The Gothenburg Metal legends, Dark Tranquillity are performing at this year’s Bangalore Open Air. We caught up with the band’s guitarist and founder, Niklas Sundin, for a quick round of questions. Check them out…
Eight Octaves: Greetings from Eight Octaves! This is the second time you’re coming to India. Before this, you played in Hyderabad in 2011. How was your experience?
Niklas Sundin: Hi! It was really good experience in every way. We had a blast performing in India for the first time, as well as being able to have a few vacation days exploring Hyderabad and Goa, so all in all it was one of the most memorable band trips in recent years.
Eight Octaves: So July 6 is gonna witness you at the Bangalore Open Air along the likes of Iced Earth, Sodom, Ihsahn, Leprous and Animals As Leaders. What are you expectations from the event and the crowd?
Niklas: Expectations are high. The Indian crowd was certainly very supportive and enthusiastic last time, and we’ve gotten a lot of online feedback from people that will attend the Bangalore Open Air show. Apart from that, there are some excellent bands on the bill and I’m very much looking forward to watching Ihsahn and Animals as leaders.
Eight Octaves: How is your set going to be for the day; perhaps more songs from the new album?
Niklas: There will be a mix of old and now, though I don’t think that the setlist is 100% decided yet. Given the relatively short playing time, it’s close to impossible to make everyone happy, so the key thing is to promote “Construct” while at the same time giving a good representation of our 20+ years as a band.
Eight Octaves: ‘Construct’ reflects a lot of the band’s history with such a varied blend of melodies and heavy riffs. It has been well received by fans and critics all around the world. How satisfied are you with the album?
Niklas: It’s always hard for a musician to analyze his own work this close to its completion. It usually takes me 2-3 years before I know what I truly feel about an album, and since I’m a grumpy old man I’m never completely satisfied with anything. But at this point, “Construct” is the one D.T. album for the past 14 years that I’m most proud of. It features all the elements that I personally love about this band while at the same time introducing some new perspectives.
Eight Octaves: How can you justify the relationship-themed segment that is in the second half of the album, while saying that they overall theme of the album is based on religion and faith?
Niklas: Hmm…I can’t really speak on behalf of Mikael, who writes all the lyrics, so I can’t really elaborate much on this. We’re not an ideology or message driven band as such, and it’d just be weird if I’d try to describe my own conclusion of someone else’s lyrics in a public forum. To me, it’s all open to interpretation, and my own opinion doesn’t hold more value than yours or anyone else’s. I personally haven’t thought about the lyrical themes being divided on the first and second half of the album (or religion and faith being a key element), but as mentioned it’s all in the eye of the beholder, which is a great thing in itself.
Eight Octaves: Niklas Sundin mentioned on Twitter that before ‘Construct’, the recording sessions for most of the albums were “way too long”. What is the general procedure that you guys follow while recording an album? How was ‘Construct’ different from the other albums?
Niklas: Ha ha, it’s a misunderstanding – what I meant was the complete opposite, and the new album actually required more time in the studio that the others. The procedure has been pretty similar since the start in that we make sure that all the songs are 100% finished before starting recording “for real”, but the difference with “Construct” is that the songwriting and arrangement work took place in a studio setting as opposed to the rehearsal room. It might seem like a minor change, but it provided some fresh perspectives for us.
Eight Octaves: ‘The Gallery’ was inducted in Decibel magazine’s hall of fame back in 2011. Please share your feelings with us.
Niklas: Well, it’s of course an honour, but we’re not the kind of people that go crazy about these things. It’s great that a lot of people value our contribution to the music world, but at the same time we’re a bit tired of nostalgia by now.
Eight Octaves: Have you heard any Indian metal artists lately?
Niklas: Kryptos! I’ve been a fan of them for many years. Apart from that, I’m unfortunately not so up to date with the Indian scene.
Eight Octaves: Finally, is there a message that you would like to give to your fans and the many young up and coming bands in India?Niklas: Well, thanks for your support! We’re very happy to be able to play in India and hope to continue doing so for a long time.
