interview with Throne of Heresy (Sweden)

Throne of Heresy’s third album is coming up in November. They are extreme metal and they are already prepared to let the audiences experience the new album called Decameron. Having heard the album in its entirety, it is clear that they are aiming high with their sights on the classic tradition of death metal and melodic black metal. Most importantly for fans, the music sounds tightly executed, with an educated knowledge of the particular field to which they are dedicated. It is not that the album is “promising,” it’s that it already delivers the goods. Go to the first link to hear a song from the new album.

Hello, there, Throne of Heresy! How many people played on the new album and is everyone on the recording a member of the band?

Hey there, this is Thomas Clifford (vocals) answering your questions. Thanks for getting in touch.

When we recorded Decameron, there were the five main band members plus guest appearances of Karl Beckman (King of Asgard) and Maliika who both added some excellent backing vocals. We also enlisted local voice actor Ben Kersley for the spoken parts in Liber Secretorum.

Our current line-up got together in 2016 when guitarist Lars Björkens joined us. But the band has been going since 2009.

The band lives in Linköping, says Metal Archives. Is that true? Are there venues for your band to perform in that city? How is life, aside from music? What's fun or interesting to do in that city?

Actually, we're not really based in Linköping anymore. Our bassist Björn is the only one living there. The rest of us are spread out across the Ostrogothian County. We have our base in the small town of Mjölby, so I guess that's what it should say in MA.

Anyway, the distances are rather short here so regarding your questions of Linköping, yes there are some good venues there (even though the main one for underground metal "The Crypt" just closed). We generally have good promoters and venues in Sweden. Here there's Hell Yeah Rock Club, K&K Backstage, L'orient, etc. I've been to concerts with Judas Priest, Nile, Opeth and so on in Linköping so it's not too bad.

Aside from music, I guess you can go check out the historical sites like Alvastra abbey (which is also featured on our album), or visit the Airforce Museum and so on.

Who did the artwork? Do you know the artist? What is relation between the artwork and the title of the album overall?

The artwork is done by renowned album cover artist Mattias Frisk, who also happens to be a friend of ours (we share rehearsal space and drummer with his band Vanhelgd).

The album is a chronicle of the spread of the black death. In many ways the tracks paint a macro-perspective of the plague, following it from country to country. The artwork is the opposite, a micro-perspective focused on the ultimate human suffering. It is a perfect fit for the album since it ties together the concept in a direct way. What it all comes down to is that death is always close-up and personal, both for the dying and their relatives or close ones.

Tell us about your new album. It is your third. Where did you record it? Did you have a producer? How does a producer help your band? Bands often say that their new album is their best work and it might be true. Is it true, in your opinion, for your band?

We recorded our album at Endarker Studios, owned and run by producer Magnus "Devo" Andersson who is also the bass player of Marduk. He has years of experience with this kind of music and it just helps a lot to have someone with his talent and sense when making an album like this. Just getting the right guitar sound can be tricky as hell but he listened to us and then got started. I think he made maybe three or four sound tests before we got one we liked, then he tweaked it some more and eventually that is what ended up on the album.

As for whether this is our best album so far, I will say yes. I will always say yes. If I didn't think so, I wouldn't want to release it. Perhaps time will tell differently, but when you're done with a project like this you've put in weeks or months of creative output, going over every detail, rewriting, rearranging and just living with it every waking minute. If you don't believe in it then, you might as well stop.

You just finished the album. Is it perfect, just the way you wanted? Is there anything you’d like to change?

No idea. This is honestly impossible to answer right now. I am still too close to the process of this album to hear it objectively. There are a few lyrics parts that I would have wanted to work on some more perhaps, but generally I am very satisfied with the lyrics as a whole. Hopefully the few who actually still read lyrics will find them interesting, too. They're full of historical tidbits and references from a wide range of sources. There's even a literature reference list in the booklet.

Your band is on The Sign Records. What does being on a label mean to you?

The label is good in the way that they take some of the workload off you when you're just coming out of the studio. Once an album is fully recorded and you leave the studio for the last time, it is cathartic. But you're also likely to be exhausted and in a state where you want to get away from anything to do with the album for a while (remember the months of work I mentioned?). That's where the label is a great thing. They can take the album and start working on the next steps - pressing, PR etc. Also, they pay for some things which is nice.

I like your extreme metal and I like the speed and tightness, but I do like that you have melody, too. How has the use of melody developed for your band?

The melodic aspects on this album are tied in with the atmosphere we wanted to create. One of despair and melancholy. I think we managed to convey that for the most part. We're very careful not to cross into the "melodic death metal" or "Gothenburg" style though. That is not the path for Throne of Heresy. We are a death metal band with black metal influences, and so we shall stay.

Is there some room for younger bands from Sweden to go out on tour in Europe?

It is possible of course and we are currently looking for gigs and festivals in Europe. Get in touch with us if you want us to play at your venue.

Where can interested people hear your complete album when it is ready?

The album will be released on November 3rd and can then be heard on all major digital outlets like iTunes, Spotify, Deezer, etc. It will probably be up in full on our Bandcamp then too.

throneofheresy.bandcamp.com

facebook.com/throneofheresy