DISMEMBER

Still Shredding Limbs Off

an Interview with David Blomqvist
by Matt Smith

Back in 1991 when I was just starting to sink my teeth into Death Metal, there were a few bands out of Sweden that helped define what Death Metal was all about. One of those bands was Dismember. After being turned on to their debut, Like an Ever Flowing Stream by fellow Fitchburg State College classmates and old school GASPers Mike Baronas and Mark Fields I knew that there was something in that Swedish sound that had more to it than many of the American Death metal bands. The guitar sound that only bands like Entombed, Carnage, and Dismember had and they all had a common thread, David Blomqvist, one of the founding members of Dismember. I had an opportunity this past winter to speak with him from his hometown of Stockholm, Sweden and talk about the their newest masterpiece, the aptly titled Dismember, an album that, in my opinion absolutely defines what the band is all about.

GASP: I have to say I absolutely love the new album, to me it's one of the best albums you guys have put out in awhile.

David: Thank you very much.

GASP: It's got that old Tomas Skogsberg sound, you didn't record it with him did you?

David: No, it's actually recorded with Nico Elgstrand from Entombed and he did a great job because he knows what we're after and maintained that old school sound, no triggers on the bass drums or anything like that.

GASP: I know, I've been cranking it in my car and it sounds so fucking great. In my opinion it's the best since Ever Flowing Stream, it's got that same vibe. Even though it wasn't Skogsberg, Nico knew how to make it sound like that. My favorite tracks are "Europa Burns", that dual guitar solo, it sounds just like old school Iron Maiden, "Combat Fatigue" and "No Honor In Death" their all so fucking brutal. And honestly there's not a bad track on the whole album. Now you're one of the roots of Swedish Death Metal, since you played in Carnage and Entombed, how does it feel to be part of that whole groundbreaking movement back then?

David: It feels great, I'm very proud of it really, to part of it and most of those bands are still around. Dismember, Grave, Entombed, Unleashed. In Stockholm we made Death Metal and at the same time in Norway they burned churches. (laughs)

GASP: (laughs) Yeah, you guys were a little more constructive with your free time.

David: (laughs) I'm just joking, I like some of that.

GASP: I know what you mean, but you can make a statement without all of the church burnings.

David: (laughs) Yeah, it was taken a little too far, I mean I hate religion but I won't put petrol on churches and set them on fire. (laughs)

GASP: Which brings me to my next question. There seems to be a lot of nihilism within that whole wave of Swedish Death metal. Is that a reaction to how you were raised? I know personally I felt that way because I was raised in a Christian family and taught that the bible was the absolute truth and when I hit like 15 or 16 I pretty much became a nihilist. Do you fell the same way?

David: I guess so, but me and most of my friends were never really brought up religiously. We didn't believe in the bible or anything. I mean the more I think about religion the more I hate it really.

GASP: I know, especially when you see all the extremist religions that are killing in the name of god.

David: Yes, I really hate it, I mean they're even allowed to build their mosques here in Stockholm.

GASP: I know, it's everywhere. Okay, changing the subject, I know Fred Estby just left, how did his leaving the band affect the songwriting?

David: Honestly the songwriting wasn't a problem without Fred, everything else was affected a lot. He was the one who started the band with me so he had been like the leader of the band so I miss him a lot. After 20 years together, we had gone through a lot of stuff.

GASP: Yeah, I can imagine. So what was his reason for leaving the band?

David: His reason for leaving was family, I mean he has three kids and a wife at home and to do it so long all of a sudden it's like 14 years and he just couldn't take touring any more. So I know a lot of people have this vibe that we're enemies since he left but that's absolutely not true. I mean I see Fred sometimes and we speak on the phone. I think he just got tired of the whole music industry, the touring and everything.

GASP: Yeah, especially after 20 years!

David: Honestly I get tired of the whole business sometimes too. I mean we struggled on through the end of the nineties when Death Metal was popular, almost corny, and we were still touring and making albums we thought were good and you have these bands that were together for ten years and then they reunite and make millions for it.

GASP: Yeah, and that's one of my questions. Being legends in the Death Metal community, has that allowed you to live comfortably in any way, or even be able to retire with some money to live off?

David: No, absolutely not! I mean we have very hardcore fans everywhere, but if we were doing it for the money we would be doing something popular like In Flames or Amon Amarth but that's not what we're about and I wouldn't think about changing anything either.

GASP: Yeah, you wouldn't go the sellout route.

David: No way!

GASP: Personally I saw In Flames when they played here in Worcester and me and a few fellow GASPers couldn't sit through In Flames set because it was so boring, but there were so many people into them.

David: I know, it's mainstream, and when I grew up in the 70's and 80's I was listening to Iron Maiden and Accept and if you listen to those albums now they're just as good today and if you listen to the new stuff like In Flames, it's just not my cup of tea really. (laughs)

GASP: I agree, I mean that old school metal has a solid timeless quality to it that new generations are discovering. And new bands, like for instance Coheed and Cambria, I saw them live and I just couldn't understand why they're so popular, I mean they're just recycling old 80's hair metal band riffs and selling them as their own. It's pathetic!

David: (laughs) Exactly, and we recycle old Autopsy and Iron Maiden riffs. (laughs)

GASP: Yeah, you guys go for the true pure stuff that not many people even know about.

David: Yeah, and it's funny when you have these very young support bands and they come to meet me and they're like "hey David, you always have these Autopsy shirts, what band is that?" and I say go buy Mental Funeral (Autopsy) and you'll see what I mean! (laughs)

GASP: (laughs) Yeah, exactly!

David: And they have no idea about these old bands.

GASP: Yeah, there's a whole generation of music they haven't even discovered yet. They're just taking what new bands are recycling and telling them what is good.

David: Exactly.

GASP: That brings me to my next question, is the whole Iron Maiden, Autopsy sound something you consciously try for or is more of a natural process?

David: It's just a natural thing when we write songs when it comes to my own songwriting, when I write riffs I have three main influences and the first one is Autopsy, and the second one is Brazilian Death Metal like old Sarcófago and Sepultura's first album (Morbid Visions) and the third is the obvious, Iron Maiden.

GASP: Yeah, and Maiden is going back to their early stuff for their latest tour by not playing anything later than Seventh Son. I grew up listening to Maiden and I saw them on the Somewhere In Time tour and to me that was the golden age of Maiden.

David: Yeah, I saw them on the tour before that in 84, Powerslave, in Stockholm.

GASP: Yeah, I missed that one for some reason. I remember the first time I heard Autopsy I was actually playing in my first band, and it was called Autopsy and we were in a record store and I found Severed Survival and was like, "guys we need to change the band name", and I had never heard anything like that before and in many ways that's what we wanted to sound like but didn't have the capabilities. (laughs) And we were listening to Testament, Metallica, Slayer, and we didn't really know about bands like Autopsy.

David: That was the same for me you know. I think the first extreme band I listened to was Metallica. Then Sodom, Destruction and Kreator came along and it was like "oh Jesus". (laughs)

GASP: Yeah, it was like taking it to another level.

David: And when I bought Scream Bloody Gore (Death) in like 1987 it was the same thing.

GASP: Yeah, because the first time you hear that stuff it's just so much to take in at once. But after awhile you go "this is great shit!"

David: Yup.

GASP: How was the tour you did with Grave and Vital Remains?

David: I would say not as good as I hoped, some of the shows were great but I don't know if it was a lack of promotion but it was like going back to 1993 almost. (laughs)

GASP: Yeah, back when I saw you the first time.

David: Yeah, part of that 1993 tour was with Suffocation and the other half was with Deicide.

GASP: Yeah, I saw you with Deicide I think in Providence, RI? I get a little foggy thinking back to those shows. (laughs)

David: Yeah, same with me. I know sometimes someone mentions a certain club and I can't remember playing it. (laughs)

GASP: Either way I went to so many Death Metal shows back then and thinking back on it now that really was the golden age of Death Metal with all those bands like Entombed, Unleashed, Grave all out touring the states for the first time. And listening to the newer wave of current Death Metal bands like Black Dahlia Murder, it just sounds like a processed version of the old stuff. Like when I put on your newest disc it's like "yeah, this is how it's done!"

David: Oh yeah, thank you I appreciate that and that's really the point of the new album and that's very much what I felt writing the album, like going back in time. Most of the bands now, I'm sorry, but I can't stand to hear them, so-called Death Metal bands.

GASP: It's commercial Death Metal.

David: Yeah. But I don't want to sound like an asshole because I can sit backstage and be social with a support band that I think sucks. (laughs)

GASP: Yeah, right.

David: And when they come back and say, "what did you think of us" and I'm like "ummm, well..." and I don't want to be an asshole but I want to be honest with them too.

GASP: Now what are your touring plans for the states, are you coming here soon?

David: No plans yet as far as we know. We're doing Europe now and we'll see after the summer what happens.

GASP: Maybe later this year?

David: Perhaps, I don't want to say anything about it yet.

GASP: Cool, because I can't wait to hear the new stuff live. Where do you think your most rabid fan base lies?

David: Well, in South America we get the most dedicated fans. Brazil, El Salvador, and Costa Rica. We were there a few years ago and they were amazing! South Americans are so passionate and they don't hide it.

GASP: You've got a song on the new disc "The Hills Have Eyes" and I don't know if it was inspired by the movie?

David: Yeah. Matti (Kärki) was saying this song is going to be called "The Hills Have Eyes" and if you listen to the music it sounds very much like old Nihilist "Revel In Flesh". (laughs) And we saw Entombed a few days ago in Holland and we had a day off and we went to see them and they played "Revel In Flesh" and I was looking at the other guys in the bar going "holy shit!".

GASP: The new Entombed, Serpent Saints, is really good.

David: Yeah, they have that song "Masters of Death".

GASP: It's very cool. Since GASPetc.com is half horror and half metal. are there any horror movies that are your favorites?

David: The Exorcist is a classic! (laughs)

GASP: Yeah, it's always been one of my favorites too! Well, that pretty much wraps it up. Was there any thing you wanted to leave us with, a message?

David: Just what I always say, stay old school, stay true. It's very cliche but that's how I feel!

GASP: That's how we all feel here at GASPetc!

David: Hope to see you in the states, maybe the Winter, we don't know what the plans are.

GASP: Cool, we'll be looking out for it! Good luck with the European tour!

David: Thank you very much! Cheers!

GASP: Cheers!

Dismember: Thomas Daun (drums), Tobias Christiansson (bass),

Matti Kärki (vocals), Martin Persson (guitar),

and interviewee David Blomqvist (guitar).