– Hello, lots of thanks for answering our interview. What’s everything going right now into the DEN SAAKALDTE’s camp?

Tjalve: We are currently working towards the release gig in may and are actually planning out 2015 as we speak.

Sykelig: Some surprises are also planned for 2014. We are focusing right now in giving out to the people, the right meaning of what «Kapittel II: Faen i Helvete» is about but we also plan what is to follow.

– The band was at first your solo project, Sykelig, so how did evolve to become a full band?

Sykelig: It was a normal thing really. When i started Den Saakaldte it felt that only me could understand what i wanted to create and share with people. I guess friendship and other elements in life can widen the horizons and one can see things differently after a while. Right now Den Saakaldte is a group pf people with same feeligns and goals and that makes it natural.

Tjalve: I joined the band after a few gigs we did where i worked as a session-member. After the partisan-festival in 2009 it became official, and for me this was a perfect fit to get back to my «blackmetal» way of writing. This is the first time after my 1349-days that i have created blackmetal and in my opinion it represents everything i deem blackmetal to be.

 

– You have recently released your sophomore album, which sees the light 5 years after your debut album came out. During these last years there have been some changes in the band. Would you mind to tell us a little bit what have you been up to during these 5 years? How and when did your new «Kap II: Faen i Helvete» started to get shaped?

Tjalve: We have been building up this album and what it stands for the last 5 years and then the writing process took place the last year, with the intension that the material wouldnt be rehearsed to death. The result is that it has an attitude that is ripe with hate, aggression and despair. It is too complicated to go into all the lineup changes we have had, but i can say for certain that there is no bad blood between us and the previous members of Den Saakaldte.

Sykelig: Yes, no point in talking about that. Only thing i would add is that amongst the members in regards to private life, there has been days of sorrow, frustration and grief due to many individual for each one of us issues. That and only can make one say.. No…it is not time for music now». We didn’t want to make music just so to «make music». If ne cannot feel right, music cannot be forced to be made. It can wait until it is respectful to our ears and hearts.

 

– And how do you think has DEN SAAKALDTE envolved throughout the last 5 years? Debuts albums for bands tend to be more like an experiment and the second albums use to solidify the band’s personality. Has this been the case for you?

Tjalve: We have evolved in the sense that we are now more than one composer in the band and by bringing the influnces from other bands and project we all have been involved it has brought a new dimension to the sound. The progression from «all hail» to «kap.II» is a natural step for the band and i will have to say that «kap.II» represents what we are today.

 

– Anyway you haven’t copied your previous album at all, you have taken a new approach I could say, so it’s always pleasing to see a band that bets on creativity. Did you have a preconceived idea of how you wanted your new album to sound like? Do you have any barriers or try to stick to a certain pattern?

Tjalve: We have no barriers to our creativity. I think this is a mentality that is toxic to blackmetal these days. It seems like to be apart of the scene you have to fit the perfect blackmetal-mould. To me blackmetal is to break barrier not to build them up.

 

– As I said earlier, there have been some changes in your line-up. Being yourself, Sykelif, the main composer, how do the addition of new members affect the band?

Sykelig: I and Tjalve think quite the same. He has a bit more «aggresive» way, i have a bit more «gloomy» way…but the core is the same. I think the formula works as powerful as never before. Eldur’s vocals also made everything a bit more hateful…but that i s how the bands feel the last 4-5 years really… more hate than sorrow.

Tjalve: It takes the band from being a one-man band to being a band with several ideas and opinoins. we have the same goal for the album, but sometimes the way to get there is not always unanimous, and this creates both creativity and some times frustrations, but all in the end we use it to our advantage.

 

– Digging deeper into this opus, again lyrics are in Norwergian so, what do some of them deal with? What were some of the topics that inspired them?

Tjalve: All the lyrics are based on personal experiences, views of life and the hate that builds up living in a conventional society.

 

– Musically It seems you have gone to a more traditional sound, in fact guitar work has a really classic Norwergian BM flavour. Did you approach differntly your guitar work compared to your previous «All Hail Pessimism»?

Tjalve: This is all natural to us and we are all influenced by the blackmetal that was created in the early 90`s so it is natural for our music to bear some of its roots. This time around it is also two creating forces playing guitar so the guitar work will of course differ from our previous releases.

 

– There are even certain Punk elements, or Doom moments. Due to this, which bands could you point as some of the most influenial for the DEN SAAKALDTE’s sound?

Tjalve: This depends on the individual you are asking. I can only speake for myself, and when it comes to influences outside of the blackmetal genre i will have to say that the grunge movements that eradicated the hair-metal scene in the 90`s is a huge influence to me.

Sykelig: When it comes to me, i would definitely need to point out Christian Death. That band i can consider as personal influence.

 

– Something that caught my attention off this release is that sounds ever darker and more somber, it seems like it has a stronger focus on atmosphere. Is it actually like that or is that just my perception? How important is the whole atmosphere for this release? What do you want to convey/add to the music with it?

Tjalve: The atmosphere is essencial. When we write we dont compair it to our previous release and use it as a countermeassure for what we are to do next. We focus all our efforts into this creation and we don`t let any external elements interfere in our process. This is a very personal album to all of us in den saakaldte and if the listener can convert this to be a personal experience for him/herself then we have been succssesful in our intentions.

 

– At the same time, this is a quite straight-forward release, still have those subtle Jazz details I think. Nowadays, with easy access to a lot of different releases and in this era where people don’t use to pay the same attention nor dedicate the same time to albums as back in the day, how important is to create an album with impact? Is this something you strive for or did you just let things flow naturally?

Tjalve: This is as i stated earlier a personal album and we have no intetion to please the average listener. Our fans are loyal and they know if they grant our releases the time it deserves it will give back by the dozen. We are no onehit wonder band that you can put on one 3.5 min song with catchy phrases and singalongs. This is not fastfood it is a 7-course extravagant feast.

 

– In fact songwriting is really dynamic, creating an enjoyable final result. Due to this I would like to know how do you use to work in the songwriting process and if creating something enjoyable and entertaining is also important, no just for your listener, but also for you as composer and musician.

Tjalve: The way we wrote the songs on this album was that the main frame for the songs was written individually by myself and Sykelig, and then worked with the rest of the band afterwards.

 

– All this about «Faen i Helvete» being said; how could you describe it in just 3 words?

Tjalve: blackmetal, hate and despair

Sykelig: Faen – i – Helvete.

 

– And finally, what are your near-future plans?

Tjalve: We are these days planing to do some shows and later on there might be more chaos coming your way.

Sykelig: Yes…some announcements i regards to concerts and releases are to take place…5 years of silence has been a lot… now it got to be time for som uprising.

 

– That’s all, thank you once more for answering our questions. If you want to add some final words; feel free to do it.

Sykelig: Be you and do not be followers of others.

 

Tania Giménez

tania@queensofsteel.com

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