Page 7 - Sick Drummer Magazine Issue 29 - Hannes Grossmann

InmyhouseholdIwassurroundedby50’sand60’s music. Lots of old rock n roll and old country music. It had some place in my development, but not a lot. My brother and sister were the ones who introduced me to hard rock and heavy metal. My sister was always listening to the good stuff and she always drug me along with her. So that’s where the guitar playing came from. I was heavily into David Gilmour’s playing and that quickly branched out into Randy Rhoads and then Dimebag. So guitar first and everything else after.SDM: Somebodyoncetoldme“blastbeatsare the easy parts. it’s the stuff in between that’s the challenge.” How do you go about writing and composing your drum parts for any band that you are writing for?Everything is just written with it’s natural flow. We certainly don’t go as technical as we can, it’s all about the vibe of the song. I’m heavily into impro- vised playing too, so things change on the fly for us and it keeps the live show fresh and interesting. So whatever the song calls for I establish it’s basic frame and then have a few subdivisions worthof options for it before and after recording. Just options.SDM: GiveusabriefhistoryonOceansofSlumber, and what is your job as the producer of the band, as well as a musician in it.We formed late 2011 after everybody had found themselves without bands for a month or so. We’ve known each other for 10+ years and knew most of the ins and outs of what we could do. Just decided to try and create music without boundaries. Try to see where we could go with what we like to and were able to do. The band is certainly a collective though. I do a lot of the arrangements and take care ofalotofthechoicesindirectionwetake,butwe are all unified in the final outcome. As a musician and writer for the band it’s just up to me to be able to perform and not be held back by any limitations. SoI’mfluentineverythingfastandslow.Dynamics are a necessity and a sprawling musical vocabulary is a must.SDM: Inyourmusicalcareeryouplayedinalotof brutal death metal/grind bands. Do you still enjoy playing those styles?Of course. I cut my teeth playing and living in that musical world and there is a large amount of it present in Oceans of Slumber. It will always be there for me and a lot of the things I’ve been able to accomplish have been because of the time and networking I did while playing death metal and grindcore. I may not be as active with it now asI was before, but I have War Master and another project or two to take the edge off.SDM: You are about to release your label debut on Century Media Records. Were you able to have more freedom in recording with a major label backing?We had absolute control and freedom to make this record. For a label like CM to pick us up was a dream scenario for me and the band. It allows us to venture into territories we would never have access to and allows us to spread our brand of darkened melodic metal to people all over the world. They’ve set up no boundaries and we don’t plan to have any either.SDM: Whatcanyoutellusaboutthealbumand what can people expect when listening to it.The record is very real and is certainly an emotional piece of music that is best taken in all at once. It’s a real record and certainly a real experience from us. The wave of dynamics is very large and the flow is seamless. There are elements of jazz, classical, rock, and death/doom/black metal. And every- thing in between. The message of the record is one of darkness, loathing, hope, and tragedy and the music dictates the whole demeanor of this record.SDM: Willtherebeatourtofollowuptherelease?