Artist: Isvind
Orgin: Norwegen
Genre: Black Metal
Label: Folter Records
Link: http://www.facebook.com/Isvindband
Bandmember:
Vocals, Drums, Keyboards – Goblin
Guitar, Bass, Vocals – Arak Draconiiz
Bass – Skaevvtroll
Drums – Släärbrääch
Time For Metal / Gordon E.:
Isvind,
hello from Germany and – of course – thank you for your time to talk with us about your recent output, Gud. To be honest, I never heard of you before I reviewed your CD and I think I am not alone with not knowing you. Would you be so nice and introduce yourself to our readers?
Isvind / Goblin:
Hoi there, we are one of those bands that very really active in the mid-90’s but faded out when the millenium arrived. It has been a two-piece band with Arak Draconiiz and myself since 1992, and we have done all the demos, 7″ and the 3 first albums; Dark Waters Stir, Intet Lever and Daumyra. For the latest release, we were for the first time a 4-piece band. The other memberes weren’t too incolved in the music writing this time, but maybe in the future. Isvind is a very particular thing, and I think Arak and I are the only one who understand it fully. For this record, „gud“, we tried to make it musically strong, and I think we did good.
Time For Metal / Gordon E.:
When I searched for some information about Isvind, I found out that you started Isvind quiet early. In 1992, so right before the 2nd Wave, you were known as Ice Wind (the English version of your band name), stood active still 1997, disbanded, and rebootet Isvind in 2002. What were the reasons for the break-up and why did you decide to reactivate the band?
Isvind / Goblin:
What did happen was that when we were Ice Wind, we were 3 members and we were not too happy about what we were doing. After, what we felt at the time, the dead weight moved to another time, Arak and I saw the opportunity to do what we really wanted to do, and Isvind was formed and Nivelheimen was released short after. That was in 1993 if I’m not wrong.
Time For Metal / Gordon E.:
You discography tells me, that the problems werent solved in 2002, you released a Split one year later and a Promo in 2004. Than there was silence again. 4 years ago, Isvind started to create output at a normal „2-year“-frequence. What has changed in your lives that Isvind transformed into a working band, nearly 20 years after creating the band?
Isvind / Goblin:
There were a lot of things happening late 1990’s and early 2000 that lead to things not happening. Family, school, work and other „normal“ things was a spoke in the wheel for our progress at the time. What happened in 2010 was that I moved back to Oslo, and actually moved in more or less next door to Arak. I rented a studio where I played with another band, and Arak and I started to hang out more again. The path was short for us to do „Intet Lever“, and that gave us some momentum that we’re still feeding off I guess.
Time For Metal / Gordon E.:
Lets switch into the present, I think our readers got a good insight into what happend before. Gud is the 3rd Album since the reboot in 2002 and your 4th if you include the Dark Waters Stir. I just listended to your Album and was quiet surprised about the high quality of your songwriting. I´ve got the feeling you wanted to create some new ideas instead of just „do what the others do“. Am I right with my feeling? How did you wrote your songs and what is your intention behind Gud?
Isvind / Goblin:
I think it’s more correct to say that Isvind re-started in 2010. Isvind has never been about doing what the masses do or expect from us. For me music is very important and in the centre of everything I do. My intention when writing for „gud“ was to chose a meldodic structure and stick with it for the whole song, and it was more time-consuming than just writng riff after riff, but I think the result is better, especially after we have released 3 riff-after-riff-abums, I think our luck is running out… We have also put a few special things on the album wh have never done before, hope it works as we intended it to do.
Time For Metal / Gordon E.:
When I listened to Gud, I´ve got the feeling that you are more influenced by Taake than by any other band. Besides your band is very old, what are the main influences to Isvind?
Isvind / Goblin:
Taake and Isvind operate in completely different timelines, I am absolutely sure we don’t look in their cards, and they don’t look in ours. Taake is a great band following their own path, and I salute them for that, but I wouldn’t draw inspiration from them since I have my own thing going, even how good their albums get… I rarely get inspired by other bands.
Time For Metal / Gordon E.:
Being a few years older and in the position to watch the Black Metal-„Scene“ grow and evolve, what are your impression about the scene or the outputs nowadays? If you compare old Black Metal with Black Metal today, some people could think that they listen to 2 different gernes. Do you like the development or do you wish the old days back?
Isvind / Goblin:
Oh, I don’t know. I get asked this a lot and I still don’t know. I listen to music from 70’s, 80’s for the most part, and I have no idea what all the new bands are up too. Some times, when we are on tour or doing shows we get to hear new bands, and there are some really good gems out there, and I usually end up buying whatever they have for sale and leave it at that. But what I hear some bands do, is to pretend they are 17 year olds in 1993 making Black Metal, that usually sounds lame. If I would like to go back? No, not really. I came, I saw, I went here. Good times.
Time For Metal / Gordon E.:
Back to your new album: I am not able to understand a word, because you choose not to sing in English or German… What are the lyrics about on Gud?
Isvind / Goblin:
The lyrics dig into the old testament of the bible, you know another book christians could do without. I tried writing some in english, but it was too hard to word it when I spend all my waking hours thinking in norwegian, think about that! We have english titles in the past, but what the hell, A lyric is just to make the filler-riffs sound better.
Time For Metal / Gordon E.:
Seeing 4 active members in Isvind and quiet a lot of material to play – do you plan to play live? If yes: When and where?
Isvind / Goblin:
We are playing Under The Black Sun 2nd July this year, and after that our schedule is clear. We would like to play more live, but it’s hard to get booked and play around. Specially since we have just been two members and had to recruit for each show/tour. Now we can do more constructive rehearsals and plans for shows. I hope we can do a tour across europe early 2016.
Time For Metal / Gordon E.:
What are your plans for the future? Can your fans develop some anticipation for a new Album in 2017?
Isvind / Goblin:
Sure, why not…
Time For Metal / Gordon E.:
I think thats all from my side. As usual, when I write an interview the band gets the possibility to answer a question which she allways wanted to answer, but never got asked. If you do not want to do my job, just skip the part and use this space to say a few words to our readers and your fans. Greetings!
Isvind / Goblin:
So, mr Goblin. What is your favourite color?“