Tanja & B. Black - Metal Platform Operators

 

Hello Burkhard. When exactly was Underground Metal Seekers (UMS) founded, who is behind it, and what motivated you to start the project?
B.: We are the driving force behind UMS. We started in October 2025, so we’re still pretty new, but we bring a lot of passion and experience to the table. I had my first metal band back in 1988. Then in 2018, I founded PINCH BLACK together with Laura. The idea for the UMS came when I met Tanja and we started promoting PINCH BLACK. We know how amazing, but also how challenging, the underground scene can be. And we love challenges. That’s why we launched this project. Besides reviews and band features, we also offer booking and promotion services for bands. And if that’s still not enough, bands can even get their merch produced through me. It definitely never gets boring!

With the word „underground“ you make the focus clear. Why do you focus on the underground and not established/big acts? How do you define the underground yourself?
B.: Because we know and love the underground. For me, it’s amazing to see all the great new bands coming up. The energy, the honesty, the raw sound - you almost only find that in the underground. On top of that, you’re much closer to the bands, everything feels more personal, and - which is also very important for many people nowadays - it’s still affordable. We don’t really have a strict definition of what „underground“ means. It’s difficult to define it by numbers or followers alone.

What do bands have to bring to the table to be supported by you? Are you also open to Punk, HC, Gothic, etc. or do you take a hard line when it comes to separation?
B.: For me, it’s important that I genuinely enjoy the music. I find it difficult to write something meaningful or passionate if I simply don’t like a band - and at the end of the day, this should be fun as well (Tanja does agree). At the moment, we mainly focus on metal. Of course, the boundaries can be pretty fluid sometimes. Thrash metal, for example, often includes a lot of punk elements. But overall, the main focus should definitely still be metal.

Release date: 28th of June, 2026
Instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/underground_metal_seekers/