Author: voidwanderer

1. You’ve been active for quite a few years, and your musical journey dates back to the early ’90s. Many people know you primarily from Wurgilnõ and Vergankelijk, but you have much more in your history, such as Inverted Pentagram. Can you tell us about your musical career and how it has developed over the years?

My musical journey began, like many guys in the regio of Limburg (South of the Netherlands) at the time, at a young age with a brass band. At one point, we had three generations playing in the same band: my grandfather on horn, my father on bass, and myself on tuba. After my grandfather passed away, we stopped, and in 1989, I switched
to bass guitar. In the summer of 1990, the predecessor of Belphegor was formed, which was renamed Inverted Pentagram in 1992. In 1991 we started Corpusculum as a side project with some members of Belphegor. In 1996, I decided to stop with Inverted Pentagram because things weren’t running smoothly anymore, and there was too little progress.

In 2000, I was asked to collaborate on A Challenge of Honour: a project that combined industrial with folk influences. I worked on that until 2012, with my last performance being at Summer Darkness in Tivoli, Utrecht. After that, I started writing music again for Corpusculum, and since then, I have focused entirely on black metal. This resulted in
several demos and, eventually, a full album at the end of that year.

During the 2020 lockdowns, I decided to start a Dutch-language project called Mergelland, with the main theme being Limburgian legends and myths. This project evolved into Wurgilnō in 2022.

2. You’ve witnessed the rise of black metal up close. How do you look back on the early days compared to the scene today? What, in your opinion, has changed—both positively and negatively? And what is, for you, the essence of ’90s black metal, and is that essence still attainable today?

My first encounter with black metal was in 1986 when I saw the Seven Dates of Hell concert by Venom on Sky Channel. It made a huge impression on me at the time. Through VARA’s Vuurwerk and magazines like Aardschok, I quickly discovered a whole new world, with bands like Bathory and Celtic Frost—still my favorite bands.

When I bought my first guitar in 1989, I didn’t initially know how to approach it. That changed when I ordered the Medieval Prophecies EP by Samael. That record made me realize that music didn’t have to be complicated to sound powerful. From then on, that became my guideline: it has to sound heavy to my ears—the rest doesn’t matter much.

When the second wave really started breaking through in 1990, with a flood of new music coming through tape trading and demo exchanges, you could feel that something special was happening. We were entering a new era. Especially the demos from Enslaved, Emperor, Rotting Christ, and Necromantia made a big impact on me. The first album that truly grabbed me by the throat was A Blaze in the Northern Sky by Darkthrone. That album felt like a sign: our time had come!

The biggest difference with the past, I think, is that the ‘romance of discovery’ is gone. Back then, tape trading and writing and exchanging with people all over the world were essential parts of the scene. I would receive packages and letters from all corners of the world every day – sometimes people would even come to the door to collect stamps. Nowadays, you just open Spotify or Bandcamp, and the algorithm tells you what you might like. Contact with bands happens via chat or email, and it’s a matter of seconds instead of waiting weeks for a letter with a trade list. Sometimes, I miss that era. Personally, I’ve always been purely focused on the sound – either I think something sounds heavy, or I don’t. Occasionally, I change my mind about a band. Mayhem or Burzum, for example, never really interested me – too much drama and theatrics, and I still don’t connect with that.

What strikes me is that many bands today are going back to the ’90s sound. That’s fine by me because that style is closest to my heart. But at the same time, it means that, with a few exceptions, there’s not much progression in the genre.

3. You’re a multi-instrumentalist and do everything yourself: guitar, bass, keyboards, vocals, and drum programming. How did that come about? And how do you experience working on studio albums alone compared to playing in a full band?

It’s mainly due to a lack of fellow musicians- the black metal scene here in the region is practically non-existent. Additionally, my full-time job makes it hard to keep regular days or weekends free for rehearsals.

During the years I played with A Challenge of Honour, I taught myself how to make music on my own. I now apply that knowledge to my current material.

The biggest advantage is that, as soon as I have an idea, I can immediately go into my small studio to turn it into music. The biggest downsides are the lack of social interaction, writing songs together, and exchanging ideas. As a solo artist, you often miss the constructive criticism you need to stay challenged. Fortunately, I have a network of
people around me who can provide that feedback.

4. Do you record all your music yourself? Do you also handle mixing and mastering, or do you work with others? How does that process look?

Yes, except for one track by Wurgilnõ, where Suffering Souls from Germany played a part.
I mix everything myself, but I leave the mastering to someone with more expertise. The Krijtland album was mastered in Sweden, and Vergankelijk – thanks to your tip – was mastered by the very talented Devi Hisgen, who will also handle the mastering for the next Wurgilnõ album.

I usually start by setting the tempo of a track. Then I write a guitar riff and come up with a second guitar part. Next, I experiment with the drums and come up with a bassline. This is how the song slowly grows. Once the rough sketch is done, I fine-tune and “embellish” it, after which I write and record the vocals. Then, I mix everything until I’m satisfied and
send it for mastering. This process differs from track to track – some are finished in a few days, while others take weeks to ferment.

5. What has Wurgilnõ released so far, and what does the name Wurgilnõ mean?

Wurgilnō has two albums, an EP, and a South American release where the debut and EP were combined. Originally, the first CD, De Doden Rusten Niet in Vrede, was intended as a demo tape, but Fetzner Death Records wanted to release it as a CD – and who am I to say ‘No’ to that?

The name Wurgilnō is an Old Saxon word that means “body on a gallows.” This is based on a family story about one of my ancestors, who was sentenced as a Bokkenrijder (a notorious bandit) and hanged, with his body left hanging until it fell down by itself. In black metal, it doesn’t get much more grim than that.

6. The music of Wurgilnõ heavily draws from the first and, to a slightly lesser extent, second waves of black metal. What attracts you to that raw sound? And which bands or artists have inspired you the most?

That raw, often simple sound has always appealed to me. I’m not a fan of solos or fiddling around— the rougher, the better. If something sounds heavy, there’s nothing left to improve. The gritty, unpolished sound of bands like Hellhammer, Bathory, and Sarcofago has always affected me more than the polished albums that came later. That’s still the case. Take, for example, the first four albums by Amenra—I think they’re amazing. You can hear the crackling, the noise, and even the mistakes, and that’s what makes an album feel organic.

As for inspiration, I would mention Bathory, Celtic Frost, early Samael, and Sarcofago, but also bands like Beherit and the old Greek scene have had a huge influence on me.

7. How does your music come about? Do you start with a specific feeling or idea?

With Wurgilnõ, I always put together a list of local myths, legends, or historical events from the Limburg region in Belgium and the Netherlands. I then do extensive research into these topics, which forms the basis for my lyrics. Part of it is based on that research, but I also add my own fictional elements.

Musically, it usually starts with a riff, a feeling, or an emotion. From there, I build and try to keep the music as exciting and varied as possible. I’m someone who loves repetitive riffs that go on for a long time, but I have to remind myself not to make them last too long.

8. You choose to write your lyrics in Dutch. Why that choice? And do your lyrics have a specific Dutch or even Limburgian theme?

I actually did everything in English for thirty years, but I discovered that I express myself better in my native language. Plus, we’ve been listening to a lot of Norwegian music since the ’90s, and that was never a problem. Many of my favorite Dutch bands sing in Dutch, and for foreign fans, it has the same exotic appeal as Norwegian, French, or Spanish does for us.

The theme of Wurgilnõ is primarily focused on Belgian and Dutch region of Limburg. This region has a very rich history, and as a history nerd, I found it fascinating to delve into it. There’s more to Limburg than marl and Bokkenrijders!

9. Your latest project, Vergankelijk, with Joris from Nether on vocals, recently released an EP. This project has a very specific theme. Can you tell us more about that? How did you and Joris come together, and how does Vergankelijk differ musically from Wurgilnõ?

Joris and I met at the Samhain Festival, where he and his wife were sitting at a table eating while Benjamin (Saturni Records) and I were looking for a seat. We started talking, and there was an immediate click. After a while, I asked him if he would like to record some lyrics for Vergankelijk. Since he is also a doctor and the theme fit within his professional field, it seemed like a fitting choice. He enjoyed it so much that he ended up wanting to do the entire album—and so we became a duo.

The theme of Vergankelijk is a trilogy about the transience of the human body, divided into three chapters: De Geest (The Spirit), Het Lichaam (The Body), and De Ziel (The Soul). We are currently finishing De Geest, which is primarily about Alzheimer’s and dementia. Before the album, Saturni Records will release two tracks as an 8” EP in early May.

Musically, Vergankelijk is less black metal and leans more towards doom/sludge, with a hint of black metal here and there. It’s all about the feeling, not about sticking to a specific genre—the lyrics of Joris are intense enough.

10. What stands out about Vergankelijk is the prominent and beautifully crafted basslines. Are there certain bassists who inspire you, or does that just come naturally in your playing?

I’ve always found Peter Hook of Joy Division/New Order to be a very influential bassist. Although he mainly plays a Bass VI – a cross between a guitar and a bass – that’s an instrument that’s still on my wishlist. For me, a bass doesn’t necessarily have to be a background instrument; it can take the foreground. Something that the guys from Necromantia understood very well.

11. You also run Merg & Been Records. What does the label specialize in? What kinds of bands do you release? And how is it to run a label in an era of streaming and an overabundance of monthly releases?

Merg & Been grew out of Tenebrae Sumus Records, where I used to release tapes for various international and national acts. For example, I’ve done releases for Salqui, Sacred Son, Apothecary, and Satanic Death. Since Merg & Been, I’ve mainly used it for my own music and focus solely on tapes. The next release will be the Galghe (black metal) tape, followed by Broken Ground (sludge/doom), which looks like a tape but is actually a USB drive.

The market is saturated; nowadays, you have to rely on your loyal followers. That’s why I always work in small editions. Streaming is an inevitable, dark force, but fortunately, the metal scene is still a scene that values physical releases.

12. Merg & Been seems to have become more than just a label; it’s turned into a media platform. Can you tell us more about that?

I’ve been writing for the Portuguese online magazine Blessed Altar for a while now, though it’s only twice a month. Since I really enjoy this activity and discover a lot of new music this way, I decided to add a magazine to the Merg & Been website.

I’ve been working on it for almost a month now, and I’ve already written several interviews and reviews. It’s still new, and the site needs to be filled further. Over time, it won’t be daily anymore because it takes quite a bit of time to do on my own. If anyone is interested in contributing, they can always reach out.

13. You operate deep in the south of the Netherlands. Is there even a black metal scene there? And since you’re so close to Belgium and Germany, do you have many connections with the Dutch scene and bands across the border?

I mainly have connections within the Dutch and Belgian scene. The German scene feels a bit less accessible, even though my German is quite good because I live only a few kilometers from the border. There isn’t really a black metal scene anymore; there are still a few bands here and there, but it’s not what it used to be. However, that doesn’t matter,
and thanks to technology, it’s no longer a major problem in 2025.

Interview: Floris

On our Zwotte Kring platform we interview people who we find interesting and appreciate for their commitment to the scene. Today we pay attention to Daan, the newest member of Zwotte Kring

1. Can you introduce yourself?

I’m Daan Bleumink, 31 years old and I have been writing music in the black-and death metal style for about 17 years now.

I started as a guitarist and fairly soon after I picked up the drums. The only thing which has always interested me was creating fast-paced and dark music. Being able to express myself and immerse myself in music was the main reason I became versed in multiple instruments.

A few of my current favourite bands and influences are: 1349, Hate Forest, Thy Darkened Shade, Golgothan Remains, Belphegor, and so many more, it would be impossible to name them all.

2. How did you end up in black metal?

Ever since I was young I was thrashing along to Rammstein, but when I got a little bit older the urge to discover harder and faster music took over.

It was through Beavis and Butt-head that I found these extremes. During these episodes they tore into music videos and one of those clips was Heartwork by Carcass. I instantly fell in love with the fast-paced drums and the ripping guitars. From there on out I’ve spent years devouring everything by Carcass, especially ‘Symphonies Of Sickness’ is a record I still enjoy very much after all this time.

During a class (second year in highschool) I was so bored that I was just mindlessly scrolling through Youtube, and that’s when I came across One By One from Immortal. Man, that’s where a whole other world opened up for me. The sonic violence, the whole image… the drums! Just incredible.

Ever since that moment I dove into the realms of black metal, and haven’t left. So much so that I don’t listen to anything else but black, death and all crossover genres between.

3. Your style fits the one we call 2nd wave black metal, if I’m correct. Both the Scandinavian style as the more primitive and raw Slavic styles. Besides that you currently experiment in the down-tuned cavernous blackened death metal. What –as a musician and listener– is it you look for in extreme metal exactly?

Dark, poisonous sounds accompanied by thunderous drums. I can’t exactly place my finger on it, but certain tones and frequencies resonate well within me. The flow of the music is also very important to me. Riffs have to flow into one another properly, drums have to powerfully accentuate certain moments and the entirety of a song has to convey a specific energy to me. Melody is quite optional, because I can easily listen to bands like Brodequin or Defeated Sanity all day.

4. You play multiple instruments, did you take classes for this or are you self-taught?

When I was 14 I started playing the guitar. I took one year of private classes and pretty much only practiced techniques that would allow me to play music from bands like Death, Immortal and Mayhem through tabs. My guitar was practically glued to my hands and I averaged about 6 hours a day on practice and playing. From the very start I also began to create my own music.

During those times I made use of a drumming-pc, but my true desire was being able to create everything myself. That’s where I acquired a cheap electronic drum kit and began playing. My itch wasn’t truly scratched through, because I missed the bombastic sound of a proper drum kit, so eventually I purchased one for myself. Alongside that I gathered some cheap microphones and mixing equipment and that’s where I delved into the world of recording and mixing music.

It was quite a journey of falling and crawling back up and I taught myself a fair few things, mainly because I never took lessons. I just watched my idols (Frost, Dominator, Bloodhammer) and tried things for myself. Having fun was the biggest factor! 

Because the tracks that I wrote sounded empty, I took up bass guitar as well. I started off by quite simply playing lower bass lines along to the guitars, but by now I’ve realised that the bass guitar can make or break a track. Nowadays I spend a lot of time creating solid bass lines that accentuate the structure of a song rather than merely filling up empty space.

5. You are known as the drummer from Hellevaerder. This band comes across as quite unique to me. The music is melodic, but not too polished, and has interesting bass lines, memorable compositions and a fantastic front woman. The live performance is very strong: the band dressed in black, and Miranda all in white. Can you tell us something about Hellevaerder?

Hellevaerder tells our life stories, with an extra touch of darkness. The so-called ‘call of the void’, the attractive force of darkness. And the opposite of this; the fear of taking the leap, the pull to the light. This duality of forces is a recurring theme in our music.

About 95% of the music and lyrics were previously written by me, with the other band members giving it their final touches. However this dynamic has changed quite a bit since this year. We now have a stable and complete lineup with incredibly talented and intelligent musicians who have a lot to offer. Because of this, our upcoming record will be the first one on which every member has individually contributed to the writing process. We are all facing the same direction now, and with our theme and image established, this was the right moment to fully cooperate on this album. And we all grasped this moment, together.

Celebrate life, worship death!

6. How did the band originate, what was your goal, and what lies in the future?

As I’ve mentioned previously, I had been writing my own music for quite some time now. This is where ‘Throne Of Time’ (ToT) came into existence. After a few shows and ideas for a new record I wrote two songs: ‘Langs eindeloze paden’ and ‘Heksensabbat’. 

The lyrics were in Dutch and written by my good friend and artist A.A.W.R. — However at that time ToT’s guitarist-and frontman wasn’t interested in black metal sung in Dutch, but his girlfriend at the time sure was.

Miranda Visser, what a voice! 

After she heard these tracks she was instantly excited, and because ToT suffered from differences in what our goals with this band were, we decided to create a new group with a second guitarist, and the bassist from ToT. A.A.W.R. and myself were picking our brains for a very long time on what the band should be called… until she suddenly shouted, ‘Hellevaerder!’

Our goal has always been very clear: to create filthy Dutch black metal. Loud, fast, and mean. Until this day this goal has been met, and we will continue doing so.

After a few changes in the lineup we have had a solid foundation for the past few years now. With this lineup we recorded ‘Verloren vertellingen’, and next year our second full-length will be released. Of course we would love to convey this record in a live setting and are aiming to gather some fresh souls to corrupt at these performances.

7. As drummers, we both complain about playing live to each other, where we give it our all until our hands bleed and our vision starts to blur. But afterwards, we can enjoy ourselves a lot. How do you prepare mentally and physically for such a performance?

For years I only drummed during Hellevaerder rehearsals, as I knew these songs by heart. It was just that there wasn’t much improvement in my game, which isn’t all that strange when you only drum about eight times a year.

For a year and a half now I have my own rehearsal space, where I can actually practice playing the drums. I still don’t really practice Hellevaerder all that much, but I can focus on creating and writing new music. I challenge myself to play faster, more technically and diversely which helps me in performing the existing Hellevaerder music. It’s still difficult to play our new music, but as time progresses this also comes more naturally as my skill continues to improve. 

My preparation before shows doesn’t consist of very much. On the day itself I am extremely stressed; did I bring all my gear, can I remember the setlist (even though I’ve gone over this a million times in my dreams). Take a deep breath and move on, switch off my brain once I’m behind the kit and try to enjoy the moment of how our musicianship comes together during the show and how I can positively influence our execution on stage. Physically I don’t prepare much at all, I’ll just have a beer and a smoke. Now that I’m getting a bit older I realise that warming up might be needed, however — but for now I can still manage to play a full set without one. I’ve been slowly trying to create a routine for myself where I try to activate my muscles before the first track of the show, and not during it.

8. Is Hellevaerder the only live band in your arsenal? You’re a multi-instrumentalist playing in several solo projects such as Duindwaler, or other projects where you play multiple instruments. Can you lift the veil a little on your other projects?

At the moment, Hellevaerder is indeed my only live-performing band, and as a drummer I’d like to keep it that way for now. I’m open to playing live as a guitarist and vocalist, however. But for now I have to find a balance and the time between all my other projects.

In the first quarter of 2025 a limited release of Throne Of Time will be unveiled, one which will contain both EP’s and several new tracks. This time I recorded, mixed and mastered everything myself, with the exception of a few guest performances by other Hellevaerder members. It’s the closing of a chapter in which we showcase the growth of both musician and human being, in nearly one and a half hours of music.

For my solo-project Duindwaler there’s lots of material lying around, and I’m currently planning to move this band forward. I can assure you that the next release will be an absolute banger, faster and viler than ‘In het Heemskerks duin’. 

Together with Hellevaerder guitarist Bas Cuperus, another record is currently in the process of being created. Our writing sessions have reached their end-stage and our goal is to release a full-length in 2025.

Quite recently I was asked to record the drums for a project called ‘Dwalend’, with our very own Gerhans Meulenbeld on guitar. The music and ideas for this endeavour were quite appealing to me and I have since begun to record the drums for this upcoming EP.

Lastly, a record in the death/cavern death style is in the pipeline, however this is something I only work on when I have space and time, so I can’t really say when you’ll hear more about this.

9. What inspires you while writing lyrics?

Life itself, in a few shades darker than actuality, warped images of the brain and mind dragged through a filthy, disgusting black sludge. History is also a very interesting thing, there are so many stories out there to be told.

I write lyrics in the span of a few minutes, if I can find the moment. I’ll play the track a thousand times (which is very much appreciated at home) and write along with pen and paper. The choice of words depends on the flow of the music, but the overall tale that’s being told has to fit, as well. Often there’s an intricate meaning behind those lyrics, but everyone can interpret these for themselves. Besides a few passages here and there I don’t really share our lyrics, because the vocals are an instrument in itself, and these are responsible for conveying the energy. Everyone can decide for themselves what our music means to them. That’s what makes it art.

10. Zwotte Kring is closed off to new members. With an exception we managed to lure you in because we feel such a great connection. How do you view this collective?

Every musician knows a few other musicians. But the charm of our collective is that I can call Zwotte Kring my home. Like-minded people, everyone with a vision of their own and a skill of their own. To be a part of this group of people and ideas suits me well, we can learn from one another and share our critiques with one another. We can improve on what we already know, and do this in a great environment of harsh metal. We can build friendships and really push ourselves while doing so. It’s not simply a group of musicians who happen to be friends, it’s a group of people with the same vision.

Long live Zwotte Kring!

11. Black metal in the Netherlands and Belgium, what’s the state of it, in your opinion?

What these two small countries can provide in terms of such quality is quite bizarre. Especially in the Netherlands the proficiency has grown exponentially, the last few years have unleashed some true diamonds in the rough. The scene remains small, but the love for this genre is immeasurable.

It’s major that a great deal of attention goes out to the more underground bands too. The overall level of quality and skill is very high in my opinion, and it’s only continuing to improve. The only downside is that I don’t have the time to listen to everything, the supply of quality is simply too large.

12. What does the musical future hold for Daan?

As I’ve mentioned earlier, there’s enough in the pipeline. The one new thing for me however is that I have to place my trust in the craft and knowledge of others. Instead of being a ‘jack of all trades’ and focusing completely on my own thing. Writing music, it’s more fulfilling now because I focus on what I actually like.

At the same time that gives me more opportunity to fill my already overflowing agenda. Everyone has their strong sides and to make use of those is what gives music more layers, depth and dimension. A beautiful thing about music is that you’re never done learning.

Interview: Floris