MAZE OF TORMENT (SWE)

After a long time realesing records on different labels , have you found a home now at Neropolis?

No label seems to be perfect, and that also goes for Necropolis. But this is for sure the best label we have been working with so far, and they have now done a license deal with century media in Europe...so things starts to move forward.

I think that Maze of Torment never got the support ,the band deserved.(This interview comes to late too. No excuse for that!) Whats your opinion about that?

I can agree with you on that, and the main cause for that have been the lacking support from our labels. We have mainly done all promotion for the band oursleves. But things got a little better when Necropolis got in the picture, and now with Century Media everything can only be better. But I must mention that when it comes to the support we have got so have it been brilliant. When you play in the "little leage" like we do so will you only get the real die hard fans that lissen to this kind of music. Not like for example Cradle of Filth that have tons of 14 years old girls that don´t understand a shit when it comes to Metal music. A big salute to you all that have taken time to support Maze of Torment...Cheerzz!!

As far as I know Maze of Torment played only once in a small tour package in Germany.(I missed the damn thing) Can we see you in the future?

That smaller tour never happen, sadly! After the release of the next album a tour is a must, there is no alternative. If not Necropolis will fix this we will give them the finger. This will be our fourth album and we have not done a fucking tour yet, it´s a bloody shame. We fucking need to do some tours if we want to spread our name, it´s for sure the best way to promote a band. So, be sure to see us in Germany. We are right now working hard to get a slot at this years Wacken, but that´s a hard one, haha! We are booked at Party San Open Air. We will play at Saturday (10th August). I hope some of you will be there to bang your heads into pieces.

There have been a few line up changes in the past. Tell us about!

Both Pehr Larsson and Peter Jansson got the boot after "Faster Disaster", but at different times. First we got Erik Sahström as a new singer, and that worked out great. And then we got Kalle Sjödin as our new bass player, and to compere this guy with Jansson is impossible, he is bloody brilliant on the four string. We have got this line-up around 3 years now. It feels great and we are working good as a team. never any bigger problems and we have always a great time, eather it is in the studio or at the rehearsals. This is for sure the final line-up you will see in the Maze Horde.

I can hear a change in music through the years. On "The Force" the tracks where long, sometimes melodic and full of canges. On "Death Strikes" they are straight into your face. Your comments please.

Yeah I agree, but you know this is nothing we think of when we compose the music. We just do trax that we feel satisfies ourselves. But there is a difference in the music when it comes to all our albums, you will also hear that on the new one. But there is never a drastic change, you will always have those typical Maze parts. But I think that it´s a positive thing that bands try to develop themselves all the time. Sometimes it maybe don´t works, but atleast you tried. We would never work as a band if we only did one type of song all the time. Sometimes it turns out more Death, sometimes more Thrash....as long it´s good Metal and it comes from the heart we never see any problems with it.

I apresheade the fact that Maze of Torment allways gave a shit for trends. So what will "The Unmarked Graves" bring us?

Lots of keybords and female vocals, haha! No, I hope it will bring you the best Maze album so far. The album have a different vibe on it than on "Death Strikes". More of everything to put it simple. On "Death Strikes" you maybe only had four songs that really was strong, this time I think that every track really blows. I send out like 20 adv. CD´s to people that have follow us since start, just to get some feedback before the album gets out, and all of them was fucking positive about the album. They all knew that we would do a good album, but nothing as strong like this. Then you have people that always will like the first or second album the best, but that just cool for us, they still like our albums and supports us. Maze will always deliver you a good taste of both Death and Thrash.

A lot of my friends think , the sound of Maze of Torment records suck.But I like especially the sound on "The Force". It`s somehow cheap but fuckin` raw . The guitar slams into your face.How do you see the sound of your older releases?

I don´t have any problems with the sound on "The Force". It fits the type of songs that we did back then. But when it comes to "Faster Disaster" and "Death Strikes" so do I belive that the sound have destroyed more for us than in gaining. That "Faster Disaster" got this really great response back then was a mistery to me, the sound was really raw and in every term bad.
But people really liked the songs and the dedication that we showed. With a better sound and with a better label in our back this album really could have given us a bigger name. But some also really like this raw sound that it got, and without it it maybe never would have got this small cult status that it have..just like "The Force". The stupid thing we then did was to go back to Sunlight studios to record "Death Strikes", even if we not was that satisfied with Faster. But this time we told Tomas Skogsberg that we only wanted to work with Jocke Pettersson (drummer in Dawn, Regurgitate, Thy Primordial) as we though that he could do a better job than Tomas. And he also did!! But you must know that the equitment that Sunlight have is pure shit, maybe good enough for a demo recording. So, this was simple the best we could get. Remember also that we only had like 10 days to record and do the mixing. The sound is not to bad, but everything is so fucking low, no bloody punsh!! I heard a track from the new Necrophobic (also recorded in Sunlight) album on a sampler, and just like on "Death Strikes" everything is fucking low, no punsh...and they had been in the studio for like one and a half month. If I dident already know that they are a good band with good songs I would never take time to listen me into it. That´s why we also so badly want to come out and play as we want to do our songs justice. We are really proud of all our albums, and we hope that people will notice some good trax behind that wall of dirt, haha!!

“The Unmarked Graves" will be recorded in the Abyss Studio with Peter Tätgren. So everybody expects a hammer. Do you fell preasure now to fullfill some expectations?

The album have already been recorded and we worked with Tommy Tätgren, Peter´s brother. We diden´t feel that big preasure when it comes to the sound as we already knew that The Abyss was alot better than Sunlight. Actually we was supposed to record "Death Strikes" in that studio as well, but Peter was like one year ahead with bookings. Now when we finally came to The Abyss it was like a fucking dream. Tommy was great and handled everything very proffesional, in the since of the recording and mixing. Beers and go-cars, ghosts and screams...just a whole lot of fun!! We are really satisfied with the sound, and you will understand why when you hear the album.

How important is your music and Maze of Torment for you guys? What means Thrash- Metal to you?

Music is everything to me. All my feelings goes right through this form of life style, and I guess it´s the same for all people that love music, even if they are into Jazz or Classical stuff. And for me to be in a band like Maze of Torment is also everything. To be able to express hate, agony or even happiness with a bunch of good friends that feels the same is just the ultimate thing. To me so is the term Thrash Metal the meaning of my younghood: Metallica, Slayer, Kreator, Destruction, Exodus ect. And their old stuff are still as important to me now even if I soon will turn 30 years old. The music they created back then is just killer!! Also take bands like Morbid Angel, Possessed, Death, Autopsy, Sadus, Pestilence, Massacre...just killer!! I will fucking die under the spell the morbids, haha!!

Your lyrics are almost all "bloddy monsters". You guys seem to have a faible for the pervert site of humankind. Where does the influence come from?

Ha, ha.. yeah! If you are grown up with gore and Satan there is not much other stuff you can do. But Erik really puts down lots of work and dedication on his lyrics. They differ a bit from my type of writing, more dept. On the new one I have only done a few lines on one track. Kalle have also done some lyrics this time, really good I must say..... A vision of blood, Slaughter and death!!

I see your music as "pure" Thrash Metal . Modern, fast, like a baseballracket into your face- but still with the spirit of the 80th.Your comment!

I can´t agree that we would be a pure Thrash Metal band, but if you see us like that it´s okey. Everyone difine a band from their own point of musical experiances. I think that we have as much Death Metal influences in the music as Thrash. But this is nothing that we try our hardest to get right on haha!! Death/Thrash Metal we usually say if someone want our defination of the music. But I for sure get your point, Uwe.

Do you have any deals for the summer festivals?

Nothing more right now then for Party San.

Where do you se yourself , more as muicans ore more as fans?

Fans!! If we never would have been any fans we never would have picked up our instruments from the first place.

What are the "Maze of Torment" plans for the future? Anything spechial?

Right now nothing more than to wait for the album to be released. The new release date now is 6th August. I hope that Necropolis and Century Media will keep up with that date. In the meantime Merciless records will release a "7 vinyl with three trax that we recorded one drunken night at The Abyss.

My favorit Maze of Torment track is still " The last Candle " from " The Force", what`s your favorit track?

Impossible for me to say, I have some from every album. But "Brave the Blizzard", "Dead Soul" and "The Sadist" are some of them.

Ok. You fuckers , give us your tip for the soccer WM!!!

Of course Sweden will take the gold, haha!! Nah, I think France and Argentina will be the two strongest teams. I saw the final in Champions league, to bad for the Germs...they played really well.

However, I hope you enjoyed my shit and I wish you the very best for the future. Keep on writing such killertunes as we know them.

Bloody fucking thanx for the interview Uwe, I enyoed it alot...but I had my cock in the applepie all the time! I hope to see you freaks at Party San. Feel free to write me for more information about the band. See you all.....a corspe without a soul / Pete Flesh

Contact:
Peter Karlzzon
Björkvägen 6C
64540 Strängnäs
Sweden
mazeoftorment@hotmail.com


Interview:Uwe