Nicklas Rudolfsson
Runemagick
Hi, thanks! Have a lot to do but the situation is good.
When we recorded the album it became longer than we planned initially so in cooperation with High Roller Records we chose to split it into two releases, an EP and an LP. The CD version of the album contains the songs from the EP as well. So you could say that the vinyl EP and LP are interrelated.
We made contact with each other and agreed to release our upcoming album there. It wasn't much more planned than that. We have nothing to complain about Aftermath Music but the High Roller Records is a little bigger but not too big which can have some advantages around distribution and so on.
Our impression of High Roller was that it would fit us even though they do not have so many bands in our "more obscure" genre of death/doom kind of metal. But we had heard a lot good about the label from friends in other bands who are signed with them.
For our stature of band and what we expect, they do a good job. They have promo guys who work for them in a good and smooth way I think. In terms of platform, I do not have a good idea of how they work, but in some way they send out promotional material (digitally I guess). And we get contacted for interviews and so on.
There are many different threads to follow in both music and lyrics and many possible interpretations to make of it. We have no concept or plan so directly but certainly it has a lot to do with doom, old civilizations and the current "dying" civilization, other dark dimensions and the like. And certainly it is not wrong if you can interpret parts as sorrowfulness. However, that does not mean that I or we did it when we wrote the material. This is what is exciting about music and art.
There is some inspiration from ancient cultures, forgotten worlds, astral dimensions and more. Which inspires music, riffs and lyrics.
Questions like "what is reality?" may be relevant. In my eyes, much of today's civilization is blind and dying. Like a drone heading towards the tomb. Many have lost their connection to what is "important in life and death", wisdom and knowledge on a deeper level, so to speak.
Earlier before our long break (2007-2017), I can say that we have made quite a long journey musically even though it is within the same genre. If you compare the early material with the albums in the mid-2000s, that is a pretty "big" difference in my opinion. From fairly simple mid-tempo death metal to heavier and, in some songs experimental death mixed with doom. The "Evoked From Abysmal Sleep" album that we recorded and released in 2018 was very straightforward and relatively primitive, probably mostly to get us started again I think. So comparatively, the new album is more elaborate, varied and maybe more epic.
As I said before, there was no direct plan initially, but the inspiration and creativity have flowed and sculpted an album. I have a hard time saying where my inspiration comes from. I almost never watch TV or movies so there is no such thing. It happens that I read a book every now and then but then it is mainly facts, history or reality-based books.
As it is now, I write about 95% of all riffs/music and all lyrics. But we all more or less come with inputs around arrangements. Jonas writes his guitar solos and some melodies as well. However, if we were to record a new album in the future, it is not impossible for more people to contribute. It depends on inspiration, time and commitment.
It was a song that slowly grew and became more epic as the more we worked on it. I remember Emma standing beside me and listening as I wrote the melody that is at the end after the calm part of whispers. She said that the melody fits perfectly even though I was unsure if it got a little too "buttery". But I think it turned out well too.
After a recording I usually get pretty tired of the songs so I barely listened until recently when we got the vinyls from High Roller. If I have to pick a song from our new album right now, it must be "Necromancer Of The Red Sun".
Andy and I have been in contact for many years and I help him with various things. He did a great job with the basic sound set up of the drums. Daniel and I rehearsed and arranged all the songs and recorded the drums during a weekend in his studio. As for the sound, we wanted it to still sound like us. But also try to get a combination of "dirty" and clear sound. I mixed my old Runemagick guitar sound with a cleaner sound where you hear more of the strings (split signal to two amps), which I thought gave a little new dimension to the soundscape.
We do what we like and do not change because what is popular or trendy right now. I write music mainly because I like it myself. Then it is a bonus and an honour if there are others who like and buy what you created.
We just did a gig in New York. I am extremely grateful to Vinny and Signature Riff who booked us. We had a really good time there, even if I had hardly slept for over 24 hours or something when I got up on stage but it is a bang you can take. We enjoyed it!
Although it was a blizzard when we landed and it took half a day to go in a van to the hotel. We even got to jump off and push the van haha and we learn to know Henry Yuan the driver, great guy!!! (check out his band Impure!!). We only have good memories from that trip and are grateful to those who came and saw us. We haven't booked anything in the US now but hope it gets more. Unfortunately, we had to refuse to a festival in the US next year because we could not plan it in our calendars.
Nicklas: Do a smaller number of gigs in 2020. We have no plans for further albums right now as we release a new one now and split the vinyl with Chthonic Deity (US) that just came out. But if there is interest in us releasing another album, it is not impossible that it will happen in the next few years. If we have the inspiration, creativity and motivation!
Thank you very much for the interview! Btw, I am busy enough being involved in other bands and projects too like Den Tunga Döden, The Funeral Orchestra and so on…
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