Interview with legendary death metal band from Denmark - MACERATION.
Answered Jakob Schultz (Guitars), thank you!
Translated Duzl, thank you!
Questions prepared Jakub Asphyx.
Recenze/review - MACERATION - It Never Ends... (2022):
Ave MACERATION! Hi Jacob, here is Jakub (meaning Jacob in Czech). Hello to the Danish underground and thank you very much for the new album. I've been a big fan of your music since the 90's and I was really looking forward to the new album. I was also a bit worried because you know, some comebacks of old bands don't turn out so well. MACERATION are in great shape though! The new stuff kicks and cuts a lot! How was the new album created?
We started out the re-formation of Maceration just being me and Larsand not any other members just to see what would happen and if we could get any ideas for songs. It was cool to do songs again. Lars and I worked from our home studios. Writing songs, recording demos of each song and when we had the material ready in rough form the drums was recorded to that material in Fastbeat studios in Copenhagen. When drums was recorded we recorded all guitars and bass in our home studios and then everything was send to Dan Swano who would begin the mixing process and arranging the lyrics which he also got from us. He had free hands to decide and choose what lyrics he wanted for each songs. So it was quite exciting to hear in which songs the lyrics ended up. He actually nearly did not change anything in the lyrics and he recorded and arranged it and send one song at a time back to us before everything was done and he did the final mix.
You always had a great sound. Nordic, cold and dark, yet raw. The new one continues the line you set. But time has changed in the meantime. It's been 30 years since "A Serenade of Agony" and not only the recording technology has changed, but also the approach to bands and sound. How did you perceive these changes?
Very happy about the sound and production and it came out as we wanted. Its new and fresh but still very old school and also have a much better overall recording process and better mix and production than the debut – all that which was not possible back in 1991 when we recorded the first album and no one in the studio knew how death metal should sound. And yes – we use the Hm2 chainsaw pedal on the new album and got exactly the sound we wanted– and we actullay also did use that pedal back then 30 years ago, but well that production never became that great. very cool it came out that way. The first album never sounded the way we dreamed about - it was just like this back then where no one in Denmark knew how to priduce metal.
The cover is signed, as always, by the great Ola Larsson. On the cover there is a monster, a terrifying octopus that crawls out of the darkness. How did you and Ola get together and what exactly is the theme supposed to represent?
I wanted him to do the artwork because i love what he does. Got in contact by mail and he put it together. Awesome.
How did you put together the current lineup? You and Lars were probably the obvious choice, but I guess it was hard to convince Dan Swanö? Wasn't it? What about the new members? Did you know each other from the past?
We got in contact with Dan and told him about our plans. First he said no because he had given up singing and also he didn’t actually growl on anything since the Edge of Sanity days, so he said it was impossible, but he would for sure mix and produce the album. We thought about it for a while and worked on the songs and I got in touch with him again, and he said he had been thinking about it and would like to give it a try. And when he began to record the vocals he got very exited about it and loved growling again and had a lot of fun doing it. its incredible when you think about the fact he has not been growling for so many years. He sounds very much like back then – even better maybe, so its just so great to have him doing the vocals as on the debut album because he is just one of the best death metal vocalists out there. We asked Rasmus to do drums because he is a very good Drummer and got hold of Jan to do live vocals and some duets with Dan on the album.
I've always wondered why you guys went on "hiatus" for so long? MACERATION have been on the scene since 1990 and you have only recorded two albums. Why did you quit then?
We just stopped because we had other things to pirate in life. And the Line up back then was unstable. So we broke up.
I noticed, and not only me, that your new video features a new singer, Jan Bergmann Jepsen. Can you please explain what is the situation with Dan Swanö and his position in the band? Do I understand it right that Dan just recorded the album and maybe Jan will perform at the concerts? And could you please introduce the new vocalist?
Dan is only doing session vocals on the album. He doesnt want to be in a band or Play live. Only recordings. So we found Jan who is also from Esbjerg the town where Maceration is originally from.
What about MACERATION and concerts? The new record deserves a tour, don't you think? Are you gonna play live? Can we look forward to the concerts?
We played sone festivals here in Denmark and have some concerts coming up. We will Play Alcatraz in Belgium august 12. And we also have plans for a czech show in september.
If I remember correctly, MACERATION were quite a phenomenon for me in the 90s. I had bands categorized by country back then. Typical Dutch, British, German death metal, but from Denmark I knew mainly ARTILLERY (and of course everything KING DIAMOND touched). And you. But you guys didn't play very typically. You were different, very different. How do you explain that and how did you perceive your first record? Was it an tribute to Swedish bone crunching?
Maceration started as a fun project but developed into something more serious. It was a sideproject, and when I left Invocator I picked up Maceration and re-started that again for a year. The intention was to have a band beside Invocator to Play more brutal stuff in the vein of the bands from Sweden and Florida. We loved death metal do we also wanted to Play the style..
I guess we had some kind of role in Denmark, but we didn’t think about it back then – we just had fun doing Maceration. When we did the album and got Dan Swanö to do vocals and we where two members from Invocator we automatically got attention from the scene, because then people knew the album was serious business. But off course it was Invocator that pawed the way for both Maceration and also for a band like Illdisposed.
Jacob, before MACERATION, you were in the legendary INVOCATOR. You played technical thrash metal. That was an absolute cult for me! Can you please reminisce for us about your beginnings? How did you get into music? Why thrash metal and then MACERATION?
Because we loved death metal! It was what i also wanted to Play. We had some parts in Invocator which was more death thrash but never totally death metal.
Readers would definitely be interested to know what the metal scene and underground was like in the 90s in Denmark? And what is it like today? I have your beautiful country fixed as a place where great bands have always come from. By the way, your current movie scene is also excellent.
Back then i guess it was smaller than today but it was led back then by Invocator, Konkhra, Illdisposed and Artillery. Later bands like Hatesphere and Mercenary took over and today the scene is very Big with many names such as Baest who have brought Danish death metal out to the masses.
You're a great guitarist, I personally like your style a lot. The guitar is a beautiful instrument. I wonder who was your inspiration, who do you admire as a guitarist? Do you practice a lot? And what about MACERATION as a band? Are you professionals who just send each other demos over the internet or are you a bunch that still likes to meet in the rehearsal room and then go for a beer?
Thanks. The guitarists that inspired me most is probably Jeff Hannemann, Kerry King, Trey Azagtoth, Richard Brunelle, Rick Rozz and Chuck Schuldiner. We did all recordings without meeting bit off course we met and rehearsed in connection with the gigs we played. And yes we like beers
What does music mean to you? How do you perceive extreme styles like thrash metal and death? Are they a relaxation, a lifestyle for you? Feel free to look at this question from a philosophical point of view.
Music means everything to me. It’s a part of my life every day and it means a relief, entertainment, emotions, joy. It is very important and it kids shaped who I am also today Back from when I started listening to metal
I admit without torture, "It Never Ends..." is a great album for me, which has everything mixed in a literally killer ratio. The sound, the cover, but most importantly the ideas. MACERATION are back in full force. I wrote in my review that this is a diabolical death metal tribute to darkness. Thank you so much for the interview, but especially for your music! I wish you to have as many ideas as possible, that all the shows are sold out and that you are doing well in your personal life! MACERATION forever!
Thanks so much!!
Recenze/review - MACERATION - It Never Ends... (2022):
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