Hailz Mikael, welcome at the pages of the 3rd edition of Tales of the Morbid Butchers . How are you? How was this winter in Sweden? Do you like to live int he north? Here in Hungary I think there have not been a real winter for ages. Some snow falls and it melts within a short period of time. And of course the public transport gets paralyzed, hehe.
Hello Dudas and thanks for having us in Tales of the Morbid Butchers. I am fine, thank you. We live (almost) in the middle of Sweden, the band we have is Aggressive Mutilator from a town called Norrköping. The band is Micael Zetterberg and Mikael Holm (me). It is cold and dark most of the time of a year in Sweden. It is dangerous to go outside with wrong cloths, that’s how cold it is. But I am use to that, so for me it is natural. I like the north… it fits my mental mood; I am a bit sensitive and are thinking a lot. Not the party guy if I may say so. Public transports get paralyzed here also, mostly the trains.
Until this time you have sent me 2 tapes and a CD for which I want to say thanks again. I always appreciate, when a band promotes their materials in such a dedicated way and send physical stuff from their own efforts instead of dropping download links in e-mail. Where did you find my contact address when you first sent me the „They Want to Cut off my Head” demo?
I got to know your zine trough a flyer some time ago, the old way. So I sent out a tape because I thought it would fit in your zine. Glad you appreciate it. We don’t care about money, commercialism or media. Just making our music and if someone else like it we are more than happy. We are glad that an underground zine like yours like us, because you don’t care about money and profit and can write about the band you like. I believe some bigger zines gives you fine reviews if you pay them for commercial or advertising. It is what I have heard at least.
Let’s talk about the works of Aggressive Mutilator. If I am right, you summoned this band. When and why did you started to feel that you need to create this primitive (only in positive way) audial monster ? Did you have any other bands before?
The idea to start the band came from my frustration of people who are talented but waste there talent away on jamming, talking and buying expensive instrument. I played in some band before Aggressive Mutilator be they never did anything creative when I was with them. I always wanted to be creative and focus on the music but most of the guys I played with where not interested in that. I kind of relayed on them because I was very unsure of myself then. But I finally got the guts to start my own band and then I can do and play the kind of music that I want. I was lucky to find Micael Zetterberg, who is the other half of the band, who are the same just like me, he focus on the music, not wasting time jamming on other people’s songs.
The other member of the band is Micael Zetterberg from behind the drums, the band consists of you two. Is he a full member or just a session musician? Do you know him for a long time? Do you want more members to the band or you are completely satisfied with this line-up?
He is a full member, 50% of the band since 2012. We are happy with the line-up but if we ever will be playing live we need 2 more people.
Did you have gigs with session members or maybe you just planning it? Is it important to you, that a full member should stand near you on the stage or you accept session members as well who just play the songs and has no words in the creation of them?
A: If we are going to play live then we need extra members, who just play the songs. We have never played live. Maybe there will be a live gig if someone is interested. Now we don’t need any help with the song making. We have Kim Ekwall Lattik who helps us with the recordings. He is like the third member and often comes with tips and help regarding the playing.
Despite the fact that the band exists only for some years, you had several demos unleashed, along with a full-lenght album. Do you have much preparations for a record or you just record them easily and spontaneously? How are the recordings carried out, what mood fills your soul when you are making these? Will the result be better with some increase of alcohol’s level? You record these in the rehearsal room and after that there are some studio work with them at home?
All of our recordings are made in the rehearsal room, except 2 demos and our vinyl 7” who are studio recordings. It is easy to record by yourself and also you can take the time you need and it cost no money. We make songs very fast but rehearsal them carefully before recording. No alcohol when recording. And for me no alcohol at all most of the time. Most of the time the mood is great when we record. You put your focus on making something. Going from A to B, and try to make something you at least think is a little bit great. We record almost all the things at the same time. Why spend more time then you need. A lot of people think that if you spend much time on a recording then it is a great one per definition. I don agree with that, I like spontaneous thing. That way I like Motorhead for example.
I really liked that the music of Aggressive Mutilator is an old-styled one, I prefer this. Is your approach similar in your everyday life too? What do you think about the fast-moving-world, and the technical developments that evolve from day to day? What will be the end of this, where will it lead and until which level it is possible to carry out? Do you think it might happen what we saw in the Terminator movies?
I like the Terminator movie; actually it is deeper that you think behind all action. I try to live minimalistic just like our music is. I don’t like the way people live in the world today. With money as religion, commercialism, materialism, imperialism, extreme right and left wing parties. All is about making things fast. Like Spotify. You don’t sit down and listen to a song properly; you switch to a new one because you can. And I think the feeling gets lost then. The same can be said about this fast society. What will happen the day all computer crash I ask myself sometimes. The world is getting worse, both spiritually and when it comes to tolerance. It is sometimes a stupid and cruel world we live in. I like the nature and the amazing things you can se there, animals, threes, lakes.
A small observation considering the modern world, that I experience from day to day. I’m feeling I have to take a vomit when I see a company of friends and every single one of them are just pushing their smart phones instead of talking and dealing with each other. At my workplace during breakfast time the shallow idiots are also doing the same but situation can be same at drinking pubs too. It really pisses me off. What do you think about it?
Yes I agree. Now you can have your life on the Internet or the phone. I know old people are very afraid of the new technology. Me too sometimes. As a protest to that I don’t have a computer with internet at home. Also at a period I had no TV.
Your music is labelled as Black Metal. Do you agree with this? I know that many hate this topic but at some level it could be important to show a little guidance, since metal genre became a really vast category in these days. How would you describe the music of Aggressive Mutilator?
I agree, Black metal with a punk touch I think is an easy and fine label. That’s because I like both Black metal and punk and that is what we wants to play. I think you are right when you say guidance is important. It is easer so you know what you are listening to,
The thing that first grabbed my attention and catched me, so to speak, was this barbarian and primitive (as I said only in the good sense of the word) approach, with the ancient powers and feelings and the denial of the modern era. Besides that I think I can’t compare it to anything, it is like a travel back to the 80’s. Guess you are not get offended by this opinion
No.. Thank you very much for that opinion. I hope most people (who are not in to metal) will dislike us. We don’t do this because we think we are going to be rock stars or something. The primitive approach you mention I often what makes me like a band. Motorhead, Kiss, Sex pistols, Ramones. Those bands have song who speaks to me in a straight way. Nothing strange or pretentious. Just rock n roll with great felling.
Do you listen only to this kind of music in your private life or you listen to a lots of things? I am open minded but I usually avoid materials that has modern polished sound and that are too technical (now in the bad sense of the word). Of course we are speaking about metal music.
I am just like you. I don like modern or polished music. I don’t like when you mix metal with house or something u can hear in the Eurovision song contest. But I am also very open minded when it comes to music. I like all kinds of music. Blues, soul. rockabilly, black metal, death metal, hard rock, rock, progressive rock, punk, classic music like Satie and Ravel. But my taste has not changed so much over the years. Same favorite bands as when I was 14.
Could you tell us some words about each of your demos? Is there any good or bad stories related to these materials? Do you like all of your materials released or maybe there are some that you regret to have released?
“Långrocken” is our best recording. It is only in digital format this far on our bandcamp.com. But will come out on tape in February of 2015, on Bifrost records in Sweden. It has the power and raw primitive dark feeling. It tells the story of a Jack the ripper like figure called “Långrocken” who terrorized Norrköping in 1893. I don’t know if it is a true story or not. It’s a local myth.. The songs kicks ass on “Långrocken”. There are also some other local connection on that tape. Like the story about Barbro påle, who was like a Swedish Elisabeth Bathory. Buy it at: www.bifrostrecords.se.
I also like very much our demos “Crushed by tyranny”, “they want to cut off my head” and “curse of the outlaw”.
The vocals are lame and the productions are to clean on the demo “war of extermination” I think. Also on our full length I have some parts that I am not happy with. But it is ok one anyway. “Death toll 6” demo is ok but not more. Our fist tape (Skull torture) is not the best maybe, but it is more of a joke, but got very great songs anyway. Our latest release “Poison minds” is also very great by the way. But that one is not a demo. http://www.wydawnictwopsycho.com/.
You haven’t made any split materials yet. Aren’t there any suitable bands at the scene or you are simply not interested in this kind of collaboration? Or maybe you have not had the opportunity yet? Is there any band whom you would gladly make a split material? Personally speaking, I really like split materials. They completely represent the unity and the respect of the bands towards each other.
No, no splits yet. But maybe in the future. We can make one if it is the right thing for both bands.
Your first album was released in 2014, entitled „Terror, Incest and Death”. Are there any fresh songs on these or most of them were from older ideas? Are there any new songs at all or these are songs in their actual form that were previously released?
The album “Terror, incest and death” contains new recordings of old demo songs and also some new songs specially made for the album. Those new songs are: “Terror, incest and death, “Warriors against the world”, “Doorway to the holocaust” and “Misanthropic devourment”. This album is both out on tape and on CD.
Where did you record this stuff? Did you go to a sudio or you solved it within the house? Were there any people outside the band who helped you in this?
In the rehearsal room. Just some microphones and a computer is what we use. Our friend Kim Ekwall Lattik helped us with the album recording. Also we got some help from Robert Karlsson (who play I Swedish band Misericordia) with the mastering.
The material has released only in tape format yet. Could you talk about the label? Let’s make some promotion for them. Will there be a CD release too?
”Terror, incest and death”is out on CD since november 2014. It is released by American line prod in Mexico. 500 copys are made. They have the CD for sale on Internet.
How are the feedbacks for the album? What are the countries that Aggressive Mutilator’s music reached? Are there any interests from printed zines?
We have both bad and great feedback. From undergorund people we often get great reviews. In commercial media... they dont like us or dont even mind to make review. But we dont make music for them. We sent it out to them most for fun. There are several printed UG zine who have written about us or have talked to us and that are we very happy for. Many people from different places have written us. And that is the greatest things with this; to reach out to people who don’t care about who we are, only about the music we make. I have heard that people in Japan. Chile, Colombia, Brazil, Germany have our releases, even to Bangladesh I was sending a tape to a guy who asked. And that is amazing.
What should we know about the lyrics of the band? Are there any serious or ideological message or you just write lyrics that are fitting to the songs? What are the messages of „Destroyers of the World” and „Warriors Against the World”?
Lyric that fits to the song mostley. They fiten deal with alienation or anger against the society. Like the song you mention above. Both lyrics are both serious and for fun. I guess it is up to the one who read them to put in what they want in the lyrics also. It’s all a playing with words.
Something else I appreciated considering your horde were the layouts of the releases. They perfectly fit to this old skull music. Who is responsible for the covers?
Thank you. Kludiusz Witczak from Poland has made some of our covers. He made demo “Death toll 6” and CD “terror incest and death” the rest is done by me in Paint.
Were there any matrials of Aggressive Mutilator released on vinyl? I guess you would immediately say yes to a proposal like that.
One vinyl is out. Self released by me in 2012. It is only in 53 copies and contains 2 songs. It would be nice if someone will release a LP: Just write if anyone is interested.
What do you think about the importance of promotion, do put many energy into it? Are you active with sending out materials to labels and zines? Financially it can be a burden sometimes.
Yes I have wasted some money on buying tapes and then sending them to zines. Tapes are hard to find and are mostly for sale on flea markets. But it is fun also because you never know when you find some old tapes for sale. But better to spend the money on that than on some other crap. We have tried some promotion on flyers also and on spreading our bandcamp address when sending tapes to zines.
Your latest release is called „Poison Minds”, that was released on CD by an unpronouncable polish label, namely Wydawnictwo Muzyczne Psycho. Please tell us about this material and cooperation, who asked who?
It was released in early 2015 on CD. The CD called “Poison minds” comes with a PIN also. The label has existed since 1992. And focus only on underground metal. I think they wrote us and asked first, if I don’t remember wrong. They did an amazingly quick job; the CD was out very fast. Great job. It is 500 copies by the way. The CD contains one Swedish punk cover. The sound is not so raw but more rock this time.
What do you think of the Swedish underground scene? Do you follow it or you don’t really deal with nowadays bands? Who you are in contact with?
There are some great band like Skogen brinner, Dront, Vampire, Massgrav, Wulkanaz, they are all worth to search up and listen to. Dront is also from Norrköping. We are not in contact with any other Swedish band that are similar to us.
What are the plans of the band for 2015? Maybe there are some other projects as well?
A new recording will take place soon. We have a tape-cover and some song ideas. The recording will be called “Kill a million”. If anyone is interest in releasing this, feel free to write us. And in February (2015) hopefully the cassette of “Långrocken” will be done. I hope someone also wants us to come and play on some festival or something that would be great.
Thank you for your answers Mikael and all the best for your band int he future. Last words are yours, share it with our readers!
Thank you for making this interview and for the interesting questions. It has been fun to answer. I hope my answer will make some Hungarian people interested in us. All who are interested in some raw and primitive music can visit our site or write us. www.aggressivemutilator.bandcamp.com, thanks again!
Pro Releases:
- Terror incest and death, Full length tape (Ljudkassett) 2014
- Terror incest and death, Full length CD (American line prod) 2014
- Poison Minds, 5 track CD (WM Psycho records) 2015
- Långrocken, 4 track tape (Bifrost records) ….comes February 2015
Listen to all releases on:
www.aggressivemutilator.bandcamp.com
There are 6 demos and a self released 7” also. There is a home made demo compilation tape in Chile also on Extinction prod. Not pro made.
Interview by Dr.A.
