Icelandic Inspiration: Hrafnablót Discuss Sorcerer's Folk Metal and Genre Blending

0:04 Hi, you have done to the censure. Wow for you your. This is the pipe Man here on the Adventures pipe Man W four c Y Radio. And I'm very excited about our next guest. And we were talking so much before the interview because I am always afraid of mispronouncing a band name, and we got it right. I don't know if I could get it right again though now after I just thought about it after talking, so I'm gonna say it and then they can correct me.

0:47 So let's welcome to the show. Rev not bloke. Thank you. That was very good. Yeah, not too much like you weren't here yet. But I said before, I'm like, let me tell you how I think it sounds, and I'm sure it's wrong, so you can tell me the right way because my worst fear is mispronouncing the band's name. You know. Well, I don't know if we can blame you because ilanding isn't exactly spoken. All over the world, I know, right, And I'm like, I'm just giving it my best guess here. And I was pretty close. He'll tell you, I was pretty close.

1:28 And you know it's funny because after I said it, I was thinking about the you know, over the oh and I'm like, I should have said it, bloke, because I said blot okay, but then I thought about it afterwards, and so there you go. So and I love that you're an Icelandic band because that's one of the places on my list that I want to go. And I got I gotta say, if you're a representative man, some of the best music comes out of your country. I don't know if it's because you know it's ice and you have nothing better to do but to sit around and make great music, but I mean, to me, like it is always amazing. The countries that are like in the northern part of the world always come out with some of the best music.

2:26 Thank you. I mean, yeah, we there's a lot of huge contrasts in Icelandic culture and Icelandic nature, which are very fertile ground for music inspiration. That's very cool. And so tell us what the inspiration was for you guys to get together and make this music. It's really hard. It's hard to say. I feel like, I don't know if it was some kind of a because we're very happy with our album that is coming out and the singles that we have put out, and I don't know if it's like some kind of a mix of coincidence. But it just went like the songs just exceeded my expectations every time, and I was just all kinds of random things that just worked out, Like almost every suggestion was good. We didn't have to like added a lot or change. Of course, we have to do it sometimes, but I just felt like every improvement or suggestion was just good, good, good, And I mean the influences are from different directions, but somehow they worked out.

3:47 So I don't know how inspired I am by the nature. I mean, sometimes people say it like there's a contrast in nature which is an inspiration, which probably might be true, but I don't. I don't know if I see it for me but me and talk me too. I know we like Finnish music a lot, or like finish having metal just to connect with what you were saying from the north, so I actually prefer that over Icelanding metal. But yeah, oh yeah, that's great And it's so funny because we were talking about when we were waiting for you before about one of the things I love about your music is that it combines like blending genres, which is becoming I think a thing now because for me, I like it because it creates that unique sound and everybody can put their piece into it. That makes something great, opposed to some formula that was happening for a while.

4:46 You know, there's so many subgenres, microgenres, and this formula to make metal metal was never a formula. It was always experimentation, and I think because it came that way, it acquired newer bands to be more of like what you do and blend the genre. So again you're being creative again and you're experimenting again with something that's never been done. Yeah. Absolutely. I mean, we all have quite different tastes in music and metal subgenres, and when we started writing together and creating a sound, kind of just happened to sound the way it did. There's no real specific subgenre in mind at the outset.

5:44 We crafted this. Weird blend of genres going from old school heavy metal to black metal to symphonic stuff and power metal and whatever that we call Sorcerer's Folk metal because we have a really strong interest in Icelandic folk culture and especially Icelandic magic culture. I think it was you who coined this name. I was I was asking a few times, I was like, what do we play? What is it that we're playing? Guys? Because he listens to everything, Like he's actually like an encyclopedia, which I would never have the patients for because I'm just like, no, I don't like this, don't make me listen to it.

6:35 But he's like. Everything, it's something for legends or something. So I've been sometimes like what are we and they're like, we're a mix of this and this. I mean, the folk element was from the beginning everybody wanted to have it. That was kind of clear. But yeah, the interest in like death metal or power metal is different. It depends on who you ask, and we don't all like the same things, but it was strangely compatible, like how we managed to mix everything. But yeah, I think you came up with Sorceress folk. I like it. I love that. Yeah, it's funny because I do a lot of festivals and I have a lot of times like then this funny bit we're in a band because the subgenres and micro genres have gotten so ridiculous that like it's one band per genre, and so I would do this joke like, Okay, if you had your own.

7:37 Genre, what would your genre be? You know, and so like, that's kind of like what you did here. It's like you just create your and I love it too, because I even love the folk influences. Like I come from the years of the really serious gatekeeping and metal and frankly it was a bunch of bullshit. And I can't say I was that way too. You had to be, because you know, you're a teenager, you're you know, your friends are like like a perfect example. I I saw Motley Crue before they ever even had an album, when they were like horror punk, and then when I found Slayer, my friends are like, oh, you can't listen to Motley Crue anymore.

8:22 In fact, we got to take all your Motley Cruise ship and burn it, okay, very oh yeah. You don't listen to this anymore. Yeah, no, you're gonna that's it. We're burning at all, you know. And uh, I remember saying you can't burn my ship. Well we're going to. And so like it's kind of cool now because listen, we were talking about before, like metal heads like other kinds of music, and it really the conversation was sprung by he said, I like your shirt. Now, how many metal heads would say that about Grateful Dead shirt, and I explained to him, I'm like, well, tonight, I'm covering a show for Jack Johnson, so I figured where my Grateful Dead shirt would be better than my possessed shirt for that And but in the same token, like I would go to Slayer shows of Friday night and Dead shows on a Saturday, and we all have different vibes and different things. And who said, what you have to freaking listen to? I am like a metal head, true as can be, but I like all kinds of other stuff.

9:34 So now, like, I just think of some of my favorite artists that you're blending into your music. When I hear the word folk, like I think of people like Janis Joplin or or you know, Bob Dylan or somebody like that, and like, yeah, they're not metal, but who cares, they're freaking awesome, you know. I think it's important because I don't know, sometimes have a feeling with if you're only in your genre. Let's say you listen only to your genre and your friends and maybe your bandmates, it becomes a bit like like incestuous. You know, It's just it's just like repeating the like narrow sound of this and this and like probably get to go I was, I don't know, it's like very much, how I am. I really try not to get into that because it's I don't really see the point of making a song that is kind of this kind of another song that exists, but a little bit with your spin, but it brings almost nothing new. It's a little bit like my bother.

10:38 Well, it's like being a cover band exactly. I mean it is. It's even funny that me who has always been able to differentiate one band from another, but like we were also talking before, you take the Big four thrash, they didn't soundlike they were similar. Maybe Metallica originally was considered power metal because there was no thrash metal and me I would think, oh, they're not really power metal. But you know, if you don't have something to put somebody in a box, and artists in a box, let's put them in this box, you know. And you think art should have any box whatsoever, and you could play whatever music you want. I think as you grow as an artist too, you want to kind of jump out your comfort zone and experiment it in a lot of different arenas and in a lot of different areas and That's what I think you guys are doing. By combining all these things, you're creating something that nobody else is doing.

11:37 It's kind of like one band that I really love that nobody can really compare to is High Loan, and like, like the first time I saw them at Hellfest, you're having like some serious metal heads all there for their show, and that just proves something because you know, do I really consider them metal necessarily? Maybe? I don't know, but they're not what you would define as metal, but they're freaking killer because why it's not like you were saying, it's not the same old thing anymore. It's not, as you put, incestuous.

12:17 Yeah, there seems to be some kind of overlap between these kind of what do you call them, like pylung or this kind of uh primitive what do you call this music? You know what I mean? That's kind of primitive nature music and metal with I don't know, they're primitive instruments. I don't know why there's an overlap. There must be some elements. I don't know. It's the primitive, primitive power, because you have that in metal a lot. Yeah, look at and look at the Who from Mongolia and you know, yeah, perfect example, and they're definitely metal, but they have all these cool instruments and like.

12:58 I like it, like I like it. Also seeing cultures of the world, I think music is a great representative of culture, Like so the stuff you're doing is representative of where you are in the world, just like who is, Just like hit lung is you know so I because to me, music is not only the best therapy, but the best uniter. And I think the best way for our world to unite, especially right now, is if we understand each other and understand the real cultures instead. Of the stuff that's fed to us. Like I travel everywhere, and when I travel, I don't go to tourist areas. I don't go to the American areas what I call them, like where the America is in that country, I go with.

13:43 The locals because, you know what, I think we need. To learn from each other, and you know, learn the differences instead of what's all the same. And I think that's the same with metal. Why we all have to have the same type of music in metal, Maybe we have all these different types so that we could basically share the best of everything all over the world. I mean, I get sometimes like sometimes we are listening to because we share a lot of music, and you know, it's this kind of I don't know if I should say the name of the genre, but sometimes it feels very overprocessed and some metal music that is popular now to me sounds like pop music that put like really heavy gent guitars at places to try to become a metal song. So maybe that's me being like the gatekeeping people, although I'm not gonna like make you burn any stuff, you know what I mean. Like, sometimes it.

14:47 Is kind of true because there's one band I won't name who they are, but they're really popular right now and they are very brutal, brutal metal, like screaming is brutal. But they're like trying to break into the mainstream pop and they are, you know, and it's like it kind of blows my mind because I come from a time that if if the music I listened to was played on the radio, I'm not listening to them. Yeah, And like it's funny because even like doing festivals, like when they're doing interviews, they only want the press with like the pop media outlets, like because they're trying to break in there and they are, and it kind of blows my mind. But isn't that the antithesis of what we're doing here? And then there's this other band that I won't mention either. I don't get them at all personally, but there's some they're like, oh my god, everybody loves them like beyond love, and I don't even consider them metal, like at least the other band I'm talking about, I consider them like pretty brutal metal.

15:59 You know. So I kind of agree with you what you're saying, Like, why are we trying to be popular? Metal never tried to be popular. If it ends up popular, great, you know, like that's different, but trying that's a whole different philosophy. I think you should just try to make the music that makes you express yourself. Yeah. Yeah, I mean it's like sometimes sometimes I speak to people and I do not relate at all when they're like, oh, I just vibe with whatever's on the radio this, I vibe with this, I vibe with this, and that's for me. It is like the most casual listener thing with metal.

16:40 Of course it doesn't apply to every one, but I find it kind of obvious that in a large way, it's like a medicine or the ones who listen to it. It's not for everyone. It is not, which I understand because it's very heavy music and some people they just can't. It's just an attack. But for a lot of people it is like a medicine. So for me, it's not exactly like a music that is produced to become popular, but it is like more medicinal than anything. I agree a million percent, you know, it's it's funny. I'm also a motivational speaker, and do you know how I get myself motivated and positive to go do a seminar? I will last metal on the drive there? Okay, yes, what I.

17:21 Do be for work too, and it starts much better when I wrote. Exactly. And then if something's going on in my life and I need to chill out the same thing, you know, Like people are like, how can you be listening to that? Blah blah, I'm like, it relaxes me, you know. Yeah. Sometimes if I pick up a friend and I have like a metal song and they're not into it, like please stop it? Please? Can you turn this off? Right? Right? Totally? It's so much for me that I have a rule if I date a woman that she has to be able to pass the test of coming in my vehicle with the metal blasting as far as loud as possible and not getting turned down.

18:10 If she can handle that, she's in. If she can't, because that's who I am, Like, you can't change who you are, and like every time I get in the car, that's why I do. I've had you know, I was married to somebody that didn't like the music and I would go to a show and she's like, uh, you go without me, You'll have more fun that way. I'm like, yeah, that's not the right person that. Like, I don't want to be with somebody that will be more fun for me to do stuff by myself. And I certainly don't want to be with somebody that you know, I can only play my metal when it's just me. Yeah, you know. So that is what's great about you guys, because your music.

18:56 I'm gonna have to use that now and blast that when I'm driving down the road with somebody and see if they can handle it. Thank you. Yeah, And I mean circling back to your test music, circling back to you know, motivations behind making music. Our motivation all along was to create what we thought was cool, right, and we're really excited to release the full album in September. Not because we're expecting vast oceans of money or millions of listeners, but just because, you know, we.

19:40 Mean Spotify is that can give you millions and royalties. Never say it ever, I guess, but no, that's why we started. We thought that when we started. Then we found out it will give us maybe one drop of that. I mean, we just we're excited to release it because we think it's pretty cool and we hope other people will find it pretty cool. Also, well, I think it's pretty cool. Now here's why I want I do. Now. Now, let's see if I can butcher the album name, because that one too might be a little hard for for me. All right, so I'm gonna do it. Test Gone Louder.

20:26 Saga. Yeah, the saga part I can do. That's easy. So say the first one again, Google legas. Yeah, yeah, I can't. I can't say that ten times fast. It's a woman's name because it's the saga of Goodlog, which is her name. But the name actually means god Pool. Oh that's cool. Yeah, so Goodlog means like God's pool. That makes sense too, Yeah, it makes more sense when you say it then me looking at because when you say it, that's what it sounds like right there. Yeah good, it's like you know, it's the same word, like God, just like the Islandai version and le is a pool. So but that was not part of the decision process. It's just something I realized along the way and made sense, which I feel like happened a lot with this album, that somehow things made sense even though we didn't try to know, they somehow got woven together.

21:30 That's what makes it great though, Like when you're trying, you're not going to really make great art when you try. It just happens no matter what the art is. Like you know, my dad, there's paintings on my wall that he used to paint, like he would get stoned and paint for like forty eight hours and it would transform like what he started with and what ended up would be totally different. But he had no intention. He just arted like doing it. And I think that's what all art is about, you know, And that's the true form of expression because even like in his art, some of it, I can see his personality that nobody else can see, like they just see a nice picture. But I see other things, like I have this one in here. It's kind of a picture of like a lake in a forest, but it has darkness at the top and a lot of people that look at They look at and like.

22:28 Oh that that's pretty blah blah blah. And when I tell him what I see is like, I see that his darkness in his personality and the depression. And the things going on his head. They can't see that, and that's because I can see it because I know him. But see, that's the kind of art is everybody sees something different and that's what's cool too. Yeah it makes sense, Like I think a lot of your personality goes into the art. But of course only the people that really know you are gonna see like, oh yeah, that makes sense right, and that I don't know. I mean, this band is such a great platform for all the absolute random craft that comes into my mind and has nowhere to go. You know, I have so many random ideas that come out of nowhere and they don't fit anywhere, and I'm like, here you go, band, please use this.

23:26 Is use it. Just start somewhere. You know. I had this idea of her time traveling with a taser and like, yeah, using it on a battlefield. I don't know where this comes from. It just comes from somewhere and we were actually able to use it. And I'm like great because otherwise I just say like random things to my friends and it just sounds weird. See I love that though, you know, to see, that is what art is, and like what you the song you create has certain those certain means to you, but whoever is listening, they put their own means to it. That's the true good music. Like when artist says, oh, they need to know what it means. No, they don't need to know what it means to you. They just need to know what it means to them.

24:12 And that's also pretty cool thing about releasing all of our songs in Icelandic is you know, most listeners don't understand Icelandic, but they can assign their own meanings to the emotions within the song, even if I don't look up the translations for the lyrics. Well, it's kind of like when you know, when American bands go to other countries and the people don't speak any English, but yet they're singing back the lyrics to them and they know what they're singing, even though they don't understand the lyrics. I think that's totally cool. Yeah, definitely, So what else.

24:57 You go ahead? No, yeah, I was just thinking about the idea of because a lot of a lot of Nordic bands write in English, which I understand, so that much much more people can can understand the lyrics. But I just found it, you know, I find a lot of it, not all, but a lot of it is just I don't know, I just feel like the lyrics are just done so everybody understand them. I'm really missing the unique uniqueness, the unique message in them. So we just decided to do it, to do it a bit more unique and just have it in Icelandic. Yeah, and you know, also the flow, because when it comes to like translating, you know, there's not the same flow in the song. So like when you're thinking in Icelandic and you're coming up with these thoughts and you're putting them into a song like they make sense in that language. Now if you try to take those same thoughts and those same words and literally translate it, you don't get the same smoothness of the song or the the same like feeling from the song. Absolutely, So I think the words whatever language it is don't really matter as much as the feeling that's provoked.

26:20 So do you actually enjoy listening to stuff in languages you don't speak? I do. I do. That's great. And I'm somebody too that like when I go places, I want to try to learn their language anyway, you know, and like that, like some of them are really hard, Like I stay like I go to the Netherlands a lot, and I've tried learning Dutch, and even my Dutch friends there say, yeah, we can't even speak it. Well that's brilliant, yeah right, And so I was just that vakin too, And like I actually dated this girl from a small town in Germany and and I tried to learn German to converse with her instead of her ob he's having to do English. That one's hard too, But like Spanish I can do. I was in Italy recently, and since I know Spanish and a little bit Portuguese and a little bit Italian, it's still understandable because they're all like related French sometimes a little bit, you know, because I go there, But still I can't really communicate. But when you start like immersing yourself like that, you kind of don't even need to know what the words mean. I think the problem a lot of times when you're learning another language is you're thinking in your own language and trying to translate in your head, so you can't keep up, you know, So.

27:48 Like definitely at the start, Yeah, that's definitely what you do. I mean, I think it's a huge you really, how do you say overcome something when you start thinking in that language? That means you are definitely advance a lot. Yeah, and that takes using it, you know. But I can hear you kind of you like to really immerse yourself, and I like that because I'm also like, what's the point of going somewhere or traveling. Right to what? You know? Yeah, it makes sense if you're if you're like spending your time and money going somewhere, wouldn't you want to immerse yourself as much as you exactly? And I love understanding how other people in the world think, you know, Like we have our perspective in our own country, whatever that is. Yeah, we always want to think in that perspective. But even the fact of Okay, so I live in like predominantly the probably most capitalist country in the world, and when I and I love going to Denmark as well. I love that country, so I go there and I remember one time I went there and there was like eight of us sitting around and all from different countries, different political beliefs, different religious beliefs. No way was arguing, nobody was attacking. We were able to have a conversation. This one girl, she said something It has stuck with me ever since, because in the States we talk about a country like Denmark, Oh yeah, socialist country, and look at how much taxes they have to pay, and that's kind of the pitch, like you don't get

29:18 to keep ay your money because the taxes are so high. And this girl says to me, she goes, yeah, we just don't think like that. We care about our countrymen. And I firmly believe why should I have two cars and my neighbor have none. I have no problem sharing with my fellow countrymen. And that attitude, I was like, man, that's such an amazing ante. And she even said without me saying, she goes, yeah, I know everybody likes to say how much taxes we pay, but it doesn't bother me because I know it's going towards my fellow countrymen, And like, what a great philosophy to have. Whether you agree with what structure the fiscal policy is doesn't matter to me. It's that attitude right there that I think is absolutely amazing. Like, you know, in my country, everybody's in competition. We have this joke keeping up with the Joneses, you know.

30:19 And and. I like what she explained a lot better. And you know, it's like every country that I visit, I learn even more, you know, because when you grow up in your own country and you never go anywhere else, you only know what you're told, not what any experiences. And especially like that's how I felt, you know, my whole you know, growing up in the United States is always oh, best country in the world, only free country. Don't go anywhere else. It's scary out there. My ex my ex wife's her father, her grandfather never even left his street, as you know, like like people, there are people a lot like that here that never go anywhere. They don't leave their town or whatever. And I remember the first time I went to Europe, I was like, Wow, what were they talking about. I'm like, I feel just as free, if not more free, over here.

31:21 And and it's nothing against my country at all. It's nothing to do with my country has to do with I'll use the word brainwashing, like yeah, because you're in this bubble that you can. Only think that way. So that's also why I like to immerse myself because it's like I want to know what different, how different people think, because that's I feel you learn a lot more from people different than you than people the same as you. Yeah, And I think music is a great portal into that sort. Of totally immersion exactly. Even the fact that you talk about the different types of metal, they are a lot of them from different sections in the world, you know, and that doesn't mean that's the only places, but that's the influence. So it gives you a little insight to that part of the world too. I think what people are singing about, you know, how they're playing, you know, stuff like that, especially too, like when you have bands like I was talking about the Who where they have the Mongolian instruments, like, it just gives you more insight to their culture.

32:26 And I think you're right. I actually have this idea to solve all the world's. Problems, and that is we have a major metal music festival, but the whole world is required to attend, except the political leaders. They are fans. Security is taught. Security has a little sign with a big X on their wristband, and we just all get into a big wall of death mosh pit and get all out and right exactly because listen, after a good marsh we all hug each other and like then we're not killing people in the outside world, like.

33:17 The release of the needs to I don't know, go crazy or right. And then you you understand the philosophy of no matter what part of the world that person the pits from, if they fall, pick them up, don't try keep kicking them while they're down. It is it is like listen, there's way more there's way more fights that go on at redneck country shows with Jack Daniels than do at metal shows with marsh pits. Yeah, okay, and I and I think that, like we don't need war, we just need a marsh pit.

33:58 That's it. It's good idea. I agree with you. Let's do it. I love that. So tell everybody how they can reach out to you guys on socials, check out the new album, buy your merch They can't listen to my show. Unlet's say, buy your merch or your music. So we are rap upload and we are at rapp bload on every single platform. You can also find this at sapapload dot I, which is we'll have a merch store going live close to the launch of the album. The album itself Good Saga releases eleventh of September. We have a single coming out. Our last pre album single is coming out Friday, the twenty first of August along with the video. And I mean, we encourage everybody to check us out.

34:59 I love it. I encourage them to. And man, I really liked hearing you say the band name because it sounded so cool the way you say it. Let's see you each time. And I guys, be able to say it like that because that sounds good. Yeah, you need to listen to it again and again until you can say. It's not too hard. You can you can do it. Just listen to it over and over. And I got I got as far this time as heaven and bloke. That's pretty good. Yes, pretty close. Okay, see, I'm getting better. It's gonna be my homework. I'm gonna like to say it like a thousand times. Yes when I see.

35:41 Yeah, So that went yeah, So that when you guys, I see you guys live, I can scream it from the crowd and say. It right, yes, exactly, definitely right. And now and what you said, you're a teacher. So now I'm in trouble because I'm I'm going to really have to work hard. Yeah, I'm gonna check how well you did with your homework. Okay, I'll hold you to that. Well. Well, you guys rock. I love your music. Everybody else will too. That's why they have to go check it out. And thanks a lot for being on the Adventures of Pipe main. Thank you so much, so much, thank you, thank you for listening to the Adventures of Pipeline. I'm w for CUI Radio.