TROLLFEST (Eng.)
– Hello thanks for your time. What’s TROLLFEST currently up to?
Hi there, and thanks for the interest in our little 7-man ensemble. We TrollfesT-ers are always up to something.
For the moment we are planning to have some insane fun at the Metalcamp festival when we play there at the 14th of July. After that we will continue on to the more long-lasting tour this autumn, Heidenfest, where we among others play together with Finntroll, Turisas, Alestorm and Arkona. This is something we’re all looking very much forward to do. Apart from that, we’re drinking, rehearsing and working a lot with preparations for all this.
– I would like you to start this interview with an introduction of the band if you don’t mind, to all those who don’t know about you yet
We know that we still need to reach more people (who doesn’t), so we don’t mind introducing our group of merry Trolls.
TrollfesT is a septet with what we ourselves believe consist of a bit of a
different approach to music. In some cases, even a different approach from what people might expect, considering our starting point: Yes, we have Troll in our name, and we do sing about Trolls, their quests to feed on Christians and their insane drunken parties and so on. And yes, we add “folkish” and metal elements to our music.
Even so, we have always moved away from what is more of the standard for folk-metal. A while ago, we decided to look to other countries than the Scandinavian ones for the folk music. We looked for music that truly inspired people, and was able to bring many generations out on the floor dancing, smiling and having a good time. As a result, we’ve ended up basing a lot of our melodies and ideas on eastern European genres, and especially from the Balkan areas. In addition to this, we add more extreme sorts metal elements than what «regular» folk-metal bands usually would choose.
We spent some time trying to define our own music, and the most fitting description we’ve found to describe our music is «True Norwegian Balkan Metal». We chose this because we like to make fun of things and because it sounds like a spoof on «True Norwegian Black Metal», but also because we really feel that this description explains what we are up to musically.
We also see this «label» as something to force people to think the thought that perhaps there’s no point in comparing TrollfesT to other bands to such an extent as if we try to be someone other than ourselves based on our own ideas.
Anyhow, words can only describe TrollfesT in part, so we highly recommend people to go see us live to better understand what TrollfesT is all about. Gigs with us is all about having a great time playing our music, and interact with the audience.
– Your latest album, «En Kvest For Den Hellige Gral» was released a few months ago. How has been its feedback so far and how’s been the reaction from the audience?
We feel very satisfied about how people have taken the album. The general opinion seems to be that you either like it a lot or not at all, which for us is somewhat of a goal. It’s easier to respect a strong opinion rather than to aim for everyone to say that what you do is «ok», but nothing special.
It’s a better idea, in our heads, to make music for those who keep having a profound interest in what we enjoy doing, than try to do something for everyone.
– And what are were expectations with this album? Have they been fulfilled?
Well, we are still waiting for world domination and having a country named after us, but seeing as we are going on a big tour this autumn, where one of our goals will be to introduce our new album to more people these main-goals may still be fulfilled.
Other than that, we are truly happy about the response the album is getting and our fans reactions to our newest songs in general.
– How’s the songwriting process like in TROLLFEST?
In the beginning it was late night evenings with large amounts of liquid inspiration that made the songs, but lately the song-ideas come to life more individually and we then discuss and adapt our way towards the finished product, if it’s not already all finished in the demo-phase, which has also happened.
– «En Kvest For Den Hellige Gral» stands for «A Quest for the Holy Grail»; which is that «holy grail» you are looking for?
«En Kvest For Den Hellige Gral» is an album with a concept story being told in the song-lyrics throughout the album. The story’s about five Trolls’ quest for the Holy Grail. In fact, the Trolls are looking for the same grail as the Christians search for, but out of different reasons. Our Troll-friends are not after the grail out of any «divine power»-purposes, but simply because they are hungry, and that they know that many Christians seek the grail. Put simply, the Trolls search the grail with intensions to use it for attracting Christians like humans attract mice with cheese on a mouse-trap. To get to know how the story will end, I suggest you buy the album 😉
– Since «Villanden» your covers have changed quite a lot actually. Is there any concrete reason for this? How did you come up with
the idea of this new style for your covers?
The most significant difference in cover-design for «Villanden» and «En Kvest For Den Hellige Gral» is that we got in contact with the Swedish cartoonist, Jonas Darnell. The drawings he made for us were so awesome, and they truly deserved to get some brighter background-color on the cover front. You might say that we ended up with more “light” and «happy» covers, but we think it just focuses more straight onto the raw aggressiveness of the savage wild duck and later on the bunch of seriously angry Trolls. That’s certainly scary and brutal enough for us.
– If I’m not mistaken, you have released each album with a different record label; why? And how’s everything going with NoiseArt so far? Do you think this will be an estable cooperation?
You’re almost not mistaken. The two first albums were actually released on the same label, but the label changed names during our time with them. We’ve been a bit cautious in our past years, and so we signed for one album at a time in the beginning. The reasons for changing labels have been different, but no changes were caused out of any bad relations or wrongdoing of business, so we have basically been very happy with what our past labels have been able to offer us at the different stages of our career.
Our recent signing and current cooperation with NoiseArt Records, which also includes Rock the Nation as a booking agency, was a big upgrade due to the booking part and the cooperation has been beyond our expectations. In both divisions they work hard, truly devoted and show great interest in our music and what we’re up to.
– Some of you play in different bands such as PANTHEON I, SARKOM or URGEHAL, which are bands different to TROLLFEST both in sound and attitude, so this can be quite surprising. What do the other bands provide you TROLLFEST can’t and vice-versa?
Well, actually all of us play in other bands than TrollfesT. I would say that the fact that we all play in other bands and in such ways deal with different genres or at least approaches to the same genre, TrollfesT’s music is what it is.
– If I’m not wrong, alcohol affects your music; how important is it both in your music and in your life?
Alcohol affects us all in some way, I suppose. In our case, alcohol comes as a natural addition to a good time. And since our music is mainly about having a good time, why not add alcohol there too? However, if you think TrollfesT is just about drinking and no seriousness, that is not right. We are serious in what we do, but we are also serious about not being serious.
The seriousness of being unserious is not to be taken lightly.
– And beside it, what are your influences? And the musical ones?
We all bring different influences to the band. The strongest influences are, off course musical, being that music is the biggest common connector in the band. This is the truth, despite the fact that our hobby of drinking may look bigger. We all have a strong interest in all kinds of music. Metal and Eastern European folk music are some of the larger parts that inspire us to make the music we do. At the same time, we can pick ideas that end up defining songs from basically anything in our surroundings.
– Finally, what are the band’s near-future plans?
In the very near future, we’re off to play at the Metalcamp festival in Slovenia the following weak from now. Later, in fall this year, we go on the Heidenfest tour with Finntroll, Turisas, Alestorm and more. While doing this we aim to make some more songs and prepare for recording another album.
– That’s all from my side, thank you once more for taking the time. Now feel free to add some final our to our readers.
Thank you for your interest in TrollfesT.
Stay Trollish and never forget that «Av mjøden vart du vis og klok, så DREKKA MER»!
-PsychoTroll / TrollfesT
