ISOLE

by Adam Kohrman

So many metal fans ignorantly pass off Doom because they “don’t like slow music.” I pity them. They are missing out on one of metal’s most deep and diverse subgenres. The cascading riffs and vibrato of Candlemass, the tortured soundscapes of Esoteric, and the drug-addled gloom of Saint Vitus, just to name a few. Nowadays, Doom has splintered off into as many subgenres as metal itself, and leading the way is Sweden’s Isole. Once a small band called Forlorn, twenty years into their career, they’ve finally been able to unleash their unique towering sound to the world. Last year, they released the widely acclaimed masterpiece of doom, Bliss of Solitude. It finally became clear that they were among the top bands in the genre. Just one year later, Silent Ruins has been released, and now their place has been solidified.

Napalm Records was kind enough to allow me to seep into the minds of Isole. I wanted to know what mindset and moods went into creating the dense majesty within their music. Thankfully, within only hours, their guitarist Crister Olsson responded, eager to answer anything I had to ask.

GASP: First of all, I’d like to thank you for taking the time to do this interview. It’s a privilege, on my part.

Crister: Well, it’s my pleasure. It’s always nice when zines are interested in doing something for Doom.

GASP: With Silent Ruins, you’ve continued your path as one of doom metal’s top bands, among critics and fans alike. How does it feel to be so acclaimed? Do you find yourselves having to take a step back to realize that you’ve “made it?”

Crister: Not really….. I still think we have a long way to go and much more to give to this kind of music. And it’s too early to say how Silent Ruins will be greeted by the masses of Doom and Metal audience in general.

GASP: Bliss of Solitude had stellar reviews from critics, and fans around the world began to take notice. Did this have any affect of the sound of Silent Ruins?

Crister: We didn’t think too much of what critics and fans would think of our next album. We simply did as we always have done, we created music that pleased ourselves. I must say that we wanted to do something that would be a bit different than “Bliss” because to me it felt that it was a hard album to follow in the same footsteps. We wanted to increase the pace a bit and make a more varied album and maybe in the future we will dive into the well and continue the path of Bliss of Solitude.

GASP: Were you surprised by the extremely positive response to Bliss of Solitude?

Crister: A little bit, because Bliss is not an easy listening album. It takes time to digest it and there are many things that you might discover after several spins and that is not optimal if you are interested in selling albums. I feel that this was an album we needed to do and it warms my heart that people seems to appreciate it.

GASP: Your music blends majestic, epic tones with sprawling moroseness and depression. What inspires you to create such melancholic moods? Why is it that you choose to write such bleak music?

Crister: I think sad and melancholic tunes are the most beautiful thing and to me it’s important that there are lots of feelings and emotions weaved into the music. Since the first time I discovered Candlemass I was completely hooked and I don’t care if Doom Metal is quite unpopular if you compare to Power Metal or Death Metal for instance.

GASP: What emotions do you want to evoke in your listeners when they hear your music?

Crister: The same indescribable feeling that I feel when I hear such music. I can’t really say but I feel chills and warmth from good sad music, I don’t get depressed as one might think.

GASP: I am always angered when metal fans claim that doom metal is nothing more than regular metal slowed down to a snail’s pace, with droning, uninteresting instrumentals. How do you respond to such criticisms?

Crister: Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and as I see it, it’s their loss if they can’t comprehend doom metal. But once you have been sucked into this kind of music there is no way out and Doom fans are quite dedicated to the music.

GASP: Why is it, do you think, that doom metal’s popularity has always been much less than other forms of metal, such as power metal and death metal?

Crister: It takes time to get into Doom Metal and it’s not very commercial. I hope that more really talented and good Doom Acts will surface and maybe then the genre will have its fair share of popularity. Doom is often well suited for live performances and hopefully more venues and festival will dare to book more Doom Metal in the future.

GASP: Sweden has been a hotbed for extreme metal for nearly two decades now. Were there any established musicians or bands that helped you get started? Any that helped you get more popular? Are there any that you know now that continue to help you?

Crister: We have been around for nearly two decades ourselves and we have accomplished everything on our own. No help at all I would say. The only person that really have made a difference for Isole is Ola Blomkvist from I Hate Records, without him Isole probably would have ceased to exist.

GASP: What were your main influences to your unique sound?

Crister: The main influence for me come from within the band, Daniel is probably my biggest source of influence. All of us listen to many kind of music and I think you can hear other elements than Doom in the Isole sound. Everything you like probably affects your inspiration in some way so it’s hard to say. I can’t point out any exact bands because there are too many good bands that probably affect my inspiration.

GASP: How do you differentiate Isole from other current doom metal bands?

Crister:  Doom is often kind of monotonous and it’s nothing wrong with that of course but Isole has chosen a different path with lots of variations and dynamics and I believe we have created our own sound. We put a lot of effort in songwriting and we’re using lots of harmony vocals which have become a sort of our trademark. We have some elements of both softer music and perhaps black/death metal and we have always thought that we shouldn’t have any boundaries when it comes to make music with Isole.

GASP: What are your plans for the future? Do you think you’ll ever come to the United States?

Crister: I truly hope we will get an opportunity to come over to the U.S but it’s not easy since we lack contacts over there. Our plan for this year is to tour as much as our regular jobs, families and lives allow us to. We have been unlucky when it comes to touring after our previous releases and we hope that things will change this time, we have a two week tour in Europe now in April and we’re working on some more gigs later this year.

GASP: Finally, let’s play some name association. I’ll name a band or something related to metal, and you tell me the first thing you associate that name with.

Candlemass – Messiah Marcolin

Gothenburg – The Gothenburg sound

Cathedral – Forest of Equlibrium

My Dying Bride – Violins and Guitar harmonies

King Diamond – High pitched vocals

GASP: Thank you again for the interview, and I wish you luck with Silent Ruins.

Crister: Thanks a lot and it was my pleasure.