Backstage was a Swedish fanzine announcing themselves as ”Supporting Swedish Rock”. It was written in Swedish, but here’s a translate article for you. The two videos was added by me!
DISMEMBER CHALLENGES CENSORSHIP
Dismember has been in a whirlwind of lawsuits and import bans. After all, the publishing houses have given them some PR and interest is now high in the international press.
— We challenge censorship, says drummer Fred Estby and reveals that on their new album they have done a trick on "Skin Her Alive" that is even worse...
The new album, "Indecent And Obscene", is Dismember's third. Tomas Skogsberg has been involved in producing again and the recording in the Sunlight studio took a month and a half.
Fred, do you still think that Sunlight gives the heaviest and most brutal sound?
— Yes, that's actually true. But for the next LP we'll take Tomas with us and go somewhere else.
About the mixing, he says that the whole band was involved in producing at first.
— But the record company thought it sounded too nice and too polished, so Tomas and I made it a little rawer.
A LITTLE QUIETER TEMPO
Fred doesn't think you'll hear any major difference between the new album and the last one the first time you listen to it.
— There's not that much difference since last time, it takes a little listening. It's still raw. But the fastest has to calm down. It's hard to do professional things while driving at 190. The new one isn't that much calmer, but a little. You have to develop as a musician but under natural pressure. You lose your identity by keeping changing. In the long run, it pays to keep doing your thing.
Are you still the one who writes most of the music?
— Yes, I arrange quite a lot of the songs too. Everyone is involved in writing on the latest album. Everyone wanted too much on the mix and that's why it sucked. On the other hand, you have a lot more to choose from if everyone is involved, and everyone can handle it.
CHALLENGING CENSORSHIP
The cover this time will consist of a split stomach:
— It's a Jim Morrison thing, it's fun to do cult stuff.
Fred says that they are still on Nuclear Blast Records and think it's neither better nor worse than other labels.
Is it true that the title of the CD, "Indecent And Obscene", is supposed to refer to the "official" classification of you as a band, and your music?
— We want to challenge and criticize censorship in general. These types of art and music must be allowed to exist as long as it doesn't harm people. We think people should react. It could be fun if we could unite some front against censorship, it's about fighting back.
But if there can't be inflation in the rawness in the end, what do you do then?
— In the end, it doesn't happen anymore, Fred admits. You have to be a little careful if you're going to get anywhere.
WERE ACQUITTED
Most people have probably heard about the trial in England.
— Customs were looking for drugs, found our LP instead (”Like An Ever Flowing Stream”) and thought “Skin Her Alive” sounded degrading to women and sued us. But the song is not about violence propaganda, it is just a completely natural depiction of the world. It is a documentary text about Mattis (vocals) neighbor who murdered his wife in the bathtub. The trial was very strange, we were not allowed to talk, but the lawyers did. They listened to the record and acquitted us because they did not think we were promoting violence as such. We have made a song on the new album that is worse; “Eviscerate (Bitch)”, which is a parody of “Skin Her…”. Nothing degrading to women, Fred assures.
What about censorship in Australia?
— The record was stopped at customs there too. In England the distributor didn't give up and moved on, but they didn't in Australia.
How big is the market for death there?
— I don't really know, there aren't any bands that have been there yet. It's probably mostly in the cities that they listen to death. France has also been a bit angry with us. Nuclear Blast has changed the cover to their standards so as not to lose distribution. It may seem a bit spineless, but France is a big market and we would lose a lot.
US TOUR
In connection with the release of a new album, they will of course go out and play:
— We're going to go with Deicide in the US for three weeks and then two months ourselves, then we're also going down to Mexico. We've never played in the US before. The EP ("Pieces") has sold quite well there, actually.
Actually?
— We recorded it very quickly. We were damn close to a full album but got snubbed on an LP. They seem to like it more in the US than in Europe. There will be a European tour with Benediction in September, I think. At The Gates will probably be playing as the opening act.
AGGRESSION AND SATANISM
There are those who believe that death creates aggression, it is usually those who are critical of the music, while those who play usually say that you live out aggression through the music. What do you think?
— Death does not create aggression, it brings it out. It is so rigid in Sweden and you accumulate things that you cannot talk about. In today's situation, therapy is needed but it is better to create it yourself.
What do you think about the connection that some people make between death and Satanism?
— Completely useless. People already have prejudices, you didn't think it could get worse. It is a bit sad if young people are not allowed or dare to listen to music for that reason. You have the right to practice whatever religion you want, but I think you should believe in yourself instead. This thing about Norway is a bit embarrassing, it's starting to get a bit creepy. They've put us, Entombed and Unleashed on the death list in Norway and then it's starting to go a bit far.
To end on something happier, Fred says that a video is coming soon, hopefully before the album is released at the end of May.
— The last song on the album (“Dreaming In Red”) will be a pretty red video if you say so. It's a text that's about the death penalty. But it's not too bloody because then it probably shouldn't be shown.
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| Front cover of the magazine! |