Hey Jesper, will you tell us everything there is to know about your band Anubis Gate?

Okay! We are a Danish metal band, formed in 2003, by our drummer and me. Our style is somewhere between classic metal, power/prog metal. We sound heavy, dark, melodic and with an epic charisma. Our debut album “Purification” was released in 2004. Even though we are a new band, we have all played music for about 20 years. Our lead singer Torben Askholm has a huge voice, both lots of hard-hitting power, and a fine clear definition when the music is atmospheric, more acoustic/moody.

Kim Olesen, who handle guitars and synthesizers is a person with musically depths, he brings the big layers to our music, and comes up with ideas that make us stand out from what you normally hear in metal. I have played with Kim many years ago, and he was up for the job with this band again.

Henrik Fevre, our bassist, and harmony/second vocalist, has a background from metal/pop/rock music. He is a music teacher like Kim, and brings another level of music understanding to us. He writes some of the lyrics and vocal arrangements, the more melodic popish stuff, while Torben is bit more aggressive, and metal in his arrangements, and also soft when needed. I have known Henrik since childhood, and we use to play metal together as kids.

Morten Sørensen, drummer, and I go way back also. In different local bands. We match each other in taste of metal, and what we want of Anubis Gate. He is a skilled drummer, fast learner. He’s our “Doctor Metal”, whom I often present my ideas to first, and he tells me what is good, and what is not.

All in all we are very different persons, and that’s meant in a good inspiring way.

You released your debut album “Purification” last year, how much have it sold and did you receive some positive feedback on it?

Yes, it has been out nearly one year now, in Europe and North America. We got great reviews on it, and the overall feedback has been positive. I don’t know how much it has sold, and as a new name between many, you don’t sell a million records, and it’s not a goal for us. We never did any demo’s either, so “Purification” is out of the blue. One of the first reviews was in Rock Hard, where we got 9/10, from a guest reviewer. Sure we got some mixed reviews as well, and we have learned from them. It should be easy to find this album, if wanted.

How do you look upon the album now a days?

It was a start; it gave us a record deal and a management. I’m fine with it as a debut. I think the production and music suits well, it’s not a party rock, beer-drinking record. It’s the kind you take your time with. I think it has originality, which is important to us. I like its darkness; it’s not the happy up-tempo power metal. It won’t be the best album we make, and after a distance to it, I can hear a lot of things that could be better. It’s always like that, and is the reason for keep writing music. I think of it as a special album, as it did bring a lot of good things for us. I mean, when it was recorded we did not have a deal, and we did not know if it was good enough for it. For this album we used many “stored” ideas, over a period of years, only being Morten and me having a dream of this.

You just finished the recording of your upcoming second album, what can you tell us about that?

Yes it’s done now. This time we did it all bigger. We composed very concentrated, and Kim where involved more in it this time. We have a product that is better varied, and greater interesting. On “Purification” you have a feeling of slow/doom overall, a bit monotone perhaps. Now the thing “swing” better, it does have more power and tempo at times, but also a connection to the good things found on the first album. The music shows what we really can do. Also we did pre-productions on most of it, a nice help. Particularly in the vocals you can hear an improvement, Torben had more time in the studio, and the demo to guide him. What was good on “Purification”, we did once more; it’s Jacob Hansen who produced again. This time he had better control. The first album was a mix of our own recordings and his. Now he was in the making from the start. It just gives better results. Mattias Norén who did the fantastic artwork on “Purification”, has also done the new album cover, and it’s amazing. Our management, Intromental, is pleased with it, and they’ll put a lot of work into it. We are back, and for those who liked “Purification” this should not disappoint. The title of our new album is “A Perfect Forever”, cover, and lyrics on the long title track, does match this. It has a playtime for about 63 minutes.

When will we hear anything from it, will you release a track or 2 from the album online, before it is released?

That’s a hard question, no release date yet. We have to wait for the labels to respond. We know now that our main label, Locomotive, really like the new disc, and we hope to reach new territories, so it’s up to our management to solve this issue with release dates, if new things happen. Sometime in 2005 is all I’m sure of, and hopefully around summer. Yes, we will do a fresh new design on our website, with the new artwork by Mattias, and pictures (as we are a full band now, the 2 guest’s on “Purification”: Kim Olesen & Henrik Fevre, are full time members now, as you might have guessed). And then we’ll put sound clips up as well, maybe a full song.

How do you look upon the Internet and music, free mp3s, filesharing etc…?

The Internet it important to our band, we live in different cities, and can’t compose without it fast enough. We use home studios, and share our recordings this way. So this is a positive thing. As for the file sharing, in my position I have no plans for a living out of music. It’s a hobby. But for bands that offer a lot for it, and really struggle to make a living from it, it’s negative. For the labels, people who are depending on sales numbers, it’s negative. I hope there will come some technology solution to it in the future, but at some point people will always find a way, I guess. We might loose some talents, the music that’s not for the masses. And maybe the industry, cannot afford to dare that much any more either.

How great a tool is the Internet for Anubis Gate when thinking of promoting the band?

The Internet is important, in many layers. Most of the reviews we get are found here. Our homepage is important; here the fans can follow the news. We have a forum on the site, where you can get direct answers to questions. So, in some terms you can get closer to your favourite artists. The Internet is a media that’s here to stay, and it’s good for a small band like us for promotion.

When you write music, where do you find your inspiration?

Inspiration for me is found in ways of thinking, communication, from listening to music in different genres. It’s almost impossible to point out where a specific idea really came from, and I don’t want to make a rip-off. When I create music I start with the riffing, trying to make something on the guitar, which gives me a feeling of a personal output. The creation of an album is being done over a long period of time. It’s a need for me to compose, and it can take form in different stages. From long nights, with a not logical thinking mind. It’s about clearing your thoughts, and use another languish. I did write some songs with Kim, for the new album, and that was an enjoyable experience. We can get more out of each other this way. All in all it’s about finding some peace, in other words, a break from ordinary life. And to seek new goals, be better, and if you succeed in that, your life will also affect it.

Which genres, bands and albums have meant a lot to you during the shaping of you as a musician?

When I first discovered metal, I was 11 or 12 years old. I found an expression in music, a place I felt I did belong. I grew up with classic music, my father’s records, and listening to him playing the clarinet. Maybe some of the classic music did match the same feeling in metal for me. I remember the early demos of Artillery did a big impression on me, and soon after I found myself listening to Iron Maiden, Dio, Metallica, King Diamond, Black Sabbath, Megadeth. Followed by the thrash scene with Exodus, Kreator, and Testament. Then more extreme bands like Death. The last 15 years I mostly listen to power, prog rock/metal, and heavy metal in the more traditional way. An album like Crimson Glory’s “Transcendence” means a lot to me, also the early Queensrÿche and Fates Warning alums means alot. Well a lot of bands and abums!

Many great bands, especially those who did not end up being boring copycats.

What started me to play music where my friends at school, who needed a bass player. Henrik was one of them, and then I was started. Later on I played in Extreme Feedback, Invocator, Geronimo.

When will we see Anubis Gate on the stage, isn’t soon time for you to deliver a concert or 2?

Yes we might do. We did a rehearsal a few weeks ago. As mentioned it’s not often we meet. When our new album is out, I hope we will. It demands a serious amount of rehearsals, to deliver the music in concert. We have no dates booked, but people have begun asking for it.

Why should people not knowing of Anubis Gate, check out the band?

Good question, so check us out then. You might find something you like, and if not … well at least you tried ;-)

Will you tell us what you have been listening a lot to lately?

Masterplan – Aeronautics, clips from the upcoming Beyond Twilight sounds promising. Also some pop/rock from the eighties, hehe. Pink Floyd and King Crimson are often on my stereo too.

Thank you very much for answering my questions, if you have anything to add, feel free to do it now!

Thanks for the interview and your support, have fun

[This interview was first published on the now defunct scandinavianmetal.info webzine]