Hey there, how are things in Norway at the moment and is the kettle of heavy metal boiling like crazy?

Hey, Norway is as always boiling over of extreme metal so it’s really hard to get anywhere playing progressive metal coming from Norway. But things are looking quite good anyway despite of this…

You are soon ready with your debut album "Conspiracy In Mind", how do you feel about the release?

It feels good to have the album out by now. I'm very happy about it, and the reviews so far have been just amazing.

Communic is a pretty new player on the scene, will you tell us how the band got started?

Well, we are a band based on the south tip of Norway, actually as south as you can get. Communic as a band was born in March, 2003 but we have been around in the underground for around ten years now in different bands and projects. Its actually a long story… In short notes, I met up with Tor Atle while playing in another band called Scariot. One day I asked Tor Atle if he wanted to join me on a side project and we fooled around with some ideas that I had. We thought that it was sounding cool and I called up Erik,that I had played together with in other projects and asked if he was willing to put some bass on the songs. He did and then COMMUNIC was born. We started working on the material for a "pro" demo and recorded three songs that we thought showed the potential of the band. Immediately after we released the demo, we signed a management deal with the Danish based "Intromental Management", and shortly after that we signed a record deal with well respected Nuclear Blast, I quit from the other band to fully focus on Communic, and that brings us up to date.

Will you guide us through the band, and tell us a bit about each member, and there forces and weak sides?

Tor Atle the drummer, works as a mechanics and is 25 years old. He is a really good drummer and is a calm person with his feet's safely planted on the ground. As for weak sides he just cut his long hair. That's not good…. Erik (bass) was born in 1966, and his all time favorite band is Manowar. Lives for playing his bass and that is what he does. His weak side is the fact that playing bass is the only thing that he actually can… Myself, I’m 31 year old, runs my own little graphic design company coping in the "real life" when I’m not making music… workaholic and never takes time for a vacation, and that's not good.

How did Communic end up with playing the style that you are playing?

It’s a blend of the musicians involved, and the different styles that we have grown up with. We all listen to different kind of metal, and I think that it all is a mix of all this. Off course most of the music comes from me, but together we arrange it and everyone leaves something of their own style into the music

What are the goals of the band, what do you wish to accomplish with Communic?

The main idea is to have fun and create some cool music that we really like. Then the task was to get the band signed and release our album. Now the goal is to play as much live as possible, and then release a follow up within the next year.

What do you want to accomplish with "Conspiracy In Mind"?

To get the band recognized and settled. Hopefully within 5 years we have 3 or 4 albums out and getting bigger tours and festivals bills to attend to… still having loads of fun while doing it.

What do Communic bring to the music scene, is the band needed?

That's a good question, because there are so many bands out there these days, and its really hard to get reckon, but we feel that we have something unique that you wont find to many other bands playing these days, so YES.

Why do you make music and what does it bring you?

Music is a personal thing to me. It gets my frustration out and the feeling of being creative and the feeling of making new music and melodies pleases me.

How do you get influenced to make music?

Usually I sit with my guitar watching television and then new ideas come to me.

The rest of the process is jamming with the other guys at rehearsals.

How do the song writing process work in Communic, does the band write the music together or… And who writes the most of the music?

I make all the music but only in bits and pieces. Together we arrange it and everyone puts their own influences into the song until everyone is satisfied.

Let us talk about the album title, "Conspiracy In Mind", a bit paranoid title one could say, what are your thoughts behind the title and what do you want it to tell the listeners?

I can’t tell you that… that would ruin it all, right. Well, I really like it and it match our music and the theme in some way. Together with the artwork it’s more or less like the lyrics. Open for interpretations, and I guess that when people have read the lyrics, heard the music and seen the video, some clues will be laid to the puzzle…

Will you tell us a bit about the lyrics, they seem quite interesting judging from the titles? If you feel like it, please go through the album song by song, and tell a bit about each lyric!

These songs are quite personal to me and are quite hard to explain, because I want people to find their own meaning to them, so its not written in clear words!. A song like "they feed on our fear" is based on some experiences I had as a child. "Ocean Bed" is about my fascination for the ocean, and the powers that it withholds. "The distance" is also a story from my life, and I find myself in the other lyrics as well, but people will have to find their own interpretations of this, and it’s probably not what I have in mind… Well, it’s not a happy album and there is no happy ending… I don't have any rules when it comes to the lyrics or the music, but everything that affects me in the daily situations may end up as a lyric inspiration or something. Some of it comes to me as personal issues and stuff that irritates me in the daily life. Some inputs come to me from watching the news and issues in the world today, the complexity of this universe is and how small we as humans are in the total picture.

How far do you think you can take the band?

I have not thought too much about that. As long as we have fun, and still manages to create interesting music and if people actually buy the album, we will carry on. We are focusing on the tasks that we have lined up these days and we will have to see where it’s heading.

How do you feel about all the "hype" there has surrounded Communic from the start, is it deserved?

Is there a hype? I think its cool to get the great feedback that we get in reviews and stuff, and I don’t think that is hyping the band. I guess people will figure out if it’s something that they actually like or not anyway.

You were picked up by Nuclear Blast, and they are releasing your first album "Conspiracy In Mind". How is your deal with the label?

It’s a long term deal, so they have options on the next album and so on.

What do you expect from Nuclear Blast?

We expect that they treat us like any other band that they support and that they are doing a good job promoting the album. So far it’s looking really good, and the communication between Nuclear Blast and the band is very good.

Are you going to tour Scandinavia in support of "Conspiracy In Mind"?

There will be a European tour starting up April 1st, together with Ensiferum and Graveworm that will last for 2 1/2 week, and we are also confirmed for the Rock Hard Festival this summer and hopefully some more festival gigs this summer. We are really looking forward to get out, play these songs live.

Will you share your 3 all time favourite albums with the Scandinavian metal heads?

Megadeth – Rust in peace
Ayreon – Everything
Sanctuary – Mirror Black

Thank you very much for answering my questions and for your great debut album, I can't wait to hear your next album! Be sure to slay when you come to Aalborg, sadly I can’t be there! If you have anything to add, feel free to say it now!

Thanks for the interview and the support. The gig in Aalborg was really cool thing to do, and it was actually our debut gig with Communic.

I hope people will check out our album, as we think we have something to offer in the world of metal these days, and hopefully we can get out a play a lot LIVE…

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