By Bradley Smith
I must say that the packaging for The Traumatizer is the best I have ever seen. I have never seen anything like it? It’s almost some sort of mystical puzzle. Where did you guys get the idea for it? How do you feel that it applies to the music it represents?
Hehe, it's nice isn't it? It was an idea Sverre came up with. When he showed it to us we loved it, perhaps because it was incomprehensible for us two normal guys in the band… (Readers wondering what this is all about can take a look at http://vendlus.com/store.html to see for themselves.) We had to fold and tape them ourselves so we understand it fairly well now though. You should really try to do a few hundred of them Brad! As for representing anything… It's really just our way of doing things. One of us has a bright idea, and if all of us like it we'll use it. Like the instrumental title track of our first demo. There's a few strange twists and turns in our music as well, so you might have your connection there. But at the end of the day it's just us.
According to Sverre, Audiopain starts its view of history with the year 1986. What significant event or album caused this year to be chosen?
That's right, year 0 is no longer related to that guy who got nailed to a tree a while ago. I don't think an update every other millennium is too much to ask, but as no-one took responsibility we had to do it ourselves. To keep it short: Reign in Blood, Master of Puppets, Darkness Descends, Eternal Devastation… There's no end to this list so it's only reasonable that this year should mark a new beginning.
Where did you guys come across Vendlus Records and why did you sign with them for your album’s distribution? Do you have a good relationship with Joseph? I would have thought that larger label interest would have been swarming around you. It must have been hard to resist.
We bought him! Mail-order labels are the new craze here and it is bound to become more popular than mail-order brides soon so I'm glad we got around to it early so we could choose from the top shelf! Whenever something gets popular there are all these imitators popping up so I'm sure quite a few people will envy us when they end up with some used rubbish label a few years from now, while we still have the one and only Vendlus Records! Yes, we have a very good relationship with him, and he's about to launch the major assault upon USA soon. True, some labels have shown an interest in us, but for the time being we prefer to take care of things ourselves. Hehe, this way we get it the way we want so it's not that hard to resist being a low-priority act on some label. We've done pretty well so far, and we just don't see the point in signing to some label unless they can do significantly better than us. And let's face it, we're far from big enough to get that kind of attention. So we figured that if we could get someone to do the job Vendlus is doing that would be the best possible solution. But over the years we've observed that people notice a band who does something slightly different from the rest so it's probably not such a bad idea after all. Another upside is that people have to get in touch with us personally if they want something, which is a very good thing. But who knows, maybe one day we'll sign to some label if the time and offer is right.
Speaking of labels and Vendlus, I have heard a rumor that Vendlus will release your early demo material on CD. Is this true? It would be great for all of us fans to be able to get your material much easier.
That's the plan, to re-issue Contagious and 1986, and we hope to do this later this year. Most people who have one of them also have the other so they can ignore this. Everyone else can get both for less money than they would cost separately. Besides, www.vendlus.com is the only one who still has them in stock so we have to do something one way or the other. So this way everyone wins!
Why will you not include the Revel in Desecration demo or any of your exclusive tracks like the song from the Mysticum split or the one from the Uberthrash comp on this release?
We couldn't, even if we wanted. Those songs are exclusive to those releases, in the case of the Mysticum split for 5 years. Besides, this way they become a little treat for those who got around to get hold of the EPs in the first place. The Revel demo is too long so we would have to omit a song, which we can't do. Besides, it is still very much available. But we like releases with exclusive songs, it makes them somewhat special.
It seems that there are a large number of black thrash bands coming out of Norway these days. The Uberthrash compilation seems to be representative of this black thrash explosion. How do you feel about this compilation? What are your opinions of the bands that are featured on the comp with you?
They absolutely kill! (For the uninitiated it's a double 7" featuring Audiopain, Aura Noir, Infernö and Nocturnal Breed.) And the best part of it is that all bands contributed exclusive songs. Beware though, it's strictly limited to 500 copies and soon sold out. I believe both www.vendlus.com and www.duplicate-records.com still have a few copies left. It's a bit weird being in the company as these old bands but we're not complaining haha! Really great that Infernö is rearing its ugly head again, they've been quiet for far too long now. For some reason thrash metal has become popular in Norway. Or rather, there are a number of quality bands playing this kind of music, a number of them already featured on this site. I have no idea why; perhaps people are going back to their roots or something. Perhaps it's a reaction to this so-called black metal thing. It's doesn’t really matter. With the exception of Victimizer from Denmark most bands are good. At least the ones I know of… So let's enjoy it before it becomes the next trend and is ruined by the masses!
Also it seems in Norway there is a tight bond between some of the bands out there. Among them I’ve noticed that Darkthrone and you guys seem to have a good relationship with Sverre doing back up vocals and Fenriz writing some lyrics. Why do you think that the Oslo scene and especially your two bands appear so “friendly”?
Oslo is a small town so it's not that difficult to get to know each other. I guess if you treat people nicely they'll do the same to you. We're not pretending to be something we're not, we don't go about worshipping metal idols and we have no image to worry about so I guess that helps too. So with this kind of mutual respect and friendliness it's fairly easy to ask someone to lend a hand. That's pretty much the situation around us anyway. But I've come to appreciate the Oslo scene; I think it's bloody good. We have lots of great bands with personality, gigs, metal shops, the works…
At the Inferno festival you guys got to work with Martin Walkyier. How did that come about and what do you think of his contributions to the scene? Are they important to you?
I was into Sabbat earlier but was really disappointed when Mourning has Broken was released. And Skyclad never got to me. But the first two Sabbat albums are great and should be in all record collections! They had an impact in their days, but was it lasting? I have no idea, haha. They were a bit on the softer side musically so I guess the people they influenced the most are making stuff I don't like now… But of course he was the frontman in a band I grew up with so that was great!
I read in an interview you guys will not be launching a website? Why is that? Is there some sort of hatred for the internet as a medium to promote your band?
Not at all, the Internet is a nice thing. But when a band launches a website it should really have something interesting to put there. We don't really have that, and to stay updated on what we're up to you should really just drop us a line at audiopain@gmail.com. There's no denying that the internet would be a very powerful medium for a band in our situation in terms of promotion etc, but we like dealing with people directly better. Besides, a site needs to be maintained, updated every now and then and generally a lot of work that none of us are competent to handle. But who knows, maybe we'll make one one day, when we can justify it. It seems like a lot of bands fall into this trap, they focus more on having a great site than actually producing anything worthwhile. Hell, why should a band that hasn't recorded a single note have a site? If they started working on the actual music they might be getting somewhere. But that would of course include some actual work so it's no wonder they try to avoid that…
Since you don’t mind the internet websites then, how do you feel about fan tribute sites or unofficial band websites? Would it upset you or make you happy if your fans made a website as a tribute to their love of Audiopain?
It would be really weird if someone were to do that. We're probably the most ungrateful band in the world in this respect... I don't know, it's just plain weird that someone would want to spend that much time and effort on Audiopain. But we just found out that there is one out there already, at http://www.geocities.com/chaostormsite/audiopain.html. Thanks a lot Pete!
Compared to Revel in Desecration I would say that The Traumatizer features more streamlined song structures and is reminiscent of the power you captured on the song Ego-whip from the Contagious Demo. Do you see this as a regression in order to progress?
Hehe, we regard Revel in Desecration as more streamlined than the Traumatizer… We feel that the Traumatizer is more varied in all respects than Revel. But the comparison with our older stuff is right. We write more music than we get around to using in songs. Most of this is forgotten, but some riffs stay with us. And parts of the Traumatizer are really old; by some reason these old bits and pieces found the songs they belonged in now so it's not any conscious attempts to regress from our side. We've dug up more old stuff I can't believe we haven't used before so this will continue. A mix of old and new riffs does wonders! Also, it's been two years since Revel and we've played those songs quite a lot so it's nice with "live-friendly" songs that aren't straight forward thrash pounding all the time (to exaggerate a bit).
Some bands feel that personal philosophies play little to no role in the music they write and the style they play. Do you think this is true? What are some of your own personal philosophies?
I disagree with them. Partially anyway. It doesn't matter that much for the music, but you'll end up writing rubbish lyrics if you don't base them on anything. Of course, many people are simply too stupid to form an autonomous opinion and therefore stick to regurgitating what others have said. But it also seems like there's a fear of being disliked around, that certain opinions will make you less metal. Fuck that! Metal is supposed to be all about individuality, not wearing the correct latex uniform or owning the right albums! This sheep mentality really pisses me off. If you're too dumb to form one single thought on your own why the hell should you play in some shit band? No one wants all these bands that are pretending to be someone else anyway. It really comes down to sincerity and integrity, being honest in thoughts and actions and having the spine to stand for it. That's pretty much the basis for everything else.
This thrash revival seems to be on the verge of some sort of explosion in Norway (at least to some outside observers). Why is this? What is the modern attraction to a metal form that some thought was dead and forgotten?
I can only guess. Norway used to be quite good at raw Black Metal, but that has become so watered down over the years that the genre is as good as dead. So I guess thrash metal is the closest thing to that rawness and aggression that we all crave. These pop bands with corpse paint have nothing to offer in this respect. And of course it helps a lot that bands like Aura Noir, Infernö and Nocturnal Breed have been around for quite some time now so the foundations have been there all along. But why it hasn't happened in other countries is beyond me. One should think that more people returned whence they came. But perhaps it's for the better? Fewer bands means fewer shit bands.
For several of your releases you have worked with Kim Solve for the art design and direction. How was this relationship established and how do you feel it is developing? Kim’s artwork seems to normally deal with electronic bands and the more avantgarde metal bands. Will you continue to use Kim in the future?
We will most definitely continue to use Kim Sølve. He knows exactly what we should have and delivers really high quality designs so it would be bloody stupid of us to change now. We've known each other for years and have in a way evolved together. 'Cept he makes a living of it now, making covers for Jester recs, DHG, Arcturus, Ulver etc. He's working really close with fellow designer Trine Paulsen, and in my opinion they're an unbeatable duo! Check out www.trineogkim.no to see some of their work. We really recommend everyone looking for top quality design to drop them a line!
The lyrics for The Traumatizer are a little abstract but have some sort of modern psychological edge to them. Where does the inspiration for them come from and how representative of the band’s worldview are they?
I really like writing lyrics that can be interpreted in different ways. I also have a different approach to the writing process than most other people. We always start with the music. Then I start finding words I like, that fit the atmosphere of the song. After a while they start forming sentences, and eventually the actual topic becomes clear. Then I can just apply the final polish. I think starting in the wrong end like this helps keep the lyrics a bit abstract. But the inspiration can come from anywhere, books, papers, other albums or just things happening around me… On the Traumatizer the lyrics are more based on our view of things than previously. But we're not preaching, so what we base the lyrics on may not necessarily coincide with how you interpret them. I must add that Christine Westpold Wahl wrote the lyrics for Living Among Humans, and they are really magnificent!! It's not often I get a serious case of goosebumps when hearing my own music but that really happened here.
Well then how do you guys split up lyric writing chores and do you enjoy it when you get outside lyrical contributions like the ones from Christine Wahl and Fenriz? Will you guys seek further contributions in the future?
I almost said 50/50, but I think I write a bit more lyrics than Sverre, and he writes a bit more music than me. Outside contributions are cool as long as they are of the quality as the two you mentioned. Of course, if they weren't good we wouldn't use it no matter who made the contribution. But these things happen more or less by themselves. Christine just wrote those lyrics, Sverre saw them and we ended up using them because they were good. If it happens again I'm quite sure well grab the opportunity.
As a bassist who are some of your inspirations and “heroes”? What type of guitar do you use?
The first bass player I remember noticing was Tom Araya. With Steve Harris and Les Claypool following shortly after. Of course not everything they've done is good but they kick ass when they want to. Especially Hell Awaits had a big impact on me. It's not only a killer album but Araya does a lot of really cool stuff on it, more so than on the later albums I think. The same is the case with Piece of Mind. I'm inclined to regard it as the best Maiden album ever, with Where Eagles Dare and to Tame a Land as absolute highlights! But too few bass players in metal are doing interesting stuff, most of the time they just add some bottom to the guitars (if they can be heard at all) so most bands could do very well without them. I mean, Pig Destroyer doesn't sound that different from other bands… In later years I've also come to like Unwin and Besser. Frank Farian really knew to pick his men in the past!
I finally got hold of a Rickenbacker a couple of years ago. It looks great, it sounds great and it's a dream to play! Now all that remains is to get around to buy a bass amp. Hehe, I've been playing for ten years and still don't have one… The youth of today…
For those of us uninformed neophytes, who are Unwin and Besser?
They are the groove maestros of Boney M haha! Nothing to do with metal whatsoever but they still rule!
How do you feel about playing live? In my opinion Audiopain’s music is very energetic and well suited to the live setting.
Playing live is what Audiopain is all about, and we try to have that in mind when we write music. There's nothing like when you get an audience going, and the more you give the more you get in return. We don't have any fx on stage so we're relying completely on our own efforts there and then. If a gig fails it's because we haven't done our job properly. We've been playing quite a lot live, and with really killer bands so we're starting to get a reputation as a decent live band. The next step for us now must be to play a bit outside Norway. That's the drawback of not having a label; we have to cover all our expenses ourselves. But if things continue to develop as they have up until now it should be possible. If someone wants to discuss this with us please get in touch at audiopain@gmail.com!
Since you like playing live if you could play a show with any band past or present who would some of your choices be and why?
Slayer around Hell Awaits is an obvious choice. So is Kreator or Destruction around year 0. Or Dark Angel. These bands pretty much defined thrash and were absolutely killer in their days! It's really great sharing a stage with good bands, like Aura Noir or Red Harvest, so to play with any of these bands would really be something!
I know this has nothing to do with music or Audiopain but as a person living in this brutal world what do you think of these recent beheadings and what looks like it could be an upcoming culture war between the West and Islam? What is your view on religion in general?
Religion makes you stupid. It's basically a set of rules you are supposed to adhere to unfailingly and who needs that. If you can't form opinions on your own you should probably find some job where you don't have to deal with people and spend the rest of your sorry life inside your ill-lit apartment watching TV. I'll give you that most religion have a somewhat reasonable core of values, but they build these walls of divine teachings around them, and before you know it following the letter of the scriptures becomes more important than following its spirit. And when you remember that these writings are really old you'll end up with a lot of strange behavior justified by religion. I don't believe in any war between civilizations. That would be giving in to these extremists groups who advocate for it. You'll find idiots like this everywhere but we can't allow them to dictate relations between countries or regions. And the only way to abolish our fear of "them", our fear of that which is strange and unknown to us is to seek it out, talk to people. When you get to know people around the world you'll stop thinking about them as someone with strange habits who live in some faraway place but as individuals. That includes having a critical eye on news coverage. Whoever makes the most noise gets attention, so if 40 people burn flags in the streets and wave their guns around they'll attract cameras like shit attracts flies. And no-one thinks about the 4000 people who didn't venture out into the streets. But it all has to start with personal relations.
With Audiopain do you have any long-term goals or visions of what the future may hold?
We take one day at a time, and right now we're trying to spread the Traumatizer. We're not going to make any serious money on this anyway so we're in this because we enjoy doing it. It would be great to play abroad, to play in USA, Japan… But we don't really plan ahead, we see what opportunities we have and just make the best out of them. It has worked pretty good so far…
Why the USA and Japan? What about those countries appeals to you as far as touring?
I've heard the stories about the mid-west, people bombarding the stage with bottles and all kinds of shit. I think madness like that would be really great! And even better when we can just drive away afterwards haha! I just want to visit Japan, and if I could combine that with playing live all the better. It's impossible to not want to visit a country who has these http://photomann.com/japan/machines/!
Thanks again for the interview. Any last comments or words of inspiration for the Fans?
Thanks a lot for the chat Brad. We've got to do this again some time! We have some stuff for sale so if anyone out there have too much money they can write to audiopain@gmail.com. Or you can write if you're bored, need financial advice or just want some good verbal abuse.