1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
[2004 - 2007]
Well, at first it started as a side project from Johans other bands Dii Minores and Well of Tears. We got to know each other through mutual friends and quite soon we felt that it would be a good idea to write songs together. I (Bosse) have Tinnitus related hearing problems so I didn't play live or rehearse like bands usually do and Johan had much to do with the bands he already played with. We jammed together in Johans apartment and wrote different riffs, put them together to songs and after a while I (Bosse) started doing lyrics to some of them. The music style at the time were more old school black metal with some influences from viking black/death metal.Remembrance (a song on the EP) were recorded 2004 to a demo with Dii Minores at the time.
After a while we almost had enough songs for a full length and we did our own demo recordings on some of them, but many of the songs were never truly finished. The quality of the demo wasn't good enough soundwise to see the light of day. We put the project to rest now and then and unfortunately with time many of the songs were forgotten. But the songs we did remember and felt were the strongest were Diabolical Masquerade and Nattvandraren.
Johan started playing with Planet Rain around 2006 and played with them on 3 demos until he left the band during the autumn of 2007. I (Bosse) took his place and played with Planet Rain from autumn 2007 to the beginning of 2009 and left the band when my Tinnitus got worse.
[2010 - 2014]
We brought the project back to life as none of us played in any band at this time! Johan had a bunch of ideas laying and started writing the songs that became Dead to Dust Descend and To Forevermore. Some of the songs we remembered we started to update with new ideas.
During 2012 we did a pre-production to the EP with digital drums to get a picture of what everything could sound like. We asked Tommy Holmer from Planet Rain if he could record the drums for us which he gladly did. So the drums got recorded around 2012-2013 and after that we started recording the guitars, bass and the vocals.
The song Av Skymning Kommen, Mot Gryning Går got written and recorded during the summer 2013. That song is more explained with the lyric content.
Later we got in contact with Sliptrick Records and the end result is the EP Dead to Dust Descend released by them.
2.Recently you have released an ep, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?
The music is a mix of black metal and melodic death with some thrash influences. Perhaps influenced by old school black metal and the melodic death metal scene from the early 90s. So the music is dark, heavy but with a lot of melodies. We've never had a plan to try to sound like anything else. We've written songs we like and if they sound like anything else, it's more of coincidence. But then again, on a subconscious level, of course you get influenced by bands you like or by bands you've played with.
The EP is mixed and mastered by Jonas Lindström at Studio Apocalypse. He created a great dark atmosphere with a sound we really like! He did an awesome job!
3.The band has been around since 2004 but waited until this year to release an ep, can you tell us a little bit more about the 10 year gap?
See the answer in question 1.
4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
Most, though not all, of my (Bosse) lyrics are metaphors for something. Some lyrics however are more straightforward.
Dead to Dust Descend is a dark metaphor for the inevitability of death (death as an entity, opponent to and hating all life) and one's inner demons in a kind of inner struggle, that sometimes slam against you with this fact. When hopes and dreams dry out during gloomy days and is replaced by discomfort, doubt, anger, sorrow and in worst case even anxiety.
To Forevermore is about lost hope, agony, the feeling of being betrayed by people you thought you could trust, about losing your path, the thought of giving up and so forth.
Av Skymning Kommen, Mot Gryning Går is a song and lyric I (Bosse) wrote as a way to process a really close to succeed suicide attempt I did 24th of September 2011. It’s about my way back, all thoughts that came to me while I lived at a psych ward after it for about 3-4 weeks. So about the darkness I was in and how I made up my mind to head to a new dawn.
Diabolical Masquerade is about all organized religion and everything negative it causes between people and their different religions (fanaticism, conflicts, wars, death) but also everything it imposes on the individual level. All rules that people apply about what and what not to do concerning everything. How to live, food, clothes, who to love, who to sort of hate, forced weddings, the mutilation of men and women when they are small and so forth. Plus how small children doesn’t have a say in it. They are born in their family’s religions and beliefs. If you have a belief on a personal level, fine. But don’t force that on anyone else!
Nattvandraren the most obvious is that it's about the myth and fascination of vampires as a being/ledgend. But it's also a metaphor of all who works in the shadows, doing stuff on the other side of the law and all admiration some people feel about that sort of underworld/sub world. I'm talking about serial killers/mass murderers and cruel violent gangs; and that some of them becomes legends for doing what they do and even admired and copied. In conclusion, also the dark side of mankind.
Remembrance doesn’t have any lyrics as it is instrumental, but it’s about the people that have died that I’ve (Bosse) known. It’s also about nostalgia. Memories that sometimes appear for any reason. A smell you feel, a song you hear, something you see that activates it and you get lost in that memory for a while.
5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'In My Embrace'?
In My Embrace as a name comes from life itself. Your life is in your embrace. Of course things happen which you can’t control but you can control how you’ll deal with it (doing that by yourself or with help from family/friends or experts in some profession). Other things in life you can control, or at least think you do, as nothing is certain in life. You can’t and should not control another person or try to. But the point is that life is what you make of it, how you deal with it and how you choose to live during the circumstances you either been given or the plans you have to get to that point you want to reach. Giving up or striving forward, your choice. With that said, life isn’t easy, a lot of people have really tuff situations around the world. And a lot of people go through and experience things we can’t even imagine. The name is about continuing your fight to live your life no matter what.
6.Currently there are only 2 members in the band, are you planning on expanding the line up in the future or do you chose to remain a duo?
The plan is to expand the number of members to be able to rehearse correctly and to play live. Tommy did the drums on the EP and is the obvious choice to continue working with on upcoming releases and possible gigs. We are trying out a bass player at the moment too (Jon Brundin), a friend Johan played with in Dii Minores and Well of Tears. But for me (Bosse), playing live isn't an option because of my severe Tinnitus - so who would take my place during gigs is uncertain. That means we probably will need a live guitarist as well. Time will tell what happens.
7.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black and death metal?
The EP is newly released and when we write this, only digital so far, but in spite of that the feedback has been good. The physical version is soon to be released and can be bought from us when we get our copies and from the labels [Sliptrick Records] partners. A press release with the physical EP and the music video will come next week.
8.Are the band members involved with any other musical projects these days?
Johan: has a side project that he's thinking of starting up again. The future will tell if it happens.
Bosse: does guest appearances now and then on other bands albums with guitar solos or lyrics.
9.When can we expect a full length album and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
The plan is to have a full length album released during spring 2015. Musically it's getting faster, heavier but still melodic and dark.
10.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
Johan:
Well, I listen to a lot of bands. Mostly it´s Death and Black Metal. These are however some of my favorites from different genres: Edge of Sanity, Ensiferum, Wintersun, Decide, Behemoth, Naglfar, Kalmah, Morgana Lefay, Helloween.
Bosse:
Hard question to answer, but I listen to almost everything when it comes to music. The important thing is that the music gives me or enhances some sort of a feeling. At the moment these are my favorites: Alscest, Winterfylleth, Dark Funeral, Funeral Mist, Agalloch, Windir, Undivine, Amorphis, Rimthurs, Diabolical, Planet Rain, Behemoth, Marduk, Katatonia, Ereb Altor.
11.What are some of your non musical interests?
Johan:
There are a lot of things I like to do, but at the moment my cabin and girlfriend takes up most of my spare time.
Bosse:
Hmm, hanging with friends, visit nature and take walks or run in natural areas. Go to the gym a couple of days during the week and so forth. At the moment my studies at the University as well. Plus a beer now and then. Trying what I can to feel as good as possible.
12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Thanks for the review (!) and for this interview! =) Don't forget to check out our music video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iv8VFrJ-Pd4
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