[IMGLEFT]http://www.russell.ultimatemetal.com/Interview/vehe.jpg[/IMGLEFT]By Nathan Pearce
When The Great Deceiver first hit the ground running with their critically acclaimed debut, A Venom Well Designed, a great love/confusion of the band was created. While hardcore fans could find much to love, metal fans were left a little confused as to Tomas Lindbergs involvement in such a band. However, as the metal world slowly warmed to the idea of Tomas doing something new and original, The Great Deceiver slowly became an entity in their own right. With the 2004 release of Terra Incognito, The Great Deceiver has found that they are a band without limitations. Genres and classifications aside, The Great Deceiver has turned into one of extreme musics great hopes. The Great Deceiver is a band that can unite many fans of the underground, while still churning forward into the uncharted territory known as the mainstream. Heres what guitarist Johan Osterberg had to say.
UM: With such a critically acclaimed debut, A Venom Well Designed, did you feel the need to out-do that album?
Johan: No, we never worried about that too much; although, we knew this album would not generate the same kind of buzz as the first one did. We never felt there would be a problem to outdo Venom, so it was never an issue. Venom got a really good response, but we were never that satisfied with it ourselves. Even though that album has some strong songs, possibly some of the best we have done, it kind of suffered from the production, or lack thereof, in some areas at least. Terra Incognito was very much about establishing the bands sound, making a more distinct album as far as the songs were concerned, and giving them a more powerful production.
UM: Did the band take a different approach to writing the music this time around?
Johan: Yes, Venom was comprised of songs from the whole career of the band; the oldest ones dating back from our first 1996 demo. So it kind of reflects upon different periods of the band that we have been going through. This time we had to get all the material during a very short period of time, about 4 months or so. A lot of the songs were actually written when we were on tour with Napalm Death. So it was quite a different routine this time around; we had to work under pressure. From a positive point of view, I think it shows that this album is a lot more focused and direct.
UM: I only have a promo copy of Terra Incognito, and I dont have any lyrics. Is there a theme lyrically to the album? What do the lyrics deal with for the most part?
Johan: Well, obviously Tomas writes the lyrics, but this is not a concept album in the traditional sense. The lyrics tend to deal with how human interaction is alienated in todays society. They are very critical of how social organizations and institutions are structured. The lyrics invariably paint a bleak picture of the future.
UM: Has The Great Deceiver been more accepted with hardcore fans or metal fans?
Johan: I think that we have been accepted in the hardcore scene from day one; whereas the metal fans were more confused, as they might have been expecting something else given the background of most of the people in the band. Either way, when we first formed the band, the common denominator was first and foremost our interest in hardcore and alternative music, as opposed to our past in extreme metal. Therefore, it was a natural road for us to take. Nowadays I would say we are more of a metal band musically, though.
UM: What kinds of bands has the band toured with?
Johan: We have toured with Napalm Death twice, Amulet, Converge and Within Reach. Unfortunately, we have not been touring one bit as much as we would have wanted. Hopefully, we will be on tour this fall.
UM: Has the band changed any since touring for A Venom Well Designed?
Johan: If you mean line-up changes, we have not changed anything. Other than that, I do not know if we have changed anything special. The new live set will obviously contain mostly songs from Terra Incognito, and supposedly two from Venom and two from the EP.
UM: How did fans react to The Great Deceiver in a live setting?
Johan: Very well! We have definitely set fire to some places. The Great Deceiver should definitely be experienced in a live situation, both because we love to play live, but also because the live format shows the contrasts in our music. The deep swirling ambience and the tumbling rhythms totally intertwine in the most brutal way.
UM: What are your plans for future tours? Any tour plans for the US?
Johan: Yes, we would love to come to the US and play; it would be absolutely awesome. We were actually on the verge of coming over when we were on Trustkill, but as it looks right now, I dont know; we will have to wait and see.
UM: What are your expectations for Terra Incognito? How do you think it will be received with both the press and the fans?
Johan: Our ambitions with this album were to solidify the sound of The Great Deceiver, and establish our presence in the minds of people. I think the response has been great so far, almost everyone has said that it is the best thing we have done, which is cool. Then some reviews said that it was a repetition of the previous one, but that was sort of the intention, to a certain degree at least.
UM: Speaking of metal fans, what are your thoughts on metal and metal fans around the world? Has the recent trend toward the death of nu-metal helped or hindered metal?
Johan: I do not really know. The past couple of years, I guess, metal has been at its peak of commercial success since the eighties. I think all these trends, as far as commercial metal or nu grunge or nu metal, will come and go; I mean it has always been like that, especially in the US. Anyway, it seems like things are on the right track now with Bleeding Through and Dimmu Borgir on Ozzfest . . . and stuff like that.
UM: With MTV (at least in the US) playing videos from bands like Hatebreed, Bleeding Through, Every Time I Die, etc. in regular rotation, the Great Deceiver has a ton of potential to pick up fans of bands like Hatebreed and Snapcase. Have you sensed that your band is at the brink of going mainstream, or do you feel you have a long way to go?
Johan: Yes, I understand what you mean, and we know that we have the capability to pretty much do whatever we want musically speaking. But I am not sure that is the right thing for this band. I mean, the next album will definitely be heavier. However, I do not envision any sort of quick breakthrough; we can only hope to build in a slow but steady way.
UM: Any final comments?
Johan: Yeah, thanks for the interview! It was a pleasure. Please check out Terra Incognito if you havent already. It will definitely be worth it. Hopefully we will come to the US to tour early next year! See you!
The Great Deceivers Official Website
Peaceville Records Official Website
When The Great Deceiver first hit the ground running with their critically acclaimed debut, A Venom Well Designed, a great love/confusion of the band was created. While hardcore fans could find much to love, metal fans were left a little confused as to Tomas Lindbergs involvement in such a band. However, as the metal world slowly warmed to the idea of Tomas doing something new and original, The Great Deceiver slowly became an entity in their own right. With the 2004 release of Terra Incognito, The Great Deceiver has found that they are a band without limitations. Genres and classifications aside, The Great Deceiver has turned into one of extreme musics great hopes. The Great Deceiver is a band that can unite many fans of the underground, while still churning forward into the uncharted territory known as the mainstream. Heres what guitarist Johan Osterberg had to say.
UM: With such a critically acclaimed debut, A Venom Well Designed, did you feel the need to out-do that album?
Johan: No, we never worried about that too much; although, we knew this album would not generate the same kind of buzz as the first one did. We never felt there would be a problem to outdo Venom, so it was never an issue. Venom got a really good response, but we were never that satisfied with it ourselves. Even though that album has some strong songs, possibly some of the best we have done, it kind of suffered from the production, or lack thereof, in some areas at least. Terra Incognito was very much about establishing the bands sound, making a more distinct album as far as the songs were concerned, and giving them a more powerful production.
UM: Did the band take a different approach to writing the music this time around?
Johan: Yes, Venom was comprised of songs from the whole career of the band; the oldest ones dating back from our first 1996 demo. So it kind of reflects upon different periods of the band that we have been going through. This time we had to get all the material during a very short period of time, about 4 months or so. A lot of the songs were actually written when we were on tour with Napalm Death. So it was quite a different routine this time around; we had to work under pressure. From a positive point of view, I think it shows that this album is a lot more focused and direct.
UM: I only have a promo copy of Terra Incognito, and I dont have any lyrics. Is there a theme lyrically to the album? What do the lyrics deal with for the most part?
Johan: Well, obviously Tomas writes the lyrics, but this is not a concept album in the traditional sense. The lyrics tend to deal with how human interaction is alienated in todays society. They are very critical of how social organizations and institutions are structured. The lyrics invariably paint a bleak picture of the future.
UM: Has The Great Deceiver been more accepted with hardcore fans or metal fans?
Johan: I think that we have been accepted in the hardcore scene from day one; whereas the metal fans were more confused, as they might have been expecting something else given the background of most of the people in the band. Either way, when we first formed the band, the common denominator was first and foremost our interest in hardcore and alternative music, as opposed to our past in extreme metal. Therefore, it was a natural road for us to take. Nowadays I would say we are more of a metal band musically, though.
UM: What kinds of bands has the band toured with?
Johan: We have toured with Napalm Death twice, Amulet, Converge and Within Reach. Unfortunately, we have not been touring one bit as much as we would have wanted. Hopefully, we will be on tour this fall.
UM: Has the band changed any since touring for A Venom Well Designed?
Johan: If you mean line-up changes, we have not changed anything. Other than that, I do not know if we have changed anything special. The new live set will obviously contain mostly songs from Terra Incognito, and supposedly two from Venom and two from the EP.
UM: How did fans react to The Great Deceiver in a live setting?
Johan: Very well! We have definitely set fire to some places. The Great Deceiver should definitely be experienced in a live situation, both because we love to play live, but also because the live format shows the contrasts in our music. The deep swirling ambience and the tumbling rhythms totally intertwine in the most brutal way.
UM: What are your plans for future tours? Any tour plans for the US?
Johan: Yes, we would love to come to the US and play; it would be absolutely awesome. We were actually on the verge of coming over when we were on Trustkill, but as it looks right now, I dont know; we will have to wait and see.
UM: What are your expectations for Terra Incognito? How do you think it will be received with both the press and the fans?
Johan: Our ambitions with this album were to solidify the sound of The Great Deceiver, and establish our presence in the minds of people. I think the response has been great so far, almost everyone has said that it is the best thing we have done, which is cool. Then some reviews said that it was a repetition of the previous one, but that was sort of the intention, to a certain degree at least.
UM: Speaking of metal fans, what are your thoughts on metal and metal fans around the world? Has the recent trend toward the death of nu-metal helped or hindered metal?
Johan: I do not really know. The past couple of years, I guess, metal has been at its peak of commercial success since the eighties. I think all these trends, as far as commercial metal or nu grunge or nu metal, will come and go; I mean it has always been like that, especially in the US. Anyway, it seems like things are on the right track now with Bleeding Through and Dimmu Borgir on Ozzfest . . . and stuff like that.
UM: With MTV (at least in the US) playing videos from bands like Hatebreed, Bleeding Through, Every Time I Die, etc. in regular rotation, the Great Deceiver has a ton of potential to pick up fans of bands like Hatebreed and Snapcase. Have you sensed that your band is at the brink of going mainstream, or do you feel you have a long way to go?
Johan: Yes, I understand what you mean, and we know that we have the capability to pretty much do whatever we want musically speaking. But I am not sure that is the right thing for this band. I mean, the next album will definitely be heavier. However, I do not envision any sort of quick breakthrough; we can only hope to build in a slow but steady way.
UM: Any final comments?
Johan: Yeah, thanks for the interview! It was a pleasure. Please check out Terra Incognito if you havent already. It will definitely be worth it. Hopefully we will come to the US to tour early next year! See you!
The Great Deceivers Official Website
Peaceville Records Official Website
