1. Let’s start with a bit unusually. Why IN VAIN made a deal with Indie recordings in 2007? Do you consider this step as important in retrospect? If you look upon the approach of Indie rec. during 2007-2010 can you that something has changed? I guess that everyone is interested how such a big label cares about its bands.

Definitely. But let me correcte signed on Indie in 2005 as their first signing ever. But our CD, The Latter Rain, was not released until 2007. I think Indie Recordings is one of the best labels to be on. They have definitely done a lot of stuff right. I dont know where we would have been today if not. We are really happy to be on Indie. :)

2. The main thing we’re going to discuss is obviously your new album “Mantra”. Let’s analyze it from all possible angles. Get ready for the nasty questions...? ;)

Sure. :)

3. The first aspect which caught my eye was the cover. What can you tell about it as an author? Personally I perceive it as a gate on the way to other world. Like that everybody is walking around it but you are the only capable of entering. Maybe I’m wrong but what’s the idea behind it?

Yeah. “Mantra“ can mean a lot of different things, e.g. sound, and we obviously look upon the record as our sound. You can look upon the gate as sort of an entry into our ‘mantra’ - our sound.

4. I guess that the cover art is somehow linked to a lyrical side of an album. Can we point out some conceptual or general idea of the tracks? Or there is nothing like that on “Mantra” and the album follows various directions?

There is no concept or anything on this album. To be honest, the lyrics deal with a lot of different things. It follows various directions as you say.

5. Were some lyrics inspired by real stories from your life? Many people using music like expression for the past...

Well, I can only talk for myself and some are for sure. Wayakin is based on a book i red about the Nez Perce indians. Sombre Fall, Burdened Winter is based on something that was going on in my life a few years back. I got problems with my arms and this caused me a lot of trouble with studies, I got not practice the guitar for a year, etc... This is just the short version. So I got very depressed. This lyric was sort of me getting a lot of stuff off my mind.

6. 6. It might be a bit atypical question for you but in case of “Mantra” I find it obvious. Could you make something like a song-by-song overview, where you write a short summary of every track, about its story and experiences during composing/recording? Just simply so we could dive into an album a bit more…

Captivating Solitude
This song I thought would not work out to be good enough for the record, but it is one of my favorites. But I regret I did not think of the second vocal line when we recorded it. We do it with two clean vocals live.

Mannefall
This starts off we an old school really groovy DM riff. We were discussing whether we should have it on the record or not, but in the end we decided to include it. Also because it makes a nice transition into the next song.

Ain't No Lovin'
This is based on a really old riff. Just played around with it and thought it could be nice as a prelude of one song. Put it on a seperate track because it is sort of not a part of the song (On the Banks of the Mississippi).

On the Banks of the Mississippi
This just turned out to be a doom song. I decided to add a lot of ebow and effects on the chorus to make it more interesting. We also decided to have Kjetil on the last chorus in order to have some changes. At one time we had a girl singing the second chorus, but we figured out it was too much. She is the one sining on the hidden track on the album.

Dark Prophets, Black Hearts
After the groovy opening my brain was just fixed on having some up-tempo riff. This also required the song to have totally different vocals. Im very happy with this song.

Wayakin (The Guardian Spirit of the Nez Perce)
I think some parts of this song is really good, but im a little disatisfied with other parts of it. Was very cool to have Gil in the studio. Great guy!

Circle of Agony
This is a cool song, but i thought it would end up being better.

Sombre Fall, Burdened Winter
I am very happy with this song. We mellow mid part riff (sort of physcedelic) we had a lot of dicussion whether to inlude or not, but in the end we decided to have it.


7. “Mantra” is an unusually variable album full of surprising moments. Have you set some path you followed during the compositional process or it was more spontaneous process when you didn’t care about any genre boundaries?

It is always spontanous. I have no plans. Just use what I think is good. But I think what I make is always some sort of reflection of what I have been listening to lately. E.g. its been a while since I listened to BM, so thats why you will not find a lot of BM on the album.

8. You have progressed greatly since your 2004 demo, do you agree? But you have also shifted a bit from the style you played before. I don’t if it has something to do with evolution but I guess you’ll make it clear for me.

Yeah I agree. But I still think the songs on Wounds dont stand back from any of the new ones. I dont compare music like what is “best”. It is all just different. I think the biggest progression was between the two first Eps. As I said above, I used to listen a lot to bands like Sirius, Emperor, Zyklon (all which I still think are great bands!!) but I dont listen to that much fast music anymore. So that’s probably why the new songs dont have a lot of elements like that. But we talked about this in the band of of the days and we all agreed it would be cool to make some faster and more agressive songs.. Next time maybe?

9. Would be interesting! Is possible that you’ll put into the music some new (extra) elements? Like unusual instruments etc. Anyway, if you’re not listening that fast music, do you like some doom metal stuffs?

I have never really listened to any doom metal. That is not really my thing, a whole CD with only slow songs. We dont plan anything. I have no clue what we will do next. We will use whatever instruments we feel strengthens the song. We will always have a lot of styles in the music, but it might happen I write some more fast songs again. Would be fun.

10. New album was recorded with same line-up as the album before. At least according to information which I have. Do you think that this fact affect your sounding somehow?

This is not correct. Vistnes and Tveiten was on the last record. They are not on this one. It had no affect on our sound as none of them made any music.

11. Ah, my mistake, sorry! But anyway, who is the biggest leader in composing? And how about the creating process, do you have any special procedure or is it spontaneous? Are you all from the same city (because of rehearsing)?

So far I have composed and arranged all the songs. I do not use the guitar much in the writing process, that is I dont jam and try to come up with riffs on the guitar. I sit down and start to "think music" in my mind. Whatever ideas I like I write down, and sometimes I need the guitar to figure out how to play it. Sometimes I also come up with riffs from the guitar, but I would say only 10% of the music is created that way.

12. What can you honestly say about “Mantra” as a man involved in its creation? Do you find responses from media’s and fans important?

Well obviously their responses are important because we hope to sell enough so that the label wants to continue to release albums with us. But that is not why we spend time doing this. We do it for ourselves because we enjoy it. Positive reactions are just a great bonus and of course it also enables us to do more with the band.

13. How much effort did you put into a sound production of the album? Sound is very dynamic and every instrument has its place. How long did you stay in the studio or did you record in segments?

Hm... Why we were so long in the studio is because we had a lot of problems. Also with guests, etc that takes some time even though a guy perhaps only plays on one single riff on the album. I agree sound is very important. I think the sound this time is pretty good. On the latter rain the production was pretty bad.. We recorded in segments... As said, we had a lot of problems with the mixing and had to use a mix from January instead of one we made in April.. But its all in the past now.

14. I was in Norway in April last year and I visited countryside but also Oslo, where we attended Inferno festival. I have to confess that it is quite unusual to visit country where so many cult bands were created. What do you think about your home country and what would you recommend to people thinking about visiting? Where do you live?

I live in Kristiandsand, all the way south. We have great summers here. I have studies in Bergen for 5 years where you have a lot of great metal bands + the hole in the sky festival. People should check the nature, the fjords, etc. And they should definitely go to the north of Norway. There you will find some of the best spots! I have been travelling quite a lot myself (right now im in buenos aires) and I have to admit Norway is a great country, but very expensive, hehe...


15. You’re right, it’s too expensive country, mostly for people from smaller countries like Czech Republic, Slovakia etc, but it was awesome that I had the chance to visit Norway. I heard that Bergen is a lovely city. We wanted to visit Bergen by train, but the prize was mad, hehe...

Hehe. You have to book early. Bergen is very beautiful and a very popular tourist city in Norway. But I am sick of it after 5 years...

16. What’s the reason for your travelling, work? Or simply interest in learning about new countries? Do you have any special memory to the certain country?

I just love to travel. We will try to do some touring in April, etc and now our drummer is working in the states so we cannot play any shows.. I wanted to travel instead of just work at home. Plus, Ive always wanted to go to the carnival in Brazil :) I will be travelling for 2 months down here.

17. I hope that you were not bored by an interview, it was my pleasure! Good luck in a new year. Could you tell us at the end if you are arranging some tour which might hit Czech Republic?

Thanks a lot and thanks for good questions! We would love to go playing there. I have been there before but at that time i was too young to taste your beer, hehe. A tour would perhaps be difficult, but we would definitely like to do a show down there. :) Take care, bro! Take care!