Communic
Wywiad przeprowadził Wouter Roemers
On their third record “Payment Of Existence” Norwegian progressive metallers Communic display a sound that is both more heavier as well as straightforward compared to their earlier two records. Finally the band is throwing off the misplaced accusations of being nothing more than a Nevermore clone. When the chance arose to talk to Communic bassist Erik Mortensen no time was wasted in setting up an interview.
First off, I'd like to thank you for taking time to speak with me today. Congratulations for releasing such a great third album! How are things going now? Are you receiving a good response from the fans and international metal press?
First of all, thank you for your congratulations for our new album. The album has just been out a couple of days, so there hasn't been much response yet, but I guess there will be some in the next few months. At least that's what we are hoping for. We will just have to wait and see.
This is your third album for German mega-label Nuclear Blast Records. I take it you are satisfied the way they are promoting, marketing and distributing the band? For how many albums have you signed with Nuclear Blast Records? How has the label been accommodating the band's needs?
We are very happy with the way Nuclear Blast is working with us. It's not always easy to be a small band on a big label, but so far we have nothing to complain about. Regarding how many albums we have signed for, I can say that if everything is going good, there will be six albums out on Nuclear Blast. What happens after that, no one knows.
“Conspiracy In Mind” and “Waves Of Visual Decay” both received raving critics in the metal press, both major and underground. Did this put some pressure on you to write an even stronger album this time around?
Well, we tried not to think too much about the good critics on the two first albums. Instead we tried to focus on following the recipe we used on the other albums. Contrary to “trying too hard” and maybe get a bad result.
Is there an overall theme to this album, or how would you say “Payment Of Existence” is different from your other albums?
As far as I know, there is no overall theme to “Payment Of Existence”. Oddleif [Stensland, vocals/guitars] writes all of the lyrics so it's hard for me to tell. The difference between this album and the other two is, in my opinion, more harmonies on the vocals and a heavier sound, overall.
Tell me about the making of the new album, the writing, the music etc.
Some of the songs was written over a year ago and some just the last month before we went into the studio. The way we usually make songs is that Oddleif makes bits and pieces at home, and then we puzzle it together in our rehearsal room. Sometimes Oddleif has the whole song finished and he has recorded it at home with guitar, vocal and a drum machine. So, it's just for Tor Atle and me to make our own input to the song.
How long did the writing take for the album?
We actually started write some of the songs about one and a half year ago. So, it has been a long process this time. It's sometimes hard to find the time in between touring, festivals, family and work.
“Payment Of Existence” is the first Communic album not to feature artwork by Mathias Noren or Anthony Clarkson. What in particular has drawn you to the art of Jan Yrlund?
Sorry. I can't answer that question. Oddleif has all control when it comes to choosing the cover art, because he is the one writing all the lyrics. So, Tor Atle and me leave all the cover questions to him.
Once again you have utilised famed producer Jacob Hansen and his Hansen Studios in Denmark to record this new album. Any particular reasons why his studio facilities and expertise fit so well for Communic?
The main reason for using Jacob Hansen, is that he is very easy to work with. He is a very nice guy. When he goes home for the evening, we can use his studio all night, if we want to. For us this is perfect, because then we can record the guitars and the bass at night and save a lot of time. Another reason for using Jacob is that he is a very good producer and has a very good ear for our kind of music.
The album is graced with an incredible pristine production that is very easy to listen to. I take it you are satisfied with the studios you've worked with to produce and mix this record?
Yeah, we are very satisfied with every aspect of the album. Jacob Hansen knows what he is doing. That's for sure.
How would you describe your musical progress from the demo to now? What do you think about the progression your band is taking?
I think the progression lays in the way we have matured and defined our own style. I think all the live playing has made us a heavier band than we were back in 2003-2004.
The band derives its name from the term “communication” and, generally speaking, your lyrical concept revolves around various malicious aspects of that same theme. What is so fascinating about the media, you think? The way they can freely manipulate their audience, etc?
This is also a question for Oddleif, but the way I see it, the media is the biggest power in the world. The media can easily manipulate us to believe whatever they want because many people believe what they hear on the news, etc. Maybe it's not the media itself but the politicians and religious people we see on tv that fills our heads with their lies.
In the past you've played big European festivals such as the prestigious Earthshaker, Prog Power, Queens Of Metal, Rock Hard Festival, Wacken Open Air and Bang Your Head events. Do you prefer big open air festivals or the intimacy of a club tour?
As a trio we feel a little bit more home on smaller stages, but of course the atmosphere and surroundings on a festival gives also a good feeling, so it's hard to say what's best. On clubs you get closer to the audience, and it becomes a little bit more “personal” if you will.
Do you feel that the band's live set can be easily digested by those who have not had the opportunity to hear the band's music previously?
We try to have diverse live set, so I think there is something for everybody. As a trio, we have a transparent sound. It's very easy to hear every instrument when we play live.
All of you have day jobs in order to bring food to the table. Oddleif Stensland (vocals/guitars) is a self-employed graphic designer, Tor-Atle Andersen (drums) is a car engineer. Is it easy for you guys to get days off work in order to get on the road, play shows and promote the band and its albums?
Well. Actually I'm not working at the moment, so for me it's no problem. As you said, Oddleif is running his own company, so it's just Tor Atle who sometimes has problems getting time off work. But usually it's no problem. Of course if all three of us had been out of jobs we could played much more live. But that's just the way it is.
Thanks for the interview! Anything else we might have forgotten to mention? The last words are yours.
First off all, I want to thank you for taking time talking to us. And to all of you out there: check out Communic live on festivals this summer. Thank you!
Booking: www.dragon-productions.com
Site: www.communic.org
