THYRFING

MetalKings.com: First and foremost what is "Vansinnesvisor" and what meaning do you put behind that title?

Thyrfing: Vansinnesvisor translates into "Songs of Madness", and we simply think that is a good collective title for all eight songs on the album. All the lyrics deal with some kind of darker aspect of mankind, the human psyche or life in general.

MetalKings.com: What does the lyrical concept of the album deal with? Is there any concept per se? Also why did you put two tracks in English?

Thyrfing: Well, the lyrical concept this time around is way darker and angry than ever before. There's is no real concept surrounding the lyrics other than everything just being negative... no light at the end of the fucking tunnel unless you decide to get real pissed off and kick the walls out and create that light yourself. Which language we sing in is rarely anything premeditated... the person who writes the lyrics decides from case to case which language feels best at the moment.

MetalKings.com: The infamous: what are the expectations with the new album? I understand it's pretty corny, so let's put it in a different prospective - there's always that best and worst case comeout when a new enterpreneurship is started - so in that respect what is the biggest expectation you have of the new album, and what is the minimum under which you're gonna be disappointed?

Thyrfing: I really can't say what my biggest expectation is... the most positive outcome would probably be to be surprised in a nice way, if you know what I mean. Something like "oh, I never thought that person would like the album" or "I was sure these people were going to hate it". There is no worst outcome when it comes to this album, because this is one my favourite albums ever - by any band and that's really all that matters.

MetalKings.com: Over the past seven years you have released 5 albums, which is almost illegally often in the present-day situation ? - what is the secret of your productivity?

Thyrfing: Hahaha.... no secret. The main writers (and we have three of those and equally many contributing a bit less, which might be a part of the solution too) just enjoy playing music. We've been very slow the last six months though... we've only finished like one and a half song.

MetalKings.com: The song "Voyager" has this peculiar sort of Arabic feel to it in the harmony - at least that's what it sounded to me - where does that come from?

Thyrfing: From Patrik's fucked up way of writing music.

MetalKings.com: I've noticed quite a lot of guests were taking part in the recording - anything to tell about them?

Thyrfing: Well, Mr. Toni Kocmut should be familiar to everybody who has enjoyed our two previous albums... he did some fucking brilliant vocals on our Gary Moore-cover on "Urkraft" not to mention the title-track which still makes me go ga-ga whenever I hear it. Daniel Bergstrand, the producer of the album, did some backing vocals on the chorus of Digerdoden and his girlfriend, Maria Gauffin performs all the wonderful keyed fiddle parts on the album as well as some haunting choirs on the last song of the album.

MetalKings.com: How did you manage to achieve that strange snare sound - sounds like no one else…

Thyrfing: Haha... that's all thanks to Daniel. He spent hours with the snare alone and days with the drum sound in all.

MetalKings.com: Your musical style comes very close to the Finnish Finntroll and Moonsorrow - or theirs to yours ? (in my humble opinion that is) what do you make of these two bands (if anything) and do you see any competition or on the contrary room for some cooperation?

Thyrfing: Haha.. I can actually quote one of the Finntroll-guys... "we sound like Thyrfing, but they do it with class", haha. Fucking brilliant, even though he wasn't that serious at the time. Seriously speaking: I love both mentioned bands... there's no talk about competition, but cooperation would be an honour out of this world. Brilliant songwriters and very nice people.

MetalKings.com: How far does the band's or your personal fascination with Vikings and tales of olden times go? Is it strictly musical or do you do any researches of your own, study history, belong to some historical and research societies? (If not - why? And would you consider it?)

Thyrfing: It is definitely not strictly musical... I read as much books as possible and see films whenever they even broach the subject. None of the members belong to any type of organization... I won't speak for the other members, but as far as my own reasons go: I just don't feel the need for it. The advantages I can see are that there would be other people to discuss the subjects with and probably a lot of books to borrow, but that's something I can do without being a member of anything.

MetalKings.com: To continue the subject - fascination with older Viking times and myths - have become a sort of a trend these days - up to the point when it actually gets irritating and boring. Moreover, I once heard a guy say - "Everyone thinks themselves a Viking nowadays. If you are a Viking go live in a cave and eat raw fish for dinner" - anything to respond to that?

Thyrfing: Hahahaha... I don't give a shit about what goes on around me. I do what I do regardless of the fact that other people think it is trendy and what not.

MetalKings.com: How did the idea for the promo-photo session come up? (Ouch, must've been freezing standing there in the cold water?)

Thyrfing: Hehe, believe me - it was freezing! It was the first of December, mind you. It was an idea by me and Henke... we just wanted something different and not so "nice" as last time around... we looked like little pop stars on "Urkraft", this time we wanted something tougher.

MetalKings.com: Okay and now time for our notorious stupido questions - basically those are off the wall, unserious, humor challenging questions that require an equally dumb answer - every musician talking to us has to go thru that torture - and we are not making you an exception… ;) so if you please… Right in the middle of the promo-photo session for the new release a bunch of mermaids show up and start deflecting everyone's attention - how do you handle it?

Thyrfing: Hahaha.. it depends on how beautiful the mermaids are, of course. With just me and Henke being single I guess we would get to have all the fun, haha. Brilliant question :)

MetalKings.com: Some twat somewhere sees the jewel inlay on the new CD (the pic with these two dirty blood-smeared hands) and instantly labels Thyrfing a gore-metal band - moreover this gets out and spreads like a disease up to the point when you named gore-metal in every damn mag, webzine, press-release and interview - how do you handle that?

Thyrfing: I think I'd just roll with the punches and pretend like we really are a gore-band. "Yeah, sure... the song Draugs Harg is really nothing else but a tribute to Cannibal Corpse and their old classic Hammer Smashed Face". I want to be in a Jim Carrey-film too ;)

MetalKings.com: You are in the middle of the gig - and suddenly your keyboard player gets hit with a light-farm - after which he goes nuts and starts playing blues tunes instead of his regular parts. He does play them with exactly the same notes his parts are - so everything is in tune - it's just that he plays blues instead of metal - how do you deal with that?

Thyrfing: Hahaha... that wouldn't surprise me one bit. You should hear all the crazy circus-music Peter plays in the rehearsal place. To be honest I would probably not even notice that there was something strange going on. What was the funniest interpretation of the word thyrfing you have ever heard? (and sorry, what does it actually mean anyway, pardon my ignorance)? Thyrfing: This is definitely the funniest I've seen when it comes to our name. "I've done plenty of Thyrfing in my time. I used to live in California, and the waves were just awesome! lots of people went Thryfing out there. Then we'd all hang out on the beach and listen to that old Beach Boys album, "Thyrfing USA"...". Tyrfing (originally spelled without the h) was a sword in nordic mythology.

MetalKings.com: Thanks very much for taking the time to answer these questions and now your final comment to all of yer fans in Russia?

Thyrfing: Thanks a lot for the support and be proud of your history - it's unique!

TROLL
MetalKings.com
(October, 2002)