Picture by Micha Gröger, Retouched by Ju Riquelme
From humble beginnings in a garage in Oldenburg in 2005, Craving has evolved into a powerful presence in the extreme metal world.
They launched their journey with a trilogy of albums: the self-titled album in 2012, “At Dawn” in 2013 and “By the Storm” in 2016, which were critically acclaimed.
And now, In 2023 the band is ready to unveil the next chapter of their musical story with the release of their latest masterpiece, “Call of the Sirens”.
Nestled in the northern and eastern regions of Germany, Craving masterfully blends elements of black metal, death metal, and traditional metal to craft a unique genre of their own.
Dubbed as “Epic Extreme Metal”, this sound is characterized by its versatility and dynamic range, while never losing sight of its driving force: a relentless and melodic brutality.
Picture by Micha Gröger, Retouched by Ju Riquelme
Ivan Chertov – Guitars & Vocals
Born on the 23rd of June, 1986 in Saint Petersburg, Russia, Ivan moved to Germany with his parents at a young age. He took a genuine swan dive into the local metal scene, and formed the band called Craving in 2005 with three other members.
After getting his bachelor’s degree at the University of Applied Sciences in Emden, on the murky, cold northern fringes of Germany, he already had some experience with media technology, being the main man behind several of his band’s videos and playing an active role during the recording and mixing sessions of the albums. Ivan has also worked on videos for the instrument and equipment webstore Thomann, YouTuber Glenn Fricker as well as the recording tutor website Produce like a Pro.
Beside all that, Ivan is no stranger to audio design either, having worked on material for the Wanja Gröger Drum School.
He is currently residing on the northern edge of Bavaria, in the picturesque Frankonian university town of Bamberg.
Jonas Papmeier – Guitars
Hailing from the cultural hub of Hamburg, Jonas Papmeier stands as a premier talent among guitar players in the city.
With over 20 years of classical guitar training, Jonas possesses a formidable skill set, equally adept at playing both classical and electric guitar with a precision akin to that of a clock’s.
Previously, Jonas played alongside Wanja Gröger in the acclaimed Epic Pagan Metal band Alétrun, participating in the recordings of the band’s two released records.
In late 2016, Jonas was recruited by Craving, marking his recording debut on their brand new album, “Call of the Sirens.
Picture by Micha Gröger, Retouched by Ju Riquelme
Picture by Micha Gröger, Retouched by Ju Riquelme
Wanja Gröger – Drums
Hailing from Hamburg, Germany, Wanja Gröger has established himself as a prominent and accomplished metal drummer in the German scene.
Marking over 60000 subscribers and 12,5 million views on his YouTube Channel, Wanja as well holds the unofficial world record for playing blast beats for a continuous 20 minutes at a speed of 250 beats per minute.
In 2016, he was recruited by Craving to join their European tour, as a replacement for the drummer who had sustained a back injury.
With his debut on “Call of the Sirens”, Wanja brought the band’s drumming to a whole new level.
In addition, Wanja is also a member of the acclaimed Norwegian epic extreme metal band Keep of Kalessin, and has previously played drums for the Hamburg-based black metal band Negator.
As well as running his own online drum school focused on extreme metal drumming.