Rockezine.com interview with Gjallarhorn on Aug 11, 2005

with Gjallarhorn on Aug 11, 2005


		Your debut album “Nordheim” was released a couple of days ago. How have the reactions been so far? Hails! Not bad, have to say. They`ve been quite varied to tell you the truth; we`ve seen enthusiastic responses and normal responses - all in all we can say we`re very satisfied, since hardly anyone thought our album was bad. It`s good to hear that since it`s our debut album.
		Are you satisfied with the end result and are you happy with the sound of the final recordings when compared to the sound of the original demo? Yes, we`re very satisfied with the final work, since our demo recording was quite dull. But it sounded just like the actual one - it had the same strength and passion, although it was, well, `crude` to say the least.
		Gjallarhorn is sort of an offspring of DoomSword. Are we dealing here with just a side project or is Gjallarhorn a fulltime band and can we expect more releases? You can definitely expect more releases from Gjallarhorn - we are a fully independent band, and the fact that 2 of us are members of DoomSword doesn`t imply that we follow them or depend on them. We`re free and our direction is quite different.
We try to be as personal as possible, but can`t forget where our spirits belongs.		To me “Nordheim” sounds as an obvious mixture of DoomSword and Bathory. Was this the sound you were aiming for, and if so, aren’t you afraid that some people might mix up DoomSword and Gjallarhorn? Well, it`s already happening - some people (very few, fortunately) think that we`re so similar to DoomSword that Nordheim could be made from DoomSword leftovers. Believe me, this is not true. Nordheim has been made entirely from the scratch and the way we built our riffs is completely different from the way DoomSword build theirs. We hope to put some more distance with the next album, but considering that we have two members in common and that the instruments are the same, some similarities can come up the ears.
		Are you afraid that some might call you a Bathory clone or would you be proud to be compared to this legendary band? Many people already called us Bathory clones. To tell you the truth, it`s not Bathory what we were thinking of when we composed our album. True, Quorthon for us is a master and a deep inspiration, and sometimes his strength flows from our hands to our works, but it`s merely something our life is part of, much like every other artist on whatever field. Every artist has its own inspirations and is partly influenced by them, it`s human nature. We try to be as personal as possible, but can`t forget where our spirits belongs.
		Do you think that the death of Quorthon, the founder of Viking Metal, has any impact on the scene in general – be it negative or positive? Well, it surely had a deep impact on extreme music. He has been mourned by black, thrash and Viking metallers, and the idea that he could have done much more than he already did is strong. Nonetheless, I don`t know if this is going to have some consequence in the future. Probably there will be a kind of "race" for his successor, and many one-man bands are spawning everywhere in Scandinavia. We`ll see.
To tell you the truth, it`s not Bathory what we were thinking of when we composed our album.		Can you tell our readers a little bit about the ideology behind Gjallarhorn as well as the lyrics, and how this differs from DoomSword? DoomSword and Gjallarhorn are really different in terms of and approach, attitude. DoomSword and Gjallarhorn have only two members in common (Vali and Gungnir), and their work on Nordheim is really different. “Nordheim” is a stream of consciousness, a storm of instincts. It was written in one go, spontaneously, no huge preparation or songwriting sessions. I like to think that Nordheim is like a berserker, pure emotions and no strategy. The album is split in three great moments: “The Day Odin Stood Still” represents the historical and religious annihilation of the Viking folk, with Gods forgotten and the impossibility of being able to stop the flowing of the river of history. “200 Years of Fury” it is a tumultuous narration of all the greatest conquests of the Vikings, who put Europe through iron and fire for 200 years, spreading panic in towns like London and Paris, and terrorizing regions like Scotland, Ireland, Spain, Italy and even Morocco. But the heart is “Ragnarok”, the trilogy that tells of the end of the world as it comes described by Snorri, great Icelandic history writer of the Middle Ages, with a slideshow of majestic images, sometimes lyrical and sometimes cruel. Good Gods wake up and take conscience of their own end, the evil ones sharpen the blades and prepare to break ties, and the great final crash drowned in blood and fire. Historical and imaginative figures of enormous epical impact.
		The vocals on “Nordheim” sound very familiar and I would swear I hear Deathmaster but that name does not appear in your lineup. Am I wrong to assume that indeed Deathmaster is involved in Gjallarhorn and his name was changed? If so, with what purpose? In fact, Deathmaster does not appear in the lineup, so only the gods really know what happened in the rehearsal studio. Probably too, names assume a certain kind of property inside one band, so if you were to play in a different band, with different purposes and a vague aura of reality... would you keep your old name?
I like to think that Nordheim is like a berserker, pure emotions and no strategy.		Originally the idea of Vali and Fenrir was to spontaneously (without anything planned) create some songs – if you write a new album will you create it in the exact same way, or will you approach songwriting in a more structured way? This is a good question, and we don`t know what`s going to happen in the second album. Probably it`s going to be recorded in the same way, but we won`t be alone like we were two years ago.
		If I remember correctly, DoomSword originally never liked to play live shows. How is the situation with Gjallarhorn – will we see the band live in Europe this year? This year? That`s really unlikely. We`ve not planned anything yet but next year maybe we will meet together (it`s not easy as we live in three different countries) and we`ll wage our war on the stage.
		Furthermore, will you cover yourselves with the same mystic aura as DoomSword have done in the past? Who? What? I can`t hear you! The wind is too strong!
		Thanks a lot for your time and the interview and I wish you all the best with the release of “Nordheim”! Is there anything left unsaid? Thank you very much for your interview, and sorry for the slight delay. Summer is a field of war, but I hope you enjoyed our album as we did enjoy your interview. Keep the wooden flame alive and I hope to see you soon live!
(Frank van de Voorde)