Interview with Bjorn guitarist of Mordbrand done by Patrick
1.Hello Bjorn please introduce yourself to the readers and at what age did you discover metal music?
I play guitars, bass and I'm the main songwriter of Mordbrand. I discovered rock and metal in my early childhood, but got more involved and fanatical about metal in my teens (I'd say around '95 or so). It all started with Guns 'n' Roses as a kid (ask any child of the early 80's) and things just got heavier and more aggressive as time passed.
2.Who were some of the first bands you listened to and who are some of your current favorites?
As above mentioned: Guns 'n' Roses was the gateway drug for me. Later on it was Iron Maiden, Metallica, Judas Priest and all the classic bands. Slayer, Sepultura and Morbid Angel later on opened my eyes to the more dark and sinister stuff. Today I wouldn't really say I have favorites since I listen to so much different music and so many bands. I constantly check out new stuff and search for that high that you get from discovering a new/old band that you haven't heard before. So many talented players out there and the competition is stiff nowadays, which is cool.
3.When did you first meet the other members of the band? And how did you all choose the name Mordbrand as the name of the band?
Me and Johan (Rudberg, drums) go way back. We've been in many bands together, so when we started out this band we just made some filthy death metal in the vein of Autopsy and Master, for kicks. The songs turned out pretty cool and was released on a split LP with Evoke on Me Saco Un Ojo Records in 2010. That lit something within us so we decided to stop messing around and turn this project into something more severe and serious. We asked Per (Boder, vocals) if he'd like to join since we knew that he's basically the best voice around. He unexpectedly said 'yes' and the rest is history. We truly aren't the same band today as we were 7 years ago, but the filth withstands.
4.What is the current line up of the band? and for the readers who have never heard Mordbrand's music how would you say it has changed since the beginning of the band until present day?
Me on strings, Per on vocals and Johan on drums. Well, the first split LP is sort of goofy but still raw with a punkish attitude. Today we are more focused on bringing atmosphere and a sense of danger into the sound. Every song should stand on it's own. It's not about finding the "right sound" - it's about making quality music that survives current trends.
5. Mordbrand is getting ready to release their second full-length "Wilt" how long did it take to write the music for this release?Does the whole band work on the music or does one member usually write everything?
We started writing the album in February last year and finished the recordings in november the same year. We worked very hard and went through a lot of trials in order to get it done. Everything that could've fucked up eventually did. But it came out just a great as we had hoped. We are tremendously proud of the result and we feel that it represents exactly what we strived to do and who we are as a band today. A melodic, atmospheric but crusty and deadly slab of metal. No fillers, just 9 songs that vary quite a bit from one another.
6.Who usually takes care of writing the lyrics and what are some topics the band wrote about on Wilt?
Per does all the lyrics and the theme on all of our releases (except for the earlier material) is about life's transformation. How life withers and dies and transforms into something new. Full circle.
7.What have been some of Mordbrand's most memorable shows over the years?Who were some of your favorite bands that you got to share the stage with?
We've only done one show thus far, back in 2012 (or was it 2013?) with Bombs of Hades and Terrorama. 2 great bands. We aim at doing more shows in the future and we have a lineup ready to do the heavy duty work.
8.Are their any upcoming tours or shows in support of Wilt if yes where will the band be playing?
Not yet. Unfortunately we've had to turn down cool offers due to lineup issues and family life, but we're confident things can be arranged sooner than later.
9.Bjorn you take care of the guitars for the band at what age did you become interested in playing the guitars?Did you take lessons when first starting out or are you self taught?
Around the same time I discovered the magic of music, basically. I was self-taught up until the age of 15 when I started highschool and had the chance to study music and guitar playing. I wouldn't say that the actual education was that much beneficial for me as a player, but it connected me with a new crowd of people and musical endeavors.
10.Who are some of your influences and favorite guitarists? Besides the guitars do you currently play any other instruments?
I really don't have favorite guitar players that inspire my own work with Mordbrand. I do what I know best and I try not to complicate stuff. But as a listener I'm a huge fan of Trey from Morbid Angel, Glenn Tipton of Judas Priest, Piggy (r.i.p.) from Voivod, Dave Murray from Iron Maiden and other godfathers of the genre.
11.Mordbrand comes out of Sweden's death metal scene what is your opinion of Sweden's metal scene over the years?
I think it's still intact and more varied than it used to be. You have the death metal veterans still going strong, the 'kill your idols' kind of youngsters like Degial and Tribulation, as well as a stable black metal "scene". Also there's great thrash to be found like Antichrist, which has a really promising new release coming out this year. Cool gigs are more and more common too, which is a sign of health I think.
12.Who are some of your all-time favorite Swedish bands? And are their any new bands you can recommend to the readers?
That's a hard question. Entombed, Marduk, Stillborn, Bathory and Candlemass are bands that I hold in very high regard, just to name a few from the top of my head. But the more current scene is vibrant and the bands are too many to mention (and too many will be left out, sadly).
But you'd do yourself a favour if you checked out the bands we've done split releases with: Bombs of Hades, Gravehill, Rite and Evoke. You can also find the cream of the crap on the Critical Mass collections (I think there's 3 thus far) that really tries to capture what's hot in the swedish underground.
13.Besides bands are their any honest and reliable labels or distro's you could recommend to the readers?
Yes. Carnal Records that will release "Wilt" is an example of that. A hardworking and honest label with a great set of bands on it's CV. To The Death Records we've had nothing but good experiences with. Same goes for Bifrost, Deathgasm, Doomentia and all the other labels that we've worked with. We've been very lucky in that sense.
14.Thank you Bjorn for taking the time to fill this interview out do you have any final comments for the readers?
"Wilt" is out on CD February 24th on Carnal Records. LP will follow later. Thanks for your interest!
Label Contact
www.carnalrecords.com
Band Contact
https://www.facebook.com/officialmordbrand/
