Exclusive Interview: Reawacan talk “Pandemic Coverage & Old Schooling”!

Former Lacrima Christi duo Dan Krieger (vocals, guitar, bass) and Marco Gebert (drums) reunited in 2017 in Kassel Germany to form new project Reawacan, taking their name from the old English for “Reawaken”. The pair chose to work with German producer Andy Classen and quickly identified the sound they were looking for. A well received self titled debut album later and they’re back with “Pandemic Coverage & Old Schooling“, an EP of mind bending quality…

After not playing any form of Metal Music for almost a decade after Lacrima Christi, what made you want to return with a new project in Reawacan in 2019? How long had it been an idea on your minds before it came to life? “It hasn’t been an idea in our minds at all! It just appeared like a lightning when we met each other after all that time and Marco asked me what I was doing meanwhile. And indeed, just for fun and my own sake, I created a few demo riffs. He was obviously pleased with it – and we decided to start a project with real drums played by Marco… And immediately we were on fire!”

How have you found the reaction to the new EP so far? Two originals and two covers gives it an almost split EP vibe that we really like! “Nice to hear and read that this kind of split turns out as a real match! This has neither been planned. It just came out while sitting in the pandemic lockdown. And it feels right to release it – now! With the two covers it is another reawakening for us – playing the music of our youth – what a graceful gift!”

How did you go about choosing the cover songs for the EP and why did you go.with Motorhead and Celtic Frost? We love how you’ve put your own spin on them without taking away too much from the original, they both work really well! “Motörhead was the first kind of metal music I ever listened to – when I was an eleven year old boy! You can imagine it was kind of a revelation… And just a few years later Celtic Frost shown the world what is possible even beyond. That really formed and forged us forever. And during all the given spare time in the lockdowns I wondered how those oldnheroes would sound like if we wrap it in the typical Reawacan-Groove-Style? It went so fluently well – no doubt, we have it somehow in our blood. I am so satisfied with the outcome and its feedbacks! Thank you!”

The original cuts on the new EP are what we’d call Avant-garde with a wonderful eccletic vibe to them, “Into Proliferation” particularly has a mind bending quality to it. How much thought goes into creating something as original as that and which bands do you consider as influences when it comes to doing so? “What a beautiful description! And again this kind of song writing is not a thoughtful endeavor in the literal sense. It is translating emotions into music – and not disturbing the process with thinking about it. So there is no particular band to mention. But to be honest, subconsciously many techniques used to manifest all the expression were loaned by great masters like Paradise Lost, my psychedelic bands of the 60s and 70s etc”

Do you ever see Reawacan fleshing out to a full band to play these songs live? “Yes. I can imagine that this could be happening some day. It would be fun. But if it does not happen, no worries, because it is already a wonderful thing we did not expect anymore in this life! I am longing for all that shared creativity that only a full band emits! So even for the recordings only: Passionate guitarists welcome! – You’re talent is appreciated!!”

What’s next for Reawacan? “Writing more songs! The next full length album is waiting for us… and a lot of heavy emotions want to be carried out ferociosly!”

“Pandemic Coverage & Old Schooling” by Reawacan is out now and is available over at bandcamp