ATROX: Our music is often described as schizo-metal, even though I don’t find that category very fitting at the moment. The Schizo tag is more for the past I think. A description would go something like this: Pulsating loops and samples combined with groovy bass lines, heavy guitar riffs, strange harmonies, powerful and clean vocals, with a little dash of circus. We go high, we go low, we go fast, we go slow.

AD: I have the distinct impression that there are many influences in your work. I sense horror, an element of the grotesque, something surreal and, judging by your stage performance, a good deal of humour. For me, it’s the surrealism of Murakami meeting the mystery of “Le Grand Meaulnes”. What would you say has influenced you outside the world of music?

ATROX: We are all quite different in what we like and get our inspiration from, and when we come together it’s all a melting pot. Art, movies, people, strange people, the weather, alcohol, politics and the bizarre world we live in are all things that influence us, but I can’t really mention any single source of inspiration that stands out.

AD: You recognise that your music and stage show have an element of the circus and the fairground about them. Do you see the circus as fun, or part of a dark and sinister world of fantasy?

ATROX: Yes and no. Humour and fun is a very important part of the Atrox mentality. However, the fascination for the sick, sinister and bizarre side of the circus world tends to be more interesting than just watching poor animals in captivity and sad, alcoholised clowns slapsticking to gameshow music. We try to think of the dark side, the real circus world and the mysterious things that happen in the caravans when no one is around…

AD: Is Atrox first and foremost a metal band or an artistic project?

ATROX: A metal band. The artistic part might be in development, for who knows what the future will bring? You’ll just have to follow us and see where we go next.

AD: Who’s the brains behind the Atrox creative process?

ATROX: It used to be a guy called Ozbrüül 67 from a galaxy far far away, he he.

On all the previous albums creating tunes was a collective responsibility and all writing took place in the rehearsal room, but on “Binocular” Rune Sørgård is the sole provider & mastermind. He wrote and recorded the sketches of all the tracks and brought them to the rest of the guys for judgment & treatment.

AD: Musically, I’ve read a number of descriptions about you … melancholic melodies, atmospheric passages, groovy arrangements, psychedelic excursions, catchy rocking riffs, jazz influences and even schizophrenic metal structures, to name some. Is there anything that you’re not?

ATROX: We are neither religious extremists, nor a herring.

AD: With so much going on in the final mix, do you find that development of a song structure is a difficult and painstaking process?

ATROX: Not really, but quite time consuming. We always do a serious pre-production of every song, leave it for a couple of days and then listen to it again with fresh ears. This way, we can quickly agree on necessary changes and take the song to new heights. Since we use a click track, the arrangement of the songs can be altered fast and easy, which makes the process from beta to final much easier than in the good old days.

AD: Because the music of Atrox doesn’t fit into any particular category, have you found it difficult to gain acceptance in the metal world? On the same note, have you ever thought about simplifying your music?

ATROX: People today are too obsessed with categorising. In the chaotic human mind and the world we live in, putting things in categories and creating systems seem to be the only way for people to function correctly, being unable to accept the abstract. The complexity is something that comes on it own, but we don’t do it because we absolutely try to be difficult; it’s just the way it is. We play what we like and we like what we play.

We think this is our most listener-friendly album so far, but judging from what others tell us, we’re wrong. “Binocular” has qualities an all levels. You can enjoy at your first listen, but to really get to the core you have to listen carefully and pay attention. The music is multilayered.

AD: Do you find that the geographical remoteness of Trondheim is a disadvantage to your progress?

ATROX: Only when it comes to travelling. If we were situated in Oslo we could travel around Europe for half the price because of all the different airlines, destinations and budget tickets. Otherwise Trondheim is great for us. Lots of great resources, people and places to drink beer and play music.

AD: Is Trondheim a hotbed of metal music?

ATROX: In a way, yes. Longhaired guys and girls dressed in leather, wearing typical band t-shirts have been a big part of Trondheim for many years, but all kinds of music is accepted and mixed. We have a big metal scene, but also jazz, punk, hardcore and classical is strongly represented. The music scene in Trondheim is very big, considering that only 166,304 people live there (June 2008). This has brought us to a point where the musical borders are dissolving, and we see many crossover projects and attempts to combine Gorgoroth sweaters with i.e jazz hands. I think Trondheim will produce several interesting metal acts in the future, and we’d sure as hell like to be a real hotbed for metal and other genres.

AD: In your history, you seem to have got through a lot of band members. If I’ve calculated correctly, as well as your current line-up, you’ve had another 13 members playing for you. What’s the reason for such a high turnover?

ATROX: First of all, we are celebrating 20 years as a band this year! And yes there has been a lot of line up changes over the years. Many of them are due to internal disagreements, and people no longer finding the time to be a creative member of Atrox. Moving on in other directions musically or just to other bands. You need to be patient to be a part of Atrox.

AD: How has going from a female vocalist to a male one changed the direction of the band?

ATROX: Oh yes, sure. We feel much more free to arrange and delegate melodies between us now. Singing Monica’s lyrics is virtually impossible for anyone but her, so Rune Folgerø had to create new vocal lines on the songs from “Orgasm” in order for us to play them. When Rune Sørgård rejoined the band with his pockets full of ideas, there was a natural change of direction, since the music he had written was far more strict and special than the previous releases. This made us “start over” again and put the older material aside, thus allowing us to take exactly the direction we wanted; up, up and away!

AD: I must ask you about the lyrics. Throughout “Binocular” there seems to be a theme of insecurity as the lyrics focus constantly on looking backwards/ forwards / sideways / internally, “changing all the angles”, trying to escape, seeking safety, trying to connect, playing a role, marking off territory, never being happy with the current situation and fitting into a plan. I get the impression that all that is achieved by this being on the inside looking out is frustration, uncertainty and mental torture. How do you see this?

ATROX: Rune Folgerø is an artist. He paints, observes, writes, thinks and sings.

We got caught in this retro-future concept quite early in the “Binocular”-process. The fascinating, primitive old times and the unknown future, the slow destruction of man, the stress and the pressure to achieve along with the mysterious conspiracies and men in suits controlling. Lots of thoughts = lots of lyrics, frustrated or not.

AD: How big a role does insanity play in your work?

ATROX: I think you’ll have to ask some psychologist that question. We are quite sane and normal, just very creative and open. What others might see as insane, we just see as less sane.

AD: Have any of you had any experience of mental asylums? At times it seems like it.

ATROX: Thanks a lot, he he. No. Everyone is in mint condition when it comes to the little greys, but the strangest things can leave subconscious foot prints when you watch scary thriller movies before you’re old enough.

AD: You created a big impression at ProgPower Europe with an energetic live performance and made many friends in the process. What opportunities do you have to get the Atrox message across to new listeners?

ATROX: We are going on tour this November, together with Norwegian bands HELHEIM and VULTURE INDUSTRIES (www.vulture-industries.net/vvv_tour) . This will be our second time abroad (ProgPower was the first) and we will be playing in Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland and the Netherlands between the 7th and 16th of November. Of course we are hoping to get many new friends and fans during this trip, and maybe open some more doors for the future of Atrox.

AD: I see that you went from Season of Mist to another label, and unusually back to Season of Mist. What benefits have Season of Mist brought to you?

ATROX: They have a very good distribution network and also very competent people working there. They take care of business, simple as that. Even though we are not a big selling band, we get taken care of at Season of Mist. Big hell-o and thanks goes out to Gunnar, Michael, Guillaume and Sabiene and all the others at the office.

AD: You’ve had four album releases in 10 years, so you’ve been successful so far. What do you envisage happening in the next 5 years?

ATROX: 2-3 new albums, lots and lots and lots of playing live, videos, million sales, a huge fan base and maybe some actual cash, instead of the regular red numbers appearing when I check the Atrox account.

Finally, is there anything else that you’d like to say to say to our readers?

ATROX: Stay cool, listen to your own thoughts, do what you like and like what we do. Take care and be prepared for the Atroxsphere! And we hope to see you on our upcoming tour, and hopefully we’ll come to play UK very soon.

Thanks very much for your time. All the best to you in the future! Good luck with the forthcoming tour. We look forward to hearing more about you and it would be great to see you here in the UK at a future date.

For more on the band check out www.atrox.no/
www.myspace.com/atroxno

Interviewed by Andrew Doherty

MTUK HOME