While most early Swedish Death metal in the early 90s was very simplistic and featured a lot of hard rock influence, Like an Everflowing Stream was much more technically proficient and the songs were a lot more narrative in nature. What were the reasons for this and what were you trying to communicate with those songs?
Well, lyrically I can’t really give you an answer, mainly because I was never involved in writing lyrics at that time. I do know that some lyrics are based on real life and self experiences.
Musical wise you might say we where technical in some ways but I have never thought of it like that and have always considered us as a bit unpolished, raw Death Metal with harmonies.
Massive Killing Capacity was at a halfway point between death metal and Gothenburg melodic death metal especially on “Collection by Blood” that you are credited with writing. Could you tell us what was the reasoning for such an evolution and how did you feel about the explosion in popularity of melodic death metal?
Up to I&O we were all involved in most of the songs in some way. When we started writing songs for MKC we tried a different approach. We did an agreement that anyone that wanted to write a song them selfs could do that and if it wasn’t completely bananas we would record it. “Collection by blood” was my contribution and main influence is of course Judas Priest. CoB is just a manifestation of my influences in a somewhat Death Metal form. So it was not really an evolvement, it was more of ”less limitations”.
I like a-lot of melodic stuff regardless if it is Death Metal or any other genre, but it is interesting if you manage to weave it in with more heavy stuff.
On “Death Metal” there was no longer a dichotomy between the melodic parts and the crushing riffs, everything was fused together, even the Autopsy inspired Stillborn Ways felt like a melodic take on that style. What was the reasoning behind this?
Think I kind of touched this topic in the previous answer. I can not remember any special decision on writing songs for DM. I do know that I contributed with more melodic riffs that previously and I think we all felt MKC was a bit week when it came to the sound.
“From dream to dream we have always been like an ever flowing stream…” is a very iconic phrase within death metal, could you tell us about the meaning and as well as the combination of spirituality and violence in your lyrics?
I really can’t, sorry. I can only tell you that the “phrase” came from Fred and that the lyrics was written by ether Fred or Matti. I did how ever come up with the title “In Deaths sleep”.
Many bands have attempted to copy your style over the years but aren’t capable of making more than derivative tributes. How do you feel about death metal revival and what makes Dismember inimitable?
I think some bands does a really good job actually, I have some on my different playlists, so “death metal revival”, I would say super-awesome!
I don’t know, if Dismember is inimitable, I think that is for others to say.
Outside of metal, what are some artists, films, books, paintings etc that inspire you and how do you include those influences within your music?
Outside of metal (and we are talking inspiring to music) then I say my deep interest in physics, horror and sci-fi.
That is not inspirational things for stuff to Dismember but in my new band Unhallow I am using stuff like this in combination with music influences.
After all these years of playing music, does the passion ever fade or die out? What keeps you playing after such an illustrious career?
Yeah, there is one thing that killed the passion for me, and that was money. I kind of stopped playing completely for 8 years. I don’t like to play because of money and it is simply impossible to be creative for me on demand. So when I got the passion back again in 2004, it felt so awesome and I haven’t stopped playing.
Any final words for our readers?
I hope you found some interesting stuff in my short answers. For those of you that want to see us live, make sure to go if we play anywhere near your town or country, we will not do tours and we can’t play everywhere.
Metal! /Rob
