MORGION

This Morgion interview brings me back some Great memories… Well explaining in the best way possible, some years ago (back in 2003!!) I created a personal site where I had some reviews I have made, a small biography, and a bunch of interviews that I found all over the web from bands I liked in those days (and still like).
My goal with that was to create something like a “data base” of old interviews, fortunately most of my requests to do this were accepted, and nowadays most of the websites I got this interviews his lost or gone.
This interview is from 2000 and was made by to a webzine called. This interview caught my attention because of the “vibe” that exists and for some details that are revealed in here.
I will upload more interviews like this one.
Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

MORGION INTERVIEW

"Written by: Blomkviist


.And here you expect an intruduction, right? You expect somekind of presentation of the band or something?Well, so do I where is it MR Blomkvist????


Hello guys, what kind of gloomy state are you in now, the state of California can’t be too depressing, can it, he, he? (Am I funny or am?) How the hell can you find inspiration to make music as dark and heavy as yours among all tanned and happy people? Perhaps you’re as sick as I am, cause I really do get depressed when the weather is ”nice” and I see shitloads of tanned male and female bimbos jerking around in the sun doing senseless things like sunbathing,
laughing and having a ball?!!


- I detect a fair amount of sarcasm in that remark! Yes, it is true. We are constantly surrounded by tanning female bimbos and still find the time to be depressed, haha. As you know, women can be the number one cause of depression, so that would make a little sense, no? People are always surprised when they find out where we’re from, most think we’re out in England or Sweden, let alone California.


Now let’s get down to some serious business…In the process of making this questionnaire I’ve been searching for interviews with you on the net and in various zines, finding only three (+ one Terrorizer int) which to a large extent were of a rather poor quality (unserious questions leading to uninspired answers etc). Doesn’t it feel degrading for you as an artist to participate in interviews where the interviewer obviously hasn’t made an effort to come up with serious questions?


- Yes, absolutely. A lot of interviewers seem to think that ”tell me about your band...” and ”who are the members?” makes an interesting conversation, but how many times can you answer the same question and still make it interesting and inspired? When ”Solinari” was released I did a whole bunch of European interviews over the phone, and most of those were fun and original, as I am able to guide the questions into new areas. But with interviews via email, that is virtually impossible. I would guess I had 30 or so interviews through email last year, and it literally gave me a headache to get through them. After a while, I just started giving people the same answer, literally copied and pasted from a previous interview. My answers to the same questions wouldn’t change, so I just gave them what they wanted. Eventually I realized just how rude that was for me to do, and I stopped doing them. It simply gets to the point that you only put in as much work and thought as the person writing the questions, and I was tired of giving bad interviews. They aren’t fun for me, and they aren’t fun for the readers.


Is the reason for my unsuccessful quest for ”Morgionic” knowledge due to the fact I’m a lousy nerd that doesn’t know where to look for information, or can it be that you don’t receive that many interviews? How come you do not feature any interviews on your, otherwise very beautiful, home page?


- Ah, thank you. I try to keep the page looking nice, but I neglected it for a long time until earlier this week... Well, aside from this interview, it has been very quiet lately. I’ve been able to find some old interviews on the Internet, but not too many. A lot of those aforementioned ”needless” interviews didn’t even make it to the Internet as promised, so it was a waste of time for both of us. For some reason I always thought that it was a bit self-indulgent to put photos and interviews of yourself on your web page, but I was obviously missing the point, haha. People come to the page to find just that, information. I have a request for interview and photo submissions on Morgion web page now, so hopefully some of those ”lost” interviews will surface so I can add a link to them.


When you receive this interview ”Solinari” has been out for a while, how has it been greeted by the metal public, i.e. sales figures, reviews etc? I know that ”Among…” have sold about 6000 copies, have this figure been exceeded by ”Solinari” yet? If not, do you think it will?


- The response to ”Solinari” has been quite overwhelming, actually. For every bad review I seem to find four good ones. I’ve seen some conflicting one as well, such as with Terrorizer. The interview praises the album as one of the best doom albums in a long time, then you turn to the review page in the same issue and it’s given a fair mark, haha. I’ve never been one to keep up with actual sale numbers, but last I heard ”Solinari” doubled the sales of ”Among...”, and that was over half a year ago, before our U.S. tour. A lot of that is due to the fact that Relapse has much better distribution now, considering their European office wasn’td nothing more, but it’s great to find the good ones that explain ”why”. If it is a truly good review, I want to know why they liked/disliked it. I’m sure many of your readers know what I’m talking about.


Ah yes, the U.S tour, what can you tell us about it? What bands did you play with and for how long were you out? Do you enjoy playing live? Is there any particular song that is more of a crowd-pleaser than the rest? Did you sell a lot of merchandise? Is there any chance of you coming over to Europe in the near future?


- Ah, the Contamination Tour 1999. The tour was for six weeks all over the US, with other Relapse bands Soilent Green, Today Is the Day, Exhumed and Nasum. Of course, we were the odd band of the tour, haha. Its difficult for us to get a tour or show with other doom bands, as there aren’t too many out here. Overall it was a great tour, everyone was really great to work with band-wise. We had our good shows and bad ones... Unfortunately there were a few times that the crowd wasn’t into us at all, they were there to see all the other death metal bands. Still, we had a good share of shows that people were more open minded, or there to see us. The merchandise wen’t pretty good, though we brought way too much with us, haha. We’re selling what’s left on the web page. As far as an overseas tour, there is always talk of a European adventure, but nothing solid seems to come through. We will be making it out there with the new album, even if we have to finance it ourselves!


There is a huge gap in time between ”Among…” and ”Solinari”, how come? Is the songwriting process in Morgion as slow as your music or what? Don’t you think that it’s dangerous to let such a long time pass between releases, I mean people do have very short memories?


- There is actually a good explanation for that. ”Among...” was originally recorded as a demo, and not intended for release. Of course that recording caught Relapse’s attention, and they really wanted to release it as an album. It took a year of negotiations with the label until we finally agreed on a ”single release” contract, kind of a trial run for both band and label. Add to that a few member changes to slow things down... Ed Parker (keyboards) quit shortly after the ”Among...” recording, and I joined the band in his position. Just when things were getting back to normal and up to speed, Bobby Thomas (guitars) quit. From that point I assumed both guitar and keyboard positions, and it has, for the most part, been that way ever since. It takes a lot of time for us to get readjusted into our new ”format” every time something changes. As far as writing, we are indeed slow. Sometimes a little too much for our own good, but we won’t allow a gap like that ever again.


In one of the interviews I found on the net you said that ”Solinari” would consist of 10 songs with a total playing time of nearly 72 minutes, this is however not the case, can you please tell me what happened with the material you choose to cut away? Did Relapse have something to do with this? Will the material be featured on some coming release?


- Yes, there was a point where that was true. When we were finished with the recording sessions for ”Solinari”, we actually ended up with too much material. A couple tracks and versions were cut from the album by us, Relapse was extremely trusting gave us the freedom to do as we wished. There was a longer edit of ”Canticle” with an acoustic outro, another track titled ”Mundane” and a short adaptation of the 1992 ”Dracula” score by Wojciech Kilar we recorded for fun, as we used to open shows with it. Instead of bombard everyone with a 72 opus just because we could, we decided to be more conservative about it. The songs and song order were very carefully chosen, which is why the album flows so well. Had we made the album any longer, I think people would lose interest. There were some factors that made the song choices easy, as we were not happy with ”Mundane” for one reason or another. The ”Dracula” adaptation was an easy choice to drop, as I would much rather have an album composed of all original material. I was sad to see my acoustic outro for ”Canticle” go, but once again it helped the flow of the album. Maybe I’ll incorporate it in the new album, haha. The cut material was to appear on an EP release, but we decided to scrap those plans. Why should people pay for songs we ourselves weren’t happy with? Still, I have received many letters requesting those cut songs, so for those who are still interested in hearing the unreleased tracks, I’ve posted them on the Morgion homepage for download.


Talking about excessive material… I know that some of the songs that didn’t make it onto ”Among Majestic Ruins” was supposed to end up on ”Solinari” instead, did this ever happen? If so, which are the songs?


- Actually, we didn’t dig up any old songs for ”Solinari”. The ”Among...” tracks were all accounted for on that release. Out of all the songs on ”Solinari”, ”The Serpentine Scrolls” is the oldest, being written a few months after the ”Among...” session”.


The production of “Solinari” really is superb, very clear and at the same time warm and powerful, I think it’s unique! Are you happy with the outcome yourselves? I thought that Bill Metoyer, who produced the Iron Maiden cover you made for Dwell records, were supposed to help you produce the album, but in the booklet it says that Mattais Shneberger are the man behind the job, please sort things out ?!!


- We’re extremely pleased with the ”Solinari” recording. Of course, I could point out a dozen mistakes, but that’s beside the point, haha. I think every band is like that. Bill Metoyer (Slayer, Trouble, etc.) was a very talented engineer/producer, but unfortunately impossible for us work with. Don’t get me wrong, he’s a great guy, but his recording methods screwed us up. We are used to playing live in the studio whenever possible, then doing overdubs from there. Metoyer records one instrument at a time, literally. You lose the whole ”live” feeling, and we ended up hating the result with our ”To Tame A Land” cover. As far as production, he has a very dry sound which wouldn’t have worked with the atmosphere of ”Solinari”. Shneberger was one of the best people we’ve ever worked with, the recording sessions were extremely relaxed and comfortable, and I think you can tell that in the recording. At this time, we plan on going back to him with the new album.


While we‘re on the subject of productions…Personally I think that ”Among majestic ruins” is one of the best doom metal releases of all time, but I’ve understood that you’re not that happy with this particular release, at least not production wise. In interviews you’ve been saying that it is not of your liking and that it’s all Jim Barnes fault, comments please? What is so wrong with it, in my opinion it’s very grand and powerful, exactly the way doom metal should be produced! Are you dissatisfied with the songs as well?

- I actually can’t speak too much about the songs for “Among...”, as I didn’t have anything to do with that album (save for the artwork). From a listener’s point of view, and from playing those songs now, I really like the songs and the album. As far as Jim Barnes goes, as I have worked with him before outside of Morgion, he is another case of impossibility. If you are paying a few thousand dollars for a recording, shouldn’t you have a say in how it is produced? Not in Barnes’ studio. Jim didn’t take a liking to our Entombed-influenced guitar sound and took it upon himself to change it while mixing, amongst a million other little problems. I’m sure it sounds great to many people, but it had the potential to be so much more. I remember Morgion live back in those days, and had Jim let the band record “Among...” their own way, it would’ve sounded very much like Entombed’s “Left Hand Path”, As heavy as you can get.

”Solinari” is in my opinion a more ambient kind of album than ”Among…” meaning the song structures are more floating. You have also used synthesizers to a larger extent which makes it (even) more atmospheric then ”Among…” which was more guitar riff based. Was this a deliberate move from your side to do the record this way or did the lineup change that occurred between recordings have something to do with the change of sound? How have fans of the ”Among…” album reacted to the ”Solinari” material?

- I don’t see too many “side by side” comparisons of the albums very often. I have run into a couple people who think that “Solinari” is a bit too atmospheric and others who think it blows away “Among...”; either way it makes me glad that they like a Morgion release. There are a couple reasons why the albums have such a drastic difference, time being one of them. The second is the fact that the old keyboardist and guitarist are gone, and I’m filling both those positions now, haha. I’m sort of in the “main” writing position, covering both instruments. Not to “ring my own bell”, but I brought a few new elements to the band, as I tend to write most of the atmospheric and more mellow passages. I try for a lot of “soundtrack” elements in the music, so those who like “Among...” better than “Solinari” can lay some of the blame on me... haha!

In an old interview (right after the release of the ”Among…) with Eternal Frost you said that your next album should include female vocals but there are no such vocals to be heard on it, what happened? Perhaps you thought it was too trendy to use these kinds of vocals…?

- Exactly right. At the time, it seemed like the “doom” thing to do, female vocals and violins (one of the cut “Solinari” tracks, “Mundane”, was partially written on violin). Luckily we realized just in time that it was something we shouldn’t do, as everyone would be expecting it. There aren’t too many doom albums these days without them, so to be different you have to exclude them! The album I most fondly remember using female vocals is Paradise Lost’s “Gothic”, a classic. I still like hearing them to this day, as with bands like The Gathering and some of the new Anathema material, but I just don’t think we want to add to the cliche.

The ”Among…” record was quite hard to get here in Sweden while I see ”Solinari” in almost every record store, meaning the distribution must be better this time around, right? Have you received many complaints concerning the bad distribution of your debut? Are you satisfied with the work that Relapse does for you this time around?

- Relapse has always bent over backwards in everything they do, they work extremely hard with what they have. After arrangements fell through with Relapse’s European distribution deal with Nuclear Blast, it took a long time for them to establish their own distribution out there. I heard many stories that Nuclear Blast didn’t make it easy for them, either. Sadly, that was about the time “Among...” was released. I was sending out 30+ “Among...” albums back then to people all over the world who couldn’t get it otherwise. Now that Relapse is set for Europe this time around, “Solinari” is everywhere, which is great! Unfortunately, I don’t think “Among...” is being pushed as much out there, but I can see their point of view; why push a release that old? Still, many people have not heard it before, and I would hope it was as easy to find as the new album.


I thought it would be funny for you to know how the biggest metal magazine in Sweden (and Scandinavia, as a matter of fact), Close-Up, reviewed your record, so I decided to translate the review for you, here goes… ”Doom reminiscent of old My Dying Bride, though not of the same class. ”Solinari” isn’t a record that is suited for a action filled party, instead it’s so slow and heavy that one almost can’t bare listening to it the whole way through. An alternative for you who want’s to feel bad. If not, you may as well ignore Morgion.” Andreas Bergh.
Please note that this review does not reflect the opinions of all the people involved in the production of Close-Up, on their Sound Check page you are much better off, receiving 7/10 from three different reviewers. Do you think that Andreas Bergh has understood what doom metal is about?

- Basically, no. He doesn’t understand our approach, at least. But it doesn’t bother me, I find it great that we were “too slow and heavy” for him, a perfect compliment! I believe our style of doom is for a select few. We don’t have the catchy riffs or choruses of My Dying Bride, nor the awesome vocals of newer Anathema (two of the greatest bands in the genre). Things are a bit different in our case, as we tend to lean more to the darker elements and emotions. The entire idea of “Solinari” depends on that, as it was written about different emotions and feelings. Sometimes it is a little too much for some people; I wouldn’t regard it as “casual listening”.

In your biography you say that ”Solinari” deals with, among other things, ”the triumphs only dreamed of…” What triumphs are we talking about here, is it perhaps world domination, winning a Olympic medal in fencing or what? ? Reading these kind of statements and taking the nature of your music and lyrics into consideration one easily gets the impression that you are a bunch of daydreamers, is this a valid description of your personalities?

- The triumphs of understanding yourself, basically. As I said, the album deals with emotions both lyrically and musically. Rhett, our previous drummer, penned all those lyrics for the album. He was going through some very rough times while writing those, so in a way they are his personal self-examinations. The triumph of understanding yourself is the ultimate goal, and very few reach that understanding.

Would you agree with me that doom metal is ”the thinking mans metal” compared to death and black, since it rocks you into a meditative state instead of a frantic frenzy? At least it works this way for me, cause every time I listen to your music I get the feeling that I’m entering another, more beautiful and peaceful world. Is Morgion your way of creating a world for your self which is completely to your liking, a world where you can hide from the ugliness of reality?

- Yes, I would have to say that doom metal, in most cases, is much more sophisticated. I remember years ago when all I listened to was bands like Autopsy, Carcass and Bolt Thrower, it was all aggression. I still love listening to some of those oldies but goodies, but do they have any meaning for me? Nope. Garbage like Cannibal Corpse and Suffocation really makes me laugh. If you can personally identify with their subject matter, you’re either in jail or a mental home. I want music I can lose myself in, and better yet, identify with. A lot of doom bands work that way, you can lose yourself in a new world with bands like My Dying Bride, or clearly identify with the lyrics of Anathema. There is so much more meaning behind the music, and unfortunately a lot of the death metal crowd will never see it. When you’re done trying to be the fastest and the most brutal, you grow up.


Ever heard of a band from Finland called Skepticism? They also play ultra slow and very atmospheric doom in the same vein as you, and they also give me that special contemplative feeling. Opinion if you have heard their music? If not, be sure to check it out cause it’s great stuff indeed!


- Ah yes, I believe I’ve collected all their releases to date, haha! Excellent music, I rate “Stormcrowfleet” amongst some of the best doom music written, they have to be one of the slowest bands since the mighty Thergothon. I’ve been hunting for their demo material for a few years, but being from California, I’m not having much luck! haha

As you don’t seem to be one of those narrow minded metal heads who’s sole purpouse on earth is to be as “true” as possible, I guess you listen to music outside of the metal sphere, right? Any particular favourites? What about early Swans for instance, is it doomy enough?

- Ha, I’ve never been worried about being “true”. Unfortunately for some people, “true” means being narrow minded. I find majesty in almost all music, and most of the music I listen to is indeed outside the metal genre. SWANS are amazing, there is more gloom and doom in their music than some doom bands today, haha. I love anything that has those dark acoustic elements. As far as other music, I’ve always loved Floyd and other atmospheric rock... Anything from Sinead O’Connor to Kate Bush, early Genesis,

Doom metal is perhaps the only remaining genre of metal that hasn’t had it’s day yet, I mean we have seen the death, black, trash and goth metal waves but no doom, why is this you think? Can it be that mankind in general is too stressed to comprehend the greatness of extremely slow and heavy music? Do you think that the climate for doom metal will change for the better with Morgions upcoming commercial mega-breakthrough (cause you will break through big time, won’t you?

- I’m not so sure we’ll break into Anathema status any time soon, haha! The reason doom hasn’t “peaked”, in my opinion, is the fact that the bands are so varied, which is great! There are many different styles, and doom bands are the only one who are really pushing their limits. It doesn’t take much thought to grind out 20 minute death metal albums. I know, I did it years ago in high school. Doom doesn’t stay put long enough to break through into any kind of mainstream popularity. I’m not so sure if I’d really like it to break out like that, as I don’t consider doom to be a fad. When you’re “small” like we are, you know your fans are extremely dedicated, they aren’t there just because it’s the new thing to do. If they wanted to listen to the popular music they’d go out and grab Cradle of Filth albums or whatever; instead they’re listening to what they like, not just following the crowd.

Do you have any plans on doing a video shot for some of the songs on ”Solinari”?

- Actually, there has been some talk about it, though not for the “Solinari” material. There is a possibility of a video shot for the new album, as I do some freelance video/film work on occasion. It is a bit difficult for us, as making a doom or metal video in America is quite unheard of. There isn’t much use for it out here, as no station in existence would air it. But if we could get a nice, well thought-out video clip to Europe, I think it would greatly increase interest and tour possibilities. But for us, it has to be done right, or not at all.

I know that you Gary, Rhett and Jeremy have a Celtic frost/Destruction inspired side project/band called Crimson Relic… What can you tell me about it? What’s the current status of the band? Is ”Purgatorys Reign” the only recording with this band so far? Is something new from this band to be expected in a near future? The record is, just as ”Among…” produced by Jim Barnes, are you as dissatisfied with his work on the Crimson Relic material as you are with his Morgion effort?

- Haha, you heard about that one? That’s quite a long story, but I’ll give you the basics on that little project. Crimson Relic was formed by ex-Divine Eve guitarist/vocalist Xan Hammock. Divine Eve was set to record out here with Jim Barnes, but broke up on the way out here, haha. Xan, being a friend of ours, asked Rhett if he would drum on the album, and still determined to do the album, recorded all the guitars, bass and vocals himself. Jeremy and I did some vocals and lyric writing here and there, so it became a group effort to help Xan out, haha. I played guitars after the album for a couple months, but not too much became of it, as the project was dropped from the label. It was a fun little project, but not something I could do all the time. Xan walked away with a good recording from Jim Barnes, but he almost had to resort to daily fistfights to get it that way, haha.

I’m a big fan of Conan and his world created by Robert. E. Howard, and I see that you have him mentioned on your inspirational thank list on ”Purgatory’s Reign” which must mean that you share my interest, right? Did you know that the author himself was a muscle man and a boxer weighing around 100 kilo’s? Do you agree with me when I say I think that Conan (the hero) epitomises the way a hard rocker should look and behave? If so, what are you doing about it? Don’t you think that all of us true metal heads ought to work out at a gym training our muscles so that we, if necessary, can prove our superiority against common people? So, are you working out? (Please bear with me, I’m only trying to formulate the most stupid question that someone has ever asked a band…)

- Hmm... I think you may have succeeded! Haha, that reminds me of the old American “80s metal” stereotype. Big, jeans jacket, chains, leather jacket... crushing beer cans on your head, haha! I always see those “retro” metal bands out there who think it’s cool to look like that, it’s always worth a chuckle, hehe. Ah, the glorious 80s...

There is a certain resemblance between the Morgion logo and the Crimson Relic logo, Equitant of Absu must be the man behind that one as well, correct? I simply love his way of drawing logo’s… What do you think about their (Absu’s) music?

- You have quite a keen eye, as Equitant created both. He drew the Morgion logo a year or so before the Crimson Relic one, and we were a bit confused to see the Crimson one looking so similar... Still, we can’t complain, he did it for free basically. Unfortunately I rarely use it, as I do all the Morgion graphics. It is very nice and detailed, but just try fitting that on an album cover, it’s not an easy task! It would have to take up a 1/3 of the sleeve just to get it to a size you can read... Absu is a good band, their drummer is amazing, yet I can’t listen to an album all the way through. I must be getting old, haha.

I know that you are big fans of Winter, you even play ”Servant of the watchmen” as a cover. How would you explain their greatness to someone who is ignorant thereof? Do you know what the guys are doing nowadays?

- Funny you should mention Winter, I just listened to their “Eternal Frost” demo this afternoon, haha! I can’t believe the “Into Darkness” album is eight years old, I remember when it came out. It was the ultimate, like a Celtic Frost album on half speed! We haven’t played that cover in a long time, I miss playing it. I’ve heard rumours here and there about the different band members, but nothing accurate, I’m sure. One of those “one album wonders”

I´ve noticed that you look very tired on your band photo, how come? Are you always this tired? Ever tried Gevalia Skåne-Rost coffe? If not, do you want me to send a package, I promise that it will make you alert (thunderbolts and lightning)?

- I’ll take you up on that offer, hehe. I work graveyard shifts, so that means I’m usually up for 24 hours by the time I make it to any kind of photo shoot, haha. I tried to make myself look more alert and awake with Photoshop, but it never seems to work! haha

What do you think about your colleagues Mindrot, whom I know you associate with, who has let them selves be influenced by Korn, the ultimate crap band of all time? Rumors have it that they have started to include rap elements in their sound, can you confirm this? Doom-Rap, how the hell can this sound? Don’t tell me that you’re also into this ultra-shitty band, Korn that is?!

- Geez, don’t tell me their disease has spread over there as well. That’s the kind of crap I have to put up with every single day, all these fake metal trends like Korn and Marilyn Manson. Mindrot broke up before they let themselves go that far, thankfully. I think it’s been about a year and a half, right about the time “Soul” was released. So you can rest assured you won’t be hearing a doom-rap album from them, haha. I liked their “Faded Dream” demo, but I don’t know what happened after that... I think they realize their mistake now, but just a little too late. They all have little projects they’re working on now, but I haven’t heard any of them.

I guess your ”Travesty” EP is impossible to obtain nowadays? How many copies were pressed? Any chance of a reissue?

- I’m not too sure how many copies of Travesty there are floating about, but I find a copy or two sitting in the corner of old record shops out here sometimes. Catatonic Records, which was never an official “label”, kept pressing them on occasion up until ’95 or so, but I’m sure we won’t see any more presses in the near future. Jim Barnes never returned the DAT tape to us, so I think a high quality release it out of the question. I have a good digital rip from the vinyl around here, perhaps I’ll add those two tracks to the Morgion site in the future...

Here is three few questions for Gary… What can you tell me about your side project Nepenthe? Are you the only Morgion member in this band? Do you have any material available?

- Ah, Nepenthe! You certainly do your homework, haha. Nepenthe is the band I was playing in before I joined Morgion in early 1995. I guess my best description would be a doomy, symphonic Coroner. We were a three piece, our drummer Chris Alexander lives in Germany, guitarist/synth guitar/vocalist Donovan Spencely who lives in Holland and myself. We recorded a four song, 30 minute demo entitled “Nihilo ex Cathedra”, but we didn’t shop it around much. We actually got together sometime in back 1998, as we were all in California for a friend’s passing, and recorded a second demo for the fun of it. Funny enough, I think we may play a couple shows this summer if it doesn’t interfere with any Morgion plans.

Are “Nihilo ex Cathedra” and the “new” nameless demo available from you? Have you been aproached by any label yet?

- The demos haven’t been shopped around much, actually. It isn’t realistic to sign a band when all the members live in different countries, and the fact we only get together every couple years... I do send out quite a bit of the first demo, but my copy of the nameless second demo is in Holland somwhere, haha.

How does it work to have three members in three different countries, must be a lot of tape sending, right?

- Actually, the less you plan and write, the more challenging it is. The last demo was written, rehearsed and recorded in two weeks here in America. When you play in a very structured, orchestrated band like Morgion, it is nice to leave other projects open to improvisations... something I can’t do often with Morgion.

I really like the layout and artwork on both ”Among…” and ”Solinari”, have you done some work for any other bands?

- Ah, thank you. I’m really happy with the “Solinari” art (though the pressing looks a little too orange); the “Among...” was literally done in an hour. One of those last minute jobs; it took me longer to draw the “M” icon than the layout, haha. Still, it turned out fairly nice. I’d really love to do more work, but I haven’t had any offers (hint, hint!). Give me a shot at doing the next Candlemass or Anathema, and I’ll be a happy man, haha!

What kind of scriptures is it that can be seen on the ”Among…” record?Does the text on the booklet have a message?

- All the photographs from the “Among...” booklet come from Persian ruins. Unfortunately, the source of the text photo didn’t have a translation, as I would love to know, haha. Again, we didn’t have much time to research on that one.

Morgion has been described as being “European sounding”, probably because one gets to think of bands like early My Dying Bride, early Anathema and to a smaller extent Paradise Lost when hearing your music. However, nowadays the mentioned bands don’t sound much like in the beginning of their career, and personally I think they have evolved for the worse, what’s your opinion? Can you ever see Morgion developing in a similar way, i.e. adopting a more commercial and “light” sound?

- Well, I might have to disagree with you on that one, as it goes back to my point of doom bands pushing the limits. I think bride became my personal heroes when they released “34.788... Complete”, as no one expected that. Unfortunately, not many people were as open to it, while I find it a much better release then their new offering. I’m quite reversed on the Anathema issue as well, as I don’t like the first album at all, save for a couple songs. I think they got better with each release. As far as Morgion evolving in that way, I don’t see it happening any time soon; and if it did it wouldn’t be a conscious decision. “Okay, let’s make some fans” has never been in the Morgion motto, we play what we feel is right. On the other hand, you can’t expect a band to stay the same forever. Even with “Solinari” we’ve evolved quite a bit, but into what? We don’t know until we get there.

A classical but very interesting question: When can we expect to hear something new from Morgion, hope it won’t take too long (as the case was with ”Solinari”)?Do you have any songs ready? Will you use the same producer and studio?

- We do indeed have songs arranged, but not quite enough for a full release just yet. We’ll be finishing up the material in the next few months, and we plan to have the new release out this year. Unfortunately we have run into a small problem, as Rhett (drums) quit for personal reasons two weeks ago. Fortunately for us, drummers aren’t as difficult to find as keyboard players (four years and still looking...!), so we should be back to work shortly. I’ve been making good use of my little home studio, so we are by no means on hold. As before, Shneberger is our first choice for the new album, I can’t think of anyone else who understands what we need in the studio.

How would you describe the new material compared to “Solinari”, any drastical changes? Have you decided upon a name for the new album yet?

- At the moment we have scrapped the titles and lyrics we had before Rhett quit, as those were his works. Jeremy and I will be taking over in that area. The new music is very much along the lines of “Solinari”, but I would dare to say much darker. I’ve been experimenting with more acoustic and soundscapes, and I really want this album to entrance listeners this time around.

Thank you very much for these gloomy answers Gary, they were very enlightening! And now at the end I’d like to trade one of my personal advice’s concerning life against one of your’s. Mine is: Live life slow -In time we all make the flowers grow... What’s your’s?


- Ah, thank you for the great interview! We’ll have to get together again after the new album release... I don’t have my book of life philosophies with me at the moment, but I’ll give this one to you. Beauty lies in all people of the world, and to deny one plants the seed of hatred inside. Choose to bloom in beauty, or wither in death.


Source: http://hem.passagen.se/punish/morgion.htm

Interview made by for the webzine http://hem.passagen.se/punish/ "