Interview with J of Bastards of Bohuslän
Archangel's Lantern
Underground Metal Blog since 2013
2024. április 21., vasárnap
J of Bastards of Bohuslän
2024. április 12., péntek
V'gandr (Helheim)
Interview with V'gandr (Helheim)
Questions compiled by Andrey Tolkowiec and Georgius
Hail V'gandr, welcome to Archangel’s Lantern. What’s latest news around you? Did you start to work with new album? What should we know about it?
- Hello there. We’ve booked Solslottet with Iver as producer for our next album. We felt that we needed another approach this time as we’ve been working with Bjørnar E. Nilsen in Conclave since 2006. Bjørnar understood our decision and also felt it was about time we changed studio. We’ll enter the studio in the fall of this year. I don’t want to reveal too much about the album as of now as it’s a bit early to do so.
In my Hungarian review I’ve marked 10 your latest masterpiece called “WoduridaR”. Tell us in detail about the creation of your latest album. What was the process of creating the songs and how long did it take?
- Thanks a lot for giving us a 10. That really warms my heart. It’s been a while since we wrote those songs, so a bit hard to remember exactly how it went down, but one thing is for sure and that is that we basically did it the same way as always: coming up with the songs at home and then putting the final touches and lead guitars in the rehearsal room. We started creating the songs basically at the end of the Rignir writing process. Some melodies stem back from 2014 or so. We always have some old riffs laying around that for some reason didn’t make it through to the initial album as it didn’t fit the atmosphere we wanted to create.
We know that is a bit hard question but would you be so kind to tell us in short track by about “WoduridaR”? As a bonus track, there is a cover-song of Hazard. Whose idea was to record it?
Vilje av stål- we wanted a really brutal opener but were the song kind of calms down a bit. It’s a song that has both the raw black metal style, but also the atmospheric clean voice parts. One of the first songs I wrote for the album.
Forrang for fiende- a short piece written by H’grimnir. We felt that a music video suited this song quite well. It’s not a very typical Helheim song as it is very short for being us.
WoduridaR- The chorus is the first I wrote for this album. I was visiting Australia at that time as I had an Australian girlfriend, and one morning I had a shower and started humming this melody. The rest of the song was created around this chorus line. As the title of the album were already set, we knew that the title track had to be grandiose.
Åndsfilosofen- Another track by H’grimnir. A really cool song, but also what I consider “in the middle of the album” song.
Ni s solu sot- H’grimnir’s masterpiece on the album if you as me. A song that we often play live as it has the groove, the extremity, and the chilling atmosphere. One of my favourites.
Litil vis madr- The most extreme song on the album, I guess. I just wanted to write a very cool and down right BM song with no other intentions.
Tankesmed- another one from H’grimnir. A pretty cool song that wraps up the whole album in many ways, before we end it with…
Det kommer i bølger- a Bathory inspired song where the whole intro part stems back to 2014. This was by far the hardest song to produce as it was hard to summon the right atmosphere. I don’t know if we succeeded, but it is what it is. I’m pretty satisfied with the first half at least.
Hazard- It was my idea to have this as a bonus track. All of us like the song a lot, and we wanted to do a very non-typical cover song. We draw inspiration from Sixteen horsepower to set the mood for the song that we foresaw. It was mixed in Solslottet, and we were so happy about the result that we there and then decided to record our next album there.
Share with us your experiences about Helheim’s 30th anniversary show in Østre, Bergen, what happened on the 25th of November in 2022.
- That was a really nice celebration with loads of people. We played a song from every album we’ve done, and people seemed to enjoy it. Afterwards we had one hell of a party. The rest is history.
Helheim is very active with live concerts last; we saw a lot of awesome photos from Finland. How did you feel yourself in Suomi?
- That was one hell of a nice festival. I love Finland and the Finnish people. The audience was awesome, and it seemed like they really had a good time watching us. I didn’t know that we had that many people that liked us in Finland. Still amazing after all these years.
2024. április 11., csütörtök
Tony Dolan (Venom Inc.), 27.IX.2017
Interview with Tony Dolan (Venom Inc.)
Originally published in Kronos Mortus
in English and Hungarian languages in 27.IX.2017
Ave Tony! Congratulations for the album Avé that was released on the 11th of August! Please tell us something about the recording process and share with us some details about the awesome cover.
Tony: Ah thankyou. Well the ideas we had spoken about but did not intend to do an album…but Jonny Z asked us to just do demos so in there end we conceded. Mantas focused on putting the riffs and compositions together so |I could focus on artwork and scripting for a video and logistic to shoot…as well as management stuff and live touring that was to follow..once the song shapes were there…the files were sent to Newcastle and Abaddon who recorded the drums….and sent the analogue files to Portugal where Mantas has his studio, then I flew to Portugal where we completed the bass recoding’s and vocals and we completed the lyrics….together…..The cover….was an idea form a year before and the painting is by a Serbian artist….it is full of symbolism and it makes a statement but it is up to the observer to what you see…..Adam and Eve in their embrace with the fruit form the tree of knowledge….the Temple of David…the sheep…one is a wolf in sheep's clothing…barren landscape….foreboding sky..is it the beginning or the end? Lucifer with his flute and bag of serpents…..the Light bringer walking towards you signaling light of knowledge…
Right now you are on a massive American tour… please tell us some memorable moments from the last few shows…
Tony: Too many to say right now and we still have many left…we sold out on the east coast and the west coast and show in between…Chicago and Canada…all amazing….I’ll let you know ate the end how it All was..lol BUT take it from me…NORTH America has been incredible so far…
You’ve been narrating on the clip of the Swedish Turbocharged: “Dark Era” (2015). How did this offer from Ronnie Ripper Olson come? What do you think about the cover track of Turbocharged: Witching Hour?
Tony: Ronnie is a great brother and I was honoured to be asked to perform for him on there….the band is one of the best in my opinion…as for their cover? One of the best I have heard…
You have also contributed to some outstanding things in the film industry (Judge Dredd (1995) – Wild Wild Web (1999) – Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003) – Battlefield Britain (2004) – Dirty War (2004) – Rock Milestones: Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here (2005)). Please tell us a couple of thoughts about this.
Tony: Thankyou…I did so much…voice overs, commercials….etc etc,…I did around 30 DVD presentations of music…for Rock Classics series from Sabbath to the Beatles…Sex Pistols to Rush and all were great fun….I count myself as fortunate to have done all this and there are a couple of movies upcoming I am being offered so who knows what is next….but VENOM INC will continue whatever happens…But I never intend to do anything, I just focus and when I decide I’d like to do whatever. I do it…perhaps that is what everyone can do…follow your self and trust in you…not what others say or think you should do…
Atomkraft, M:pire of Evil… will you continue with these great bands besides Venom Inc.?
Tony: Yes, M:PIRE of EVIL will have the new album out next summer….called ‘UNLEASHED’ and as far as ATOMKRAFT…that is always ongoing for me…so expect something as soon as there is a gap….
Please tell us a couple of thoughts about the period you’ve spent on the older issues of Mantas and Venom? Which are your favorite tracks and why?
Tony: Favourites…too hard to say….doing Zero Tolerance with Mantas was so much fun….appearing in his deceiver video was such a laugh and as far as everything Venom we did….just all of it….he is my brother…we just work well together…..my favourite track? too many to say…sorry…right now…WAR from the new album…as we are playing it live…
2024. március 25., hétfő
Tomasz Radzikowski (Spirits Way)
Interview with Tomasz Radzikowski (Spirits Way)
Tomasz: Hail! I founded the band Spirits Way together with Marcin Dobrzyniecki (BHP, Alpha Zero) in 2010, we already started touring and recording songs that were included in the first album "Freedom Through Blood". Over the years, the band's line-up has changed a lot, sometimes from album to album or from a concert for the concert, but it never stopped me and I still continue my mission... The story is very interesting and full of great memories from tours or single concerts and working in the studio on each album. Spirits Way is a symbol of my determination and persistence that has no limits, it is a band that is an unsinkable ship, despite the fact that many have tried to disturb me or still try to do so, we create music that we love and both I and each of the current musicians have this passion to achieve our goals...
We play Death Metal that doesn't need a brown nose... if you know what I mean..
Spirits Way will release a new album "Attendite a Falsis Prophetis” 31th of May, this year. Tell the readers more about the recording-process, song-writing lyrical conception, cover art, current line-up and your label, Teufelszeugrecords.
Tomasz: The music for the new album was created at a perfect time for me, after disastrous experiences with pseudo-musicians with whom I worked in another band, I started to think about the return of Spirits Way to the stage... and as usual, a coincidence of good circumstances and the fact that I met Shaun Black (drums) on its way made everything possible again.
Me and Shaun have similar experiences with the band I mentioned and our paths crossed to work together...
I've been living in London for a few years and I had to make a decision about the studio in which we would record. The choice fell on the studio owned by Shaun, he also took on the task of producing this album, which gave us a comfort of work that few people can afford.
When I started composing material for the album, I had no plans other than to put all the anger back into my music, each song was created while I was working with Shaun and it is a soundtrack to the lies of religion and people but also a symbolic metaphor based on our experiences.
As for the company we work with, I am satisfied for now. Manja and Marco (Teufelszeugrecords) are great people with whom we will do great things.
I watched two awesome videos, namely “My Throne is Made of the Bones of Jesus '' feat. Jim Ross (Bandwhore, Nader Sadek) and ''Paradox of Anger'' feat. Dave Suzuki (Churchburn, ex-Vital Remains). Who made these videos? How did you meet Jim Ross and Dave Suzuki?
Tomasz: the visualizations were made by our friend Cymer (Symbolical) and he also appeared as a guest on the new album, his vocals are great!
Shaun has worked with Jim Ross before and I also have the honor of working in the Bandwhore band where Jim is the captain and the master of ceremonies, and I have known Dave for many years, he has always supported us and been kind to me, of course it is an honor for me when my masters plays on my album.
2024. március 18., hétfő
Vincent Crowley
Interview with Vincent Crowley
(Vincent Crowley Band, Infidel Reich, Dominari, Acheron)
Ave Vincent! On the 23th of February Vincent Crowley Band unleashed the second album “Anthology Of Horror” and I must admit that is just simply brilliant stuff in my humble opinion. Would you be so kind to share some information about the line-up, the song-writing and recording process, lyrical themes and artwork? How do you describe the style of your music?
VC- Thank you! The line-up is Art Taylor and Eric Stewart on Guitars, Ryan Arter on Drums, Tim Wilson on Bass, and myself on vocals. The VINCENT CROWLEY band likes to refer to ourselves as Macabre Metal and a Musical Horror Experience. Our music is more rooted in traditional Heavy Metal, but with my vocals that gives it a taste of death. But we have influences of all kinds of things, including Doom, Death, Black, and even Thrash. After the release of the debut album “Beyond Acheron”, which were stories based on themes linked to death, I wanted to keep telling stories, but even more in the Horror realm. On “Anthology of Horror”, we embarked on going 100% into that topic. Due to the COVID restrictions at the time, the band just started writing new material after the debut, since we couldn’t do shows. On this album, we truly found our direction for the band. “Beyond Acheron” was a album that helped Art and I shed the skin of our previous band ACHERON. This album completed the process. As for the artwork, German artist Timo Wuerz, who did the first VINCENT CROWLEY cover and ACHERON cover’s during the 2000’s era, also did this one. He did a great piece that linked all of the song ideas together.
In my Hungarian review in Kronos Mortus I’ve marked 10 this album, I really enjoyed every single moment in your new opus. You made 2 awesome videos for the new LP. Tell us more about these videos, please. Do you plan to create new video(s) for the “Anthology Of Horror” in the near future?
VC- I did see this and appreciate the great review. I’m glad you enjoyed it. The videos were made by Carl Assault at VISUAL MEDIA ASSAULT. He does great work in the style I absolutely love. The lyric video “That Which Lurks Below the Sea” is like an old black and white horror monster movie. And “Amityville’s Horror” is a band video that captures the feel of a 70’s Grindhouse film. We do have plans to do more videos. The next one up will be for the song “Under the Hanging Tree”. We hope to start filming that as soon as the weather gets warmer and we can do some filming outside.
I know that you are a big supporter of Mercyful Fate/King Diamond and your King Diamond cover, “Killer” is an awesome job, I think, King Diamond would be proud! Why did you choose this particular track from Spider’s Lullaby”?
VC- Yes, those bands are a big inspiration to me. It would be great to have King listen to it. I chose that song because it was an obscure one from an album that wasn’t very popular with older fans. That fact is “Killer” is a great tune and it totally fit the theme of our album. And The Spider’s Lullaby is a very underrated album.
Vincent Crowley Band signed to Dutch Hammerheart Records, I think, that’s great because they do a great job for their hordes. How do you see that?
VC- It has been a wonderful experience working with HAMMERHEART RECORDS. They took a chance with the band and believed in us and have really helped to get our music out there to the fans. Hopefully the album does well and we can return to do another album with them. I already have ideas for the next one!
Are there any plans to play live with Vincent Crowley band in Europe this year?
VC- That is our plan. We just signed with NICK GRIMA MANAGEMENT/BOOKING to try to get on some fests or shows. Hopefully something comes up for this year.
As I’m your follower of your official YouTube channel, I’ve found a lot of interesting and rare stuff. Please introduce your channel to the readers.
VC- The VINCENT CROWLEY channel on YOUTUBE is something I first started just to post my music. Then I started to get more active on it and began doing Q&A’s from fans. Now, I’m trying to do other things too, such as special episodes and interviews with others. It is a way to keep in touch with the fans and make it more personal.
I listened to Dominari-demo on your channel, awesome Death-Black material! There are any chances for the full-length?
VC- You never know? I’d like too, but it all depends on my free-time. But I can see at least an EP coming out in the future, it time permits.