Amaranthe is a six member modern melodic death metal band hailing from Gothenburg, Sweden. I know, I can hear some of the mumblings now, “Oh great! Another one of “those” bands from Sweden!” Now, before you pass judgment on the band, you may want to give them a chance. This band stands out from the pack for many reasons and one of the most intriguing is that they have three lead vocalists: one female, one clean vocals and one screamer. Now, if that doesn’t at least make you a little curious, then just read on.
The band, consisting of Olof Morck on guitar and keys, Andy on screams/lead vocals, Jake E on clean lead vocals, Elize on lead vocals, Morten Lowe Sorensen on drums and Johan Andreassen on bass started making big noise on and developed a huge following. Their 2011 self-titled debut album saw them blow up in a major way overseas. The video for “Hunger”, the first single from that album, has over four million views on YouTube. It wasn’t until the release of their new album The Nexus that U.S. fans started to take notice, thanks in part to two great singles “Burn With Me” and “The Nexus“, whose video is one that will definitely get your attention. I sat down with co-founder Olof Morck recently in hopes of getting U.S. fans more acquainted with the band.
It’s such a treat to finally be able to sit down and talk to you. My first question is one that has been bugging me for a while now and it’s one that you probably get asked a lot, but I have to ask it. Where did the band’s name originate from?
Initially, we were called Avalanche” when we started out, but a guy from up north in Sweden owned the rights for it. He threatened to sue us, and we decided it was not worth the fight since we already had another idea in mind: Amaranthe, meaning “the never-fading”; something that stays fresh forever. It had a nice alliteration with Avalanche and it felt unique and had a cool meaning.
How about a little history on the band for our readers who may not be familiar with you and how you all came together?
Jake E and I started the band as a side project to the bands we had, with the intention of doing an all-star project together with several prominent members of the Gothenburg metal scene. Two relatively unknown guests were Elize and Andy. After hearing the result on tape, we thought the setup was super cool. Following the response to the first couple of songs that we published on MySpace, we realized that this could be a real band and not just a project.
Not only do you have a unique band name, but you also have three lead vocalists, which is also a unique aspect. Was that a conscious choice or did it just happen?
As previously mentioned, Andy and Elize were simply intended as guests on the records; however, the dynamics worked really super, the contrasts between the different voices was something very exciting and fresh, plus everyone was really good friends from before. So yes, it was something that kind of happened and not a well thought out gimmick.
It is definitely something different and unique and it works so very well for the band. Now, your bio says that the band is Swedish/Danish. What is the music like where you are from? I’m sure our readers are wondering how it may differ or be similar to here in the U.S.
The Gothenburg scene has been running strong ever since the melodic death metal wave in the mid-90s and the cooperation between different bands in the metal scene has always been strong. As a young fifteen year old guitar player, we were invited into In Flames‘ rehearsal space to jam on their great equipment and we got encouragement that we had potential.
So, who would the band cite as some of their influences?
A wide array of genres, artists and styles have influenced the band since its conception, but for me personally, melodic death metal of different kinds have always been an influence (bands such as Soilwork, In Flames, Scar xxxSymetryxxx and so on.)
Has the band played any dates here in the U.S. yet?
We played our U.S. premiere in September last year at the Prog Power Festival in Atlanta, which was absolutely awesome. The airline company had lost half of our equipment in Frankfurt on our way there. There were so many things about the show which were quite improvised, but it still went great and laid the first foundation for us in the USA.
Now, your new album is entitled The Nexus. How do you think it compares to your debut album in 2011?
It is a development of the sound and ideas we introduced on the first record and we basically took everything to eleven this time. The contrasts are greater, the mix and blends of genres is more “controversial” and I think we took more creative freedoms in general with The Nexus. In many cases, it is what the first record was supposed to be, but perhaps it was a bit too early to make that album.
With that being said, were there any songs on The Nexus that pushed you out of your comfort zone?
I think there were several. In general, we try not to get overly comfortable with any specific formula. One song that sticks out a bit is “Electroheart”, which is upbeat, up-tempo, and quite a party-song. It has already divided listeners, but the overall response has been great. I think there is a big need for innovation in the metal scene.
The band has had quite a lot of success overseas and it seems that the U.S. is finally starting to take notice. Why do you think it’s happened so quickly there as opposed to here in the states?
We had some good exposure early partly through tons of touring and also from European radio stations who were pushing us quite heavily. Naturally, it was easier for us to tour in Europe than in the U.S. initially and I also think there is quite a bit of buzz in the states on MySpace, YouTube, Facebook and so on, but to have a proper release and very likely an upcoming tour, that is exciting to say the least.
Watch “The Nexus”
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What would you say has been the hardest part of your musical journey so far?
We have been fortunate with our career so far, reaching quite a decent level in a short time and we haven’t run into any extreme hardships so far. Of course, things may have not always been easy and something that have been both tough and at the same time fun was all the amount of touring we have done. Sometimes it can be hard to be away from your family and friends for such extended periods, but at the end of the day, it is very much worth it.
Speaking of being on the road, what do you like to do with your free time, if you even get any?
For me personally, I really like to get around and see the world when out on tour. These days, we have a really good crew who are sound checking for us, so we actually have a decent amount of time to do things, if there are not too many interviews to do. I like to visit historical places, go out and eat good food and I am also an avid collector of special and local wines. Touring is really what you make of it.
Being out on the road so much, is there someone in the band who is the practical jokester? You know, the one you have to sleep with one eye open to keep a watch on?
We are quite easy going people in the band and while we can do a bit of pranking and partying at times, we are not too extravagant in that aspect. We were touring with Stratovarius and their keyboard player Jens Johansson played with Yngwie Malmsteen in the 80s. Now, those stories that he told are the real deal. Back then they were proper rockstars!
