Blodskam Interview

 

1. Can you give us an update on what has been  going on with the band since the recording and release of the new album?

We have mostly been dealing with interviews, selling merch and that kind of stuff. We also have been tossing some ideas around for the next album. 

 

2. In September you had released a new album, musically how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

It is maybe a little more dynamic and varied. The songwriting process was more consistent and concentrated this time. The sound is, well, the same but different. 

3. The lyrics on the new album cover a different take on the biblical story of Eve, can you tell us a little bit more about the songwriting on the new release?

This time we wrote the lyrics together and wanted to tell a chronological story from the first song to the last. And we both came up with basically the same idea separate from each other! On Ave Eva we reinterpret the biblical story of Eve and make her the usurper and destroyer of the universe. After she encounters Satan in the form of a serpent she finds her black flame and heads out to kill Adam and all the world’s creatures. The final, epic, song 'Chaos Reigns' marks the end of the universe as it goes down in fire and blood. Infinite chaos is restored.

4. Your previous album was called 'Là-Bas', do you have an interest in the novel of the same name written by Joris-Karr Huysmans?

Yes, the title was in fact an homage to his novel. It is a hidden little gem in the literature dealing with occult themes from the 1800-hundreds.

 

5. According to the metal archives page the band has been around since  1998 but you waited until 2019 to release any music, can you tell us a little bit more about the long wait?

We started the band, made some riffs and half finished songs, took some photos at a graveyard, in corpse paint, covered in blood. But then it never took off. We lived in different cities, had other band priorities and just laid Blodskam to rest. Then Aghora felt the need to do something about it and finished the songs that became Là-Bas in just a weekend’s time. We recorded it in 2014 and finally Suicide Records was able to release it in 2019.

 

6. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Blodskam'?

It is the word for incest in ancient swedish. The feel of the word felt very black metal and since we are brothers, it adds kind of a twisted aspect to that.

7. Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?

It was done by artist Jonas A Holmberg. We wanted something different from the debut album (which was also very good and made by Christoffer Engvall) and asked if he wanted to do it. He was given the lyrics and listened to the album and came up with an idea. After some discussions and revisions he ended up with the final artwork. It is great and captures the theme of the album perfectly.

 

8. Currently there are only 2 members in the band, are you open to expanding the line up or do you prefer to remain a duo?

We will remain a duo, it is the best format for us. The brotherhood is the core of Blodskam.

 

9. In a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black metal?

Very good, actually. We are maybe not a big name, but we seem to find the right listeners and have received mainly good reviews in magazines and fanzines. 

 

10. Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

The songwriting is not so much a conscious process. We will see what direction it might take! I have my own style in writing and playing the instruments, so it will definitely sound like ”Blodskam”.

 

11. What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

The band is rooted in 90s' black metal, but the music also is influenced by elements of other genres. We listen to a lot outside metal as well, most of it has some kind of darkness to it though.

 

12. Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

Keep the black spirit alive and support the underground! 

Blodskam on Facebook – facebook.com/blodskamofficial
Instagram – instagram.com/blodskamofficial