Dwaal took time to answer a couple of questions for us!
Band picture by Endre Lohne
Hello Dwaal, thanks for your time. Would it be please possible to introduce your band to our readers, as well as your roles in it? Bjørnar: I do most of the vocals and write all the lyrics. Eigil: I play guitar and sing some backing vocals, Siri plays moog/synth, Anders plays drums, Stian plays bass and Rikke plays guitar. Anders: Dwaal is a Norwegian six piece focused on making heavy, slow and atmospheric music. Or doom/sludge/post metal, depending on who you ask. The band was formed in 2014. We self released our EP “Darben” in 2017, and in March of 2020 we finally released our debut full length album, “Gospel of the Vile”, on Dark Essence Records. With a worldwide pandemic going on, how have you handled the management of your band so far? Bjørnar: Almost all of our plans for the promotion of our latest album “Gospel of the Vile”, in terms of playing live, was cancelled. But we took the opportunity to start working on new material. Eigil: We had some exciting things planned that unfortunately had to be cancelled, but we have managed to meet on a weekly basis just to make some noise and hang out. As Bjørnar said, we have started writing more songs, which is my favourite part of being in a band, so I think we’re doing alright. Anders: As an underground band within a niche genre, the economic consequences of the lockdown aren’t really that harsh on us directly. Thankfully we’ve been able to keep rehearsing, and maybe we’ll even be able to re-emerge in the other end of the shitshow stronger for it. But it still sucks having to cancel gigs, and even more so for the venues, promoters and other independent actors of the underground music scene. Sadly a lot of them are struggling to survive, and some have closed down already. You guys have dropped, back in March 2020, your new EP titled “Gospel of the Vile”. How long have you worked on this release? Eigil: We worked on the songs for a couple of years. Some line-up changes delayed the process a little bit, but I think the extra time we spent on creating the songs made sure every member had an opportunity to put their mark on the record. We are really proud of the result. Any funny story to share from your recording or writing sessions? Eigil: Not sure if it is a funny story. But the last song on the record, “Descent”, was one of the first songs we wrote, back in 2014, while “The Whispering One” was finished just a couple of weeks before we recorded it. Anders: A version of “Descent” was recorded for our first (unreleased) demo. It sounds very, very different from the one that ended up on “Gospel of the Vile”. Is there one song that, according to you, best reflects the overall spirit of this EP? If yes, which one is it and why? Bjørnar: For me it's “Obsidian Heart Burns”. The lyrics are about embracing your dark sides and being comfortable with being what's considered abnormal. And letting that ember grow into an unstoppable force of positivity through art and the like. Eigil: I would have to say the title track, “Gospel of the Vile”. I think it brings out both the quieter, melodic aspects of the band, as well as the brutality that we all love. Releasing something often means tour support. Do you guys already have some dates planned for the end of the year or 2021? Bjørnar: There are some plans for gigs in the making, but nothing we can talk about right now. But all will be promoted on our website and social media. Anders: It’s been pretty difficult to plan any activity this year due to ever changing covid restrictions, and we’ve had a bunch of gigs fall through. A couple of planned shows in Norway in December may or may not still happen.
Do you have any other projects in the making? Bjørnar: I have a side project called Morgengry which slowly is working on new material. In terms of genre, it is more Black Metal than Dwaal. But Dwaal is always the main priority. Eigil: Lots… but most of them will never see the light of day. The last words are for you. If you have a message to convey, here’s your chance! Bjørnar: Please check out our album “Gospel of the Vile” and support the norwegian scene. Lots of great bands that don't get enough attention. Bands like Attan, Rongeur, Mansters, Subnoir and many, many more. Anders: See you after the lockdown! Thanks for your time!
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