Answered Björn Larsson.
Translated by Duzl, thank you!
Recenze/review - MORDBRAND – Imago (2014)
Ave MORDBRAND! You have recently published a new album “Wilt”. I
love it. Do you have positive feedbacks? How fans and critics feel about your
new album?
Hello!
The response has been so and so to be honest. Most reviews are very positive
but I think it’s peculiar that so many reviewers can’t see past the OSDM or
”swedeath” labels. We play death metal. No boundaries but also no unnecessary
experimentation. This is not a tribute band. We aim for relevance through
well structured songwriting.
How do MORDBRAND compose new songs? How is the whole process of
composing new material? Who is the author of your music?
I write
most of the music and Per does the lyrics and comes up with his own vocal
arrangements. We, as a band, share our opinions about the details and re-write
whenever we need to. The process of recording ”Wilt” was smooth and the
inspiration was there from the beginning to the end. The recording process was
difficult though. All technical fuck ups that could occur did, and there was
plenty of them. The end result is a milestone for us, and hopefully for many
listeners as well, much thanks to the amazing mixing by Lawrence
Mackrory.
I really like the sound of your album. It is dark, cold and sharp
at the same time. Which studio did you chose for recording? Were you able to
have any comments about the final sound and mastering?
We
recorded everything ourselves, but Lawrence mixed it in Studio Maskinrummet and
we had a lot of correspondence with him throughout the process so that he could
have a fair chance of doing a good job with all the files. I love how it came
out. Thicker, meatier and punchier than our previous work - but still filthy.
Much due to the unorthodox guitar sound, which on it’s own sound quite dry and
busted. But together with everything else it creates a huge wall (of
death).
Who is the author of your lyrics and what are your lyrics about?
Where do you find inspiration?
Per
writes all lyrics. It’s basically about life withering, dying and the transformation
to something new on it’s own. Everything comes from and return to soil in the
end. This could also be a metaphor for spirituality, if you’re into that
shit.
You have always have a great covers for your albums. Is it
important for you to have a great cover? Who is the author of the cover for
“Wilt”?
Yes, we
are fans of records and therefor fans of cover art. This particular piece was
painted by Nathalie Ziegler. Per found it somewhere and it spoke to us
immediately and fit our concepts perfectly.
The new album was released on CD by Carnal Records. This label has
quite famous name in the underground and they do great job. But have you
thought about releasing the album by some bigger company? Did you speak to any
other?
We
chose to work with Carnal Records because he is a great and trustworthy guy,
friend and a real underground trooper, just like us. We don’t have a policy of
not working with bigger labels but at the moment we’re content with how things
are.
I think that “Wilt” would look great on vinyl. Have you thought
about that? How do you feel about vinyl records and their sound? Are you a
collector?
We
prefer vinyl and a vinyl version of Wilt should be out in June through Carnal
Records.
Nowadays, many people download music online and they only use its
digital form. How do you feel about this issue? I would like to know your
opinion as a musician.
I have
no problem with that whatsoever. There are of course pros and cons with this
and I’m not familiar with all the arguments and stats, but to me and to
Mordbrand it’s no issue. But somehow I feel that if money isn’t a key factor
perhaps the people who are fighting for relevance do it for the right reasons.
I take a lot of joy from the fact that the ”rockstar” phenomenon is indeed dead
and gone.
Let´s look back to your beginnings…What was the first impulse to
find a band? Why did you choose death metal? That is no the musical style which
would bring someone “fame”.
We’ve
all been in bands playing other sorts of (extreme) music but death metal is
such a diverse and exciting form of music. That’s our roots and what we’re made
of. There’s nothing intellectual about it for us, it’s just what comes out of
us. I’ve always had bands and music in my head in need to get out and we do it
very well. Therefor there really isn’t an option for me.
There is a lot of young bands who play “old school death metal”.
Most of them are not very successful but there are some which are good and they
understand what is this music about. Do you have any favourite band which is
promising to “make the good old days live again”?
I’m not
a huge fan of nostalgia. When I see Repulsion or Terroriser live, it’s because
their music is relevant to this day. But of course there are bands that are
very inspired by the old scene, but I don’t pay attention to them in the long
run if they don’t bring anything fresh to the table. Other than that it’s just
a cute phenomenon. I’m interested in songwriting, not just finding a ”fitting
sound” that is popular at the moment.
What about MORDBRAND and concerts? Have you had any Europe tour
yet? Do you want to? I would like to see you in Prague! You do not have a lot
of concerts, at least it looks like so when I looked online.
We’ve
only played one gig actually (with Bombs of Hades and Terrorama) but we now
have a great lineup for live gigs. So, if anybody’s interested we’ll show up!
No longer tours though due to family reasons etc.
Are there any albums which have caught your attention recently?
Oh, so
many! Dead Congregation, Teitanblood, Fides Inversa, Obnoxious Youth, Medico
Peste, Antichrist all have fairly recent outings that I enjoy a lot.
Do you know and listen any Czech bands?
Cult of
Fire and Death Karma comes to mind. Of course I pop on Master’s Hammer every
now and then too.
What are MORDBRAND´s plans for the next few months?
Nothing
actually. For the first time we’re taking a break from songwriting and instead
focusing on this live situation.
Thank you so much for the interview and I wish you a lot of sold
albums, hundreds of crazy fans and tons of good ideas.
Thanks
for the interview Jakub! Cheers!
