BOMBS OF HADES (Eng.)
– Hello, thanks for answering to our questions. What are you currently up to?
Hi Tania. Well, answering a bunch of interviews, that’s what I’m up to haha.
– First off, I would like you to start telling us what projects did you have after MACABRE END (besides THE CROWN), as I guess some people won’t know about THE COLOMBOS, etc.
Before MACABRE END/GOD MACABRE there was ABHOTH and then I was in UTUMNO between 90-93. After that I didn’t play in any real bands. Had an ongoing progressive rock project though with various members coming and going between 93-98 which ended in an albums worth of material recorded (still unreleased). This was more in the vein of stuff like KING CRIMSON, VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR, ANEKDOTEN and CAMEL. Then I played some fuzz/stoner rock with SPACE PROBE TAURUS and MUSCLEWEED (1999-2000) and then there was THE COLOMBOS between 2001-2007 which was a kind of mix of garagerock/psychedelia and indiestuff.
– And what motivated you to form BOMBS OF HADES?
Mainly to get drunk and worship DISCHARGE, ANTI CIMEX, CELTIC FROST, AUTOPSY, ENTOMBED and DISFEAR in the beginning.
– You were formed in 2002; what were your aims back then? As your first full-length album was released 8 years later.
Mainly to get drunk and worship DISCHARGE, ANTI CIMEX, CELTIC FROST, AUTOPSY, ENTOMBED and DISFEAR hehe. That was the first aim. Then I thought that the material I was writing was too good to just stay in the rehearsal room so the aims got a little higher. It wasn’t until late 2007 we started to see it as a fulltime band for all 4 of us.
– And did your vision of the band and goals changed? As you started as a Crust/Punk band but, some years later and after being through some line-up changes, you started playing Death Metal.
Well, the line-up changes and changing of styles kinda go hand in hand. The very first line-up lasted maybe 3-4 weeks of rehearsing, then the band morphed into a 3 piece who did one demo for fun and then the death metal influences took over even more and left me doing a demo on my own playing all the instruments. That was mainly to show the other three guys that complete the band some songs i’d written. Goals always change. Right now we might as well just march on in the way we do now.
– Though “Chambers of Abominations” came out in 2010, you already did a demo back in 2002 and another one in 2006 entitled “Meathook Diaries”. If I’m not mistaken you did that whole demo on your own. How was that like?
As I mentioned earlier, that was mainly to show the other three guys some songs i’d written. I just went down to the rehearsalroom and recorded three songs on a fourtrack studio in maybe 2-3 hours or so.
– And since “Chambers of Abominations” saw the light you have been really active; you have done some EPs and splits with bands as MORDBRAND or TORMENTED among others. Where do you take inspiration and motivation from?
Inspiration and motivation comes in many forms. All the time. I try to write all the time and I always record every idea for riffs etc I get. The splits and ep’s are real fun to do. More relaxing and no pressure like when you do albums. More or les every kind of music I listen to is inspirational to me in some kind of way.
– We could say you are an old school Death Metal bands with some Punk and Crust nuances. I can personally find on your music certain details similar to bands as ANTI-CIMEX, MORBID ANGEL and a lot of things of the “Swedish school” as CARNAGE, etc. But, what have been the most influential bands for BOMBS OF HADES?
Both those band are big inspirations yeah, but we play Morbid Angel stuff in the Anti Cimex would play it. I mean, Trey is a fuckin’ freakshow on the guitar. I’ll never come close to what he used to do. Carnage have always been a big inspiration. But for me personally, my biggest inspirations making music is Autopsy, Entombed, Slayer, First 3 Metallica albums, Celtic Frost, Disfear, Trouble, Carnage, Goblin, Univers Zero, King Crimson, Mogwai, Van der graaf generator and Black Sabbath.
– Now that I mention that, on some of your short length releases you’ve featured cover songs, from CARNAGE and MOTÖRHEAD for instance, which I personally think are just great. Do you like playing covers? Do you plan doing any others for upcoming releases?
Love doing covers, especially when they are stuff you might not expect. Sure, we’ve done by now songs by Carnage and Master, but I think the Motörhead cover turned out the best. We are doing an Abhoth track on an upcoming, but that is not a 100% cover since I wrote it myself. But we have some cool cover ideas for upcoming stuff. Be sure of that.
– Now you have a new album, “The Serpent’s Redemption”. What are your expectations for this record?
Personally, I have high expectations for this album. I think it shreds. It’s more cohesive than the first album. And the production is a lot better. It’s a natural and good progression I think.
– This is your first opus with Asian label Pulverised Records. How did you hook up with them and how is everything going with this company so far? As they seem to be a really good house for bands into your style.
Pulverised seem to have a good ear for signing the coolest bands around nowdays. So far we’re very pleased with their work.
– Anyway, as they are releasing the CD, maybe Blood Harvest will still be doing the vinyl version?
Yes, Blood Harvest will release the vinyl version as usual. Love working with Rodrigo.
– I’ve read you’ve created this effort around the title-track. How was this process like?
I wrote the titletrack “The Serpent’s Redemption” almost right after we recorded the first album and had the idea of having the next album be a little more heavy and maybe a bit more elaborated. Then most of the songs fell into place.
– I’ve noticed on this album you have longer tunes than on your debut. Was this something you consciously wanted to do?
Yeah, I have this weird idea of trying to mix old school death metal, crust and progressive rock in a weird mix. So the songs naturally gets longer because of the progressive influence.
– For instance we can find “Scorched Earth”, which lasts over 10 minutes. What’s the story behind this song? And how was writing it like?
I had the basic idea for the song ready early on in the writing process and knew it was going to be the final track on the album. The organ intro and the ending crescendo part was written first but then I had a totally different arrangement for the middle part which I didn’t get right until like a day or two before entering the studio. The lyrics kind of tie together with the title track also.
– Tunes like this show this “The Serpent’s Redemption” is a more elaborated and experimental opus, and it also has more feeling. Is this something you can do on purpose or did it simply come naturally out of you?
Both. I felt it was a natural progression and it surely comes natural to me anyway. But yeah, it was alot on purpose of course.
– It’s also a heavier and darker effort. Could you say this helps enhancing the overall eerie atmosphere on the album?
I think albums with a dark and eerie feel to them are the greatest. Makes for a much more interesting listen. That was what we were aiming for.
– This time around you’ve worked at a different studio, and you’ve produced the album with the help of Per Stålberg and Olle Björk. How were the production process and the recording sessions? As I think you’ve managed to get a really rotten sound and a certain live feeling.
The recording was awesome. Per and Olle are old friends of mine and they have a great studio in a big house in Gothenburg, Sweden were we both slept and recorded. We had a great time, with some friends stopping by hanging out drinking and stuff. The rotten live feeling comes from that the basic tracks (drums, bass and rhythm guitars) were recorded live. Per and Olle did an amazing job capturing the ideas I had for the production.
– On the other hand, Rafal Kryszyk crafted the cover artwork and, once more, Ekman did the layout. How did you work on this and what did you want to express with the visuals?
Rafal did an amazing job. I sent him a real ugly and simple sketch of my idea for the cover and he turned it into a masterpiece with his ideas. Then Ekman did the layout with lyrics etc. The cover is more or less an combined idea between the title track and “Scorched Earth”. Visual aspect of those lyrics really.
– All this about “The Serpent’s Redemption” being said; how could you describe it in just 3 words?
Heavy, Raw, Epic
– And finally, what are your near-future plans?
Getting the vinyl version out which will come in 3 different versions/ colours on the cover and with fold-out and poster. Then there are some more gigs on the horizon, both in Sweden and Abroad. Two splits are on the way also with Suffer The Pain and Entrench.
– That has been everything from my side, thank you once more. If you want to add some final words; last lines are all yours.
Thanks alot for the support and now get us to Spain. We’d love to play there.
