         
|
|||
|
|||
SvartahridGRIM AND COLD: MALICIOUS PRIDE2008 should be one of the better later years for traditional Norwegian BM sound. Kampfar has just released one solid record, we still wait for a forthcoming Taake in November to arrive and there's also a new Svartahrid published. Malicious pride is their 4th full-length and perhaps the best so far. Although the band started as more keyboard-based their last two issues are more cold and grim, yet with a good taste for harmonies and grim atmosphere. This was a good chance to make contact with Form, their founding-member and make an interview. So, I am pretty sure that you will find some interesting stuff within our conversation. Malicious Pride is your 4th album just released for Soulseller Records. It offers old-school black metal with some basic keyboards. How would you describe Malicious Pride from your point of view? The music is as always grim and cold black metal with influences from the 90's. Our longest album, about 48 min and 10 tracks. It went out very well. We were confident about the material before we started in studio but the sound and the production is even better than we expected. I really like the cold and clear sound. Also Istar's vocal work is outstanding. The keyboard gives more atmosphere without being dominant. Could you compare Malicious Pride with your previous 3 full-lengths? It seems that it is your best effort so far. What separates from your point of view your new opus from previous recordings? I agree that it's our best effort so far. This album is faster and more aggressive than our previous releases. We have developed as musicians and songwriters but also our producer did a great job, our best production so far. One more thing is that for the first time we made a pre-production. It makes it easier to be sure that the material works out and change things that we are not satisfied with. Even on internet is was hard to find some more info about Svartahrid. Although I follow your work from your debut issue Forthcoming Storm could you write down a short biography and your comments about Svartahrid's 4 releases? Svartahrid was founded in 1994 by Istar (guitar and vocal) and Forn (drums). After two years we got two more members: Ilvastar (Bass) and Beorn (Synth) and in 1998 we recorded a demo which gave us a record deal with Napalm Records. In 1999 we recorded our debut album "Forthcoming storm" in Akkerhaugen Studio.(Same as all four by the way). It contained songs from 1994 to 1998 and the result was the absolute best we could do with our skills and experience at that time. A good debut album I think. Still like it.... After the release Beorn quitted and from that on Svartahrid has been a trio, but with some changes on bass. In 2000 we were again ready for studio. On the "Sunrise flickers" album we started to play more grim and old-school black metal, our only album without any keyboard. A very clear and good production and a good follow-up to the debut. At that moment it felt right to leave the keyboard and make a grim album without any fancy intros or other effects. After that we got problems with the label (more later) but in 2002-2003 we were again ready to record a new album, this time with Frank Iberg on bass. "Sadness and wrath" is maybe a mix between the first two albums but with some more complex structure of the songs. From that on I took over the keyboard because we wanted some more atmosphere and variety into the music. The album was released in 2007 by Soulseller records. The music on "Malicious pride" was created between 2004 and 2007. As I wrote earlier this one is faster and more aggressive with more thrash influences. This is absolutely my favorite album so far. (every musicians say that about the newest album I guess) Best material, production, sound and best playing.  Was there anything before signing for Napalm Records? If I am correct you recorded one demo tape. The material on the "Forthcoming storm" album was created from 1995 to 1999.In 1998 we recorded our first demo with the songs "Forthcoming storm" and "Herskende i blod". We used this recording on the Forthcoming storm album so there are actually no tapes out there with unreleased material from the bands early start. No contact with labels before Napalm. You published two albums for Napalm Records. Why did you leave them afterwards? Are you satisfied now with your partnership with Soulseller so far? Napalm records were very satisfied with the debut album with much use of keyboard but when we started to play more grim and old-school black metal they were disappointed. "Fucking hard to sell" they said and told us that if the sale rates become too low the deal will be cancelled. And that is what happened... It took really a long time before we found a new label that wanted to give us a deal. Probably we tried to get deal on too big labels. It was really great when Soulseller record contacted us and offered a record deal. Good to be on a small label and get priority with much better contact with the company. And we can make the music WE want. That's the whole point in creating music. Jorn Rap does a great job for us. There was a larger pause in band's activity between 2001 and 2007. Was there any specific reason for such a long period of silence? In 2002-2003 we recorded the "Sadness and wrath" album but we didn't find any label to release it. During the "pause" (there was never one at all) we have been very creative. From 2004 to 2007 we created all the music for "Malicious pride" and 6 more tracks that will be on the next album. (studio next spring) The idea was to make a new demo and send out to labels but Soulseller records contacted us before that and we signed for them. Your lyrics are sometimes dealing with Norse mythology, sometimes with nature... What about the lyrical base on Malicious Pride? We continue on the same path this time to. Some of the lyrics are dealing with the occult and antichristianity, but overall it's on the same path as always (he he). There is no concept in out lyrics so we write lyrics about everything that gives us inspiration. Where did you record the new album? Are there any quest appearances on Malicious Pride? We have used the same studio on all our albums. It is Akkerhaugen Lydstudio and it's perfect for us. A great producer and a cool guy that know what we are looking for. We have no plans to try other studios in the future either. "Why change something that works" are our opinion. There are no guest appearances this time... I need also to ask you one question about your previous band Mactatus. It is obvious that you sized activities with this band after four albums? Why has that happened? We decided to split after the "Suicide" album. There was too little inspiration and also dispute about musical direction. We are talking about maybe making a new album soon but we don't have any material ready and are not rehearsing yet so it can take a looong time before anything happens... There were some strange rumours about your former bass-player Ilvaster. I read somewhere that he desecrated some corpses in the crematory and that later he was sentenced for 2 years in prison? Is this true? Do you still make contact with him? It's true that he was involved in a "not too popular" episode here in Skien in 2003. Good for us that he left the band in 2001 but they found very quickly out that he had played in a black metal band and used that for all it was worth. The case got a huge attention not only in Norway but also outside the country. I have met him a couple of times since that but I have no contact with him anymore. He had to move from the city but has stopped using drugs as far as I have heard... Good for him. He was a really cool guy before everything went wrong... Where do you live in Norway, in which town? If I remember well I have seen you on one DVD with guys from Darkthrone? We come from Skien, 140 km southwest of Oslo. It's correct that we were on Nocturno's DVD "the misanthrope". He lives far from Skien but we just met one weekend and rent a cottage in the forest and drank a lot of beer. It was very cool... Nocturno Culto is an old friend of ours. Do you have any live performances with Svartahrid? Actually I have just seen on your my space pictures from one of the festivals where you were playing, but was there any proper tour? Did you have any concerts or tours with Mactatus back then when group was active? We play just some few gigs during the year usually (3 or 4 maybe even less) In May we did our first gig outside Norway ever. It was at "Festung open air" festival in Germany. Also in August we played on a festival in Germany but there were no tours. We never did any tour with Mactatus either. Just one festival in Austria... Aside from Mactatus, do you have any side-project or band besides playing in Svartahrid? No. At the moment it is 100% Svartahrid and I don't want to involve in any side-projects. Don't have time or inspiration for it. What does the name Svartahrid mean in English? When dark clouds are building up in the horizon and a storm is coming, that is Svartahrid. It's an Old Norwegian word used by the Vikings when they were out on the seas... And for the end of the interview please tell us something about your musical influences. I found somewhere that amongst Bathory, Venom and Motorhead you are also very into Nick Cave and Pink Floyd. Bathory, Celtic frost, Darkthrone, Emperor(old), Satyricon(old) Dimmu borgir's "Stormblast", early Old Man's child and Immortal just to mention some influences. Many really great albums from the 90's before many bands changed musical direction. I can listen to many kinds of music but it's only metal that give me inspiration when I create music... Interview done by Marko Miranovic |
PUBLISHED ISSUESMETAL SOUND # |
||
