Carnal Forge
By Philip Whitehouse
The lunatics have taken over the asylum... or so it seems, when listening to Swedish thrashers Carnal Forge's latest album, the incendiary 'The More You Suffer'. Keen to find out more about the individuals, UM's Philip Whitehouse quizzes Jari on globetrotting, strangely sedate fans and their laid-back take on recording albums.
If you check out my review of the latest platter of intense thrash metal from this Swedish quintet, you'll notice that I'm firmly placing them at the forefront of the current resurgence or new wave of thrash metal bands - after a long period of hiatus following thrash metal's quiet period following the genre's heydays in the late eighties, bands like Carnal Forge, Dew Scented, The Haunted, and to a lesser (but no less worthy) extent, Corporation 187 and Killswitch Engage seem intent on bringing the genre bang up to date and back into the limelight.
"I think that this kind of music hasn't seen the top yet," replies Jari when I ask him whether he thinks the glory days of the Big Four are a now unattainable position for the new wave of thrash metallers. "So in my opinion I think that it's going to get even bigger and more powerful. I also think that all these new bands are, without a problem, as good as the old ones."
Quite a bold statement, but considering Carnal Forge's track record thus far, one he seems quite justified in stating with the quiet confidence that emanates through the email. From 2000's debut 'Firedemon' via 2001's 'Please...Die!' and this latest album, Carnal Forge have been steadily gaining critical acclaim and a loyal fanbase in equal amounts. So, did they feel pressured on recording this album to deliver something special?
"We don't feel any pressure when we do our albums. CF is always doing music first of all for ourselves. When we are satisfied we record and then we just hope that everyone else will like it also." Which, up to now, seems to have been the ideal way to do things. I ask Jari about the differences between this latest album and the last. "What I can tell you is that we have focused a lot more on each song, so the songs have a stronger identity. We have also added some more melodies without being melodic. Its still no problem to hear that it's CF but much better that the Please... Die! Album."
Truer words were never spoken - there's still that underlying current of rage which is unmistakably Carnal Forge's domain, but overlayed on that are more complex dual guitar harmonies and a greater sense of dynamics that add to the unhinged menace and unsettling nature of songs such as 'Hell Blood Fire Suicide' and 'Divine Killing Breed Machine'. Perhaps the shift comes from more careful observation of the band's occupational charges - since, after all, the majority of the band work in a mental asylum.
"No I wouldn't say so." Jari responds, shattering my illusions of a band fuelled solely by work-related stress. "If we were always thinking of our jobs when we do music I don't think that CF would sound as it does today." Oh, really? "Probably even more brutal." Ah, right... well, tempting as that sounds, CF seem to have perfected their formula, so probably best to leave well enough alone.
The increasing profile of the band has garnered them the opportunity to take their brand of thrash even further afield in recent months. Their slot on the Extreme Bleeding tour even took them as far as the land of the rising sun, good old Japan.
"Japan was really cool. I couldn't compare it to anything else that we have done so far," recalls Jari with unmistakable enthusiasm. "The fans just went totally crazy when we played. I cant find any bad memories from that tour. I can gladly recommend it to every band that gets the opportunity to play there."
They also got their chance to win over our friends on t'other side of the pond, with their first USA show as part of the Metal Meltdown tour - how did that one go?
"The US show was also really great. I think that it was really good for us to play there. We have been offered to do that many times before but there's always been something that meant that we couldn't go. The Americans seemed to really like CF and they were doing mosh pits and a lot of headbanging. I also heard that many that saw us was talking about that we were the best live band on the bill. That's always fun to hear and we will gladly play in US again."
So the fans went crazy, then? This leads me to wonder about the lyrical content of the songs, typically containing thrash metal staples such as Satan, hell, death, torture, and other such topics. Is there a chance that CF may be hit with some Slayer-esque lawsuits at any point, or are the fans content to leave their violence in the pit?
"I think that mostly everybody understands were our lyrics comes from. We do what we like and if somebody takes our lyrics by word, there's probably something wrong with that dude." So speaketh the voice of common sense, although I'd hate to see what would happen should Carnal Forge's albums fall into the hands of their charges at work...
What with Carnal Forge's steadily increasing profile, they are rapidly amassing a lot of live experience - I ask what is the most aggrieving live situation they've had to deal with thus far...
"I would say that Smash Fest in Poland is the worst one so far. They guys who organized that one was totally unorganized. Nothing worked at that festival and he tried to get us to play one day after what was agreed. When we went to the festival the day after the gig it turned out that he had canceled the last the and nobody could find him, so the bands that were supposed to play the last day didn't get to play or get paid."
Ah, that unavoidable figure in metal circles - the cowboy promoters and organisers. Every band seems to have at least one individual or organisation that they'd like to deliver swift retribution to... but it seems that CF have two. When asked jokingly who they would love to smack in the face and why, Jari immediately responds;
"Bengt Wenedicter. The former head of WAR Music. Because he is the most stupid and ignorant guy I ever met and he really fucked up things for CF at that time."
I decide not to ask for elaboration, partly because of the fear of sudden legal response, but mainly because the reply would take ages to receive by mail. Onto happier subjects, then - when are we in the UK going to get to experience CF in the live arena?
"We will do a full European tour later this year with bands like Exodus, Nuclear Assault, Agent Steel and Behemoth." A fantastic line-up, I'm sure all thrash fans will agree - and however out of place Behemoth's blackened death may seem, I can point out that the latest album is a masterpiece, so it won't be a 'time to head to the bar' occasion. So, when can we look forward to this? "I think that it will start in October." Start saving your pennies...
When asked for a final message for the UM readership, Jari offers the following;
"Check out for the European tour later this year, Carnal Forge is coming to get you. STAY BRUTAL!!!"
And who can argue with that?
"The More You Suffer" is available now from Century Media Records.
By Philip Whitehouse
The lunatics have taken over the asylum... or so it seems, when listening to Swedish thrashers Carnal Forge's latest album, the incendiary 'The More You Suffer'. Keen to find out more about the individuals, UM's Philip Whitehouse quizzes Jari on globetrotting, strangely sedate fans and their laid-back take on recording albums.
If you check out my review of the latest platter of intense thrash metal from this Swedish quintet, you'll notice that I'm firmly placing them at the forefront of the current resurgence or new wave of thrash metal bands - after a long period of hiatus following thrash metal's quiet period following the genre's heydays in the late eighties, bands like Carnal Forge, Dew Scented, The Haunted, and to a lesser (but no less worthy) extent, Corporation 187 and Killswitch Engage seem intent on bringing the genre bang up to date and back into the limelight.
"I think that this kind of music hasn't seen the top yet," replies Jari when I ask him whether he thinks the glory days of the Big Four are a now unattainable position for the new wave of thrash metallers. "So in my opinion I think that it's going to get even bigger and more powerful. I also think that all these new bands are, without a problem, as good as the old ones."
Quite a bold statement, but considering Carnal Forge's track record thus far, one he seems quite justified in stating with the quiet confidence that emanates through the email. From 2000's debut 'Firedemon' via 2001's 'Please...Die!' and this latest album, Carnal Forge have been steadily gaining critical acclaim and a loyal fanbase in equal amounts. So, did they feel pressured on recording this album to deliver something special?
"We don't feel any pressure when we do our albums. CF is always doing music first of all for ourselves. When we are satisfied we record and then we just hope that everyone else will like it also." Which, up to now, seems to have been the ideal way to do things. I ask Jari about the differences between this latest album and the last. "What I can tell you is that we have focused a lot more on each song, so the songs have a stronger identity. We have also added some more melodies without being melodic. Its still no problem to hear that it's CF but much better that the Please... Die! Album."
Truer words were never spoken - there's still that underlying current of rage which is unmistakably Carnal Forge's domain, but overlayed on that are more complex dual guitar harmonies and a greater sense of dynamics that add to the unhinged menace and unsettling nature of songs such as 'Hell Blood Fire Suicide' and 'Divine Killing Breed Machine'. Perhaps the shift comes from more careful observation of the band's occupational charges - since, after all, the majority of the band work in a mental asylum.
"No I wouldn't say so." Jari responds, shattering my illusions of a band fuelled solely by work-related stress. "If we were always thinking of our jobs when we do music I don't think that CF would sound as it does today." Oh, really? "Probably even more brutal." Ah, right... well, tempting as that sounds, CF seem to have perfected their formula, so probably best to leave well enough alone.
The increasing profile of the band has garnered them the opportunity to take their brand of thrash even further afield in recent months. Their slot on the Extreme Bleeding tour even took them as far as the land of the rising sun, good old Japan.
"Japan was really cool. I couldn't compare it to anything else that we have done so far," recalls Jari with unmistakable enthusiasm. "The fans just went totally crazy when we played. I cant find any bad memories from that tour. I can gladly recommend it to every band that gets the opportunity to play there."
They also got their chance to win over our friends on t'other side of the pond, with their first USA show as part of the Metal Meltdown tour - how did that one go?
"The US show was also really great. I think that it was really good for us to play there. We have been offered to do that many times before but there's always been something that meant that we couldn't go. The Americans seemed to really like CF and they were doing mosh pits and a lot of headbanging. I also heard that many that saw us was talking about that we were the best live band on the bill. That's always fun to hear and we will gladly play in US again."
So the fans went crazy, then? This leads me to wonder about the lyrical content of the songs, typically containing thrash metal staples such as Satan, hell, death, torture, and other such topics. Is there a chance that CF may be hit with some Slayer-esque lawsuits at any point, or are the fans content to leave their violence in the pit?
"I think that mostly everybody understands were our lyrics comes from. We do what we like and if somebody takes our lyrics by word, there's probably something wrong with that dude." So speaketh the voice of common sense, although I'd hate to see what would happen should Carnal Forge's albums fall into the hands of their charges at work...
What with Carnal Forge's steadily increasing profile, they are rapidly amassing a lot of live experience - I ask what is the most aggrieving live situation they've had to deal with thus far...
"I would say that Smash Fest in Poland is the worst one so far. They guys who organized that one was totally unorganized. Nothing worked at that festival and he tried to get us to play one day after what was agreed. When we went to the festival the day after the gig it turned out that he had canceled the last the and nobody could find him, so the bands that were supposed to play the last day didn't get to play or get paid."
Ah, that unavoidable figure in metal circles - the cowboy promoters and organisers. Every band seems to have at least one individual or organisation that they'd like to deliver swift retribution to... but it seems that CF have two. When asked jokingly who they would love to smack in the face and why, Jari immediately responds;
"Bengt Wenedicter. The former head of WAR Music. Because he is the most stupid and ignorant guy I ever met and he really fucked up things for CF at that time."
I decide not to ask for elaboration, partly because of the fear of sudden legal response, but mainly because the reply would take ages to receive by mail. Onto happier subjects, then - when are we in the UK going to get to experience CF in the live arena?
"We will do a full European tour later this year with bands like Exodus, Nuclear Assault, Agent Steel and Behemoth." A fantastic line-up, I'm sure all thrash fans will agree - and however out of place Behemoth's blackened death may seem, I can point out that the latest album is a masterpiece, so it won't be a 'time to head to the bar' occasion. So, when can we look forward to this? "I think that it will start in October." Start saving your pennies...
When asked for a final message for the UM readership, Jari offers the following;
"Check out for the European tour later this year, Carnal Forge is coming to get you. STAY BRUTAL!!!"
And who can argue with that?
"The More You Suffer" is available now from Century Media Records.
