Jimmy Lundqvist

Entrails

Consistency is a virtue, and also not giving a damn about what one's surrounding is thinking about it. So, everyone else can just shove it and be gone if it is not to their liking. Other than being a virtue, being consistent, which to many would be another word for ignorance, is also being true to one's values. The Swedish Death Metal Entrails, which have seen action and battles across decades, returns with "Rise Of The Reaper", and that they don't give a damn, Death Metal is supposed to be old school. Steinmetal was able to catch once again the band's leading chip, Jimmy Lundqvist, for a talk about the new album, being old school as they come, songwriting, and more…

By Lior "Steinmetal" Stein

• September 23, 2019

Entrails' Jimmy Lundqvist: " It seems that there was a small rumor that we don't play live anymore

Hello Jimmy, it is great to have you again for an interview for Metal Temple online Magazine, how have you been doing today sir?

Hello there, it's great to be here again. hmm. ordinary work at an industry and welding some metal is what am being up to today and all other days. hehe

No matter what lands on you guys, Entrails keeps pushing forward and as always, as hard and as brutal as it can get. "Rise Of The Reaper" is the title of your new album, through your label home for the past six years, Metal Blade Records. What is your general appreciation of the new record?

I would say it's a typical Entrails album. nothing new invented or any sidesteps to be modern and follow the stream of today´s death metal. Just a maxed hm2 and some rotten riffs with an awesome mix that brings you back to the tomb awaits era.

I usually say it about quite a lot of bands, yet at the end of the day, every band is special in its own way. However, I can't ignore the fact that Entrails has been a band that is, as you said, constant, sticking to its style of playing old school Death Metal, with what seems to me as without looking sideways. With "Rise Of The Reaper" following pretty much the same path as your legacy, I wonder, what still makes you tick? What still holds you to keep the old flame burning, especially with the changes in your local Metal scene?

That's true. We don't look at others to become like them, instead we try to stick with our way to play the death metal we prefer to play and listen at. Especially, I try to avoid listening to new kind of death metal. Instead I keep on listening to the old stuff from the past, and not get influenced by any new styled music that being done nowadays. That's the key to not doing something different than we are been doing all the time.

Though like I said that it felt to me that "Rise Of The Reaper" is abiding by your heritage, what do you think makes stand out musically in comparison to your previous albums? Are there steps forward or perhaps slightly different approach?

I told another who asked the same thing that I would say it's a step back with one foot and a small step forward with the other one, then blended together in a mix. And what might stand out is the very simplified songs we make, that truly grabs you at once when hearing them. Very easy to learn and follow the songs live and just bang along so to speak.

When you wrote the material for "Rise Of The Reaper", to which musical aspects did you give more attention?

I try to give am all the same treatment and won't accept a song that doesn't sound finished.

Would you say that the songwriting process of "Rise Of The Reaper" was a joint venture of the entire Entrails lineup or merely a single songwriter that comes up with leading ideas?

The songs were made by me except one who was made by Penki. It has been like that the whole time that I make the music and then some write the lyrics. That often ends up at the singer who will write the lyrics, and this time its Penkis turn to show his skills.

Recently you recruited new members to the Entrails lineup, Arvid Borg and Markus Svensson. Did they contribute to the album's songwriting or recording? What is your opinion on their playing abilities, each to his own?

Every song was already set by the time they joined and also the session drummer Brynjar was already in the process to record the drums. So Arvid was set to learn songs for the upcoming shows while Markus had an incredible way to learn songs fast, so he got the chance to record his part when drums was done from Brynjar and it turned out well. Both new guys are very dedicated and have plenty of skills and for sure enough to be a part of Entrails. However, as they came to the band just when the album was about to be recorded, there was no time to add or change anything.

Within the bludgeoning lines of blood, guts and gore, there is a lyrical content that I would like to explore. What can you say is the main theme that is running the show on "Rise Of The Reaper"? Any particular message that this album conveys?

There is no overall theme to the album, and we are not trying to convey any message really. Every song is just its own little horror story. That is the way we have always done it. Each song tells a tale of ghosts, zombies, murder or some other morbid subject. If I must boil it down to one single thing, I guess you could say that the theme of this album is death. Every track has something to do with death in one way or another. It's not that surprising, I guess. We are a death metal band after all!

Which of the album's songs do you find as your best works? What do those songs mean to you? Is there a tune in particular that is deeper than others?

Every song has its own goodies and therefore it's nearly impossible to tell any song that could be standing out or is a personal favorite. They are to me made from the same flesh and blood and every song are having the same value.

I actually found "Cathedral Of Pain" to be one of the deadliest in the album's tracklist. While listening, I couldn't help but notice a strong Black Sabbath sense in the riffery, and also in the general feel. It slowly developed into a meaty riffer, yet it kept that doomy atmosphere all over. What is your take on this track?

I could agree on that, it has it´s influences from several bands mixed well and sculptured by me to a very heavy song, I mean old Cathedral and some Swedish Candlemass mixed with some old Trouble and own touch the result became rather sweet. hehe

Did you have a chance to play some of the new tracks live? If so, what were the reactions of the attendees?

We played one of the first singles a week after it was released. It was hard to say how the reaction was because they were headbanging on everything we played that night, maybe they didn't notice. Haha.

What are your plans for the rest of the years in terms of supporting "Rise Of The Reaper"? Are there set plans also for 2020?

Plans are to find much shows to play, and our new booker will have a hard time to arrange that. Several shows and festivals are booked but yet to be officially announced. So what's coming up in the nearest is some shows along with Massacre, Unleashed, God Forsaken, Asphyx and many more in the beginning of 2020.

What do you think are the next challenges for Entrails? I know that it is tough to maintain a lineup, yet which other obstacles do you think you would be facing? What are your goals for the coming years?

The hardest thing is to find shows. The scene has become enormous and it's harder and harder to get shows nowadays. There are too many bands fighting for the same slot. So, we do hope we will have this new album out with a minor success that might help us to get shows and that the promoters will hopefully be interested more in us. Added to the shows' factor, there are the lineup changes. It seems that there was a small rumor that we don't play live anymore, and therefore we are not the band promoters are looking for when our booker is sending requests. This is of course not true. We are very interested to do shows. So please contact black-serpent promotion if there are any interests.

The Swedish Death Metal scene has been one of the toughest in the early 90s, along with the American and British. Though there has been a revival in the last decade, especially now with the return of Dismember for instance, the modernized version of the genre is taking its toll with more support. In your view, is there a future for the old school Death Metal scene in Sweden? Is there still an interest by the younger generation?

It's definitely not as in the past with the younger generation. They are more into the modern music their idols are playing. It's like the generations are following their own generation so to speak. From there other end there are the old school guys, like us along with Dismember and others, which are more followed by 25+ and the older generation who was young when we were young. So, if younger bands do old school more, that generation will be followed by the same generation. Of course there are youngsters around now, but nothing to compare with the past.

To which bands have you been listening to that you feel they are a promise?

It´s a shame, but I don't follow the scene with the new bands that much. If they play Swedish death metal with hm2, they all sound the same. Same modern sound and same songs. Impossible to tell which band is playing what. So, I rather listen to the old shit, a more comfortable ride with better riffing.

Jimmy, I appreciate your time for this interview. Once again you guys proved that if you want it served brutal, it should old school as they come. Cheers mate.

Thanks man. always a pleasure.