HEAVYDEATH

Heavy Metal of Death and Doom

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HEAVYDEATH Hails The ‘Sarcophagus In The Sky’

~Doomed & Stoned Debuts~

This weekend, Doomed & Stoned is bringing you the world premiere of ‘Sarcophagus In The Sky’ (2017), the third album by Stockholm’s HEAVYDEATH (or Tung Död as they’re known in Sweden – derived from the Old Norse, Þungr Dauði). Formed in 2013 and featuring Nicklas Rudolfsson on guitar and vocals (Runemagick, The Funeral Orchestra, Domedag, Necrocurse), Johan Bäckma on bass (Necrocurse, Rapid Terrör), and Daniel Moilanen on drums (Runemagick, Katatonia), HEAVYDEATH have been quite the busy doomers, dreaming up nearly a dozen demos, four EPs, and two albums (including the much hailed 'Eternal Sleepwalker’ on Svart Records).

The album opens in characteristically stormy fashion with an ominous, rumbling – the sound of anticipation that I’ve come to identify with HEAVYDEATH. “The stone has a purpose,” a grave voice utters prophetically. “A new journey begins, soon after dark.” And with that, we are immersed in the dark, strange reality of the Sarcophagus In The Sky. As with all of HEAVYDEATH’s work, the riffs are intuitive, the rhythms well-placed, the low-end growling like hungry beast on the prowl, the atmosphere charged with electric mist. Heavy as all hell.

Something untoward is about to happen. A sky-bound monolith has appeared suddenly and without warning. Who or what is it? For the answers, you must dive headlong into each of these ten tracks. The new album is releases on November 17th and can be pre-ordered on LP, CD, Cassette, and digital formats.

Give ear…

Sarcophagus In The Sky by HEAVYDEATH

An Interview with HEAVYDEATH

By Billy Goate

We’re excited to hear about your third full-length record, coming November 17th! Tell us all about the new album.

Nicklas: We are very pleased with the outcome. As usual, we do everything ourselves, DIY low-budget, and record all songs in our rehearsal tomb in a few days. But I think all of us are so pleased that we can say it’s our best album so far (which surely every band says…). This applies to songs, arrangements and sound.

As I said, most of the recording was made in our rehearsal room, for a few days during this summer 2017. I made some vocal overdubs in the car and in the forest. Johan (bass) made all the mix and mastering in the rehearsal room too.

I also like that we not only used photographs and photomontages in the cover art and in the layout this time; we also have woven in some drawings and illustrations, which fit well. Many thanks to Catta “Eldhexan” who has drawn some illustrations for us. We once again chose to cooperate with the labels Aftermath Music (LP/CD) and Flowing Downwards (cassette) for the physical editions.

The song material is composed between 2013 and 2017. So there are some “old” songs like “Hunter,” “Darkness of No Return,” and “Dawn Without Sun” that have been featured on previous demos, but most of the songs are new. There are six main songs on the album (“The Stone Speaks At Winter,” “Hunter,” “Path To The Altitude,” “Sarcophagus In The Sky,” “Autumn Of Life,” “Dawn Without Sun”) and then there are some additional songs depending on which edition (LP, CD, cassette, or different digital versions).

Photo by Stefan “Rotting Vomitor” Rodin

Nicklas, can you tell us a little bit more about each of the songs that make up this album?

The Stone Speaks At Winter

“The whole song is basically based on one rhythm pattern in different places. It is about the existence of ancient wisdom carved in stones that those who want see can learn from.”

Hunter

“A rather varied song that breaks into different passages. A kind of awakening in clarity and a break with slavery in a so-called civilization.”

Path To The Altitude

A journey in passages with “ambient” chords, hammering rhythmic riffs and bass melodies. In a way the escape from the “normal” reality, a view from above altitudes where the tentacles can’t control you.

Sarcophagus In The Sky

A heavy rhythmic song with pumping chord melodies, ending in a “speed-paced” crescendo. There were old warnings about what should come, warnings that have been tried to hide, death from the sky.

Autumn Of Life

A mixture of doomy riffs and parts with floating melodies that mixes into each other. An autumn of life, a passage in death, storms and darkness.”

Dawn Without Sun

Also based on heavy rhythms and then terminated in the chords of the fall. After storms of death, darkness awaits for a long, long time.

Darkness Of No Return

One of the first songs written to the band in 2013, slightly heavier than the previous demo version. The title speaks for itself and fits well after a dawn without sun.

The Entity

This song was written during the recording session of the album, atmospheric pieces mixed with some “old school.” She exists in another “dimension” (and maybe also here?). She gives you a choice to stay or return.

During the recording session we also recorded two demo songs (Tidal Clarity and Shadow Of The Equinox) without Daniel on drums (I play drums) to test the sound. Both songs would fit into the album’s “concept” but there was already enough material and “Tidal Clarity” might be too similar to “The Stone Speaks At Winter,” at least we were reasoning so at the time. Afterwards we decided to release the demo versions as bonus material. Available as bonus songs on the album (Bandcamp only) as well as the single “The Stone Speaks At Winter” (Bandcamp only).

Daniel working on arrangements during the album recording.

Several of your music videos, including the recent one for “Sarcophagus in the Sky” have you taking us into the forest at dusk. Do the woods hold a special meaning to you?

Nicklas: It’s not a “music video" in that way, so to speak; more a simple visualization of the song. I filmed a walk in one take from our house through the forest up to a higher mountain, called “Örnekulle Knalte”.

Personally, I like being in the forest as much as I can. Relaxation, inspiration and recreation. I live in the countryside with large forest right next to the house. Many in today’s society certainly do not know how important the forest is.

Daniel and Nicklas relaxing after the first day of recording.

The album cover looks like a Noah’s Ark nestled in the trees, yet it appears to be a vessel of death. I’m intrigued – what is the Sarcophagus in the Sky?

Nicklas: The title and cover can certainly be interpreted in several ways. It’s perfectly ok for the listener to do his / her own interpretations. The sarcophagus or coffin is more a visual picture of death. As I mentioned earlier, it may be that the death from/in the sky is forgotten in the present day. It also applies to death from/in the oceans. The large stone or we can call it the megalith can be a symbol or guidance. Or a monument of death…

Lyrics to “The Stone Speaks At Winter”

You are quite the prolific band: three albums, four EPs, and 10 demos full of great ideas. Has making music always come this easy to you or did you sell your soul to Satan when you were with Runemagick? Seriously, though, how do you do it? We’re impressed!

In recent years, I have had a long period of dense waves with inspiration. Cannot directly explain why, but it comes and goes. In the past I have had years of minimal lust and inspiration for music. But now it’s like a high season in creativity for my part. I write music in my head when I drive car, walk or if I get a short moment with a guitar. I never practice getting better on guitar or any other instrument. My focus is on creativity and composing. Make trips in soundscapes with riffs.

It often happens that I or we take a lunch break and record simple demos. You can record some songs in 30-60 minutes. It’s important to be effective when you have a lot of other things to do with your little life.

Johan bass recording.

We’d love to know more about the tools of your trade. Can you show us around your studio show us your wares? What pedals and effects do you find most useful to you in the music you’re composing and performing these days?

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Title track from the upcoming album Sarcophagus In The Sky. November 17, 2017!

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Sarcophagus In The Sky LP/CD/MC November 17, 2017

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In Circles We Die (diy video)

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In Circles We Die, by HEAVYDEATH

11 track album

“In Circles We Die” out now at bandcamp!

DLP, CD and MC coming soon...

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Samples from upcoming album “In Circles We Die”

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Daniel Moilanen, drum recording for album II

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Doomed and Stoned Reviews

‘The Storm,’ 'Dark Phoenix Rising,’ and 'Eternal Sleepwalker’ by HEAVYDEATH

By Zachary Painter

You’ve seen us post their music, and you’ve read our posts about their music that border flattery because we admire them so much. Therefore, you’ve heard what all the hype is about. You’ve felt the distorted pummel and gradual spiritual abrasion. You’ve lost your breath from atmospheric compression, due to the thick darkness invoked by their demonic amp worship.

Or have you?

In case not, the subject of our deepest affection mentioned above is none other than HEAVYDEATH, a Swedish doom trio who have wrought dark music since before many of us were born. They are a band comprised of metal veterans, each of whom has a long catalogue of releases under their belts with former heavy-hitter bands. They are: Nicklas Rudolfsson (guitar & vocals, of Runemagick, Necromancer, The Funeral Orchestra and DOMEDAG fame), Johan Bäckman (bass, also of Necrocurse, Masticator, and Rapid Terrör), and Daniel Moilanen (drums, playing with Katatonia and Runemagick, as well).

As mentioned, HEAVYDEATH are no strangers to the dark arts. Runemagick, primarily a death-metal group with occasional doom leanings, stretches all the way back to the early 90’s. Necrocurse (also heavy death metal) began sometime in 2004, and Katatonia, like Runemagick, have roots that extend all the way to '93 (although Moilanen didn’t join until 2015). Needless to say, each member is seasoned, and it shows in the mix. The spells they weave through their hypnotic vocal chants and menacing tone are quite masterful, a combination of slow-breathing riffs bolstered by dense, low-end and tasteful percussion. Bäckman and Moilanen construct the ultimate foundation for Rudolfsson’s vision as he is the key songwriter and founding member. His compositions focus on strong parts rather than flashy solos and gimmicky showmanship of any kind. The result is a big sound with flow, and that feels good and sounds even better.

An equally impressive trait of HEAVYDEATH’s is their prolificacy. Rudolfsson’s mind is like a warehouse packed with dormant riffs that fall off the shelf and into his lap when he so desires. To date, HEAVYDEATH have 17 releases (lots of demos!), all spanning between 2014 and 2015. None of these are half-ass tunes, either. Some are polished tunes crammed into a single track, creating one, long file. Others are rough sketches of songs, but the ideas are still consistent and thought out, giving them shape.

Of these scraps and pieces, HEAVYDEATH have released three LP’s: 'Awakening of the Forgotten’ (2015), 'Eternal Sleepwalker’ (2015), and 'Dark Phoenix Rising’(2015) — all within the same year (true to form). This review will focus on various tracks from Eternal Sleepwalker, Dark Phoenix Rising, and their most recent demo, The Storm (Demo XII). And, like anything we write about, this review is best supplemented with a good brew, maybe a black IPA, and of course your own strain of fine green. Enjoy!

Eternal Sleepwalker

Ascending

Eternal Sleepwalker by HEAVYDEATH

Opener “Ascending” has heft, contrary to its name. It plods with giant’s feet and never loses its girth, though it does shake off its slow tempo a bit. In fact, the only time the song feels like it is ascending is in the very last measures, where the chugging, legato eighth notes merge into whole notes and the drums reduce to fine cymbal play. The airy conclusion is fitting, considering the lyrics speak of an abyss, death, and the imperative “rise” and “die”:

We go in a row Down towards the abyss But a few chosen Know the solution They hold the key to Ascending from pestilence Rise, now, die, now Rise, now, die, now

Bow Down

Eternal Sleepwalker by HEAVYDEATH

This 9-minute eerie trek is the longest on the album, and it seethes despair like a boiling cauldron. The lyrics, sung in both clean and unclean vocals, are concise and demented:

Bow down for me, Sacrifice your life Sacrifice, let’s sacrifice

They seem like something straight out of an ancient grimoire tucked away in some witch’s ghastly abode, deep in a murky forest. Enough imagery for you? Well, the skillfully layered guitar and bass propelled by Moilanen’s dutiful drumming evoke it. And Rudolfsson’s soaring vocal melody glides on these passages like a malevolent specter in the wind. Kindle the blue flame and sharpen your knife!

Dark Phoenix Rising

Dead Trees

Dark Phoenix Rising by HEAVYDEATH

This song grabs your throat, as Rudolfsson’s spit-in-your-face guttural growls bellow over a fugal backdrop. Around the three-minute mark, a melodic guitar passage harmonizes with the bass. The two voices weave in and out of each other for the rest of the song, leading the listener throughout the bleak and beautiful sonic tapestry tied together by a truly captivating vocal chant. There is so much going on here, so many elements that could go awry, but HEAVYDEATH keep it together with complete composure.

The Ember of The End

Dark Phoenix Rising by HEAVYDEATH

Rudolfsson’s vocals in “The Ember of the End” have a dark timbre. Coupled with a rock solid, downbeat-heavy doom riff, the song maintains a latent, dismal presence that gives it unpleasant vitality. It crawls towards you, always seeming like it’s at a safe distance, yet uncomfortably near as it slowly advances.

Dark Phoenix Rising

Dark Phoenix Rising by HEAVYDEATH

Thematically, the last three tracks of Dark Phoenix Rising are very similar. Either they trudge or the drums carry the riffs with the ride cymbal. But at some point they all end up trudging, and that’s okay. It establishes an atmosphere that spans throughout the record, and HEAVYDEATH do a remarkable job at that. This ender is not dramatic, it just feels right. Pure, heavy doom.

The Storm (Demo XII)

The Storm

DEMO XII - The Storm by HEAVYDEATH

A highly recommended track, this one. The riff is first-degree, the doom as traditional as it gets, and Rudolfsson’s vocal work augments the effectiveness of the parts. “The Storm” is all about rebuilding itself, which is vital considering the same two themes develop over a 7 minute play time. Moilanen chimes in with double bass towards the end, which adds that extra kick, ushering “The Storm” into its final moments.

One Eye

DEMO XII - The Storm by HEAVYDEATH

“One Eye” contains some welcomed deviation from the typical HEAVYDEATH playbook. It’s got some very melodic passages and some stalwart, bare-bones doom. The parts with faster tempos i.e. the first half of the song, give the listener a sense of movement, inertia. But then… “One Eye” unwinds and slows down, only to gradually regain its footing, at which point it proceeds with sloth-like diligence to its terminus.

Journey to the Shores of Death

DEMO XII - The Storm by HEAVYDEATH

This ender is patient and solemn, if not quite genius. The development is crucial, the dynamics being a big part of that. Rudolfsson’s vocals remain clean during the whole piece. In the last two minutes, Moilanen finally kicks in with the much-anticipated groove, but “Journey” never crosses into heavier territory. It stays put, rather stagnant, which somehow leaves a greater final impression on the listener.

HEAVYDEATH: An Interview

By Zachary Painter

Photos by Catharina Holmberg & Laurine Backelin

So, tell us a little about being in HEAVYDEATH. Between juggling projects, band members (Runemagick, Necrocurse, The Funeral Orchestra, Katatonia), and recording a slew of HEAVYDEATH demos, EPs, and LPs between 2014 and 2015, how do you find the time for it all? Would you consider HEAVYDEATH “top priority” at the moment?

HEAVYDEATH currently consists of myself on guitar and vocals, Johan Bäckman on bass, and Daniel Moilanen on drums. We are all quite busy. Johan and I live close to our rehearsal place, but we both have families, jobs, and other music projects. Daniel lives about five hours away from us and is busy with all that he does and his main band, Katatonia. So he does not have as much time for HEAVYDEATH as we do.

I see HEAVYDEATH as my main musically priority right now. But I’m still active as a drummer and songwriter in Necrocurse although we do not have so many activities scheduled right now.

If there is any time left over, I also write some music to my (at the moment) one-man-project DOMEDAG, it has been active and off since 2003. Wonder if I will ever release any official material? Time will tell.

My old band (and Daniel’s too) Runemagick is still sleeping. We’ll see if it will resurrect in the future for some gigs, maybe. It depends on my wife, too, who plays bass in Runemagick (we have small kids, so it’s not easy to rehearse at the same time).

The same applies to The Funeral Orchestra, also in some kind of sleep mode. As long as HEAVYDEATH is active, it feels that there is no question of reviving these bands right now. Mainly, because the music is not very different. I do not think it is relevant to have several active bands playing in a similar genre.

Johan’s main priority is HEAVYDEATH. He also plays bass in Necrocurse and makes some session bass recordings for other bands.

Each member of HEAVYDEATH is a seasoned musician with lots of versatility and experience in heavy metal, be it doom, death, or something in between. So what exactly led you all to become HEAVYDEATH?

The band was officially born in 2013. It started with me getting the urge to write heavier riffs and songs, which I had not done in a while. I also wanted to play guitar in an active band again.

I had some riffs and ideas lying around already that had I begun working on and I wrote a lot of new ones, as well. I presented the material, as some kind of metal in the genres of heavy, death, and doom, to Johan and asked if he wanted to join in and play bass in a new band. Johan liked the material and then it rolled on. We recorded many demo recordings with a session drummer. Daniel joined the band in the summer of 2014, when we recorded the debut album Eternal Sleepwalker.

There is also another pre-history of HEAVYDEATH that has been “taken into the band.” After Runemagick laid to rest in 2007, I met Daniel sometime in 2008 (or was it 2009?) in a studio to write and record material together. The project, as it was back then, had no name - just an embryo. The result was a long song, “The drones are walking to the downfall.” We did not have time to finish bass and complete the vocal recording. Then, we kind of lost contact with each other for a few years, and the recording was forgotten. In 2014, I got hold of a backup of the recording session. There were some similarities to HEAVYDEATH. So I asked Johan to record bass and I recorded vocals. Johan did a rough-mix, which we then released under the name HEAVYDEATH on our Bandcamp site for about a year ago. It is what it is, may not be 100% representative of how we sound now, but what the hell.

Tell us about your writing process. You are the key composer, as I understand it. What else goes into writing a HEAVYDEATH song? Is it a jam session, do you all come in with riffs, or are individual parts generally written in a big collaborative process?

So far, it is I who write all the riffs and most of the arrangements. Johan has helped with some arrangements. Daniel has also had some input on arrangements, mainly Demo XII, but we all are contributing in our own way by how we play our instruments. Johan’s basslines are as important as how my riffs are played. Some portions of the recordings actually contain some form of improvisation, like the song “Beyond the Riphean Mountains” from Eternal Sleepwalker and the ending of “The Bad One” from the Futility and Death demo session.

Where does HEAVYDEATH record?

We have captured all recordings, both demos and the debut album, at our rehearsal place, with some additions made at home. The conditions are quite simple, so to speak. Most of our demos released so far were not initially supposed to be released officially, but it has become so for better or worse perhaps. I blame Johan for that! (laughs) Several recordings are very sloppy and stressfully recorded. Almost all demos are recorded during lunch breaks. Barely have time to tune the guitar before you press the record button! Despite this, we have received very good feedback on the demos released.

Your first outing as a band was back in September 2015 at Mörkaste Småland Festival in Sweden. Any extensive touring plans this year?

Yes, our first gig was at the Mörkaste Småland Festival in Sweden and it was actually very good, I must say, considering our few rehearsals. It gave us a taste for more!

Our second gig was a few weekends ago. It was very different. Daniel had to cancel at short notice. We had no time to find and rehearse with a session drummer, so we had the choice to cancel or play live with a drum machine!! We took the decision not to cancel, so for the first time both for me and Johan, we did a gig as a duo with a drum machine. It was different and felt very stiff, so it will probably never happen again. But the decision we took still feels right, you should not give up too easily.

We still want to play more live and if there are conflicts with Daniel and his main band Katatonia, we must look for a session drummer. We are open for bookings, so hopefully it will be a some more gigs later this year. Contact us!

Does the band have any more intentions to record and release new material after the re-release of 'Dark Phoenix Rising’ on CD via Dying Sun Records later this year?

There is a lot of new material written and some unofficial demo recordings of songs for our second full-length album. We had intended to record the new album now, in March, but probably we need to revise the plan for several reasons. Actually, it is in no hurry, so it will take the time it takes. Aftermath Music out of Norway will release the upcoming album on CD. We will also work on finding partners for LP and cassette release. Hopefully, the upcoming album will be released during 2016.

If I should say something briefly about the new material, it is a continuation of the Eternal Sleepwalker, but with a bit more variation in the songs.

I’m quite drawn to the quote, “Death is heavy, heavy is Death, heavy as Death.” Who is responsible for this loaded maxim?

It is I who wrote it and it is originally a piece from the first version of lyrics to the song “Heavy as Death,” which has since been rewritten a bit after that. But we still use that quote here and there.

Any last words?

Heavy… Thank you for the interview!

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DEMO XII - The Storm, out now on tape

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Dark Phoenix Rising - EP CD with 2 bonus tracks!

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