THRONEAEON – Interview with Fred

Yeah! Long time I’ve been waiting on this stuff, but it was worthwhile. This album kicks my fucking ass, and still I feel pain in my mind. The pain that is a pleasure for my sick soul. Soon THRONEAEON is going to present us with a new album, but for me it is still too long to wait on this. I want it now!!!! Arrghh!!!!

Hail Tony! I’ve been waiting on your album for a long time, but I must tell you, that my expectations are satisfied. “Neither Of Gods” it a great album. I listen to it all day long with great passion!

Hi Skowron! Thanks for the compliment. You should hear the new one then… It will be called “Heading Inwards”. It will be released in April –03. But hell yeah, it took a long time before you got it. It cost me three albums and one recommended letter to cross the oceans. A hard way to get to Poland it seems…

It’s a real death metal monster. Of course I hear influences of DEICIDE and “Once Upon The Cross”, but now I must tell you that follower is superior to his master. What is the recipe for music like yours?!

Well, we’re just trying to put out the most intense and aggressive riffs from our storage. Influenced by everything from old Entombed, Dismember, Dark Angel, Slayer, Morbid Angel, Immortal…etc. I agree with your comparison but the funny thing is that when we were finished with the recording we said. -Ok guys, no one will ever claim this music being too much Deicide.

If I remember well, THRONEAEON has always had good responses on metal scene. All your early releases are unavailable now. Can you say few words about them?

“Demo- 95” was the first recording that THRONEAEON did. Shitty sound, but funny I think. Unfortunately it is so sold out I ain´t got one myself. “Carnage”(Demo). Released back in the good old days (-97 I think). This was the most important release for THRONEAEON as it led to great reviews and even an offer from a Swedish label (Which we fuckers turned down). 4 tracks of aggressive, intense and evil music, and very much inspired by Deicide. Sold out! “With Sardonic Wrath” (Mcd) is thus far the most hateful and technical thing I’ve created. You should really check it out if you haven’t. “Neither of gods” is great follow-up to the mcd. A bit to long if you ask me. 11 tracks!!! Still varied. Some tracks are more technical and some are more straight. This time we even allowed ourselves to play slower. I’m not sure if we did succeed in that, but every new track is different from the other without loosing it’s theme.

I know that your mcd “With Sardonic Wrath” waited to be released some time ago and now it’s available finally. Or maybe I deceive myself?

Yeah Skowron, I think your deceived… The only thing that happened to that release was that it changed owner. Helgrind released it in –99 and when we got signed to Hammerheart it got released by them again. So you should be able to buy it in your record store. Otherwise, buy it from me. Please, drop me an e-mail first to make sure I got some CD´s left to sell.

You recorded your debut album for Dutch Hammerhear Records. They give THRONEAEON good promotion, they send you on tour. You know, I’ve been convinced that they were going to release your next stuff. But now I know I was wrong. Why? I heard you had some misunderstanding with them?!

Well, the tour with Benediction was something that we ”stumbled” upon ourselves so Hammerheart didn´t really had anything to do with it. But, they told us they sent out 1500 promocd´s, and that is great. The contract was settled to two releases but we didn’t really agreed on, what we thought was important issues, so we came to the conclusion that we should discontinue the contract.

Now you have a new contract with young Slovakian label Forensick Music. How do you think, will they be better for THRONEAEON? Why this label? Did any other try to contact with you?

Martin/Forensick gave me a good impression from the start. He allowed us to consider other deals, but said that he really wanted to work together. He seems to be very dedicated to the music and the underground scene at the same time as he know how to run this kind of business. I think very much is intuition, and it just felt great from the start.

In September 2001, you had a long tour in Europe. How do you remember those days? How did the maniacs react on your band and music?

It was awesome. As I told you before, it was the first time outside of Scandinavia and some of us had never been outside of Sweden. All goddamn funny houses and languages ha,ha… Cheap liquer, free beers and all that stuff that comes along with touring. The party we had with Benediction in East Germany was cool. Our guitarist Jens learned the good old grind bastards how to sing Swedish liquer songs. We had a great time, all I can say…

You have blasphemous lyrics like Deicide. Are you also as evil as Mr. Benton or do you use it only for a special image?

I’m not evil man. Christianity is evil and my lord is good. The truth is that our image is who I am. Our lyrics have become blasphemous because of my sarcastic way of writing them. It’s just enlightenment. If people think I remind about a great vocalist, then great!

On your breast hangs the pentagram, with pride. I want to ask you, what’s the meaning of it for you? Is this only the symbol of your rebellion?

No, the pentagram is important to me in many reasons. One reason why I share it with others is to show my detest for Christianity, I don’t call that rebellion. Other reasons are personal, you might say religious.

OK, let's go back in history. Roger started the band in 1991 but under an other name. How was the band called and what happened until you changed your name in 1995?

We had like fifty names… Pharynx, Autumnal, Mysterion, Beyond black horizon, Shadows at dawn etc… We had a lot of line-up changes. People that couldn’t stand my high demands were kicked out or quit themselves. The goal has from the beginning been high and no place left for posers or people not knowing what they want. Well what happened…? Nothing interesting except all fights.

Now you are almost 10 years on metal scene. How was all this time for you? Only some problem and sad moments, or maybe times of glory with your music? If you had a chance to go back, would you change anything?

We have had really great times, otherwise we would not have held on to it for this long. You often focus on the problems, but there are moments that are more than perfect. Such as a finished record, a good live-performance, free beers and good compliments. Looking back at what THRONEAEON meant for me,,, well, a lot! If I were about to change anything? Then I would have released more stuff. (To much hesitating in the past maybe). At least I would have released that split-cd which we were offered by the Swedish label “Voices of death” in –95.

Some time ago Andreas Dahlström left you band. Why? I ask because he has been with THRONEAEON for 8 years.

Yeah, that little fag has meant a lot to me ha,ha!! He is most responsible for putting THRONEAEON on the Swedish map. Well, when he said to us he wanted to quit it was like thunder from a clear blue sky. He told us that he thought it over and over again, and he felt he had to move on with his life. A lot of things, positive for him I guess, happened in his life and THRONEAEON was not a part of his future. He simply had to move on.

I know that now you have new stuff. What is it like? When will the maniacs be able to hear your next album?

The new album entitled “Heading Inwards” will be released April –03. Containing 9 tracks of the most aggressive, hateful and blasphemous stuff ever recorded by THRONEAEON. We accomplished a unique fucking killer sound too. Some tracks are more intense than the tracks on “Neither of gods” and some are even slower and darker…

Matte Modin (Dark Funeral/ Defleshed) helped you in recording of it…

Yes, he helped us finish the recording of “Heading Inwards” since Roger decided to leave the band. Although, Matte, only played on 4 tracks. It was a bitch to realize Roger was true with quitting the band when we were in the studio. I phoned Matte on a late Saturday night, and he was quite positive, and the day after he learned the songs.

OK bro. We should slowly finish. What can you say for us about metal scene in Sweden now? Of course about brutal part of it

Well, the metal scene is going upwards. We have a lot of good bands, and to name a few acts of the new era I would say; Insision, Kaamos, Immersed In Blood, Spawn Of Possession, Visceral Bleeding, Soils Of Fate etc… Then we have the old bands like Vomitory, Deranged, and Entombed, Unleashed and Dismember.

What do you want to do in the nearest future? I know, new album, but what’s next?

A European tour is coming up in May with start in Edinburgh (England) on the 5th ending on Fuck the commerce (Germany) on the 31st. The tour is even going through Poland on a few dates if everything goes as planned.

OK, that's it. I hope you enjoyed my questions and I hope to see you soon on tour.

Yes, thanks for interesting questions, they made my head spin. It would be very cool to meet you ALL on tour!!!