Interview with ENTGEIST (2/2)

With “Welk,” the black metal band Entgeist delves deeply into the themes of transience, life, and death—while blending atmospheric soundscapes with the coldness of classic black metal. In this two-part interview, Sergej, Tim, and Randy talk about the album’s creation, the personal emotions behind the German lyrics, and the current state of the metal scene. Did you miss the first part? No problem—you can read it here.

Orkus: The opening track, “Am Rande der Finsternis,” is particularly well done. How did this song come about?
Tim: I remember that the lyrics for the song just seemed to come together on their own. Even when I first heard the rough demo, the phrase “under the moonlight” popped into my head. Something else that was really on my mind at the time was the feeling of being inadequate. I often felt like I was putting on a facade for those around me and wasn’t the person others thought I was. At the same time, I felt like I was constantly walking a fine line between light and darkness—and with that came the fear of falling back into the darkness and disappearing. However, I’m convinced that this song—and the lyrics—can mean something completely different to someone other than me. I hope and wish that anyone who wants to can find their own unique interpretation of my lyrics.
Sergej: The intro to “Am Rande der Finsternis” is one of the few where I specifically decided that I wanted to write a long instrumental intro. Generally speaking, I’m a fan of building-up intros, since they require a certain amount of patience from the listener until the song “really” begins. Especially as an album intro, the song starts off slowly and builds a great atmosphere that sets the tone for the entire album. On the album, this is unique—with the exception of “Funkenspiel”—since the other songs start immediately. The song was written back in 2022. Like the other songs, I wrote it on guitar, and then Lars added the drums and samplers. In 2025, we tweaked the song’s structure a bit after the vocals were added and we rehearsed it with the band. The result can now be heard on the album.

O: “Lethargy Gives Way to Anger” also stands out. What was your source of inspiration?
Sergej: Instrumentally speaking, there was no specific source of inspiration for this song—just like with most of the others. The basic idea for the intro came to me spontaneously back then in the rehearsal room while the rest of the band was taking a smoke break. I developed the instrumental arrangement for the song based on that idea. After the intro, it was clear that the song created a special atmosphere, and I tried to maintain that throughout the entire song, while also incorporating some atypical sections to add variety.
Tim: Thanks to the music—which creates an incredible atmosphere all on its own in “Lethargy Gives Way to Rage”—writing the lyrics came easily to me here as well. The lyrics follow the story the music tells. It starts off slow, solemn, and sad. I tried to capture, right from the start, the feeling of lethargy and utter hopelessness that slowly becomes more and more unbearable and ultimately turns into rage. This rage is almost even harder to bear than the lethargy, but it comes with impulsive action and physical agitation. An outburst of violence that sweeps everything away. “Lethargy broken by rage, he lashes out at his life”—to me, that line epitomizes the song’s mood.

O: What really makes you angry?
Tim: Unfortunately, far too much to this day. Anger has been with me for a long time; it has sometimes helped me and often hurt me, and it will remain a part of me in the future as well. When lethargy takes hold of me, anger always creeps in pretty quickly too. But to answer the question: politics, social injustice, or when I fail at something definitely rank in the top three.

O: “Welk” ends on a atmospheric note with “Funkenspiel.” What was the idea behind that?
Tim: “Funkenspiel” is, in our opinion, the perfect closing track for the album. The chorus is catchy, the structure takes you on a journey, and the lyrics plunge you into an abyss. Musically, Sergej has delivered an incredible song. Lyrically, I tried to do my part. The chorus had me hooked from the start, and yet I still scrapped my first idea for the lyrics. Then the line “There’s no home left inside me” popped into my head, along with a memory of a short story I’d written when I was 20, in my run-down one-room apartment on the fourth floor of a large apartment building. I reread it and then incorporated that feeling and a few of the themes into the lyrics. The short story is about the feeling of inner emptiness and the brief but terrifying impulse to throw oneself in front of an oncoming train. In the lyrics, it’s mainly the inner emptiness that remains.

O: Are your lyrics more of a way for you to express specific thoughts, or do they stem more from images, moods, and emotions?
Tim: I always write my lyrics based on a feeling. Sometimes it just happens on its own; other times, I have to consciously pursue a specific feeling. On top of that, I’ve always tended to approach thoughts and feelings from a visual perspective. Images form quickly in my mind, and I often use metaphors in my everyday speech as well. Both of these things help me a lot to put those images into words that—I hope—are clear enough to bring them to life for the listeners without coming across as awkward or clumsy.

O: Your lyrics are in German. Why is that the right language for you, and was any other language ever considered?
Tim: That was never even a question for us. German is the language of my emotions; in it, I can say what I want to say without having to look for circumlocutions, synonyms, or translations. For me, it just feels more natural to express my thoughts and feelings in my native language.

Claudia Zinn-Zinnenburg

Lineup:
Tim – Vocals
Randy – Bass
Lars – Guitar
Oleg – Guitar
Godvaser – Drums

Listen to “Funkenspiel”: