DARKENED (Jan. 2020)

Answers by Hempa Brynolfsson

Hello there Hempa, how’re you doing mate? Well, the first question is quite obvious. Having a look at the line-up we have you, Hempa Brynolfsson (Excruciate, etc…) Andy Whale (Bolt fucking Thrower!!! etc…) Daryl Kahan (Funebrarum, Disma, etc…) Linus Nirbrandt (A Canorous Quintet, etc…) and then vocalist Gord Olson, a guy with some good background as well even though I did not know him before Darkened. A gathering of long experienced and talented musicians delivering the goods in 2020. What made you join together and give birth to Darkened? Whose idea was it and when, where and how did it happen?

Hi there! Well, it all started when Daryl asked me if I was interested to join him and Andy in some kind of project, this was in March 2018. I thought it would be interesting, and asked if they had any material that I could listen to, but there was no material done yet. So I begun to write some riffs, and then in May we had like 5-6 tracks to work with. At the same time I asked Linus if he was interested to join in as a lead guitarist. And he wanted to join, so we started to work on 3 tracks that we choose for the EP. We had some ideas of some different vocalists for the EP, but that changed in November 2018 when I saw a video on YouTube, that was Gord Olson doing a Death cover. I sent him a message and told him about our project, and asked him if he was interested to join and doing the vocals. And luckily he was.

I assume you live far from each other and don’t meet up together in a rehearsal room, so how is the composition process in a band like yours? How do you put ideas together and who’s the mastermind behind the band’s music if there’s one? Yes it’s obviously hard for us to rehearse like a normal “band” due to our locations. So everything is done via file-sharing on Dropbox and chat-group, where we discuss all the matters of the band. A typical workflow for us is that I create a “test” track with guitars and a click. Then Andy records his drums with his Digital drums and sends them to me and Linus. Linus then records his guitars and often have some ideas about the arrangement. My original ideas are often like 5-6 minutes long, and often after Linus has worked with the track it’s like 3-5 minutes long and much better arranged, and he also adds his leads. Then it’s time for Gord to do his part, write some lyrics, arrange and record the vocals. So eventually the track grows into a real song, and that’s really a fantastic journey to be part of. So there is no “mastermind” in this band, as we are all creating this together.

So far you have only released a 4-song Ep entitled “Into the Blackness”. What formats is it available in and how has the response been?

The response has been very positive this far. We’re just a bunch of old men creating some music that we like. And we’re not like a “Super-group” or something like that, that’s not our intention. For me, I’m glad to work with creative people who share the same taste of music that I have. And I think we have an interesting blend of different people with different backgrounds within the Death Metal scene. And that also reflects in the final product, it’s not the average Old School Death Metal, it’s absolutely there but with some elements that in a way makes it more unique and a bit different, and for me that’s more interesting. The EP was supposed to be only 10” vinyl through Chaos Records (Mex), but we got in contact with Edged Circle Productions (Nor), and they wanted to release the EP as CD as well. So, the release date was set to August 2019, and the CD was released. But the vinyl didn’t, and still to this day when I’m doing this interview (Jan 28, 2020) hasn’t been released. We’ve been sending messages to Chaos Records asking what is happening, and he keeps saying it will be released soon. So we keep our fingers crossed and hope that the 10” will see the light of day soon. The EP is also available as cassette through Funeral Hymns Records (Can).

If I had to describe Darkened style I would say, plain and simple Death Metal with an old school vibe and a refined taste for melodies, would you agree? How’d you put the band’s style into words?

Yes, I would agree. I think, as I mentioned earlier, that there are some elements that make our style a bit different than just plain Old School Death Metal. But in the end it’s just Death Metal, I mean every band has their unique sound and in a way all bands are unique. I don’t really want to say that Darkened is special in any way, but for me personally it is, he he.

Out of curiosity, when I first heard the last song of the EP, “Unredeemed”, Bolt Thrower came instantly to mind and then thought: this must be Andy’s “blame”, am I right? Is there any particular song in the album you have contributed the most to?

I didn’t have Bolt Thrower in mind when I wrote the riffs for that song, but with Andy’s style of drumming, I agree that you could hear a bit of BT in there. And that’s cool, cause BT has meant a lot to me as inspiration since 1988-89. I’ve contributed to all the songs equally, as I do the riffs and melody ideas.

What's the next step for Darkened? I assume you must be already working on new stuff or at least gathering some cool ideas for a follow-up release. In this respect it's hard to think of any drastic change in relation to the band's style, am I wrong? What can you advance? Any full-length in the making maybe?

We’re in the recording phase of an full length album, all songs are done, and it will be released through Edge Circle Productions in mid 2020. We continue where the EP ended, I think it’s 8-9 tracks that will end up on the full length. Same style, but adding a few more elements in some tracks. It will be cool to hear the final product later on. Maybe we release a digital track before the summer just to let people know we still exist, he he.

With Excruciate already gone for long now you have also been involved in some other bands over the years and currently are a stable member of Ordo Inferis and Angel Blast if I’m not mistaken. Hempa, what makes you keep yourself active into the music scene after so many years? What keeps the flame alive in you?

It’s all about being creative, I feel great when I’m sitting in the dark and compose. So I often have some project that I’m involved in. Right now it’s just Darkened and AngelBlast. Me and Paul “Themgoroth” are talking about resurrecting Obscuratum, it’s like 10 years ago we started up and released a 7”, we had some materials for a full length but the time wasn’t right back then, so we put it on hold.

Now it’s time for some straight to the point comments/opinions (it’s kind of a trademark of my interviews, he he):

Nihilist or Entombed (no draws allowed, haha)? Hard but I’ll pick Entombed. I think Nihilist were great back in the days, and their demos still rule. But Entombed did something else, they progressed and did some groundbreaking albums.

Morbid Angel’s “Illud Divinum Insanus”: I haven’t listened to that album enough to have an honest opinion.

Your fave Autopsy album: "Severed Survival", but "Mental Funeral" comes very close.

A music style you usually listen to other than Metal: It really depends what mood I’m in. I like classical music/Pink Floyd/The Beatles/Ambient/ I don’t really care about genres or styles, if I hear something that I like, then it’s good. But it’s often in minor though he he.

Recommend a new/recent album that has surprised you positively as of late: I like the new Darkthrone album.

Any band you’d like to be featured/interviewed on Rotting Misery blogzine soon: AngelBlast maybe he he 😁

Well Hempa, I’m done with my questions. Finally let our readers know where/how to get some info, releases, merch and all that about Darkened… Thanks again for your time and willingness to go through these questions. Keep up the good work and all the best! Thanx for your interest in Darkened. Please check our FB page for info and other updates. You can also visit the Edged Circle Productions site for merch or releases. Cheers