Tobias Fongelius (15.XII.2009)

Interview with Tobias Fongelius 

(Jormundgand) 15.XII.2009

(Questions compiled  by 

Kate Szíjártó (1987-2010 R.I.P.) and Georgius)

Hails! To my mind, the name you chose has a lot to do with your music. How did you hit on an idea of choosing this name?

- The name came naturally to us because of our origin and it was also an appropriate name due to the kind of music we create. JORMUNDGAND is the counterpart to Leviathan/Tad-Ekam and represents "our" Northern dragon of Chaos.

When I listened first to your music early DISSECTION crossed my mind. I've read on your site that guys from NIFELHEIM helped you to cope with the recordings of your demo. Please, tell me about its process in details.

- Well the thing is that Hellbutcher is a very good friend of ours and when we had finished the instrumental recordings we asked him to do some background vocals on the track "Satanic Attack". So he did, but that was also all he did so you can't really say that we made the demo with help from NIFELHEIM since it was Hellbutcher only. He has done a lot for JORMUNDGAND; for example the demo cover art and our logo, which we are very grateful for.

And it has to be said that it's a great honour to be resembled with DISSECTION!

You come from Uddevalla, could you please tell me about the local metal scene and the musicians/bands from Sweden you are in contact with.

- The local scene is unfortunately quite dead in this part of Sweden when it comes to black metal. There are very few bands in the genre that we respect for their music and their ideals and because of that our relations with other bands are strictly limited.

What is JORMUNDGAND's current line-up and do the members of the band take part in other projects?

- The current line-up is: Tobias Fongelius (guitars & vocals), Erika Hansson (guitars & piano), Tobias Pettersson (bass). Tobias P. is also playing bass in two other bands; RAM and VORNTH. Our drummer has got some projects as well but we can't say his name yet since he is not an official member of JORMUNDGAND.

I would also like to know about your live activity, where and with what other bands did you play?

- We won't play live until we have found the right individuals for the band. This has proven to be a huge challenge.

Apart from playing music, what do you do in your everyday life? If any of you happen to have a hobby, please, tell me about it.

- Well this was a very tricky question since we've got such different hobbies. But some interests that we have are: studying Satanic literature and art, collecting records and merchandise, photography and preparing as well as arranging bones and skulls.

I know that you are fond of reading books, would you please tell me what are your favourite ones? I'm also curious to know your opinion about Liber Azerate.

- Tobbe F: "I would rather not to tell which books I prefer since it's a personal matter. As an answer to your question and without going any deeper into it I can say I find Liber Azerate very interesting and instructive."

I was very pleased to find out that Jon Nödtveidt (R.I.C.) is your hero as well as mine. From your letters I've got to know that you didn't know Jon personally, but what do you think of him as a person and musician?

- Tobbe F: "Jon is One of our great sources of inspiration, both musically and spiritually. His music is eternal perfection and his legacy shall never be forgotten."

Hail Jon Nödtveidt!

Hail the Mighty Dead!

Hail the Bloodline of Fire! 

Could you please name 5 of your favourite albums?

- This is a really difficult question since there are so many albums that are of great importance to us. But to mention a few albums: DISSECTION – "The Somberlain", WATAIN – "Sworn to the dark", NIFELHEIM – "Servants of darkness", MAYHEM – "De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas", BATHORY – "Blood, Fire, Death", EMPEROR – "In the Nightside Eclipse", MOTÖRHEAD – "Sacrifice", JUDAS PRIEST – "Defenders of the Faith".

What are the band's plans for the future? I hope to see you live in Hungary or in Ukraine shortly, though it wouldn't be a bad idea to play on one stage with you. Do you know any Ukrainian and Hungarian bands?

- First of all we are going to record a 7" single with two killer tracks this spring. That is the main project for the moment.

Bands from Hungary and Ukraine that we know are TORMENTOR, POKOLGÉP and NOKTURNAL MORTUM. And then we also have CASTRUM and DOMHRING.

Tack så mycket!!! It was a pleasure for me to ask you these questions. Would you somehow sum it all up?

- Total Chaos!

Total Death!

Hail the Serpent!

Thanks for the support! Keep your eyes and ears open for our next release.

Lars Szöke (12.II.2013)

 Interview with Lars Szöke 12.II.2013

(ex-Hypocrisy, ex-The Abyss, EPITAPH) 

(Questions compiled by 

Cornelius of Encomium and Georgius)

Greetings Lars! How are you lately? As I know you are working as a producer/engineer and technician at the Abyss studio? So what are you working on actually?

- Hey man and thx for showing interest in an old chap like me. I am not working in the studio, haven't done that for the last couple of 10 years or so. Now I'm driving crazy people to mental institutions. That's my job. And I love it, hehehihahohohooo.

When did you start to play on drums/guitar? As far as I know your first band was EPITAPH and you recorded a great Thrash Metal album called "Tranquillity" back in 1992. Tell us please about EPITAPH's current activity and plans for the near future!

- I started playing the drums when I was 13 in a punkband and then I started playing with Peter in a band called CONQUEST. After that I hooked up with EPITAPH and recorded that album in '91. Today we still play some EPITAPH, but just for fun. No big plans ahead.

You were a pillar member in HYPOCRISY between 1992 and 2004. What was the reason for you to leave the band? What are your favorite album(s) and song(s)?

- I got pretty sick of touring and they saw that. I was actually relieved when they told me that Horgh will join instead. Favorite album is with no doubt "Osculum Obscenum" and favorite track at the moment is "Until the End".

I suppose you are still in good connection with all your ex-bandmates? How often do you meet each other? 

Maybe there's some funny story that happened to you recently and you want to share it with us...

- Yea we're good friends. I just met Peter in the studio while he was recording the new HYPO. I actually gave him a couple of riffs. We'll see, maybe it turns up as a bonustrack or something. Hopefully. That would be fun.

Alongside HYPOCRISY with Peter and Mikael you were recorded two killer Black Metal albums under the name of THE ABYSS (these records for me are still one of the greatest Black Metal releases of the 90s). Whose idea was to form THE ABYSS and how do you remember those times and processes of recordings? By the way, on "The Other Side" you played guitars and did killer vocals. Do you remember in which tracks you vocalized?

- THE ABYSS is absolutely my favorite project. As I recall it we were like jamming with me on gits and Peter on drums and we just came up with the most evil riff after another so we decided to release it. I have no idea where I sing. All I know is that I play gits on both albums.

You also played drums on WAR's "We Are War" album in 1999. Do you satisfied with that album and the way it sounds? How was to cover SODOM's famous "Bombenhagel" track? Do any memories left from those studio sessions?

- No not at all. It wasn't even supposed to be released according to that Blackmoon-dude. The cover of SODOM is the only decent thing on that album. But the first WAR album with Peter on drums is pure genius.

Are you following these days the Death/Black Metal scene in Sweden? Would you be so kind to recommend us some great newcomer bands?

You have a Hungarian surname. Do you speak Hungarian? Have you ever been to Hungary as a tourist? If so, what is your opinion about Hungarian kitchen and Hungarian drinks?

- Don't speak Hungarian that good, but I do understand it. My kitchen here is totally dedicated to the Hungarian kitchen. Paradicsomos káposzta, Pörkölt, Töltött paprika, Lecsó and Langos rules. And lots of Pálinka of course.

Can you please recommend to the readers some Swedish food and drink?

- Meatballs and Hembränt.

Name us your all-time favorite LPs? Do you have any special hobbies?

- Hobbies: shreddin gits, drinkin beer, playin xbox, touching my gf in inappropriate ways. Fav albums: BATHORY - "The Return" and "s/t", DESTRUCTION - "Infernal Overkill", VENOM - "Black Metal", SLAAAAAYYYYEEEERRR.

Tack så mycket Lars for your answers. Send us your last thoughts from the abyss...

- Check out the new HYPO. I've heard it all and it's brilliant. Cheers! 

Ed Warby (16.IV.2013)

 Interview with Ed Warby (16.IV.2013)

(Questions compiled by 

Cornelius of Encomium and Georgius)

Hails Ed! How old you've been when you decided to became a musician/drummer? Tell us please about the inspirations and your very first band(s).

- I was about 10 when I discovered KISS and right then I knew I wanted to be a musician, or more specifically a drummer. My parents bought me a small drumkit when I turned 12 but I demolished it quickly so they got me a better one the year after. I started playing along to my favorite records (by then I'd discovered RAINBOW and Cozy Powell, my biggest influence) and learned drumming that way, and when the neighbors started complaining about the noise I moved to a rehearsal room close by. I thought it'd be more fun to play with a few other guys so that's when I started my first band AGGRESSOR, we played quite a few shows during 1982-83, mostly at schools and small clubs. After a while we broke up and I moved on to other bands such as IMPACT, TEMPTER and VALKYRIE until I joined the prog-metal band ELEGY. I stayed with them for a few years and played drums on their debut album, but by then GOREFEST had already asked me to be their drummer so I left before the album came out.

In my opinion GOREFEST was one of the determinative Death Metal bands for the Dutch scene in the 90s and after the reunion too. What do you think about this? Which GOREFEST release is your personal favorite and why?

- I think it's a big compliment! My favorite GOREFEST albums are "False" and "Rise To Ruin", although I also have a soft spot for "Chapter 13". "False" was a once in a lifetime experience, we had total freedom and lots of inspiration to make a really great album and it still holds up today. "Rise To Ruin" was a bit of a return to that style. And "Chapter 13" is a favorite because after all the fighting we did on "Soul Survivor" it was good to be on the same page again, most people dismiss it because it's not "metal" but I still think it's a great album.

Your Doom/Death band – THE 11TH HOUR – has two excellent albums. When did you start to sing with clean voice and play the guitar? Do you have any plans to write some new songs for THE 11TH HOUR this year? What can we expect from the new compositions?

- I've sung before, as early as the 80's when I used to do vocals for the demos we did with VALKYRIE, but it's different to be the actual lead singer of the band. My sister bought me a guitar for my birthday in 2005 I think, and I taught myself to play a bit so I could write songs for GOREFEST and later HAIL OF BULLETS, but I had so much inspiration that I started THE 11TH HOUR as well. There's no new material written yet and 2013 is mostly a "HoB-year" but we'll probably start working on a new album next year. The style won't change too much I guess, but it will sound a little different since the whole band will be recording it instead of me playing everything.

As I've noticed on the HAIL OF BULLETS pages you are in writing mode now. How many tracks do you plan to record for the new masterpiece? Where will you record it this time and when it will be released?

- Actually we're already recording, we have 10 songs and it'll be a cross between the first and second album, so a bit rougher and more primitive than "On Divine Winds". The drums were done at Sandlane Studios, the rest is being recorded at my home studio. So far we've done drums, rhythm guitars and bass, vocals will probably be recorded next month so we can start mixing in June. Mix and mastering will of course be done by Dan Swanö. If all goes according to plan we should have the album out by October.

You played drums on some famous Progressive yet Symphonic Rock materials, like LANA LANE's "Secrets of Astrology" album, STAR ONE, 5 albums of AYREON and on some tracks of ERIK NORLANDER's live album – "Stars Rain Down". Would you be so kind to tell us more about these co-operations?

- I've been working with Arjen Lucassen since 1998 when he asked me to play drums on the 3rd AYREON album, "Into The Electric Castle". We have a great working relationship, it's almost telepathic. The great thing about being part of Arjen's universe is that I get to share credit with famous artists such as Bruce Dickinson, James LaBrie, Devin Townsend, Tony Martin, etc. Very cool!

I met Lana Lane and Erik Norlander through Arjen, did an album and a tour, but we didn't get along too well so that was the end of that collaboration. Later this year I'll record drums for the upcoming AYREON album "The Theory Of Everything". There'll be some big names involved again...

You are a big collector of movies on Blu-ray discs. How many pieces do you collected so far? Could you please name us 5 of your eternal favorites? What movies do you curiously look forward in 2013?

- Ha, no idea, but it must be thousands! I started out with VHS back in the day, changed to Laserdisc, then DVD and now Blu-ray... I love all kinds of films, from horror and sci-fi to westerns. A top 5 is almost impossible, but I'll try:

1. Blade Runner

2. The Wild Bunch

3. Taxi Driver

4. The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

5. Apocalypse Now

My favorite horror films:

1. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre

2. Suspiria

3. Dawn Of The Dead

4. The Beyond

5. The Evil Dead

I'm actually looking forward to the Evil Dead remake, first I was skeptical, but it looks really promising. But the movie I look forward to the most is Nicolas Winding Refn's new one, "Only God Forgives", again starring Ryan Gosling with whom he made the excellent "Drive".

Apart from music what kind of work you do in everyday life?

- I work for a large mailorder company for which I handle customer service, both e-mail and phone. The days when you could live just from making music are long gone unfortunately... but I work only 4 days a week so I have enough time left for the important things in life!

The Netherlands is well-known about its savory cheeses. What kind of cheese would you recommend to taste?

- Actually I'm not too familiar with Dutch cheeses, apart from the standard Gouda, Beemster and Old Amsterdam. I really enjoy French cheeses such as Port Salut though.

It would be really great to see/meet you at a live show in Ukraine or Hungary with HAIL OF BULLETS or THE 11TH HOUR. Are there any plans to visit those countries in the near future? What do you know about these countries?

- For THE 11TH HOUR that's almost impossible, the flight costs are way too high for any promoter to fly us in. HoB would be possible I guess, but we've never gotten any offers from that area. Martin is the history nut in the band, I'm sure he knows much more about it than I do...

Thank you very much Ed! If there's anything you would like to add at the end of this conversation please feel free to do it and share your last thoughts for the readers...

- You're welcome, hope it makes a fun read!