CENTURY: In the eye of the storm
Few bands embody the duality of chaos and calm quite like this Swedish heavy metal force. With their highly anticipated second album, Sign of the Storm, they dive headlong into themes of loss, transformation, and resilience, crafting music that’s both thunderous and introspective.
In this candid conversation, Staffan opens up about the inspirations behind their ominous title, the raw intensity of their sound, and the painstaking process of creating artwork that mirrors their music’s emotional depth. They reflect on personal struggles, universal truths, and the timeless spirit of metal that grounds their identity. Whether drawing from mythological warriors, old Swedish films, or deeply personal change, their lyrics aim to resonate on a visceral level with listeners.
Join us as we explore the storms they’ve weathered, the winds they’ve followed, and their unyielding commitment to authenticity: “Only real is real.”
Hi, first off thanks for taking your time. How’s everything doing in the lair of Century?
No worries, thank you for having us! There’s quite a lot happening right now leading up to the release of our second album. We’re rehearsing and planning tours for next year and I’m working on layout and artwork for posters and merch.
The title of your new album, Sign of the Storm, seems to carry a powerful, ominous tone. What inspired this title, and what kind of storm do you envision—emotional, societal, or something more personal?
We didn’t have a specific title in mind while working on the album, so we chose to name it after the sixth song, which starts off the b-side of the LP. For the lyrics, I was imagining a character who stands before a powerful phenomenon that dissolves their perception of space and time.
You’ve previously mentioned the importance of atmosphere in your music. How does the production and sound of Sign of the Storm serve to reflect the themes of upheaval or change?
Atmosphere can of course refer to a lot of different things, but production-wise we try to make the songs sound thunderous and loud, while not losing too much clarity. We also try to find some balance in variety throughout the songs and for this reason, I’m happy with how the softer passages on the album turned out, like calm moments in the eye of the storm, so to speak. I recorded some acoustic guitars, some twelve string parts and some vintage synthesizers, which were recorded onto tape and mixed in with the songs.
The album artwork evokes dark, dramatic imagery. Can you share the thought process behind the visuals and how they tie into the overall narrative of the album?
The visuals are very important to me, so I usually draw each design a few times until I get it right, before cutting, pasting, and scanning together the final thing. I always try to make something that looks striking and fits the mood of the music as I hear it. Sometimes I base artwork on the lyrics, sometimes it’s even the other way around. I don’t always have a clear narrative when I start working, it usually reveals itself sometime during the process. Or not.
With tracks like Fallen Hero and Chains of Hell, there seems to be a recurring theme of loss, conflict, and transformation. What are the personal or universal experiences that you draw on when crafting such powerful lyrics?
It varies a lot between different songs. Sacrifice was inspired by the mythological symbol of the golden bough, so I wrote it about a warrior who challenges a sorcerer in order to assume his powers. In contrast, the second track Children of the Past is based more on real life, especially facing inevitable change. I wrote Possessed by the Night after watching an old Swedish film while home sick from work last winter, so the ideas come from very different places. Regardless of the origin, the most important thing is the feeling the songs invoke in the listener, and I hope they can relate to the lyrics in their own way.
Do you feel that Sign of the Storm marks a shift in your musical identity as a band? If so, how does it differ from your previous releases both in sound and in message?
These songs were written at different points in time (a few of them were even planned before the first album), so I don’t really think about it that way. From my perspective, our musical identity hasn’t changed all that much since we started the band. Both Leo and I have a pretty broad vision for what kind of songs we want to do, and it feels like we’ve just gotten started. I did have plans to make some longer and more progressive sounding tracks for this album, but in the end we somehow ended up choosing songs for it that sound pretty straight forward to me anyway, haha. We’re both currently working on songs for the third album though, so we might carry those ideas to that instead. Time will tell.
Sign of the Storm has a raw intensity. Were there any specific moments in your life that made this album feel particularly urgent or important to create now?
Like I said in the previous question, it feels to me like we’ve just gotten started, and I’m still driven by the same inspiration that led us to forming the band. Life is short and we want to strike while the iron is hot.
For fans, Century’s sound invokes a sense of timelessness, evoking the spirit of past eras while pushing toward new sonic landscapes. In a world so saturated by musical trends, how do you define your connection to the legacy of metal while still keeping your identity unique and relevant?
Both Leo and I have listened to this type of music since we were children (in the past), so our appreciation of it is fairly unaffected by current musical trends. Our connection to the genre is deeply rooted, so we just try to make music that sounds genuine and right to us.
Storms are often unpredictable, and this theme is reflective of the metal genre’s ability to break boundaries. How do you see your band challenging or pushing the metal genre with this release?
Like I said in the previous question, we think what’s most important is to create something that sounds genuine and authentic to us. I hope that translates into something that can break the mold of all the generic, uninspired heavy metal coming out currently. Only real is real…
The idea of facing inner storms is powerful, and it’s often connected with personal growth. How do you see the concept of ‘storm’ relating to overcoming personal struggles, both for the band and your audience?
When the world is storming around you, you can either deal with it by staying in the calm of its eye or by following its winds. We actually did record a song called Prisoner of the Wind that was scrapped from this album, but it will hopefully see the light of day in the future.
Anyway, speaking of related songs, listen to these:
- Europe – Stormwind
- Venom – Calm Before The Storm
- Deep Purple – Stormbringer
- Tröjan – Chasing The Storm
- Savatage – The Storm
- Wizzard – Stormchild
- Fleetwood Mac – Storms (11/30/78 Version)
That’s all from our side. Thanks again for answering to these questions. If you’d like to add some final words; it’s your turn.
Hope you like our new album! Long live heavy metal! Only real is real!
