ANTICHRIST (Eng.)
– First off, thank you so much for answering our interview. Tell us a bit how did your history as a band start.
A: Around 2005 we started talking about starting a thrash/speed metal band but nothing really happened until 2008. At this point we were only four and we didn’t have a bass player. But after our first demo (Crushing Metal Tape 2009) we asked Gobbe to join us. Then the line-up was complete and we recorded a second demo (Put To Death 2010) and we started to play more live. We all knew each other and we all shared the same visions of what we wanted to do so everything has gone quite smooth.
– Last year you released your debut album, entitled “Forbidden World”. Explain us how did you get to record it and who did support you.
A: We recorded it in a studio here in our home town of Växjö with two friends. We had almost everything written before we entered the studio except a few solos and so on. However in the studio there was quite a lot of problems with technical stuff. Amps and guitars and stuff like that. That’s one of the reasons it took us so long to finish the album. Also there was some problems with the mixing. But in the end we were very satisfied with the result since it sound very cruel and wild. No unnatural, over produced sound like most shit has today but a organic and dark atmosphere that fits the music very well. The recording was payed for by High Roller Records. They also gave us money for the cover which our friend Kriss did. He made an amazing painting that, in real life, is quite huge. It also fits the music very well.
– Already getting deep into this effort; is a really amazing record, I was missing a so old school album into Thrash territories. Did it end up like you expected?
A: Yes it ended up the way we expected since we know what we like and we had help from our friends in the studio to make it reality. We are sick and tired of the “thrash” scene today. Most bands sound completely worthless and boring. Even those bands that claim to play the old kind of thrash metal sound like a boring copy-cat of a very few bay area bands but with a horrific modern production. So we wanted to get far away from that shit. Of course there are some bands today that are killer but most of the shit that people talk about is pointless and whimpy. In the future we will keep on making records with dark, evil and natural sound.
– Nowadays many Thrash bands mechanize their sound too much, or they overproduced their albums. How was the recording and production to get such a pure, old school sound?
A: Haha, well as you can tell from the answer above we totally agree!! We just knew what we wanted and we won’t let anybody change our minds and we would never release something that we can not stand for. If you try it is really not very hard to make this kind of production in 2011. I don’t understand people today who pretends to sounds “old school” but actually sound completely ridiculous and modern.
– Listening to it, it makes me feel the same as many of the first albums by POSSESSED, BATHORY, KREATOR, VOIVOD, SODOM or DESTRUCTION. Are these bands part of your influences? What other bands do you think have influenced you?
A: Absolutely, those are some killer bands! Of course there are too many to mention but a lot of obvious bands like Iron Maiden, Rainbow, Judas Priest, Mercyful Fate, Slayer, Metallica, Darkness, Deathrow, Morbid Saint and so on…
– The cover artwork is also similar to those endearing paintings of the underground Metal. That hand holding the logo shares a similar style to albums by bands as MATAKOPAS or CREED. How did you come up with this idea? Was this something planned in regard of the sound of the CD?
A: We came up with it one night when we were listening to music and smoking weed. It just seemed like a cool idea and something that would fit the title of the album as well. Kriss made it look totally insane and fucking awesome.
– The band’s name is also interesting; a name that has been used for many songs but not by really well-known bands. I think the link between the album’s sound, the cover and the name is perfect, you could perfectly bee an underground band of the 80’s.
A: Yeah, that is true there are a lot of songs from the thrash scene in the 80’s called Antichrist but not really that many bands. The only band I have listetend to with this name is the one from Hungary. Good band! But they are not well known and we thought it wouldn’t be a problem. We also think it fits the music and our idea of the band very well.
– Another thing that surprises me, beside the aggressiveness, are those guitar melodies that create a good balance with the aggressiveness on the album; was this a hard work or, on the opposite, did it come naturally (as we can hear)?
A: Gabbe and Filip are good at writing interesting stuff like that. We worked quite carefully with the songs to make them as good as possible. I think that those melodies are an important part of the album and that they add a lot of atmosphere.
– I knew you guys just a few time ago, but I saw you at the Espectros festival last February and I was overwhelmed; what were your feelings about the experience of playing on that festival?
A: One of the best times we’ve ever had! Totally dedicated people, both organizers and the crowd. Our show went well and the party kicked ass. We did not want to leave Spain when it was time for us to fly back home to Sweden. We must return!
– And how’s the ANTICHRIST’s schedule for this year? Do you plan touring or festival appearances?
A: Some gigs now and then but we will mostly concentrate on the next record. We will try to write as much as possible now and maybe we will can get some tours together after the next release. You can check our homepage www.militiaofdeath.com for dates and info.
– And about your future in terms of releases; how do you see it? Do you already have a second album in mind?
A: Yes we do, we are in the midst of writing it right now. We don’t have any time schedule, so we have no idea when it will be ready. It won’t be recorded until we are completely satisfied.
– That’s everything from our side, you have released one of the best albums of these last 15 years into the Thrash scene. Our best wishes for your futue projects, hope to see you soon again. Thank you.
Thank you for the support and we hope to see in you in Spain in the near future! Cheers to Mike and the people in Heavy Metal Espectros as well. Die by metal!!!
