All Interviews
Construcdead
The recording line up on the new album
Posted on Oct 9, 2005
by Anders
Another band which recently has caught my attention is the Swedish technical thrashers Construcdead. Their new album "The Grand Machinery" is a good album, with some hard hitting material. I hooked up with guitarist/backing vocalist Rickard Dahlberg to talk about the new album and the band in general, session vocalist Jens Broman (The Defaced and Hatelight) sneaked in to answer a couple of the questions as well.
Hails, how are things in Sweden as we speak?
Rickard: Everything is just fine, thanks for asking!
Will you please start of by introducing yourself and tell us why you thrash away with Construcdead?
Rickard: My name is Rickard Dahlberg, I play guitar and do backing vocals in Construcdead. Why I play with the guys., hmm well Christian Ericson, Erik Thyselius and I have been playing together since 1995 or 1996 or something like that, so I guess we like playing together. We are comfortable with each other. That's why we still are the core of Construcdead.
A small introduction of the rest of the band and a bit about their favoured drinks and drinking habits will be great as well, and your own of course!
Rickard: Haha!!! Well, there is Erik our drummer and I guess his favoured drink is pilsner. He don't drink as much as he used to. Main reason for that is because he plays drums in several bands, and he has a girlfriend who keeps him home!! haha!! Nah seriously, when he starts drinking he goes all the way. Then there's Christian the guitarist. I guess him and I are the heavy drinkers in the band, because we usually don't stop until the place closes or we run out of liquor. We drink anything we can get our hands on. Mostly beer though. Viktor our bass player, it's the same thing with him, beer… and you can usually find him at the local pub, like every night… Jens Broman, who did the vocals on the new album, he would never ever turn down a night out, or just a beer at the pub. He loves it, I guess all of us are beer drinkers, but we sure as hell enjoy Jim Beam, Jack Daniels and some Jägermeister as well!
You are soon ready with your new album "The Grand Machinery", how do you feel about the album?
Rickard: We are sooo satisfied with it. It turned out way much better than we had ever hoped it would be! Our absolutely best effort so far! The other albums don't even come near. I mean, just listen to it, the sound, the dynamic!! There's nothing on this album I would ever change.
"The Grand Machinery" a title that can be interpreted in quite some ways, what are your purpose with the title, what does it cover and do you have a message that you would like to tell?
Rickard: The lyrics on this album, I guess, is a reflection on today's society, how everything is connected, how people get brainwashed by the media, how people paint up their perfect image of how things should be. That is what the "The Grand Machinery" covers. How we all fit in, whether we like it or not, because we are all just a small cog in a grand machinery.
As such the album seems a bit like a loose concept album, is that correct or is it only some of the tracks there are connected?
Rickard: Some of the songs are more connected than others, but still. They are all on the same album and have a purpose. Since we wrote the music before the lyrics even got near the finished songs, Jens is the one you really should ask. But since he's not around, I'll try my best to answer. But if you read through all of the lyrics, you'll see a red line that crosses over all of the songs.
Can you tell about the lyrical universe of Construcdead, and perhaps pull out 3 tracks and go in detail with the lyrics to those?
Jens: The lyrics for the title track is about the alienation, you feel. We all know that we're in total control, but every now and then, you feel without control, The lyrics was written in a down period in my life, sometimes it feels like you're grinded in a big machinery, and you're just one small piece of the machinery, a cog, where your originality is about to be grinded into infinity, so the song is about alienation.
'A Moment Of sobriety' is about when you're unemployed, drinking to much, and one day you wake up, and figures "shit I've got to put my shit together" find a way out! So you wake up without alcohol running in your veins, a rude awaking, so to speak.
'Pater Noster' was written at the time of when the pope died. Pater Noster is Latin for "Our saviour", I'm not christian or something, but the time reflected a time of change, so something should happen, but nothing did, so what, hahahaha.
Who writes the lyrics?
Jens: I did them in a week, with the help of a bottle of whiskey.
Where is the inspiration for the lyrics found?
Jens: In my everyday life, what I read, what I see, and what I reflect upon.
Hard hitting thrash metal with swirling melodies and cold industrial atmospheres, how did you end up playing such metal?
Rickard: I guess we just evolved that way, after several years of playing together. Some people/groups find their way of playing music after very short time, for us… it took a bit longer. But now that we've found our path, our way of playing, we'll continue that way. And I think that our music still will be growing for each album.
Who is main composer in the band?
Rickard: Christian is the guitar wizard in the band. He just picks up a guitar and starts playing, and these amazing riffs just comes out of him. Me and Erik are kinda like the "smooth" guys. We often write choruses and solo riffs. Well, some other parts too, but Christian is a lot of the heart and soul in Construcdead.
Where do you find inspiration for your music?
Rickard: In our heads mostly, I mean it is there you come up with the riffs, sure you get inspiration from other groups as well, but it's not like we listen to a song and then think, hey!! We can do this! Everyday life, work, girlfriends, emotions, both good and bad. That's the way we do it, sometimes we just start playing while we are at practice, and Erik follows up on the drums. And before you know it, a brand new riff.
How do you work when you write and arrange the music in Construcdead?
Rickard: Nowadays, we often sit down home. With our computers, just to get a picture of how things can sound when they are finished. So we sit there, drinks some beers, just riffing and recording. Then we take the best parts and try to fit them together. But at other times we just write stuff from the heart, in our rehearsal room. But none of the songs gets on an album unless everybody in the band is satisfied with them. It doesn't matter if you come up with a whole song, if it isn't approved, we'll cut it to pieces and start rebuilding it until everybody is satisfied.
How would you describe your music to a metalhead who never had heard about Construcdead?
Rickard: Heavy, intense, fast, brutal, melodic, well structured, like a fist in your face.
How has "The Grand Machinery" been received by the press?
Rickard: So far very well! Much better than "Violadead". It is fun to read the reviews this time! hahaha! But, yes, very good so far.
What do you expect from the album?
Rickard: Worldwide Domination! Ha! Nah, just a chance to get out and play. To be recognized as a good Swedish metal band, and not just as "another band". Because I truly believe that this album can take us far! Hopefully, we'll get some cash for it as well!
Will you explain the idea of the cover artwork and what you would like people to see in it?
Rickard: It's just a picture, really... Well Joakim Harju(Face Down) did it for us, we thought it seemed fine as the cover artwork.
How do you feel about the following bands?
Rickard: Fear Factory: I was completely blown away when I first heard "Demanufacture" Sadly, I haven't been as surprised after that. I still buy their albums as soon as they come out, and go see them live. But in the mid 90ties they were unmatched.
Slayer: Kerry King, Do I need to say more?!? I'm actually not the biggest Slayer fan in the band. But I sure as hell respect everything they do and have done. Without Slayer, I don't think that the metal scene would have looked the way it looks today.
Megadeth: Also some very good records, especially the early ones. I barely listen to them now though.
Hatesphere: I only have one record with them, and they do sound awesome! Now we'll get to know the guys since we are going on tour with them, so that'll be fun!!
Mnemic: Same as above, only heard one record with the guys. But I really do like it, I do hope I get a chance to hear some more, cause I really like them. Very strong songs, a good mixture of everything.
In Flames: Hmmm, well they used to be pretty good, I still like some of their smooth parts, but I think that they should have stayed with their old sound, nothing bad, but I just liked them better before.
How do you look upon the future of Construcdead?
Rickard: The future of Construcdead… Hmm hard to tell, we are going on tour now, so I hope that people will see us perform live and go out and buy the records, hopefully we'll be able to do some more touring and perhaps record another album sometime soon again. But who knows. We'll just have to wait and see.
Will you share your 5 all time favourite albums with the readers?
Rickard:
Carcass - Heartwork
Arch Enemy - Black Earth
Crowbar - Time Heals Nothing
Pantera - Vulgar Display Of Power
Metallica - …And Justice For All
Thanks a lot for answering my questions, if you have anything to add, feel free to add it now!
Rickard: Thanks for the interview! Make sure you see us live together with Soilwork and Hatesphere this October on their European Tour. And please visit our homepage and say something in the guestbook! Thanks for all the support! Cheers!!
Rickard: Everything is just fine, thanks for asking!
Will you please start of by introducing yourself and tell us why you thrash away with Construcdead?
Rickard: My name is Rickard Dahlberg, I play guitar and do backing vocals in Construcdead. Why I play with the guys., hmm well Christian Ericson, Erik Thyselius and I have been playing together since 1995 or 1996 or something like that, so I guess we like playing together. We are comfortable with each other. That's why we still are the core of Construcdead.
A small introduction of the rest of the band and a bit about their favoured drinks and drinking habits will be great as well, and your own of course!
Rickard: Haha!!! Well, there is Erik our drummer and I guess his favoured drink is pilsner. He don't drink as much as he used to. Main reason for that is because he plays drums in several bands, and he has a girlfriend who keeps him home!! haha!! Nah seriously, when he starts drinking he goes all the way. Then there's Christian the guitarist. I guess him and I are the heavy drinkers in the band, because we usually don't stop until the place closes or we run out of liquor. We drink anything we can get our hands on. Mostly beer though. Viktor our bass player, it's the same thing with him, beer… and you can usually find him at the local pub, like every night… Jens Broman, who did the vocals on the new album, he would never ever turn down a night out, or just a beer at the pub. He loves it, I guess all of us are beer drinkers, but we sure as hell enjoy Jim Beam, Jack Daniels and some Jägermeister as well!
You are soon ready with your new album "The Grand Machinery", how do you feel about the album?
Rickard: We are sooo satisfied with it. It turned out way much better than we had ever hoped it would be! Our absolutely best effort so far! The other albums don't even come near. I mean, just listen to it, the sound, the dynamic!! There's nothing on this album I would ever change.
"The Grand Machinery" a title that can be interpreted in quite some ways, what are your purpose with the title, what does it cover and do you have a message that you would like to tell?
Rickard: The lyrics on this album, I guess, is a reflection on today's society, how everything is connected, how people get brainwashed by the media, how people paint up their perfect image of how things should be. That is what the "The Grand Machinery" covers. How we all fit in, whether we like it or not, because we are all just a small cog in a grand machinery.
As such the album seems a bit like a loose concept album, is that correct or is it only some of the tracks there are connected?
Rickard: Some of the songs are more connected than others, but still. They are all on the same album and have a purpose. Since we wrote the music before the lyrics even got near the finished songs, Jens is the one you really should ask. But since he's not around, I'll try my best to answer. But if you read through all of the lyrics, you'll see a red line that crosses over all of the songs.
Can you tell about the lyrical universe of Construcdead, and perhaps pull out 3 tracks and go in detail with the lyrics to those?
Jens: The lyrics for the title track is about the alienation, you feel. We all know that we're in total control, but every now and then, you feel without control, The lyrics was written in a down period in my life, sometimes it feels like you're grinded in a big machinery, and you're just one small piece of the machinery, a cog, where your originality is about to be grinded into infinity, so the song is about alienation.
'A Moment Of sobriety' is about when you're unemployed, drinking to much, and one day you wake up, and figures "shit I've got to put my shit together" find a way out! So you wake up without alcohol running in your veins, a rude awaking, so to speak.
'Pater Noster' was written at the time of when the pope died. Pater Noster is Latin for "Our saviour", I'm not christian or something, but the time reflected a time of change, so something should happen, but nothing did, so what, hahahaha.
Who writes the lyrics?
Jens: I did them in a week, with the help of a bottle of whiskey.
Where is the inspiration for the lyrics found?
Jens: In my everyday life, what I read, what I see, and what I reflect upon.
Hard hitting thrash metal with swirling melodies and cold industrial atmospheres, how did you end up playing such metal?
Rickard: I guess we just evolved that way, after several years of playing together. Some people/groups find their way of playing music after very short time, for us… it took a bit longer. But now that we've found our path, our way of playing, we'll continue that way. And I think that our music still will be growing for each album.
Who is main composer in the band?
Rickard: Christian is the guitar wizard in the band. He just picks up a guitar and starts playing, and these amazing riffs just comes out of him. Me and Erik are kinda like the "smooth" guys. We often write choruses and solo riffs. Well, some other parts too, but Christian is a lot of the heart and soul in Construcdead.
Where do you find inspiration for your music?
Rickard: In our heads mostly, I mean it is there you come up with the riffs, sure you get inspiration from other groups as well, but it's not like we listen to a song and then think, hey!! We can do this! Everyday life, work, girlfriends, emotions, both good and bad. That's the way we do it, sometimes we just start playing while we are at practice, and Erik follows up on the drums. And before you know it, a brand new riff.
How do you work when you write and arrange the music in Construcdead?
Rickard: Nowadays, we often sit down home. With our computers, just to get a picture of how things can sound when they are finished. So we sit there, drinks some beers, just riffing and recording. Then we take the best parts and try to fit them together. But at other times we just write stuff from the heart, in our rehearsal room. But none of the songs gets on an album unless everybody in the band is satisfied with them. It doesn't matter if you come up with a whole song, if it isn't approved, we'll cut it to pieces and start rebuilding it until everybody is satisfied.
How would you describe your music to a metalhead who never had heard about Construcdead?
Rickard: Heavy, intense, fast, brutal, melodic, well structured, like a fist in your face.
How has "The Grand Machinery" been received by the press?
Rickard: So far very well! Much better than "Violadead". It is fun to read the reviews this time! hahaha! But, yes, very good so far.
What do you expect from the album?
Rickard: Worldwide Domination! Ha! Nah, just a chance to get out and play. To be recognized as a good Swedish metal band, and not just as "another band". Because I truly believe that this album can take us far! Hopefully, we'll get some cash for it as well!
Will you explain the idea of the cover artwork and what you would like people to see in it?
Rickard: It's just a picture, really... Well Joakim Harju(Face Down) did it for us, we thought it seemed fine as the cover artwork.
How do you feel about the following bands?
Rickard: Fear Factory: I was completely blown away when I first heard "Demanufacture" Sadly, I haven't been as surprised after that. I still buy their albums as soon as they come out, and go see them live. But in the mid 90ties they were unmatched.
Slayer: Kerry King, Do I need to say more?!? I'm actually not the biggest Slayer fan in the band. But I sure as hell respect everything they do and have done. Without Slayer, I don't think that the metal scene would have looked the way it looks today.
Megadeth: Also some very good records, especially the early ones. I barely listen to them now though.
Hatesphere: I only have one record with them, and they do sound awesome! Now we'll get to know the guys since we are going on tour with them, so that'll be fun!!
Mnemic: Same as above, only heard one record with the guys. But I really do like it, I do hope I get a chance to hear some more, cause I really like them. Very strong songs, a good mixture of everything.
In Flames: Hmmm, well they used to be pretty good, I still like some of their smooth parts, but I think that they should have stayed with their old sound, nothing bad, but I just liked them better before.
How do you look upon the future of Construcdead?
Rickard: The future of Construcdead… Hmm hard to tell, we are going on tour now, so I hope that people will see us perform live and go out and buy the records, hopefully we'll be able to do some more touring and perhaps record another album sometime soon again. But who knows. We'll just have to wait and see.
Will you share your 5 all time favourite albums with the readers?
Rickard:
Carcass - Heartwork
Arch Enemy - Black Earth
Crowbar - Time Heals Nothing
Pantera - Vulgar Display Of Power
Metallica - …And Justice For All
Thanks a lot for answering my questions, if you have anything to add, feel free to add it now!
Rickard: Thanks for the interview! Make sure you see us live together with Soilwork and Hatesphere this October on their European Tour. And please visit our homepage and say something in the guestbook! Thanks for all the support! Cheers!!
Construcdead website
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