AS YOU DROWN Henrik Blomqvist

\r\nWelcome in Metalzone.gr and thank you for your time. Since the Greek audience is just getting to know you could you give us a brief bio of the band?
\r\nHENRIK: AS YOU DROWN, then under the name of ETHEREAL, was formed in Borås, Sweden in the winter of 2003/2004 when the average age of the band was only 17 years old. A few demos were released, and a live show here and there was played - opening for legends like VADER and ENTOMBED in the process. According to the guys it wasn’t until I joined as the new vocalist in mid-2008 that things started to get really serious though, and from that point on we worked really hard with writing and recording the album. When it was finished we sent the album to Metal Blade, who thankfully liked it enough to sign us. And here we are today...
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\r\nAnd this gets us to your first album release. Tell us a few things about Reflection?
\r\nHENRIK: Basically it’s 9 songs of dynamic, groovy and furiously aggressive death metal played with fierce intensity and conviction. We try to meld the dark atmosphere and catchy song writing of old school death metal with the brutality and technical prowess of the new bands that have emerged, in order to achieve the ultimate mixture of all the things we ourselves love about brutal music.
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\r\nThe style you play is a well established genre and many bands present releases of this sort. What do you feel makes you different than the others?
\r\nHENRIK: I feel that we combine old and modern elements as well as maintain a delicate balance between speed, brutality and complexity in a way that not many other bands do. Also, we play our fucking hearts out, which I think you can hear.
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\r\nIf you had the chance to say something to the listeners of your new album what would that be?
\r\nHENRIK: Cheers people! Strap yourselves in, because you’re in for a pretty intense ride. If you’re into brutal shit, chances are you’re going to enjoy it. Also, you shouldn’t eat yellow snow; I hear it’s bad for ya.
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\r\nWhat is the feedback you have gotten so far?
\r\nHENRIK: Most of it has been pretty much great, actually. There are people writing us every day that are more or less ecstatic about the album, which of course feels great. And the reviews have been good as well, so far. I’m sure there are people who hate us too, but thankfully they don’t seem all that inclined to write about it.
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\r\nWas it easy for you to get a record deal? Releasing your first album on Metal Blade records isn’t a small thing!
\r\nHENRIK: Metal Blade was actually the only label that we sent the album to once it was finished, so in that perspective you could probably say that it went a lot easier than expected. On the other hand we’ve all been working very hard, in different constellations, for a long time to get where we are today - musically and sonically.
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\r\nHow do you work as a band? What is the creative process?
\r\nHENRIK: Usually one of our guitarists Mikael and Simon will write a couple of riffs that go together and then we’ll all pitch in with ideas for arrangements and song structure. When the music is finished it will then be up to me to write the lyrics. Usually I’ll have some kind of idea or a few key lines in mind and when a song is finished I’ll expand that idea to fit the music and the kind of vocal arrangement that I want to do.   
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\r\nWhat inspires you to write music and what are your influences?
\r\nHENRIK:Well life in general is the biggest inspiration of all I guess, and when writing aggressive music like ours - mostly the downsides of it. As for specific influences, bands that deserve a special mention are MORBID ANGEL, CANNIBAL CORPSE, BEHEMOTH, DECAPITATED, JOB FOR A COWBOY and MESHUGGAH, among others...
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\r\nAre you touring in support of your release?
\r\nHENRIK: We very much hope to do so. Nothing set in stone yet, but when the opportunity arises we’ll jump on it like a pack of hungry wolves. We’d like nothing more than to take this violence of ours out on the road! And drink a beer or two in the process...
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\r\nWhat are the greatest moment you’ve experienced live so far and the worse?
\r\nHENRIK: For me, opening for my childhood heroes ENTOMBED was kinda huge. Also, pretty much anytime we’ve faced a really energetic crowd. There’s nothing better than to get that connection with the audience, where you can feel your output fueling their energy and the other way around.
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\r\nThank you for your time and I wish you all the best for the future, I hope we get the chance to catch you live soon.
\r\nHENRIK: Thanks yourself! We would love to come and spread our own brand of destruction in Greece, hopefully it will be sooner rather than later. Horns up!
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\r\nInterview Elena Mihailidou
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