NORRSKÖLD tells the new records

Once again, I interviewed Henrik from NORRSKÖLD who recently released a double single entitled "Shores Forsaken". The band is also currently working on their second album so, let’s speak about these new records!

01. Hi again, Henrik! How are you since the last time ? 

Cheers mate!

Well, the last year has been really intense for all of us in the band! We’ve had some line-up changes, and we’ve now established ourselves as true live act with permanent members. Countless of hours have been spent on rehearsing for live shows, writing new music and of course the recording of our latest release “Shores Forsaken”. Although the agenda usually is really demanding, it´s fantastic to see all the progress we’re making right now!

02. Lately, you released "Shores Forsaken" single in digital. Have you got positive feedback for that single ? 

That´s right! We have sort of a tradition of making some kind of release in the beginning of each year ;) We’re all satisfied with the end results of the release, especially due to the hard work we have put into the recording. This is also the first release we have recorded as a full-scale band (previously we’ve been working a lot with session musicians), which has been truly satisfying! The feedback has been great so far! We´ve got a lot of comments on that we´re constantly evolving regarding our songwriting andf composing, creating interesting catchy melodies etc. As much as we’re hoping for a bunch of new fans with this release, we also believe that our old fans are satisfied with the songs, as we’re still sticking to our ways of mixing metal “styles” in our own special way.

03. Is it also available in compact disc ?

It’s still not clear in which format, or when, the songs of “Shores Forsaken” will be released in a physical format. However the plan is that the songs WILL be physically released in one way or another, within a year or so.

04. What are the two songs about ?

“Shores Forsaken” is the stuff of legends, as it describes the old folklore about sailors that have been lost to the sea and resurrects as soulless, undead creatures (“strandvaskare” in Swedish) who haunts the coast. Sort of like an unholy mix of “The Walking Dead” and “Titanic”. Musically, it´s a classic melody driven, machinegun drum ridden, nasty piece of melodic metal!

“Born From Soil (We March)” is about nature taking revenge on mankind for her habit of destroying the world she lives in. In the story, this declaration of war is primarilly advocated by maybe the most classic Scandinavian folklore creatures of them all. They don´t like sunshine. They certainly don’t like churches. They usually broadcast their “Cribs”-episodes from under large rocks in the deep woods…and they’re not well known for their excelent hygiene. Any guess? ;)

05. You are currently working on your next album. Can you reveal us the title and details on that record ?

Well, although we do have blueprints done for most of the songs, it’s still a bit too early to tell more about the full-legth album. We´re hoping to release the album, at latest, during the half of 2017. What we CAN promise is that the album surely will knock everyone of their chair! Fans of our previous releases will NOT be dissapointed, as the new album will give them more of everything!

06. When do you plan to release this second full length ?

Hopefully early in 2017, but it depends on studio availability etc.

07. Will some special guest appear on this record ?

That’s not impossible at all! So far we have introduced brass, choir and violin to our music, so who knows were it will end? For “Shores Forsaken”, we included for example a live violin player who did a really nice work with his 4-string! We do have some plans of involving even more exciting elements for our next full-length album, make sure to keep your eyes on our Facebook and Instagram pages for hints!

08. Musically speaking, what are the main changes between this upcoming album and your previous works ? Does the recent single reflect perfectly the sound for that album ?

Since we´re now writing music as a band, with 5 different wills, skills and influences, it will surely be a distinct differance from our previous releases. Though this is a natural development of a band, and it might even be neccessary in order for the band to stay interesting. For example, we’re trying out some more extreme and “evil” elements in our upcoming songs. We’re also experimenting with instrumentals and more atmospheric creations. So in all; there will surely be something for everyone. I think that “Shores Forsaken” proves that we’re still quite a melody-driven band, something that will continuous also in future albums. 

09. What is processed for the new album ?

As for now, we have a majority of the songs written (drafts as well as almost complete songs). We’re currently puting together a more detailed timeplan for the recording process, where we’re in contact with a couple of studios etc.

10. Have you met some issues until now ?

Like every band most certainly do, we encounter issues once in a while. Especially technical ones. The studio recording process is always a true adventure, especially as we’re experimenting quite a lot with recording methods, including new instrument elements etc. We also have had some serious discussions regarding future prioritzing of the band activity, but we’re mostly guite agreed upon what things that needs to be done in order to evolve as a band.

11. I think that you are going on tour pretty soon. Where can we meet you and the band ?

Yeah it’s sure going to be a constant blast! We’re supporting the melodic metal legends of NIGHTRAGE, together with the other metal acts Ghugun, Bloodstorm, Rise to Fall and Monoscream. With our joined forces, we will spread our melodic metal mayhem throughout the following European locations:

14/04/16 The Pit, Bellinzona, CH 

15/04/16 Underground, Ebensee, AT

17/04/16 Logo Hamburg, Hamburg, DE

18/04/16 Freaked Studio, Bétheny, FR

19/04/16 Don't Panic Essen, Essen, DE

20/04/16 The Smile, Liege, BE

21/04/16 Cafe-zaal de Reunie, Geleen, NL

22/04/16 Rockclub the Cave, Amsterdam, NL

23/04/16 De Verlichte Geest, Roeselare, BE 

24/04/16 Stiching PoGo, Gorinchem, NL

12. You are also making your very first official video that would be for the single track. Can you share with us your experience making that video ?

Well, as you said this is our first music video experience and we´re stoked about letting the world share this experience with us! We recorded it during a very chilly Swedish winter weekend, and managed to perfectly time a snow storm during the recording. That surely made the whole process of “looking grim” a bit easier. We got great help from our fantastic friends in creating some good scenic appearance, and we also had the honour of geting to record the video in some really cool environments and we really believe we have been able to “catch” the atmosphere of the lyrics in a visual format! The whole process of recording both the double single and the music video was actually recorded as a studio diary, that can be found on the official Norrsköld Youtube Channel (we strongly recommend watching these hilaious scenes).

13. When do you plan to unveil this “Shores Forsaken” video ?

Our plan is to reveal this epic piece of music video in the beginning of our European Tour, which starts on the 14:th of April. The absolute release date will be announced on our various media channels (official website, Facebook, Instagram etc.) so keep your eyes open and your specs polished!

14. You seem to be a very active band. Don’t you have other plans in mind ?

We’ll as I said, we’re generally busy guys with full-time jobs and studies, which of course draw some attention from our band. Some of us also have other music projects; the singer as well as the bass player are doing well with their metal core band “A dead tree doesn’t talk” and I (Henrik) have an acoustic pop duo called Amforia. Check’em both out on Spotify!

15. Thanks for the interview, Henrik! The last words are yours.

Thank YOU for giving us some time in the spotlight! There’s so many cool stuff going on in the Norrsköld camp, that we barely know what to do with ourselves! We could start by inviting all of the metal heads in Europe to visit us on Facebook, follow us on Spotify. And not to mention; SEE US ON TOUR WITH NIGHTRAGE IN APRIL 2016!!