This is definitely one of the best bands hailing from the Nordic countries. Their blend of power, brutality, plus excellency is really unique. It is close to impossible to describe the godliness about their music. It can't really get much better than this. The music is performed with emotions and feelings not to be found on an average death metal L.P. It sends shivers down my spine when I think of what they will create in the future. . . . Check this out!!!!!!!!!!! "The Somberlain" is out on No Fashion!!!! BUY!!!!!!!!
You moved to Gothenburg from your native Strömstad. In what ways do you think that will help out the band?
For a while, the whole band lived splitted up at totally different places around Sweden, and we hadn't been rehearsing seriously for over a year. We had talked about moving to the same city, and since John (rhythm guitar) was living in GBG and could get us a rehearsal place there, we found it best to move there. It's also easier to get gigs around here, so why not?
You share rehearsal place with AT THE GATES, do you get along with them mentally?
Everything is working out fine, I guess.... They are all right, and we have known them for a while....
I also understand you live together in one big apartment, period. Do you think it will be any problems with that?
Well, the whole band doesn't live together. It's me, our drummer Ole, and a friend sharing a big apartment here. It can certainly be irritating to live together with people, but it keeps the rent down, and if the people you live together with are a little bit like yourself, then it's great.
You decided to release your album "The Somberlain" on No Fashion, why this label?
Because they were the only label showing serious interest in us at this time. They gave us a deal which seemed OK, and here we are. I think it is a good start for us.
In the past you have released a seven-inch on a French label. How do you feel about it now?
It's pretty old stuff, but we still like it. When we recorded it (September '91) we were more than satisfied with the way it turned out. It's quite basic and 'back to the roots'. Also quite different to what other bands did at the same time. It was entitled "Into Infinite Obscurity", and released through Corpsegrinder Records in late '91'.
I have been in touch with you for a while, so I have been following DISSECTION from the birth, and as your style has changed/progressed, I was wondering if you were content with the current style? Will the 'style' change more in the future?
I believe that we have found our own style of death metal, but we will certainly continue to progress. The second album will be more varied, but yet more brutal!! We will also try to get DISSECTION to a point where we can't get more melancholic, dark, evil, atmospheric, and brutal. I mean, the metal of death is limitless if you conspire with evil!! THERE ARE NO LIMITS!!
If somebody listening to your L.P., what would be the best reaction to get? What do you expect from the serious listeners?
When we compose our music, we unlock the gates to our perpetual, uncontrolled feelings. It is not only music, but also emotions, aggression, hate, despair, sorrow, evil... Things that normal people would call extreme, but we find beautiful. If we can affect other people's emotions, then it's great. We want especially depressed beings to listen to our music and influence them to step over the border. Life/death. Basically, we're glad as long as people enjoy what we do and find our music interesting.
Tell us about your feelings towards the scene in Norway.
Norway has always been my second home country, as I'm half Norwegian myself. There have also been quite a few bands from there, especially MAYHEM, which has been one hell of a favorite of mine for many years. Then there is THULE, EMPEROR, THORNS, WITCHHAMMER, MORTEM,/ARCTURUS, ENSLAVED, DARKTHRONE etc. Even some ARTCH is great!!!! About the black circle, I support what it was meant to be, period, but what was made to be undercover instead went to the headlines in the newspapers, with individuals giving the press interviews and information, period. FUCKIN' STUPID.... I guess we can blame some PR greedy paranoid for that! I have learned not to trust in others, period. Also, some people proved to be renegade, period. People that claimed to be true, period. But there are far more evil things to do than just bragging about church fires! Wait and see.... Our empire seek its powers in the darkest depths of mankind's senses, period. What is hidden, but nevertheless existing, period. It cannot die! Also, I don't think that the black circle should be a fan club for black metal, it is not about that....
When I listen to your music, I get the impression that you might be into MERCYFUL FATE, is this right? And do you have any comments on their comeback L.P.?
MERCYFUL FATE was great, or should I say, is great because their comeback L.P. really is powerful. For me, it's all about nostalgia, but I still listen to them every now and then. They have for sure given me musical inspiration.
Do you think the death metal trend is over?
It seems like more and more people are starting to listen to early '80s heavy metal again nowadays. (Heavy Load rules! ED) Well, I don't bother that much, but it is at least great to see more and more trend death metal fading now. I have more important things to do than to keep posted about what is fancy or not. I listen to everything that gives a dark atmosphere, and for me that includes a lot of different music.
Who are your brother bands in Sweden? And how do you get along with the local bands?
Most of the local bands suck, but AT THE GATES are quite good at what they are doing. We really don't hang out with any of the local bands, but sometimes we meet some at pubs. There are no such thing as brother bands, but the best band in Sweden today, besides BATHORY, must be NIFELHEIM. They totally fucking rule. Other Swedish bands I listen to at cold nights are OPHTHALAMIA (funny you should mention them! ED), NEMESIS / CANDLEMASS, MEFISTO, LANDBERK, NECRAUTUL, MERCILESS, MORBID, just to name a couple.
So concerning the delay of the L.P., it must be annoying to you. I think you might have written a lot of new material and it must be annoying to not have the L.P. out?
Yes, it's annoying, but on the other hand, we have about half of the second L.P. written already. Also, a lot of new ideas put down on tape, but we'll take the time it needs to put down the final touches to it all. The second L.P. will be a really black piece of grieving torment.
If a person should enjoy your music to the fullest, how should it be done? Would it be best to listen to the whole L.P. or only certain tracks?
If you want the whole journey, listen to the whole record. But then again, that's up to the listener......
Do the acoustic parts on your L.P. symbolize anything?
"Feathers Fell", which was the last one on the album, was originally written with a poem to it. It symbolizes the death of the very last goodness. It was recorded in its original version on the second demo. Also, it's pretty obvious what the acoustic stuff at the end of "Heaven's Damnation" symbolizes...... The other two acoustic pieces doesn't really symbolize anything directly, but I think they fit in well between the distortion pandemonium.
Is Dan Swanö the best producer for your kind of music?
He's a great producer, no doubt about it. But it would be really strange if he was the best. Still, we're content with the sound on "The Somberlain".
What are your comments on the underground? I guess you are not so much into this letter writing thing anymore.
That's true, but we consider that as hard to keep up with now. We try to answer all interesting mail we get, though. Also, the whole "underground thing" has lost a lot of the feeling it had some years ago. I believe there is not as much great music to discover in the underground anymore, as most of the cool bands already have released albums now or split up. Therefore I'm maybe living in the past a bit when it comes to underground music. I don't know about others, but I still go fucking insane to the demos of SLAUGHTER LORD, MEFISTO, POISON, AUTOPSY, MORBID, SADUS, NECROVORE, MERCILESS, INCUBUS / NOCTURNUS, PARADISE LOST and stuff like that.
What about Peaceville, are they interested in you?
They wrote to us and told us that they were interested in us after hearing our first demo, "The Grief Prophecy", but that was ages ago and nothing happened. We are on their death metal sampler, though. Personally, I think this comp sucks, I don't know if they are interested in us now, but we are not really interested in them either. Couldn't care less!
Have all the church fires in Sweden been solved?
No, there are still a couple which the police doesn't have a clue about how to solve!
TAKK.........................
DØDA OCH DØ FØR DET NORDISKA MØRKRET! Many thanks for the interview! SEE YOU..... HAIL EMPEROR!