Interviews

Carnal Forge Interview

Hello!

Hello, this is Jari from Carnal Forge calling!

Hi, I’m Zsuzsanna Muszka from Kronos Mortus Metal Magazine! How are you today?

Yeah, I’m fine! And you?

I’m fine, thank you! Can we start the interview?

Yes!

Ok., good! Carnal Forge started the career in 1997. What is the biggest difference in music life between those times and nowadays in your opinion?

That’s a hard question! I think the biggest difference nowadays that all the bands just pop up, they’re so excellent musicians, everybody’s like can play everything, that’s pretty much the biggest difference I think. As for the music, I think it became a little bit more simple compared to when we started. Today everything is really technical. Everybody can put out a record with a small means. You don’t have to own a studio even to make a record, you just need a computer and the internet. It’s much bigger today, it’s easier to make yourself heard. When we started out, the internet was like a small thing. We had fan tapes and stuff like that. The internet is also one of big parts of how things look like now and also I think it was easier to sell a record when we started because everybody was buying records. Nowadays everybody has spotify or itunes, buying things over there.

You released your new album called „Gun To Mouth Salvation” not so long ago, at the end of January. What experiences you gained in the album writing session?

I think it was pretty much straight forward! We’ve never been a band of thinking about so much how began we sound for a next record and we’ve spread music counting what feels right. We don’t pay so much attention for that. Carnal Forge has never been a band, saying: ”Now we’re going to do a slow record or a fast record or a melodic record”, it has to come naturally for us and it’s pretty basic for us when we do records. We have thought how we sound and it turned out as it turned out then.

What were your main inspirations, musically and lyrically, writing the new album?

Since we had a long break, lots of new bands, great bands has popped up and I guess that everything you’re listen to is an inspiration someway. I wouldn’t say that when I do songs I don’t think ”Now I’m going to do a song that sound like Slayer or Lamb of God” or something like that. Of course, bands always have been an influence because we listen to music when we don’t do music, also. Unconsciously, I think everything that you hear is an inspiration. I’ve been a basic fan of like Lamb of God. Not the new band but when I first heard them, they had something totally new to me, they brought me to the scene, so that has been inspired me to do songs.

Carnal Forge has a new singer on the new album… Why did you choose right him?

Well, we started to discuss about it with Jen when he became a father and he said that he was worry that he wouldn’t had the time to be in the band and that’s happened. He decided to be with his family instead of the band. We totally understood it, we supported him in that. At the same time Tommie, a really good friend for us over 20 years, he was a big fan of the band and me and my brother Petri picked Tommie from several occasions. We had other projects that it was fun to do, something else besides Carnal Forge. And I just discussed with him about it and he immediately said yes, let’s try, let’s give him the chance to be on the record and do more than great beers and having fun (laughs) at the rehearsal room. So we have called Tommie and he said ”Fine, I’m with you if you want me, no problem!” 3 days later he had written all the lyrics for the album that showed for us he kept a good approach for work and he’s amazed by to be around this also with fun. He suits the band really good, all of our friends have told that it feels like Tommie has been in the band always. And I think it has much to do that we have been friends with him for so long and it seems it was a natural chioce to give him the chance to be in the band.

What was the reception of the new album?

So far, it has been really good, we are pretty blown away that so many of our old friends is still there and we’re getting great reviews of the album and so far everything looks amazing, I must say. I can almost say I haven’t read a bad review of the album so far. Of course I’ve read some ”okay, this is Carnal Forge, I’ve never been into Carnal Forge and this is pretty much Carnal Forge” and that’s the worst thing I’ve read and it’s not a bad thing so… (laughs) It’s been amazing, so far.

Which so far released album do you regard the most successful?

It’s hard to say, my favourite albums are Who’s Gonna Burn, Testify for my Victims and the new one and it’s hard to say which has gained most success for us because in my opinion the album we sold the most is Testify for my Victims but I think this new album is way much betten than that, productionwise and songwise.

Now that you run on 100%, I suppose you’re planning a lot of shows, am I right?

Yeah, of course! We do play as many shows as humanly possible. The one thing that is not so good nowadays that we released the album early in the year. We should have been released it in the autumn instead because every festivals are already booked and so on. As for us, we’re hoping that we’ll get some slots when some bands maybe cancel shows and stuff like that. As long as anybody wants us come and play, we’ll do that.

In our homeland, Hungary there are a lot of fans of Carnal Forge who are obsessed with your music. What do they expect if they see you again live on the stage?

Right? (laughs) Well, I would say that a Carnal Forge show is pretty intense and pretty straightforward with a lot of headbanging and marching. We’ll try to have fun with the audience and it’s pure energy, I would say. It’s pretty crazy actually.

It’s good to hear and we hope to see you live in Hungary someday!

Yeah, that would be excellent! We really want to come if somebody wants us to come.

We will spread the word for you!

Yeah, thank you!

Thank you for the conversation, for your time and I wish you great success, great power to create a lot more new songs and albums… We’ll be always curious about you and keep our eyes on Carnal Forge!

That’s cool! Thank you so much for showing interest for the band, that’s really nice!

Thank you for the calling! Have a nice evening! Good bye!

Thank you! Bye-bye!

WEB: http://www.carnalforge.se/

The interview was taken with Jari Kuusisto on 14.02.2019.


Contributed by: Zsuzsanna Muszka

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