Hamferð, of the Faroe Islands, opening for Corvus Corax at the Essigfabrik, Cologne, Germany.
Long-format interview below.
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| Jón Aldará Vocals |
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| Esmar Joensen Keyboards |
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Theodor Kapnas Guitar  John Egholm Guitar _tn.jpg) Remi Johannesen Drums |
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| Fríði Av Vollanum Sound |
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Hamferð's Evst, by far, tops my list of albums from a rather strong 2013. This is no small feat for a fledgling band in the already-overcrowded arena of doom metal to achieve.
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| Cover of Evst, created by Jón Sonni Jensen |
In recent years, doom metal has enjoyed a resurgence in popularity that has resulted in the field becoming extremely crowded, with seemingly more releases and tours than ever. Much of the output, while very enjoyable, is more similar than different, with a shortage of uniqueness and innovation.
In the case of Hamferð, they produced what quite possibly could be a future classic in metal. The music is classy, emotional, unique, and defies simple categorization as "doom metal". They seamlessly merge delicate elements with sometimes brutally heavy components. Application of their technical and progressive elements are done in a classy manner. As Solstafir does with Iceland, Hamferð appears to paint an image of the Faroe Islands and their people in the minds of listeners. The music of Hamferð appears to parallel the duality of the Faroe Islands- extreme beauty on one hand, with sometimes harsh, unforgiving conditions on the other. It is due to this that the following interview was biased towards the culture of the Faroe Islands and understanding how they gave rise to Hamferð.
Interview with Theodor Kapnas and Jón Aldará, Hamferð. Conducted in various sessions between July 2013 and December 2013.
Additional content kindly provided by Markus Laakso
Where does the band’s
name come from? How does it tie in with the themes of the music?
Theodor (Kapnas):
It’s a Faroese word that refers to seeing the ghost or apparition of a person
that is still alive. It’s from old folk
tales and is a warning of that person’s imminent death.
There’s a nightmare scenario when one knows a loved one is
going to die, but can’t say anything about it.
It’s something like a curse, but if you tell anyone about it, it becomes
yours instead.
It also has something
to do with the sailing and shipping history of the Faroe
Islands, correct?
Theodor: Yes. It’s a bunch of islands in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, so the history will be strongly
influenced by the sea.
It’s not too many years since the invention of the radio and
one didn’t know if [a loved one who went out to sea] would be returning home
until they were back a few months later.
This whole uncertainty led to tales of people seeing things, such as
ghosts.
…and perhaps many actually did believe they saw the
ghosts.
It can be misty here for weeks and to have someone out on a
boat, no radio, no nothing, leads to a lot of uncertainty.
Jón (Aldará): “Hamferð” is connected to various aspects of the band’s
themes, which, in turn, are very much connected with Faroese culture, history,
and language.
The word “hamferð” literally translates to “skin journey”, as in a person travelling as a mere skin. In this case “hamur” might refer to something akin to the transparent skin that is shed when a snake molts, which gives a traditional “ghostly” appearance. However, the general meaning is that a person appears before someone (e.g. spouse, family, friends) even if he is not physically present, like an apparition.
The word “hamferð” literally translates to “skin journey”, as in a person travelling as a mere skin. In this case “hamur” might refer to something akin to the transparent skin that is shed when a snake molts, which gives a traditional “ghostly” appearance. However, the general meaning is that a person appears before someone (e.g. spouse, family, friends) even if he is not physically present, like an apparition.
The typical tales of a
person in hamferð deal with wives of fishermen who see their husbands appear
before them, even though the husbands are far away at sea. This was considered
a dire warning of death, and many such sightings have been recounted throughout
Faroese history.
The band’s themes revolve
around similar dark or sorrowful aspects of the history and culture of the
islands, and are described through poetically tinged lyrics extracting a core
Faroese language in order to distance itself from trends of any era.
An attempt at remaining
timeless, if you will.
Similarly, the themes
themselves – although containing distinct Faroese imagery – are quite timeless
and universal. Love, loss, sorrow, self-deceit, the inherent bewilderment in us
all; themes quite familiar to most, no matter the place or time in history.
The sailing and
marine tradition still exists in the Faroe Islands?
Theodor: I think
I read a few days ago that 97% of the Islands’
export economy is based on fishing.
Is there still that
fear in the culture? In the rest of the
world, we have such shows as Deadliest Catch, displaying how dangerous being at
sea can be.
Theodor: I’ve not
really watched those shows. I think the
fear is not there like it used to be.
The ships are fairly safe and everyone has radios. The boats have broadband, so they can get in
touch with people. So there’s none of
this uncertainty of waiting for someone for months at a time and not knowing
anything about them.
I
think that kind of uncertainty is in the soul and the tradition of the
Faroese Culture though and somehow it has survived through the
generations.
The Faroe Islands is an extremely tight knit community, whenever there is some sort of accident everybody knows someone who's closely affected by it so the whole community feels it.
The Faroe Islands is an extremely tight knit community, whenever there is some sort of accident everybody knows someone who's closely affected by it so the whole community feels it.
How does the culture and history of the Faroe
Islands tie in with and influence Hamferð?
Jón: Our representation of Faroese culture and history is more of
an emotional and poetic nature. We’re not history teachers, so we leave that
stuff to Týr. There are no specific
names, places, or historical occurrences included in our lyrics or concept. Instead,
we try to convey the darker emotions associated with both the physical realm of
the Faroe Islands and the cultural heritage
that unifies the Faroese people.
Our main influence must be
the nature and the weather on the islands. It is a harsh and unforgiving
landscape with violent winds and icy storms hitting at any moment (author note: indeed, a strong storm hit the Faroe Islands in December, at the end of this interview).
In modern times people can mostly overcome these difficulties, but in the past
there have been periods of great sorrow and famine as a result of the natural
conditions on the Faroes. Villages relied on fishing as the main sustenance and
if a ship was lost and wrecked at sea the consequences would be dire for the
community. Since the population was small, legends and superstitions traveled
fast and grabbed hold of the fearful people. This is where ideas such as hamferð and the huldur – grey people in the mountains – originated. Those legends
surely are an important part of our influences.
How did the band come
together?
Theodor: John [Egholm], the other guitarist, was in another band called Synarchy. He got fed up with it and wanted to do something different, so he made a doom metal band for the competition "The Global Battle Of The Bands". Hamferð played two shows for it, and then nothing happened for a year. The summer after, we began making demos and it went on from there.
Theodor: John [Egholm], the other guitarist, was in another band called Synarchy. He got fed up with it and wanted to do something different, so he made a doom metal band for the competition "The Global Battle Of The Bands". Hamferð played two shows for it, and then nothing happened for a year. The summer after, we began making demos and it went on from there.
Was it hard finding people within the Faroe Islands who played this type of music?
Theodor: You'd have to ask John about that, but I don't think so, not really.
The music is rather
unique, so it seems it would be likewise difficult to come together from such a
small pool of people…
Theodor: If you listen to most Finnish or Swedish metal bands, they have a “sound”. If you hear a Finnish band, you can hear right away if they are Finnish or not. The same with the Swedes. It has to do with the culture, your heritage, and all the surroundings that influence you. Strictly speaking, I’m not Faroese myself (indicated is a Greek-Finnish background, by way of Belgium), but I’ve lived here for many years and I think it just comes naturally. I do feel Faroese though!
Theodor: If you listen to most Finnish or Swedish metal bands, they have a “sound”. If you hear a Finnish band, you can hear right away if they are Finnish or not. The same with the Swedes. It has to do with the culture, your heritage, and all the surroundings that influence you. Strictly speaking, I’m not Faroese myself (indicated is a Greek-Finnish background, by way of Belgium), but I’ve lived here for many years and I think it just comes naturally. I do feel Faroese though!
We’re lucky to be in such a small place where what comes
naturally also happens to be unique.
What are your influences (music, art, TV, film, pop culture, etc.),
including ones that might not directly tie into Hamferð?
Jón: Well, personally I have a lot of bands and artists that affect
my musical work, and it is mostly subconscious. It is hard to pinpoint exactly
which influence is the strongest, since they are typically obscured by more
general conventions also used in our music. When you try to avoid a certain “genrefication”,
you will often try to meld ideas from different genres and use chords or
melodies with a somewhat unique character, but it is often set to a backdrop of
something familiar.
In our case doom metal.
Only a small portion of the
music I listen to can be called “doom metal”, so naturally other, completely
unrelated music will creep into the songwriting. Faroese troubadour artists
like Hanus G. and Kári P., prog bands like Pain of Salvation, more traditional
stuff like Iron Maiden, and even Electric Light Orchestra I would
consider a great influence.
Jón: With Hamferð I would say no, as I have yet to figure out a way to combine the science of biology with sorrow. I suppose I could delve into some neurobiology if I so wished, but that would end up being quite a departure from what we’re doing now. Nevertheless, I am dreaming of incorporating my subject with some form of music at some point, perhaps in the same vein as Bill Steer’s lyrics for Carcass.
Who knows what will happen in the future?
Can you discuss some of the art from the debut EP Vilst er Síðsta Fet?
Jón: We wanted to make
something unmistakably Faroese that reflected the longing for redemption as
well as the ghosts of solitude that are the center of the albums themes. Lydia Hansen was able to very aptly
communicate this though a collage of her beautiful, solemn pictures taken
throughout the Faroes. The cover depicts the silhouette of a person behind a
fence or rail gazing out towards a grey and cloudy horizon. This imagery has
become – to us – inseparable from the music in a sense, as the visual
presentation, for us, is a defining way to enhance the sonic core.
A translation of the EP title (Vilst
er síðsta fet) and meaning/story behind it?
Jón: “Vilst er síðsta fet” roughly
translates to “Lost at the Last Footstep”. It refers to the inescapable fact
that most people at the end of their lives – despite everything learned – have
precious little knowledge of themselves, their passions, their dreams, and are
completely oblivious about the nature of death.
Many even chase a dream or a goal for an entire lifetime and never even come close to fulfilling it.
In the case of Vilst er síðsta fet, the four songs describe the thoughts and emotions of the main character as he lives his death. The first song, “Harra Guð, títt dýra Navn og Æra” (“Lord God, Thy Precious Name and Honour”) is a psalm traditionally sung at the funeral site as the coffin is lowered into the grave. It is dramatic and simplistic, emphasizing the might and eternal glory of God’s kingdom in comparison to the feeble nature of the physical world. It stands as a strong contrast to the following three songs, who deal with complex issues of a life lived in pain and inescapable death without certainty of redemption.
“Harra Guð, títt dýra Navn og Æra” at the G! Festival
“Vráin” (“The Alcove”) looks back at the existence of the main
character as a strong individual struggling in a bigoted society. After the
death of a child, he corners himself within his own mind, losing contact with
his wife and other child and is defeated by the pressure of his surroundings.
Constantly he tries to overcome the natural pain of his loss and his inability
to reach out to his loved ones, who need him desperately, but time drags on.
In “Aldan revsar eitt vargahjarta” (“The
Wave Smites a Wolf’s Heart”), he recalls his wife’s suicide and the crippling
guilt that remained. He goes down to the seashore and remembers a time of joy,
when he could watch his children play in the sand. But the memory quickly fades
as a storm hits and he throws himself into a ferocious wave – his judge, jury
and executioner.
“At enda” (“At the end”) explains his final, silent seconds of letting
go. Uncertain of it all, he feels lost yet at some kind of bittersweet peace,
knowing that the wretched love he had in life was still love after all, and
would perhaps exist eternally.
Theo, Where are you originally from?
My mother is Finnish and my father is Greek.
Almost seems strange to end up in the Faroe Islands... (laughs).
Oh yeah, but shit happens (laughs).
You mentioned the
metal scene in the Faroe Islands is
strong. Is your music widely accepted
and respected among the people?
Theodor: It is
surprisingly accepted. We just set out
to do something different; it is pretty heavy, but melodic and not so intense,
like death metal, so “normal people”, who are not metalheads, can appreciate
it. Throw blastbeats at them and they
hate it, but I think they can grasp our kind of doom.
The Faroe Islands is a small place and basically, anything you do, if you do it well enough, it’s going to get recognized.
From the various
pictures, videos, and other postings Hamferð makes, it almost seems like the
band is “mainstream” there, for lack of a better term. I also saw you playing in a Church (“Vráin” live at Tórshavn Cathedral)…
“Vráin” live at Tórshavn Cathedral
Theodor: We played in a church in central Tórshavn in January. One of the songs on our EP, Vilst er síðsta fet, is an arrangement of a classic Faroese psalm, "Harra Guð, títt dýra navn og æra". It got lots of radio play here and gave us a wider audience. The religious tradition here is very strong…though we’re not religious; we’re neutral. However, there is a cultural importance of entering a church here…it’s got a special atmosphere, so we approached them and asked if we could play a show in the cathedral and they allowed it.
It was a fantastic event. People of all ages and all backgrounds were there.
Are you seeing as
positive a response from outside of the Faroe Islands?
Theodor: Yes, people are reacting very positively.
Theodor: Yes, people are reacting very positively.
We’re still a relatively new band; internationally we haven‘t done very much. We’ve been on one tour and released one EP (author note: at the time of this portion of the interview was conducted). I think it feels like it’s slowly growing and it takes time, but so far, the response has been great.
It appears you’re
gaining momentum, particularly in the rest of the Nordic countries…
Theodor: Yes, we’ve never really played in the Nordic countries, aside from Iceland and Denmark, but they seem to like what we’re doing. We've played a few shows in Denmark and hope to be able to play in a few more Nordic countries soon.
Originally, Hamferð was offered a Nuclear Blast deal as part for winning that battle of the bands contest.
Originally, Hamferð was offered a Nuclear Blast deal as part for winning that battle of the bands contest.
Theodor: Yes.
On stage, Wacken (courtesy EIJA MÄKIVUOTI)
Why did Hamferð decline the deal?
Theodor: We had
already been working on a release setup with Tutl for some time when were offered the Nuclear Blast deal.
Tutl has supported us since day one and
for this release they've actually gained the capacity to do a proper
international release with proper PR, distribution, etc. We know the people at
the label and we know that they believe in the band and we decided that we
wanted to continue working with them.
Declining a deal from Nuclear Blast is
obviously never easy. We're talking about one of the biggest metal labels in
the world. However, at this stage of the band's career, we felt that the best
way to go for the band was to continue on with Tutl.
…and so far we haven't regretted that at
all.
Back to the theme of
the Faroe Islands.
You mentioned having
a Greek-Finnish background. When did you arrive in the Faroe
Islands?
Theodor: ‘98,
when I was about nine years old.
So, you might end up
being the perfect person to ask about the FI culture from both an insider’s
perspective, as well as that of an outsider.
Theodor: One
thing which is really strong here is the music and singing tradition. Pretty much everyone here knows how to sing,
except me, because I didn’t grow up here.
(laughs)
There’s a famous Faroese tradition of the Sagas (FæreyingaSaga) and their music.
The culture here is very strong. I think it has something to do with being
isolated in the North Atlantic. Maybe there isn’t always much to do, but the
surroundings are very inspiring.
There is a very high proportion of artists, and not just musicians.
I researched into the
weather a bit and saw it’s essentially always cloudy and rather cold, even in
the summer.
Theodor: Yes, the FI is in the middle of the North-Atlantic Gulf Stream, so the ocean is at the same temperature, all year-round. The average temperature is 5 degrees in the winter and 10-15 in the summer. So it doesn’t fluctuate much, but there is lots of wind and lots of rain.
What are the people there like? Relaxed
and open? That’s the impression I get
from their acceptance of your [extreme] music and something we don’t often see
in North America and mainland Europe.
Theodor: It’s probably like any small society. The families are big, lots of people are
related. It’s hard to describe. To me, they’re just “people”. Very relaxed.
Parts of the society are very open, and I think parts that
are not so open, just like anywhere else.
What is the role of
the Church today in the FI?
Theodor: It
has the same role that it’s always had, but I think they’re trying to
reinvent themselves, much like everywhere else, as Church attendance is
dropping. I think it’s been like that all around the world for a number
of years, but I’m not really the person to answer that question as I
don’t go to church. I have a great respect for the cultural heritage
and what the church has brought to society, but I’m no expert on current
matters.
They hold concerts now and then, but they're mostly classical matinees and stuff like that. There are many choirs in The Faroe Islands and, as I mentioned, the Faroese people love to sing. The Church plays an active role in that kind of music, but not in popular music.
They hold concerts now and then, but they're mostly classical matinees and stuff like that. There are many choirs in The Faroe Islands and, as I mentioned, the Faroese people love to sing. The Church plays an active role in that kind of music, but not in popular music.
It’s funny; when I hear your music, particularly Jón’s singing, I wonder if you are classically trained.
Theodor: Our bassist, Jenus [Í Trøðini], plays the tuba. That’s about it. I’ve played violin and a piano as a child for a short time. I don’t think anyone else has any classical training. Jón is just talented. It’s ridiculous. I don’t think he’s had any training (laughs), except what he’s done himself.
That’s pretty incredible to hear (laughs). His voice is astounding. Do you guys play any other types of music outside of metal?
Theodor: We’ve all
got side projects, but nothing really
that serious.
John [Egholm, guitar] has a southern rockish band called Jürghinn.
Me and Remi [Johannesen, drums] and two others have a rock n’ roll band called Rock N’ Rolls-Royce.
Jenus [í Trøðini, bass] is in a really cool thrash metal band called Incurse. They’re working on an album (bass and guitar sessions in January).
Esmar [Joensen, keyboard] has a ZZ Top cover band.
Just stuff like that.
John [Egholm, guitar] has a southern rockish band called Jürghinn.
Me and Remi [Johannesen, drums] and two others have a rock n’ roll band called Rock N’ Rolls-Royce.
Jenus [í Trøðini, bass] is in a really cool thrash metal band called Incurse. They’re working on an album (bass and guitar sessions in January).
Esmar [Joensen, keyboard] has a ZZ Top cover band.
Just stuff like that.
Just to keep yourself
immersed…
Theodor: Yeah,
when we’re bored, it gives us something to do (laughs).
Can you discuss what
art is like there?
Theodor: Very
dark.
There’s not much upbeat stuff coming from the FI. We don’t really have summer days with girls in bikinis dancing happily (laughs).
Who are the prominent
artists out there and what type of themes do/did they deal with?
Theodor: It’s not
like everyone here plays doom metal and dark stuff. There are undertones in everything that are
usually pretty dark. Looking at music, Eivør [Pálsdóttir, guest on "Sinnisloysi"], Teitur [Lassen] are really good and known internationally.
Looking at visual art, there’s a painter by the name of Sámal Joensen-Mikines whom I admire a lot. He died about 40 years ago and I think his paintings are among the darkest things I've seen.
Looking at visual art, there’s a painter by the name of Sámal Joensen-Mikines whom I admire a lot. He died about 40 years ago and I think his paintings are among the darkest things I've seen.
1991 stamp of Vetrarmorgun (Winter Morning), 1958, 105x120cm (wikipedia)
I’m really bad at writing happy music. I’ve tried and I’m just really bad at it (laughs). So whenever I end up writing something, it
always turns out like that.
What kind of music did you grow up with?
Theodor: Maiden.
Excellent. What are your favorite albums?
Theodor: You’re
opening a can of worms (laughs). Pretty much everything up to 7th
Son is fantastic. Depends on my
mood. If I had to mention one, it would
be 7th Son Of A 7th
Son.
Amazing album. Do you have progressive leanings in your tastes?
Amazing album. Do you have progressive leanings in your tastes?
Theodor: Oh yeah,
definitely. There are many funeral doom
bands that do the same thing over and over for minutes and minutes. We’re all way too progressive to do that,
which is why we’re changing things around.
One of the prominent
features of your music…
Theodor: I love
progressive music. Our drummer and
pretty much everyone in the band loves it.
Everything from Meshuggah to
the Symphony X. There’s so much good progressive music.
What is the future
for Hamferð?
Theodor: We
finished our new album and it will be released later this year. We’re also working on a European tour. We’re going to do a proper promotional
campaign this time around, release it internationally, and see how the tour
turns out.
We have a few other things we’re up to, but we’re taking
this next half-year to see what happens.
How many songs?
Theodor: Six songs, 45 minutes, and it will be a concept album.
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| 1. Evst (Highest) 5:50 |
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| 2. Deyðir varðar (Dead Beacons) 8:46 |
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| 5. Sinnisloysi (Mindlessness) 8:46 |
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| 6. Ytst (Outermost) 10:26 *sketch panels created by Jón Sonni Jensen |
The music sounds very
intricate, sophisticated, and focused.
What type of problems do you encounter in writing and recording it?
Theodor: It takes
a lot of time. We never rush the writing
and we’re probably one of the slower bands out there. For writing, it’s me; I come up with a few
riffs, put together a demo, and I’ll take it to the rehearsal space with a
couple of us and we try to work out the details and get the flow of the
songs. We spend some time arranging it
and then recording it.
The biggest difficulty with writing this one was incorporating the vocals since Jón has been living in Denmark and we couldn't do it until quite late in the process.
...but they worked out really well!
Jón studies in Denmark and is now on the way to South Africa for his bachelor thesis.
It appears from my
research that Denmark has had
the most influence on the Faroe Islands. Do
you see a large divergence between Denmark
and the Faroe Islands?
Theodor: Yes,
recent history, at least.
The Faroe Islands are a very unique place. When one flies out of FI, they go through Copenhagen and when most people go to University, they go to Copenhagen. So for younger people, it’s like a second home, but the Danish culture is quite different from the Faroese culture and I have an impression that very many Danes don't know very much about The Faroe Islands.
There are no
significant cultural barriers?
Theodor: I think in places like Copenhagen, there are so many Faroese studying there that they integrate pretty easily and hang out with the Danish people and society.
Theodor: I think in places like Copenhagen, there are so many Faroese studying there that they integrate pretty easily and hang out with the Danish people and society.
Nightlife in the Faroe Islands?
Theodor: Oh yeah
(laughs). There’s not much else to do
besides go out and get wasted.
What countries do you
plan on touring?
Theodor: Definitely Germany and focusing there because that’s where all of our [industry] partners are based. We'd love to tour the other Nordic countries since we've never done that and obviously it'd be fantastic if we could ever make it outside Europe, but in the foreseeable future we'll probably do most of our touring in Central Europe.
Jenus [bass] wasn’t
there for the recording of the EP, correct?
Theodor: Correct. When we won our first local competition he was a stand in bassist for our previous bassist, Tinna [Tótudóttir]. She left the band because
it didn’t really work out and as soon as she left, we wanted Jenus because he’s a really
good friend and a great bassist. It was
pretty much a no-brainer.
Has he lent a lot to the creative process that wasn’t there before?
Has he lent a lot to the creative process that wasn’t there before?
Theodor: A bit, yeah. He wasn't that involved in writing the core structures of
the songs, but the bass parts are a lot more varied on this album, which
is cool and adds another dimension to the music.
"Evst", title track of the debut LP
What was it like
touring mainland Europe (fall/winter 2013)?
Theodor: We love touring mainland Europe.
It's one of the things which really makes all the work worthwhile, at least for
me.
The
Faroe Islands are tiny,
so we've played most venues here and after a couple of years you usually
see
the same people at our shows. Playing here is important to us but it's
hard to
justify playing more than a few times a year without something new.
Going to Europe opens us up to an audience which is about 15.000
times bigger. It's impossible to play two weeks straight here, but in
Europe it's possible. You get into the whole routine of
driving -> playing -> sleeping, etc. and I really enjoy that. It's
also
amazing to turn up in small, random places (not that there are smaller,
more
random places than The Faroes) and have people there who know and love
our
music.
The Tutl Bus
Can you tell us about
Factory92?
Theodor: Factory92 has been a huge help to us. I
first met Christian Buhl at Wacken
Metal Battle 2012 and we agreed to work together after that.
Factory92 runs the so-called "Tutl Management" which works with promoting Faroese music and
managing a few Faroese artists, and it's because of them that we're able to
release Evst internationally with good PR. Before they got involved we probably couldn't have released Evst as we did on Tutl, so they've
had a huge impact, not only for us, but for a lot of Faroese artists. We work
day to day with Fróði [Stenberg] and
Christian and we're really optimistic that it'll prove to be the decisive
factor which allows the band to take a few steps forward which we couldn't do
by ourselves.
Why suits on
stage?
Theodor: We dress
as if we were going to a funeral. We always wear suits, white shirts, and black
ties. It's something Hamferð has done since the first ever show and we feel
that it adds a dimension to the atmosphere of our shows. Nowadays I have a
really hard time imagining a Hamferð show without us wearing suits.
You’re a recording
engineer. How long have you been doing it?
Theodor: Proper
engineering- five years and other roles in ten years.
Last question: Where
do you think the recording industry will be in the next 5-10 years?
Theodor: Ooooh, if I knew that…
I try not to think about it because I work in it and it’s too depressing (laughs).
Theodor: Ooooh, if I knew that…
I try not to think about it because I work in it and it’s too depressing (laughs).
More and more people are recording at home and it’s getting
easier and easier. Now people are
starting to realize that if you want something that sounds great, that you have
to go to a proper studio and get people who work in audio to get the best
sound.
You need that expertise…
Theodor: Definitely…
There’s a reason that producers exist. Musicians are really good at music, but there are so many aspects to arranging a CD and recording it properly and having the whole picture in your head of where you want to go... and that takes experience.
There’s a reason that producers exist. Musicians are really good at music, but there are so many aspects to arranging a CD and recording it properly and having the whole picture in your head of where you want to go... and that takes experience.
2013 Album Lists:
Theodor: My favorite album of 2013 has to be Extol's self-titled comeback album. I don't care about the lyrics; thankfully I have the ability to ignore them. But the music is absolutely outstanding and the album has the most tasteful lead guitars I've heard in a long time. And Jens Bogren totally nailed the production like he always does. Honorable mention goes to Karnivool's Assymetry album which is also great.
Jón: Unfortunately, I didn't listen to as much new stuff this year as I would have liked. Nevertheless, I did pick up a few gems. The new Dan Swanö project, Witherscape, really stands out as the best of the bunch, mixing all the classic Swanö styles and sounds and adding some new touches. Great album! Also right up there are the new albums from Leprous, Extol, Omnium Gatherum, Haken, Steven Wilson, Amorphis, Tristania, Phil Anselmo and In Vain. Long-time favorites, such as Katatonia (re-imagining an already boring album) and Rotting Christ disappointed a bit this year. Better luck next time. Still awaiting analysis: Ayreon, Ihsahn, Dream Theater and Pestilence, to name but a few.
Esmar: There weren't that many good releases this year, but still some that I really liked: Suffocation - Pinnacle of Bedlam, Black Sabbath - 13, Beastwars - Blood Becomes Fire, Ulver - Messe I.X - VI.X, Ghost - Infestissumam, Summoning - Old Mornings Dawn, Deafheaven - Sunbather and Deicide - In The Minds of Evil
John: Dark Tranquillity - Construct and Beastwars - Blood Becomes Fire
Remi: Leprous - Coal and The Ocean - Pelagial, no particular order
Visit The Faroe Islands: www.visitfaroeislands.com
<!-- This version of the embed code is no longer supported. Learn more: https://vimeo.com/s/tnm --> <object width="500" height="281"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=77440391&force_embed=1&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=ffffff&fullscreen=1&autoplay=0&loop=0" /><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=77440391&force_embed=1&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=ffffff&fullscreen=1&autoplay=0&loop=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="500" height="281"></embed></object> <p><a href="http://vimeo.com/77440391">Ferðin til Heljar: A Journey with Hamferð by Eija Mäkivuoti</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/eijamakivuoti">Eija Mäkivuoti</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>
Related:
Kadavar live here
Swallow The Sun live here
Orange Goblin live here
Attic live here
Victor Griffin's In Graved live here
Valient Thorr live here
Krakow live here
Valborg live here
Solstafir live here
Audrey Horne live/interview here
Bison (Bison BC) here
Kalmah live here
Triptykon live here
Long Distance Calling live/interview here
Nachtgarm (Negator) here
sG (Secrets Of The Moon) here
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