Rimfrost is a Swedish act that just released their second album called 'Veraldar Nagli'. To get to know a bit more about the band and the new album, we asked Hravn and Throllv about it.
Not all our readers will be familiar with the band, could you introduce the band shortly?
Hravn: A re-creating third genaration Black Metal band. With influences from genres like death and thrash metal. We have existed for about seven years.
I don't know your first album 'A Frozen World Unknown' (sorry), but can you tell me and our readers what is the biggest difference with 'Veraldar Nagli'
Hravn: Hmm... the biggest difference..
Throllv: I am not a big fan of analyzing everything I do or have done. I think they are both great. They sound pretty different from each other, but hey three years has passed since the recording of A Frozen World Unknown and some more since we wrote the material for that album. In three years we have developed as songwriters and musicians of course.
Normally I'm not a big fan of black metal and then I mean the very extreme kind. Rimfrost can be liked by black, death, thrash and even speed metal fans, do you agree on that?
Throllv: Well maybe. I don't know, personally I'm a big fan of all kinds of metal, almost. I'm sure there is someone out there who likes disco for instance that likes black metal too, and there is people who don't. Its very individual what music people listens to obviously.
In at least 2 songs I hear riffs that could have been on Metallica's 'Kill 'em All' album. Is this record a big inspiration for the band?
Hravn: Okey, that's great to hear! The last time I listened to Kill 'em All was when I was twelve or thirteen years home at one friends house. But as I remember, that record was a killer! I must check it out now. Thrash like Vio-Lence, Exodus and, actually Iced Earth is some big inspirations for me.
What other influences does the band have?
Throllv: classic heavy metal acts like Accept, U.D.O, King Diamond, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden and so on. More extreme bands is Immortal, Bathory, Hypocrisy and a bunch of different death metal bands.
Can you tell us something about the lyrics, what are they about?
Hravn: The theme on this album is about death. Everyone can relate to that subject and we have chosen to do this album lyrics seen through the eyes of a pagan. When the world still hasn't been modernised. A pretty trite subject perhaps, but we do it on another level than other bands. Like death metal for example, then it is all about gore. Don't get me wrong, I love that to, but in our lyrics we embrace death with other thoughts and reflections. More like the Vikings view on death. If a Viking warrior died in battle, his friends and family didn't mourn him, they celebrated his memory instead.
I read in a review that the new Rimfrost record doesn't sound dark and evil enough for a black-metal band. In my opinion you aren't black metal, do you consider yourself black metal?
Throllv: Call it what you want.
Hravn: We play extreme metal on black metal basics.
Andy La Rocque did the production, isn't this a strange choice, I mean he normally doesn't produce such heavy bands as Rimfrost. Satisfied with it?
Throllv: He does now as we were there.
Hravn: Andy has been little of a role model to us so it was really cool to work with him. I think he did great. The guy has been playing in Death you know!
The album cover is a very nice picture, where does it come from and has it something to do with the title?
Hravn: The river on the artwork is Klaralven in Varmland where we come from. And our friend Viktor has done a perfect job with artwork! We want to show our mental picture of the music with it.
Has the band been playing outside Sweden a lot since their existence?
Throllv: No just one time at the Inferno festival in Norway.
What is going to happen in the next months?
Throllv: Nothing really, rehearse for upcoming live gigs if there will be any.
You are going to be isolated for 3 months, what 5 albums would you take with you?
Both of us should choose Veraldar Nagli but we consider that's out of question.
Throllv: Immortal - Sons of northern darkness, King Diamond - Deadly Lullabyes, Judas Priest - Metalogy (Only that is 5 records), one Live album with Iron Maiden, one album with Udo, either Accept or U.D.O.
Hravn: Judas Priest - Painkiller, U.D.O - Faceless World, White Lion - Pride, King Diamond - Deadly Lullabys and Mortician - Chainsaw Dismemberment.
Anything else to tell our readers what I didn't ask?
Hravn: Keep it heavy out there! Cheers!
Throllv: I can tell you that when we was recording the album I accidentally smashed Andy's wall with my car. Buy the album!
