Rock Monsters Romania

Following their awesome concert at Winter Night in Fabrica – part VI, I got curious about this band called Warhymn. They were incredibly friendly, both on the stage and after they played. You could feel their members’ entusiasm, energy and hard work in their songs, which were exactly the things that made their performance so much fun! It was the first time listening to them and because they impressed me, I thought why not reach out to them for an interview? That’s how I got to talk with Tiberiu, who seemed happy to go with it, not to mention he made my job very easy because he was incredibly approachable, so without further ado, let’s get right into the questions!

Where does the band’s name come from?

“Hahaha! This should be the moment when we tell an epic story about choosing our name. But the explanation is as simple as possible. It sounded cool and we checked on Metal-Archives.com if it was taken. We can say that we are one of those lucky bands that found their name very quickly.”

How did you meet?

“To give a complete answer, Warhymn started under the name of Athanatos, 10-12 years ago in Constanța, in a different formation. In the original one, Alin “Shavi” (vocals/guitar) and Valentin Cristocea (Actual Machivellian God/Neon Prophecies/etc) were the founding members. Athanatos, at that moment, did not last long and they parted ways.
The years passed and Alin and Valentin arrived in Bucharest due to studies and jobs. Although Athanatos didn’t work, their desire to make music remained. Valentin got to play in a multitude of bands, some grand and well-known, and Alin focused strictly on composition. The ‘’Gnosis’’ album is his creation with input from certain friends who had different roles, both in composition and in mix/master. It is somehow the typical, romantic beginning story of most bands. A few friends making music at home with the limited resources they have.
In 2019, Valentin proposed to Alin to try to bring the band back to life, under the current name of Warhymn. And so, they started to search for new band members. They easily found Philip (drums) through Valentin’s connections in the underground metal world. Phillip is also the drummer of Akral Necrosis, so it’s not a hard name to find. Valentin knew me from his group of friends and from many discussions over time about music, plus concerts we went to together, he thought to ask me.
I said “Yes!” and when the opportunity arose, I became fully involved in doing this.
Răzvan, our current lead guitarist, appeared after Valentin left the band. Răzvan was recommended by our drummer Phillip’s girlfriend. Răzvan is an extremely talented guitarist who played with Dark Aeclipse and currently has a project called Ungolianth. In short, Răzvan came to 1 or 2 rehearsals and made a very strong impression on us. It’s the musical composition that Warhymn needed.”

How do your songs inspire you when you listen to and perform them?

“I honestly don’t really know how to answer this. It’s a pretty complicated question. It depends a lot on the context. When we are on stage we are like a well-tuned machine. Each one moves and interacts with the audience depending on how they feel at the moment. At rehearsals, it can be a good day where we can have fun and exchange energy from one to another, or it can be a bad day where we can’t hear each other well and something doesn’t connect. We generally have fun and feel good playing the music we love.”

What are your goals and plans for 2022?

“For 2022, we have planned the release of an EP. Trough this we want to take Warhymn to the next level. We also aim to hold as many concerts as we can. We want to get to as many corners of the country as possible and, why not, to go beyond the border!”

What are your goals for the next 5-10 years?

“Hard to say now because we focus intensely on the next step. But related to the previous question: the purpose of the band is to break the borders, to make a name for ourselves outside. And besides all of this, because otherwise it’s not possible, to compose and produce music that we like. We want to bring this band to the stage of full time profession, so that we have the necessary time to focus on obtaining the maximum potential of each of us.”

With which band would you like to share the stage and at which festival/festivals do you really want to go to? Why?

“We want to share the stage with bands that play musical genres similar to what we play. We don’t have preferences, we just want to get as much reach as possible in front of an audience interested in the musical style we play.”

What message do you have for the band’s fans?

“There are not enough thanks for those of you who support us and come to our concerts. In a world of convenience where most people choose to listen to music on a 5 dollar subscription, between 4 walls, you are the ones who get out of your houses and fill the hall to see both us and the bands we perform with. Without you we wouldn’t be here and that’s why we bow before you. To paraphrase Metallica (and I wish I was original here): “We are Warhymn! You are Warhymn!” “

What message do you have for those who read this interview and hear about the band for the first time?

“First of all, thank you for clicking on this article. We are Warhymn! You can listen to us on all streaming platforms and you can find us on Facebook and Instagram. Give a like, follow, share. Keep talking about us, because only this way a band can get to where you are. If you want us, spread the word! It will sound cliché, but that’s the truth. A band gets somewhere after the numbers. If fans generate demographics, then the band gets there.”

Now, let’s see how the pandemic influenced them:

What was the hardest thing for you and what did you miss in the pandemic?

“The pandemic was not a burden for us, other than restrictions. If anything, the pandemic was really an advantage for us, because it gave us time to rehearse and become a cohesive band. And I think for most bands it’s the perfect opportunity to tighten the screws and become better, both musically and instrumental-wise.”

Were there any pluses in this pandemic?

“The silence from the online. The break of events and the break of most bands in the online space, in general the quietness we needed to make ourselves heard! Besides this, the hunger for “Live”. People, no matter how antisocial or comfortable, at some point discover or rediscover the Live Concert. And this has helped us gain a large audience.”

What is it like to be able to have concerts again?

“Related to the previous answer. We are a band born in the pandemic. We’re just now beginning. The pandemic is a perfect way for a new band to come out.”

Last but not least, about the concert:

How did you choose the songs you played at Winter Night?

“Warhymn does not have a large catalog of songs. Like any new band, in the beginning we did exactly what was done in the golden years of rock music: we played a whole album at a time. But Winter Night was a special evening for Warhymn. January 15 is the date “Gnosis” was released. This date overlapped splendidly for us. And we chose to celebrate this occasion by doing 2 things:
1. Playing the album “Gnosis” and
2. Playing the two new songs from the future EP for the first time.
A kind of commemoration of the path that brought us here and the beginning of the journey that is in front of us.”

What’s your favorite song from the Winter Night set and why?

“Judging by the audience, I would say “Originea” (The Origin), because it was also the one we played for encore. And the reception was amazing. But I think each one of us has a favorite song that we love to perform. And here I leave it to my colleagues to answer.
Traditions of the Ancients.”

Which was the most beautiful moment of that evening?

“All moments of interaction with the audience. I’m the kind of person that is a little more emotional. When you communicate with people and they scream back as a sign of support and you receive that energy, it is an almost overwhelming feeling. If I hadn’t had so much adrenaline in me, I would’ve cried. Maybe next time :))!
Let one thing be clear: just because a band plays aggressive music or has a certain allure, that doesn’t mean we’re different from you and the rest of the world. We’re just a bunch of friends playing the music we love. Nothing more than that!”

What message do you have for those who have been at the concert?

“Don’t stop! Come to any concert you can! When a band performs live, it’s not just that band there. There are people that work to make that concert possible. Those people may want to rest, stay with their families, or do anything else. But they are there to support us and to make the interaction with you possible. You are the ones who can do everything possible in the end. And when you come to a concert, buy from the bar and support that venue, buy merch to support the band. Come and meet us and to spend some time together!
Keep it metal! \m/”

If you enjoyed this interview and you wish to support the band, check out their links below!

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Interview by Andreea Ionescu

Translated by Laura Lucaci