Interview By: www.metal-sound.net

COVER ARTWORKS: Gragoth / December 2010

MS: If I am not so wrong this is one of the rare times that we have one opportunity to do interview with one cover artist. I think that so far we have done only one more interview with cover artist. So, Gragoth is one new cover painter and web designer. He is mainly focused on extreme metal bands: Black and Death Metal based groups. As you are going to learn though this interview he is doing many things like logos, covers web or myspace design.

MS: Hello! Please, can you for the beginning for the interview introduce yourself to our readers? If I am not wrong you are doing, aside of cover artworks, also designs for the websites as well as designing of booklets, myspace, logos etc...

G: Hello! I´m Jair Ugalde A.K.A. Gragoth, I create artwork for extreme metal bands, specially BM.

MS: When and how did you start to listen Heavy Metal? Who were your first bands that you've started with? What are you present favorite groups?
G:The first Band that I remember and that was an inspiration for me is "Emperor". They really inspired me enough to take the metal world seriously and from there I started being a designer.

MS: It was clearly noticeable that you are mainly devoted to Extreme Metal music (Black and Death Metal and all in between). So, will you accept an order if it comes from any other band that is more focused on Power or Heavy Metal?
G: Yes, I do and will work for any band that is interested in my work, but they got to be in the metal range.

MS: How are you working with the bands? I mean, are the bands order you some kind of cover artwork by their idea or wish or you have some sort of the catalogue where the artists could just pick up some already finished covers?
G: I can say that I work with both, I sometimes work with the concepts that my clients have in mind and some others like the covers that I already have in my catalogue.

MS: What is your main source of inspiration? Do you have some favorite cover artists inside metal genre? Also, do you have some favorite painters outside metal genre?
G: My favorite illustrators in the metal genre are Kris Verwimp and Kristian Wahlin, outside of Metal I do enjoy the artwork of Gustave Dore, H.R. Giger and Joseph Vargo.

MS: I easily noticed that you are more oriented to this sort of modern, or so called ''computer'' design. But, have you ever done or wanted to done one painted cover in the old fashion way?
G: Yes, my technique can be more digital oriented but in the future one of my goals is to develop more old fashion technique, once I do that I might stay in working that way.

MS: Could you name few bands that you have already a chance to work with? Could you also choose any favorite cover artwork that you have done so far?
G: I have worked for bands like Daemonolith, Naberius, Immolith, Gates of Enoch, Chaosworn, etc...one of my favorite covers that I´ve done was for a BM Band "Viscera" they are from USA and the cover was called "Pestilent Aeons".

MS: As we have already spoken you are also doing other following stuff as well. As a matter of fact you are designing booklets and you are doing also logos and emblems, too. Is it so different where you are doing cover comparing when you are doing one logo for the band?
G: I consider creating logos more difficult... why? A logo is something that is gonna represent a certain Band maybe for they whole career and sometimes is quite difficult to really nail their perspective and what they want to express with it some bands are quite simplistic but other want something really deep and intricate.

MS: Plus, you are doing designing for myspace pages and websites as well. Please, can you give us any link for the bands that you have worked so far? Are you adding some kind of paintings on these sites or are you just design the pages?
G: Generally I make the whole design, artwork, codes for the websites and their myspace´s page, even though now creating that for myspace won´t be the same, with so many changes, most of the bands that are using myspace for promotion or to get known are not happy with it.

MS: Aside from the music field do you get some inspiration from the books or the movies? What kind of movies do you like to watch or books to read?
G: It’s not really a fount of inspiration but I do enjoy watching movies and reading something about New world order, Luciferism or Occultism, themes that are easily found sometimes subliminally in movies and books now days. Can you name your favorite covers from the other cover painters? Top list of 5 favorite covers would work fine!

1- Scattered Ashes: A Decade of Emperial Wrath EMPEROR, artwork used as cover by: Gustave Dore 2- To Mega Therion CELTIC FROST by: H. R. Giger 3- In the Nightside Eclipse EMPEROR by: Kristian Wahlin 4- The Secrets of the Black Arts DARK FUNERAL by: Kristian Wahlin 5- Hope Dies MISERY’S OMEN by: Kris Verwimp

MS: And the final questions: do you have a wish to do a cover artwork for some bands that are in your list of favorite ones? Which are those bands?
G: Well maybe one day I’ll enjoy working for any of these bands: Rotting Christ, Ex deo, Turisas...Actually there’s a bunch of bands that I’ll like to work with hehehe

I would like to thank you for your time and effort to answer my questions. I wish you all the best! Please, could you leave just your webpage link so that interesting people and bands can contact you?

G: Thanks for your interest and here is my website: www.luciferiumwargraphics.com Horns!!