Rockezine.com interview with Terra Firma on May 22, 2001

with Fredda on May 22, 2001

Stoner rock as only Scandinavia could produce it in this particularly consistent and multi-layered form: Terra Firma are proud to present their second album Harms Way, celebrating versatile, at all times dedicated rock music of the classic variety, with its roots planted indisputably in the late Sixties and early Seventies and a message that knows but one theme: FORWARD! TAKE NO PRISONERS!!!
		Lord Chritus played doom with St. Vitus. You played deathmetal with Unleashed. Terra Firma is something quite different. With what idea in mind did you start Terra Firma? What is so appealing about the music you make with Terra Firma? We (Chritus and me) talked about to start a band already in 1988 to play this kind of music we are playing now, at that time we called the band "Aquarium". I actually wrote the first Terra firma song "Rainbow Ride" (first song on Terra Firma`s first album) back at that time. But Chritus had success with his band "Count Raven" and later on with "St. Vitus" and me with "Unleashed" so nothing really happened until Chritus had moved back to Sweden. I always liked 60/70`s hardcore, Chritus as well so it came pretty natural to play this kind of music. I listen to thrash/death metal and punk as well. I often get this question and I see nothing strange to change music direction as long it is metal or punk/hardcore and when I like it I will play it, music is my life. I don`t give a shit what other bands are up to any longer, I think I did that more when I was younger probably. Don`t get me wrong of cause there is still good bands coming out that I like, but I prefer Slayer or Slejer as we say in Sweden. We are going our own way, therefore we got our own style compared to other bands I hear, I don`t say we are 100% original but we do our shit. This music is for real and no fake bullshit, therefore it is so appealing
		It took you about 4 years to release the first full-length album. I`d expect that it would be easy for you to get signed to a record label? Yes it was, we actually had a major deal going on with Polygram and publisher Sweden music (Abba etc) but the guy who was supposed to sign us messed up everything when we didn`t want him as our manager, he had fucked up ideas how to sell us that we didn`t like. Maybe it was stupid but at least you could say we`ve got balls. Actually I don`t know what was going on at that time and I try to not think about it any more. I`m looking forward, we`ve got SPV as label, our manager Gunter and a new album, where do we go from now ? FORWARD! TAKE NO PRISONERS!!!
		You released a couple of 7" records was that for demo purposes or just for fun? We actually released two 7" before the album, the first one "Rock`n Roll Superior" by Freedoom records and the second one "Fifth Wheel" which actually was a split with a Swedish band, released by ClearBlueSky Records. We were asked to release those so why not, you got to start somewhere. And I always felt strong for the underground scene. We have also released a 7" picture vinyl "Spiral Guru" from the first album which is beautiful, but sold out, if you find one buy it, it`s a rare item.
		Apparently there are/were a lot of NWOBHM influences in Terra Firma`s music. Next to Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden was/is one of your major influences. Can you comment on that? We are all Iron Maiden freaks (OLD Maiden, especially with Di`Anno on vocals). But I would say that what you call maiden influences is to us Swedish folk music influences, the harmonies for example. But sure Maiden has always been one of the favorite bands. The NWOBHM is one of the things we grow up with Priest, Saxon, Motorhead etc.
		These influences seem to almost have vanished on "Harms Way". How come? I don`t know, I haven`t thought about it in that way, but you may be right. The way HARM`S WAY sounds is nothing we planned it just happened. Maybe we found ourselves, who knows.
		Lots of bands have years to prepare themselves for their debut album. But when within one single year, a follow up album has to be written and recorded, they fail to reach the same level of quality their debut had. You have done a really good job. Thank you. This time we had the chance to work without a strict schedule which allowed us to experiment a lot more than on the first album. We even skipped two songs and wrote two new ones in the studio ( "Open Season" and "Threefivenine" ). Some songs didn`t feel that great before we hit the studio, but that might have been because Chritus wasn`t ready with his vocal lines before we went there, but he really found them in the studio and it turned out really well. I think we also have started to know each other a lot more musically now than on the first album. This time we also did all studio work ourselves or maybe I should say Nico (bass player) who also recorded the two new Entombed albums etc. A guy called Jonas helped us with the mixing job.
		Do you prefer CD or vinyl? I must say CD because I hate to turn the vinyl, on the CD you have the whole album on the same side. I must admit that when CD was new I was totally against it because I thought it was disco, vinyl was metal to me. I wish our first album and this new one will be on vinyl one day, it`s kind of cool with vinyl after all. Do I sound schizophrenic ?
		What do you think of releasing the music via the internet or the Napster-like "music exchange" I don`t really know, it`s cool because you could check bands out that way, but on the other hand you can`t record an album without money and the bands need the money from record sales to do another one. I leave that to others to decide. It`s funny that Metallica complains about it so much because they used to be very friendly towards bootlegs and that kind of stuff before, but it`s probably lawyers and shit around them.
		Do you think the internet is a good medium for Terra Firma to get lots of free publicity and become well known outside of Sweden/Europe I don`t know, may be, but I rather play live in front of an audience the old fashion way, am I getting old? I think internet is taking over the good old metal magazines/fanzines I used to buy, but that`s OK with me.
		How well know is Terra Firma from a commercial point of view? The Dutch shows with Dozer, Lowrider & UFO Mammoth drew few people. Can or do you want to make a living with playing in Terra Firma? The commercial point of view with Terra Firma is a disaster. Of course I wanna make a living out of Terra Firma, it`s just a matter of time. The Belgium show was actually a lot more crowded which was strange, but I blame it on the buss/train strike in Holland, it`s good to always has something to blame on, hahaha
		The new album is a little more spacey/psychedelic. Also, it sounds real refreshing and the play is real fluent and it`s really vibrant in contrast to the moody feel that stonerrock in general has. Do you share this observation? Is this done deliberately? More spacey/psychedelic, fluent and refreshing I totally agree. I feel that Terra Firma have made it when the music we write and play affect people`s minds so I`m happy how you describe it. That is a lot better payment for a musician than money. I can`t really say that I had spring and sunshine on my mind when it was written but I think I know what you mean, I got the same feelings towards some albums I like for example: Sabbath`s "Master of reality" is very summer(is) to me and Metallica`s "Ride the Lightning" has a very winter(ish) feeling to it, all in a positive way. Nothing is done deliberately just naturally.
		Like any normal Swedish musician you are involved in some other bands. How are things with "Born of Fire" and "Loudpipes" "Born Of Fire" actually release their first 7" vinyl on Primitive Art Records the same day ( 21st of May ) as "Harms Way" is released which is fuckin` bizarre, how big are the odds? I`m writing material for a new Loudpipes album at the moment, we will release another one for Osmose/Kron-H I guess. New website addresses www.bornoffire.f2s.com and www.loudpipes.f2s.com
		Any last words? Thanx for this interview. Everybody who wants to are invited to our release party at "Hardrock Café" in Stockholm the 3rd of June, we will also play there. It`s for free.
Visit Terra Firma`s new website www.terrafirma.nu (Jan Geert Koops)