Interview Brazen Forgery

 Today, we're excited to sit down with the anonymous multi-instrumentalist behind Brazen Forgery, a rising metal project that has been turning heads with its unique blend of doom and gothic metal, classical music, and more. Conceived during the pandemic isolation, Brazen Forgery has quickly gained a following with its haunting melodies, dynamic instrumentation, and genre-defying approach to music-making. With its introspective and atmospheric themes, Brazen Forgery's music has been described as a musical journey that blends the heavy and the ethereal. Join us as we delve into the creative process behind Brazen Forgery's music, the challenges of making music during the pandemic, and what the future holds for this exciting new project.

1.Can you tell us a bit about how Brazen Forgery came to be and what inspired your sound?

Brazen Forgery is my personal solo project that has been waiting for the right time to mature into finished music. Musically and sound-wise, it reflects who I am at my core. The roots of Brazen Forgery's music date back over 25 years, but some of the tracks are composed completely just recently. When it comes to the soundscape and atmosphere, I've always been drawn to a darker, more somber tone, which is why elements of doom metal, classical music, and film scores are integral to my project. It was a natural progression for me to combine these elements into a soundscape that echoes like a funeral mass in a grand cathedral.

2.What was the biggest challenge you faced while creating music during the pandemic isolation, and how did you overcome it?

Since I independently produced my first album, the coronavirus restrictions didn't cause much harm; in fact, they had quite the opposite effect. The pandemic was actually the reason why I was able to bring my solo project to life. When I couldn't play music with others and my lifestyle was limited to being stationary, I suddenly had the time to revisit my old songs and began creating music based on them.

3.Your music blends different genres and styles, from doom and gothic metal to classical music. How do you approach mixing and balancing these elements in your music?

My music tends to be "thick," with numerous elements and instruments featured in each song. As a result, I mix the music as a whole, prioritizing the overall sound rather than, say, the guitar tone. The challenge lies in the fact that some songs on the album rely heavily on orchestration, while others are primarily driven by the band instruments. Despite this, I aim for all the songs to sound cohesive and as if they belong on the same album.

4.Your music often features grand horns and orchestration. What role does classical music play in your creative process?

Brass instruments hold a special place in the music of Brazen Forgery. The name itself is a play on words, one meaning of which is related to the Bronze Age and the religious and administrative development of that era. That's why we still associate brass instruments with holiness and divinity in our imagination and art. Even in the Bible's Book of Revelation, archangels blow trumpets on judgement day. What could be a more fitting soundscape for music that flirts with destruction and the end of time?

In the creative process, orchestrations are involved from the very beginning, as soon as new music begins playing in my head. I usually hear the complete music with both the band instruments and orchestrations, and the rest of the musical process involves reproducing the sound I hear in my head as faithfully as possible in its final form.

5.Your music has been described as introspective and atmospheric. Can you tell us more about how you convey emotions and atmosphere through your music?

I believe that I am a self-aware and observant person, and these qualities can be heard in my music as well. When it comes to music and striving for perfection, I am quite hard on myself, and at times, even unreasonable. However, I hope that in the end, listeners can hear that my music and the emotions and atmosphere it holds was produced exactly as it was intended, with attention paid to even the smallest details.

6.How do you see Brazen Forgery's sound evolving in the future?

I have a very open-minded approach to music and enjoy listening to a wide variety of genres, ranging from jazz and progressive rock to classical and black metal. I don't want to repeat myself, so it's quite possible that Brazen Forgery's music will evolve and take on a different shape for the next release. I'm not quite sure how yet, as I still have old unused material in my drawer, and the new music playing in my head is quite distinct from what I've done before. It remains to be seen.

7.As an anonymous multi-instrumentalist, how do you balance the creative aspects of music-making with the more business-oriented side of promoting your project?

I am a relatively private person, and at the same time, I want my music to speak for itself. However, this presents its own set of challenges when it comes to marketing, as an artist's appeal is not just about their music but also about their persona. In my case this leads to focusing on creativity and musical freedom at the expense of marketing. As a solo artist who performs under a different name, I don't feel the same pressure to constantly produce new content and put my entire personality on display.

8.Your music has been described as "genre-defying." How do you feel about genre labels and how they are used to classify music?

I appreciate being described as "genre-defying" as it reflects my open-mindedness towards different styles of music. However, I believe that genre labels can be limiting and restrictive, and that music should be appreciated for its individual qualities rather than conforming to a specific genre. While genre labels may help people and algorithms to discover more music similar to what they already enjoy, it also runs the risk of reinforcing echo chambers of opinions, similar to social media bubbles. In my opinion, it would be better for all of us if we didn't label things so easily.

9.Can you walk us through your songwriting process? How do you typically go from an idea to a finished song?

In my mind, parts of songs often come together as a complete arrangement, with different instruments, melodies, and stems ready to be used as part of the song. Usually, a guitar riff or a piano melody is the first thing that comes to mind, and I start composing the song from there, either by picking up the guitar or playing the piano. Since the music already plays as a complete arrangement in my mind, I try to quickly capture it in some form in my DAW and complete it track by track. I don't create demos, but rather fully-formed song structures, which I then start to enhance with real instruments once the song's structure, lyrics, and melodies are complete.

10.Your project is still relatively new, but it has already attracted fans of metal and beyond. How do you hope to expand your audience in the future?

While I certainly hope that my music will reach as many people as possible, the creation process itself and releasing my songs into the world has been the most important aspect for me. This journey has also been a significant learning experience, particularly in terms of composing, singing, and producing music. I don't have high expectations for my music to gain a large following because new music is constantly being created in huge amounts every minute. However, if just one listener can experience something beautiful, unique, and empowering while listening to my music, that would be wonderful.

11.Your music tackles themes of introspection and sorrow. What draws you to these themes, and how do you hope your music resonates with listeners?

The lyrics of my music focus on the timeless truths and lies of humanity, exploring the relationship between religion, politics and war. Against the backdrop of our world today, where worldviews, religions, and political ideologies are increasingly on a collision course, I hope my listeners can find some solace in my lyrics and themes, realizing that even if civilizations crumble, life itself will persist in some form. Perhaps even in a better form than we know it now.

12.What can fans expect from Brazen Forgery in the coming months, and do you have any upcoming live shows or tours planned?

The fact that Brazen Forgery is a solo project means that there are currently no plans to perform live, unless I manage to clone myself and have a symphony orchestra perform with me. In the meantime, my focus will be on creating new music and potentially releasing a single or even another album. The future is uncertain, but I am excited to see where the creative process takes me.

https://linktr.ee/brazenforgery

Interview The Obsidian Resurrection

 Welcome to our interview with The Obsidian Resurrection! This Modesto, California-based band formed in 2000 and features a talented lineup of musicians including Deimitri Reyes on vocals and rhythm guitar, Danny Stevenson on keyboards and synths, Josh Jones on bass, Alex Bosson on drums, and formerly Nate Amundsen on second guitar. After releasing their debut EP "Enslaved By Nightmares" in 2003, the band unfortunately disbanded in 2005, but reunited in 2021 to release their long-awaited debut full-length album. In this interview, we'll dive into the band's history, creative process, and future plans. So without further ado, let's get started!

1. How did you all come together to form Obsidian back in 2000? 

Josh: Well honestly it all started I think between Danny and I. We were both working at a pizza place and through the madness of that place, we discovered a mutual bond through music. We started hanging out and listening to and discovering new bands, staying up late and listening to little sound clips since this was before all these streaming services, all we had were little sound bit files we could download and hear about 30-45 seconds of a song. It was difficult to find good underground metal back then unless you went to a record store in the city, but we made do with what we had. And through all this, we decided to start a band. He brought in Deimitri from school, I brought in the original vocalist and guitarist, and we started writing music in bedrooms and garages, anywhere we could jam, we were creating music.

2. What were some of your earliest musical influences that helped shape the sound of Obsidian?

Josh: Well I think we all have our own personal musical influences, but collectively as a band that influence our sound would probably be: Morbid Angel, Cradle Of Filth, Twin Obscenity, Slayer, Dimmu Borgir, Emperor, Immortal, old Metallica, Marduk, Decapitation…..

3. When did you first realize that you wanted to pursue music as a career?

Josh: For me, my mom and dad and my grandparents on my moms side of the family were a big inspiration to my being a musician. My mom got me into hippie rock, old 40s and 50s rock and roll, my dad got me into classic and modern rock, NWOBHM and heavy metal, hell, my sisters got me into glam rock, hair metal and punk and even early death and thrash metal, and my grandparents got me into jazz, blues and big band swing. So music was literally everywhere I turned growing up. My grandma plays damn near every instrument haha, mostly piano, choir and organ, my dad played bass and built his own recording studio for his band back in the day, a Rolling Stones cover band who also wrote their own material called, Licker. My mom got me my first guitar, it was a acoustic, at the time I wasn't into guitar, I wanted to play bass because my dad was a bassist and I fell in love with that deep rich sound, so I asked to play bass instead and both my mom and dad told me to properly learn the acoustic guitar first to work on proper playing form and then I could switch to bass, my mom and dad were a firm believer that learning the acoustic guitar is the best way to prepare for other instruments since you have to have good form and pressing on the strings strengthens your fingers. So thats how I got into it.

4. Can you describe the writing and recording process for your debut EP "Enslaved By Nightmares"?

Josh: Writing was really fun with this band and still is my favorite writing experience of all the bands I've ever been in. We all just clicked, you know? It's rare when that happens. It was fun. But we would typically start with the riffs first, jam on them for awhile until we figured out a good riff to place to help move the song forward. We would riff off each other, and Danny was a key component to our songs and style, riffing off of what he would be playing. Jamming to what Danny would come up with really helped push our music into the style we wanted and would help us create riffs and movements within our song structure would end up being a key piece of the Obsidian puzzle. Once we had a song, we would then go over a theme of sorts and then the process of writing the lyrics would come into play based on the feelings and vibe of the song itself.

5. What was the reception like for your debut EP after its release?

Josh: Well that's hard to gage since we never did a official release. This was before the internet really took off for musicians, we had MySpace and that was about it, these days anyone can upload their music and put it up on distrokid or cdbaby and they're good to go. We had to physically print and make each EP and would sell them at our merch booth at our shows. They did really well, all of our merch seemed to always sell well actually, it helped us to at least keep all our EPs, shirts and stickers stocked it seemed, so I'd say the reception was positive. 

6. Why did the band break up in 2005, and what led to the decision to reform the band in 2021?

Josh: It came down to Deimitri needing to move back to Arizona for family reasons. We tried to make It work between the two states of California and Arizona, but being so young back then, it became difficult to keep it going. We managed to for awhile, it did help us break in down south in Arizona and areas down there in the southern areas of the US, but ultimately it was too difficult and we disbanded. It sucked, it never really felt right either though because we were playing a lot of shows and we had a entire album that we were literally about to record, but we couldn't. So we had all this music just sitting there for 20 years, and I think it all just ate at us in the back of our minds over the years as we went off to do our own things. We remained for the most part in touch with each other and then one day Danny hit up Alex and got the ball rolling on us finally getting this old music reworked and released.

7. How did it feel to reunite with the same lineup from 2005 for the upcoming album?

Josh: I admit, it felt good even though it was all online now since we all live in different parts of the United States, but it felt real and authentic still. It felt like putting on your favorite article of clothing, you don't care how old and tattered it's become, you just put it on and it fits just right, haha.

8. Can you give us some insight into the musical direction and themes for the new album?

Josh: More or less the same as the material was back when we were writing it. You know, love, romance, a coming of age story between two High school sweethearts, haha no, it's more of a dark and foreboding type of content lyrically. But I think the lyrics and content can also be insightful and thought provoking. We hit on several themes and topics, death, spirituality, humanity and morales, etc; but do so in a way that we paint a picture so the listeners can hopefully grasp the concept but ultimately come up with their own interpretation. 

9. How has your sound evolved over the years since the first formation of the band?

Josh: I'd say we sound more, "mature". Back then we were really raw and we let our music speak through our energy and tenacity. We took that same energy and focused it it seems with this album. It'll be interesting to hear what people think of how the original three demo songs sound now compared to 20 years ago, and to hear what the fans have to say about our new material.

10. What have been some of the biggest challenges you have faced as a band, and how have you overcome them?

Josh: The living in different states issue has made it tough, all of our different schedules as well has made for several set backs and rescheduling of things. But we are getting it done and making it happen, one step at a time. It's easier to do this now these days with band members spread out because of the internet. I can't stress that enough, we wouldn't be able to do it back in the day like this. Our Facebook chat is our band room now haha.

11. What advice would you give to aspiring musicians who are just starting out in the industry?

Josh: The industry is a different beast now than it was back then. Hell, back in the day record labels would scout out bands for their labels, we had a couple scouting us, they don't do that anymore because it's all online now. So I'd say build up your online presence and promote like crazy because you have to stand out in the digital crowd now. That's not to take away from playing live though, that's the real meat and potatoes. Practice like crazy so your live show is stellar. Practice practice practice. When you think you're ready to tear up that stage, practice some more. Always try to better yourself. 

12. How has the internet and social media impacted your career as musicians?

Josh: In our situation it made it a helluva lot easier, I don't think we'd be able to do it if not for how the internet is these days. I will say this though, now that we are a online only band now, trying to put ourselves out there online just isn't as satisfying as if we were playing to crowds of people destroying venues like back in the day. It feels hollow, it's hard to really connect with people though social media, the lack of connection makes it suck, but we do our best to bring in as many listeners to our music as possible. It has helped us branch out to new markets and regions though so it does have its benefits. 

13. What is your process for writing and creating music together as a band?

Josh: Back in the day it was the jamming together and riffing off each other, now we record sound files and record videos of riffs and send them back and forth between our chat group and emails haha, completely different now.

14. What has been the most memorable show or performance you have played as a band?

Josh: For me there were 2 shows that stood out. Obviously our first show. Before our first show, we were making music for several years without a drummer, so by the time Alex joined and we were ready to play live, we were simply hungry for the stage, we WANTED to destroy shit haha. All that pent up aggression and frustration of playing for so long trying to find a drummer, really translated to our first show. Just having that feeling of, "finally!", washing over you after so long of dreaming about getting up on stage to tear it up for people was a driving force for us, and that first show was such a satisfying release of aggression. And the other show that stands out for me was when we coheadlined with Dragonlord, a symphonic black metal side project of Eric Peterson from Testament. Seeing a completely packed venue, selling practically all our merch, connecting with the crowd, I had a blast playing that show, there were some things that frustrated me about that show, but ultimately when we hit the stage it was awesome seeing the place packed all the way to the back and seeing the pits explode was fanfuckingtastic. 

15. How has the pandemic affected your ability to play live shows and promote your music?

Josh: Well, we can't play live so that doesn't effect us these days, but promoting wasn't really impacted at all because of covid with us. 

16. What are some of your favorite tracks from the upcoming album, and why?

Josh: I'd personally say the new version of Prophecy's Will, that one is a beast of a song now compared to the demo version. And one song in particular that we will eventually reveal the title of, has become a personal labor of love, I think Danny feels the same about this song too. It was first written way back when myself and our original guitarist was in high school guitar class. We were supposed to learn and play this crappy Beatles medley for a finals exam but we both hate the Beatles haha. So we instead started writing this particular song. When it came time to play our Beatles medley for our finals exam, we played the early version of this song instead. Our teacher was pissed initially haha, but she allowed us to play the entire thing we had written back then and we still got an "A". That song has gone through several changes over time even back then and when we tried to remember it for the upcoming album, we had to really reach into our memory banks to remember how all the riffs went since there's a lot of them in this song. Once we remembered the riffs and order of the riffs, we rewrote parts that needed fixing and it now just, to me, feels complete after all these years.

17. How do you hope your music impacts listeners and fans?

Josh: I personally understand that people won't like our music, not everyone are fans of symphonic metal, let alone symphonic death metal. At this point though, I feel I'm releasing this music for us personally. We have so many memories with this old music that it'll just feel amazing getting the final product out to people to listen to and do with it what they will. If they hate it, that's fine, if they love it, awesome. I think it'll find its niche in the metal scene though.

18. What are your plans and goals for the future of The Obsidian Resurrection beyond the release of the new album?

Josh: There have been whispers of things haha. But only time will tell. But for now we are just focused on getting this album out there.

The Obsidian Resurrection | Facebook

(19) The Obsidian Resurrection - YouTube

The Obsidian Resurrection (@theobsidianresurrection) • Instagram photos and videos

Interview Force of Habit

Force of Habit is a band that defies easy categorization. With a sound that fuses metal, funk, and rock and roll, and a penchant for all things theatrical and macabre, this Atlanta-based group is anything but predictable. Since their formation in 1997, they've been making waves in the metal scene, sharing stages with heavyweights like Testament, Trivium, and Death Angel, and developing a reputation for their high-energy, electrifying live shows. With a debut album under their belt and a new EP on the horizon, Force of Habit is showing no signs of slowing down. We sat down with Eli Cuadra, Camo Hunter, Wayne Johnson, and Kevin Hyatt to talk about their music, their inspirations, and what's next for the band.

1.Can you tell us how Force of Habit first formed and how you all met?

       We formed in 96 here in Atlanta after the 96Summer games… We actually started as a cover band that played a couple originals. Our original stuff was much preferred so we laid focus to writing which ended up being Madness by Design in 2004. Throughout the years people have come and gone on to other things… I'm the last original one from the early band.

2.How would you describe your music and sound to someone who has never heard it before?

       Melodic controlled Chaos…

3.What inspired the band's name "Force of Habit"?

        It was kinda funny… started out as a joke.

        "Why did you do that? - Oh Force of Habit!"

         So that just stuck

4.How do you approach songwriting and creating new material?

          I myself usually sit down ( after a sensible herbal cigarette) and riff on my guitar… anything cool is brought up at practice…usually have a main riff and a verse… and we all jammed on it…

Then let the magic happen

5.What are some of the biggest influences on your music and style?

   Old Black Sabbath,  Judas Priest, Iron Maiden then Pantera, Sepulveda  etc.

6.What can fans expect from your upcoming EP, and how will it differ from your previous work?

   I'd say it's a lot more brutal but on the same note, more mature sound. Deeper

7.What has been your favorite performance or show to date, and why?

    Sun and Steel Metal Fest

    Expo Center Tampa Bay Fla.

     04..05?  With Testament,  Obituary, Body Count,  Trivium… bunch more! Chuck Billy loved our set and had Dean our singer join him on a song! Epic

8.How has the band evolved since your debut album "Madness by Design"?

     More of a mature sound I guess.  We've found what we do/write best and roll with it

9.How do you balance the theatrical and visual aspects of your live shows with the music itself?

   We always try to give them a surprise or.     something different to talk about…

10.What has been the biggest challenge the band has faced so far, and how did you overcome it?

    Personel change…people change after time so every time a new person comes into the band things change.  That's the tough thing to retain your sound.

11.How do you handle creative differences and conflicts within the band?

      The 4 of us vote… I'm the tie breaker

12.Can you tell us about any funny or memorable experiences you've had while on tour?

      The above concert I was talking about.

     Was chatting with Chuck Billy ɓackstage and had to go piss… I  ran back to the big old artist bathroom,  bust in and Ice T is butt ass naked and had Cocoa bent over the sink just driving her home!!!lol I apologized,  he smiled and I left. Later during the show he saw me and came over to bump fists!

13.How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected the band's plans and live performances?

      We had a drummer bow out that August before.  So it took us 3 years to find a drummer because of it.

14.How do you engage with your fans and build a strong connection with your audience?

     We always hang out before and after the shows to meet as many new friends as we can.

15.Can you share any upcoming tour dates or festival appearances?

     Nothing but a couple small shows right now. Recording soon… waiting to hear about some fall festival stuff.

16.How important is it for the band to maintain a DIY ethos and remain independent in your music career?

    It's everything! Anything big involved always diluted the music and message.

17.What advice would you give to aspiring musicians who want to pursue a career in the metal genre?

     Have a good back up plan.. 😆

     Persistence!

18.Lastly, what's next for Force of Habit, and what are your long-term goals for the band?

     Well, we're getting some recording done soon so we'll see what everyone thinks and take it from there! We've been field testing some of the new ones and everyone loves it so far…

Thank you

 Force of Habit | Facebook

FORCE OF HABIT | ReverbNation

Interview Mourning Scars

In this interview, we sit down with Richard Wilson, the founder of Mourning Scars. Born and raised in Skövde, Sweden, Richard was surrounded by a thriving metal scene that influenced him greatly. After playing in various metal bands and touring with his singer/songwriter project Racingpaperplanes, he decided to return to heavy metal with Mourning Scars. The band's first single "Levi Black" was met with great response, prompting Richard to release more singles with childhood friend Stefan Nordmark on lead guitar. In this interview, we dive into Richard's background, his approach to music-making, and the future of Mourning Scars.

1. Can you tell us a bit more about the inspiration behind the band name "Mourning Scars"?

The name Mourning Scars is a nod to my first album with my band Racingpaperplanes. It was called “Morning Scars”. I wrote the song Levi Black around 2007 and was gonna start this project then and needed a name. Mourning just sounded more metal. For several reasons I never wrote more metal songs then. 14 years later I needed to get some feelings out after my mother passed and I re-recorded Levi Black and the name Mourning Scars made more sense. She was very supportive of my music and even if none of the songs is about her specifically I think she would be proud! 

2. You mentioned that you re-recorded "Levi Black" just to test the waters. What kind of response did you receive and how did that shape the direction of the band?

Yeah. I always liked that song, and as I said I recorded it way back but I didn’t feel it came out the way it deserved. Back then I wrote it as a response to the Candlemass song “Edgar Grey”. I just got inspired by it and it’s not a rip off in any way, but that was the kind of style I was going for. So now it felt obvious to do a cover of the Candlemass song and kind of release it as a b-side. 

I thought the Candlemass song would get some attention but wasn’t sure about my own song. It turned out people liked my song more. It could also be that I did a shitty cover though, haha! Levi Black is sort of a mix between Candlemass and Slayer. That middle part with the solo is a total Slayer-rip off. 

I started the Facebook page and had about 30 of my friends as followers and I thought that would be it basically. But somehow people found the song on Spotify and I tried to do a little promotion for it and suddenly I had 100 followers. I thought OK, maybe I’m onto something here. I haven’t been writing metal for so long so I wasn’t sure I still had it. But song after song kept coming and all of a sudden I was thinking maybe I’m writing an album? I just passed 666 followers yesterday, which is the perfect number for any metal band! :)

Then Banks radio in Australia and Classy Heavy Metal Show in Brazil and Monster Shop Metal in the UK played some of my songs on their stations. People would include songs in Spotify playlists. It grew from there.

3. How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard of Mourning Scars before?

It’s heavy metal for sure! It has some doom metal influences and sometimes I’ll throw in a thrash-riff for fun! It is both influenced by bands I grew up with like Metallica, Slayer, Candlemass, Iron maiden, Priest, but also we had a great local scene in Skövde, Sweden where demos from local bands such as Act, Zanity, Master Massive, King Pin (Later Shotgun Messiah) influenced me just as much if not more! There would also be a live scene with local bands where there were many great bands in this small town! Most of us practiced at the same space as well and it was a huge gang of metalheads mostly!

4. Who are some of your biggest musical influences and how do they come through in your music?

I grew up on 80’s metal but mostly the Thrash Metal side of it. The wimpy poser stuff like Ratt and Dokken was not for me. I love it now though and probably did in secret back then… Over the years I kinda had a falling out with metal when grunge became a thing. It fit so perfectly with where my head was at at the time! So that scene changed everything for me. I think maybe you can hear traces of it in Mourning Scars as well.

5. You've played in a variety of metal bands over the years. How has your previous experience shaped your approach to Mourning Scars?

Me and Stefan Nordmark, my lead guitar virtuoso, started our first band Thunder Rain when he was 9 and I was 10! I wouldn’t say it was metal at all but we discovered metal together. He was always way more talented than me and still is but we kinda grew apart in our later teens. We had one band called “Rat Bat Blue” (I know), when we were about 16 or so. That’s when we started to sound a little better. 

I got to join the best band in town, Master Massive when I was only 19. I was a drummer then. I lived in the countryside outside of town and these were older scary city kids. I was really shy and had very low self esteem, but I was an ok drummer I guess. It was a bit hard for me to keep up with these guys and I couldn’t practice a lot because of school so they decided to call in the drummer I replaced. It was right before my first big show. I was devastated.

I actually joined them years later as a singer for a few shows and demos, I think in 1996.  

So I learned a whole lot from Jan Strandh, the founder of Master Massive and although he is light years better than me I’d like to think he influenced me a whole lot! He kinda set the standard in town for what was good and not, and he was very strict. I think that helped me even if it was intimidating at times.

6. What is the creative process like for you when writing and recording a new song?

Well, it varies, but usually I try to come up with cool riffs. I record them quickly in my studio and see if I can come up with a basic melody over it. I record that and try to write the chorus riff to that and so on. Sometimes the lyrics come first, like with “The Wayfarer”. It’s usually a quick process if the creative juices are flowing but some songs take longer to craft. I have a song recorded of what I call “scratch tracks” and I re-record everything more seriously once the song structure is finished.

7. You play everything and also mix and produce your own music. How do you balance all of those roles?

It’s a double edged sword sometimes. I get to do whatever the heck I want, but I also totally lack input from others so I only have myself to blame if it sucks! That’s why after a while I brought in Stefan to put down some solos. He has been super important in pushing me with the mixes. I can be a bit lazy and “grungey” and be happy with a mix fairly quickly, but he helps me a lot with that. “The guitars need to be lower”; “My leads need to be a decibel louder”. Shit like that.

Also I guess it would have sounded differently if I had other guys play instruments but I think I have found a sound that I am satisfied with!

I find it satisfying to do most of it all myself because I lack patience to wait for stuff to be finished! Thank God, Stefan is quick to record as well :) 

8. What was it like touring with Racingpaperplanes and how did that experience differ from your previous experiences playing in metal bands?

Oh that is way different. RPP was a mellow acoustic based alternative country band. I sang and played guitar and wrote all the songs. I had talented people help me out on various instruments in the studio and live. It also ended up with me doing everything myself at the end of that thing. I’m a lone wolf like that.

I did a tour in the USA in 2002. It was a great experience. Fun thing was that we were double booked with metal bands a couple of times, and their audience hated us! It made me sing an acapella version of Manowars’ “Bridge of death”, which made them shut up, and they came up to me afterwards saying they were sorry and they didn’t know I was one of them! :) 

9. Can you share any memorable moments from your time playing in Master Massive or Floodhorse?

The most memorable moment with Master Massive was when Jan Strandh called me and asked me to join! I couldn’t believe it! I had asked to get some drum lessons from him which he thought was weird because he was a guitarist. His music is very technical with odd time signatures and stuff which I always loved, but wanted to learn. So we did a practice session or two and then he called me and said they were getting rid of their drummer and could I join? It was surreal for me.

Floodhorse was a grunge/metal band that me and my friend Fredrik Björnstigen started in 1991. We were on vacation in America when the grunge broke and saw Nirvana and Pearl Jam in small clubs. When we came back to Sweden we wanted to start a grunge band but no one had barely heard about those bands back then. A couple of months later everyone was in a grunge band though…

One show we played I remember headbanging so hard I fell off stage. It was a bit embarrassing. I also remember doing the first proper recording in a real studio. It became our last recording sadly. It was a great band and if you like that kind of stuff you should definitely listen to Floodhorse on Spotify!

Oh and I also remember hearing back from a record company. We had this David Bowie-esque song “Comfort” that they liked and asked if I could write songs for a guy called Tomas Di Leva. He was considered to be somewhat of a clown so I took great offense! Ha ha! I might have been rich today if I had said yes because he’s a big star in Sweden. I don’t know how serious they were though.

10. You mentioned that most people have no attention span to listen to a whole album these days, which is why you've decided to release singles. Do you think that trend will continue or do you think there will be a return to full-length albums in the future?

I am an album guy myself, totally, but I find myself more and more making playlists and hit random and play. I can’t predict the future but I don’t think full albums are coming back in a big way once us dinosaurs die out. Kids today are used to listening to the hits only. I am relearning the game and I don't know what’s right or wrong. I try to release a song every 2-3 weeks and once I have 10 songs I will compile them into an album. Maybe sell some cd’s and very much would love to release it on vinyl! It's mostly a matter of cost .

"Levi Black" recently passed the 1000 streams mark on Spotify. How does it feel to see your music reaching an audience and gaining popularity?

It’s so weird. 1000 isn’t that much for some but for me as a total independent artist, without any monetary muscles it’s amazing to think of that many people listening to my songs! “Pyromancer” is over 2000 now. I don’t really care about it that much but it’s super nice to know someone is listening! 

11. What can fans expect from the upcoming singles and the eventual album release?

Yeah like I said I will write 10 songs to make an album, so I’m kinda releasing it in real time. I write a song and put it out and repeat. The next song is called “Void of time”, no one knows that yet so shhhh, but it’s definitely a nod to those local bands i mentioned earlier. Not that you would have heard them…

I will also re-mix and re-do some stuff before releasing the album,  to the first batch of songs I released because over time I have learned more how to get the sound I want.

12. You mentioned childhood friend Stefan Nordmark playing lead guitar on a few tracks. How did that collaboration come about and what was it like working with him again?

Yeah he’s so great! Actually we have talked over several years to do something together again but nothing really came out of it until now. Once I had a few songs written I felt my leads were a bit samey. I'm not really a lead guitarist. So I thought of Stefan and asked if he could do the solo on “Dead Crows”. I had no idea if he still had the chops but he blew me away! I was just laughing! It really put a new dimension to the song. After that it was a no-brainer to use him more. I do a few solos because I think it’s fun!

13. What do you hope listeners take away from your music?

Wow, that is a tough question. I hope it can give them some kind of emotion, even if they hate it. Anything is better than a total lackluster reaction. I have a lot of fun making it and i am so happy to get such great feedback from both radio, spotify listeners and blogs like yours!

14. How has the music industry changed since you first started playing in bands, and what do you think the future holds for musicians?

It has changed a lot! When I was younger you HAD to live in Stockholm, our capital, to get a record company to even listen to your music. Everything else was unheard of in my town. After Shotgun Messiah got a deal things changed. People started to realize, hey we can do it too! At least we believed we could. When the internet came it started to change even more. Nowadays you can have members in other countries and send files back and forth. It’s amazing!

I think it’s even harder to be heard today in a way though, because everyone and their mama can record at home and there’s so many super good bands out there that are never heard because of the amount of competition. And like I said earlier, people have such a short attention span that they forget you in two minutes if you don’t promote or release something constantly!

Then I think bands need to promote each other more! Be supportive and get support from others! I have some new friends in great bands like AGBAT, Anger Overdose, Death Pigeon and Creeboåt just to name a few. They constantly promote other bands and I try too! We grow together!

15. Lastly, where can fans find your music and keep up with the latest news and updates from Mourning Scars?

My main place is the Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/Mourningscars, 

I also have instagram and youtube but I’m not so active there. https://www.instagram.com/mourning_scarsband/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrZIUfX5iVvgmQ5mlymFM4g

And I have Bandcamp as well. https://mourningscars.bandcamp.com/