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"Trendfree Death Metal"
Interview with: Vomitory
(bk) Vomitory are one of the real Swedish death metal legends still around. The new album "Carnage Euphoria" is one of the most memorable death metal releases of this year, so it was unavoidable to ask these guys some questions, which guitarist Urban Gustafsson kindly answered.
Q: "Carnage Euphoria" is a great album and has got very good reviews, I believe. Are you satisfied with it yourselves?
Urban: Thanks a lot! Yeah, so far we get very good reviews. But itīs always a little bit nervous when you release a new album and waiting for the reactions :-).How will the metal people take it? But we are very proud and satisfied with the new album. Personally I like the variation of the album. More Brutal grind parts mixed with heavy and groovie riffs. That's great, I think.
Q: It's more varied than "Terrorize Brutalize Sodomize". Has something changed in your approach to songwriting?
Urban: Yes it is. But that's not anything we had thought about when we wrote the songs. It just would be like that. Maybe next the one will be a grind & blast record only :-). Who knows.
Q: What about recording and production? Did you change something?
Urban: No, not any extraordinary changes. When we record, we first do all the drums. After that we mix from day to day with different instruments, till the recording was done. Maybe we spent more time to get a better guitar sound this time. A little bit more dirty sound.
Q: What would you say are the main differences between "Carnage Euphoria" and "Terrorize Brutalize Sodomize"?
Urban: The sound on the new one is not so compressed. Itīs more space in the sound. And the drum sound itīs the fuckin best in the whole world!!!!! And the variation of the new album is better then TBS in my opinion.
Q: For many years, you've been a pure underground band. When you released your first album, the death metal boom was practically over... was it more difficult to get the attention of the fans and media at that moment?
Urban: No, I don't think so. We had been in the scene for already 6 years then, so we had work up many contacts and fans. And the scene never dies just because every trend death metal kid stops listening to the music. Now there were mostly die hard fans for this music left and that was only good. When people said that the music was gone in the middle of the 90s I can only ask, were where you?
Q: You also survived the late 90s and early 2000s while still doing death metal... was it a difficult time?
Urban: No, not difficult, we love this kind of music. In the late 90s and early 2000 there happend a lot for the band. We did a couple of European tours. We recorded a new album with a new vocalist (Redemption). And we signed the first big record deal with Metal Blade. So it was easy to survive, we had things to do all the time.
Q: What do think of the death metal scene today? What's it like in Sweden?
Urban: I think the scene is okey. Maybe there could be some more brutal bands for my taste. But it's coming soon, I hope. New upcomers will for sure come up from the cellar soon. In Sweden the scene is still good, many new good bands keep coming up. Young kids are starting bands and they sound as if they had played since end of 80s :-).
Q: The artwork of "Carnage Euphoria" is pretty cool. Did you just have an artist do it, or did you have some ideas of your own how it should look like?
Urban: We had an little idea how it should look like from the beginning. But our artist Killustration made an idea and we took that. And then he finnished the whole cd+booklet. So Bjorn at Killustration shall have all cred for the work!! Itīs his idea. We been very, very happy with the ending result.
Q: Do you think artwork and visuals are an important part of a CD/ LP?
Urban: For me itīs not so important, well itīs good if it looks great, of course. But the music is more important in my opinion. But I had read on many forums for example that many care a lot about the artwork etc. On an LP, for me, the artwork is more important than on a CD.
Q: You've had some pretty brutal covers... have you had problems with censorship in some countries?
Urban: We had problems with the "Terrorize Brutalize Sodomize" cover in some countries. I remember it was in Germany and some other that I don't remember right now. But that is only good. Great PR for the album! Itīs little bit sick, but more people get interested in the album if it had problems with censorship.
Q: Next plans? Are you going to play summer festivals? I see you're going to tour in Fall. Are you going to come to Spain, too?
Urban: Now itīs only gigs. Next Friday the 29th of May we're gonna have a release party+celebrate our 20 years as a band with a gig in our home town. Our special guests will be our friends from Dark Funeral!! That gig and party will be Ultra Brutal from Hell!! I think we are booked for 6 summerfestivals in Germany, Austria, Czech Republik and Portugal. Then in September we do a tour for a month together with Malevolent Creation. I think 3 or 4 dates are booked in Spain for that tour.
Q: Last words?
Urban: Thanks a fuckin lot for this interview!! I hope to see you in Spain in September!! And buy our new album if you like Pure damnation of blasting death metal from hell!!! Take care my friends!
Photo: www.metalblade.de |
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