Ghamorean

Band: Ghamorean
Interviewee: Andreas
Year: 2008
Website: ghamorean.com
MySpace: myspace.com/ghamorean
Label: None
Featured on: Loucifer Speaks Exclusive... So far!

Interview

I've been a fan of Ghamorean since finding them on MySpace quite a few months ago. I bought their album ("PLAGUEMPIRE") pretty much as soon as I'd finished listening to the tracks available on their page (they're THAT good!).

Lou: For the benefit of those who may not have heard of you, I'm going to start with a few straightforward, and slightly mundane, questions... How long has the band been together?

Andreas: Ghamorean has existed in various forms since late ..97. Still one must know that we were very young back then, thus a great lack of musical skills, ambition and experience. It took us about four years to find a sound we felt comfortable with and we have since developed that sound further and further.

Lou: Who is currently in the band? I understand that there have been some line-up changes recently.

Andreas: We have changed so many members throughout the years, I almost can't remember the names of everyone anymore. The latest change was when David Ekevärn replaced former drummer Jimmy Borgström.
The Ghamorean camaraderie 2008:
Andreas Båtsman - Guitar
Henrik Sundström - Vocals
Samuel Persson - Guitar
Ludvig Johanssin - Bass
David Ekevärn - Drums

Lou: How long have you been playing your respective instruments?

Andreas: I think we all have been playing around ten years.

Lou: Are any of you involved in any other bands?

Andreas: Ghamorean is my only band and my life really. Henrik also only appears in Ghamorean exclusively. The other guys are involved in several bands and projects of differing quality. Side projects are OK as long as they don't interfere to much with Ghamorean.

Lou: How would you describe the music that Ghamorean creates?

Andreas: I think our new T-shirt says it all; Swedish blackened death metal.

Lou: Which bands are your main influences? I'm always reminded of quite an old school, almost traditional metal feel when I listen the riff in "Shackled"... that may just be me though - my mind tends to work in strange ways!

Andreas: Emperor has made the deepest impact on Ghamorean throughout the years. It is a band that deserves the deepest respect both music - and lyricwise. The norwegian black metal scene is truly a great source of inspiration.
I wrote "Shackled" about five years ago, and back then I guees our music was a bit more tradtional metal oriented. Nowadays we do not use the same amount of the "classic" metal chords and riffs, but more progressive and twisted stuff. "Shackled" is by the way one of two songs from "PLAGUEMPIRE" we still perform live. The other one is "Parasite".

Lou: It's been quite a while since "PLAGUEMPIRE" was released. Why has there been a break?

Andreas: "PLAGUEMPIRE" was recorded in October 2004. After that we began an almost year long fight with our former label before it was finally released in September 2005. At the time the label suffered economical problems all promises regarding promotion went down the drain. What is the use of releasing an album if no one knows about it? All this led to the end of our contract and since then we have been without a label. We own the rights of the music though.

Lou: I've come to think of "PLAGUEMPIRE" as a very hard-hitting album and I was wondering what the ideas behind the lyrics were and if there were any lyrical themes running through the album?

Andreas: The lyrical theme on "PLAGUEMPIRE" is basically the disgust for the human race. Perhaps we should launch the lyrics somewhere??

Lou: I've read on your MySpace page that you're currently working on some new material. Will this be released in the form of an album or EP and can you tell us a little bit about it?

Andreas: Well, maybe we are ahead of ourselves, but we have a full length album yet to be released. The songs on MySpace, except for the songs from "PLAGUEMPIRE" and the Bathory cover, are songs from the follow-up - our second album. We recorded it last summer and we are now trying to find a serious label. Still that does not stop us from making more songs.

Lou: Will the new material have the same sort of sound as the stuff on "PLAGUEMPIRE"?

Andreas: It will be obvious that it is Ghamorean, yet more complex and dynamic.

Lou: Which format will the new material be available on? CD, MP3 or vinyl? Or all of them!?

Andreas: Our goal is to release the new album within this year. CD is a must for me, and we will also launch most of the songs on MySpace. Vinyl would be cool as well, but I consider that a bonus.

Lou: Do you have any tours or festival appearances coming up?

Andreas: I have to say no, but we are always prepared to conquer and destroy every stage that comes in our way!

Lou: Do you have any plans to play some shows in England?

Andreas: Not at this point no. We would like to though.

Lou: Which song do you generally like to open your gigs with?

Andreas: After the intro we always play "Art of Defiance". The intro is really a grand version of the symphonic part in the middle of "Art of Defiance", so those two fit very well together. After "Art" we usually play "Burn Me Like The Kings". Watch them on YouTube!

Lou: What are your views on the current Extreme Metal scene (I use 'scene' for want of a better word)? Do you feel that there are a good variety of bands, or could it be improved?

Andreas: Some bands are great, most bands are shit. Destroy. Erase. Improve.

Lou: If you could collaborate with any other musician who would it be and why?

Andreas: I don't have the urge of collaboration. I only collaborate with Samuel.

Lou: I've noticed that you've recently added some new videos to YouTube and that you maintain your own MySpace page. Do you think that sites such as these have helped you spread your music successfully? Have many new fans discovered you because of these sites?

Andreas: Yes, I am doing this interview because of MySpace, am I not?? I believe that we have gained a great bit in popularity since we launched our MySpace-page and the clips on Youtube. Whether you like it or not, the Internet is a must nowadays.

Lou: Do you have any plans to make a promotional video for one of the new tracks you're working on?

Andreas: No, but we are planning to shoot a live performance, including several new tracks!

Lou: I think it's time for a few slightly more bizarre questions... If you were given a time machine, would you go forwards or backwards in time? Explain your answer ;)

Andreas: It would be great to witness the end of the human race, or at least a greater part of it, so perhaps forwards say a hundred years.

Lou: An alien comes to Earth and knocks on your front door (yeah, it could happen!) and you find yourself in the position where you have explain to him what Metal is. How would you describe it and which tracks would you suggest our little alien friend listen to?

Andreas: Catch 33 by Meshuggah can be a way of communicating with aliens. I would leave him alone with that record.

Lou: It's the end of the world and Ghamorean have the chance to play one more song. Which song would you play and why?

Andreas: We would stop playing, sit back and enjoy the apocalypse...

Lou: Thank you for your time! The last words are yours... Feel free to plug your website, gigs, CDs etc :-)

Andreas: Thanks for this interview, Lou! Keep supporting Ghamorean! Buy our records and come see us live!

Other Links

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