This year’s biggest positive surprise, is the debut album "Restless & Dead" from Witchery. This is a real cracker of a Death Metal album. We caught up with Witchert through it’s founding member Patrik Jensen on e-mail.
1. First of all; the first two Seance albums are among my favorite Death
Metal albums, but I never got to know this band. Please tell me more
about this period in your life.
Well, we started out in March 1990. I came from a band called Orchriste, formed in -87, (a band where I still "steal" a lot of riffs from) along with the singer, Johan. The three other guys came from a band called Total Death, formed in -86 (Tony and Micke played before that in band called Satanic Slaughter, formed in
-85). We (Seance) recorded a demo entitled "Levitized Spirit" -91, got a deal with Black Mark Prod. where we released "Fornever laid to rest" in May -92 We didn't get any support from our record company, so nothing really happened. Then we released "Saltrubbed eyes" in -93. Still nothing happened, no tour support no nothing from BMP, so things kind of just stopped. Bino (bassplayer) left the band in early -95 and I left in late -95, and we both moved to Gothenburg. He now plays in Diabolique, along with Kristian Wåhlin and I formed The Haunted.
2. Your are also a member of the critic’s favorite band The Haunted.
When did you join this band ?
I formed the band. I had asked Adrian, prior to the breakup of At the gates,
if he was into doing something (we're both big Dark Angel fans). He was, but
they were always on the road with ATG. Adrian called me up again in July -96
to tell me that ATG had broken up that same day. We decided to rehearse the
following day. About a week later, Jonas Björler joined. I had asked him
aswell prior to the breakup. At first we had Jon Zwetsloot (ex-Dissection)
on guitar, but was later replaced by Anders Björler. Dolving joined in
June -97.
3. When and where was Witchery started ?? What do the name mean ??
I'll have to back to the Seance days...around Dec. -94. Seance were at a
standstill, because of no recoqnition for our work (from BMP). We all got
going when Paul from Necropolis asked me if Satanic Slaughter would be
interested in doing an album (they never got a deal). Of course they were,
but they lacked a guitarplayer and a bassplayer. Eventhough I never was an
original member, I took over the guitar and Richard Corpse took the bass. We
recorded an s/t album, but during this recording we ran into trouble.
Ztephan Dark, who had the rights to the name and was supposed to sing, could
perform at all once in the studio. Finally Tony took the lyrics and sang the
whole album in a couple of hours, just to get it done! Well, Ztephan
naturally didn't like to be the head of the band and not on the first album,
so when it came to recording the 2nd album he fired the four of us and got a
complete new lineup. This was only 2 weeks before we were to enter the
studio to cut a minicd. Anyway, the four of us went ahead with Tony on
vocals and recorded 4 cover tracks and three original songs. By now we
realized that we didn't want to quit, so we took the name Witchery. Richard
went from bass to guitar, and we got Sharlee D'Angelo as our new bassplayer.
Lineup completed.
4. Your debut album "Restless and Dead " has just been released. Please
tell us more about this album. For example the recording, the lyrics,
the writing process and the featured tracks.
We knew we couldn't put out a mini cd with 4 cover tracks out as our first
album, so we put that one on hold. We more or less wrote the album in two
weeks, got Sharlee up from Gothenburg to Linköping to rehearse for one
night. Entered the studio and had everything on tape, except solos and
vocals, after two days. All in all the recording, mixing etc. took a week.
We were surprised to hear the outcome! We had never expected anything this
good. I mean, we chose the studio, ‘cos it was 300 yards/meters from our
rehearsal room!!! Anyway, this triggered the Witchery to get going, so we
have already written and recorded a new full-length album, "Dead, hot and
ready" (July -98).
5. Please tell us more about the brilliant art- work on that album.
We knew that we had to have someone who understood the value of the eighties
metal scene, so there was nobody else to ask than Kristian Wåhlin. We gave
him the idea and he loved it. He said that he had painted many cemetarys in
his day, but never had the opportunity to go totally metal!!! He will be
doing the other covers as well....No need to break up a winning team, haha.
6. You released this album through Necropolis Records. Compared to the
big labels ( Massacre Records and Earache) various members of Witchery
are signed on, this seems like an odd choice (with all respect for hard
working Necropolis Records). Why did you choose this label ?
Because Satanic Slaugther were on Necropolis. I must say that I've been on
many companies and so has Sharlee, but we have never had the support and
backup that we have from Necropolis. I know people may have their opinions
about that label, but they've gone thru some major changes, are will soon be
getting rid of the most ridiculous bands they have.
7. Necro Butcher in Mayhem recently said that he regard bands like Dimmu
Borgir as pop music and added that true Death and Black Metal should be
brutal. I use the phrase "family friendly Black Metal" on bands like
Dimmu Borgir, but the meaning is the same. What is your view on brutal
metal contra commercial metal ?
I don't really care about want people want to play. Commercial bands do help
out keeping the metal scene alive, cos they attract fans who might get into
the heavier stuff after a while. I think a broad scene is the best and I
think people should quit trying to label everything....
8. Following my last question; what would you call your music ??
Exactly my point...intriguing, huh !
9. What is your view on the metal scene in Sweden ?
There’s a lot of bands, but playing live sucks if you haven't put out a
widely appreciated album. Everybody has a band of their own, and seems to
all of a sudden have a hard to time to get into other bands music live.
10. You are doing The Haunted as a full time job, I guess. How do you
get time of to do Witchery ?
I actually write everything for Witchery. It's easier and I don't have the
pressure to write something "contemporary". It's like my musical playground.
But every now and then there comes along a riff that sounds more The Haunted
than Witchery, so when I've done, say, 3 or 4 Witchery songs I usually have
enough material to write a new track for The Haunted. And yes, I do this full time, but cannot support myself on it (yet), so I get by on unemployment checks.
12. What are Witchery’s plans in the coming months and year ?? Any tour
plans ??
We're looking over some tour offers right now. There's a big chance of
Witchery doing some tours with The Haunted. Other than that Witchery will
put out the minicd "Witchburner" in March or April and then the full-length
"Dead, hot and ready" sometime after the summer of -99.
13. From what address can the band be contacted ??
Mail:
Witchery
c/o Banersgatan 5C
415 02 Gothenburg
Sweden
E-mail: witchery@bigfoot.com
Or our homepage
Witchery
Thanx a lot for your time.
My pleasure.