Grief of Emerald – “The promotion sucks because I am an active Metal freak and I read lots of zines and magazines and have not seen Grief Of Emerald in any!”

This interview is a bit of an oldie as it was supposed to be online shortly after the release of Grief Of Emerald’s latest album ‘Christian Termination’. However, keyboardist Robert, whom I sent the interview to, left the band in the meantime but still managed to get one of the other band members to answer my questions. That’s highly respected! If our dear readers would only know how many bands do not return interviews. Check out what new drummer Carl Karlsson had to say about the cool band he’s part of…

‘Christian termination’ has been out for a while now, how are the (fan and press) reactions on it so far?
Hi sorry for the delays! My name is Carl Karlsson and I am the new drummer of Grief Of Emerald. I am sorry to pronounce that Robert has leaved Grief Of Emerald for personal stuff! So I hope it’s ok that I will take care of this interview. The reactions have been very positive nearly every magazine has written very well about the ‘Christian termination’ album and us. The fans went fucking crazy when the brutal side of us showed up.

How do you perceive the album now, are you completely satisfied with it? Did the recording and production process go smoothly or did some shit occur in the studio?
The boys are very proud of the new record but if they are satisfied I don’t know. The recording of the album went quite well it was only Jonas’ arm that started to hurt badly but he managed to record everything. And yes of course there are always some technical problems. I think that you never can be satisfied. Whit an album there are always things that you can do better.

Comparing the new album to ‘Malformed seed’ it can be clearly heard that you’ve speed up the pace quite a bit. Also the stuff is more brutal (more death metal) without loosing the cool keyboardparts. Did these changes come naturally or were they fed by utter frustration?
I think it’s both, always something happens that pisses you off at work, at home, the community the fucking whole world. So it’s not strange that you want to play more aggressive!

I mention utter frustration because keyboardist Robert has put the following statement in the booklet: Biggest fuck off to the whole year of 2001. I guess he experienced some real fucked-up shit that year? Would you care to specify what happened or is it too personal?
Robert says it’s too personal.

Johnny mentions the influence of several pills (e.g. cortizon), but which interests me most is the other influence he mentions: Stalin. In what way has this dictator influenced the songwriting? Have you watched old movies/documentaries about the huge Russian armies that battles the Germans in those utterly cold winters? Perhaps these had some influence on the heaviness on the guitar sound of the new album?
Johnny got really sick and thanks to lots of pills he could proceed to record the album. It’s not only Johnny writing the lyrics, it’s Fredrick Helgesson and Jonas too and they do often research on that which they find interesting. Of course influence come from many sick things but that I don’t mention. By the way Johnny has a lot of ancestors in Finland that got killed by the troops of Stalin (Very inspiring).

The lyrical content of ‘Christian termination’ isn’t hard to discover. But why have you chosen the Christian (or any) religion as the main subject? Don’t you think that almost all things about it have already been said by bands like Deicide and Immolation?
Christianity is the main subject and others are in deeper level. We are so filled with anger and hate so we must write about it. With our own words not any other.

However, one lyric is more actual than ever (unfortunately): ‘Raped by the servant of god’. It seems many sick Christian fuckers have molested kids which is a crime which should be reconciled by hanging them sicko’s with nails in their genitals. Did the current US affairs influence this lyric or was it already written before that stuff started to be broadcasted on TV?
No it was the Italian problems. It was the popes’ disciples that raped the Children but Jesus forgave them all!

It seems as if the band has done only some sporadic gigs after the release of ‘Malformed seed’. Why didn’t you do some larger tour through Europe? Does Listenable provide you with decent (financial) tour support?
I think Listenable is great record label and we know how hard it is to run it. But the financials have been very bad!!! We did small a tour with Bestial Mockery, Sear Bliss, Skyforger and Obtest but it was Agonia Productions that fixed that tour. We hope now it shall be better because we want to reach out to our fans!

For how many albums is the contract with Listenable? Are you satisfied with their work and promotion for you? Aren’t more labels interested in signing Grief Of Emerald?
The contract lasts for three albums so it was the last record now. If Listenable won’t give us a very good contract we’ll search for a new record label and yes many are interested! The promotion sucks because I am an active Metal freak and I read lots of zines and magazines and have not seen Grief Of Emerald in any!

By the way, what happened to your drummer Jonas, I read he had some shoulder injury or something. Enlighten us please. Will he be able to continue drumming after his injury has healed?
Jonas’ arm is much better!!!!! But we have had some problems. I am sorry to pronounce that Robert has left Grief Of Emerald for personal stuff. So Jonas had to replace Robert! You see Jonas is very good at most instruments, so the new keyboard parts really kill. So I will handle the sticks in the future!

How do you perceive the current black metal scene, or in particular the ‘symphonic’ Death/Black Metal style that you play. It seems as if not much bands really play this style anymore. I can’t really think of any band. Do you think that this style has decreased in popularity or that the other bands that disappeared or ‘evolved’ into another style are just pussies?
As the scene changes from death to black and the old thrash is hot again, I think that all bands get more influenced and changes their style a little bit, even if you don’t hear it. For the moment, listen to the new Defleshed album it’s Thrash in the veins like hell! But I think that they reach out more to an larger crowd but there aren’t many bands left that play symphonic Death/Black Metal. I think that a musician shall try other things in certain frames!

What are the plans with the band in the near future? Isn’t it possible for Grief Of Emerald to get on one of the X-mass or No Mercy tours? That would really help to get your name and music more out there.
Our plans are that maybe get a new record label and tour as much as we can! We have just started to work on a new album and recorded a Celtic frost cover called ‘Visual Aggression’! And we are rehearsing like hell. Yeah, festivals would be very cool, let’s see what happens this summer!

And when will you finally play at some festivals like Graspop, Dynamo or Wacken? You should convince the organisations that they shouldn’t always book the same black/death metal bands, that’s really getting on my nerves. How many times can one see bands like Hypocrisy, Immortal, Marduk and the likes on festivals, tours etc.? More variation in bands goddamnit!
Of course, everyone in the bands want to do more festivals. The Wacken festival, that’s a dream. I have been there three times, it’s fucking great but it’s only larger record labels and bands that play there! And yes more variation but the old band Razor was cool!

I’m sorry to ask the next question but it just itches and I need to scratch…Will Decameron ever re-unite? I mean with all the reunions of old band and many of these reunions will appeal only to a small amount of old fans. But what I mean is that Decameron was a band that really had something. I really liked (and still do) their ‘My shadow’ album, it shreds. What’s your opinion on all those old bands reforming like Unleashed, Nuclear Assault, Grave, Candlemass, etc.etc.? Does anyone really need these reformed bands?
I don’t think that Decameron will do a reunion! Johannes has a new band called Seventh One and Johan and Tobbe have Soulreaper and Alex doesn’t play in another band now! I think it’s cool that old bands try it again so the old maniacs can sleep at night!

By the way, what’s your opinion on the ‘Hell’s unleashed’ album from reunited Unleashed?
Sorry, I stopped listening to Unleashed after ‘Where no life dwells’, that’s their best album!

I heard that Dissection are going to reform and do another album, which in itself is great. But do you think they’ll ever reach their old high level?
Maybe. Maybe not, I don’t know!

What were some of the coolest albums that were released in 2001 according to you?
Zyklon-World of worms
Bathory-Destroyer of worlds
Kreator-Violent revolution
King Diamond and Black Rose
Halford-Live insurrection
Krisiun-Ageless Venomous
And many more!

If you were granted the possibility to do a tour with whatever bands and to whatever countries you wanted to, with which bands would you tour and where would you play the gigs?
We have been touring in Europe, so the USA and Japan would be very cool. With Cannibal Corpse, Zyklon, Deicide and Soulreaper.

The band’s website (www.griefofemerald.cjb.net) looks very cool. You also have some press and desktop stuff on it. Would you also put some unreleased or live stuff on it? Perhaps some live video clips or stuff like that?
Yeah, great idea why not!!!!!

Okay, that’s it, infamous last words, predictions of future soccer World Championships being Sweden and similar stuff can be put down here.
I want to thank everyone that supports us in our struggle: fans, bands and friends. And stay fucking metal!!!!!!!!