Interview Isole: Daniel Bryntse

Een kleine twee maand geleden bracht de Zweedse band Isole hun nieuwste CD 'Born From Shadows' (Napalm Records) uit. Hoogtijd dus om zanger/gitarist Daniel Bryntse eens aan de tand te voelen.

I want to congratulate you with this very, most exciting new album ‘Born From Shadows’. From where came the inspiration for this album?

Thank you very much! The inspiration as always comes from pretty much everywhere, but most importantly from each other. We work together to evolve and to build our own identity as a band, sharing thoughts and ideas.

Can you say that this album will be one of the best albums you ever made?

I can't pick out any favorite among our albums, but we are generally very pleased with how “Born from Shadows” finally turned out. Of course, there are always things you want to improve, but that's also a reason to continue working on doing an even better album next time.

What is your favorite track on this album and why?

That's a hard question... I have to mention a few favorites since I can't single out just one, those being:
The lake – Has got a nice flow to it and just feels good to play.
Born from Shadows – Represents almost all aspects of how Isole sounds in 2011 and does it in a good way.
Black Hours – Because I like the pure melancholy and heaviness of the song.

What does the artwork on the cover of your album mean?

The front cover represents the album in more than one way, the rings on the cover represent the Moonstone and the Shadowstone in the title track, as the two great opposites come together bringing death and destruction which the skull represents. The seven symbols symbolize the seven songs on the album. The 8th symbol in the forehead of the skull represents the album built by the seven surrounding symbols. The cover is made by Gustavo Sazes with a close co-operation with Isole. We have worked with Gustavo in the past with Silent Ruins also and I really feel comfortable working with him so it was kind of an easy choice. So the scenery of the album is forged by our co-operation with Gustavo. By the way… seven is a magic number in old Swedish folklore…

Your vocals on this album are so powerful. It feels so emotional and I just feel  your strength in this album. Next to that I’m feeling your life in these songs.  What was for you the most difficult song to make on this album? Is it that there were emotions involved with the songs, that you never had felt before?

Again, thank you! We worked even harder with the vocals on this album than ever before, trying some different techniques to get it more varied with  “desperate” as well as softer/emotional passages. I tried more to fit the vocal style with the lyrics. I had no difficulties on an emotional basis, but technically I had to struggle a little bit with the high pitched melodies. My natural range is more in the “bari-tenor” spectrum.

What is your inspiration to make these songs?

To quote Memento Mori: “Life, death and other morbid tales.”

How would you describe ‘Isole’ for you and your band?

For us it is a means to do something with our creativity as well as a way to occasionally “flee” from the ordinary everyday life. It is also a way to pal around with a few good, close friends and do something meaningful.

From where comes the inspiration for making ‘a new kind of doom metal’?

It is not a conscious choice to try and make a new subgenre or so. This is simply the way we have evolved over the years, bringing in influences from everything we enjoy listening to and play ourselves. We don't want to limit our creativity. Sometimes we have ideas that are simply too farfetched to fit in Isole, but that's why you have side-projects. ;)

From where comes the inspiration for these songs? Did you write it in a few years, months, days or just at the point when you were in the studio?

Most of the songs have been written in the interim since “Silent ruins”, but there are a few really old songs as well. For example, “When all is black” was initially written in '93 or '94, but has been slightly re-arranged for this album. The finishing touches to the songs are in all cases made in the studio.

How did you end up with Napalm Records?

I think we were recommended to them by one of the guys in AHAB. Then Napalm contacted us and presented a record deal which we after some short deliberation accepted. Simple as that!

Will you come to Belgium in 2012? Or do have any other plans for 2012 with Isole?

We don't have much planned yet for 2012. We can't go on any extensive touring since our drummer Jonas has a small child and of course want to be with her as much as possible. But so far we have a handful of gigs planned in Germany, Holland, Poland and Romania. Hopefully something more will be added, perhaps in Belgium? Promoters, arrangers, club owners etc are welcome to contact us.

Are you still nervous before getting on stage?

Yes.

How much sex, drugs and rock 'n roll is Isole?

Hahaha... well. If by “drugs” you mean beer, there's a lot of drugs. Other than that we're all in stable relationships at the moment and being in the mid 30's to near 40's we've settled down quite a bit. But when out on tours or festivals that teenager inside may come to the surface and do a bit of “rock'n'roll” magic.

Thank you for this interview.

Thank you for your interest!

Foto door Martin Lundström.

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