It’s been a long time since my last ask me anything session. I was intending to get one together for the “Famine” album release, but that didn’t wind up happening. Here are all the questions from Instagram and Facebook. Thanks so much for participating, always humbled by the interest in my music and other endavours. Until next time!
About me – deathdoom.com, music and more
- Stefan Nordström
- Musician, songwriter, content creator, digital freelancer
- Stockholm, Sweden
- Bands: Desolator, Soliloquium, Ending Quest, Ashes of Life, Trees of Daymare, The Ashen Tree
- Social: Facebook | Instagram | YouTube
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- Support my work on PayPal: 1€ | 2€ | 5€ | 10€
My own music
What is the hardest part of being a musician?
Balancing the passion of the music with the monetary everyday/job/career stuff. For me, at least, it’s a rollercoaster where I lose and gain motivation in waves. It can get rather exhausting, and in the end I have to remind myself that I’m doing this for me and my own enjoyment.
What are your music inspirations besides Katatonia or Opeth? Your favourite doom/death metal albums?
Historically, probably Anathema and Death. More recently, I’ve been heavily inspired by The Ocean, VOLA and Klimt 1918. More progressive and post metal than doom.
Favorite death/doom metal albums would be: 1. Slumber – Fallout, 2. Katatonia – Brave Murder Day, 3. Daylight Dies – Dismantling Devotion, 4. Rapture – The Silent Stage, 5. Kaunis Kuolematon – Syttyköön Toinen Aurinko.
Can you remember the first song you ever wrote? Music, lyrics, anything?
I think the first full songs I wrote were for my high school thrash metal band around 2002-2003. After that I had a pretty crappy death metal band I rehearsed with where I also wrote all the music, as well as lyrics. The first official song I ever wrote was “Demise of All Life” on the first Desolator EP.
I miss Desolator, when will you all get together again?
I think for now everyone is doing their own thing; Soliloquium, Wolfcross, Within the Fall. Personally, I just travel too much to regularly rehearse and so on as well.
What’s your biggest lesson in life so far? And what song would best describe it?
Great question! Probably the brush with mortality and major life transitions in 2020-2021 that made me realize how fragile and temporary everything is. It made me more courageous and gave me an urgency that allowed me to do things my own way, instead of listening to other people and society. Lots of themes on the “Famine” album are about the push and pull of doing things my way contrary to how most people live, especially “The Healing Process” and “Poison Well”.
Fav lyric line you ever wrote
Hmm.. I’d say “The Silent Epidemic” chorus part around the six minute mark:
“ Leaving no mark from your lifeless world
Seamless observers from window panes
Had all the stories of the world to tell
But no-one to listen, from the outside looking in ”
Probably the most meaningful and heartfelt song I’ll ever release, lyrically.
When will the new Soliloquium album be released?
Well, we just released “Famine”, but I’ve already recorded quite a lot for the next album. It will take more time, however, as I will once again be traveling a lot during the fall and winter.
Music listening/culture
What was the first album you ever purchased?
Hmm, I think it might have been “Americana” by The Offspring, at least that’s as far back as I can remember. I did buy a lot of mainstream pop singles when I was 10-ish years old, but I think the first full album was The Offspring.
Favourite band you’ve seen live!
Hmm.. for the more extreme side of things I think nothing beats the old Dismember gigs around 2003 – 2008. Peak Katatonia around “Night is the New Day” and “Dead End Kings” was also amazing. Deftones in Paris in 2017, too! So much I could mention, but I think those win.
Best crowd at a metal show
If we disregard the music, I think it has to be the special Gutalax toitoi gig at Brutal Assault. People were just going absolutely insane with costumes and weird behaviour. In terms of more serious bands, probably some of the death and thrash metal gigs at Brutal Assault as well, like Demolition Hammer, Testament and so on. Just huge circle pits and so many people going wild at once.
What do you think of Katatonia’s new album?
I find it very plain and mediocre, to be honest. Not entirely sure if it’s only the music, or if I just started moving on from the band overall.
What was the album that made you fall in love with metal? When did you realize your love for this kind of music?
Interesting question, it really depends where you draw the metal line. I think the first heavy gateway music I heard was the videos for Linkin Park’s “Crawling” and “One Step Closer” on MTV. Those heavy sounds got me to explore stuff like Iron Maiden and Metallica that I became nuts about for a couple of years. Then came In Flames – “Whoracle”/”Colony” and Children of Bodom – “Hatebreeder”/”Follow the Reaper” and there was no turning back.
What’s the best death metal song for a wedding?
Probably a Cannibal Corpse classic, like “Stripped, Raped & Strangled” or “I Cum Blood”. Lots of romantic songs in their discography, so it’s hard to choose just one. Why not a lounge take like this?
Travels
Are you going to Frantic Fest this year?
1000000000000000000000%!
Read my take on Frantic Fest 2024 ->
You travel a lot. What languages you speak? Any finnish, by the way?
Just Swedish and English, plus some very basic Portuguese. For Finnish I can count to ten and, of course, curse.
Have you visited the USA?
Yes, back in 2019! Had a great time visiting some dear friends + exploring New York and Chicago by myself. Would want to go back at some point to see more, if the political hysteria winds down.
Favorite place you’ve travelled to
Given how I keep returning to Portugal, I think that has to be my answer. Lisbon is my happy place where I feel most alive, and I also love hiking in regions like Alentejo and also on. But I’ve visited so many amazing places the last 3-4 years, so it’s hard to decide.
Will you come to Bulgaria?
No plans currently, but I really enjoyed visiting Plovdiv last year to see Pain of Salvation.
Which place would you like to travel and you haven’t been yet?
There are definitely some places left that I’m looking at: India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Central Asia (Kyrgyzstan, Kazakstan, Uzbekistan), Mexico, Japan. It would also be interesting to dive into Africa at some point, but I’m not sure I quite have the resilience.
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