AN NCS INTERVIEW: ALKALOID (HANNES GROSSMANN)

Photo Credit: Christian Martin Weiss

(Delays of various kinds make this interview of Hannes Grossmann by Comrade Aleks later in coming than we would have liked, but it’s better late than never, as we hope you will agree!)

This interview was started by email in October 2023 or so, and why do we publish it now? Because things happen not as planned, and it took too much time to finish it, though even that didn’t help much, so I feel it is incomplete. And I bet that you already heard Alkaloid’s third album Numen, which was released by Season of Mist last September, so what else to add?

However, it was good to get a response from Hannes Grossmann, Alkaloid’s drummer and a super-busy musician who’s involved in a few more bands and projects. You can listen to some of Numen’s songs while you read the text. I think that it won’t take much time.

 

 

Hi Hannes! How are you doing? Your new album Numen was released on September 15th, and please accept my sincere congratulations. What’s going on in Alkaloid’s camp?

Thank you very much. We’re really happy about how the album is being received so far. Seems like a major step forward for us.

 

It’s said that you formed Alkaloid after parting ways with Obscura and wanting to form a common band with Morean. What was your vision of Alkaloid from the start? What did you want to express through this band?

I wanted to make metal without any stylistic boundaries and a real musical home where I can do whatever I want. Then another idea was to form a band with friends I love to hang out with. Both things worked nicely with Alkaloid.

 

 

Now there are four members in Alkaloid, and each of you is an experienced musician with a great background. How do you work on the songs together? Is it a democratic project?

In the songwriting we deliver songs individually and then everyone works on his own part. The final say is the composer of a song. So it is democratic but with someone leading the way. For example the song “Clusterfuck” was written by me, so I get final say about vocal lines. The other way around, “Numen” was composed by Morean, so he can veto drum ideas of mine.

 

Morean said in one of his recent interviews that you all strive to not repeat yourselves with each album. Where’s Alkaloid’s identity? How do you see the integral elements of your music?

Our musical identity is defined by the people who play in the band. It’s that simple.

 

Your music is complex and multilayered, and your tendency toward experiments and new forms is well known. And Numen is another example of your creative approach. How do you decide that the album is complete in this situation? How do you know when to stop?

We just know somehow. It’s a gut feeling. Same goes for individual songs. They are finished whenever they feel finished. There’s no formula for that. For an album it also depends on the number of songs written. Ideally we try to get all songs on an album, we don’t wanna keep songs to ourselves.

 

 

Numen turned out to be a double album, so it was split into two parts. Was it part of your plan from the start, or was it just an accident? Did you discuss if it’s possible to leave some songs for another release?

No, it was clear to us that all these songs must be on the album. Our label boss Michael suggested to split it onto two discs. It would have been a double vinyl anyway, but he said that even on CD it would make sense artistically to have a conscious break, since the material is so demanding. We agreed to that idea.

 

Occasionally I found the band’s video on the Dutch TV show Top 2000 a Gogo. It was interesting to see the band in such atypical surroundings. How did you get there? And did it help you spread your influence a bit?

Morean is an established classical composer in Holland, so he had some connections. It was really fun to do that. We love to play on special occasions. Like the music not being the typical metal, we as a band also don’t want to just provide standard performances. So expect more things like this from us in the future.

 

You play not only drums but also guitar in your solo project. How often does your inner guitarist argue with colleagues in other bands?

Actually never. I’m lucky to play with some of the best guitarists in metal, so if anything I want to do justice to the other guy’s parts with my drumming. It helps that I can play the guitar, so I can understand what they’re doing and thus create drum lines which fit the composition best.

 

 

You perform technical, progressive music, and Numen is another example. Well, it assumes your own progression as well. Did you think about the top level of your skills? What’s your ambitions as a musician?

I tend to move away from the so called “technical” death metal, because I think that the sub-genre itself has become very narrow. As a drummer there are certain things that are expected, such as super fast double bass. And I find it very boring if a stylistic element is chosen not because it’s exciting and the best choice, but because “it’s what it’s supposed to sound like”. No thanks!

 

You’re an extra-productive musician and you’re involved in eight active bands or so. It seems that you should have a tight schedule and obtain some self-discipline. How do you manage to deal with it all?

I’m involved in two bands, which are Triptykon and Alkaloid. All other projects are just studio session jobs. Mixing, mastering, but also session work is my job, so I make enough time for that. Recently I get more and more into mixing, which is my favorite work these days – as you hopefully can hear on Numen.

 

 

You own Mordor Sound Studios and you have proper experience recording other bands besides your own. What was the most difficult recording session you experienced? How stressful is your job?

Well, the most difficult stuff is my own material and also Alkaloid, haha. I think it’s because it’s my own songs, so I tend to be over-analytical. The job itself is only stressful if you make it so yourself. Actually mixing and recording can be a lot of fun. You need some experience finding out which types of jobs or clients burn you out. Then avoid these, even if it means financial loss. That’s only temporary anyway.

 

All of you are adults and busy gentlemen, so I wasn’t surprised when I found no tour dates on Alkaloid’s Facebook. What about this aspect? Wouldn’t you like to spread your gospel live? Is it technically possible?

Yes, we are working on gigs and have confirmed a few already for next year. So get ready to see Alkaloid on stages around the globe in 2024.

https://www.facebook.com/alkaloid.metal

https://alkaloid-band.com/

https://alkaloidsom.bandcamp.com/album/numen

https://alkaloid-band.bandcamp.com/album/the-malkuth-grimoire