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Interviews Runemagick

Interview with Nicklas Rudolfsson

Interview conducted by Sargon the Terrible

Date online: August 1, 2003


Ever since 1998's "Supreme Force of Eternity" Nicklas Rudolfsson and his cohorts have been churning out the unique Runemagick brand of death metal at a furious clip. As one of the most original death bands, and also one of the most criminally underrated, I was pleased to get some words from the man himself. Read.

Sargon: How are things going for Runemagick right now? I imagine with the release of the new album you must be busy!

Nicklas: No gigs booked at the moment so we are focusing on composing music and writing lyrics for the next album. Me and Emma sat down yesterday and wrote some new heavy stuff.

Sargon: You've been the driving force behind Runemagick for most of its history, tell us how the band formed and how you've kept it going.

Nicklas: The band was formed in the early 90's as a project but it soon became a band. Lot's of troubles and lineup changes over the years but we are still in business and I hope we will be as long as we feel that we can create some good music that we like.

Sargon: You've managed to keep a stable lineup for the past three albums, a first in Runemagick history. What finally brought the right people together? How did you get together and how is it different for you working with a real band rather than as a project?

Nicklas: Me, Emma and Daniel work very well together as a band. Now we have more ideas and inputs when we are a band than the early days when I was alone as a project during the composing process. Emma was a long time friend to me and I asked her to join in 2000. Daniel read at our website that we needed a drummer in 2000. We tried him and he was definitely the best drummer for Runemagick in our area. Fredrik Johnsson left the band after "Moon of the chaos eclipse" so we recorded the last album "Darkness death doom" as a 3-piece. Now we got a new 2nd guitar player Tomas Eriksson.

Sargon: Runemagick albums come at an incredible rate of speed, how do you keep writing and recording so fast?

Nicklas: Lot's of inspiration and a great time together. I and Emma live as couple so we often jam new ideas at our home. I also have my own little studio so it's easy to try new ideas and demo recordings.

Sargon: There's an experimental edge and a doomy vibe to your music beyond the standard death-metal style. What are your influences so far as songwriting?

Nicklas: It's hard to say but we listen to a lot of music like darkwave, ambient, ancient ethnic, instrumental, doom, death etc so we probably get inspiration from a lot of styles.

Sargon: "Requiem of the Apocalypse" got wider press than previous albums, and "DDD" seems poised to carry Runemagick to another level, do you have big tour plans for the new album?

Nicklas: We have no touring plans at all. But if someone wants us to tour that might be possible. It would be great to play outside Scandinavia soon.

Sargon: Do you get a better live response now that you have a total babe for a bass player? Seriously, it's unusual to have a woman in a death band unless she's singing backup. How do people react?

Nicklas: I don't think about that. She's a musician as we others and for me it doesn't matter if it's a woman or man behind the instrument. But I hope our fans like her, because I do ;)

Sargon: Which do you prefer: studio or live?

Nicklas: hmm.. Both!

Sargon: How did you get that awesome guitar tone on "Darkness Death Doom"? It almost sounds like you used tube amps.

Nicklas: Thanks. I actually used a very simple thing as a Line 6 POD with some extra EQ. I recorded the album with 2 of my guitars, Ibanez Artist (late 70's, original pickups) and Gibson SG special (original pickups). I will probably use the same next time, maybe spice it with some Marshall sound.

Sargon: There's a bonus track on "Requiem" called "Mlbeg" and an "MlbegII" on "Moon in the Chaos Eclipse". What's an Mlbeg?

Nicklas: MLBEG is five words. but I won't tell you what it means, it's a secret hehehe

Sargon: I know you're demoing stuff for the next album already, what can you tell us about the new material?

Nicklas: It's hard to say how it will sound in the end but so far it feels like a continuation of DDD and a kind of mix of the latest albums I believe. It will be both heavy and atmospheric and raw.

Sargon: What do you think of the metal scene these days? What bands do you enjoy? What bands or styles do you hate?

Nicklas: At the moment I listen a lot to darkwave/ambient music and death/doom/thrash. Too many bands to mention. I don't like nu-metal!

Sargon: And lucky 13, the traditional closing question: What else would you like to say?

Nicklas: Thanks a lot for the interview. Visit our website www.runemagick.se for the latest news and be sure to take a journey in our latest album "Darkness Death Doom"/"The Pentagram" (bonus cd). Watch out for our upcoming album to be released next year!! Cheers! PS. Also check out www.funeralorchestra.com for some evil dooooom!

Other information about Runemagick on this site
Review: Requiem of the Apocalypse
Review: Darkness Death Doom
Review: Enter The Realm of Death
Review: The Supreme Force of Eternity
Review: On Funeral Wings
Review: Envenom
Review: Invocation of Magick
Review: Dawn of the End
Review: Evoked from Abysmal Sleep
Review: Into Desolate Realms
Review: Into Desolate Realms
Review: The Opening of Dead Gates
Review: Beyond the Cenotaph of Mankind




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