Robert Vintervind

Beseech

You know, somedays everything just seems to go right. That was the kind of day it was when Robert Vintervind (guitarist) of Beseech agreed to do an interview with me and exactly the kind of day they would never write about. Their atmospheric brand of gothy doom metal would be quite at home in a horror movie. They have had numerous line-up changes over the years but have emerged, with their latest album Drama.

By Amy La Salla

• January 7, 2005

Jorgen left between Black Emotions and Souls Highway. Was it creative differences or did he have other obligations? What was the impact on the band?

Is Jorgen still working in the music industry?

Yeah he left right after the Theatre Of Tragedy/Lacuna Coil tour in 2001 and he just disappeared, we didn´t really hear from him for about 6 months when he called what was going on and at that point and of many good reasons was it already decided that we gonna search for a new singer. He had some really big personal problems to deal with and we couldn't really trust him in situations so it was a big relief for all in Beseech and we almost directly got in touch with Eric that moved down to Borås (near Gothenburg) where we lived and as an old Beseech fan he really put 100% in what he was doing so now we feel really satisfied.

Beseech has had a few line-up changes since it's founding. How did the current members meet?

All members have been in some personal contact with each other or through friends so none was totally unknown for us before and as we have been around since 1992 I think it's pretty natural that persons grow familiar with each other. We have not had any bad feelings for anyone and for example

It was nothing, we really thought about, it just happened as Lotta and Erik´s voices fit together better and not many know that we've used this combination since 1994 so it's nothing new for us. We use the vocals carefully as on one song for example Erik could be the only one singing and Lotta on another and a bit of both on some songs so we don't use both just to do it as many bands do... always have a thought behind it.

Do you compose your songs first in Swedish and then translate them into English? When you are in Sweden do you ever sing them in Swedish?

No we've always used English so far directly but it's interesting that you ask this as for some days ago I wrote my first Swedish vocal part in chorus, but we'll see if we dare to make one song in Swedish but you never know.

What is your best experience on tour, so far?

I must say the European tour with Theatre Of Tragedy and Lacuna Coil as that was our only real tour so far, we've done many gigs and festivals but that was a really great experience.

But to be on festivals and be over there for some days when you playing have also been really great, especially this summer when we played some big festivals. A lot of drinking and crazy things happened that I don't dare to say here.

But regarding touring, it's not that we don't get the chance to get to tour during the last years, it's just the lack of tour support that is causing this, so it's not that we don't want it as we LOVE to play live!

Beseech began as more of a Death Metal band. What prompted the shift to Goth?

I don't agree that we played Death Metal, we never used pure Death Metal vocals or music... I should say that the songs were something in between dark singing/clean and growling and the music has always been atmospheric and heavy but with more doom than today. I can agree in many ways that it's different but you could always hear the vein and development in the music from one album to another. But of course people can have different views on this but that's what I think.

What are your goals for Beseech in the future?

I hope that for the next, 5th album, we will get more support from Napalm Records so we can get out on tour in both Europe, South America, USA etc and make a video for at least one song. I think and believe our music can reach out wide if we just get the support we deserve at this point.

Your music is very atmospheric; it forms images in your mind. When you write, what inspires you? Do you start out with a scene in your mind and fit the music to it or does the music just come to you?

The music - as a composer - can come from almost everything. A movie, music, the mood one day, something you read about and many other things so that itself draws pictures and gives inspiration and feeds the seed of creation. Nothing I do not really think about as it's natural for me to shape things from my mind.

What is your favorite Beseech album/song to date?

This could shift from day to day as it reflects the mood I'm in but to name a few from all albums I personally like Drama from Drama, Forever Falling from Drama, Endless Waters from Souls Highway, Between The Lines from Souls Highway, Neon Ocean from Black Emotions and Moonride from From A Bleeding Heart.

Do you enjoy writing and working in the studio or touring more?

I right now, dreaming of coming out on tour again and I can speak for the whole band, then we're in the studio right now recording material for our upcoming 5th album and we've actually finished 3 songs already so expect a release next year [2005]!

Any message you would like to leave with the fans?

If you have not heard any Beseech albums before then take a listen to Drama or Souls Highway if you want something interesting in this genre then for all please visit our webpage [click on the hyperlink to visit the band's official website] for the latest information concerning tours, news and other things on the Beseech camp. There, you also can find a studio diary with pictures from the recording process of the new album.

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