Thy Primordial
Interview by Laurentiu Abalaru (December 2001 - Negura #3).


Hello Micke! You are the main person in Thy Primordial (being the main composer and writing part of the lyrics) so, how could you describe in just a few words what is all about Thy Primordial?
Thy Primordial is all about the purest metal of blackness known from here to the fire in the deepest pits of hell.

Last time when we talked officially was more than three years ago (interview in Infernal #1), time in which a two Thy Primordial albums were released and finally your debut, “Under Iskall Trollmane”, saw the light of the day after more than 3 years of delays! Tell us more!
The release of that one came as a surprise. The band has nothing to do with it. I was pretty sure back some years ago that Gothic went to the grave forever. But suddenly the rumor started to spread that the CD should be released. I didn’t really cared until Jon "Thornes" Jamshid of Full Moon Productions called me one night and told that he had it on stock. Soon after that we received 100 CD’s from Gothic. We have faced the problem we thought should appear, that people mixed things up. Some people thought it was our new CD and so on. In Germany a rumor said that we released it because we didn’t have material for a new CD. I think it’s a good opportunity for those who like to hear how we sounded back in the early days to buy it, as there is no old material left for sale. Even if I don’t care too much about the material on the CD. It surely doesn’t represent Thy Primordial in 2000.

We haven’t got the chance to talk about At The World of Untrodden Wonder which got released in ‘99. How do you see it compared to your older products? Are you still satisfied with it?
Every little detail on At The World… from the songs to the layout is better done then it was on the Where Only… album. We simply set the goal a bit higher up on At The World of Untroddden Wonder.

What does World of Untrodden wonder means to you? Is it a metaphor or a reality? And the front cover seems to me like a gate between 2 (or maybe 3?) worlds. So, do you believe in the existence of parallel universes?
For me an untrodden world is a place, probably created in a fantasy where no living creature has walked. Where the nature is untouched. The front-cover of At the World of Untrodden Wonder is maid by Par (Satariel). We ordered the cover to fit the title. So that’s basically his vision of a world of untrodden wonder. Well, I can just say that the cover looks good. I suppose it shall be two different worlds. No I can’t say that I believe in another dimension or parallel universe.

One more thing, I see that your band-photos were taken by Henke Forss of Dawn. Tell me, what the heck is happening with Dawn at the moment, I haven't heard news from them in ages? I hope Henke didn't left the band to become a professional photographer?!
Henke is a professional photographer nowadays but he is still in the band. I don’t really know what he is up to today, haven’t seen him since December ‘99. I think Dawn still rehearse for an upcoming release. They have done some major changes in the line up. Some old drum-player from Dark Funeral has joined them now. Fredrik and Henke are the only members left from Slaughtersun album. According to their homepage they currently dealing with several new labels.



Many of the nowadays black metal bands change their line-up after only one album, how did you managed to stay in the same line-up all these years?
No I guess that’s not too common. I guess the reason for this is that everyone is dedicated to the work in the band. We had some problems with N. Nilsson during mid ‘96. So he was stated as a session member on the 7"EP we released on Paranoia Syndrome Production. But we solved it within the band.

Your new album, The Heresy of an Age of Reason is already out has been recorded as usual in Sunlight Studios. Do you think it brought any change in your music?
Some years has passed between the albums. We have grown in our musical way and found out different solutions for everything. However, I think the band progressed a lot between all the albums. We spent 5 weeks last summer/autumn to record 8 new songs at Sunlight Studio. Our own drum player has engineered and mixed the album, without any involvement of any outer producer. The cover art is created by Ola Larsson, who also created the cover for Where Only the Seasons Mark the Path of Time. To tell you something about the music, I like to say that it is the best material we have created to date. A lot more controlled than our previous stuff. The tempo might not be as high as it was on at the world, but not to far away. The sound is a lot faster, but yet cleaner then most of the Sunlight products. It’s also different mixed than our older records. We have reduced the guitars a bit and left some space for the vocals. Basically it’s more vocal oriented. I am very pleased of how the record turned out. Hopefully other will be as well.

Your new album is the last one on the deal with Pulverised Records… will you stay with them in the future too or you’ll start looking for other deals?
Yes The Heresy of an Age of Reason will be out on Pulverised. This is the last album on the ongoing contract with them. Yet we don’t know where the future brings us. We have several offers from other labels. The future can only tell.

Your booklets are illustrated by many photos, photos of ancient castles, temples, forests & lakes. Do you really like spending time in nature? Do you have a large collection of photos or those ones were taken exclusively for each release?
We take the photos for each release. They where taken in the spring for the Seasons album, in the autumn for At the World… and in the winter for the new one The Heresy of an Age of Reason. Yes I like spending time in the nature.

I know that you had troubles in the past playing live because of your drummer, Morth, who is very busy playing in 3-4 (or maybe more?!) other bands and working for Sunlight Studios, so was this thing cleared up now? Any tour plans?
“-Well the reason for not playing live is 100% because Morth lives in Stockholm and works at Sunlight. All his b-sides projects is closed chapters these days. Although he has helped out several bands with drums lately. For example Unmoored on their new album. Things have settled down a bit for him now. We have decided within the band to at least give it a thought if the offer for a tour shows up. But no tour plans is up now.”



Your music is pure black metal in the Scandinavian school but, beside music do you think that you have everything what it takes to be a “True Black Metal” band? What differentiate you from the other hundreds of Swedish black metal bands?
True or false, well that’s the question, I don’t know. We have never claimed or called our music for "true" black metal. Black metal for me is a band who are able to create a grim and harsh atmosphere throughout the music. Dissection’s Storms album is a good example of that. True or false, who cares? For me it is good or bad. The main difference between us and other bands from the black metal scene is that we are a lot more LESS melodic then most of the other bands. The music we create is very intense and aggressive. The speed is quiet important for us.

Is it satisfactory for you to be a black metal band taking in account how the nowadays black metal scene evolved?
Black metal is pretty dead right now. The trendy days are over, at least here. It has always been a satisfactory to be involved in Thy Primordial and the BM scene, otherwise I would not be involved in it.

It seems that you are very devoted to pentagrams as the graphic of your albums suggest. How do you see the occult? Are you involved in any occult stuff?
The pentagrams we are using are just signs of the music we play. I am not involved in any occults or what so ever. I am pretty atheistic. Although I would not call my self a true atheist either.

What kind of themes are consistent with Thy Primordial concerning the lyrical part?
Death and darkness through different forms basically. Albrektsson is the main lyric writer in the band even if both me and Morth has added some throughout the years. We write our lyrics so the listeners can decipher them in their own way. Journeys through light and darkness. And other things which interest me.

Almost all the members in Thy Primordial are involved in a project or another band (Niden Div. 187, Indungeon, Cranium etc.)! Do you have any time left for other non-musical activities? How’s your social life? And could you tell us about everyone of you in which projects/bands is involved?
Actually things have changed. No member of the band is involved in any projects these days except Thy Primordial. I quit school last summer. Nowadays I work at a battery factory. I t really sucks but I need the cash from it.

As you said in the past you don't have a too good opinion on the Swedish scene... have you changed your opinion so far? Now I give you the opportunity to tell us what are the worthiest Swedish bands in your opinion!
What I meant in the old interview is that the Swedish scene is not as good as some think it is. Most of the Swedish bands sounds pretty much the same and I am quite bored to hear the same stuff all the time. Same problem as the US death metal scene had in the early 90’s. All bands sounded like Death and Deicide. I don’t like to bash any specific band in this interview.

And your all-time fave bands? Bands that impressed you lately?
Kiss is my all time fave band for sure. The new Pain stuff with Peter Tägtgren impressed me a lot, even if that’s far a way from any black or death metal.

That’s it! Thanks for your answers! End with you own words!
Well thanks for the interview once again Laurentiu. Keep your eyes wide open for the up coming The heresy of an age of reason album. T shirts is available now. For latest news check out the homepage http://come.to/thyprim.