Massive thank you to WitcheR for taking time out to sit down and chat with The Riff Report Blog 🤘🔥
Top-tier band, top-tier vibes, and proper graft behind the scenes. We appreciate you letting us poke around your riffs, stories, and chaos — absolute legends, mun.
Go give WitcheR your ears, your support, and a loud cheer next time you see them live.
Big love from the Riff Report crew 🖤🎸🍻
🔮General / Band Identity
WitcheR feels less like a band and more like a ritual. At what point did you realise this project needed to exist in its own shadowy space rather than following traditional black metal paths?
That’s a truly flattering statement, thank you! Honestly, it wasn’t a conscious decision on our part; it simply evolved that way. You could say it comes from instinct when we start writing songs. Already with our very first demo, 16 years ago, it became clear that we weren’t following the traditional black metal path, yet everything that black metal stands for is still present in our music.
Your music leans heavily into atmosphere, patience, and mood rather than sheer aggression. Was that an intentional rebellion against genre expectations, or just where the songs naturally led?
This wasn’t a conscious decision at all either. It simply comes naturally to us. Fast tempos don’t really suit most of our songs. Although there are tracks that are exceptions, overall our music tends to lean toward a more doom-like approach when it comes to tempo. These dream-like melodies demand it, that’s what they require from us.
Hungary has a rich history of folklore and mysticism — how much does your cultural background feed into WitcheR’s sound and visual world?
As much as possible. The past, traditions, and folklore are extremely important to us, and in Hungary you don’t have to look far for mysticism. In fact, where we live now – a very small village – there was still a living belief in witches just a few decades ago!
The name WitcheR carries weight — magic, ritual, cycles, danger. What does the name personally mean to you both?
When The Witcher video game was released back then, Karola and I really loved it. It’s no secret that it inspired our name as well. Over time, however, it took on a life of its own and began to carry more and more weight as we gradually incorporated the concept of witchcraft into our music. Today, WitcheR no longer represents just a band name for us – it represents our life, our shared creation, our child.
🕰️ Öröklét (Eternity, Cycles, Time)
Öröklét explores time, repetition, and the idea that nothing truly disappears. What first sparked this thematic obsession?
Mostly, it’s the spiritual development we’ve experienced since the beginning of WitcheR. We live in a place where we can feel the power of nature and the forests every day. For us, the forest – walking through it, photographing or filming in it – isn’t a black metal cliché; it’s a part of our lives. And when you observe the cycles of nature, you realize that human life follows the same patterns – we just pass ourselves on differently, we are reborn in another way.
The title track’s video was created across an entire year — how did living with the song through the seasons change your relationship with it?
It was a very fascinating journey for us. We prepared for every witchcraft-related celebration and went out into nature to fully immerse ourselves in this spiritual journey. The whole process was so mystical that we photographed and filmed everything. Then, when the cycle came full circle and we reviewed the footage, the song Öröklét was complete. The two immediately became intertwined!
Do you see Öröklét as a concept album, or more as a collection of moments bound together by feeling rather than narrative?
A bit of both. It’s a concept album, as every song essentially revolves around the same theme and expresses the same ideas, but we don’t tell a single, continuous story across the entire record. Instead, we present multiple stories from the same perspective.
Black metal often fixates on destruction or negation — WitcheR seems more interested in continuity and return. Is that a philosophical stance?
Absolutely. Destruction and ruin aren’t our thing; we’re more interested in creating and bringing things into being.
🥁 Roland Neubauer (drum programming, guitars, vocals)
Your drum programming feels organic and ritualistic rather than mechanical. How do you approach programming in a way that still breathes and pulses like a living thing?
Before WitcheR, I spent years drumming. If I practiced, I could easily perform the album tracks live, but I don’t see the point, because I can achieve the same results in MIDI as I could behind a drum kit. Since I know which patterns can be played on drums and what makes drumming feel human, it’s relatively simple for me to program it.
As someone handling guitars and vocals alongside drums, how do you balance density without overwhelming the atmosphere?
Every song is alive, and each one tells us what it needs to fully come to life. We have very clear ideas about how a WitcheR song should sound, so we always know where and what is needed to achieve the desired final result.
Your vocal delivery often feels distant, almost ghost-like. Is that a stylistic choice to serve the themes of memory and time?
Yes. Until the Lélekharang album, we didn’t consider vocals very important in WitcheR, but everything changed there – partly because Karola also started singing, which gave us another creative opportunity. However, vocals aren’t as prominent in our music as in other bands, which is why we mix them slightly into the background and give them a ghostly quality.
When writing, do riffs come first, or do you build songs from mood and texture upward?
Neither. Every song starts with Karola bringing a beautiful melody, and everything else grows from that. Once we roughly select the melodies for each song, the guitar parts come next. Occasionally, a guitar riff may inspire a lead melody, but that’s the exception rather than the rule.
🎹 Karola Gere (keyboards, vocals)
The keyboards in WitcheR don’t just decorate — they guide the listener. How do you approach creating such immersive sonic landscapes?
Exactly. In our case, the foundation of every song comes from the keyboard parts. Sometimes they bring in strings, other times brass, but the essential thing is to have a great melody. Karola usually literally dreams them up, and since she’s a trained musician, she writes them down in notation. When we assemble the songs, all we have to do is pick the best ones.
Your vocal presence adds an otherworldly duality to the music. How do you decide when vocals should emerge versus dissolve into the mix?
This is completely instinctive as well. Once the song comes together, it usually becomes clear where and when vocals should appear, where they should take center stage, and where they should retreat into the background. Here, too, instinct guides us.
Do you see your role as storyteller, atmosphere-builder, or something closer to a ritual guide?
If I had to choose from these, then I’d say atmosphere-builder.
Are there any non-metal influences — classical, folk, ambient — that quietly shape your keyboard work?
Karola is definitely strongly influenced by classical music. As I mentioned, she’s a trained musician with a university degree, has been playing piano since childhood, and knows, listens to, and loves classical music. In addition, folk music has also had a significant, though more subconscious, influence on both her and me.
🕯️ Visuals, Ritual & Nature
The visuals around WitcheR — especially the Öröklét video — are deeply tied to nature and pagan symbolism. How important is authenticity when portraying these rituals?
Not at all. The beauty of witchcraft lies in the fact that everyone performs rituals in their own way – if they perform them at all. Of course, we adhere to certain traditions, but even in this regard, we very much follow our own path.
Was there ever a concern about romanticising or misrepresenting ancient traditions, or did the process feel more like personal interpretation?
We don’t worry about that at all. We practice and adopt many elements from ancient traditions according to our own vision. We respect our ancestors, but we don’t copy them—and the same applies to our music. We never wanted to be just another Mayhem copy, because there are already plenty of those.
Nature feels like a silent third member of the band. Do you compose differently depending on seasons, weather, or environment?
That’s such a beautiful observation and phrasing, thank you! The weather and the seasons have a strong influence on us and our songs. For example, we always start writing each album during the winter, which naturally sets the calm and intimate atmosphere that characterizes our music.
🔥 Looking Forward
WitcheR feels deliberately elusive. Is that something you want to preserve as the project grows?
Absolutely. We love our fans, but there are boundaries. I’ve noticed that I don’t like getting to know my heroes, and I don’t want to, because that can lead to disappointment. We want a little mystery to surround us, like the black metal bands of the ’90s. We have our own lives, but that’s only our business; we won’t be sharing it on social media.
Do you see this project translating to a live setting, or does WitcheR belong primarily to solitary listening and introspection?
We get asked about this a lot, and we receive many invitations—even from major festivals. It’s extremely flattering, but WitcheR isn’t suited for live performance, nor do we really desire the stage. In fact, I’d even say our music isn’t meant for the stage. Some songs might work live, but the project is primarily a solitary and intimate journey… That said, I don’t completely rule out performing WitcheR live one day.
Having completed Öröklét, do you feel a sense of closure — or has it opened the door to even darker, stranger territory?
The latter. The album has opened up many new paths for us, and we can’t wait to step onto them. The new album is already well underway, and anyone who has enjoyed our music so far won’t be disappointed next time either!
⚡ Quickfire (because chaos is healthy)
Dawn or dusk?
Dusk.
Forest, mountain, or ruins?
Forest and mountain!
Candlelight or total darkness?
Candlelight.
One word to describe WitcheR’s future.
Determination.
📲 FOLLOW THE WITCHER COVEN
If you’re not following Witcher already, sort your life out. Here’s where to keep tabs on them:
- Facebook: Witcher Official – https://www.facebook.com/witcherband/
- Instagram: @witcherband – https://www.instagram.com/witcherbandofficial/
- YouTube: Witcher Official – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEsJ0gvIp7gKv5SljsgJX4g
- Spotify: Witcher – https://open.spotify.com/artist/1C9ErpFV88XztoqUPESRRb
- Bandcamp (Music + Merch): https://witcherband.bandcamp.com
Music, visuals, updates, and the occasional dose of dark fantasy fuel — it’s all there 🖤
