SARKOM (Eng.)
– Hi, thanks for your time. What are you currently up to? How is everything doing right now with SARKOM?
Hello, and thanks for your interest in Sarkom! We have spent time at the rehearsal room lately, to make the songs sound as good as possible when playing live. As we haven’t played that much in Norway before, we decided to do something about it. In less than two months, we have actually done 7 gigs on Norwegian soil! I think that is almost the same amount of gigs we have played here in total before.
– First off, what’s the meaning behind the band’s name?
It’s a cancer tumor originating from muscle tissue. It’s harsh, deadly and ugly, so I think it’s a perfect description to our music.
– Last October you released your third full-length album. How was its feedback like?
Sure did, and the feedback has been great from both press and fans. It seems like metal doesn’t have to be «occult» these days to be acknowledged after all. I mean, almost every band has jumped on this lame ass «occult» wave which is so trendy now. Fuck that shit.
– That was your first release in 5 years so, what were you up to in the meanwhile? And what were your feelings upon its release? Exicited to see how people would react?
Well, we had some disagreements and we never found time for everyone to finish both songwriting and recording, so this is why it took so long. However, now we have parted ways with both our previous guitarists and found some new and fresh blood in some other guys. So the only ones left from the Doomsday recording line up are the bassist Sgt. V. and myself. Always excited to see reactions on a new album, but personally, I’ve been fed up with this album for several years now, so I only wanted to release it so we can move forward. That said, I can promise that it won’t take another five years until our next album, which has been the case with this one!
– First off, would you mind to elaborate on the cover artwork and the themes on the CD?
Total death and destruction. The layout is supposed to symbolize how I see the world in the future. Our planet is slowly rotting, and within a certain time limit, I think this might be the result.
– Personally I could say «Doomsday Elite» is your most mature effort to date. Is this the composition you feel to be closest to your perception of what SARKOM is all about?
No. Hopefully our next album can bare that tag.
– It’s also more diverse than your previous records, even with some synths and a wide range of influences. Was this something you were striving for?
No, not at all, but I thought that some synth elements would improve the songs, so I asked Renton to do something about it. I also think that it’s important to evolve and try out new things, so this was a natural step for us now. As for the result, the touch of synth and effects really put the final touch on the songs, I think. All tracks are written by several people with different musical backgrounds, so perhaps this has something to do with the diverse outcome.
– Atmosphere here is really strong and simply superb. Where do you draw inspiration from to create them?
I don’t know with the others, but personally I drink lots of alcohol when I write music. Sometimes the outcome is pretty amazing. Other times… Not that much! But hey! At least it’s more rewarding working that way. I mean… Who doesn’t like the nice effect of alcohol until it becomes so bad that you can’t even stand at your feet and you swim in your own vomit?
– Something that caught my attention is the fact your debut album had a length of over an hour, and the other releases are shorter. Is this something planned or just coincidence?
I guess this is a coincidence… This kind of music can be pretty intense for many listeners, even the die hard ones, so I think an album length of around 40-45 minutes is pretty decent. I guess we had that in mind when we recorded our first album as well, but we didn’t find any room to skip any songs. Also, the last track on that album has an outro/some noise which lasts for 7-8 minutes or something, so I won’t consider that as a real «part» of the total time. But who knows… Maybe our next album will be a long fucker! It would be nice with some changes again, and not follow the typical and safe pattern.
– This was your first record with Dark Essence Records. After some months, how do you think is everything working with them?
So far, so good! Let’s hope it stays that way!
– All this about «Doomsday Elite» being said; how could you describe it in just 3 words?
Bestial, harsh and deadly!
– Now, as 2014 has just started; could you please tell us what are your 3 favorites albums of 2013 as well as the least favorite one?
I think I only heard three releases last year; Sarkom, Satyricon and Shining. I’m not sure with my least favorite, but I can’t say that the Satyricon album blew me away… And the Shining album was only old songs in a new wrapping, so… On topic, in 2013 I have probably listened most to pre production songs for So Much For Nothing and new Sarkom, as well as the soundtrack to The Fountain!
– And finally, what are your nearest future plans? What does 2014 have in store for SARKOM?
We plan to tighten up some new songs before we hit the studio. 2014 marks 10 years since our demo, so we intend to do a special release for this occasion. However, this won’t be another Sarkom «album» in my opinion, but as said, a special release. Our next album won’t be out until 2015/16. On top of that, I really hope we will do some gigs outside Norway as well, but time will show. So far we have only one confirmed gig, at Norwegian Hellcamp in Germany in October. This is something new. It will only be Norwegian bands that day, and so far Aura Noir, Ragnarok, Taake and Endezzma are confirmed, alongside Sarkom.
– That’s all, thank you once more for answering our questions. If you want to add some final words; feel free to do it.
Thanks for your time, and to the readers: Feel free to check us out on facebook to get the latest news etc. That’s where the shit happens these days!
