Ulfsdalir – “I am really attracted strongly to heathendom”

After a few interesting releases I think it was time to get a few things cleared from the man behind this band, R.U.. With this band he released quite a few releases (in a reasonable short period) that were able to attract the intention from a lot of different parties, labels, press but also the fans/audience. And, so he was also able to attract my attention too and with the reviews I presented came a few questions. Not much is really known about this man veiled in mist and his projects. R.U. was kind enough to reveal us something from his background and (near) future plans… So, with this interview I present you one of Germany’s leading underground black forces: Ulfsdalir… Enjoy!

Hail, thanks for taking the time to answer my questions I had in mind for you. Also congratulations with your last album, which was a killer?
Hails and thank you. It’s a pleasure for me to answer your questions.

I guess its getting lame for you to answer this question time after time, but I think there are still a lot of people who like to know the history of Ulfsdalir a little, so could you reveal a little of the story for our readers?
Yes your are right, I do not like this question very much, but lets start. I started Ulfsdalir back in 1997 as a new project after playing in different unknown bands. I recorded four songs without vocals, with the help of a friend. I continued to write new songs, but in 1999 I joined the Band Ewiges Reich, so I stopped Ulfsdalir for a while. I think it was the year after, when I started to record the first album “Baldurs Traum” in five parts. Then I stopped the band again and wrote songs for an other project. These songs, first written for an other band, are the songs which are now on “Christenhass”. I think it must’ve been around mid 2002 when I recorded the vocals for “Baldurs Traum”. Then at the end of 2002 I realesed the split EP with Myrkwid. For this EP I used one part of “Baldurs Traum”. Then in the beginning of 2003 I wrote and recorded the songs for “Grimnir”, which was released in mid 2003 on Christhunt Productions. At the same time I also released the “Baldurs Traum”-album on Dunkelwald Productions. Finally I recorded the songs for “Christenhass” from the end 2003 till mid 2004. This album was released in September 2004.

I understood that you first concentrated on your other band Ewiges Reich only. Many musicians that start side-projects do that because of the different musical ideas that doesn’t fit in the main-band. In what aspect do you think Ewiges Reich and Ulfsdalir differ?
As you can read in the answer above, I started Ulfsdalir before I joined Ewiges Reich. Ewiges Reich is a very fast an aggressive band with hateful lyrics and Ulfsdalir is a bit more old school and more atmospheric. The Ulfsdalir lyrics deals with topics like heathendom, nature… So there are lyrically differences, too.

And, just to kill my curiosity, what does Ulfsdalir mean?
Ulfsdalir is a name of a place in German mythology. The translation is something like “valley of wolfs”.

It is pretty obvious that you carry a heavy message with your last album title “Christenhass”. What made you choose for such a title and what is the thriving force behind these ideas?
Sometimes I want to let all hate came out of me and this time the result is “Christenhass”. Normally I am a very calm man, but I need some “hate lyrics” at the moment. The next two or three releases will be more in the old style again, with heathendom, nature, etc.

I might be wrong but it seems that – besides anti Christian ideals – you have a weak spot for pagan beliefs and history. Am I right in this point, if so, what is the main attraction for you in these things?
Yes, you are right. I am really attracted strongly to heathendom, paganism and history. It started when I was younger and read some books about German mythology. There are many points why I am attracted by these things, but I think the main point is to be so close to nature. When you are a pagan, you are closer to nature than a Christ or atheism.

I wasn’t really able to understand the lyrics while listening the album, I guess these are based on the aforementioned topics and subjects?
The lyrics on “Christenhass” are anti-Christian (‘Flamme des Hasses, Christenhass…’) or some are more “looking back to ancient times”-lyrics (‘Elfenwelt, Ruhmtaten der Ahnen…’)

I’m not sure whether you read my reviews on both “Grimnir” and “Christenhass”. But I mentioned a remarkable difference between both albums. I had the feeling that “Grimnir” existed out of two different recording sessions – for the album didn’t really sound coherent. And now I have the possibility to compare two full-length albums, I reckoned that “Christenhass” sounds more as a whole, more coherent. What do you think it the main cause of that?
This is very surprising to me, because I really wrote the songs for “Grimnir” in a very short time and close to each other. And of course I recorded the songs in one recording-session. Maybe the songs are different in their moods. Two songs are fast and brutal and two songs are a bit slower and more depressive. So maybe this is the difference you mean. But of course you are right with “Christenhass”. The songs are all in the same mood, the speed is pretty constant and all songs creates the same atmosphere. So this album sounds a bit more as a whole.

In between the time that I heard “Grimnir” and “Christenhass” I also got the split 7″ with Myrkwid (a fellow bandmember in Ewiges Reich) – which I also liked pretty much.  Can we expect more of these vinyl split EPs? And what about vinyl versions of “Christenhass”,  “Grimnir” was released as a picture disc too if I’m not mistaken?
Yes, “Grimnir” was released on LP, too, but at the moment there is no plan of releasing “Christenhass” on vinyl. Maybe later. Ask Marco of Christhunt. I m not very interested in vinyl (I think I am really untrue now, haha). Between “Baldurs Traum” and “Grimnir” I recorded one song for a split EP with Panzerfaust , which is not released yet. We found no one, how wants to release it. But I hope one day this split EP will be released.

What can we expect from the future from Ulfsdalir?
A song on a ‘Tribute to Burzum’-compilation and an Ildjarn song on an other compilation. I also recorded some new material for a new album and a long song for an upcoming Mini CD.

Alright, R.U., these were my questions – thanks for your time. Feel free to add anything to the story above – the last words are yours?
Thanks for the nice interview and sorry for the long delay and the short answers. And of course thanks for the reviews.