Doomed Confessionary: Sebastian Schlenker (Atramentum)
Photos by Jan Ole Müller
Atramentum is a doom/death/black metal band from Hamburg, Germany. Founded in 2018, Atramentum consists of Julian Gricksch (drums), Oliver Dermann (guitar), Tim Stopar (guitar), Tobias Norff (bass) and Sebastian Schlenker (vocals).
Atramentum released their second full-length album »The Wrath Within« on January 24th, 2025. With a running time of 72 minutes, »The Wrath Within« has become a real mammoth work that is musically comparable to the debut album but pushes the boundaries further in all directions: The doomy parts are even more sustaining, the fast outbursts even angrier. If you listen closely, you will discover elements of doom, death and black metal as well as some influences from blues and rock n roll. On »The Wrath Within«, Sebastian Schlenker sings clean in some passages for the first time, which gives the album another exciting component.
Can you say a few words about your band?
Hey, thanks for the opportunity to do this interview. We formed in 2018 and have been pursuing the goal of bringing our music to the stage ever since. We’ve released two albums so far and are already working on tracks for our third album, for which we want to raise the bar even higher to keep pushing ourselves.
What was the biggest challenge for the band?
Besides the fact that it was quite difficult to put together a stable, musically committed group after the band’s formation, our biggest challenge was and remains finding concert opportunities. It takes a lot of time, dedication, and building relationships and contacts to secure performance opportunities.
Then, among the five band members who all work, we have to find a suitable date when everyone is available. Although we are absolutely passionate about music, sometimes it’s not possible to reschedule private or professional commitments. I think this challenge is understandable.
What can you be most proud of so far?
We’re incredibly proud of the two CDs we’ve released so far. We also personally love how the demand and audience since the release of new CD have developed. This, of course, also gives us great feedback. Even though we’re making the music we want to create, it’s also a great sign that we’re finding favor umungst many people with it.
What was your biggest regret?
Phew, that’s hard to say. I don’t think we really regret anything. We definitely chose the right people for mixing and mastering, and otherwise, we haven’t missed any huge opportunities or made any mistakes so severe that we should be sorry about them. So, all in all, we’re very satisfied.
What was the best concert/tour so far and why?
That was definitely at Marx (Markthalle – Hamburg). That was in January 2025. It was superbly organized, the place was sold out, and the crowd was in a really good mood. If you can say that for doom listeners. But everyone just went wild. It was really nice.
What was the biggest surprise on the music scene for you?
The biggest surprise of the music scene? Taylor Swift is packing stadiums all over the world. I’m surprised and shocked why metal bands aren’t doing the same. I mean, we all look great and make better, deeper music. I mean, come on. Joking aside, we don’t really want to become commercial. We like our musical niche and our audience much better. Support the underground!
What is currently in your heavy musical rotation?
I’m currently listening to the new stuff from Architects, Spiritbox, Nothing More, and In Flames. And I personally enjoy Paradise Lost in just about every situation in life.
What was the best advice you’ve ever been given as a musician?
Record your ideas. Stay on track. Always learn to gain new influences and inspiration. Always have fun doing it.
What are your guilty pleasures?
What I personally and socially find absolutely sad, and what I sometimes observe in myself, is that if you take your phone to the bathroom, you lose several hours of time a week that you could have used for more meaningful things.
What can you say about current music scene in Hamburg?
I’m not that familiar with the music scene. But our city has some real gems to offer. For a bit of name-dropping, here are a few recommendations: Endseeker, Taste of Greed, Rise of Kronos, Syndemic, Morbitory. Be sure to check them out if you haven’t heard of them yet.
Where can we see you live this year (concerts/tours)?
Our only confirmed gig for this year so far is a festival in Solingen, organized by members of Utter Silence. It is called Doomed to Death Festival. This is a real highlight for us, and we’re really looking forward to it.
What are your plans for the future as a band?
We want to release more music, play more shows, have more fun, and conquer the world… Think big… Haha.
We already have a lot of material in the pipeline for the next album. Now we just need to filter, refine, and polish it. So we’re pretty busy.
How can people best support your band?
The best way is to come to shows and take all the merch you can carry. Or you can stand at the bar at the concerts and enjoy as much beer as is healthily possible. You can also purchase the albums of any band you want to support through Bandcamp. This way, more of your money goes directly to the bands and not to some Swedish billionaire. Tell friends or acquaintances about good bands and share their links and posts. Of course, that also helps enormously in terms of generating reach these days.
Do you have any message for your listeners?
Don’t listen to politicians or leaders or to certain news reports that try to force an opinion on you. There are always multiple sides, and you have to form your own opinion of the bigger picture. Don’t let the Master of Puppets control you.
Life isn’t for waging war, but for letting your heart and ears feel. So pick up your favorite CD and listen to it from start to finish. Enjoy life.
Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well