Hi Sigtyr! Any news from the EXMORTEM-camp?

Well, we get lots of great reviews and interviews all the time right now, so that is great news I think hehe! I have also started to get some stuff up on our webpage, so there should be something for people to check out. Anyway, we are making new material right now and trying to plan some shows/tour, but that shit takes time you know !

I have to say, that your latest release "Berzerker Legions" is a real killer, but quiet different from the other two albums. Much faster and more aggressive. How comes?

I have always wanted to make a really fast, aggressive and intense album and now we finally had a line-up that could produce that and do it right. Before we always had line-up problems, the old drummer wanted to play more technical midtempo stuff and so on. We more or less see this as a new beginning for the band and we even thought about changing the name.

There is only Kolle left from the line-up of your debut. Why were there so many changes? You also had a big drummer-problem, till you find Reno, who is by the way very great! What did he make before he joined the band and is he still active in PANZERCHRIST?

Because of musical and personal differences I think! The two first drummers were not that good and the first singer just couldn’t keep it up. Reno didn't really make anything before Panzer and the album he play on was just a project, they don’t exist any more I think..Anyway Reno is not in Exmortem any longer, we decided to part ways. He is the kind of guy who wants to rehearse 6 hours a day and so on and I'm just not into that at all, I could never do that, then it would just be like a job and I would get bored with it. Our new 4th drummer is called Michael and now we finally have a band were all members got the same vision for the band. It's much better now, we have a good time rehearsing and it's much more relaxed and that is very important I think! But don't worry he plays really really fast as well hehe.

In your thanxlist you wrote, that you thought, that the new album will never happen. Was the main problem the line-up changes or were there also other problems?

The biggest problem were actually the labels !! After Euphonious we signed with Serious Entertainment but one month before we should have been in the studio the first time, the closed down.. Then we were in contact with some other labels, but nothing really happened, so we started to work with Diehard, but that didn’t work out either, so I send a raw mix of the album to Hammerheart and they wanted to sign us right away. But you are right, the line-up thing was a big problem too !!

You also splitted with Euphonius Records and signed at Hammerheart Records. Did you have problems with them and how is it to be on Hammerheart?

Euphonious were shit, they had no interest in Death Metal! It’s really great to be on Hammerheart, they have made great promotion so far and they have great distribution as well. This is for example the first time an Exmortem album will be released in the US, so I look forward to see how the release will do over there when it’s released there.

There is also a session-bassist called Martin Rosendahl. From which band did you lent him or is he now a real member?

He normally plays in a band called Corpus Mortale, but they live rather far away, so he can’t play in Exmortem full time. But we might have (finally) found a new one now...

Let's go back in history. EXMORTEM started in 1992 as MORDOR and released only one demo called "Souls Of Purity" in 1993. Can you tell me more about the demo and why you changed the name, after the demo?

The name was changed cause there were some other bands with that name as well, so .. The demo was in the same style as the debut, oldstyle death metal, with a raw bulldozer sound. The titles were: Fall To Hell, (Satan) In Command, and Souls Of Purity.

Between your second and third album you also made a promo tape called "Promo Anno 1998" and a split-7" with IMPENDING DOOM. Are the two tracks from the 7" from this demo or are the tracks from an other recording-session?

Yeah the tracks are from that recording too, cause we didn’t have the money to make a new recording. Anyway, the promo was not for sale, so no one really had the promo.

Let’s talk about your label Helgrind Productions. You released the MCD of THRONAEON, but did you released also other material since know? Do you have some future plans for the label?

Right now Helgrind is just the Exmortem management. Helgrind take care of all the financial matters for Exmortem, such as album contracts, live contracts, merchandise etc...  Helgrind only released the MCD with Throneaeon and I guess it was a mistake to start out with a MCD, cause the distros are not that interested in MCDs from an unknown band like Throneaeon. I don't know if I will start up again at some time, it takes a hell lot of your time and money. I should find a very special band if I should start up full time..I guess it’s most unlikely ..?!

You did also a zine with the same name, but only one issue. I read that you thought about a second issue. Is there something planned?

Well, again I got hit by a wall..!! I worked to make it a big Internet zine actually, and I had found five people to work with and anything, but when we should start the work the programmer more or less disappeared and stuff..so again nothing happened. I still would like to do this, but I don't know, maybe I should just play guitar hehe!!

You have also a second band called MORDULV. I don't know them, so please tell me something about this band.

It is not really a band, it was just something me and some friends did when we were drunk. It’s black thrash and the first demo came out in 1995, but that was without me. I don't think you will hear more mordulv material cause the singer is not really into any longer and he was the most important part of the band I think, cause he had a crazy vocal style...

I have to say, that next to you there is only PANZERCHRIST and ILLDISPOSED from your country, which are to mention. Am I right or are there some new Danish hopefulls in Death Metal?

Honestly I don't really like any of the bands you mention. The Danish scene has always been weak and I’m not sure it will change, there is a lot of melodic/gothic stuff I guess, but not really any great extreme metal. The only other Death Metal bands I know of is CORPUS MORTALE and INIQUITY I guess...

Ok Sigtyr, that’s it till now. Thanks for the answers and the last words are yours!

Thanks a hell lot for this interview and your support !! I'm rather sure that we will get to Germany and play this year so watch out hehehe!!! check out www.exmortem.com for all the latest... and then some..?! Cheerz Sigtyr and Exmortem.

Interview: Leif