Forest of Shadows: a band that seems to have finally reared its head to the metal public. Fortunately for us they seem to be making a permanent reservation here. Through countless promotion sampler CDs and no label support, Rage of Achilles broke the trend and signed Forest of Shadows and released their MCD "Where Dreams turn to Dust". Encompassing a huge spectrum of flavors from the metal smorgasbord, they are now a band impossible to tag. I had the pleasure of mailing Niclas, Forest of Shadows founder, vocalist, guitarist, and keyboardist in regards to the project and their upcoming full length album.

Jack ‘Odel’


Nicke, could you first tell the viewers of this interview a bit about Forest of Shadows and the early time of you starting out?

Forest of Shadows was founded by me as a solo-project back in 1997. In May 1998 the first demo "The Silent Cry" was released and some weeks after that, multi-instrumentalist Micce Andersson joined the band. We released a teaser of our "new sound" in 1999 titled "Promotion-CD 1999" and it gained quite good criticism so we decided to start rehearsing and seeking some new members for a live setting. In autumn of 1999, Martin Claesson joined on guitar and the three of us, plus some session-members did two gigs in 2000 before Martin left the band. Micce and I decided to go for the studio-band thing for a while since we weren't all too satisfied with our live performances. During the time as a "live band" we released the teaser "Promotion-CD 2000" and wrote the material for the upcoming demo "Where Dreams Turn to Dust" which we released in the autumn of 2000. Some month after this release we inked a deal with the new label Molded Skull who were to release our demo as a MCD. But things didn't go as planned for the label and in April 2001 they wrote and recommended us to find another label. So we did and ended up with Rage of Achilles (the new promise among labels) and they released our MCD "Where Dreams Turn to Dust" on the 29th of October 2001 and that's pretty much where we are right now...

Why metal? Why not pop or grunge? Is there anything specifically particular that attracted you to metal?

The main reason why Forest of Shadows became a metal-band is that metal was more or less the only genre that mattered to me when I founded the band back in 1997. The most important thing about Forest of Shadows being a metal band is the creative freedom which, of course has limitations but still makes it possible to develop a quite original and personal sound without too much effort. Since Micce joined in 1998 we have developed our sound more and more away from standardized doom-metal, towards some kind of utopian Forest of Shadows-sound. Where we are right now, metal is more of a founding layer and a powerful way of expressing something that might as well be pop, ambient or whatever.

Forest of Shadows covers a vast musical spectrum and is impossible to define within an existing genre of metal, are you happy with that?

Personally I'm very happy with that. There are both good and bad sides about having a genre tagged to your music. The good thing is that you get a lot of easy promotion, which can be quite handy. I mean if you get to know about a band that sound like one of your favorites, then you'll probably check that band out. The bad thing is that people don't listen to what the music really has to offer, provided that it has something to offer.

With the countless musician changes that Forest of Shadows have gone through it must have been an awful weight upon your shoulders to hold all Forest of Shadows responsibilities for a quite some of time. Any thoughts?

Well most of these people were just in the band for some weeks. The only person that's not in the band any more that really mattered is Martin Claesson. Being the founding-member I have had and still do have a lot of responsibility that Forest of Shadows stays on the "right path" and continues to represent that specific feeling that makes it Forest of Shadows. Since I'm not all that keen on dictatorship I try to share the responsibility as much as possible though.

With the release of the MCD "Where Dreams Turn to Dust", the press reaction was one of joy and excitement, were you happy with amount of support the MCD received?

I don't know if the MCD as such has gained that much support. The most important channel of promotion has been the songs on www.mp3.com without which we would never have reached as far as we have done. Maybe what the press wrote made people visit www.mp3.com but if that's the case then it's not just thanks to the MCD.

What can you tell us about the soon to be released album? You said it possesses the same style as music as "Where Dreams Turn to Dust", but a bit more 'well-done', care to elaborate at all?

Well most of the material that is to be used for the upcoming full-length was written during the "Where Dreams turn to Dust"-period, so in that sense it's quite similar to the MCD. One of the songs is actually taken from the very first demo as well. What I meant by more "well-done" is that this time we know that the stuff is to be released which we didn't when we recorded "When Dreams Turn to Dust", and thus it feels more motivated to put as much effort as possible in the process. It will also be more "well-done" since we have had plenty of time to really analyze the material and get into it in order to get the best out of it. Another important thing is that while the MCD was more or less written by me alone this album shows more of a cooperation between Micce and I.

On the new album, are there any album titles that you have brewing in your mind at the moment or is it still an open question?

We haven't even started to think about it so I would say it's a still an open question indeed.

Is the recording of the new album going well?

So far we have just been playing around with the material so we haven't really recorded anything that is to be used. But I would say that the entire process is going quite according to plans.

With influences from Katatonia and an excellent cover of 'Rainroom' do you draw you inspiration from the earlier Katatonia albums ("Dance of December Souls" and "Brave Murder Day") or more of the newer Katatonia albums ("Discourage Ones" and "Last Fair Deal Gone Down")?

Even though both Micce and I adore Katatonia and especially their legendary album "Brave Murder Day" we are far from trying to sound like them. The main influence we have got from them is their way of making simplistic and still VERY powerful music which is most evident on "Brave Murder Day". I think the "Brave Murder Day"-style is more suitable for Forest of Shadows than the newer stuff.

You must be so happy that Rage of Achilles signed you up. Are things working out OK as far as distribution and promotional activities? As I read in your biographical information that they have a real interest in Forest of Shadows and that must really make it easier for you in terms of creative directions.

When we were contacted by Rage of Achilles for the first time we didn't know anything about them apart from the fact that another band in which I play, Shubend, was signed to them as well. But soon they started to show up in a lot of zines and a lot of their bands received good reviews especially Cult of Luna, which is a band both me and Micce like a lot. Still the best thing about Rage of Achilles is that they care a lot about us and give us creative freedom. The only ones that seems to fuck up the process is the distributors, who are slow as hell, and I guess I can't blame Rage of Achilles for that. To conclude we are VERY happy with the fact that Rage of Achilles signed us.

What CDs are spinning in your CD player at the moment?

"A Fine Day To Exit" - Anathema, "Prometheus..." - Emperor, "Director's Cut" - Fantomas and "Dreadful Hours" - My Dying Bride.

The metal scene is one that is constantly fluctuating between trends. Mid to middle-late 90's there was the big jump of symphonic black metal bands. Late 90's and up until now there seems to be a large surge of melodic death metal. What are your thoughts on things and how they stand at the moment? Any predictions to how the metal scene in Europe will change?

There will always be trends in music and I don't see anything bad about it. It makes the trendy genre grow and most of the time it grows into something good. I believe that symphonic black metal is as big today as it has ever been. I would rather call it symphonic metal or something though because to me symphonic black metal is pretty far from true (tm) black metal like Mayhem, Darkthrone and Burzum. Well actually I don't care much for those labels anyway. Over to my predictions... hmm... well I think (and hope) a lot of bands will become more pretentious which means that there will be more "art-metal".

Being a My Dying Bride fan, and having a My Dying Bride influence in Forest of Shadows, are you happy My Dying Bride returned to the sound of "Turn Loose the Swans"? And what do you think of "The Dreadful Hours"?

Well in my opinion "The Angel and the Dark River" is almost as good as "Turn Loose the Swans" which means that I didn't really mind weather they returned to their roots or not. In my opinion they never really left their path apart from on "34.788%..." which in my opinion doesn't really represent what My Dying Bride should be about even though it's a good album. About "The Dreadful Hours" then... well I like it a lot especially since it shows a couple of new directions that are quite interesting.

Which band would you most like to tour with, and why?

If we start playing live again we will try and do something different and not just play... it will probably be more of an art thing or something. Anyway, if that is the case then the other bands we tour with need to fit in such an arrangement and the only band that I can up with right now that fit are Shape of Despair.

Has press promotion (like www.metalbite.com) helped much with Forest of Shadows or more www.mp3.com?

There is a big difference between how mp3.com and the press promote us. The amount of promotion we get from the press depends on what the press writes while mp3.com is more connected to the music since they do promotion by playing our music, www.mp3.com has helped us more than we ever could dream of. I mean there were days when we had about 1000 downloads/day and judging from the huge amount of fan-mails we have received at least some of those who downloaded the songs loved what they heard. Still a very good review in a huge zine could easily beat 1000 downloads/day since most people are enslaved by what others think. And finally I wouldn't mind getting more reviews like the one you did :).

Where do you see Forest of Shadows five years down the track?

Forest of Shadows will definitely exist in five years but I have no clue what we will sound like or who will be involved apart from me.

Finally, I thank you very much Nicke for this interview and Forest of Shadows for their excellent metal music. Would you like to say anything to anyone specifically or generally?

And I thank you Jack for a great interview (and a great review as well) and I would like to tell everyone to check out our MCD "Where Dreams Turn to Dust" which is out now and finally I would, on behalf of Forest of Shadows, like to thank everyone that has supported us and downloaded our songs from mp3.com. THANKS A LOT!!!

DEUS MORTEM - A poisonous snake - beautiful and majestic, but deadly. Deus Mortem has been a very strong player on our domestic black metal scene for many years, as well as one of its best calling cards and exports. It's not just quality, but above all passion, commitment, and sincerity for the black metal message. From the very beginning, they have stayed firmly on their path, and the band's latest album only confirms that they are pushing hard for their own and are not afraid to stir the pot. I think you will be able to confirm my words after reading the interview with the leader of Deus Mortem - Necrosodom. A review of the "Thanatos" album is on the site, but I think that the vast majority of you already know this album. It certainly aroused a lot of, sometimes extreme, emotions among maniacs in our country (and beyond)...

Levi

Well, it's been a while since the last Deus Mortem release, and therefore our last chat for Musick Magazine. For some, five years is a long time, and for others, a period necessary for certain things to mature. I know that along the way, there was "The Fiery Blood" EP, some concerts, and some changes in your life. How do you approach it?

Necrosodom: Hail! 5 years is just a moment. The period from 2020-2024 was probably the period of the most rapid changes in my life. Almost every sphere underwent a transformation - professional, artistic, and personal. The Deus Mortem formula soared into new areas, half of the line-up has changed, we are releasing our materials on our own, I also do something else professionally, I finally moved out of Warsaw, and I am surrounded by different people. It was not an easy period, but I tried to learn as much as I could from every crisis and remain in line with the values ​​I profess.

You've just finished the Thanatos promotional tour in the most excellent company of Venefices and Devilpriest. The company is almost brotherly, and above all, perfectly harmonized ideologically. What are your impressions of this tour? Is there a chance for a repeat in the future?

Touring in good company is always an excellent experience. Venefices and Devilpriest are proven, strong concert groups, so it couldn't have been weak. Organizationally, everything also came together, and the attendance, despite the autumn multitude of concerts, was at a decent level. We might organize some more shows with this line-up, but considering the offers for this year, we'll have some work ourselves.

Let's move on to "Thanatos", because that's the main reason for our conversation. From what I remember from our conversations, long before recording this album, you had the idea of ​​creating a band with a less extreme, even rock or hard rock tinge. From what I remember, it fell through due to the lack of an interesting vocalist. However, I see that you haven't abandoned this idea, because the new Deus Mortem album includes many excursions into more traditional playing. Did it take you long to convince yourself to take a risk and weave some of these less extreme ideas into your music, to let a little air into your previously very dense and brutal work?

Yes, I had the intention of creating such a creation in 2016-2018, but it all fell apart due to the lack of a suitable drummer and vocalist ready to create a regularly working band, and not a side project to which we would return in our free time. In my playing, excursions into the hard & heavy region are natural, so I decided to stop struggling and find an outlet for it by weaving this vibe into Deus Mortem. Thanks to this, we enriched our style with new elements while maintaining the core of what Deus Mortem has always been, and I do not feel the frustration associated with keeping good ideas in the freezer. It took a good few months before I finally matured to do something different, which at the same time could put our previous reputation at risk, in case of a spectacular fuck-up. However, the first versions of 'Krwawy Świt' and 'Slow Death' were already so much kick-ass that there was no way they could fail. Then the vision of "Thanatos" crystallized, and I stopped caring about the reactions to it.

In general, I wouldn't go overboard with this 'softening of the formula', because brutal and extreme metal dominate most of the album. However, it is an indisputable fact that you managed to inject a lot of air into your music, a still dark atmosphere, and above all, great, almost classic in form, sound, and atmosphere solos. Is it a matter of, in a sense, growing up to certain decisions, developing as a composer and guitarist, or are you finally fed up with any genre framework? Or a bit of everything?

I guess it's a bit of everything. Raising creative perception to a higher level requires courage, which undoubtedly requires maturity, but this is an individual matter. I had to change my previous ideas, working methods and abandon the warm, fuzzy world of artistic comfort. Only in such action do I currently see the path to creative fulfillment. Apart from developing a new approach, in the last 5 years, I have devoted a lot of time to perfecting my craft. This was the period of my greatest progress since I started playing guitar, hence the natural desire to use the potential associated with it. Solo parts have always held an important place for us, but now that I have done my homework myself and Tom Hermies is in the band, we have reached a completely new dimension in this matter.

Some of the listeners accepted these changes with enthusiasm, but some, the so-called 'hard heads', not so much. One could hear here and there accusations of "turning into softies", Nirvana, and other accusations of softening the style. Did you expect that? What would you answer to all those who claim that this is no longer entirely Deus Mortem?

I feel sorry for people whose associations have only gone to Nirvana, as well as for all those who cannot find their way in more accessible motifs. This is direct evidence of unmusicality and ignorance. I do not deny anyone the right to lack taste, and I do not expect everyone to know about music. I accept the fact that the musical poverty of malcontents is a common thing, so I have no expectations of them. What is more, I consider subjecting the work of a conscious artist who has been composing his own works for 30 years to their "expert" judgments to be one big joke. I am unable to understand how on earth such superficial consumption of art would allow for understanding the artist's intentions and proper interpretation of the work. And such people should judge what Deus Mortem is today? Have fucking mercy!.

I'm also curious how you feel about the path you've taken with this band since you and Inferno started your adventure with the short punch, which was Darknessence? Musically and ideologically.

The bar was set high from the very beginning, and I can't say that any of our material was less successful. Apart from the differences in sound, and judging only by the songwriting and lyrical content, I think that we have always been able to confirm our class. Over the years, I have certainly become better technically, and I have learned to perceive music more consciously and in a broader context. The life experience that these dozen or so years have brought has also enriched my approach to lyrics, but from the ideological side, nothing has changed - it is still the same, black, satanic concrete.

You have a new line-up. It seems strong as hell. However, you recorded the album with Pavulon behind the drums as a session musician. Did you not trust your current drummer, or did you want to record the album with someone you knew would live up to your vision and then find someone permanent? How much influence did the other members of Deus Mortem have on the shape of "Thanatos", or is this album 100% your work? Do you take them very personally?

The lineup is undoubtedly awesome, and the autumn concerts only confirmed it for me. Let's get the facts straight, though. The drums for "Thanatos" were originally supposed to be recorded by Stormblast, but an unexpected chain of events leading to his departure forced us to hire a session drummer. That's how our collaboration with Pavulon began. After recording the drums, we played together on Turk Saatanalle, but due to his limited availability, we were inclined to look for someone permanent. And so, in August 2024, Harvester of Flames joined us. As for "Thanatos", all the compositions are my work, but each of us put a spark of individual expression into this album by recording our parts from A to Z. Each Deus Mortem song is very personal.

Another change I noticed on the new album is a couple of songs with lyrics in a native language. Was the closing track 'Nod', on "The Fiery Blood", a kind of trailblazer, or did you just decide it was time to finally write more songs in a native language? Have you grown into that over the years?

It's not an absolute novelty for me, because around 2006-2007, I used to write in Polish in Thunderbolt and Anima Damnata. 'Nod' was a return to this idea and a bull's eye, which encouraged me to include more Polish texts on "Thanatos". Ultimately, the choice of language is decided by the text and what I touch on in it. Polish lyrics are more sophisticated, far from banal, and this allows me to express myself poetically.

Lyrics in Polish are not all, I suppose. Your approach to lyrics, or more broadly speaking, the ideological message of the band on the new album, has shifted slightly. At least that's how I perceive it. It's still damn dark, brutal, Evil, but presented from the perspective of a more conscious and experienced person. Am I right?

Indeed. The lyrics are standardly related to my personal experiences, both spiritual and more mundane. Our philosophy has remained unchanged, but the main difference I see on "Thanatos" is greater bluntness and slightly less esoteric bullshit. It is possible that this is the effect of the coming with age increase in concentration of prioritizing values ​​and rejection of side threads in one's own thinking. Either way, it is a subtle change that blends into the character of the current work, and it is not brightly offensive.

It used to be said that a band's third album was the ultimate achievement and defining position for a given band's style. We all remember "Reign In Blood", "Master Of Puppets" and so on, the list goes on. Do you consider "Thanatos" to be such an album in the Deus Mortem discography?

Not necessarily. I know many albums that defy this definition. "Thanatos" is the best-sounding, most conscious, and mature album in our discography, and yet that's not all we have to say.

In general, how do you see and define the place and position of Deus Mortem in the year 2025? How do you perceive today's scene of broadly understood extreme music or black metal? Do you feel good and comfortable there or do certain things bother and piss you off? Something that has been happening for years, or some new issues?

I am aware of the value of our work, and I am rather able to assess it sensibly. Our position is stronger than ever, but I always feel dissatisfied. I am not up to date with the scene by choice, so I will not judge anything, nor wonder if the black fire of rebellion is still burning anywhere, or if offended snowflakes have already censored the entire internet on their way to Woodstock. This is not a world I want to explore. Everything I have to say is expressed by my work, which is forged in more interesting realities than weakling-glorifying metal. Since we are present on social media, our channels are a short-term but regular point of contact with the carcinogenic, human circus. Fortunately, I do not spend more time on it than the time it takes to finish my coffee.

The new album was released by Profane Spirit Prod. I understand that this is your initiative? Were you fed up with the music business, or did you really believe in the success of the new material? Are there any plans to release "Thanatos" on other media? Will it remain that way for Deus Mortem in this matter, or are you open to other solutions?

Over the last quarter of a century, I have had the opportunity to observe the functioning of various labels, and I have little trust in them. Most of them simply prey on bands. If on the band's side we have the composition of the album, rehearsals, recordings, preparation of the graphic design and photos, coordination of everything it takes to deliver the project, and ultimately for those hundreds (if not more) of hours the salary per person in the band is some miserable scrap, and on the other side you have a publisher who receives the finished material, recoups the budget in 1-2 weeks from the premiere and continues to earn money from your work, and his only real job is handling orders, then I have one conclusion. Such arrangements only serve the publishers, and the work done on the band's side is incomparably more valuable. Let's not be fooled by the talk about actively promoting the band. They are not promoting the band; they are promoting the product that they just got from you for next to nothing, and these are pennies. They can't even get you to play at the fire station on firefighter day, or get you an interview in the school newspaper, so you can forget about larger-scale activities. Added to this is the lack of transparency and control over the number of records pressed and sales results. Against the background of all this, the decision to establish a publishing house for your own needs seems to be the only reasonable option. And yes, I strongly believed in the success of "Thanatos", which is why, despite the offers I received, I didn't agree to give it to anyone. Although I sometimes heard that it wouldn't work out, I was right, because for now, Profane Spirit is earning money for itself and is doing great, so there is no need to look for other solutions. We are currently finishing work on the graphic design for the LP versions, which we plan to release in the spring of 2025.

Let's change the subject a bit. Tell me what's up in the Anima Damnata camp, because apart from a few individual concerts, it's been dead silent for years. Are there any plans for a new release? And how would you compare the characteristics of Anima and Deus? In which of these bands do you feel more comfortable? And I know that this is not a very accurate description of extreme bands, but I would like to know if you feel better as an absolute leader in Deus Mortem or if the friendship and long-term cooperation with Necrolucas gives you more satisfaction?

Anima Damnata lives its own life, and since there are only extremely busy people playing there, it is hard to coordinate our actions, and our activity suffers. Now, after releasing "Thanatos", I have more room to focus on new Anima material and also, similarly to Deus, I am going through the process of modifying my previous way of composing and gathering ideas. It is hard to say when we will be able to record something, we are at the beginning of this path. Anima is coldness, ruthlessness, perversion, and animalism, while Deus is a poisonous snake - beautiful and majestic, but still deadly. Both bands give me the same amount of satisfaction. Obviously, as the founder, Deus Mortem is closer to me in every way, but I cannot imagine abandoning Anima Damnata.

You were also the frontman of Azarath for many years. How do you perceive the current face of this band?

Azarath today, in my opinion, is just a shadow of its former might. Once you could feel authentic Evil and devilish flair there, today I only see mechanical, predictable pounding without an ounce of atmosphere. I'm sorry, but when I listen to "Saint Desecration", their songs merge into one monotonous wall of sound, as if the only goal was to see how much longer Zbigniew (Inferno, the band's drummer - Levi's note) would last. Azarath once had a soul; now all that's left is craftsmanship - solid, but devoid of the spark that once made this band exceptional.

And finally, to end the issue of memories. Throughout all those years of wandering around the metal scene, you played as a session musician, live musician, or permanently in bands such as Thunderbolt, Infernal War, Mord, Throneum, Infernal War, Witchmaster, Plaga, and tons of others. How do you remember those times? Do you regret/miss working with any of them?

Yes, I feel sorry for Thunderbolt. I gave it my whole soul. Unfortunately, Agonia Records decided to fuck us over without any lube, making it impossible for us to function normally under that name. Joining Witchmaster for a short while in 2002 and a mini-tour with Destroyer 666 and Houwitser was a great time. I also remember Throneum with nostalgia, especially the trip to Benelux, when the four of us packed our instruments into a Fiat Seicento, achieving the impossible. I supported the other bands temporarily and was not their permanent member. For a few years, I was also a concert guitarist for Infidel, with whom I still stick with to this day.

And to end the reminiscing... When you started playing with Devotee in the mid-90s, did you believe that you would get to where you are now?

Big understatement. Back then, I had such a vivid imagination that in '97, I considered us dethroning Behemoth to be a matter of one year. It's a pity the rest of the line-up didn't have such ambitious plans...

Okay, so I understand that after a short breather, Deus Mortem is going to go on the offensive again? What will be the band's next moves? Concerts? Or maybe you're already thinking about the next release?

In the spring, the release of "Thanatos" on vinyl. In April, we will start our concert activity and these will be performances in Poland, Germany and Finland. On the horizon, there are also festivals in Norway and Italy, as well as individual performances in Turkey and Israel. There are many proposals, but not everything deserves our attention. In parallel with working on the new Anima Damnata material, I am preparing riffs for the next Deus Mortem material, and maybe it will be an EP, which I have been thinking about since the recording of "Thanatos".

In recent years, not only have the musical boundaries between genres been blurring, but also the territorial ones. And in fact, some bands are appreciated more outside their home countries. Do you see an increased interest in Deus Mortem outside Poland? You played in Israel some time ago. Is it important to you where you play, in terms of the political situation in a given place/country, or is the listener, maniac, recipient the most important?

Yes, after the release of "Thanatos", the interest has increased significantly. Whether we play somewhere is dictated by meeting our basic conditions. As long as we have fans in a given country, I ignore political issues. My goal is to play for them and not get involved in local disputes, like in Israel. It's not very stable there at the moment, and I don't know if I would like to risk coming face to face with a stray Hamas rocket, but we are still considering all the pros and cons.

What music currently has the greatest influence on you as a musician, and what as a music fan? Do you draw a line between these? Is the atmosphere or the technique more important?

I can't point to one specific genre. I listen to many. As usual, I'm closest to Death/Black Metal and rock-metal classics. For example, for the last week I've been going back to the discography of Popol Vuh, old Behemoth with Baal, and the first 4 Incantation albums. I always evaluate music from the perspective of general listenability, so technique is secondary to me - feeling is most important. Thanks for the interesting interview. Hail Satan!

https://www.instagram.com/musick_mag/
https://www.musickmagazine.pl/