(No secret, our Comrade Aleks favors doom above all other metal, and he shows special warmth for the the long-lived German band Naevus in the interview we now present with their vocalist Uwe Groebel, occasioned by the band’s new album Back Home.)
Thanks to Naevus‘ album Sun Meditation (1998), the band is remembered and revered among the more zealous fans of the European and especially German doom scene, alongside bands like Dawn of Winter and Mirror of Deception. Cathedral frontman Lee Dorian once praised the traditional and surprisingly human Sun Meditation, so the album was released on his own label, Rise Above.
This didn’t prevent Naevus from breaking up, and they only returned to the fold in 2012. Their fresh release Back Home is only the band’s third album, but the foursome has lost neither their dexterity nor their inspiration, so even the nine-year hiatus between this release and its predecessor Heavy Burden hasn’t affected the quality of the material.
Naevus continue to impress with their traditional and melodic heavy doom, which most of all invites comparisons to Trouble as a whole and their vocalist Eric Wagner (may he rest in peace) separately as part of his solo project Blackfinger. But while the voice of Naevus vocalist Uwe Groebel’s truly evokes Wagner’s vulnerability, his humanity, the instrumental side of Back Home is their strong part as well. The album boasts plenty of catchy riffs, haunting vocal melodies, and elegant guitar passages, evenly spaced throughout each song.
Naevus managed to get through all obstacles and recorded the new songs with the same lineup which worked on Sun Meditation a quarter of a century ago: Sven Heimerdinger (bass, vocals), Mathias Strauf (drums), Oliver Grosshans (guitars), and Uwe Groebel (vocals, guitars). And you know what? We done an interview with Uwe recently.
photo by Benjamin Hölle
Hi Uwe! How are you? What’s going on in your den?
Hey hey. We are happy to have finally released the Back Home album on Dying Victims Production.
The release of that third album Back Home was scheduled on September 19th — how did you support it?
Well, we did a Release Party in Stuttgart with a Patrick Walker (Warning/ 40 Watt Sun) Solo Acoustic Show. We’ve known Patrick for such a long time, since the tape trading times in the mid ’90s. So we both felt it was a good idea to have him as a very special guest for the Release Party. For more, we still need to figure it out. Mathias plays in Sacred Steel as well and they are playing in October/ November. 2026 will be a bit busier, I guess. We’re all involved in family and business action so won’t be able to tour extensively.
Back in 2017 you said that the band was already writing songs for a 12″ EP, that you had two leftovers from the recording session with some special guest vocals, and so on. What prevented you from producing it after all? Were these songs included in the new album?
We didn‘t find a proper platform to give it a good release. One song got on a German stoner rock compilation on bandcamp. But I am not sure if this was supported enough or got any attention. For now we have leftovers from the actual album as well, so we already think of a new release for 2026/2027 with all these songs. Then some more new stuff, et voilà – a new record.
The artwork by Roland Scriver is the same as you had eight years ago too, isn’t it?
That’s correct. I like the art Roland is doing – also he’s a friend – so why don’t we support each other. We like the ideas to do gatefolds and this art is predestined for this kind of format on vinyl.
What do you put in the album’s name? What kind of return do you mean?
Back Home – interpretations welcome. For me it’s a safe place. A place to come home where you want to settle down. In safety and security. Where you can release tension and build strength and positivity again. But also after thirty years in the band it feels like coming home because the music all came together naturally.
How much did it take to complete the recording? Did you make it in a few separate sessions? Or did you have the luxury to finish everything at once?
We wanted to record live because I thought we could reproduce the band’s energy. But we didn’t find a studio where we could record together for the time we wanted it. So Mathias on drums had a recording session with Sacred Steel and said this engineer is doing a wonderful job. So two weeks later we started recording drums. And it worked perfectly. Benjamin Hölle (Ben Hell) is a musician, drummer, and photographer. He knows what to do and he did a great job. And also, we had a lot of fun while recording. Bass/ guitars and vocals were done separately. Also, in a different studio with friends. Hölle did the mix and mastering and we are all happy with the result.
Can you compare the new material with Heavy Burden or even Sun Meditation? How much did you develop your style since then?
A lot of time has passed since the first recordings. Several experiences, changes in musical tastes, and widening our personalities. So I guess the first recordings where the first steps we did as a young band back then. Today for Heavy Burden and Back Home we can rely on good song-writing, putting together good riffs and melodies, and having a sense for personal lyrics and not about psychedelic dragons only. So it would all be a bit intimate. We’re good friends and it’s great to stand with the other guys on the same stage. With the same kind of humor.
These songs have that distinctive “humanistic” vibe, as Naevus differs from a lot of doom metal bands with its “non-wicked” attitude. It’s hard to find more bands of that kind besides probably Wall of Sleep (Hungary) or Void Moon (Sweden), and it reminds me of Trouble to some degree. So why did you choose this way instead of singing widespread stuff about deviltry or practice yourself in pure misery?
I turned 50 this year. Since my early childhood I had a good life. Not everything was harmless but I think it worked out great. All my lyrics are very personal these days. For example, “Ghost”. It’s about the horrible death of my only 29-year-old nephew. So there is enough chaos and craziness around you to write about. Music is something that should cheer you up and give you a good feeling. For me melancholic stuff always gave me strength and I felt love. So I try to give this forward to others.
Once you recalled how you played shows in front of 20 people in local youth centers in the ’90s. Did you play live more after the release of your second album Heavy Burden in 2016?
Quite irregular. As mentioned above we’re involved in family and business duties. But we try as often as we get offered a show to play. It’s a great feeling standing on stage. Of course, still nervous. That’s what the song “Naked” is about.
Naevus doesn’t play often, and Back Home is your third full-length album since 1991. What inspired you to return to the band from time to time?
We’re in steady conversation. At the moment we’re really looking forward to 2026. And maybe we’re doing another recording next year for a possible new release.
What are your further plans for the rest of 2025?
Not much. We play a show in December in Essen At Turock and we plan for 2026.
Thanks so much for giving us the possibility to write about our music. See you hopefully soon.