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Having put out such an amazing set of albums over the past years rounded out by this years jaw-dropping Raging Death (reviewed here), I had to get a hold of Entrails and find out just what’s going on in their camp. Turns out founding member and guitarist Jimmy Lundqvist is just a metal fan like you and I. And he just plays what he likes to hear. Take a peak below at what else Jimmy had to say about movies, music, his favorite Slayer album and a few other things.
(((o))): You obviously have an early 90s sound with your music, and I’ve seen some comparisons to Entombed and early Dismember. In my opinion you guys have stayed true to the original Swedish Death Metal sound, while other bands have strayed a bit. Do you feel that’s correct? Do you agree with any of those comparisons you receive?
Jimmy: Yeah, that’s totally correct, we prefer to have the sound from the early days when Carnage, Grave, Entombed, Dismember were doing their first albums in Skogsberg's Sunlight Studios. That sound was more massive and thicker than the sound many others use today in their music, and that sound fits our music better as we play a more heavy styled death metal.
(((o))): If you could pick one horror movie to have written the soundtrack to, what movie would it be and why?
Jimmy: Tricky question as there are tons of movies out there, but it has to be a zombie movie, they're simply the best. A classic one is “Night of the living Dead”, or if there would be a modern movie I would like to make the first Resident Evil scarier than Marilyn Manson did.
(((o))): Where do you draw inspiration from for the music you write? Is the sound just something that you try to achieve, or it just how the music comes out of you?
Jimmy: I don’t get any special inspirations from anywhere, not what I can think of, I do think the sound makes the riffs flow easier than a normal distorted sound and for that reason the riffs appear easier. And for me it’s when I am in the right mood and the sound is perfect I can create riff after riff. I cannot force myself to make a riff... it has to come natural and when it does I hope I have pushed the rec button as it’s easy to forget a good riff, they appears in a second then they’re gone. And it’s always the first take of a riff that’s the best, I mean if you made up a riff and begin to change and explore it the riff is wasted.
(((o))): I must say that I love the music you guys make, and I was wondering if you have any big tour plans? Any chance you’ll make it to the US anytime soon?
Jimmy: Thanks man. We don’t have anything planned for the moment, but we are open for ideas and requests. Then we will see how far that can take us.
(((o))): You have put out a fair amount of albums in a short amount of time compared to most artists. I know that some of the earlier albums were put together with music you had found on old demos, was that the case with this album?
Jimmy: Yeah, it has been some years filled with releases since I brought the band above the surface again. And that’s correct, Our Tales from the Morgue album had 100% old material, Tomb Awaits had like 50% old stuff while this new one will have like 20% of the old riffs I find among my old tapes.
(((o))): Are there any current bands that you think are doing a good job of keeping death metal moving and relevant?
Jimmy: Yeah there are some damn good ones out there, and there are some less good as well. Though I think the style Swedish Death Metal has become a little bit too trendy for the moment. Cool or not, but it can be a little bit too much of hearing the same sound on every old school “wannabe” band! Though some do it really well, but too many makes it not that good.
(((o))): The production on the new album packs a bit more punch that previous albums; was that something you had wanted to do, or is it the result of better resources than in the past?
Jimmy: We wanted to add more punch in the sound to find something that could fit our style better, and our new songs that have become more groovy and heavy and slightly more melodic, and for that it needs a more clear sound, even if it's dirty and rotten as it should be. The past with big studios and tapes could add more of everything to the sound without having it sound bad while digital recordings has its limit and I think we have found a good balance.
(((o))): Do you guys have any guilty pleasures in music you’d care to share? Any odd 80's music you enjoy for example?
Jimmy: Many of us grew up in the 80's so there were tons of great bands during that time, and I had “Old” Metallica, “Old” Slayer, Venom, Hellhammer and you name it as my favorites, they were the huge source of what mostly of my songwriting is today. Of course I listened to other metal as well but that was nothing compared to this harder music.
(((o))): Are you Slayer fans? And if so, what is your favorite Slayer album and why?
Jimmy: Hell yeah, one of the best bands in the 80's!! To me South of Heaven is the best as it has the best songs and atmosphere. It has the best riffs even though every one of their 5 first albums who are their best ones, have their top notch songs. But to me South of Heaven has more hits. And sadly, the best riff maker on this planet passed away. Jeff Hanneman was truly a “god” in creating riffs.
(((o))): If you could tour with any band (besides Metallica, because everyone says Metallica) who would it be and why?
Jimmy: I would go for Dismember then, as they are the band who inspired me in my younger age. Too bad they split up a few years ago... But I think they will come together once again because their journey in death metal wasn’t quite finished, in my opinion.
(((o))): Do you have any favorite must-watch horror movies that you’d recommend for our readers?
Jimmy: Hmm… I like horror with some cool effects and a bit splatter and also if it has some humor the movie easily ends up on my fav ones. Just hate the new modern trendy shit movies of haunted houses and stuff like that... it has to be monsters and visible things, not shadows and shit like that. Anyway, one of my favorite movies is Peter Jackson's “Braindead” even though it doesn't have so much of horror in it... but it has effects and is a good time.
(((o))): If you had to be a beer, what type of beer would it be and why? If you prefer hard liquor, then the same question applies
Jimmy: I will go with the liquor and the typical “Vodka” as it's easy to make good and dangerous drinks. hehe
(((o))): I know many people have asked this question before, but I have a little spin on it. Why did you choose to bring the band together in this day and age, where being a musician is very hard due to digital sales and pirating music? Did any of that cross your mind when reforming?
Jimmy: The main reason was that I became nostalgic and hated the music that was made today. The entire good old atmosphere and especially the great simple riffing were gone. It all has become so technical and to me that’s no fun to listen to.
I wasn't aware about what’s the digital and the internet could bring me when I started again, I just wanted to have my old songs released in a smaller scale to those who wanted to have ‘em, but when labels were signed and albums made it all becomes more and more clear of what it was about, and by that all this shit with downloading and crap also got in my knowledge. It’s too sad that those retarded mongoloids just have to totally ignore what’s right and not right and keep on uploading material that’s not theirs. So the industry in music has become terrible compared with those years people actually bought the band's music…
(((o))): We at Ech(((o)))es and Dust like to hear what artists and musicians are listening to lately; can you name 3 or 4 albums you’ve listened to a lot recently?
Jimmy: The last 3 albums I listened to were Dark Recollections by Carnage, An Evil Shade of Grey by Cemetery and Cursed by Morgoth.
(((o))): I'd like to say thank you for taking the time to answer all of these questions, is there anything else you like to say to our readers?
Jimmy: Well. Thanks for letting me do this interview.
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Cheers!!!
I would like to thank Jimmy for taking the time to answer my questions, and the fine folks at Metal Blade Records named Vince & Kelli for their help as always. It is greatly appreciated.
Be sure to pick up Entrails’ new record Raging Death which our lovely Val reviewed here.
