UNFOLDING THE TRUTH

I was encouraged to check out a Swedish band called Cult Of Luna at an Isis concert here in Denmark. Then I was told that if I liked bands like Neurosis and Isis, this band would surely be something for me. So it went that way and I must say that I was amazed by far. It did not take me long before I had bought everything they had published by then. So I was looking after some concerts with them somewhere near my home. And found one in Sweden. So I teamed up with a friend of mine, and together we went to Sweden to get an interview with Cult Of Luna and to check out the live performance.

We met up with Johannes Persson (Guitar) and Klas Rydberg (Vocals) who are both known as the founding members of Cult Of Luna, and there presented the questions to follow.

# What do you call your own music style? At the present, what I know is that you come from a hardcore scene, but what you play now is different. How do you describe it yourself ?

“The last two or three years people have tried to define our music, but we ourselves are not that interested in that. We just play.”

# Right now you are being compared with other bands in order to be able to describe the music of Cult Of Luna. How do you deal with that ?

“That is just the case. People do associate us with bands like Isis, Neurosis and even Mogwai and Godspeed You! Black Emperor. We don’t really have problems with that. I mean, those are great bands so to be put together with them in describing what we do is just fine with us. When people say that we kind of sound like them we say: ‘Thanks’.”

# The scene you play in with your music; does it have a large support in Sweden?

“No, not at the present time, but maybe who knows? It would be fine, but it is rather small.”

# How were the reactions towards the first material Cult Of Luna made when it hit the record shops, concert halls, magazines, record labels and the like? Were they positive or sceptic or what?

“Uh yeah, they were positive back then. They really were.”

# You got a good response?

“Absolutely. The first material just sat right there! Definitely positive!”

# Right now the music you play has a leg in the hardcore scene and the other in the general metal scene. Do you prefer one for the other, and which scene do you feel that you appeal to the most? Is there a whole third scene you try to reach?

“No, not really. We don’t really try to reach any particular scene. We do have support from the hardcore scene and the metal scene, but we don’t try to reach anyone in particular.”

# You just play?

“Yeah, something like that. Maybe we in general appeal to people listening to extreme music.”

# I have read that you were being predicted to be the new System Of A Down in the scene, and I think that is funny since your music is much more metal, and it is not as accessible at all as System Of A Down. How do you react to that? [this brings forth laughter from both Johannes and Klas].

“No, I don’t think so.”

# I know you come from a small label before you were taken in by Earache, which is known for high-profile acts like Morbid Angel. How is it to go from a small label to a large label like Earache?

“Well, we got in touch with them, and they took us in because they liked what we do, and we are allowed to continue the development without restrictions. So that’s fine.”

# The name Cult Of Luna... How did you get that name; how did it come up?

“That’s a long story, but to make it short we needed a name with direct relation to our music, and we had to have a consequent attitude towards the name. It’s not really that easy to explain, but we felt that it was the right name.”

# When you look at the releases Cult Of Luna have recorded, you made, among other things, a 7” record on Hydrahead Records. Isis have some of their releases on Hydrahead Records, and furthermore they have a release on Neurot Recordings where Neurosis release their records. With reference to my previous question there is a connection somehow. Are there any parallels, and do you have any contact with the other bands mentioned?

“No, not really. We do have contact with Aaron from Hydrahead/Isis, but it is not like we came in contact with Aaron from Hydrahead because of Isis. It was more the other way around.”

# Do you have other band projects than just Cult Of Luna?

“Yeah, we have some other projects going on, us guys around here, which have more or less priority. It depends…”

# So what now: are you working on new material or do you concentrate on the tour at the moment?

“Yeah, we have something going on…“

# Is it a good process while touring?

“Yeah, it works out well. You have to keep it going so new ideas comes naturally. I think we will play one of the new tracks today, maybe… It works out pretty well, actually. You can perform your new material live right away and have direct response on it.”

# All your releases have a special thing about the booklet or the cover. For instance, the 7” is folded in a special way, the first CD is folded in another, and The Beyond likewise has a special thing there as well. Did you have an influence on that yourselves; is there a reason? [nods from both guys and Klas answers:]

“Yeah, definitely. We chose it ourselves the way it is to make it more special, simply. That way it becomes more interesting and it also draws your attention to the booklet instead of only listening to the music. It is part of a whole product.”

# Somehow to break borders and create a more unique product?

“Yeah, that as well. Sure.”

# Do you listen much to the same music altogether or do you have some differences?

“Oh no, we don’t exactly listen to the same music. Of course, there are some bands that we share, but in general we listen to different kinds of music all of us.”

# Are there great differences in your music taste?

“Yeah, sure. There are some differences that are great. Very great sometimes.”

# I have noticed that you have a coldness in your sound that is not quite heard in other bands, and you come from Umeå just like Meshuggah, who also have some kind of coldness attached to their sound. Is there something about it?

“I don’t know really, but surely there must be something. I am aware of the fact, and I have heard it before as well so...”

# I have read on your homepage that you were inspired by David Lynch when you were making the music video. Can you explain a little bit of that?

“I think that the whole expression that you find on The Beyond record somehow has a similarity with movies typically seen in the 80’s, like Alien and that stuff.“

# Being from Sweden, do you think that a band like Entombed has influenced the death metal scene in Sweden with its first record Left Hand Path?

“Yeah, absolutely. The whole band and their development did influence the whole scene, I think.”

# Are any members from Cult Of Luna inspired by that record, perhaps?

“No, I don’t think so. None of us really listen to that hard metal like Entombed and those kinds of bands. Me personally, I think the hardest I listen to is Nine Inch Nails maybe.”

From here the conversation drifts from the interview into more casual matters, and Klas and Johannes bids us farewell for now with the hope that we will enjoy the concert. We did indeed enjoy the concert, and they did play a whole new track towards which we were thrilled beyond imagination.

Conducted and written by Mikkel Putzek and Casper Axilgård.