This young label attracts my attention with the old and new material only
released on vinyl. Not the usual black vinyl, but colored vinyl or picture
disc. Wanting to know more about Stormbringer and Niclas, I got in touch
with him.
How were you introduced to metal ? Which were the first vinyls you bought
?
I was introduced to metal back in 1983 when I was
seven years old through my older cousins. Metal was really popular at the
time, so a lot of the older kids was into metal back then. As a kid you really
look up to the older guys, especially when they walk around with lots of
patches, badges and studs! Unfortunately for all other kids metal was just
something they listened to for a few years and then lost interest in it.
I reached the point of no return pretty quick. I started my first fanzine
when I was 14. Hardly knew any english but that didn't stop me. When I got
into metal, my parents didn't have any recordplayer. They had one earlier
as they had some records as well. So in the beginning I had to stick to buying
tapes. The very first tape I got was Kiss "Lick It Up" - still a classic
in my opinion! (I agree with you because I consider "Lick It Up" as the best
Kiss album -Patrick). I can remember getting that tape like it was yesterday!
Other early albums I got was Motley Crue "Shoot At The Devil", Twisted Sister
"Stay Hungry", Wasp "s/t", Accept "Restless And Wild" and albums like that.
I got my dad to buy a recordplayer in '85 so that's when I started buying
vinyl records. Kiss was huge faves back then so I bought a bunch of their
earlier releases. Iron Maiden "Power slave" was one of the first vinyls I
bought. Later on I bought Slayer "Hell Awaits" album. I guess it's fair to
say life never was the same after that!
When and how did Stormbringer Productions start ? What are your goals
?
The label was started back in 1997 when I decided
to finally put my old 'zine Goetia to rest. I had done various fanzines on
and off since 1990 and thought it was about time I did something else and
thought a label might be a good idea. I simply started by asking bands I
had been in touch with through the 'zine if they would be interested in doing
something on the label. Drowned and Eternal Hatred had done demos I liked,
that's why I asked them. I also asked Necronomicon and Satan (I did interviews
with both bands in the very last issue of Goetia) but unfortunately I never
heard back from them. Then two swedish bands, Murder Corporation and Temperance,
asked me if I could release something with them. As both bands were old friends,
I decided to help them out. This is why there's a bit of a difference between
these first releases and the later ones. My main love is 80's metal and it
was pretty natural that that was what the label should be about. I didn't
have any computer or access to the internet in the early days as well. Once
I got that I found bands like Hammerhawk and Vortex pretty quick and that's
when the label turned into what people know today. My goal for the label
is simply to keep on releasing records with bands I like myself. As long
as I still think it's fun doing the label and I have the money and time to
spend on it, I will keep on doing it.
Is it the name of the label taken from a certain sword ?
In a way it was I guess. I don't read much and haven't
read anything with Moorcock even though I am familiar with the sword Stormbringer.
I took the name first of all because it sounded really good in my opinion,
but also because the name has links to 70's, 80's and 90's metal. Some people
have thought I got it from the Deep Purple album. I think I got it from Cirith
Ungol's "Frost And Fire" album actually. There were a lot of good bands in
the 80's that called themselves STORMBRINGER. One of them, the swiss ones,
released an album on Mausoleum, a label I think was really cool, so that
was another good reason for naming the label Stormbringer.
Is it fair to describe Stormbringer as a label into heavy / power / speed
metal ?
Both yes and no. I grew up with metal in the 80's
and therefore enjoy most of the styles. From more mainstream (melodic) metal
to death and black metal (the way it sounded in the 80's then of course!).
I release what I like and enjoy a lot of thrash and death metal bands as
well. The focus will always be on more classic 80's style metal as I know
that's what people want to see on the label.
You release new and old stuff. What kind of response do you get ?
Unfortunately I don't get much response at all!
The only response I get are from the people I am in touch with and a few
'zine reviews. Most people who buy the releases get them from distributors
of mine and I don't know what these people think of them. Most people seem
to like what I do, which is why I keep on doing this. There's always somebody
who doesn't like something, but you can't please everybody and I don't try
to.
What is your method of work ? How do you make your choices when signing
a band ?
First of all, there are no contracts. Everything
is kept on a friendly level. I'm not interested in business as I'm doing
this for the love of the music and records. I'm tracking down some bands
every now and then. If I get in touch with some old bands, I always check
if there's any unreleased material with them available. Most bands, I never
hear back from, but some get back to me. If there's a band I really like
and they have material available (or are interested in recording something
for the label if it's a band that's still existing like in the case with
Hammerhawk and Vortex) then we work something out. The deal I have is that
I pay for everything (well, Twisted Tower Dire helped out paying for the
artwork for their upcoming pic disc which I'm grateful for!) and the band
get 10 % of the amount of record pressed. Lately people have approached me
with bands they would like me to do something with. There are a bunch of
american, canadian and danish bands that I would like to track down but I
don't know how. Any reading this that can help me out ?
A very important thing for me is you print pic disc and colored vinyls.
Are you a vinyl worshipper ? Did you release cd's ?
I haven't released any cd so far. I have never said
that I never will release any cd's, so I might do some cd later on, you never
know. It's just I'm pretty happy with the way things are. I have no interest
in the label becoming bigger. I don't dream about making a living of the
label. So I think I'll stick to good old vinyl records and limited editions.
I don't mind listening to cd's but there's something special about vinyls!
I've been a record collector pretty much since I got into metal and I love
colored vinyls, picture disc and shapes! I also prefer the simpler layout
and artwork of the smaller labels from the 80's than the flashy stuff the
bigger bands had. This is of course why I do colored vinyls and picture discs
on Stormbringer. I would love to do shapes some day as well.
Can you give a list of all the releases on your label ?
Sure, so far I have released the following... skull
9801 : Drowned "Aerth" 7'' (blue vinyl, still available), skull 9802 : Murder
Corporation "Retract The Hostile" 7'' (brown vinyl, sold out), skull 9803
: Eternal Hatred "Upon Rotten Mankind" 7'' (red & black vinyl, still
available), skull 9804 : Temperance "Temperance" 7'' (purple vinyl, sold
out), skull 9805 : Hammerhawk "War" 7'' (blue, red & white vinyl, sold
out), skull 9805P : Hammerhawk "War" 7'' (picture disc, sold out), skull
9806P : Overdrive "Overdrive" 7'' (picture disc, still available), skull
9807 : Vortex "The Mill" 10'' (red vinyl, sold out), skull 9807P : Vortex
"The Mill" 10'' (picture disc, sold out), skull 9808 : Maninnya Blade "A
Demonic Mistress From The Past" LP (clear vinyl, still available).
What is your definition of heavy metal ?
To me it's more than just the music, it's a way
of life!
What do you think of the current metal scene ?
I wish people weren't so damn trendy! Metal people
talk shit about people into pop or whatever, but most of them are just as
trendy! They only buy records with bands they can read about in the big magazines,
that are released on the big wellknown labels and that they can find in their
local record shops. I wish people could use their brain more and listen to
stuff just because it's good and not because it's considered cool to listen
to this or that band! This is why I prefer to listen to 80's metal instead.
I'm really fed up with this so- called "power metal" trend! It was great
at first when more traditional metal bands got more attention again. Little
did I know what was about to follow. I don't listen too much of the newer
bands so I have probably missed out on a lot of great bands. Some of the
newer bands seem to have the right influences, too bad they're nowhere near
as good themselves! Some of the "newer" bands I am into are Twisted Tower
Dire, The Lord Weird Slough Feg, Doomsword, Spirit Caravan and bands like
that.
Can you tell about the future releases to come on Stormbringer ?
Up next is a previously unreleased lp with Mercy
from 1987. This was originally supposed to have been released by some german
label. Don't know why it never happened. This one will come with a gatefold
sleeve with lyrics and plenty of old photos. Limited to 500 numbered copies.
The first 100 copies will be on red vinyl and include a big Mercy poster
from the 80's. This one will be available by the time this 'zine is ready,
so if anybody reading this is interested, get in touch for more info. Then
by late summer / early autumn, I hope to have two other releases ready. Both
of them will be picture discs, a 7'' with Metal Mercy (with three tracks
from a demo they did back in 1987. Killer swedish metal! These guys did a
really rare mlp back in 1989) and a mlp with Twisted Tower Dire (including
their 2000 as well as two bonus cover tracks. Will include a poster as well).
At the end of the year, I hope to have the Metal Knights compilation lp ready.
I've been working on this one for over two years by then! This one will feature
10 swedish bands (all songs are from 1983- 85) that never managed to get
anything on vinyl back then. The lp will be on colored vinyl as usual of
course and also come with a booklet with info about all the bands. At the
moment all bands are ready except for one. I just need to get the material
from some of the bands. As for next year, nothing is sure yet, even though
I have talked to a few bands.
Thanks for your time. If you want to add something...
Thanks a lot for the interview and the interest
in Stormbringer, Patrick! I really appreciate your support! I enjoy your
'zine a lot, so keep up the good work. If anyone's interested in the label
then don't hesitate to get in touch.
Interview by Patrick Lefevre
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