Albums of Purgatory Interview Ashes to Ashes' Bjorn Luna
Albums of Purgatory: Firstly, what's the band up to?
Bjorn Luna: Right now we’re in a phase that’s
very exciting. We’re currently expecting the new album to hit our post box any time.
I’m eager to check out that everything turned out as it’s supposed to. It’s
out of our hands right now. Meanwhile we’re rehearsing as hell for the live shows
this Easter. We’ve recruited a keyboard player and are quite busy getting things on
the roll.
AoP: How would you describe the Ashes to Ashes sound?
BL: It’s hard to describe actually. We have a lot in our
sound. Different genres mixed and blended. Some parts of our music you can point at and
say that this is “Thrash Metal” or whatever, but all in all it’s basically
Metal music with a lot of dynamics. Going from almost silence to total devastation.
AoP: How did the band begin in '92?
BL: Well, I met Michael, Kristian and Terry F (the very first singer) at a local joint. They had just started the band and needed a bass player. It was very loose and unstable at that time. We were inexperienced, and the music was a bit unfocused. The only thing we wanted was to play Heavy Metal, and based the music entirely on guitar riffs. It had it’s charm, but as I’ve said, a bit naked and unfocused.
BL: During these
years we went through a lot of experimentation. You know, to find the sound. Our sound.
I’m glad we’ve delayed the recording of the album, when you listen to our demos
through this period. It’s varied and diverse. Due to experimentation and the search
for a stable and strong trademark sound. However, some of the material of these demos had
just the right feeling and was brought along to the debut album. Though in improved
versions.
AoP: How difficult was it to replace the vocalist towards the end of
'97?
BL: It’s always a drag to switch members. It weakens the
band. But just for a while though. The whole idea is to improve and get better. In this
case I believe it was a great lift for us. Kenneth had just the qualities we were
searching for. A deep steady voice that fits our music perfect.
AoP: Can you remember your first gig (how did it go)?
BL: The first gig we did went really good
actually. Despite that it was our stage debut, and a lot of things could have gone wrong.
It simply didn’t. We received a really nice review in Scream Magazine (Norway’s
biggest Metal ‘zine). It was great. I have good memories from this night.
AoP: What are your favourite ATA tracks?
BL: It depends on the mood really. Every song has it’s own mood and atmosphere. On “Shapes of Spirits” I’ve always had a predilection for “Gabriel”. I think we’ve succeeded on the atmosphere on this one. Really dark and beautiful at the same time. And that, I believe, is the most important thing in music generally. That it grips you and gets you in a certain mood. On the new album, “Cardinal VII”, there are songs that have more edge and power. Such as “New World Obscure” for instance. Gets my fist in the air every time.
BL: Oh my God!…. That’s a tough one. I mean,
It’s difficult to choose an album, but one single track is even worse. “Angel of
death” of Slayer is an all time classic, but I have lot of favourite songs….
AoP: What was the first record you bought?
BL: My first album was either Kiss – “Unmasked” or Iron Maiden – “Killers”. I can’t really remember.
BL: That’s a tough one too. But very intriguing. A suggestion would be: Cliff Burton on bass, Mirai from Sigh on synth, Dave Murray from Iron Maiden on guitar, Czral of Cadaver Inc. on drums and Mike Patton on vocals. That would have been interesting, but it wouldn’t work I think. (Les Claypool could always step in for Cliff…)
BL: My impression of the scene today is that it is a bit
overexposed. It seems that the record labels are more interested in quantity than of
quality, signing all sorts of bands. It makes it hard for the listener to filtrate and
find the good ones. Because there are a lot of good bands indeed. You just have to ignore
a lot of advertising shit to find them. Another thing is that bands and genres are not
that distinct anymore. You have these in-between-genres-bands, like our selves, that music
critics find hard to describe. This is a good thing though. It demands more of the
listener. In the old days you had Heavy Metal bands, and that was it.
AoP: Do you have any funny stories about the band you can share with
us?
BL: Once our drummer farted! Ha,ha,ha!…. Eh. I’m
sorry, but I don’t have any stories to share with you of any commercial interest.
AoP: and finally, what do you see in the future for Ashes to Ashes?
BL: The main goal for us right now, as I mentioned earlier, is
to construct a really good live line up. We will do some festivals in the autumn, and a
small European tour is also on the map. Further on we’re quite eager to start making
songs for our third album. Some material are written already, and I’m really excited
to continue this work. I love making records and being in studios. The evolution of it
all. From idea to the final product. But the most important thing, is to stay focused on
the compositions. To think of the album as a whole and be a perfectionist. So when
you’re finally finished, you can be 100% satisfied with every second on the record.
That’s tough, but it’s worth it. Believe you me.