With „Skyggespil“, the newcomers ANGSTSKRÍG have released a wonderfully ugly album somewhere between sludge, rock and black metal. But ANGSTSKRÍG don’t just remain anonymous when it comes to the band line-up – the Danes also like to remain vague in their answers.
You founded ANGSTSKRÍG in 2020, now your first album has been released. That’s quite fast – how did you proceed?
We decided to start creating the songs for ‘Skyggespil’ in August 2019. At some point we realized that we’d created some pretty good songs and got hold of producer Frederik Brandt Jakobsen. We started the recording in October 2019 and had a final mix ready about four months later.
You both are also active in the Metalcore-band Numbnuts. Why did you decide to start a new band with ANGSTSKRÍG? What inspired you to make this kind of music?
Interesting. We actually read that on the internet too. However, not everything written on the internet is true. Yet to answer your questions, we wanted to create some dark music with pieces from all the music that is a part of our musical upbringing. Therefore, ANGSTSKRÍG is merely the consequences of decades of rock and metal music history. Our blend might be unique but the elements are definitely tried and true.
What’s the meaning of the name ANGSTSKRÍG as well as of the album title „Skyggespil“?
For centuries now, we’ve been living and acting one of the greatest shadow plays known to humanity, namely modernity. Of course, modernity has brought us a lot of good but modernity has also led us into the ongoing sixth mass extinction and it has no solutions to this problem because of the superficiality with which modernity understands the actual existing reality. Modernity keeps adding analytical layers to reality, which, for instance, on an intellectual level pulls us further and further away from the planet, we inhabit. COVID-19 and climate change are great examples of the discrepancies between actual reality and the modern essentialist way of thinking.
What are the lyrics about and how important are those for you in the context of the album?
The lyrics are largely inspired by French thinker Bruno Latour and are different commentaries on modernity and modern problems. However, our aim is not that of a deconstructionist but of an amodern constructionist, who offers an alternative understanding of reality and thereby hope for the future.
The artwork shows some gallows knots … what was the idea behind that artwork? Why does it fit perfect to this album?
We’re going to let you and your readers in on a secret: they are not gallows. On the surface, yes, they look like gallows but if you dig deeper you’ll find it is something else. Which also is in line with our resentment towards the shallowness and short attention span of social media.
You also did some music videos. Is this a part of the art, or more or less a necessary tool to promote music in 2021?
The videos are definitely parts of the art and the aesthetics but of course also useful tools to show the visual side of ANGSTSKRÍG. Daniel Buchwald did an amazing job with great help from the drone wizards at OpenHouse.
Musicwise the album is not as extreme as one might assume by listening only a few seconds – because the album has a very aggressive, raw sound. Why did you chose this sound for the album?
We wanted a complex sound with the sound elements from other artists we love an cherish. So our producer Frederik was busy turning our ideas and wishes into sound and a great production. But he nailed it.
I read that the album is inspired by norwegian black metal – which bands would you name here?
It sure is. Black metal is the core element that every other element has to abide to. First and foremost, Darkthrone and Immortal, but also bands like Emperor, Enslaved and Kampfar.
The album features also an guest appereance of Frederic Leclercq and Attila Vörös – how did that came about?
Yeah, Sylvain Coudret (Soilwork), Mathias Lillmåns (Finntroll, …And Oceans) and Tomas Elofsson (Hypocrisy, Berzerker Legion) also appeared. As we can’t play a solo, even if our lives depended on it and still created songs made for solos, we had to call up some friends and get some help. Luckily for us they were willing to lay down some phenomenal contributions that took the album to a new level.
Youself remain anonymous, using this „trendy“ stocking masks, that so many black metal bands use those days. Why do you want to stay anonymous – and why did you follow this trend referring the costumes?
It’s the music that determines visual side as well. We’re merely manifestations of the music, which means that if we are to create a bluegrass album next, the visualization will most likely be different. In other words: We’re not sure that we “want to stay anonymous”. Time will tell.
Thank you very much for the interview. Let’s wrap it up with our traditional brainstorming – what is the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of the following terms?
Last album you listened to: Dödsrit – Mortal Coil
Rainy days: sounds like Denmark
Black Metal: Trve Kvlt
Corona: Time and space to stop destructive patterns
Italy: European Champions
A food that always makes you happy: rød grød med fløde (try saying this in proper Danish)
ANGSTSKRÍG in 10 years: Having more fun
Once again thanks for your time. The last words are yours – is there anything left you want to tell our readers?
Bitte schön, Moritz, and thanks again for having us. We’ve seen some horrific and heartbreaking scenes from the floods around Germany among other places, and we feel deeply with everyone affected by these. We urge you all to take care and stay safe, and we’ll see you all sometime during 2022.
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8. November 2021 Moritz Grütz
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