Info
Author: Mourning
Line Up
Henrik Båth - Vocals and Guitar
Markus Sigfridsson - Guitar
Simon Andersson - Bass
Tobias Enbert - Drums
Magnus Holmberg - Keyboards
One of the surprises of the end of 2010, the swedish Darkwater and the little number "Where The Stories End". It's a pleasure to talk with you, how are you guys?
Thank you very much. We are just fine over here!
Usually we begin with a short presentation of the band talking about its history, so please tell us yours.
The idea of a progressive metal band was formed around 1999-2000 and we had already written some songs or at least had some ideas for some songs.
It was Henrik, Markus and myself who tested out some riffs and ideas in the beginning and after a while we wanted Tobias to play the drums because he had already played with us in the band Harmony.
A suitable bass player was slightly harder to find, but sometime in 2003 the line-up was complete with Karl Wassholm handling the bass.
We made a deal with the Record Company 'Ulterium Records' a couple of years later. We thought they had the best deal among the companies we checked out and so far we are very satisfied with the co-operation.
In the spring of 2007 we released our debut "Calling the earth to witness".
Your line up is the same of Harmony's one except the bassist, why did you create another band?
Actually, Harmony has always been Markus and Tobias band. They have written all the songs and lyrics there. Harmony is more towards the neo-classical and melodic metal direction.
Me and Henrik were more into progressive metal so we wanted a band that was more what we desired. And as it turned out Markus and later on Tobias was in for it as well.
Which are the differences between the two bands? I'm talking about the exposition of your musician soul.
That one is pretty much explained in the answer above...
I really like "Where The Stories End", how mush has been hard to make it? Do you have a method to create music?
It is mostly three persons writing the music in the band; Henrik, Markus & myself.
Most often we write the core of the material separately and then we refine it together. It happens that we write/jam some material together in the rehearsing room as well.
The music has, so far at least, come to us quite easy and we have a quite good feeling of what works and what doesn´t when we listen to each others ideas, riffs and such.
I appreciated how you play the songs, you are really in contact with art and ther are no stupid technical shows put there just to say "we play so good!", why did you choose this genre? Are there some bands which made you think "this is what i want from music"?
Thank you for mention that.
We have no agenda musically, that we must show off or play as many notes that you can in one song or anything like that. We know what we like when we hear it and that´s pretty much what ends up on the record.
Actually none of us in the band comes from a deeply progressive background, but rather different styles of rock/metal.
Though it was that genre (progressive metal) that was the common factor and some of us was really in for progressive metal at the moment when we wanted to start what became Darkwater.
Dream Theater and Symphony X, among other similar bands, were (of course) contributing influences in the early days before Darkwater was born.
The debut album was great, in my opinion with the last one you made it, your musical background is perceptible but you have your own personality. How was writing the lyrics and making them fit your sound? The choruses are great, i can't avoid to sing the one of "Why I Bleed".
Thank you very much!
We try to put more energy in making a chorus to remember rather than being remembered as the fastest band in the world or something like that.
We often let the the ambience and the energy of the music decide what direction the lyrics will go.
Which are your main lyrical themes and how do you cover them? Does "Where The Stories End" report to something? What is this place where the stories end?
It´s not a concept album in that way every song fits together lyrically.
But in a whole, every song is a different story about an event in a persons life or a persons life situation. All seen from a pretty dark kind of view. So when we came up with the album title "Where Stories End" we ment that all stories, all that happens in ones life someday will come to an end. No matter what you do and how you try to avoid it, it will find its way and you have to deal with the consequences.
In the review i said that Henrik reminded me tosome great names (Alder, Allen, Lande and Baker of Shadow Gallery (RIP)). He can touch the listeners. Is he inspired by someone?
For the moment, at least that is what he claims, he´s not inspired by anyone in particular. However, he has listened a lot to great singers such as David Coverdale and Göran Edman (Yngwie Malmsteen etc) among others.
How was the relation with Ulterium Records born?
Ulterium Records is situated quite near to our home town, so we thought that a bit smaller and quite local company would be more personal and helping for the band, which I think they really are.
So far we are very satisfied with Ulterium.
We got in touch with them and they knew who we were since before so both
parts were quite interested in a deal.
Will you make a tour to support the album? Are there any project about this?
We are at the moment discussing/planning the possibilities and such for
a minor tour through Europe. We´ll just have to see how it turns out.
You belong to the White Metal movement, it was contested from its birth but it gave us so many good bands such as historic in all of styles Stryper, Incubus, Mortification, Believer, Tourniquet and the father of Unblack Metal, Horde. Is there a real difference between the ones who make religious-themed music and the ones who attack it?
Darkwater is not a white metal band, Harmony on the other hand deals with questions and thoughts in that matter.
This difference between the bands is simply because the lyrics and music are mainly written by people in the bands with different views and visions spiritly and musically.
The ones writing the music and lyrics in Harmony and the main writers in Darkwater have different ways of writing music and lyrics to sum it up in some sort.
Musicwise there aren´t any difference at all I guess between christian bands and the attackers, and a musician is a musician (for good and bad) whatever beliefs he has.
How are the relations with your fans? Do you use some social network? Do
you think that the globalization brought by them is useful?
The relations are quite good I must say. We use the most common couple of social networks on the net for the moment to connect with our fans.
It sure has brought us closer to people and the possibility to spread the songs around the world.
What is metal to you? How do you see and live the scene? If you could make a festival with your favorite bands, who would you choose? Will we see you in Italy?
We, the members of Darkwater, define metal and music very differently I guess.
I personally see metal as a very vivid music genre with a good selection of great bands and a very much alive music scene.
To answer the question about the imaginary festival is a very tough one because it would be a very scattered festival musically. The taste in music has changed and broadened vastly over the years so it is hard to fit the perfect festival bands together.
To choose just a few bands that has meant a lot growing up and later in life; Dream Theater, Symphony X, Dark Tranquillity, In Flames, Whitesnake, Giant, Magnum, Toto, Marillion, Queensryche, Deep Purple, Thin Lizzy, Rainbow, Depeche Mode, Ultravox....
Thanks for the time spent with us, the last message for our readers is up
to you.
Thank you very much and I want to thank all our fans who support us in every way!
