SEPTEMBER 1st 2022
BERGFRIED
EXCLUSIVE
Article By: Metal Mom Rita
Our very own, Metal Mom Rita was given the opportunity to talk with BERGFRIED, a Romantic Medieval Metal band out of Lorraine and Savoyen. This April released their first EP Romantik I.
Line up for the band is:
Anna de Savoy (vocals)
Erech III. von Lothringen (all instruments)
Tracks:
1. Hungry Hearts
2. The Battle
3. War-Torn Lovers
4. Oh Lord
Artwork for the album done by: Haharobin
MT: First tell us how you came to name the band Bergfried, I googled the name and it shows that Bergfried is a tall tower typically found in castles of the Middle Ages in German speaking countries.
Yes, you’re right. I had the idea for this project in the summer of 2021. I was on the train from Vienna to the Rhineland, that is known for its tremendous number of castles overlooking the
majestic Rhine river. You can’t look at the Middle Ages without considering the romanticism it
was treated with in the early 19th century, so I had Bergfried – Romantik I as a title in my head,
before any music was written. And of course it is always a personal romanticised nostalgia trip
because I lived close to the Rhine for several years.
MT: How did the two of you come together to form the band?
We met in Budapest. It’s just a few hours away from Vienna and she had a little gig there. We
kept in touch afterwards and when the idea of Bergfried began to take shape I knew I had to ask
Anna, if she’d be available to provide some fine vocal lines, so Bergfried was born.
MT: How would you explain your music to people?
I see it as a fun lo-fi pop-metal project that draws its inspiration from the 70s and 80s but with a
modern approach to melody here and there. Maybe a stripped-down Meat Loaf, recorded in a
suburban basement, driven by teenage angst, joyful enthusiasm, and impending doom.
MT: Romantic Medieval Metal band, never heard that before, so why that ?
A certain amount of romanticism has always been a part of Metal music, but it’s still mostly set
upon death, war & satan and that’s fun and can be really inspiring from time to time.
Nevertheless, love and passion have always been the driving forces in my life and with that the
longing, the yearning and desire for an all-embracing, shattering love. That’s obviously a chimera.
It can lead you on the path to God or despair, but ultimately the only way is to find it in yourself.
It’s all there.
MT: Who writes the lyrics for your songs?
That would be me, Erech, at least for now. Maybe in the future we’ll try a more collaborative
approach to song writing, but for Romantik I the vision was already set before Anna came along.
MT: Where does the inspiration come from to write?
It comes from everywhere, it’s not like a spark hits me and then I know what to do, it’s less
romantic in that case. The first initial idea has a magical aura, I admit, but everything that comes
after is just work. I have a final product in my mind, and I want to do justice to that. So waiting
for inspiration to strike is not the way, at least not mine.
MT: Did you have anyone that might have influenced you to create and form Bergfried?
I think the aesthetics of Old Nick and some of the Grimestone Records acts had a huge influence of the aesthtic idea itself, but not the music. Bands and artists that inspired me with this one were Meat Loaf, Pat Benatar and Shania Twain for example, combined with the Metal of Visigoth, Cirith Ungol and Wytch Hazel.
MT: Have you played in other bands before forming this one?
In my youth I played in several punk and hardcore bands and then 2010 the first Black Metal
project followed with Der Toten Lebend Schein. A few years ago, Golden Blood, Ancient Mastery,
Narzissus, Grandeur, Carathis, and Haunted Palace came along. But they are all not “real” bands,
bur rather solo projects, although I’m blessed to work with really talented musicians from time to
time, like Circe with Ancient Mastery or Jo Lombardo and Fabio Allesandrini with Golden Blood.
MT: You have 4 tracks on this EP, do you have a favourite among them, and if so why that one? I know I usually have a favourite on any album.
My favourite of the 4 would be War-Torn Lovers. I like the immediate beginning and the
interesting dynamics throughout the song. The spoken word part always makes me shiver and
Anna’s voice really gets to the bottom of my heart in this.
MT: How long did it take from writing the lyrics to getting it recorded and ready to give to the people?
Lyrics are the last part in the creation and recording process. Usually I start writing the instrumental parts while I record them simultaneously. When everything is set I think about vocal melodies and write the lyrics for that. I present them to Anna then and she tells me if she likes them and figures out backing harmonies and such. In total it was maybe like 6 months in total from the first riff of Hungry Hearts, although the main riff for The Battle was written a few years back while jamming with Circe (Singer of Ancient Mastery).
MT: Were there issues, any problems along the way?
No, not really. This went smooth. Usually there are a few mental breakdowns along the way,
mostly towards the end, when a part all of a sudden won’t fit right or the software keeps fucking
up and stuff like that, but not with Bergfried.
MT: How did you choose Haharobin to do the artwork?
I was browsing on Instagram and typed in different hashtags to find someone whose art would
match the vibe of the music, so I found Haharobin and thought that he was perfect for that
project.
MT: Did you give the ideas of what you would like or . . .
I gave him a crappy sketch and tried to explain the mood and he went ahead and just did it. I’m
always so amazed how illustration artists can take a vision that’s not theirs in the beginning and
make it their own. It’s a different kind of process and I have the utmost respect for artists like
Haharobin.
MT: What is the best part for you about being in Bergfried?
I don’t feel any boundaries in composing. I can go with the flow completely. For some people it
can be too kitsch, but for me the melodies and harmonies feel totally natural. It is also my first
project without screaming so Bergfried is also accessible to people who do not have a Metal
background.
MT: Tell us what we might expect to hear from Romantick I?
Romantik II will continue to tell the story of the two yearning lovers, but now in a modern setting.
The music will not change much and the vibe will stay the same. Expect more synths, more riffs,
more passion and more fun. But I can certainly say that the story won’t stop with Romantik II.
MT: What is next for you, will you do a tour to help promote it?
Because Anna is living on the other side of the planet, a tour is almost impossible right now.
Maybe in a few years, when we can put a proper set together that could be an idea. No. 1
priority right now is to finish the songs for Romantik II and have it out sometime next year
MT: Is there anything you would like to add to this interview that I might have missed?
All I have to say is thank you Metal Titans for taking the time to support the underground. You
are part of the reason we started to write music and certainly THE reason we keep writing and
playing. Thank you!
We wish you much success with your new album.
Words, views and opinions expressed in answers are those of the authors and do not reflect necessarily the official position, attitude or position of đ đđ§đđđ đđŚđŚđđđ ᴳᴸᴟᴎᴏᴸ
BANDCAMP PAGE: https://bergfried.bandcamp.com/album/romantik-i