Blodspor Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording and release of the new ep?

Well, actually we went right back into the studio to record the follow up release to “A Healthy Dose of Hatred”. As of now we are looking at a late summer/early fall release. There are also some touring plans in the works later this year.

2.Recently you have released a new ep, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

On “A Healthy Dose of Hatred”, we did the whole recording process ourselves. We wanted to capture a punch and a rawness to the sound that we felt would represent what we sound like live. I guess this time around this release differs in the way that the songs themselves are more straightforward and honest in their structure, and the soundscape is more of a live experience than our previous ones.

3.The band has been around since 2006 but so far has only released one full length and an ep, can you tell us a little bit more about the gap between releases?

We started out in 2006 and we released our first self-titled EP in 2008, our debut album, “Laughing through the Violence” saw the light of day in 2011 and then “A Healthy Dose of Hatred” which just came out February 2nd this year. We are, and have always been, a live oriented band. Our main focus has until now been the live-format and we have done a lot gigs near and far between releases. That is mostly the main reason why it has taken us so long. Other than your average band fights, fucktardness, major drama, pawned band equipment, hospitalized band members and band members enlisting in dodgy pyramid schemes, that is.

4.What are some of the lyrical topics that the band explores with the newer music?

Lyrically we have always dabbled with misanthropy, the lack of faith in man. The destructive forces of human greed and apathy, the mental decay of the modern society, how capitalism and the dream of wealth divides and corrupts. You know, the average feel-good themes!

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Blodspor'?

It was Lage and Kris that came up with the name back in the days. We just thought it sounded cool. Does not really have any significant meaning other than “traces of blood”. We are often thought to be a black metal band for those who just see the name and has not heard our music, which of course we are not. It`s not so strange that people would make that assumption though, since we are from the cold frozen utopia of Norwegian black metal, where band names like “konglefarer”, “sakkosekk”, “bunadkrig”,”elgstuing” og “vredeknikkers” are common.

6.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?

That is a tough one! Our release gig in Oslo for “A Healthy Dose…” together with our friends in Shaving the Werewolf and Causing the Exile was fun. Sold out show, great atmosphere, great crowd and just one awesome night. We have played support for the legendary Napalm Death, toured with Vomitory from Sweden, played for a packed house at the Inferno Festival in Norway and done a ton of fun gigs all over the place. We always enjoy playing live no matter when or where! Our stage performance is best described as a soft, but firm, roundhouse kick to the eardrums. We always give 34,5 X 2.9 + (Y-3X) % live!

7.Do you have any touring or show plans for the new ep?

There will most definitely be some touring later this year. We are working on some dates in the fall.

8.The band members own Negative Vibe Records, can you tell us a little bit more about this label?

Negative Vibe Records is a DIY, non-profit record label. It is more of a band collective than your average record label. We started this back in 2011 when we were looking for someone to release our debut album. This was without success and we took matters into our own hands and founded NVR. Negative Vibe Records focuses on establishing a good and positive underground music scene for the lesser known bands within genres that are not really recognized by the larger labels in Norway.

9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of extreme metal and hardcore?

Generally, the feedback has been very good. Although one German journalist once told us that being at our show was like being a vegetarian locked up in a Burger King-joint with all the deep fryers on maximum boiling.

10.Are any of the band members currently involved with any other musical projects or bands these days?

Yes! Everyone has been or is currently involved in other projects, but with Blodspor as the main focus. Bent (guitar) has a doom band called Burn the Man, Kris (guitar) has a new project called OCD which Audun (vocals) also plays bass in, Andreas (bass) and Audun also play together in the tech metal band Silence the Sky and Lage (drums) used to play in a post/hardcore/grind outfit named HUSK.

11.When can we expect a full length album and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

As of now there are only EP releases planned. Hopefully we will have two more releases out within the end of the year. We might start on our sophomore full length sometime next year. We have never set any kind of limitation to what we can or cannot do musically, so it is hard to pinpoint exactly what kind of direction we will be heading towards. In the past we have usually, unintentionally, made two or three songs in kinda the same vain, with the next two or three having a totally different vibe. Our debut album is a good example of this.

12.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

Hmm! We like a lot of the same stuff, but I think everyone of us brings something from their own personal influence to the table. I guess that the common denominator would be old Machine Head, the Burn My Eyes-era, Slayer, Sick of it All, Neurosis, some Mastodon, some Converge, some Hate Eternal, some Rancid and even some A-Ha.


13.What are some of your non musical interests?

Cross-dressing, beer pong, habanero tasting, dwarf throwing, polar bear taunting and playing the saxophone.

14.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

Did you know reindeer like bananas and more people are killed by sand castles than by sharks?

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