The Total Sound Of The Undergound

Lelahel Metal

Swedish folk/melodic death metal band Evilon blends heavy riffs and enchanting melodies on their new album A Warrior’s Way. We spoke with Kenneth Evstrand to learn more!

1.  First off, congratulations on the release of A Warrior’s Way! Can you tell us a bit about the concept behind the album and how the title reflects the overall theme?

Hi and thank you! The songs reflect life and all it´s struggles, how you have to fight to survive. It handles such things as finding a place for yourself in this world, finding a home, sorrow and difficulties in life you have to cope with. The album title reflects you as a person fighting through everything that happens in your life, it's A Warriors Way.

2.  Your sound blends folk and melodic death metal beautifully. How do you balance the softer folk elements with the aggression of death metal in your songwriting?

Thank you again. The balance comes naturally when writing the songs, I aim for contrasts in the songs and I love how it sounds with heavy riffs mixed with enchanting melodies.

3.  The lyric video for “Yggdrasil” was recently released. What inspired this track, and why did you choose it as a lyric video to promote the album?

The inspiration comes from living and all you experience in life. Depending on the mode I´m in, melodies just emerge in my head. It often starts with a good melody, after that comes harmonising. The lyrics are about finding a place you can call home. The song is so strong so it was a natural choice for a single.

4. You’ve been compared to major bands like Amon Amarth, Ensiferum, and Wintersun. How does it feel to be associated with such giants of the genre, and what do you think sets Evilon apart from them?

It's an honor. I love those three bands and they all are a great inspiration. The songs on AWW are a timestamp from that period in my life when I wrote those songs. We have more melodies in our songs than for example Amon Amarth, the music is not as complex as many of the Wintersun songs. I believe we have a sound of our own.

5.  The album artwork by Gogo Melone is stunning. How did you collaborate with Gogo, and how does the artwork complement the themes of A Warrior’s Way?

Gogo is great, easy to work with and she has fantastic skills. I stumbled upon her artwork online, thought it was amazing and I sent her a mail asking if she wanted to work with us. The artwork fits with a warrior walking his path through life and the lyrics to the song A Warriors Way is about losing someone so the picture of the sky illustrates that.

6. Tracks like "Jotunheim" and "Valkyria" delve into Norse mythology. How important is mythological and historical storytelling to your music, and do you do research to ensure authenticity?

Norse mythology is something that we feel connected to and that we think fits very well with our music. Research has been done, yes.

7. With a rich Scandinavian metal scene, how do you stay true to your roots while also carving out your own distinct sound within the folk/melodic death metal genre?

Our roots is the north, the norse mythology as well as the nordic folk melodies. I try to write personal songs, try to find unique melodies and I try to get my personal feelings into the music, it´s therapy for me.

8. Can you tell us more about the recording and production process for this album? How did working with Robert Widell for mixing and mastering shape the final sound?

We recorded everything ourselves in our studio that we built ourselves. The production was a teamwork between the band and Robert. He did a mighty fine job with realizing the string arrangements.

9. What was the most challenging track to write or record on the album, and why?

Recording I think was Into The Battlefield because of its fast pace and kind of technical riffing.

10. As a band, how do you approach live performances? Do you incorporate any folk instruments or visual elements to enhance the Viking/folk metal experience?

We dress as vikings on stage. We have not had any folk instruments on stage yet.

11. Looking ahead, do you have any plans to tour in support of A Warrior’s Way? If so, where can fans expect to see you live?

No tours planned yet. We are planning and booking future shows so stay tuned for that.

12.  Lastly, for those who haven’t heard A Warrior’s Way yet, how would you describe the album in one sentence to get them excited to listen?

You will experience heavy riffing and enchanting nordic folk melodies in a mighty fine mixture combined with energetic vocals and instrumental performances!

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EviloN (@evilon_official) • Photos et vidéos Instagram

Evilon - A Warrior's Way (FULL ALBUM) (youtube.com)

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