1) First, classic question, could you present the band?
- Cor Scorpii was formed in late 2004 by Gaute Refsnes. Cor Scorpii now consists of these six individuals; Gaute Refsnes (keyboards) Stian Bakketeig (lead guitars) and Ole Nordsve (drums), Thomas Øvstedal (vocals), Rune Sjøthun (rythm guitars) and Inge Jonny Lomheim (bass). In july 2005 we recorded our first and only demo 'Attergangar', which got us some great reviews and ultimately a deal with Descent Productions. In August 2007, we spent 2 weeks recording our debut full-length album “Monument” in Toproom Studio. On this album we even got Mats Lerberg from Silent Vanquish and Funeral to do the clean vocals, which turned out fantastic. The album is now available through various distributors and webshops. We also just played the Inferno Festival and the Karmøygeddon Festival.


2) You've just released your first album 2 months ago, are you satisfied with its success?
- That still remains to be seen, really. We have to give the album a little more time to grow on the listeners, as there are many layers and various aspects to the music and lyrics. There have already been a few great reviews from abroad, but due to some delay in customs it just recently got released in Norway. But this is an exiting time for us, especially since we are so happy with the album ourselves. We feel very confident that we have created an album that speaks for itself.


3) Could you tell me a bit about its conception?
- That is a difficult question actually. The idea to record an album came quite natural as the next step from releasing the demo. We just kept on writing and rehearsing songs until we had enough of them for an album. I guess that is what you could call the whole conception of the band; a natural flow of random coincidences that evolved into a plan with direction. The music on the other hand is carefully and cunningly composed, and not a product of meaningless jam-sessions. We put a lot of time and energy into creating songs that hold some sense of purpose and continuity. After we felt that we had enough material that was suited for an

album, we booked studio time in Toproom. The choice of studio can easily be explained, since we had already heard some great recordings from that place, and we felt confident that we would be able to get the production that we desired.


4) Most of the lyrics in Monument are in Norwegian, could you tell us a bit about the main themes in this album?
- The lyrical themes do not revolve around any ONE idea. On their own they either make up a simple story or are merely coherent observations and thoughts upon areas that we find interesting. Together they could be put in a context, and thus form some kind of philosophical idea. I believe that although we have our own meanings and thoughts incorporated in the lyrics, other people can find their own truth in them. That is the beauty of words.


5) Who writes the lyrics in the group, and who composes the music? What are your main sources of inspiration?
- Gaute and myself write the lyrics as a unit. Usually one of us comes up with a theme or a concept before we work on it together. We share much of the same “ideological ideas”, in lack of better words, so it is quite easy for us to communicate and build the lyrics together. Also, by writing the lyrics together, we feel that it is easier to stand behind our words and be confident in our so-called “message”. And since Gaute has written most of the music, he usually has a general idea of how and where he would like the vocals done. That makes it easier to construct and adapt the lyrics to the song.

The music is mainly composed by Gaute, however 3 of the songs on the album are written by Rune and Inge Jonny. What exactly make up their main sources of inspiration is of course difficult for me to say, as I am not involved in the composing of the music, but in general I have to say that classical music has always had a big influence on our material. Also, since we play extreme metal, the Norwegian extreme-metal scene is and has been a big influence on our expression.


6) When listening to your album for the first time, I had the same thrill that I felt when I discovered Windir. Indeed, your music oft

en sounds like Windir but however in a more personal way, knowing that two of you (and one former member, Jørn Holen) played in Windir, can it be considered like a tribute or a continuation to Windir?
- Cor Scorpii is not a tribute to, nor a continuation of Windir. We create the music that comes natural to us. Any similarity could easily be explained as sharing much of the same ideas and inspirations, and of course the fact that these guys played together for so many years. However, we do feel greatly honoured and proud to be compared with such a great band.


7) I saw you gave gigs only in Norway, would you enjoy performing abroad? We would be happy to see you here in France :)
- We would love to perform abroad. Booking concerts is one of our biggest priorities at this moment. So if there are any people out there who would like us to play in their country, they should contact their local clubs or concert promoters and ask them to book us.



8) Which gig did you enjoy the most?
- Every gig we play is a special happening for all of us. The first gig we played in Sogndal was very special, since we played for a lot of our friends in our hometown. However the Inferno Festival was a great experience as well. The club-stage, where we played, was so packed that they even had to stop letting more people in. Every gig is a chance for us to prove our worth and show people what we are good for. We try to savour that moment by giving it all we’ve got.


9) What do you plan for the band in the future?
- Like I said before, at the moment one of our biggest priorities, next to writing new material, is booking more concerts. We are really motivated by the momentum of the album and are really looking forward to each opportunity to perform the material live on stage.


10) It was a pleasure to do my first interview with you; the last words are for you! :)
- Thank you very much for the interview! We only hope that people take the time to check out our album “Monument”, and support us by coming to our shows!