DERANGED (Eng.)
– Hello, thanks for your time. What’s currently keeping DERANGED busy?
Right now just rehearsing and preparing us selves for a tour over in Russia in August / September and shortly afterwards to play the Rock in Solo festival down in Indonesia. We’ve been to Russia before but never Indonesia. Always great fun to come to new territories. We’ll do all in all around eight or nine shows in Russia. Mean, that’s one of the very highlights about being in a band. You get to see and visit places you would probably never otherwise do.
– First off, what prompted the band’s comeback?
The reason for the split was actually rather lame and stupid if you ask me. The thing was that I had it up to my neck with pretty anything having to do with the band. I would be the one trying to get us shows, talking to agencies, handling the merchandise, answer interviews… You know! It had been like that for years and it came to a point where I said that I simply had it and didn’t want to do it any longer. And with all fairness, it just felt wrong to come to the rehearsal one day and say that from now I only want to the things I think is fun, you guys can do the rest so I made up my mind and wanted to quit instead and so I did. During the time we had quite a lot of festivals booked and I said numerous times over and over that I would stay and do whatever shows we had booked and in case they should be offered a tour further on and hadn’t found themselves a drummer I could stay and do that as well. So basically the main difference would be that the three of the guys would do the work I had been doing alone for years. It was cool with two of the guys but the third member wanted to split the band and so it was. I would say one and a half year later Thomas and Martin wanted to start up the band again and asked me whether it was ok or not with me and I said “Hell yeah!”. It was never my intention that the band would split up just coz I wanted to leave. I don’t know… It didn’t work out with the drummer they originally had in mind so they asked me if I could help out and my first reaction was “No way!” Ha ha ha. Anyway, they talked me over to at least come down and jam and as cliché it might sound it just felt great and I asked if I could be part of the whole thing again.
– Your new album after this return is «Cut Carve Rip Serve»; how’s being its feedback?
So far pretty good. To be honest, I haven’t read that many reviews yet but judging from the “mouth to mouth” word, people seem to be into it.
– For all those who haven’t heard the album yet; how could you describe its sound?
It sounds like Deranged, so if you’re familiar with our sound you’ll for sure be into the new disc as well. Personally I would say that it’s a probably a bit more listenable, in terms of that it happens more within the songs then earlier. I’m not saying that it’s especially technical or anything, just that it at least it feels there’s more thought behind the songs.
– This record has more depth and details than ever, beside the usual brutality and also technique; do you this is your most complete and mature effort to date?
Yeah, without a doubt. As mentioned, I would say that it’s more shit going on within each song.
– Moreover, I think this album is even more brutal but, at the same time, is quite groovy. Was this something intended? I mean, I think a mix between these two elements is something more extreme bands should have in mind.
As in actually at least trying to do good songs that contains at one riff or arrangement that returns? Ha ha ha. I think I know what you mean. As a matter of fact, when we started to work on the songs for the new CD, we said that we wanted to have more shit that would be cool in a live situation, it’ll say not necessarily blast beat all the through a song. Just shit that one can get into, as you describe if perfectly, more groove and I think we succeeded rather nicely with that.
– Your lyrics tend to be quite violent; what are the foundations behind your lyrics?
From the very beginning it pretty much just showed our big interested in the whole splatter / horror genre and have just continued from that. Mean, from very early on, everything we did under the name Deranged was influenced or even based on horror / splatter movies. Hell, we even took the name from a movie.
– And, from a general view, how was the songwriting like for this record?
Earlier would everything be written in the rehearsal room which can be a very frustrating and time demanding procedure. This time around would Thomas write the majority of the material at home and come down to the rehearsal with a basic idea for a new song, so I would say that for the first time there’s actually a song writer in the band. Mean, needless to say one can experiment a bit more sitting home then being caught in a rehearsal room trying to force oneself for new material.
– This is the first album with this current line-up. Has this affected in any way the band’s sound or made you have a different approach?
As said, the actual songs were written in a different way but we try to keep the overall Deranged sound so to say. Pretty much just trying to do a good record and give people what they wants from us.
– After releasing an album with Regain you’re now working with Sevared Records, which is a smaller company than Regain. What are the prons and cons of this?
That’s like the business side of it all… I have always considered keeping the whole business thing not to official if you know what I mean? After all, it’s between the label and us and have very little to do with the actual music we does. To keep it simple, we wanted a new label and basically Sevared was there and offered us a deal. It wasn’t especially a secret that they fucking breath, eat and shit death metal, and are honestly fans of the bands they sign and releases, and that’s something we appreciates. So far have they been killer to us. No shit! It’s more working with a friend really. They are honest to us and tell us what they think straight out. Me being the same, I appreciate that.
– You have been in all the band’s albums and have seen DERANGED grow and change; what have been the best and worst moments so far?
I’m the kind of guy that usually only remembers the worst parts and there’s plenty of them. Ha ha ha. Most of them are rather personal so I won’t go indepth with any of that but I remember we did a tour in the U.K. a good couple of years ago that was like a nightmare. At some shows there was like three or four paying people. Ha ha ha. And to top it all, when we arrived to the venue in London they didn’t even know that we was supposed to play. Just shit like that!
– In your sound, though we can hear different elements, I could say I’ve always noticed a clear influence from the American Death Metal scene. Anyway, what are the band’s main musical influences?
Man, right now I would say just about anything. Everything one will hear and see. I personally listen to all kinds of shit. Anything from Eyehategod to Yes, from powerviolence to progrock you know.
– Sweden has always had a huge extreme Metal scene but, how do you see it as an «insider»?
I guess that one that lives in Sweden takes it for granted so to speak. Still, it’s rather odd that a country like a Sweden where only around 8.5 million lives has that many bands, and I’m not only talking about metal bands, all kinds of genres, whether it’s pop, rock, hip-hop or whatever. Tons of bands in all genres. Personally I don’t think it’s a big deal being in a band. It’s just something one does. I usually get’s the question how the hell I can keep up with rehearsing three or four times a week and have done more or less the last couple of 20 years. I mean, there are people playing fucking W.O.W. 5 or 6 hours a day, and nothing wrong with W.O.W. although I have never played it myself, but I’m ruch rather down the rehearsel room blasting away. Ha ha ha.
– And finally, what are your near-future plans? What can we expect from DERANGED from now on?
Right now just trying to keep spreading the madness. I’m looking forward to do that tour in Russia and also needless to say fly down to Indonesia. It’ll be great!
– That has been all, thanks again for your time. Use the last lines to add any final words.
Thanx a lot to you for the interview. Be sure to check our new disc out. Keep it sick!
