And with the intention of always bringing the non-obvious and not falling into sameness and common sense, we at Black Metal Terror are pleased to present you an interview with the Norwegians from GJENDOD.
First of all thank you for taking a little time and talk to us. Could you give us a background of Gjendød?
-We are two people trying to change our own self imagined world, making music we would like to listen ourselves, from nostalgia, as the clock of our death(s) strike another blow against the temples of our narrowminded future. There is no hope for immortality, so we try to spread our own music to spread our egos to live a bit longer than ourselves. Making music has turned into a subconcious duty we, at least I, see no way out of.
What have changed in the band since the debut album “Nedstigning”?
-Much or nothing. Change is the nature of the band, or evolution if you want to call it that. Evolution on our demands.
Since the debut album, you have worked with Hellthrasher Productions. Have you ever thought about being independente artist?
-To press the shit ourselves? We can’t do that with Gjendød, too much taxes, work and shit. We must compose and record. We pressed demo 2 and 3 ourselves, but people weren’t satisfied because we pressed too few, hehe, we might release something ourself one time again, but no plans. When we are so lucky that people want to release the stuff, AND get rid of it, we can’t demand much more.
By listening to the new álbum, we can recognize some aspects like exceptional bass parts, pingy ride bell and raw drum sound, also guitars are insane. This one is one of the best Black metal albums recorded in 2020. After 2 years, what are your impressions about it?
-It is our fast album. We will do some fast stuff later as well, but not THAT fast all the time. We were supposed to make a fast and a slow album, and I think they both turned out ok. I think it is to early to listen it now again, because when we make the music, mix it, master it and so, we listen it to death! A long time goes before we want to listen our albums again. I listened to our second album, Krigsdøger the other day. It is still good for me.
What are your personal influences, and about Gjendød’s influences as a band?
–For me it must be waking up in the night, around 4 in the morning, to force myself to make music and/ or lyrics. That’s when I think magic happens. By day, or evening… no creativity at all. When I’m almost asleep sometimes I have come up with ideas for lyrics or riff, so I just write down the text or humm the melodies into my phone. As a band we talk about how we want the album to be before we start working with it.
Gjendød is a duo and has been active since 2015. What have done before you got together to make this project? Have you been in other bands?
-We have played together on and off in a lot of different projects since 1997. But not much black metal. Our song ‘Forsteinet’ from demo IV is the oldest song in Gjendød. We made that one in 99. We found it on a tape and recorded it again with a new mid-part. We have played other styles of metal and non metal. I always thought it was stupid with all those black metal bands coming at once in the nineties preaching anti-trend with corpse paint, so paradoxal as it gets. We have tried to avoid that. Especially corpse painy, it still looks lame when bands do that for the millionth time. Gjendød brew in our heads long, it was planned for years. It was going to be well thought through, varied and productive, with a blow-up in the end.
“Angrep” was recorded in late 2020. During the I Pandemic year. What are the lyrics concepts about? Has the Pandemic influenced you anyhow?
-No, but I must say I loved those times with restrictions and shit going on. Lockdowns was amazing. The lyrics are journeys through my head where I plunder upon my hate and raise myself over stupidity. But in the world I love to act like a stupid moron, to fool some masses. I once pretended I was deaf for six months. Noe I don’t have to see strangers that much, during this pandemic madness.
Which Black Metal bands have you been listening to recently?
-I have listened a lot to Necromantia lately.
You guys have one split with Múspellzheimr released by Darker Than Black. How was it like to work with Hendrik Möbus? Do you guys also have Absurd as an influence on your music?
-So far DtB releases our stuff on LP and MC while Hellthrasher releases the CD, not just the split. Möbus is good to work with and he spread our music well. Hellthrasher is good to work with too.
No, we are not influenced by Absurd.
What was the first Black metal albums you listened to. The band is from Norway….so, what was the first influence from the 90’s that made you a black metal head?
-I can’t remember, but I remember hearing ‘Soulside Journey’ in 91 when I was 13. I heard Burzum and Mayhem in the year after, I think, then I was exposed to earlier stuff a short time later, like Bathory, CF/ Hellhammer, Venom and Mercyful Fate. I guess the first BM-albums I remember listening to was Burzum s/t and Mayhem ‘live in Leipzig’. I remember when ‘Pure Holocaust’ came very well (93?). It was such a game changer, and in 94 there came SO much great bm albums. Did it last? No. But there is much other music.
How’s the creative process between “K” and you? When you guys are recording or preparing a new material, what comes first?
-We have tried to do things different every time. Sometimes we make bass first then make the guitar, but mostly guitar first. We try to use different equipment and to give a different eac
About the “I Utakt Med Verden”, is there anything that you did on this album that you haven’t tried on the previous albums? I think this album is darker and has a great raw aspect, but the guitar lines are not so simple. What are your ideas about it?
-It is our most recent album and it was alot of hard work. We did everything different in the studio. It is frustrating to think about all ther work, but I’m glad it is over. No, the guitar lines are almost never simple. K is a very skilled guitarist with true feeling in his fingertips.
Thank you for this interview. If you could, send massage to all Black metal terror readers worldwide.
-Thanx alot for this zinal view. Stay evil!
