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Interview: Oscar Carlquist – RAM

Posted on February 26, 2012 by Daniel Aston

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Swedish extreme metal band RAM return to the spotlight with their third full length album, Death, this year and it has already been met with much critical acclaim. The band creates a high-octane blend of heavy metal whilst still being conscious of their classic roots, something vocalist Oscar Carlquist passionately believes should remain in today’s metal scene. I interview the frontman to uncover more on the background of the new record and where they aim to take their music.

Daniel Aston: Are you pleased with the reception that the new album ‘Death’ has received so far?

Oscar Carlquist: Yeah sure, you prefer good reviews over bad of course, the fans seem to like the new stuff very much as well. So it’s all good, but I try to keep my head cool, I don’t want to have a ghost in my head when it’s time to make a new album.

DA: How did the creation of this album differ from previous releases?

OC: We had more fun making it, we put ourselves in a more relaxed state, and we worked the songs out really fast so suddenly we had songs for an album without really trying to write one. We wrote a lot of the material for Death in our rehearsal space mainly we will work in a quieter environment have a cup of coffee but this one was written with the adrenaline pumping.

DA: What inspired the lyrical content of this album?

OC: Mainly the weakness of western man from a philosophical point of view, we have eradicated the threat of death in our environment and prolonged life to the extent that western man is acting as if death does not exist at all, this hypocrisy taints everything she does and through generations it has created a black hole, a philosophical void, the opens up for more lies and corruption.

DA: The artwork for the new record is very striking, what’s the story behind that?

OC: Well it is a modern take on the apocalypse, as I see it when the world does end even the laws of physics will be dissolved , this was what I was aiming to depict.

DA: For those out there who aren’t familiar with your music is there a particular track on the new release that stands out from the rest that they should check out?

OC: The album should be experienced in its full glory, it is a quite diverse and schizoid piece of work, one track is there to be in contrast to the other so I really do believe that it should be heard from first track till last.

DA: What are the plans for touring this year?

OC: They are in the planning stages, too early to say anything yet.

DA: Who would you cite as RAM’s main musical influences?

OC: Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Mercyful Fate, Old Scorpions, MSG, Accept it goes on and but mainly stuff recorded in the 70s and 80s.

DA: How do you think the current metal scene compares with previous generations?

OC: It has its strength and weaknesses, for a band like us who are very influenced with the Old-School stuff it’s really nice to have a perspective and overall vision of what was really going on back then, we can go back and concentrate on what we feel was the strongest aspects of our influences. But a big problem with today’s scene is the aspect of decay, metal has been around for a really long time now and decay is creeping in, bands and fans have to be aware of and defend the original fundaments that metal stand upon, to curate the virus of mainstream contamination in how music is written and images are being handled. Metal has to stay subversive or it will die.

DA: What’s next for the band?

OC: Reaping the strange fruits of Death

Interview: Allen Tvedebrink – The Kandidate

Posted on January 18, 2012 by Daniel Aston

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Danish thrash-metallers The Kandidate ready the release of their highly anticipated second album Facing the Immanent Prospect of Death and it promises to be another dose of high octane heavy metal! The band have worked hard on developing their sound, incorporating a ‘more diverse and powerful’ approach from the new line up. I talked to guitarist Allen Tvedebrink about the band’s transition from their debut release, their musical influences that have helped define this album and his take on the current musical climate.

Daniel Aston: What can fans expect from your upcoming second album Facing the Imminent Prospect of Death?

Allen Tvedebrink: An energetic, sombre and intense album. Those familiar with our debut will hear that a few things have happened since then. Until We Are Outnumbered was a half hour furious kick in the balls, which really got this band fired up. On the new album you will experience a more diverse and powerful band and a dark malicious atmosphere.

DA: Did the writing process and creation of this new record differ from your debut?

AT: Yeah, but not much. KB and I still write the majority of the material. The really big difference is that NP and Jacob care more than the previous members of the bands, that they’ve replaced. They are actively involved in the arrangements and in that effort and in their playing/singing style, they have a great impact in how and what KB and I are writing.

DA: Where did you gather inspiration for the new material?

AT: Hmm… Inspiration. A hard thing to pinpoint to certain things or artists. We dig and love the same bands and of course we get a lot of inspiration from them, but I think that also everyday life and the stuff you think about and reflect on have a great impact on you as a human being and therefore also the creativity. As I kinda mentioned before, the qualities and talent of the band members has also been a major contributor as a creative unit.

DA: Is there a moment or song on the album that the band are particularly proud of?

AT: Well, that kinda changes day by day. But the overall thing that I’m most proud of on this recording is the correlation of the music, the sound and the lyrics, which for me have resulted in a very special atmosphere.

DA: Give Up All Hope from your debut record was released as the band’s first official music video, can we expect a follow up from the new album?

AT: We are actually working on that as we speak. We have been a bit back and forth with the guys producing it and as it seems right now, it will be something pretty special. But it’s all too early to say anything really, as we haven’t decided on the concept and that might change, and so might the song we picked…

DA: What is your opinion on today’s metal scene and how do you feel The Kandidate fits into that?

AT: I think the metal scene is strong. The diversity and availability have never been greater than now. That speaks to me as a proof of the great demand and amount of fans and followers. The industry may not be as good as it used to be in the term of profit, but to me that was never what music is all about, it’s about artists wanting to express themselves and the audience seeking that.
I love that there are so many talented bands out there. Of course there are a lot of really crappy bands if you ask me, but luckily we all have different preferences and with all the bands around it’s just exiting to go hunting for those special gems. I love that a lot of them has their own expression and that they are serious about their music and touring and playing live.
I believe that we have our own expression and sound and that we are doing our own thing adding to the diversity I’m talking about, and we have the quality to stand out as one of the stronger bands despite we are an underground act.

DA: When would you say was the ‘golden era’ of metal?

AT: I think that there are a lot of different golden eras of metal. As you can probably imagine, I’d like to believe we are in one right now. There were other eras that were golden for the record companies and the bands earning good money on what they do. The bigger bands still do that, but the golden aspect of present time is the availability of the art. Lots and lots of bands are touring and this is where the bands are earning their money nowadays, where you can just download or stream whatever you like. The golden thing about present time is that metal is more recognised be the society and that the fan base is growing and supporting the bands at concerts instead of spending their money on albums.

DA: Do you think new bands struggle in today’s music scene with the current state of the music industry?

AT: I don’t think that bands are struggling more today than earlier. It’s a different struggle but also with a lot of tools that we didn’t have 20 years ago. Modern technology and the especially the internet have made it possible for even the most crappy bands to produce and distribute their offer to the whole world. I guess you can say that bands competed and struggled to earn the favour of record companies where today we compete and struggle to earn the favour of the fans, which to me seem more right.

DA: What advice would you give to bands starting out?

AT: To believe in what you are doing and earn the respect of the fans and other musicians. Grow your network and your relations, and also – and maybe most important – be your own biggest critic! It takes effort and hard work to grow as an artist, but it also takes a great amount of self awareness to succeed. Be yourself and dare to make a difference.

DA: Who would you cite as the band’s main musical influences?

AT: We all listen to many different styles and artists, but of course we also share the same preferences in metal, which combines in our sound. For me, it’s everything from Foreigner over Dream Theater to Autopsy, but I guess that the common denominator for all of us is bands like Entombed, Disfear, Trap Them.

DA: Are there plans for a tour this year, if so where are you going to be playing?

AT: We are going to tour a bit in our home country Denmark, and we are going to China in April. We are working on summer festivals at the moment and we are hopefully going to tour Europe in the fall, and I believe it’s going to happen, but I have no clue where it will take us… Hopefully also UK! We had a blast when we went there with Rotten Sound last year.

DA: If you could only take three albums to a desert island, what would they be and why?

AT: Oh shit, that is a tough one… It would definitely be an Entombed album. If I had to choose, I guess it would be Morning Star, it’s gotta be my favourite all round album by them. I listen to Entombed every week, and I’d hate to live without them. Another classic of mine – and maybe my favourite album that I just keep coming back to – is Slaughter of the Soul by At The Gates. I’ll never get tired of hearing that. It’s got the perfect mix of melody and aggression and fucking brilliant song writing. Last one would be an old hard rock classic of AC/DC, Thin Lizzy or Black Sabbath. Hmm, today I’d probably go with Back in Black.

Interview: Kirk Backarach – Iron Fire

Posted on January 12, 2012 by Daniel Aston

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Danish metal band Iron Fire prepare to release their seventh studio album on January 27^th (Europe) and February 7^th (USA) and it will be the third consecutive release for the present line up. The band has seen its fair share of ups and downs over the years with shifting line-ups and clashes with record companies testing the strength of the group’s foundations. However, they now set themselves up to release what is their most anticipated album to date, Voyage of the Damned, via Metal Blade Records. I spoke to guitarist Kirk Backarach to find out more about the upcoming record and discover more behind the roots of the band and what the future holds for their fans.

Daniel Aston: What can fans expect from your forthcoming album, Voyage of the Damned?

Kirk Backarach: With “Voyage of the Damned” You can expect an album like no other Iron Fire album before it. It’s an epic space adventure, with a horror twist, it is also the most eary and symphonic album we’ve done so far, as well as it’s the most well written, I think. And to top it all off we have guest appearances from legendary vocalists such as Nils K. Rue from Pagan’s Mind and Dave Ingram from Benediction.

DA: You’ve fought hard to get where you are today and have overcome many hurdles including consistent line-up changes, how did you find the making of this record compared to the ones previous?

KB: To me this have been one of the most calm and easy going albums, production wise, we’ve done so far, because for the first time we had a good amount of time on our hands to finish things before the different deadlines. Of course… Like always we did some arrangements and some rearrangements in the studio, in the last minute, but this is however how it always is.

DA: This is the current line-up of the band’s third consecutive record together, how does this line-up compare with previous ones?

KB: The current line-up is by far the most effective, when it comes to arranging. With the ones before we tended to choose the easy way out, or just to play it safe instead of going into long arguments about how we each would like it to be. With this line-up I’m sure you will hear on the new album, that we’ve spend a lot of time in rehearsals, to get a little extra detail in the arrangements and variations.

DA: Is there a particular song or moment on this record that the band is particularly proud of?

KB: As a band we are very proud of what we’ve achieved with the new album in its entirety. For my own personal part I’d like to mention the title track Voyage of the Damned. That track in particular have exceeded all of my expectations, because of its structure and the grandeur of the extensive arrangement / orchestral score. Very epic.

DA: You know how hard it can be for a band to get a record deal, with the state of the music industry
today how do you think new bands will be able to cope and achieve their dreams?

KB: Maybe they should try to think a little more out of the box… And I think that in this day and age you have to be extremely persistent and devoted to achieving your goals. This is where the most bands nowadays fail. Otherwise the possibilities of exposure are almost limitless, with the help of the social medias and networks we have today you really can achieve a lot.

DA: What are your plans to tour the new album?

KB: Currently we don’t have any decisive plans, but something will happen, that’s for sure.

DA: There’s no disputing Iron Fire’s dedication and hard work ethic with your string of consecutive releases over the past few years, when and where does the band find time to write new material?

KB: At the moment we are two songwriters in the band, Steene and me (Kirk), I don’t know what Steene does to make things happen.
For me in the early days music was always like an addiction, so I didn’t have any second thoughts about spending a lot of time writing or practising. Nowadays we set a time frame… Let’s say one month, then we both agree that when this month has passed, we both will have to bring two new songs to the table each.

DA: What is your view on today’s metal scene?

KB: I find it more exciting than ever. Never have there been such big variety of different bands and styles like there is today. Any thing you can think of is available. I think that’s very exciting and inspiring.

DA: Has the band ever contemplated a live release?

KB: This is something we’ve never discussed and we have no plans about doing it at the moment.

DA: We look forward to hearing the new album, is there anything you’d like to say to the metal masses?

KB: Look out for the new album, it will really be worth wile, otherwise I’ll be looking forward to seeing you all out there, hopefully within the next year we’ll be playing a venue near you.

Cheers
Kirk Backarach

Interview: Jon Rossi – Pilgrim

Posted on January 5, 2012 by Daniel Aston

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The almighty doom metal trio Pilgrim are set to release their debut album ‘Misery Wizard’ via Metal Blade Records later this month and I interviewed member Jon Rossi to find out more about their upcoming release and how they intend to resurrect the Doom Metal genre. The American group intend to revive the classic sound of doom whilst entwining it with their own intriguing personality that fuses imagery of sorcery, secret societies, aliens and tyrants of evil! A definite band to watch out for in 2012.

Daniel Aston: What can metal fans expect from your upcoming debut?

Jon Rossi: The reinvention of doom metal for a new generation of rock and metal fans.

DA: How did the band get together?

JR: Me and Krolg have been playing together since our freshman year of highschool. We bonded over the music we listened to. Over the years we had many bands and musical phases. After a while we stopped playing together because we had no musical direction, no influence. During this musical recess we discovered bands like Sleep and Acid King and Electric Wizard. We were really inspired by these bands. Eventually, as we delved deeper into music, I stumbled upon Reverend Bizarre’s very first 4 song release. It changed my life. It was then we decided we wanted to carry the doom metal torch.

DA: How would you describe the sound of your music?

JR: Heavy. Powerful. Triumphant. Unyielding. Aged. Huge!

DA: You want to bring true doom metal back to the masses, do you think that modern bands have misshaped the classic genre?

JR: Absolutely. Naming your band after an Electric Wizard song and ripping off Sleep riffs is not doom metal. Wearing funeral suits and crying about how sad you are is not doom metal either. Grow up and write some real music! Be yourselves, not someone else!

DA: What inspires you to write lyrics?

JR: Swords and sorcery, demonology, secret societies, aliens, our fucked up country and planet, and defeating the tyrants of evil.

DA: What is the song writing process like within Pilgrim?

JR: It takes us a very long time to write songs. We’ll only use a riff if it’s very unique and original, and sometimes it can take months to produce something like that. I’ll present the riffs to the guys and they’ll write their parts to it at practice. Our song structures are simple and blocked together in a classic ‘song’ style, we like ‘verse chorus verse’ style songs. I feel like most bands are trying to move away from that. Blasphemy!

DA: Is there a particular song off the upcoming album that you’re all particularly proud of?

JR: I like Adventurer a lot. I came up with the riff when I was about 16 or 17 while I was walking through a field with my guitar. It makes me happy that this old song finally got recorded and it came out amazing. Also, it’s very much like a theme song for us. It’s a short story about the band.

DA: Who are your main influences as a band?

JR: Reverend Bizarre is huge to us. They are my personal favorite band. Pentagram, Earth, Acid King, Saint Vitus, the Melvins, Electric Wizard, Sleep, anything dark, huge and heavy.

DA: The artwork for your upcoming album Misery Wizard is rather unique, what’s the story behind that?

JR: It’s a beautiful piece done by Paul McCarol of Unhinged Art. We wanted a renaissance style painting of the Misery Wizard for the cover and he did it. Different elements of the cover mimic the content of the songs on the record.

DA: Are there plans to tour after the album is released?

JR: Yes, we have a short east-coast US tour in the beginning of March with Windhand and NATUR, and later that year we’ll be playing the Heavy Days in Doom Town Festival in Copenhagen, Denmark

DA: How did your individual stage names come about?

JR: They are our Dungeons and Dragons character names.

Interview: Jon Arch – Arch/Matheos

Posted on October 17, 2011 by Daniel Aston

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After collaborating once again with former Fates Warning band mate Jim Matheos for the successful Sympathetic Resonance album (Review: http://danielaston.co.uk/album-review-sympathetic-resonance/), I catch up with vocalist Jon Arch and quiz him on the process of creating the album, his time away from music and the future of Arch/Matheos.

Daniel Aston: Congratulations on the new album, what was it like getting back into the groove of writing and recording a full-length album after all these years?

Jon Arch: Thank you, one word comes to mind, “daunting” I knew I had a lot of work ahead of me when we started this. Vocally I was at square one and a whole lot older and as far as the creativity, it was a wait and see what happens kind of thing. In a few months time it seemed to be evident that Jim and I were working well together and the music started to take shape.

DA: You worked closely with Jim Matheos on your 2003 solo EP A Twist of Fate, how did the writing for that project differ from the current collaboration?

Arch: Well this full album was a true collaboration between Jim and I like we have worked in the past where Jim presents music to me and through a process I write the melodies and lyrics. ATOF was considered a solo effort because I presented Jim with the Music for Cheyenne and part of Relentless, but in my opinion we both had our creative input on that as well, we just went about it a little differently.

DA: The music that you and Jim have written for Sympathetic Resonance is as impressive as the material from the early Fates Warning days, has anything changed in the way you write songs together and what is the process that you two go through to create lengthy prog epics like Stained Glass Skies?

Arch: Well the beginnings of these songs and the movements that make up the length of a song start with Jim and whatever is inspiring him, and that is done in the privacy of his own thoughts alone. When I write melodies and words it is done in the same way, where there are no distractions, and you can hear your own thoughts. Then when we get together in the studio it’s like a presentation where we get to hear how well or not so well everything meshes together. Usually a little tweaking is all it needs.

DA: Sympathetic Resonance contains performances from musicians that have been a part of Fates Warning at some point or another, what was that like and was it something you planned to do from the start?

Arch: I’m pretty sure before I got involved with this, Bobby and maybe Joey were already working with Jim, as this was originally slated to be a FW record, so actually I was the odd man in this. The guys are all awesome at what they do, and I love all they added to this record.

DA: Your vocal power remains stunning after all these years, did you have to do much work on it before recording?

Arch: You’ll have to trust me when I say that I told Jim if he released any of the early vocal tracks, I would brain him. It took some doing to get into respectable shape, and it’s gonna be lots of work staying there.

DA: What inspires you to write lyrics?

Arch: The music and all its movements get the ball rolling, and with this album the words are of a more real, non-mythological nature, based on a more personal perspective. I have been praised for the honesty and criticized for the self indulgentness, and I couldn’t be happier about that.

DA: Your work with Fates Warning in the eighties has inspired a legion of bands, what’s your opinion on the state of progressive metal today?

Arch: There is no doubt that the technical ability of the musicians in this type of music is unbelievable, almost neurotic at times and can be just what the doctor ordered, but if it is not a cocktail mixed with dynamics and melody it can be tiresome after a while. In an effort to undo insult to injury, there is so much talent out there, much of it still undiscovered.

DA: Who would you name as your main influences in music?

Arch: Well there are so many time periods for me I would break it down as early influences would be, Tull, Grand Funk, Yes, Kansas, UFO, Uriah Heep, Deep purple. Later influences would include, Scorpions, Maiden, Priest, Dio, among many others.

DA: Your return to the music scene is much welcomed by music fans all over the world, why did spend so many years away from it all?

Arch: I was never in a band situation after Fates Warning, and that is the biggest motivator. When you are immersed in something you are passionate about, and you make a living doing it, well there is your motivation. As soon as you step out of that arena, things change quickly and you soon feel like a stranger to something you once knew so well.

DA: Can you give any details on a potential tour for Arch/Matheos?

Arch: Not much to mention at this time, except for one fesival in Germany.

DA: What are your plans for the future, can we expect another Arch/Matheos album?

Arch: After all was said and done, it was lots of work, but we had fun doing it, and the fans made it all worth while… making the way for music in the future.. why not?