into the album concept in the end. What’s on the record now creates a coherent overall picture.
At Hell over Kvltfern II in November 2024, you played L’ Appel du vide, As the Heavens Bleed Sickness and the title track live. What was it like to perform these songs live? How did the audience react and how did you experience the evening as a whole?
Mike: The feedback on the new songs was consistently positive. And I have to say – this is perhaps a musician’s perspective – when you write the songs, you hear them hundreds of times. But you only really realise that the new songs are a bit more mature than the material from the first album when you rehearse them. Nevertheless, they clearly bear the signature of Voidhra. I would definitely say that we have taken a step forward in our songwriting.
Chris: “Only Cold Winds Will Carry My Name,” the title track, is a straightforward old-school number with plenty of melody. “L’ Appel du vide” has a more modern sound, while “As the Heavens Bleed Sickness” is a real slab – brutal, aggressive and with plenty of tempo. This complements the rest of our live set well, including Sorrow classics such as “Fields of Bleak”, a driving mid-tempo number.
In general, Hell over Kvltfern II was an absolutely successful evening. The idea behind it was originally to organise a ‘full-scale’ concert on a small level – a club show in a rehearsal room, so to speak, but with full light show, fog and audience. This time we went one better: Another band, Harpyr, played as support, there were even more people there, the atmosphere was great and it was simply pure fun. The direct contact with the audience – just 30 centimetres away – was something very special to us. The fog machine was running at full throttle and you don’t normally get that close to your audience. We’re definitely up for a sequel! There were a lot of friends there – including you, Steven – as well as some musicians who are active in other projects themselves.
Mike: The evening had a very informal atmosphere, which also brought with it a certain challenge. Playing in front of friends and acquaintances is a very special experience. For me, it was particularly great that my two big boys were there – it was a real highlight for them, one of their first concerts, so to speak.
Yes, you could see that in their faces! They took lots of photos of their daddy and obviously had fun.
Mike: Yes, absolutely.
How did the three newly performed songs fit into your set? Did you change anything about the dynamics of your performance or the arrangements to make them work better live?
Chris: To be honest, relatively little – at least less than on the first album. There we still had some passages that were recorded with a seven-string guitar or were more than two voices. We had to rearrange these for the live performance. A good example of this is “The Swarm”, which we also used to have in our live set.
That wasn’t necessary to the same extent for the new album. Perhaps we subconsciously made sure during the recording process that everything could be realised directly with two guitars. There are a few places – for example in As the Heavens Bleed Sickness – where there are several guitar tracks on the record. Live, Mike takes over with his extreme bass guitar, and it comes across really well.
Apart from that, we have hardly made any adjustments. Sure, we don’t play the acoustic guitars live – they run as samples. I didn’t want to recreate them on the electric guitar with effects, because that usually doesn’t sound the way you imagine it. Apart from that, it’s just two guitars, bass and full throttle.
At the time of our interview, we are one week away from the release of your new album. How are you feeling so close to the release? How is the promo phase going? And what are your expectations for the album and the response it will receive? In my opinion, it’s a significant improvement – both in the songwriting and the production. You’ve kept your classic Voidhra trademarks but taken it up a notch.
Chris: Firstly, thanks for the flowers, Steven! In the end, of course, music is always a matter of taste, but we really put a lot of work into this album – both in the songwriting and in the recording process. Like last time, we did everything ourselves.
In the meantime, we kept getting feedback from friends of the band and musician friends who were able to listen to some of the songs in advance. That helps enormously to sharpen your own impression – you can easily get lost, especially when recording. You sit on a passage for ages, think it’s going in the right direction, and when you listen to it again the next day, you wonder what you’ve actually done wrong, haha. There are always moments like that, but the feedback was very positive overall.
As for expectations – that’s always difficult. It’s more a question of what you want. Of course we hope that the album is well received. But ultimately we’re a small band and we’re happy about everyone who hears it, whether it’s via streaming, on tape or CD. And of course everyone who comes to a concert or buys a shirt. We’re excited to see how it’s received – and hope that not every second review says it sounds like Dissection and Immortal, haha.
Well, there are definitely worse references…
Chris: That’s probably true, haha. The presale after the first single also went well – according to Holger (Crawling Chaos) the feedback is very positive. We’re particularly pleased that we’ve already received orders from abroad. That shows that the interest is there.
Mike: I think it’s just difficult to judge. There are countless releases, and many of them are at a really high level. And as Chris has already said: We’re a small band. Due to our personal circumstances, we can’t play everywhere all the time – we’re just not at the age where we’re getting in the car every weekend and touring across the country. Maybe that’s why we’re not as present as other bands. But of course we hope that the quality of the music will pay off at some point – like now with the interview with you at TMB.
That makes us happy, of course! For me, this is also just an opportunity to chat with you and have a good time – regardless of whether we record and publish it.
Mike: I would like to add to your question. You know that yourself: You listen to an album on a streaming service, think it’s really cool – and that’s exactly why I like these platforms. You can listen to new music straight away, save it and remember what you like.
But when I think back, let’s say thirty years ago, it was a completely different appreciation. You bought a record and then it played for three weeks straight. Today I ask myself who still has the time to really process this flood of releases. I’m glad that I have a group with a few people I met at a festival – they always provide me with really good music tips.
Only Cold Winds Will Carry My Name will be released again via Crawling Chaos Records. What do you value about the collaboration and how would you describe your partnership with the label?
Chris: It was clear to me early on that if the second album was released, it would only be with Holger via Crawling Chaos Records. The reason for this is simple – at the time, Holger was one of the few label owners who got in touch with our first EP and actually wanted to release it. That’s how our collaboration came about, and ultimately the band developed from a one-man black metal project into a full formation.
I don’t think any of this would have happened without Holger’s support. It’s a grown partnership with continuity, and that’s exactly why we wanted to release the second album with him again. I trust Holger completely – he generally does a great job with his releases.
Let’s also talk about the formats of the album at this point. I’m holding your fancy digipack and your tape in my hands right now.
Chris: Yes, and you were also involved in its creation and made contact with Nino – thanks again for that!
The album will be released in two formats: tape and digipack CD. Tape is simply a great medium, not only visually, but also because of its nostalgia factor. I grew up with it before the CD took over more and more. Despite the price increases of recent years, it’s still a comparatively inexpensive way to put out a physical release. With Nino’s help, the tape has turned out really great – and it’s just nice to have something in your hand that you can put on the shelf or throw in the tape deck.
The CD is feasible for a band of our size in terms of production costs. We decided in favour of a digipack because we think the artwork is great. Originally we had already prepared it for the LP cover and then adapted it for the digipack. In a jewel case, it just wouldn’t have stood out as well.
The originally planned third format was vinyl. Holger had already given the green light for a release on vinyl a year before the album was finished – which I give him a lot of credit for. We focussed heavily on this and were already in the test pressing phase. Unfortunately, there were some problems in the production process that could not be solved satisfactorily. This led to considerable delays, so the album should have originally been released in 2024.
At the moment, the vinyl project is on hold, but that doesn’t mean it will never happen. It has to be said quite clearly: a vinyl production is a big financial investment for a band. It’s a beautiful medium and I understand why a lot of people are focussing on it – but at the moment, apart from a very limited number of test pressings, there are no more copies.
What I particularly appreciate about the tape medium is that as a band you don’t necessarily have to rely on a label. With the right equipment, you can do everything yourself – the DIY concept plays a big role here. With relatively little effort, you can create something physical that can even be offered with a download code. Even if some people may never play the tape, it’s a cool collector’s item for them.
Chris: That’s right! Maybe you remember our first tape release? We made it completely in-house. Micha cut out the templates, recorded the tapes, I numbered everything by hand – with Citadel colours! That really was a real handicraft lesson, haha. But it was a cool campaign and sold out super quickly.
Back then, we even got an offer from an Italian tape label that also wanted to release our new album. Unfortunately, that came to nothing at some point, which is a real shame – they make really beautiful tapes. But at some point we just stopped getting feedback and that didn’t give me a good feeling.
In the end, we decided on a tape version through your contact with Nino – and of course they now look a whole lot more professional than the first album. The cassettes are in void purple full colour, are printed and come with a really nice inlay card. Once again, a lot of heart and soul has gone into this.
The tape turned out really great, and the colour harmonises perfectly with the artwork – a hand-painted painting by the Brazilian artist Blasphemator. How did the contact come about and how did the creative process work? Did you have a specific idea or did you give him free rein? Is there a deeper connection between the artwork and the themes or mood of the album?
Chris: There really isn’t much of a story – it was relatively simple. Blasphemator paints gouache pictures, which is basically an oil painting technique. He also offers ready-made cover artwork, some of which caught our eye straight away. One of them immediately appealed to us, so we contacted him.
So we didn’t commission the artwork specifically, but made a conscious decision in favour of this motif. It picks up on the castle theme of the first album, and the colours just harmonise wonderfully. We didn’t want a black and white artwork – and we’re not fans of posing with historical weapons in the forest either, haha.
Sorrow Guides Us All was written and recorded entirely by you, Chris, back then. What was the creation process like for the new album? Was there a clearer division of tasks within the band?
Chris: Basically, the songs are first created in my head and in my studio as sketches. I then present these to the band – be it individual parts, arrangements or ideas. The final songs develop from the feedback and joint adjustments.
Especially with songs that we play live, we sometimes make minor changes – be it to the length, the end of the song or the instrumentation, especially the drums. Overall, the songwriting process this time was more open and more influenced by the individual band members, which was very good for the album.
In terms of recording, we started from scratch this time, partly with new technology in the studio. I recorded the guitars myself, Mike did the bass, and we had several sessions of drum recording. I completed the mixing and mastering myself again.
To my ear, Only Cold Winds Will Carry My Name sounds more variable and dynamic in its songwriting compared to the first album. Were there any conscious changes or developments to express yourselves musically in a new way or to expand your sound with new elements?
Mike: Chris and I have often discussed song endings and certain parts, haha. As Chris wrote the first album completely on his own, but now several voices have been involved in the process, this may of course have had an influence. Some sections were arranged differently, lengthened or shortened – simply because different perspectives were incorporated.
Chris: It’s hard to put into words. The songs are not created according to a fixed pattern – there is no ‘black metal formula book’. Riffs often develop intuitively one after the other, and it’s the drum arrangements that create a whole new dynamic. If you choose a mid-tempo part or other emphases instead of a blast beat, it gives the song more room to breathe.
I don’t plan it specifically according to the motto ‘This is exactly the part that has to come here.’ A lot of things arise spontaneously in the creative flow. Sometimes I surprise myself where the ideas come from – but as soon as I’m in this mode, it just happens.
Was there a specific sonic vision for the new album? How did you approach the realisation?
Chris: Sound finding and sound design are a big factor. I would describe myself as an amateur – I’m not a professional audio engineer. I do it the way it feels and sounds right to me.
In the beginning, sound design is relatively basic – you record and the sound develops by itself over time. You mentioned it earlier: at some point we realised that it sounded more organic. It was important to us that the album sounded as if you were listening to the band live or standing in the rehearsal room. It’s not over-polished, but still clear and powerful without losing its raw character. Here and there a cymbal rattles through – but that’s exactly what brings it to life. We didn’t want to make a lo-fi album, that doesn’t suit us. Our aim was to create a cold, clear and organic atmosphere that we could ultimately capture on CD.
Mike: For a black metal production, the album really packs a punch. I was moaning like a fool because I really like Kurt Ballou’s productions – they always have this fat sound. Maybe I pushed Chris a bit here and there, haha. But the end result has real punch and power – just the way I want it.
Chris: We spent ages tweaking the bass sound in particular. We wanted it to really push and have a lot of distortion – we sat on it for hours until it was just right.
What instruments and equipment were used for the recordings? Were there any particular technical tricks or special features that characterised the sound of the album?
Chris: Well, as DAW I use Cubase Pro – but please don’t ask me for the version number, haha.
Mike: 66.6, that’s for sure, haha.
Chris: For guitars i used my Solar Explorer, which is also my old trustworthy live guitar. I just like the sound of the passive pick-ups on it and it is equipped with an evertune bridge, which i have absolutely fallen in love with. Perfect for recording and live situations. Furthermore I think it was a LTD M-1000 HT with undoubtetly hotter active pick ups and some parts were recorded with my LTD SN 1000 Evertune, which i got new during the recording process. As far as amps and miking are concerned, I don’t work much with physical hardware for recording. As much as we like loud power amps live or in rehearsals, for recording I do prefer digital plugins. I rely on plugins such as TH3, Neural DSP or TONEX for the guitars. For the bass, I used a DI Box in combination with an AMPEG plugin and an overdrive for the distorted bass track. The drum parts were recorded with an electric drumkit with mesh heads in my studio. The Paiste cymbals, on the other hand, were miced with overheads.
So we used a hybrid recording method, giving us a real natural sound with the cymbals and all the possibilities for altering certain values later, like quantizing, exchanging parts and samples and even the sound of the full kit. I use EZdrummer 3 for the drum samples, deliberately using the unprocessed original recordings. This gives me more control when mixing later – it sounds more natural and organic to me. Overall, I worked a lot with different plugins to create a uniform, balanced sound.
Is there a central theme or a common thread that runs through the lyrics of the album? What messages or emotions do you want to convey?
Mike: Satan and Hell!
Chris: No, not really. I’m a guitarist first and foremost, and that’s exactly what I focus on. For me, a riff is the most important element of a song, followed by the song structure as a whole – the lyrics only come at the very end. So there is no continuous common thread. Of course, in black metal you often move within certain overarching themes, but there are always glimpses outside the box. For example, Immaterium Storm is strongly inspired by the Warhammer world. In general, everything that moves and occupies me flows into the lyrics with a strong hint of anti-religious misanthropy.
Mike, you were the last to join the band, although you’re not that new to the band anymore. Would you like to tell us something about your musical socialisation? Which bands or projects have you been involved with so far?
Mike: I got into metal when I was eleven or twelve – during a holiday in Spain with grandma and grandpa I came across Master of Puppets on tape. It’s still playing today! From then on, however, I quickly moved on to Leprosy by Death, and I was completely infected with the Death Metal virus. The nineties were an incredibly formative time for this genre and I listened almost exclusively to these bands back then. By the time I was fifteen, I was already at a Cannibal Corpse concert. From there, I eventually drifted into the Hardcore/Noisecore scene, where I formed my first band. We even made a bit of a name for ourselves in the German Noisecore scene. After that, things got a bit more extreme with Grindcore and Industrial Noise.
Over time, your musical horizons naturally broaden. Black Metal was always present for me, but it was never my favourite genre – musically I’m rather simple-minded and I need the heavy stuff.
I ‘stumbled’ into the band through Olli, and that sparked my interest and my love for this kind of music. In the meantime, I’ve discovered a few black metal bands that I really enjoy listening to – Ultha, for example, are great, as are Downfall of Gaia. I remember them from the past, as some of their members come from the local Hardcore scene. As a result, I have a completely different relationship to these bands. I also like to play drums from time to time, and I think the drumming in Downfall of Gaia is gigantic.
What influence did you have on the creative process and the sound of Voidhra? You already mentioned that the two of you were in dialogue the most during the album production.
Mike: As I’ve said before, I’m more of a ‘bang on’ type of person, and the song As the Heavens Bleed Sickness is one of my favourites because it just really gets going. I wasn’t so keen on the title track Only Cold Winds Will Carry My Name at first – but now I think it’s brilliant and I really enjoy playing it.
Chris: Mike, for example, has a great enthusiasm for old horror films, and this is also reflected in the sample of Damnatio Memoriae Dei. All in all, the influences are of course there – even if they are not always directly recognisable from the outside. One or two things have definitely found their way onto the album.
Our blog is deeply rooted in the underground and thrives on the exchange and recommendations of the authors in our environment. Which Black Metal releases from the past year can you particularly recommend to our readers?
Mike: I found Hollow by Hauntologist from Poland to be a very strong album. At first it sounds like typical Polish Black Metal, but towards the end it almost develops into spherical sounds. That really impressed me. From Germany, I would definitely like to mention the new Sun Worship release. I also thought Blazing Inferno by Yoth Iria and Swords of Dajjal by Necrowretch were great. Apart from that, I also listened to a lot of Death Metal again this year.
Chris: In the Black Metal sector, I found 2024 The Rythmus of Death Eternal by Krvna strong, definitely one of my absolute highlights. Apart from that, I’m always a bit behind when it comes to new releases. But what I still listen to a lot is the Necrofier album Prophecies of Eternal Darkness. The sound of the album is really cool and it has an incredibly dark atmosphere. The snare on the blast beats simply smashes everything into the ground. Unfortunately, I wasn’t quite as taken by the follow-up album.
As you know, our blog has no genre restrictions. Was there any music outside the black metal bubble that you were excited about last year? Do you have any recommendations from other genres for our readers?
Chris: I have to say that I listen to quite a lot of music outside of Black Metal.
Mike: Christian Steiffen!
Chris: Haha, sure. But seriously – Voidkind by Dvne really impressed me last year, I still listen to them regularly. I also discovered Vulkan, who are more into progressive rock. And you know my preference for Hällas – they just won’t let me go.
Mike: For me, it was mainly Chelsea Wolfe and Emma Ruth Rundle, who I only recently became aware of through a good friend. But classic heavy metal still comes first – I still listen to Iron Maiden, The Night Eternal and W.A.S.P. up and down. In general, I’m a big fan of the 80s sound. From the Death Metal corner, I mainly listened to Frozen Soul, Gatecreeper and Creeping Death on a continuous loop.
Chris: What have you discovered for yourself?
I recently discovered the band High Vis from the UK, who play Post-Punk in the broadest sense, but also have a strong hardcore background. They are incredibly catchy without sounding too poppy or cheesy, and each song has its very own vibe. Live, they sound even more raw. All in all, they are super diverse, as they poach in many genres.
The new album Prude by Drug Church from the USA has also been released. Musically, I would classify the band mainly as Hardcore Punk – super chunky riffs meet a very unique catchiness and a very charismatic singer.
Both albums are also in my AOTY 2024 Vinyl Edition, which you can find on our website – very nice pressings!
The identity of Black Metal is strongly characterized by a resistant attitude and a clear positioning towards society and the establishment. How important is this attitude to you, and how do you see its relevance in today’s scene?
Chris: Especially if you look back at the beginnings of Black Metal, you can see that extreme behavior was displayed and radical ideologies were represented. Everything was explored, deliberate offense was taken everywhere, hostility was provoked – often by deliberately crossing boundaries. This had a certain appeal for many, similar to punk: a clear antithesis to the establishment.
However, perception also changes over time. What used to be shocking hardly impresses anyone today because the scene has evolved and many things have now been copied dozens of times. A musician posing in the woods with an ancient weapon looks different today than it did 25 years ago. Even pig’s blood and naked, crucified women on stage no longer have the same shock effect as they did back then.
What I want to say is that this original impact simply no longer exists today. Instead, there are now bands that deliberately satirize these clichés and play with the supposed trueness in order to hold up a mirror to the scene – and I don’t mean that in a judgmental way. But Black Metal in a Hawaiian shirt still doesn’t work for me.
Mike: I think it sucks that Olli sold his axe guitar – we actually wanted to behead people, haha.
How well connected are you within the Metal community? How would you describe the current state of the scene around Lake Constance? Your friends Harpyr also played at your rehearsal party.
Chris: Unfortunately, I have to say that the scene here has become very small, which is a real shame. We all have a few years under our belts and still remember the bands from the Lake Constance area when we were youngsters. Only a few of them still play harder music today.
That has an impact, of course: There are hardly any gig opportunities left, which is an obstacle for us to be able to play live more regularly. You mentioned Harpyr – that’s the project of our drummer Jonas, with whom we are of course friends. Apart from that, there is the exchange with other bands via Crawling Chaos and social media.
But this typical scene with active bands just doesn’t exist here anymore. The classic meeting places have also disappeared – there is no longer a metal bar, just a club where good concerts and metal parties take place from time to time.
Finally, let’s take a look into the future. Are there any concrete plans for future live shows? Is there perhaps even a Hell over Kvltfern III in the pipeline? By the third time you can already talk about tradition.
Mike: Absolutely!
Chris: We definitely want to repeat Hell over Kvltfern, even if it involves a lot of work. But the last few times it’s just been worth it. This time maybe even with one more additional band…
Mike: …that will perhaps emerge from the two of us.
Chris: Maybe that too, haha. Maybe we can then add another rehearsal room to create more space. It’s still up in the air when we’ll do the whole thing – but I’m convinced that we’ll definitely get Part III off the ground. But then we’ll urgently need a second fog machine, haha.
Mike: On 21.02. we’re playing in Freiburg, with Bewitched from Sweden, Signum:Karg and WOR. We’re also planning something in Radolfzell, but we’re still waiting to hear back. Of course we’re getting more requests, but without a booking agency it’s a pretty tedious process. On top of that, we are simply too busy in our private lives to perform somewhere every weekend. Nevertheless, we are grateful for every show we can play.
Chris: Of course, we hope that the new album will give us another boost and that we’ll get another opportunity or two to perform the material live. Maybe there will be a show at Crawling Chaos in Cologne – only time will tell.
What can fans expect from you in the near future? Are there already other projects or ideas in the pipeline?
Chris: I think it’s still too early to think about it. Of course there are still a few ideas in my riff drawer, but there’s nothing concrete for Voidhra at the moment – my full concentration is on the new release.
After the interview, however, you’ll get a little taste of a side project that Mike and I might be working on. We’re currently doing something in the direction of occult doom and are letting off steam musically – but there’s nothing ready to say yet.
Mike: We are also still busy rehearsing all the new songs to the point where we can perform them live. This effort should not be underestimated.
We are of course very excited to see how Only Cold Winds Will Carry My Name is received and wish you every success on this journey! Thank you for the interview – the last words are yours…
Mike: Thank you, Steven! Check out our new album and have a look at Bandcamp if you like it – we appreciate any feedback!
Chris: Many thanks from my side too, Steven! Have a listen to the new album and let us know how you like it.
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