Page 123 - RAGEBREED MAGAZINE - ISSUE 2 FLIPBOOK

4. How do you feel about the current state of Heavy Metal music ?

There seems to be a resurgence of metal, with many new bands being able to record and release music, and being easier to find
through the many online platforms. While one had tape trading back in the 90s, now it is easier than ever to engage with
underground scenes all over the world, not just the local metal scene. Here of course Bandcamp has a special place, allowing one
to discover underground bands and to buy their music on physical formats. The community on Bandcamp sometimes feels a bit like
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t e r d g o m n i , i n s u i c h r u i s l g n i l f a c l u h g u i l a .
tape trading communities, with bands buying each others music, resulting in little financial, but huge musical gain.
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We have been very happy to have been played on underground metal radio stations in UK, and we are able to participate in the epic
metal scene through the Epic Metal Blog which is located in Germany. In addition, we see a rise in socially conscious movements
in metal, with the Metalheads Against Bullying originating in Norway and the Antifascist Black Metal movement in UK and US. Both
movements that have ideals that fit well with the topics of some of our songs.

5. What is the craziest thing you have seen happen at one of your shows ?

We’ve actually been blessed with relatively little craziness at our concerts, with the exception of some gear malfunctions,
particularly in the drum department, with pedals trying to leave their proper position, or house kit nightmares. Bad house kits
lead quite early to the decision to bring our own kit, even if we have to fly with it. The craziest part of our concerts is probably
how long we have to travel to play the shows outside of Norway. Either for 10 hours by car, or by several planes.

6. What plans do you have for the band over the next 5 years ?

We’re currently working on a new album and have written 4 songs so far. We hope to have started recording at the start of 2022
and then release the album no later than 2023. In addition we plan to play more live, both in Norway and abroad. We have already
been to Sweden and Switzerland, and would like to go to Germany, UK and Ireland, as well as return to Sweden and Switzerland.

7. Do you prefer the sound of digital or analogue recording ?

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T i i a e l m l e t n T e e r a y l e t t c n i r n n l u c r i n i g d q i e t
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This is a really complex question. There are so many elements to consider: an analogue recording done with high end equipment in
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all parts of the signal chain then transferred to a lp will probably sound great, depending of course also on the band and the mix.
just take a listen to Black Sabbath, ELP or Uriah Heep. On the other hand, old records might often sound thin, and not get the wall
of sound one wishes to have in metal. Especially if they were done on a budget. Take the old Satan records. The band is great, but
the sound quality of their first albums can’t be compared to their last. Often analogue recordings have further been remastered
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digitally for cd or streaming services, loosing much of the benefits of the analogue signal chain. Therefore it’s often even hard to
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tell what is true analogue signal chain these days. We ourselves record digitally and clearly see the benefits of being able to take
many takes or redo things in ways you can’t do with tape. By recording real drums and tube amps, as well as a Hammond with tube
preamp, we had a good starting point. Then Steve Walker of Merciless Mixing did stellar work on mixing and mastering, and we
ended up with an album that doesn’t sound overly digital or cold. So for ourselves, digital. For music we listen to, it really comes
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down to the particular band, the decade of the recording and signal chain.
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THANKS TO DREAMSLAIN FOR THE INTERVIEW - JIMI MITCHELL - THE METAL KNIGHTS OF THE ROUND TABLE