Satania: Hi, Dimman! We already know Grá’s story, which was told to us by Andreas. But what is your story behind Grá? From how long do you know each other with Andreas and from how long do you create music together?

Dimman: Hello Milena! I meet Andreas back in 2009 through an add, he was searching for a drummer for his band Cursed 13 and I felt the music was very interesting. So we finally meet up, we found a deep spiritual chemistry and agreed to start to prepare and make music together and create our first split album with Domgård which is called “Tearing The World Asunder/Svartsejd” and for the second release that was about to be our first full length album we had a kind of meltdown in the writing process, there were some things in the puzzle that were missing that we couldn’t figure out at that moment so we decided to take a break from that album and release our stress by doing something else. We came up with the idea to just start jamming whatever that came to our minds and we ended up writing four songs of classic old school Black Metal, this is how Grá was born. We recorded these new songs for our own pleasure and after a while the Greek label (Sonic Death Armageddon) showed interest in it and wanted to release it as a EP and we though, why not?
And from there on it started to grow as its own entity and was very much appreciated.

S.: How have the idea about the tour was born? And why exactly East Europe?

D.: Grá has become a very well known name in the underground, and we have played all around Sweden with great bands such as Taake, Absu, Dark Funeral, Mörkaste Småland festival to name a few and a mini tour around Finland and Estonia. The Tour came out as a result of the support we’ve received from all our releases and live rituals and we came in contact with Live Nations Promotions and started to plan a Tour for East Europe.

S.: As I know Grá is very special for all of you. With what and why?

D.: The first of all is that me and Andreas have a very good friendship and we create a strong balance. This makes the composition process more natural and we always successfully bring out the best of each other.

S.: On his last interview Andreas told me that he is „not the right person to ask“ about the next chapter from Grá’s story. Maybe you are the right person to ask? Where will the journey through The Kingdom of Darkness will lead us next time?

D.: Andreas have made a huge effort with the whole Charon Suite. Now with our latest album „Ending“, we have closed that chapter, and we are about to break new grounds for our next release and I am taking a bigger part of helping out with the writing process to be able to bring fresh ideas for our new path. I don’t want to reveal too much at this point yet but, we are flirting with the self perception rather of what is already given. Darkness is a two sided coin, what is evil to some, is acceptable for others. We are digging into that for our next release.

S.: There is something really symbolic in the end of your upcoming tour. Athens, Greek mythology, Charon… Do you prepare something special for your show in Athens? Even more than the fact that it is in the END of the tour makes it more symbolical.

D.: Yes, it becomes very symbolic for us to end the Tour in Greece. We are going to bring back Charon where he belongs with a unique ritual that no one has ever witness before but before we do that, we are going to sail with him once more through this “A Coin for Charon Tour” and each and every show will be very symbolic and special for us.

S.: How does a Grá ritual looks like at all? What to be fans prepared about?

D.: Ritual ceremonies based upon our Scandinavian mythology is one among our chapters that we will reveal in the darkest aspects of our perception. I guess is best for you to come and see it for yourself. We are coming to unleash everything we got for you guys and hopefully it will be a memory that marks you for the rest of your life.

S.: The core of Grá is you, Andreas and Maugrim. Will there be any session musicians with you and if yes who are they?

D.: Yes we have two session members for this tour. We have “Natt” on bass and “M” on guitar

S.: The fans are curious about the merch which you will bring with you. Would you give some information about it? Will there be Cursed 13’s merchandise?

D.: Yes, we will bring as much merch as we can. There will be hoodies, t-shirts, patches and CD’S of all our releases and more stuff. We will also try to bring as much Cursed 13 merch as possible, t-shirts, LP’S and CD’S

S.: And since we are talking about Cursed 13… This is a different band with the main members of Grá, founded before Grá. Can we say that Grá is a successor of Cursed 13 or different searches and worldview made you found Grá?

D.: I wouldn’t put it on that way. Grá has grown to become its own entity. Cursed13 it’s very different in many ways but of course without Cursed 13 I wouldn’t have never meet Andreas and Grá wouldn’t exist today. One is a consequence of another.

S.: Lately you had a press release that you’re working on new material with Cursed 13. Can you tell a bit more about that or the time has not become yet? 🙂

D.: I will quote Mr Heljarmadr: I am not the right person to ask (:

S.: Only a month after Grá’s show you will come back in Sofia with When Nothing Remains. Tell me more about your joining to When Nothing Remains and your work in that band.

D.: Well, I am an old friend to Peter and Jan. Since they have had bad luck on finding the right drummer for their band, It became complicated for them to go on. Until they eventually had enough. They wanted to have a solid member. Peter contacted me a couple of years ago and asked me if I wanted to help them out but somehow, it ran out in the sand because of lack of time.

Peter gave me a call a year ago again and ask if I was still interested on joining the band and as I had followed and listened to all the albums through the years there were no doubt that I wanted to join them and this time we could make it work.

First of all there was a couple of shows booked already for them, I needed to learn their live set for the gigs in a kind of short notice. Since the shows where done I had more time to set in to the rest of their albums and we have come up with a new set list (now, 2016) and we are preparing ourselves for a show in Stockholm 10 September as support act for October Tide and Autumn Souls of Sofia Festival. We are still working for a few more shown in Bulgaria and perhaps Romania to do a tour over there. A few shows are already confirmed in Bulgaria but more info about these events is about to come, about to be official, stay tune in our Official Facebook Page 

S.: You take a part in the last album of When Nothing Remains. Tell me more about the creating process. What doom metal gives to you which black metal can’t give you, and contrawise?

D.: The drums were already recorded by a drummer from Germany. We had thoughts on re-record the drums of that album with me, but with the pressed time schedule from the Label we realized that we had no time. The material of the upcoming album is almost done and we are about to record the 4th album on the beginning of next year.

Doom metal channels my emotional side in a deeper way. It gives me the opportunity to go through the complexity of the drums, as an instrument. Grá is more the curiosity of death’s spiral and Cursed13 is more of rage. By playing in these 3 bands I feel in balance. No one takes or gives. They complete me as a musician.

S.: What would you also like to share, that I haven’t asked? Thanks for that interview!

D.: I am very eager to start the Tour and looking forward to visiting your country for the first time and execute a show in a Scandinavian way you guys have never seen before.

“The devil knows more because of his age, than because he is the devil”
Hell Charon!

Official resources:

GRÁ
When Nothing Remaims
Dimman