Formed on the winter solstice of 2021, the German black metal band Waldruine has quickly carved a distinctive path with its debut album Nachtmeerfahrten. Rooted in the spirit of the 1990s yet shaped by a deeply atmospheric and conceptual vision, the project explores occult symbolism, inner descent, and the enduring meaning of the underground. In this interview, the band reflects on its origins, creative philosophy, attachment to analog formats, and the shadowed journey that defines its first full statement.
Asmoth Uccen: Waldruine was formed in 2021, yet Nachtmeerfahrten already sounds deeply rooted in a timeless black metal tradition. What personal or artistic urgency pushed you to give birth to this project at that particular moment?
N. N. Libra: Hi Asmoth, first of all, we would like to thank you very much for inviting us to do this interview. We are very happy to tell you and your readers a little bit about us as a band and our debut album “Nachtmeerfahrten.”
Yes, Waldruine was officially founded on the winter solstice of 2021. However, we had already been making music together before that and always had the plan to write and release an album. But basically, you could say that a lot of good coincidences led to us coming together musically and complementing each other well right from the start.
Since black metal from the nineties was and still is very influential for us, partly due to our age, it became clear relatively quickly that we wanted to do something in this direction. Not quite as raw as back then, but with a clear black metal orientation. It's always particularly important to us to package the musical and lyrical compositions in a way that suits the atmosphere. We are therefore always very happy when the special atmosphere of our music is positively highlighted. Maybe it's also my feminine influence that was able to wring a little more atmosphere out of the men, hahaha.
Chr.: Black metal has been part of my musical life since the 1990s. I played black metal for more than a decade back then, so this style is something I’m deeply familiar with and emotionally connected to. In that sense, Waldruine did not emerge from a sudden impulse, but rather from something that had been dormant for a long time.
In the early 2020s, the opportunity arose to actively play black metal again, and that naturally led to the decision to found Waldruine as a deliberately black metal–oriented project. The actual composition and recording process took quite some time, so the release of Nachtmeerfahrten in 2024 was less about reacting to a specific moment and more about allowing things to mature at their own pace. The album came out when it was ready — not when a trend or a schedule demanded it.
Asmoth Uccen: As the guitarist and main driving force behind Waldruine, how central is the guitar in shaping the atmosphere and intent of Nachtmeerfahrten—do you see it more as a weapon or a vessel?
N. N. Libra: The lyrical background of Waldruine is heavily influenced by occult and satanic themes, which is why I would consider the guitar more of a vessel. Due to its power, the drums are probably more of a weapon in our music, haha. But the guitar, vocals, and atmospheric effects in particular serve as a means of transport for our lyrical content, allowing listeners to dive deep into the world of Nachtmeerfahrten.
Chr.: I would definitely describe the guitar more as a vessel than a weapon. The guitar sound on Nachtmeerfahrten is not particularly shrill or piercing, as is often associated with certain strands of Nordic black metal. Instead, it is deliberately more restrained and melodic.
The guitar carries most of the melodies, and since Waldruine’s music is clearly melodic and memorable, it plays an important role in conveying the emotional core of the songs. That said, the atmosphere of the album does not arise from the guitar alone. It is created through the interaction of all instruments, vocals included. Black metal, at least as I understand it, is always about the total atmosphere rather than individual elements competing for dominance.
Asmoth Uccen: Nachtmeerfahrten evokes nocturnal journeys, isolation, and inner descent. Is the album built around a specific concept, or did these themes emerge organically during the writing process?
Chr.: Nachtmeerfahrten is a loose concept album rather than a strict one — comparable, perhaps, to “Seventh Son of a Seventh Son” by Iron Maiden. Each song can stand on its own, but they are all connected by an overarching conceptual framework.
The term “night sea journey” refers to an inner voyage into the unconscious, a confrontation with the dark, unknown, and threatening aspects of the self. From a Jungian perspective, this journey is closely linked to the process of individuation: a necessary descent into darkness that ultimately enables self-realization and transformation.
The album draws on occult and esoteric symbolism to articulate this journey. The Tree of Wyrd, featured in the booklet, serves as a symbolic map, with each track representing different stages, states, or aspects of this passage. While the album does not strictly follow any one occult system, elements from Left-Hand Path philosophy, Jungian psychology, and traditional occultism all contribute to its conceptual coherence. The themes emerged quite organically during the writing process, but once they became apparent, they were consciously refined and shaped into a unified whole.
Asmoth Uccen: Waldruine exists in an era where black metal is instantly accessible and widely distributed. How do you personally define the underground today, and where do you position Waldruine within it?
N. N. Libra: Well, every era has its charms, its advantages and disadvantages. Nowadays, thanks to the internet, social media, streaming services, etc., it's much easier to find and consume new music. For us as a band, it's also much easier to release our music into the world and make it accessible to interested listeners.
But the earlier days without the possibilities of the internet also had their charm. The joy of finally holding the long-awaited new CD in your hands after a long wait, for which you probably even had to save up some money, is something that can hardly be replicated today. It was just something very special. I don't want to say that people appreciate music less today, but I do feel that we valued the earlier releases more at the time. Especially since it wasn't that easy to find like-minded people. Even today, black metal is still more of a niche within a niche.
Personally, I think it's great that the spirit of the underground has largely been preserved to this day. The mutual support, the networking—all of that works digitally today, but it's still reminiscent of pen pals and keeping in touch even when you're far apart.
We are very grateful that the underground scene has welcomed us so warmly. Since we will always see ourselves as part of the underground scene, it is particularly nice that we have found a place in it where we feel very comfortable. So far, we have been able to establish great contacts with people, such as you, for example, which benefit both sides and have led to friendships. That's really great.
Chr.: The underground of the 1990s was fundamentally different from what is called underground today. Digitalization and the sheer volume of releases have changed almost everything. Back then, discovering music involved tape trading, handwritten letters, and a certain degree of uncertainty and secrecy. Today, almost everything is immediately accessible.
Personally, I don’t really see myself as an active part of today’s underground. This is not meant arrogantly or dismissively; it’s simply a result of how I prioritize my time. I rarely engage with scene politics, fanzines, or constant networking, and thus I don’t feel particularly qualified to judge the contemporary underground from the inside.
That said, Waldruine is, by its nature and public appearance, an underground band and will always remain one. At the same time, Waldruine seems to resonate with different mentalities within the underground: both with listeners who appreciate raw, traditional black metal and with those drawn to more atmospheric or conceptually elaborate approaches. If the project manages to form a bridge between these different sensibilities, that is something I welcome — but it is not something I consciously calculate.
Asmoth Uccen: The decision to release Nachtmeerfahrten on cassette via Fetzner Death Records carries a strong symbolic weight. What does the cassette format represent to you in relation to black metal’s spirit and authenticity?
N. N. Libra: I can still remember very well how my cassettes used to pile up. All the shelves and drawers were full of them, haha. Whenever someone found something new, we would immediately record it. The bus rides to school with my Walkman in my pocket and headphones on my ears—those are fond memories. And I think that many people either like to remember those times because they experienced them themselves or because they still want to relive the spirit of that era today. A cassette is “just” a sound carrier, but every medium, be it cassette, CD, or LP, has its own unique appeal. Both in terms of sound and the way you celebrate the listening experience.
We are therefore delighted that Fetzner Deatz Records has given us the opportunity to re-release our Nachtmeerfahrten as a cassette version.
(We would also like to take this opportunity to express our gratitude to a good friend – he knows who we mean!)
Since every medium has its own physical characteristics, we have slightly adjusted the sound of the album in preparation for the release. We think it was worth the effort. You can hear for yourself starting February 15, 2026.
Chr.: The cassette is the underground format of the 1990s, and releasing Nachtmeerfahrten on tape is both an act of nostalgia and a gesture of respect toward that era. Beyond that, it stands in deliberate contrast to today’s frictionless, technically perfect, and omnipresent digital formats.
Digital music consumption often feels fast-food-like: instantly available, quickly consumed, and just as quickly forgotten. Analog formats like cassette or vinyl demand more commitment. They require deliberate listening and a certain dedication to the music as an art form. In that sense, they still embody something of black metal’s original ethos — not as a pose, but as a mindset.
Asmoth Uccen: With Nachtmeerfahrten now standing as Waldruine’s first full statement, do you see this album as a foundation to build upon, or as a closed chapter tied to a specific time and state of mind?
N. N. Libra: The Nachtmeerfahrten themselves are self-contained, at least on the album. Therefore, there will be no direct continuation in terms of lyrics on the next album. But certainly, one or two aspects or themes may also play a role on the next album. We can at least reveal this much: it will remain mystical.
But apart from the musical aspects, the Nachtmeerfahrten are a solid foundation for everything we still have planned. We are still quite overwhelmed by the many positive responses and the great support—we really appreciate it all.
We did everything ourselves for the Nachtmeerfahrten. Not just the music and the lyrical concept, but also the entire artwork, the recordings, the mixing, and the mastering. Doing all of that ourselves also gives us a strong foundation on which to build. It was always important to us that Nachtmeerfahrten be 100% Waldruine. And fortunately, we were able to make that happen.
Chr.: Both, actually. The overarching theme of journeys into darkness will likely remain central to Waldruine’s future releases, and the band will certainly remain a black metal band. We have no intention of drifting into folk, industrial, or rock’n’roll territory.
In that sense, Nachtmeerfahrten is a foundation. At the same time, future releases will probably explore different underlying concepts, and the music may undergo further refinement or subtle changes. What we clearly do not intend to do is replicate the Nachtmeerfahrten formula over and over again.
So while the album establishes the core identity of Waldruine, it is also a closed chapter — a document of a specific phase, mindset, and conceptual focus that does not need to be repeated.
So long, thank you for your dedication and for granting us the opportunity to share our thoughts. Best regards!
