[avatar user=”Mosh” size=”50″ align=”left” /]Much delayed in publication – and my apologies for that – here’s the interview I did with Bjorgvin and Snaebjorn of Icelandic metallers Skalmold. Recorded up until a few minutes before they went on stage at the Classic Grand, Glasgow on November 13th, this is one of the best interviews I think I’ve done in terms of the interesting stuff that came out.
To help you identify the voices, Snaebjorn is the one with the cough!
As well as talking about the current album and tour cycle, we discussed how last year’s performances with the Icelandic Symphony Orchestra came about and where their interest in Norse folklore comes from.
Top of the pile as far as facts go, though, was Snaebjorn revealing the source of the lead character names come from for the songs and album-long stories… including the title of the first album, Baldur! And… who is the seventh man of Skalmold?
Not making it in to the interview was something else that I found heartening. As I was packing up, Bjorgvin pointed to my interview notes and congratulated me on the fact that they were hand-written (I always hand-write them!). I mentioned that I was a teacher, so it was something I encourage in others… and it turns out that half of Skalmold are also teaching staff of one type or another! Two are music teachers and Bjorgvin himself works in kindergarten.
I’m still of the generation where heavy metal was vilified for its negative effect on youth (in some quarters *cough*Daily Mail*cough* this continues), so I’m always happy to hear of bands and individuals working in the metal scene who also have an obviously positive place in the development of our children.
Anyway, the recording is below. As always, my thanks go to the band for taking time out to talking to me and also to Andy at Napalm for sorting things out. Here’s hoping the next time I get to talk to the guys, they’re headlining!
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