Hellgrimm exclusive interview

 1- Hello and welcome to Metal Music Midwest, first off, thanks for taking the time to do the interview, could you give our readers a brief description of the group? Where is the band from? -

Thank you for having us. According to our bio, Hellgrimm is a power trio forged into the darkness of addictions, death, and demons with stories based in fiction and fact. We celebrate nostalgia for 1970s - 80s stadium rock. Hellgrimm is based in San Antonio, Texas.

2- “Ritual” is the band's new full album, how long did it take to write? -

I started coming up with the idea for the songs of “Ritual” while we were recording “The Hunger” in 2020 just after the pandemic hit. Then Erica and I spend time playing the songs live and tweaking them at the beginning of this year, then we started laying down the tracks. This is typically how we write new music. 

 3- What musical influence inspires the band's compositions? 

I have been listening to a lot of the NWOBHM bands and after we recorded “Ritual,” I realized it had a lot of influence on me writing the CD. As far as the content I’ve always had a fascination with psychology and studying serial killers in particular intrigues me. Our previous two albums have songs about serial killers and we have several songs on “Ritual” dealing with that subject. “Jack of All Blades” is about the infamous Jack the Ripper. “I’ll Never Say Never to Always” (written by Charles Manson) and “Creepy Crawly” both deal with the influence and insanity of Charles Manson. 

 

4- The group started in 2018, can you tell us how did you all meet?

Me and Erica are the primary musicians of the group. We have been working in other bands before that for years and I wanted to do something different, something more serious. That's when Hellgrimm was born.

5- The new album title is “Ritual”; can you give us details about the content and more in-depth meaning of this title?

We were New Orleans during a voodoo ritual when I started tossing around ideas for the name of the CD. This project is straight-forward 80's metal. The lyrics of the CD deal with a lot of dark areas through the journey of life. 

 6- Each member of this project is part of another band; how do you maintain a good balance working together?

Erica and I are both self-employed and we can tour at a drop of a dime. We have three really good bass players with awesome jobs and families – we try to rotate bassist depending on who’s available for which gigs. 

7- Have you performed any shows in your area? If so, how receptive and supportive are the people to your music?

We are very lucky to have San Antonio as our home base. We have had nothing but positive reactions from this area.

 8- Are there any upcoming shows or tours you can tell us about? 

We have a west coast run in December including playing at the Whisky with Jettboy. In March, 2023, we are excited to tour the UK in support of Raven

 9- Thanks for your participation. Finally, what is the best way to get a hold of the band, in case someone wants to book or promote the band? 

Thank you for having us.

Hellgrimm.com, facebook.com/hellgrimmband, instagram.com/hellgrimm_band, tiktok.com/hellgrimmband

Any final words?

Thank you, Grand Sounds, EMG, WB Gear, My Little Voodoo, SoulTone, Lang Amps, and SD Entertainment!