>Hi, could you please introduce Manegarm to our readers with a brief history of the band?Manegarm started up in Norrtalje, Sweden, in 1995. Back then we played some sort of raw, primitive black-metal with lyrics based on the ancient Norse mythology. Through the years we have developed our music into what people like to call viking-metal, viking/black-metal or pagan-metal. We recorded two demos (Vargaresa-96 and Ur Nattvindar-97) before we finally got a record contract with Displeased records. Up till now we have released a couple of albums : Nordstjarnans tidsalder 1998 Havets Vargar 2000 Dodsfard 2003 Vargaresa-The beginning 2004, an album with our two old demos Vredens tid - 2005 Urminnes havd 2006, an acoustic mini album. Our new album Vargstenen will be out in the stores the 4th of may 2007 and this album will be released for our new record label, Black Lodge.
>So tell us about the recording session of this brand new album 'Vargstenen'.
We recorded the album in studio Underground during three weeks in october 2006. It turned out to be three hectic weeks and we worked for 12-14 hours a day just to make it in time. The album is about 50 minutes long and contains both metal and acoustic songs so there was a lot of music to be recorded Vargstenen is a concept album as the lyrics for the songs are built on one story. Kris Verwimp has once again done a fantastic job with the cover painting and this time he has also done paintings for the whole booklet, one painting for each song.
>According to you, what are the differences with your previous works. On what details did you try to improve ?
I think that you on Vargstenen can hear the resemblance to Vredens Tid and Dodsfard in many ways, but on this new album we think that the old-school metal stuff is more noticeable. We have blended our folk influenced metal with more thrash and heavy-metal so to speak. I think that we have improved in many ways; first of all I think that we have written better songs for this album. We have tried to take it one step further; stronger melodies, better arrangements, everything better Along the way you become a better and more serious musician and that also affects the final result of course.
>How do you compose music inside the band ? Is there a kind of leader,
or just a common & democratic process ?It is Jonas and me, Erik, who writes songs for Manegarm. Most of the times Jonas comes up with the guitar riffs for a song and than I come up with the melodies for the 2nd guitar, violin, clean vocals It isnt like a leadership though, Jonas and I dont decide alone, its just a good and productive way to work for Manegarm. Everyone in the band is just as important and a lot of things are created in the rehearsing room together as well.
>Sweden is really famous for its incredible death & black-metal scenes. But pagan-metal has always counted far less devotees. Why do you think this style of metal has always remained more underground ?
Death-metal and black-metal have been around much longer in Sweden; great old death-metal bands like Entombed and Dismember for example have played around 20 years now, so the scene has grown big, strong and popular for many years. The pagan-metal scene has a few years to catch up, but maybe it will some day
>What are the main qualities / convictions needed to play pagan-metal ?
The music must immediately catch the listeners attention and make him want to hear more. We try to do that with strong melodies, right pace, catchiness and a lot of feeling. The music should be a combination of hard/strong and soft/harmonic parts just to create an interest. Interesting lyrics is also important, for Manegarm it is anyway.
>On your logo, theres a wolf. In what sense, this symbolic animal is important for you ?
The wolf is a very strong, beautiful and fascinating animal and the wolf represents freedom and wildness, beauty and fear, something that lives inside every man . Manegarm is also the name of a wolf in the ancient Norse mythology.
>Why did you stop your collaboration with Displeased records ? Do you think Black lodge has more to offer in the future ?
We had been signed on to Displeased records for ten years and had released 5 albums for them so we thought that it was time for a change Our new collaboration with Black Lodge feels great; theyre positive, supportive and help us out in every way. This can only get better.
>Black Lodge is a rather eclectic label : from Sabaton & Hellfueled to Death Breath & Serpent Obscene (r.i.p.), what are those you like to hear ?
Are you open-minded metalheads ?Theyre all good bands, and its great that Black Lodge finally got some pure viking-metal into the record label ! I listen to a lot of different metal and also a lot of different music genres so I guess you can call me open minded.
>Lyrically what are your sources of inspiration ? Who does write your texts ?
Its Pierre V. Wilhelmsson who writes the lyrics for Manegarm. The Norse mythology and our heritage and ancestors are subjects and themes that have interested and fascinated us from the start and our lyrics are based on true ancients stories as well as they can be fantasy stories. Pierre has a lot of knowledge concerning these things and practices our ancient customs. (Asatru)
>In a few days you will participate to the Ragnark festival in Germany with the mighty Kampfar & tons of other bands (Moonsorrow, Helheim, Cruachan, Tyr etc). What do you wait from this kind of events ?
It will be great; were really looking forward to it. What Ive heard from the organizer we can expect a lot of people. We played at the Ragnaroek festival 2005 and it was really cool, hopefully it will be even better this year.
>Talking about Ragnarok fest, you certainly know that Taake has just been fired from the bill, following their scandal in Essen, where Hoest sang with a swatiska painted on its body. What do you think of this kind of provocation ?
What can I say If you cant see the inappropriate in these kinds of acts for yourself, I dont know how can help you
>More generally, Pagan scene is often associated with right-wing ideology. Is it a problem for Manegarm ?
We havent had a problem with that. Manegarm is all about music; playing rock n roll and having fun, and Im sure that all serious and knowing music people knows that.
>Thanx for your answers, last words are yours.
Thanks for letting us being interviewed ! Buy the new Manegarm album, Vargstenen (the wolf stone), out in the stores the 4th of may 2007. Its a killer album so you dont want to miss it ! Visit our official website, www.manegarm.com or our myspace site, www.myspace.com/manegarm, and preorder the album and youll have it shipped directly to your mailbox on release date. Rock N Roll // Erik Manegarm
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Interview done by DJ In Extremis
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