Norrskold Interview

 

1. Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording of the new album?

The writing of the songs went pretty fast prior to the recordings. I guess a lot could be “blamed” on the massive amounts of boredom during a pandemic. For different reasons the actual recording and production of the album took longer time than expected. So during the recording/production phase we’ve actually written a bunch of new songs, ready for take off in a not so distant release. The creativity knows no boundaries, so to say!

2. You have a new album coming out in November, musically how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

I would say the songs on the upcoming album are a bit more straightforward compared to our previous releases, although we’ve kept the characteristic Norrsköld atmosphere in the sound. The listener might also notice more of a linearity in the compositions. The focus is more than ever on melodies, rather than too intricate riffage which might sometimes have been the case on previous releases. To some degree we have also experimented with synthesizers as a fresh element to some of the songs.

3. This is also your first album in 5 years, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during this time frame?

There have been some major line-up changes since our latest release (2018) which has taken its toll on the possibility for live shows etc. The infamous pandemic further made it hard to plan for live performances. In general I would say the major focus has been on composing new material. 

4. The lyrics on the new recording are a concept album, can you tell us a little bit more about the story you have covered with this release?

The main lyrical theme could be described as a critical reflection on mankind´s position in the world, as it looks like today. More specifically, that mankind has relied on the fact that we are a part of a greater power/"God" and that man is an elevated entity above all else on earth. Which has justified humans to behave and evolve as if the earth belonged to us including, wars, environmental destruction etc. So the lyrics are sort of a future scenario of how all this will end. Written as if the last human remains have finally vanished and that a "cosmic power" (perspective) is narrating the closure, when things are in order again. Error corrected so to speak.

5. Your earlier lyrics covered Swedish Folklore, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this topic?

Being from the northern part of the country, the connection with nature and folklore is a significant part of the culture. There’s a huge treasure of folk traditions, lore and nature spiritual beliefs that still to this day lives on in the collective memory. There´s this nature romantic spirit still being very much present in people, especially when visiting the rural landscapes. Therefore it’s been quite a feasible topic for our previous lyrics. A quite recent example of this phenomenon would be the movie “Midsommar” which is based on a folklore story from the north of Sweden, taking place in the fabled surroundings of Hårgaberget. That specific story has, in turn, resulted in the classical folk song “Hårgalåten” which has been recorded by numerous artists including In Flames (and Norrsköld of course). 

6. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name “Norrskold”?

It’s basically a word play based on my origin (Norrland i.e. the upper half of the country) and Sköld (“shield”) which is one of my family names. So the name is originally spelled with the letter “ö”, commonly used in the Swedish language.

7. Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?

We decided to once again collaborate with the legendary artwork designer Niklas Sundin (ex. Dark Tranquillity) at Cabin Fever Media. Niklas has helped us out with most of our previous artworks, and for a good reason. He has this very unique ability to understand and capture the atmosphere of the songs in one single image. The actual artwork is representing sort of a last monument of mankind in the desolated future space that our world resulted in. 

8. What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?

It´s hard to pick a single one. There´s a very special atmosphere when playing in a small club with close (or none) distance to the audience. If one would ask the other members I guess most would answer the final gig we had in Moscow on the 2017 tour together with Amon Amarth. An epic gig for sure. My neck hurts just by the memory of this. 

9. Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released?

All focus has been on recording and releasing our upcoming album Prisma Aeternus. With this album released, future live gigs would definitely not be impossible. 

10. The new album is going to be self released but your have been a part of a label in the past, are you open to working with another label again in the future?

There are pros and cons cooperating with a label of course, but we are most certainly interested in future cooperation with labels if the chemistry is right. 

11. On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of melodic black and death metal?

The general impression is that fans really appreciate that we have taken the really good elements of black metal and melodic metal and mixed this up to our own unique soundscape. One of the more common references we get is that we often sound like a “modern Dissection”, which is very close to where we want to be. There are a lot of people out there that really mourn that raw, yet melodic metal music seems to have had its glory days in the 90´s/early 00´s. We want to be a leading example that this kind of music still is relevant. 

12. What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that some of the band members are a part of?

As was mentioned previously, the band has been through some line up changes during recent years. As for the current members/session members of the band, most have other projects parallel to Norrsköld. Our bassist (Eric) is heavily involved in a Stockholm based band called Needle Grey. Second guitarist Gustaf is in a really up and coming band called Seventh Crystal. Adam, our singer, is mainly working with music at the record label Rexius Records and also sings/scream in a band called A dead tree doesn’t talk. Myself, I have several parallel projects going on. One of them is being one of the songwriters for a band called Symphony of Sweden. 

13. Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

The major goal is to constantly improve ourselves in songwriting. Since we have a ton of already written material available, another release during 2023 is definitely within our scope. If the stars align we might also be open for live shows. 

14. What are some of the bands or musical styles the band members are currently listening to nowadays?

Alcest is a great inspiration. Also Soilwork. Ghost is another band that really inspires one to focus on the melodic aspect of metal. Personally I mostly listen to quite mellow singer/songwriter songs and instrumental soundtracks as major inspiration.

15. Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

If you guys are looking for the ultimate mix of heavy, fast and melodic, look no further. Rest your ears on Prisma Aeternus and feel the force of multi-metal at its best. If you do like our music, it would mean the world if you would spread the word (or our social media links) ;)

Thanks for a good interview!

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