ask the band a question

[rahvin]

in our constant effort to stop you from passing out from boredom, here we come with yet another stimulating activity brought to you courtesy of the very kind people in dark tranquillity.

a couple of months from now, i will interview the band asking them questions about their music and their career, trying to do a closer examination than the one usually offered by the press. different questions will be asked, in the hope of helping the fans understand more of dt's work and how they think and operate as a band. the resulting document will be posted on the official site, unless we realize it sucks.

this thread is your chance to be a part of the process, coming up with your own questions to either the whole band or a specific member, which will be likewise included in the final interview. you don't have to limit yourselves to a single q, regardless of what the title of this thread says (i'm not schizophrenic, i simply thought "ask the band a question" is neater than "ask the band questions"), but in the end we'll get to decide what will make it to the interview and what won't. personal questions about someone's private life, for instance, or q's that have been asked a million times before by metal magazines, are something we're almost sure will be left out.

knock yourselves out.

edit: there are no efficient synonyms of "question", are there?

 

[Schwedentod]

I hoped to get an interview at the upcoming tour to ask some unusual questions and upload the result on my page, so I will maybe try a new type of interview then.

@topic: no question at the moment, I'll think about it!

 

[Hitori]

once upon a time there was a live chat with members from dark tranquillity, and someone asked stanne if he liked harry potter, and he said yes.
that is all i need to know.

edit: or was it someone else? it doesn't matter, someone liked hp

 

[hyena]

i have a question for the band, or more precisely for each individual member (but you can limit it to one or two if you see fit). what i would like to know is how band activity enters their regular life - do they play to unwind? do they play because they like having the chance to travel the world when they tour? do they play because they really hope to establish DT as a leading metal band and hence be musicians for a living? do they play because they're friends and enjoy each other's company? in short, the question is: what kind of difference does being in a band make in your life?. A welcome addition would be If you were not playing music, what kind of alternative activity would you most likely engage in?. And no lewd answers to that, please.

 

[Lost To Apathy]

Q: obviously inspiration has to come from a multitude of sources, but how did (some or one of)you approach finding it when you were writing character?

Q: is this new and heavier sound something you felt compelled to do, to get back in the game again or revive yourself or something?

Q: Is it important for you to have some sense of meaning in your songs? Lots of bands dont have anything to say at all, that's cool I guess.

Q: should jivarp get martin.b's beard as a hair-transplant?

 

[Misanthrope]

Q: Do you consider the band is approaching its natural end, at the very least with the particular style that has been predominant since Haven?

 

[Strider]

Q: A while ago you had a banner on the site with the following sentence: "I still think The Gallery is the best" followed by "I think you suck". Since I think the Gallery is one of the biggest achievements in the history of metal and something almost god-like, I was slightly upset and disappointed. How much tongue-in-cheek was the banner, or dis you truly want to offend people like me?

Q: Were you guys really satisfied with Anders' voice back then? Did you realize that Mikael was a better singer (well an amazing singer, to say the truth)?

Q: when Projector came out, while not particularly fond of the new sound, I thought that you were really progressing and that your new path would have led to something less heavy. Now we all know it wasn't true. But was the return to heaviness and Mikeal's decision to just growl natural or forced by the fans' reaction?

Q: To Martin Henriksson, I assume you have more fun playing guitar than bass... so why did you start to play bass in the first place?

Q: How can you still kick so much ass after all these years?

 

[Misanthrope]

hehehe, thats a good first question strider.

Q: If circunstances were different ( meaning not being tied with a label and having enough funds to support recording on your own ) would you ever consider internet as the only and/or main method of distribution?

 

[Xzar]

Ok I'm a bit dull but I have to know:
Is the next tour coming to Finland? I wanna see and possibly meet you guys again

I will think of some a bit more clever questions later

 

[Wolfman Von Jones]

The bass work, what the fuck happened to the bass work after The Gallery?

Nick

 

[Kovenant84]

Q: In light of all the changes that the band has undergone throughout it's history, do you view evolution as an intrinsic part of DT, or something that you strive towards?

Q: On a related note, is there any one aspect of the music you create that you'd like to keep through subsequent albums, or do you look at each new album as a completely blank slate?

Q: Are you satisfied with the status DT has in the mind's of music listeners around the world? For example, I gather that DT is relatively well known in Sweden, but in the U.S. very few have ever even heard the name, while your peers grow ever more popular in this area.

Q: In light of Hyena's question: What is it that attracts you to the music you play and to music in general? Why is it that you chose DT over whatever else you may have otherwise done?

Ok, so they're not that great as far as new inquiries. And they're sorta directed at the band as a whole - like up for grabs, as it were, to whoever wishes to answer.
~kov.

 

[Arch]

Q: What are some bands (that you guys haven't toured with) that you would like to tour with?

 

[Dafne]

Q: A while ago you had a banner on the site with the following sentence: "I still think The Gallery is the best" followed by "I think you suck". Since I think the Gallery is one of the biggest achievements in the history of metal and something almost god-like, I was slightly upset and disappointed. How much tongue-in-cheek was the banner, or dis you truly want to offend people like me?

Q: Were you guys really satisfied with Anders' voice back then? Did you realize that Mikael was a better singer (well an amazing singer, to say the truth)?

Q: when Projector came out, while not particularly fond of the new sound, I thought that you were really progressing and that your new path would have led to something less heavy. Now we all know it wasn't true. But was the return to heaviness and Mikeal's decision to just growl natural or forced by the fans' reaction?

Q: To Martin Henriksson, I assume you have more fun playing guitar than bass... so why did you start to play bass in the first place?

Q: How can you still kick so much ass after all these years?

i'd have put the same questions!!!

but i also have some different ones:
Q:which band(s) did you refer at when you were starting Dark Tranquillity?I mean, when ppl search for other friends to start a band always hold up some famous bands as an example to explain their musical project.

Q:are you all really self-taught?
and especially for Anders,you look as if someone had taught you the classic style.do (did) you study with a metronome or a drum machine?and how many hours a day?

Q:is it true that you have other jobs related with disabled persons and old people?and is really someone of you a chef ?

Q:is it true that you had the same rehearsing room as In Flames?

Q:Martin H.,how long did you stay at your hairdresser's to get those wonderful dreadlocks?

 

[Dafne]

sorry !other questions i forgot about in my previous post :

did anyone in the band study quantum mechanics?

what about Fredrick Johansson?he wrote such wonderful songs!

 

[King Chaos]

Q: When writing songs do you use any kind of aesthetic? - It seems in songs like Monochromatic stains there are actual themes, not just riffs which re-occur, but mellodies which modulate at times and often appear in different textures or dynamic paterns... a style comparitable to compositions of the Romantic era. Is this fluke or is this unconventional mode of composition intended?

Long winded but Ive never been concise

 

[Schwedentod]

@fireangel: No problem, I would not have taken it as an offensive!

@dafne: Question 1: I heard somewhere they referred to Blind Guardian... Question 3: Niklas is his own chief!

 

[Arch]

Question for Michael: What do you enjoy cooking?

 

[Misanthrope]

Q: Do you have hard feelings about killing small animals?

 

[Wolfman Von Jones]

Q: What color tooth brushes do you guys use?

 

[Firefest9]

Heck, there are really no questions I would ask.

I would just like to thank Stanne and Anders Jivarp for being such nice dudes. When they played in Chicago back in November of 2002 (With Nile, SYL and Napalm Death), I met the dudes in a diner down the street from the venue. I talked to Mikeal First. Really nice dude!!! however, Anders was even that much nicer. He thanked me and my friend for being such big fans and thanked me for coming out with a big smile on his face. Neither of them had any ego or anything of the sort.

Thanks to you guys for being so down to earth
cheers
Eric