Final month, Norwegian black steel outfit Nattverd unleashed their fourth studio album, I Helvetes Forakt. It’s a gripping new album from the band that’s equal components beautiful, brutal, trustworthy, charismatic, and intense.

Nattverd’s writing strengths shine by in I Helvetes Forakt, thanks largely to the contributions of Sveinr (bass), Ormr (vocals and lyrics), Atyr (guitars), Aven (guitars), Renton (drums), and now ex-member Serpentr (lyrics). Previous and current, these artists have carried out with a protracted checklist of outfits, together with Doedsvangr, Urgehal, Sarkom, TrollfesT, Chinbjer, and lots of others.

Like his collaborators, Sveinr belongs to so many unbelievable teams, corresponding to Nebular Mystic and the mighty Nordjevel, whose newest album, Gnavhòl, dropped final yr. Contemplating his physique of labor, we had been excited to take a seat down with Sveinr I Helvetes Forakt.

I actually love the brand new album, I Helvetes Forakt. Congratulations on its launch. Are you able to please inform me somewhat bit in regards to the songwriting course of?

Atyr makes the songs at house by himself, after which he sends them to us for evaluate. Then, we select what we wish to maintain. We now have loads of materials, so we solely select what’s greatest from what he has written. We are able to have 15 concepts, and we solely choose what we wish to use. After which, we mainly discover out collectively what we wish to do in regards to the total constructions of the songs, the right way to proceed with melodies and the construction for the drums and the whole lot. Then, we enter the studio, and we report. If we’ve got modifications, we make the modifications there after which. It’s fairly simple. I play bass guitar. I don’t take heed to the songs earlier than I am going to the studio. I simply report one after the other, half by half, and mainly do no matter involves thoughts, no matter feels proper on the time. That’s the way it turns into the ultimate product, mainly.

Do you all report individually? It appears just like the components had been recorded at completely different studios.

Sure, that’s appropriate. We do all our components individually, so then we don’t have that a lot affect on the ultimate product for every instrument. All people has a say. All people places their last contact on the songs. Nobody is aware of how the bass guitar goes to sound. It’s a shock for the remainder of the band once they hear no matter I’ve performed within the studio, the identical with drums and vocals.

So, previously, you’ve labored with Tore “Necromorbus” Stjerna, for instance, who’s a tremendous engineer and has his personal studio. He blended and mastered Styggdom [2020]. I Helvetes Forakt was completely blended and mastered by ex-Haust’s Ruben Willem. He has performed nice work for Djevel and so forth. So, how was it recording bass with him?

He actually preferred the method of recording it, and that I didn’t have a plan once I entered the studio. He was fairly shocked, and he actually preferred the thought. He additionally got here up with some concepts and ideas about various things to do. I feel he does that additionally with drums. Ruben has been a part of producing the ultimate product. So, it’s not solely our concepts, however it’s good to have a second ear to what you’re doing.

Sure. You talked about that the ultimate product was a shock. So, what shocked you most about this album upon listening to it?

I wasn’t too pleased with the pre-production, to be trustworthy. I couldn’t image how the ultimate product would prove. After I went to the studio, I hadn’t heard the songs greater than as soon as. I didn’t memorize something. After which, after doing my half and listening to the right drums, not the pre-production drums, the whole lot modified. Then, once I additionally had the ultimate vocals on prime of it, the whole lot modified completely. So, the pre-production is sort of a shadow of the ultimate product. I used to be amazed by the way it turned out. Yeah, to me, it’s an album that may develop on you. Even when I recorded it myself, it wanted to develop on me. And I listened and listened so many occasions. I heard all of the hooks within the songs and all of the atmospheres. So, in my humble opinion, it was a fantastic album. I actually loved engaged on it.

It’s a tremendous album. It simply provides you precisely what you need from black steel whereas additionally sounding distinctive and recent. You talked about drums — in fact, Renton [TrollfesT, ex-Urgehal, ex-Sarkom, ex-Svartelder, etc.] is your latest member. How did Renton come aboard, and the way does he match into the image? Clearly, based mostly on this report, it seems like he matches in.

Renton undoubtedly matches with the type. And he’s additionally a fantastic drummer. He’s a really completely different drummer. I feel that he’s extra structured with how he writes the drums. Once we went to the studio with Anti-Christian, we did the identical as we do for bass guitar. He didn’t hear the songs. He didn’t even hear the pre-production drums. He hears the guitar tracks. Then, he performs no matter involves thoughts, and that’s what turns into the drums on the album. We didn’t change a lot from no matter he did. So, no matter we do could be very spontaneous — drums, bass guitar, and likewise vocals. However Renton wished to have a plan so far as I understood. He really made a plan earlier than going to the studio. He didn’t wish to present up not figuring out what to do, by no means having heard the songs earlier than. So, yeah, they labored in numerous methods.

To me, Nattverd is a good consultant of Norway. “Det Stormer I Norge,” the second single, got here out proper in time for Structure Day — 5 days earlier than, really. Was that deliberate?

No. It was not deliberate. I feel that we scheduled the date based mostly on after we might get our bodily merchandise. And, yeah, it’s very tough as of late, you recognize, there are such a lot of bands that wish to press their music on vinyl. We wished to launch the album earlier, however this was the earliest potential for us.

Till lately, I didn’t know that Nattverd’s historical past traces again to the ’90s. Nattverd didn’t formally kind till 2014, so I’ve all the time considered Nattverd as sort of a more moderen band. Clearly, you joined after the primary album, Vi Vet Gud Er En Løgner [2017], for the EP, Skuggen [2019], which was the superior begin of the “1349, Black Demise Trilogy.” Might you please inform me in regards to the band’s beginnings? I don’t assume the data is actually on the market.

No, it’s not and I feel that has been on function. For the primary album, I don’t assume there was a plan in any respect. The blokes simply had materials laying round, and so they simply wished to do one thing with it. So, they shaped the band and recorded. Then, they introduced me into the band, and we did the EP and two extra albums. We by no means had a plan to play stay. We didn’t wish to be a stay band. However, in my thoughts, I all the time thought this might be the sort of music that truly can be successful if we performed stay. We received a suggestion to play Steelfest this yr, and we thought that we couldn’t say no to that. So, we determined to go stay with this music. After recording this final album, we knew that we had to do that. We needed to go stay with the band. And, so, we had our first live performance, only a small live performance, in Oslo simply to see how it will really feel for everyone — what it will be prefer to play collectively, as a result of we by no means performed collectively aside from on the rehearsal room. So, yeah, it labored out properly, and we felt that we had been able to take it to the following degree. Steelest is a giant competition for a band like Nattverd. So, it was successful for us with loads of good suggestions.

I noticed a video from Steelfest — you had been superior! It’s nice that the Steelfest efficiency occurred. I learn on Nattverd’s Fb that the Oslo gig was the primary. That shocked me as a result of this band is, once more, so superior. I used to be questioning why it took till lately to begin getting on the highway.

Like I stated, we didn’t have a plan about doing one thing with this band. All of us produce other bands which can be extra lively. I’m doing Nordjevel. However I did really feel that it will be price attempting as a result of I feel we might attraction to lots of people with our type with our method — you recognize, somewhat bit you recognize Carpathian Forest rock n’ roll angle and likewise on the identical time somewhat little bit of Burzum-ish ambiance. If we mix these two, which we’ve got, I feel that this may be one thing that folks will like. I feel individuals wish to see us carry out this music stay.

Yeah, undoubtedly! I might like to see Nattverd stay! By the way in which, you really carried out at Steelfest thrice this yr, proper — with Gehenna and Nordjevel as properly?!

I did.

That’s wonderful! So, clearly, you’re a part of so many phenomenal teams, and your bandmates are additionally concerned with loads of top-notch issues. I’m actually enthusiastic about Renton’s new venture, Jordsjuk, with Mannevond and Sagstad. So, I want him properly with that. However, anyway, is it tough so that you can steadiness your different bands with Nattverd?

No. I don’t assume so. We are able to find time for it. However one of many obstacles is that each our guitar gamers stay on the opposite facet of Norway, so we have to rigorously plan at any time when we’re going to rehearse or play stay. There’s additionally the monetary facet. It isn’t free to run a band, and it’s not free to play at festivals. And, yeah, we already use all of our sources and time with different bands. So, we are going to see if we are going to take it to the following degree. We don’t have a plan but. Let’s see what occurs and what provides come our approach.

I’m certain {that a} ton of nice issues will come your approach. Once more, I’m actually shocked that festivals haven’t been throwing extra provides at you, and that issues haven’t already blown up in that regard. However Soulseller Data is clearly nice to work with, proper?

Completely. That is our first album with Soulseller, and the communication is nice. They’re actually placing in some hours for promotion and the whole lot. They allow us to do no matter we would like. We now have a imaginative and prescient, and so they help us 100%.

Nattverd’s I Helvetes Forakt is out now through Soulseller Data. Order your copy right here.