Интервю с Gretn от LIKHEIM

Likheim is a new Norwegian black metal entity and  is also the first name in the catalog of UNDERGROUND KVLT RECORDS, the new sublabel of the well known  Odium Records.
The project is led by Gretn, with whom we talked about both Likheim  and the music in general, and I am convinced once again that the underground scene  is hiding real treasures in terms of music  and culture , and it is definitely a good cause to give every free second of your life to.
The debut  Likheim record,  “Alt Skal Svinne Hen“ , forged with the assistance of  Gamle Erik (Carpathian Forest, Svarttjern) & Umarlak, was released in  the end of May and  you can hear it HERE, while reading our conversation.
Now, here’s what Gretn shared …

The musical ideas behind Likheim have been brewing in the back of my mind for many, many years. After it became clear that my old band Vargariket wouldn’t release any more music, maybe around the year 2000, I started playing in several other bands not related to black metal. However, most of the riffs I wrote would seem to fit best in a black metal context so over the following 20-or-so years I had a lot of individual riffs recorded on various recording devices but I never had the time, money or recording knowledge to record music the way I envisioned it. Luckily, I must say, Covid struck the world and gave me a lot of time. Then, in february ‘21, my old friend Hrafn from Hrafnheim Studio asked me if I’d come over and do a re-recording of an old Vargariket tune called Vargnatt and that’s when the black flame was lit once again; I realized I had spent to much time contemplating, so I buckled up and created Likheim.

The vision was to create fierce and angry black metal. I wanted it to sound more like a live recording than a polished studio production and I wanted to use mostly “one-takes” – If no huge errors occurred during the recording, we’d stick with the first track we recorded. So most guitars are one-takes or so, and the vocals as well. I never rehearse the vocal lines before I enter the studio, so even I don’t know how it will sound when I am finished recording.   

When asked about the meaning of the name “Likheim”, the musician  specifies:
Likheim is composed of the two words “Lik” meaning dead body and “heim” which can have multiple meanings such as home, farm, town etc. In my vision of the name, Likheim is a dark, forlorn castle. From the outside it may seem abandoned, but in its endless cellar halls lost souls will forever roam…    

What do you think is most important in Norwegian black metal? What sets it apart from all the other scenes?

In the glorious old days it used to have a distinct sound and the myth surrounding the scene. However, more importantly it was about being different and walking your own path without regards to what people would think or say about you. I like to compare it to punk in that it was often anti-religious and anti society but also anti-human and an opposition to the politically correct. I think much of these values have been washed out and today it’s more about the music but not as much about the mindset. I am not talking about being true or untrue. That’s just stupid, but to me black metal is more a way of thinking or viewing certain aspects of the world rather than how you look. 

Musically, It used to be the ugly sound of Burzum and the simplicity of Darkthrone as well as the cold winds of Dimmu Borgir’s Stormblåst that to me at least defines the “Norwegian sound.” However, this cold sound was often a result of poor recording devices rather than a very well executed plan. As time evolved the sound has changed and I don’t think you get the same feeling when the music is professionally produced.  I don’t know if it is possible to pinpoint exactly what the Norwegian sound is today, even though many reviewers have said that Likheim sounds as “Norwegian” as it gets. 

Maybe it’s because we are bitter old men, sitting in our cold, snow covered houses for the most of the year, or maybe we’re just too plain lazy to renew ourselves that we just keep creating the same music over and over again. I don’t really know. Regardless, I think we sound colder than bands from most other countries. I think that’s what sets us apart. If it’s important or not, I don’t know.

What inspires you the most ?
Oh, good question. When your mind is open, inspiration can come in many shapes and forms. Most of the ideas come from my own twisted mind. However, it could be a painting. It could be a story. It could be a part of a song in a totally different genre and I think “what if that riff had been played a tad differently with an uglier sound” or it could come from other black metal bands. It could be many things really. Most of the lyrical themes come from just being alone in nature, walking in the mountains, being alone with a glass of wine listening to vinyls or gazing at the nightly sky. Solitude is key.

I really like discovering new bands all the time. Tell me a few names from your  local  Norwegian underground that you think are underestimated and not very well known.
From my area I think there are none. We’ve got Mysticum but they’re already well known. From the Norwegian scene I could mention Avertia, Uburen and Heimland as bands that are doing a lot of shows in Norway but who haven’t seemed to break through outside of the smaller clubs yet.
Also check out American band  The Noctambulant. 

How did you meet Gamle Erik and Umarlak? Are you planning to collaborate with them on other albums?
Mostly by chance. Regarding Umarlak I was looking for someone to record the guitar ideas I had and we met online and started bouncing ideas. With Gamle Erik, it was because I was looking for someone to do the mix and he had just started his own studio and offered to mix the recording. He offered to record the bass and I agreed. Then bit by bit he gradually got more involved, however his main involvement is recording of vocals and bass.
Both Umarlak and Gamle Erik are also involved in the full-length album to be released by Italian label Dusktone. There will also be a drummer on that album. 

About being the first band on  Underground Kvlt Records and the collaboration with the label, Gretn shares:
It is certainly an honor to be the first release on a sub label from such an infamous label. Once again, I think it was a bit of luck because when we sent the demo to Odium Records they were just setting up the sub label and thought that Likheim would fit perfectly on that label.
Today it seems that most record companies want to have a complete recording before they sign a new band, and at that time we only had three tracks so we just signed to Underground Kvlt for this one release. We received an offer to do two full-length albums on Italian Dusktone so our next releases will be out on that label. But the cooperation with Underground Kvlt so far has been very good.   

The musician also let me know more  about the composition of the album and the  individual tracks.

I am an evil dictator who commands my slaves to do whatever I want. This way I ensure that only the most fierce and tormenting music gets spread like a plague all over the universe.
Except for that…
The process starts with me having an idea or a riff and I send it over to Umarlak who comes back with the guitars. Sometimes Umarlak also asks me if a riff he has recorded would fit Likheim and then we make an agreement to use those if they fit the concept. Then I start thinking about how to produce this in a way that fulfills my vision for that track or overall album concept. Then, typically, I pass my ideas over to Gamle Erik who records the bass and maybe re-record some guitar parts. Then, when I think that it sounds according to the overall vision, I start writing the lyrics and enter the studio. The final part of the process is adding the magic ingredients like some synth, additional guitars or small guitar licks. If needed, I or Gamle Erik add additional guitar leads. The mixing process is done while recording, so at the end it’s mostly mastering that is left. 

“Alt Skal Svinne Hen…” was the first track that matched the vision and one of the first tracks Umarlak did the guitars for. The first version sounded quite a bit different than the one on the release because both small ingredients like the feedback at the beginning and end of the track as well as certain small bass parts made a huge difference. You may have noticed that the vocals on this track also is done a bit different than the other vocals on the release, and that’s because it was my first “black metal voice” recording in 25 years so I was quite rusty and hadn’t really found my “sound” yet. However, I think it matches the song quite well and many people have said that this track is their favorite on the recording so I guess it worked out well.

“Smerte,” which translates to pain,  is the second track on the ep. I was very uncertain about this one, but it turned out to be a really cold track in my opinion. The original recording was only half the length, and felt that it missed a lot of parts. We therefore added a mid part and recorded some additional guitars. The sounds in the mid part is actually a person being tortured by a midget. It took some convincing to get the person to agree to being tortured, but the midget enjoyed it. 

“Tåkens Kall.” This was a straightforward process really. Nothing much to add. Not too satisfied with the vocals, but it still worked out to be one mean track.

“Stormen,” which means The Storm, was an interesting composition to make. It’s a really monotonous track, but once we started experimenting it became quite interesting. Several fans and reviewers have quoted this track as their favorite on the album, and I can understand why. The vocal ideas came to life the day before I entered the studio, the synth and guitar parts are more or less written as they are recorded. It’s a bit experimental and different from the previous tracks on the album, but in my mind it is the perfect closure.

How long did it take you to write, record and  produce your debut record?
The first three tracks which first were sent out as a demo, were recorded between april and june 2021. Then, after we signed with Underground Kvlt we recorded “Stormen”. I guess we spent around 40 hours in total on producing, recording, mixing and mastering. 

What is your favorite moment from the time you were working  on the album, which moment  has stuck in your head a little more?
Probably after the first or second day in the studio, when I kind of realized that Likheim finally would be recorded according to my visions. 

Who created the cover artwork for “Alt Skal Svinne Hen​.​.​.” and what is the idea behind it?
The artwork was created by Vhan Artworks. I chose it because I think it fits the theme of the album: A lone wanderer gazing upon the unwelcoming, harsh, landscape in front of him. Maybe the mountains will seal his fate? Maybe he came there to end his life? Maybe it is a symbol of inner emptiness? Maybe he watches the final hours of the world, before all is swallowed by the sun and the world shattered to pieces?

About the  concept of “Alt Skal Svinne Hen​.​.​.”  and the lyrics in the album, Gretn continues:
Nature, solitude, suicide, inner demons, occultism mixed with a tad of Norse believes, the end of everything… yeah, that probably sums it up.  Conceptually, I’d say the overall theme is solitude. 

What is your favorite song from the record and why?
Probably “Alt Skal Svinne Hen…” – I think it sounds quite aggressive and angry. Also, Stormen became really great with all the different parts. 

Are you planning live performances with Likheim? Do you already have some musicians in mind for live shows?
Absolutely. I have a drummer who was supposed to join the band both live and in the studio but he has an injured arm and the last time he tried, the arm still wasn’t good enough to play. If he is not fit for fight over the summer I will have to find another drummer. I am searching for two guitarists. Regarding the bass, Gamle Erik may join if he has got the time, but he is quite busy with Carpathian Forest besides he also plays in several other bands. The plan is to start rehearsals this fall and start playing some gigs next year. That being said, I am a bit ambivalent about playing live; black metal is often best when listened to in solitude with a bottle of wine.  

What are your plans for the rest of the year?
We will need to finish the full-lenght. It was supposed to be finished early 2022 and due for release in fall 2023 but due to the issues with the drummer and me first being quarantined because of covid, and later getting covid myself, recording sessions got delayed. In addition, I had a second drummer who was supposed to record the drums in march, but he just took my money and never sent a single drum track.
Except for this, I will get a band together and we will start rehearsing. 

Do you collect music? What physical media do you prefer – tapes, CD’s or vinyl? Share with me some of  your favorite albums.
I wouldn’t say I am a collector any longer, but I used to buy a lot of CDs and occasionally vinyls and cassettes and I still have most of them, except some that was stolen. I would definitively say I prefer vinyl because it’s a lot more visual and the whole process of removing the vinyl from its sleeve, loading it onto the player… It’s almost like a religious ceremony to me.  CDs are perfect for daily listening, though, or to play in the car. 

Today, I mostly buy vinyl and some CDs of new artists that I like. However, while not being a collector, I do listen to a lot more artists now thanks to Spotify and YouTube than what I would do back in the days. I rarely listen to old releases. I am always trying to find new music and new bands.  

All time favorites include Darkthrone “Transylvanian Hunger,” Gehenna “Seen through the veils of darkness,” Burzum “Hvis Lyset Tar Oss,” Guns’n’Roses “Appetite for Destruction,” Judas Priest “Painkiller” and probably also 1914 “Where fear and weapons meet.” 

 Your  favorite quote from one of the songs in “Alt Skal Svinne Hen“?

“Jeg våkner når solen går ned
Bak snødekte åser et sted
I de mørke daler finner jeg fred
Sjelens siste hvilested”

Some final thoughts?

Thanks for this interview. We will soon launch our merch store over at likheim.8merch.com so if you want some official and very exclusive Likheim merch that’s the place to visit. Also, check out our music on streaming platforms and on likheim.bandcamp.com . Last but not least: Support your local underground. Go to concerts, support up and coming bands and encourage the younger generations to start playing metal. Keep the black flame alive!