Thrym is a new one man Doom Metal project from Sweden. The band not only continues in the tradition of Swedish metal music wise, but also features Norse mythology themes. In this interview I speak with mastermind Henrik about the band and his influences.
- Greetings Henrik, thanks for taking the time to do this interview with Barbarian Skull! Please tell us about the formation and history of Thrym. What inspired you most to create a Doom Metal band?
Thanks for having me. I started this project a bit more then 2 years ago when I got a bit more serious about singing. There were a few different options, but I felt that going at it alone was a fun and interesting challenge for me. I’ve always liked the vocal style of certain doom metal bands and found that it was a style that suited my voice very well, and also fun to sing. The slower tempo makes for more interesting songwriting as well.
- The Thrym EP was self-released by you in 2014, can you tell us more about the release? What feedback have you received from fans regarding the EP?It is hard to get anything noticed when there are so many band putting out music, especially for a new project without a fanbase. It really wasn’t the best planned release, but I think Bandcamp helped a lot with getting it noticed by some. All in all the feedback has been pretty good and I’m glad that people appear to like it. I’m my own biggest critic, so I always feel there are things that could have been improved, but I will do it with future releases instead.
- Thrym plays a unique mix of Epic Doom Metal mixed with Viking, folk, and heavy metal elements. What projects most inspired your sound?I think the sound is a big mix of all the different music I listen to. The most obvious would be Candlemass I guess, but also other bands like Moonsorrow, Falkenbach, Ensiferum. I just try to write music that I would listen to.
- Sweden has a great tradition of Doom Metal and is home to the greatest Doom band of all time; Candlemass. Lately I have noticed other new Doom bands (such as Mammoth Storm, for example) emerging from the country. What contemporary bands do you listen to, if any?In truth I don’t listen to Doom Metal as much as you’d think. I love Candlemass and Krux, but aside from that I listen more to black and death metal like Behemoth, Emperor, Taake, Bolt Thrower etc. I seem to always compare doom metal bands to Candlemass and that comparison is a tough one. Krux is another band with the great Leif Edling and I hope they will continue to release stuff.
- You handle all of the instruments and music in Thrym yourself, why did you choose to create a one man project? Do you have any plans to play live with session musicians?
It felt right to do it my way with complete control over the music. I do like input and cooperating with people but this time I wanted something that was mine and that I could be 100% behind. I had most of the stuff needed to make it happen, so I did. There are no live plans right now. Playing live is something I would really love doing but right now it would involve too many complications and I don’t think there is any demand for it. Maybe some day in the future.
- The song “I Hel du väntar” is one of the only Doom Metal songs I know of in the Swedish language. I always enjoy listening to Doom in other languages. Do you plan to continue this with future releases?
That song was the odd one out since it is purely acoustic. I just wanted to do something different and get out of my comfort zone and to me it was harder writing in Swedish and trying to avoid the worst clichés. I might do a few more songs in Swedish in the future, it was a fun thing to do. - What can you tell us about the future of Thrym?I’m slowly working on material for a self released full length album but it will take some time. Inspiration comes in waves and I never force myself to write music just because I have to and this project is also a hobby, so there are other things in my life that I prioritize. The songs that I have thus far written have much of the same sound, but with a bit stronger black metal influences. Hopefully I can get it done by this winter, or maybe early next year.
- Thanks again Henrik for taking the time to answer this interview! Any last words are yours!Thank you very much for the feature and many thanks to the people who listen to the music and support me!
