Интервю с Tobias Cristiansson – (Necrophobic, In Aphelion, Darkened, ех-Grave, ех-Dismember, Entombed A.D.-live)

Interview with Tobias Cristiansson – (Necrophobic, In Aphelion, Darkened, ех-Grave, ех-Dismember, Entombed A.D.-live)

Satania: Hello, Tobias! Thank you for giving me this opportunity! You’ve been a part of many bands, so it’s really hard for me to choose where to start, but I will start with your recent projects. You released a gorgeous album with Darkened. Tell me more. How did you become a part of this band, how did the process of creating the album go? Was it different from previous albums and how?

Tobias: Hi there! And thanks for reaching out to do this interview. Darkened existed before I joined, they had released one EP and were working on the first full length album when Linus Nirbrant contacted me to ask if I wanted to join the band and record bass for the album. This was in 2020 during the pandemic so I didn’t have much else going musically so it felt perfect. I knew Linus a little bit from before when I played a gig with his previous rock band in the early 2000 ́s. I had also seen him play several times with A Qanorous Quintet in the 90 ́s. Darkened has evolved a bit from every album and our latest one „Defilers Of The Light“ is by far the best and most ambitious so far, it is more varied and contains more melodic elements than the previous releases. Hempa Brynolfsson who is the main songwriter really exceeded himself with this one. I recorded my bass at home and it was mixed by Lawrence Mackrory and I think the sound came out great, very powerful indeed.

Satania: You share that you created Echoes of Solitude at a difficult time for you. How often do you put personal emotions into the music you create?

Tobias: Yes, I did have a period when life was quite hard. I lost both of my parents within a two week period and I later went through a divorce so there was a lot of things going through my mind. The bass track called „Echoes of solitude“ that ended up on the latest Darkened album was not originally intended for Darkened, it was just something I did at home. But it turned out good so I asked the others and they thought it could be on the album. The title of the track is quite fitting since I was living in solitude at the time in a small cabin way out on the countryside after my divorce. I have moved from there since then and my live is very good at the moment. I feel happy with how things are going.

Satania: I have musician friends who might find this interesting (although, according to a certain joke bassists are not musicians 🙂 ), but… What is the optimal bass setup, with which you have played so far? Tell us a few words about the current one? How do you pick your instruments?

Tobias: I’m not that much into the technical side of music with equipments etc. I like to keep it simple and I’m not a collector of instruments. I like classical stuff like the Fender bass, I have a Fender Precision that I play with Necrophobic at the moment. I have another old Precision from 1969 that I have used live with In Aphelion among others. I have a 5 string Ibanez BTB bass that I used on the latest Darkened album. I recently bought a fretless Fender Jazz that I started using in the Latin Jazz band that I’m playing with. I also have a normal Fender Jazz that I’m playing at home. I’m endorsed by EBS, a Swedish bass company that makes great pedals and amplifiers. I’m also endorsed by Darkglass Electronics and I’m using their Alpha Omega pedal.

Satania: Death metal, black metal, your latest passion is jazz. Which style gives you the most freedom as an artist and challenges your musical skills and musicianship?

Tobias: Every genre of music has it challenges and I’m interested in exploring new territories musically. I like to develop myself and my playing, I’m always striving to get better and I like to practice a lot. I play bass every day, there’s always something that you can try to get better at. I’m playing with a Latin Jazz band called Cahuac, the guy who is the creator of that band is a piano player and composer, he is from Colombia but living in Sweden. I have known him for many years but we started playing together last year. To play some of those songs can be a bit hard and its of course very different from other bands I have been with before. Well, I have been playing different styles of music through out my life so its not completely new but still it takes a lot of practice and discipline. We are playing gigs every now and then in the Stockholm area but we hope to expand so that we can get out to play live even more in the future.

Satania: Have you ever thought about what you would do if one day you left the big stage? Would you keep making and performing music and what kind?

Tobias: I think that always want to play in one way or another. I love to play live so I really hope I can continue to do that as long as possible. With the Latin Jazz band we play smaller places and I really enjoy that too. I don’t know what kind of music I want to play in the future, I love metal and hard rock so I hope to continue with that but I also love other stuff and its always interesting to explore other things. I cant really imagine myself not playing, I think I would be very depressed if that would happen.

Satania: If we were to analyze chronologically, even historically, the Swedish extreme scene, which band do you think had a greater influence on its development – Nifelheim or Entombed (you were part of both at some point)? Or is this an argument a bit like the one about the egg and the chicken?

Tobias: I think Entombed is the most important death metal band from Sweden, they were one of the first bands that came out and they really defined the style that became known as the Swedish death metal sound or the Stockholm death metal sound. And when they released „Wolverine Blues“  in 1993 they took the role as leaders of another more stripped down style of death metal and LG ́s vocals is so original.

Nifelheim was an underground band for many years, it was mainly just the devoted black metal guys that knew about them and it took a few years before they started to play live. I think the legacy of Nifelheim has become bigger through out the years, with reason. They have been very influential to the whole black metal scene in many aspects, more than people think. I think they are one of the best black metal bands ever. It was really cool to play with Nifelheim back in 2013, it was a great experience.

Satania: Grave are a cult band, although they didn’t reach the fame of other Swedish death metal bands of that era, as they say a band for connoisseurs only. What do you think they lacked to catch up with their counterparts in the new century?

Tobias: I think it depends on were you are in the world and who you ask. Grave was always the meat and potato kind of death metal band. Not melodic at all but very riff based. Grave has some of the meatiest fattest death metal riffs ever. They didn’t have a particular image either back in the day, it wasn’t like both Entombed and Dismember who did some legendary photo shoots. And the competition back in the day in Sweden was quite big with many bands releasing records and touring. Grave also made just one video for the song „Soulless“ while Dismember and Entombed made several great videos that were shown on Headbangers Ball in the 90’s.

Satania: You were part of Entombed for a while. Tell me the best memory you have of L-G Petrov? (He was a great friend of Bulgarian fans).

Tobias: One of the things about LG was his never ending positive energy, when it came to go out and play he was always willing to do it and he always gave his best and he really loved what he did, he never wanted to quit or cut down on the bands activity or quality. He always wanted to deliver. Even at times when he had a cold he went up and gave 100% and it didn’t even affect his voice. We had a lot of laughs while I was out touring with them, it was a good vibe. I’m truly grateful for being able to play those songs live. Sometimes on stage I thought back and remembered that I used to listen to this in my room as a teenager and now I’m here playing this live, it was amazing.

Satania: Which of the bands you’ve been a part of can you call „most cult“ or is that a term that only certain people stick to… like us journalists :D?

Tobias: I don’t know, haha! I guess Nifelheim is cult. But I don’t really know what it means to be cult actually. Maybe something dark hidden thing that only the chosen few know about, a band that has created a legacy around them. A band that has an aura of mystique.

Satania: In an interview you mention that you are modest. We have a saying here – modesty beautifies a person. Does this modesty help you or hinder you? For a musician who is part of Swedish metal history don’t you think you should be more expressive, more in the spotlight?

Tobias: Did I say that? I don’t remember that, haha! But I guess its correct. When I’m up on stage its another thing though. But privately I’m not much for being in the center, I guess I’m a team player. However I like to gain success as a musician, but for me it doesn’t necessarily meant to be famous or something. I like to get better at what I do, I like to explore different territories both musically and also playing in new areas of the world.

Satania: Do you feel like a legend? Or a star?

Tobias: Yes, especially today when I’m at home with a cold all by myself. Haha! No, actually not at all. I’m just very grateful that I have had a music career for 20 years and being able to tour the world with different bands. I’m super thankful for that what I have done. I like to cherish every moment as much as I can and sometimes I think that I better enjoy myself and try to take everything in when I’m out playing because it could be the last.

Satania: You’re familiar with both In Aphelion albums. What do you think is different between them?

Tobias: First I was a live member of In Aphelion but now I’m a full time member of that band. I think the new album „Reaperdawn“ is much stronger than the first album, it is a bit more progressive and more evil sounding too. The production came out great. It is mixed by Tore Sterna who has worked with Watain and Mayhem among others. I hope to play more live with In Aphelion in the future and since this album came out on Century Media it has gained more attention from people. The response has been great so far.

Satania: What would you say about Necrophobic’s new album? Personally I find it more melodic and somehow more epic, more grandiose, more technical with more solos than what Necrophobic usually do.

Tobias: I agree that its more epic. The songs are really strong and I’m happy that I could contribute with some riffs here and there. It wasn’t something that I expected but I made a demo of 10 ideas and Sebastian Ramstedt chose some ideas and riffs from there. Sebastian is a really good songwriter and I don’t know how he manage to come up with so many great ideas and melodies over and over again. He is probably one of the best solo guitar players in extreme metal in Sweden. He plays very tastefully and you can hear the he is rooted in the 80 ́s metal scene. The solos on the new album is just great! The reception was great and the new songs has been going down great when we play them live. I think its cool to see that an old band like Necrophobic still can gain new younger fans and most of those younger fans like the new material best. Its amazing to have that opportunity as a band that has released so many records through out the years.

Satania: As unbelievable as it may sound Necrophobic will be playing in Bulgaria for the first time, and it just so happens that you will be part of the band. Are you feeling excited? The band does have a lot of die-hard fans here, are you looking forward to meeting them?

Tobias: Its crazy that Necrophobic has never been to Bulgaria before. So this will be a special event for both the band and the people who are attending. We will deliver a strong show and I think people that see us can expect songs from different eras of the band, we try to cover as much albums as we can. Necrophobic is always a great band to see live, we like to interact with the audience and give 100% energy. We will deliver the metal for sure.

Satania: Have you been to Bulgaria before on a personal occasion or with another band? Do you have any expectations?

Tobias: Yeah, I love Bulgaria. I was first there with Dismember in 2007 I think it was. I remember that I was overwhelmed by the audience, it was very energetic and sweaty. I have been there with Grave too, I don’t remember what year it was though.

Satania: Think it got a little long, although I could probably come up with so many more questions but :). Your message to the fans who are waiting for you here. (Be convincing, because your colleagues from Unleashed also have a concert on the same day :D). Thank you for your time!

Tobias: I’m really looking forward to come back to Bulgaria, it has always been nice when I have been there before and now for the first time with Necrophobic. I hope to see many fans in Sofia, I know people there are very dedicated to music and that’s always a nice thing to see. I know its not cheap to go to concerts and you always have to chose wisely where to go and who you want to support but since this is the first time for Necrophobic in Bulgaria I think it will be something special for sure. Thanks a lot for this interview! I really appreciate it. Nazdrave!!