Streben - Making metal dream - ful

Streben are one of the more interesting Black Metal groups around that continue the tradition of the real class that seems to come out of Italy.A perfect blend of Darkness,Acoustic and Ambient passages mix with more traditional Black Metal stylings to create something very special.

1. Greetings from Seattle,first up can you tell the readers a bit about how the band first started?
HAGALAZ: Hello there, and thanks very much for the interview! Streben is my own project, I've established it in late 2007 by recruiting Valker as a guitarist; this happened when I submitted a collection of material I had written to his attention, and he accepted to help me in recording it. Thus we started at once to work on our first release, which was a demo entitled "... of Melancholic Elegies and Wanderlust".

2. What about the name "Streben" how did that come about?
"Streben" is the german denomination for a philosophic and literary ethic of Romanticism; it's a vast concept with multiple implications, but, basically, it pertains to an emotional tension towards the transcendence of limits and bonds, a tension that mainly corresponds to a general dissatisfaction and inner restlessness. I have chosen this word as a moniker because I consider this concept as a main trait of my personality, and the project itself was meant to dis-burden my own personality, my own world and everything that concerns me upon music.

3. The music seems to be a blend of a wide range of influences and styles and yet is still very much in the Metal realm.What is the main inspiration for you musically ?
In the beginning, at the time of the workmanship of the very first demo, my main influences came mostly from black metal music, as I was quite inexperienced and insecure about what I was supposed to do and so I needed some datum point from where to take some inspiration. Nowadays, my main influence comes from my feelings and emotions; I also draw inspiration from several bands and styles of music which may not be necessarily strictly black metal.

4. The songs contain a wide range of emotions,is there a particular feeling you are trying to get across?
The emotions and moods I express in music are not the result of a rational planning, it's a spontaneous process originated from sensations and emotions which are part of my own personality; nevertheless, I often use the word "dreamful" to describe Streben's mood, because I think this adjective actually fits the feelings expressed within the songs.

5. How has the sound changed from the early days?
I believe that the sound of the band is constantly undergoing a continuous process of evolution. The material contained in the first demo was definitely immature and rambling, especially if compared to the new songs that we have recorded for an eventual first full - lenght; on the other hand, these new tracks are different from what I'll probably be doing in a second album.

6.Is there any plans to take "Streben" into a touring band situation?
Not at all, I'm pretty sure that Streben will always remain a studio project.

7. You seem to be very busy judging by all the interviews you have done. Do you enjoy being interviewed?
Of course I do! Interviews allow me to introduce the band to possible listeners, and also to clarify eventual equivocations about its nature.

8. What is the main musical influences you had growing up and do they still play a part in the way you write songs?
Sure, everything I've listened to during my life still unconsciously plays a part in the way I write songs. From the music I used to listen to when I was a child, to the music I'm currently into. All of those bands and songs that have hit me over the years somehow come back out in the music I compose.

9. What is it like in Italy at the moment for Metal in general?
... I think it's like anywhere else. There are thousands of bands that play any kind of metal.

10. What is your interests outside on music ?
I adore reading, I've always been fond of reading since I was a child, just as it happened with music, even though the latter remains my main interest and passion. Beside this, I also like to eat and to try all the traceable kinds of shampoo, but that's another story.

11. Have you had much reaction from record labels in releasing your recordings?
We had some reaction after the publishing of the demo, and, in fact, we have been busy recording this new material because we wanted to offer an even better product to those who proved to be interested.

12. Getting the band known worldwide is real hard these days with so many bands being around.How important is the internet for you compared with magazines etc?
Internet is basically the one and only mean of promotion we can depend on, magazines are mainly focused on mainstream and they don't give much space to underground scene.

13. So what is the bands plans for the rest of the year?
We try to make no plans, but we really do hope to manage to put our first record out within the end of this year; beside this, I think I'll also concentrate on the songwriting of a further release.

14. What would you say is the main selling point for the band. What is the main thing that sets the band apart from everyone else?
I think that, as human beings, we all SHOULD differ from each other; thus the music that everyone may create, if composed in a sincere way, and not just to please someone or to make a display of anything, SHOULD be different from anyone else's music.

15. Thanks for the interview, any final words?
Thank you for your questions, and thanks to all of the readers!