Cryptopsy’s “And Then You'll Beg” was one of the most anticipated releases of the year 2000 and our Canadians with cold blood delivered their most vile album to date which is nothing short of technical perfection, whacked-out guitar riffs and inhumanly fast and complex drum beats. It seemed like Mike DiSalvo’s departure might slow down this fast-speed train but Flo Mounier doesn’t think so. He even thinks that it can only make them stronger, adding another element of distinction to create something a little bit new... but you can read about it yourself below...

Chris


Probably the hottest question right now… What’s the real story behind Mike DiSalvo’s departure?

I can’t really go into details too much... he had some family thing he had to take care of and probably he couldn’t have been the part of the tour coming up in Europe so we all agreed upon him leaving. It’s really a family thing when he made a decision that was family orientated. Family first basically, you know what I mean? It just happened that way and it was conflicting with what our schedule is going to be so he kind of backed out and that’s it.

Is this becoming the Cryptopsy’s rule, a new singer every two albums?

Yeah, that’s what it seems to be. Actually, a different member every album is Cryptopsy motto now. [laughs] Shit happens... it’s always pretty much been John, Eric and I that have been pretty encored within Cryptopsy and I could say that everyone will stay from now on but it seems some people change, times change, this and that but Cryptopsy has always been innovating. I think what it brings that it’s going to bring another color and that’s why people actually like Cryptopsy. Every album is different and maybe a new singer will add another element of distinction and create something a little bit new... we’ll see.

All the vocalist changes have to concern you a little. There were already a lot of fans that had a hard time accepting Mike after Lord Worm. Now, after two albums with a new vocalist, just when people got used to the new voice you are again going for a change...

Sure, but you know what? Change is good. [laughs] I’m not concerned, I’m not concerned at all. I like change and I’m not concerned at all with what people are going to think. People have to keep in mind we are not making millions of dollars here, so for somebody that has to leave, take decisions it’s hard to balance two jobs at this same time and do this and that... They have to understand Mike left for a reason. Shit happens and now we just move on and continue to put up a good music.

Any chance Lord Worm is coming back?

Not likely. He gave all that up a long time ago and I don’t think he would be in shape to start all over again. Personally I don’t think he’d want to. I think he’s comfortable in doing what he’s doing and he gave it up for a reason. He didn’t want to do it, didn’t want to tour that much, so if he wants to come back he has to call us because he made it clear to us a while ago that it wasn’t for him.

By the way, what is he doing right now?

Actually, he’s teaching English as a second language. He’s an English teacher [laughs] It’s perfect for him he knows English very well.

Were you surprised with the final vote on Best Metal Artist award you received at the MIMI's (Montreal International Music Initiative)?

Was I surprised?

...it’s not too often an extreme metal band wins any awards...

Actually two years ago we were a runner up too and we were nominated and did win. It didn’t come to us as a big surprise but you know, the more you go on the more your name gets a little bit bigger, you make this big magazine and people start to hear a little bit more of you and it’s all about proper promotion whether its extreme metal or not. I guess the category being as it was, out of all those bands I guess we toured the most and the most all over the world so it was kind of normal that we would win but it did so good it was as a little bit of a surprise cause you’re right, not everybody has easy time accepting this kind of music. It was good. It was like all the hard work is starting to pay off. It’s not like this award is really a pay off or anything like that I’d rather have more fans and do more touring but we liked it and accepted it. Whatever.

Don’t you think that there is more metal everywhere recently and that is not an underground like it used to be anymore it’s actually hitting the main stream?

Oh for sure. I mean the more the time goes on the more metal is going to be. With all those extreme sports, extreme movies and this and that you’d go for some music that’s more pumped up. You are not going to go for something like party every day or whatever, no, it’s more like in your face. The society is more fast paced, it’s more in your face society, little bit... not violent but aggressive if you wish. So yeah, it’s going to come up front and it is coming up front. All those Korn type bands, Deftones and this and that they are making distortion and a distorted voice if you wish too although a little bit more acceptable.
I don’t think the type of music we play or the boys in death metal and extreme metal world will ever be played in the radio that much but at least it’s getting a little bit closer. Maybe that’s why the media is taking a little bit more interest... It’s hard for a media to accept metal as a serious art form. For some reason it’s always been, it’s been so many clichés around that and it’s always been hard for media to really say “yeah, this is here to stay and it’s acceptable art form and respectable art form”. But there is also a lot of bands that encourage that negativity that media has towards metal by displaying blood and guts everywhere and just talking about raping this raping that. You can’t really get a positive image.

I think most of the time it’s the lyrics that stop heavy metal... regular people don’t want to listen to the music about gore, Satanism or topics like that...

No, it’s not sane. It’s not a reality. What the problem is a lot of bands think it’s real and want to be considered real but it’s a joke. These guys paint blood all over their faces or stuff like that and it’s not real blood... and if it is it’s even more stupid. Why give yourself that image? So you can go home, pop open a can of coke and watch loony toons or something afterwards? It doesn’t make any sense. I understand difference between live performance and reality but a lot of times that is done it’s given a really bad name. Look at Marilyn Manson, you see him on American Music Awards every year and he just gives metal such a shit name, I think he does. And he might do it as a joke too and it might be funny to him but for 14-15 years old kids and their parents it’s not. They don’t understand that humor so they going to interpret this as just a crap...

You just got back from Fuck The Commerce Fest in Germany, how was it? Anything unusual happen there?

No, it was just amazing. [laughs] It was really cool. A lot of cool people, a lot of cool bands and great treatment by a band called Spawn. Just awesome, awesome, super-nice guys. We made a lot of connections and had a really great time, just plain and simple.

So are you enjoying the road? How’s the tour treating you?

Good man, very good. I can’t say there’s really been some catastrophes, knock on the wood, but there hasn’t so far and it’s been really positive, really good, a lot of fans, a lot of pushing... just all around it feels good to go touring and actually see that you are accomplishing something more rather than just pedaling and getting nowhere type of thing.

After all that drum pounding do you have any back spasms?

No. [laughs] Knock on wood again, there you go (he actually did knock on wood - Zgred).
No, nothing. I try to develop techniques that make things a lot smoother for the body. I studied a lot of professional drummers just to get their technique and how they can go on with more like a jazz style where everything is more loose and how they can go really fast with their hands not getting tired, not breaking to a sweat. And that’s the key playing an instrument, is just to become comfortable and relaxed playing it as much as possible so that little energy is spent on the concentration and on the right movements. So, I try to do it that way, if not then for sure by the time that anybody gets like 25-whatever and has been playing for 9-10 years will definitely have some kind of health problems.

You just answered my next question... Do you have any secrets or special techniques on how to become one of the fastest drummers in the world?

There is technique, no secrets. There is no secret to play drums, just practice. They say practice makes perfect... and it’s not bullshit [laughs]

So, who inspired you?

I think music in general inspired me and not one particular drummer. You always have your influences but I never really ever mimic or try to copy any drummer, which could have been a mistake I did when I was young because it’s a good thing to start like that and then branch out. Right now, I don’t have a favorite drummer I just have a whole fucking selection of music that ranges from every genre possible. I just like listening to everything and all these ideas are coming to my head and create the ideas for whatever I drum.

What’s in your CD player right now, then?

Oh shit, you want me to take a look? Hold on it will take just a few seconds, I want to be exact on this question. It might be embarrassing though [laughs] OK, oh my god, my fiancé’s cd Madonna... there is the new Napalm Death and... I’m gonna cheat... I’m listening to a lot of new Dimmu Borgir, which I like a lot, Dave Weckl Band and stuff like that, pop-jazz. I listen to a new band called Coldplay, they always play on the radio, this is like a newer Pink Floyd type of folk-rock type band...

How often do you hear “slow down” from other members of the band?

Well, I usually hear this from new members coming in. [laughs] They say “Oh god, can you slow down this part a little bit?” I tell them “in a live situation you got to get used to it, it’s only going to get worse” [laughs] “Don’t tell me to slow down in a practice cause you got to be ready for live” But, no it’s not that often.

What your most challenging song to play live?

That’s a very good question. Let’s see... from the songs that we don’t play anymore that would be ‘Loathe’ on “Whisper Supremacy”, that was pretty challenging... ‘Cold Hate, Warm Blood’ is pretty challenging... On the new one ‘Screams Go Unheard’ it’s a lot of fun but it’s really challenging. There is a bunch I guess... on "None So Vile" fun but challenging too was ‘Crown of Horns’... They all make me break into sweat and they are all challenging in their own way, it’s hard to pin point, they all got a little bit of something that it’s different... they are all challenging in their own way.

Than on an easer note... what’s your favorite to play live?

Probably ‘We Bleed’, that’s a lot of fun but I like newer stuff, like I said I like change. For live; ‘We Bleed’ and ‘Screams Go Unheard’ are a lot of fun. ‘We Bleed’ shows showcases if you wish, a lot of different stuff on the drums and on the guitars too so it’s a lot of fun to play. There is a whole bunch of stuff in it, it’s a long song...

“And Then You’ll Beg” is Cryptopsy’s the most technical and stunning accomplishment to date, how did you come up with material for this album?

We wanted to make it a little bit simpler as far as riffs, as guitars go. Not to have too much notes that nobody would really pick up, hear anything. So we wanted to make it a little bit simpler that way but we wanted to make it a lot more musical. So what I was doing on drums wasn’t that much simpler it was little bit more technical but it all fit. We tried to give each other breathing room, like the guitar does its part here that crazy I’m not gonna fill it up with something crazy too and vice versa.

How did the recording process go? Did you have any problems?

Studios are always tough because we are big time perfectionists and it’s hard and nerve-wracking. It took us about 2 months to do on and off and you know, there are always a little problems like how to get a better sound and this and that but generally it went really nice and smoothly. I think this is the album we are the proudest off as far as music goes.

The album is visually outstanding as well; to me it perfectly reflects the music inside, speed, chaos and death. Was it your intention during the design process?

Yeah it was. We wanted to have something really fast and heavy, just hit you face on and basically mow you over. [laughs] That was kind of our intentions and we wanted to create some kind of link between the artwork and intro, outro and the flow of the album.

Your web site is also very interesting and unusual. How much do you think Internet helps promoting your music?

Helps a lot. The same guy who does our internet stuff does our covers and our merchandise. He’s just a crazy genius. Yeah, it helps a lot... It’s free advertising, people can go any time and leave their comments... we don’t necessarily answer back cause it would be crazy answering back all the time but we take all the people’s advise and take into consideration. We got merchandise up there, we got news, anything that happens we try to let the people know as soon as it happens. I think it’s a great promotion tool.

Being on the subject, what your opinion on Napster and MP3s?

MP3s I think are positive because they can generate a little bit of income for the bands. Napster, on the other hand, it’s good for those who can afford it, can afford the albums, but it’s mostly the people who can’t afford it, who have computers, who can go on and download all that stuff. I think it’s counterproductive. What’s the point of fighting with the record labels, negotiating, going through this mess and shit if people can just take it from the computer. It makes us work like five times as hard and having absolutely no reward for it. I mean, we can’t kid ourselves it’s gonna be some way to make a little bit of money doing this or else we couldn’t buy instruments, we couldn’t have a better sound on our next album... I don’t like Napster personally, I’ve never been on Napster even though I can get free stuff I always try to support bands. I like to have a cover, original CD, what have you. But MP3s I think are positive. They can give you a little bit of band history and it’s productive. Small bands can put their songs out there and start making a little bit of money, get 3 cents every time it downloads or something like that.

I guess with your busy tour schedule you don’t have time to think about the new material yet or do you?

No, not really. Actually we’re starting to think about it a little bit but not fully. So, no new songs, titles, nothing yet but it will come. It’ll be interesting...

That would be all, anything you’d like to add?

Just thank you. Thanks for the support and keep on doing this, it helps out the bands a lot.

Sweden's Opeth have really made huge progress in the metal world over the last few years. From coming out of relative obscurity with the commercial success of their 2001 release "Blackwater Park" to the current success of their two new albums "Deliverance" and "Damnation," they have now taken their place as one of the most well known and respected current extreme metal bands with their now famous unique blend of folk music, melody and heaviness. I was lucky enough to catch up with guitarist Peter Lindgren just prior to Opeth hitting the stage at the Metro Theatre in Sydney, Australia on 13.04.03.

Mike 'XCase'

Congratulations on two new albums. "Deliverance" and "Damnation."

Thanks very much.

Opeth have always been known for their diversity on each album, what made you choose to release two separate albums instead of including both sounds on one?

Well originally we were going to record I guess what you would call a normal Opeth heavy album; there was never any plans for anything else. Then Mike had all these extra riffs that we wanted to use but we weren't sure what to do with them. It was actually a friend of ours who suggested we release two albums, I guess we liked the idea and decided to go with it.

Are the two styles now too different to be together on one album in the future?

Oh no, not at all. We really can't keep releasing two albums at once you know? This isn't going to be an ongoing thing with us. I suppose "Deliverance" is the more classic Opeth album with both heavy and light parts, its just this time there aren't so many light sections because we put them on another record. Releasing two albums at once is just an idea for now; we don't plan on doing it again.

Tell me about your writing process; was it different this time around?

Not really. Mike pretty much writes everything [laughs]. I mean if any of us come up with something and it's good we'll use it, but he's the main songwriter I guess. He has a little studio setup in his house, so often he'll get down the basic idea and show it to us and then we'll record the drums bass and guitars. It's good writing this way because once we have the basic idea down, we can really start working with it and experimenting with it before we go into the studio.

"Deliverance" has been the bands best selling album to date, what do you put this down to?

Has it? [Laughs]

That's what it says on my press release!

[Laughs] Well I know it's been our fastest selling album, but if that's true then that's very cool! Why? I don't know really. Every album that we have released so far has sold more than the last. The biggest jump we made was with "Blackwater Park," there was something about that album that many people seemed to like and it really pushed us forward a lot compared to where we were when we released "Still Life". We've also been touring a lot more. Up until now we were never what I'd call a touring band, but with every album we played more and more shows in more and more countries and it paid off cause each album would sell better than the last. We did the most touring we have ever done for "Blackwater Park" so I guess that could be the reason why "Deliverance" is doing so well.

Congratulations on winning the Hard Rock category at the Swedish Grammy's. Do you think support is gaining worldwide for more extreme metal?

Oh cool thanks. I think things always go in cycles. I mean in the 80's metal was huge, I mean bands like Poison and Motley Crue were selling millions of albums, then things kinda died in the early 90's with grunge and music like that. I mean that was still kinda heavy but it wasn't the same and metal went underground. But recently the music in the charts and on the radio has been getting heavier and heavier again. I mean I don't really like nu metal all that much, but they are helping the more extreme bands by exposing the fans to heavier music. I guess a lot of people hear the nu metal on the radio and then they get a bit bored so they look for something heavier and find bands like Opeth. It's all helping to bring metal back out from the underground.

This is your first time to Australia, how has the audience reaction been so far? What were you expecting?

It's been amazing. I mean we knew that we had a fan base down here because we had sold records, but the shows have been crazy. Just the other night we played a show in Melbourne and it was incredible. Martin [points at Martin who smiles] our drummer said that he thinks it is one of his top 5 Opeth shows we have ever done. The reaction was amazing. I think we have sold out 2 or 3 of our shows so far, it's been really great, we are really blown away.

Have you had a chance to see any of Australia yet?

We've seen some airports and hotels yeah [laughs]. Not really, it's been a very tight schedule since we arrived. We did get one day off in Brisbane which was nice, we had a look around the place and [shows me his arm] I got a bit sun burnt [laughs]

Sun burnt? But it's so cold right now!

Cold? Are you kidding? [Laughs] This is like summer to us! It's so nice! When we left Sweden to come here it was like -6° and snowing. That's actually not that common at this time of year because it's meant to be getting warmer but it happens, so the weather here is a really nice change for us!

You are about to commence a big Us tour with Lacuna Coil. How is the support for Opeth and metal in general over there?

Yeah, well it's not a huge one, more like a continuation of the tour we did there earlier in the year to cover the places we didn't get a chance to play last time. Well the support is great over there, the US is our biggest market and we get to play some great shows there so I'm looking forward to it. Playing with Lacuna Coil will be great.

Do you do any work on new material while on tour?

Ahh, not really. I mean sometimes one of us might come up with something and we try to remember it, but we don't bring any kind of recording equipment with us so anything we were to work on would probably get forgotten anyway so we tend not to. Most of our writing happens at home when we have the time we want to put into it.

The Swedish metal scene is now viewed as at the forefront of extreme metal worldwide at the moment. What do you put this down to?

Well Sweden has always been big in Europe I suppose, I mean bands like Entombed have been big in the death metal scene for a long time, but that's mainly in Europe I guess. To be honest I don't really know. I man Sweden has a population of about 9 million I think and Norway is like half that so its not like we have a lot of people either. I think because metal is big here and especially in Europe a lot of people get into it and it's a chain reaction. But to be honest I really don't know. [Laughs]

What are you listening to at the moment?

Well what I listen to on tour is different to what I listen to at home. I'm listening to a lot of old singer/songwriter music from the 60's and 70's, more folk stuff. But because most of that is on vinyl I can't listen to it while I'm on tour so, it's usually more current music. I've been listening to a lot of The Porcupine Tree and Bjork recently. Umm... I'm not sure what else.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

I just want to say that this tour we are doing now is for "Deliverance" and not for "Damnation". Of course we will be playing a lot of older songs too, but we are not including any material from "Damnation" on this tour. We are planning on doing a separate tour for that record. So tonight is going to be heavy! [Laughs]

Thanks very much for your time Peter, have a great show tonight and best of luck with the rest of the tour and the new records!

No problems, thank you!