If you’re striving for some kind of definition, a tangible framework to build your perception around, sorry: not even the band quite knows what a Hippotraktor is. On the eve of the Belgium-based post-metal purveyor’s sophomore album Stasis concrete answers are nowhere to be found. Lucky for us impression will suffice: massive, rolling tsunami waves of riffs, undulating groove and a penchant for twisted syncopations and low-end thundering. Small wonder they’re on Pelagic, then. The band have been a big hit here in the 9C offices since their debut Meridian in 2021, and as evidenced by the coffee stains and cigarette burns now adorning the promo like a ritual garment (what, you don’t get your promos in the physical post festooned with stamps and colored ribbons like we do?) the new one isn’t going to leave our stereos anytime soon. Guitarist Chiaran Verheyden and vocalist Stefan de Graef sat down (we think…maybe they stood) to answer the Nine Circles Profile questions. Check it out below and get ready for Stasis when it comes out this Friday.

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How and when did you first get into playing music, or metal more specifically, and how did your band get its start? Any pushback from family/those close to you?

I started making music when I was eight, I think. Firstly, the piano (which I hated, but had a talent for apparently), and after the guitar, when I was eleven years old. There was some pushback from the people close to me, certainly after I declared I wanted to be a musician for real. You know, as a job. Today I get why there was pushback, though. But I persisted anyway. HIPPOTRAKTOR started in 2017 as an instrumental three-piece. In 2019 Stefan and Sander joined as vocalists, and the real HIPPOTRAKTOR was born.

How would you describe your band and what you play to someone who is completely in the dark?

Grooves and atmospheres. Hard-hitting but comforting when you need it to be. Intense music that evokes energy and adrenaline which is designed to grab your attention and make you sink into everything that’s happening.

Is there one (or more) thing about your upcoming album or about your band that no one will find in any interview or review that you care to divulge?

Chiaran: I think Dido’s “No Angel” is absolutely perfect.
Stefan: We still don’t know what a Hippotraktor is.

Any funny stories from playing shows / tours / festivals, etc?

Last year we played Arctangent Festival in the UK. We went on a 27-hour trip from Belgium to the UK and back. I left before my girlfriend had to leave for work and when I came back, she was already gone again. Apparently the Brits had decided to plan highway construction during our trip, so what would have taken about 3 hours took us some 8 hours. Good times!

What do you see as some of the great things happening in and around the metal scene (yours or just in general) and what are some of the worst things happening right now?

The best thing is that we collectively keep making music, even if the odds are against us. Metal fans are extremely loyal and our fans support us every step of the way. I don’t think there are many other genres where the connection between the artist and the audience is so tangible and important. The bad thing is that we’re not really getting paid. Unless you’re Beyoncé or whatever.

Most folks have passions for a cause or causes that are close to them. What, if any, are some of the most important issues (social/political/humorous/etc.) for you / your band and how do you insert those issues into your music?

I’m certainly no expert, but I feel as if we’re collectively valuing the wrong things. I don’t think working 80 hours per week is the answer. I don’t think our ultimate goal should be to maximise our individual self-interest and to live as competitors. Our music is designed to appeal to our primitive nature and creative mind and it helps us get through the modern rat race. It affirms our connection to something larger than ourselves and is a way of letting go of frustrations as well as making us feel something.

Do you guys have day jobs or hobbies you want to share?

Apparently, music is the hobby. All of us have fulltime day jobs that have nothing to do with music except for Chiaran who is a studio engineer/producer. Lander is an extremely skilled construction worker, Jakob is an engineer with a PhD, Kristof works at a bank and Stefan is a language teacher. Aside from music, we love doing dumb things together, joking around but also talking about all aspects of life and humanity on a more philosophical level.

What advice do you have for music critics and outlets out there? How can we all better serve the genre in the eyes of a hard-working musician?

Most of you are doing a great job, I appreciate your time and effort. It’s certainly no easy feat to wade through the enormous amounts of music being created and/or uploaded each day.

Any specific long term goal(s) in mind?

Doing what we do, but hopefully more of this on bigger stages and in front of bigger crowds. We just want to write and perform our music as much as we can and make people feel something.

When you’re not obsessing over your own material, what are some of your favorite albums to listen to currently?

I recently discovered a band called Vulkan, I think their album “Technatura” is incredible! Ibrahim Maalouf’s new single “Fly With Me” also hits just the right spot. We’re also very much loving the new The Ocean album – “Holocene.” It has some of the best vocal melodies we’ve ever heard and it has inspired Stefan greatly.

What is the near future outlook for you or your band? Any specific events on the horizon that the masses should be aware of?

We’re playing our “Stasis” release show on the 7th of June at Ancienne Belgique in Brussels, that’s a big milestone for sure. Also, we’re playing Kansas Metal Fest in Spain for the first time this summer, which is something we’re very much looking forward to.

Summarize your band in one word.

Towering.

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Many thanks to Hippotraktor for the time!

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Stasis is out on Friday, June 7 through Pelagic Records. To stay in touch with Hippotraktor, give them a follow on Facebook.