written by Marko Jakob
Pix666: Hello and thanks for your time. Please introduce your band to the readers in a few short sentences. What kind of music do you make?
Andreas: Dwell In Doom is a one man band formed by me in 2019. I like the freedom of doing everything, so all songs are written, performed and produced by me. I also create the artworks and promote the music. I would describe the music as gothic metal, influenced by bands like Paradise Lost, Type O Negative and Theatre of Tragedy.
Pix666: Andreas, what was the decisive point for you to become a musician and what are your personal favourite bands?
Andreas: I started writing my own songs when I was 12 years old. At that time (1991) I was very inspired by the Swedish pop duo, Roxette. But as a teenager I started to listen to more alternative rock bands like R.E.M., Radiohead and Live, and that changed my songwriting a lot. I started writing more darker, melancholic songs. It wasn‘t until I was 19 years old, that I really started to listen to metal.
Metallica became very important. Of course I had heard Metallica long before that, but at this point I really started to listen to everything they had done, and I liked it! But the most important band that I discovered when I was 19, was Type O Negative. I had never heard anything like it before. It was magical. Eventually I discovered Paradise Lost, Theatre of Tragedy, Nightwish, Amorphis and many other similar bands.
Pix666: You founded Dwell In Doom in 2019 – then came the Covid Pandemic. Did that interfere with some of your plans, especially in terms of live performances?
Andreas: I’ve never performed live with Dwell In Doom, so the Covid Pandemic didn’t really affect me. Instead I focused on writing and recording music.
Pix666: Recently the new Dwell In Doom Single ‚Nevermore‘ was released. How have the reactions to the song been so far?
Andreas: The reactions have been very positive! There are some really nice comments on social media. What’s surprised me the most, is that the song has gotten a lot of views on YouTube in a very short period of time. In just a few days it became the most played song on my channel. This has resulted in even more subscribers.
Pix666: What is this song about, or what are your lyrics about in general?
Andreas: I try to avoid writing about love and relationships, but this song is about someone who’s been treated really badly in a relationship. The person wants to leave the past behind but can’t really let go of it. Can’t forgive, can’t forget. But the person has decided that this will never happen again, which can result in a fear of getting into a new relationship. Overall, it’s a pretty angry song lyrically. A lot of hate towards the one who harmed this person. Musically, it’s a straightforward gothic metal tune. It’s kind of a pop song disguised as a metal song.
Pix666: At the end of August your new album ‘Forest of Mourning Souls’ will be released. What can fans expect from the album and what are the musical differences to your previous albums?
Andreas: With this album I have developed the Dwell In Doom sound even further. Dwell In Doom is not an experimental music project, so I always try to stay within the boundaries of what Dwell In Doom is. But at the same time it’s important to develop. For example, I use orchestral elements on a few songs which make them even more powerful. Technically, the songs sound heavier than on previous albums. I had a finished master at the beginning of 2022, but it felt too flat.
So I decided to remix and remaster the whole album, and it turned out much better. I have a song called “Elaine”, which is written to my mother who passed away last year. That’s not a typical Dwell In Doom song when it comes to the arrangement. For example, I use acoustic guitars and I only have clean vocals on that one. I put it in the middle of the album and I think it fits perfectly. I’ve also tried to structure the songs a little bit differently compared to the previous albums. I like to use many different parts in one song, not just verse, chorus and intro.
Pix666: Forest of Mourning Souls’ will be your fifth album. I don’t know any other band that has released so many albums in such a short time. Where do you get the time and the many ideas for so many songs?
Andreas: There are several reasons why I manage to write so much music. Since I work alone, I can work anytime I want. I only use my own ideas. And like I said before, I want the freedom to do whatever I want. I’ve written music for many years, and I know how to write songs. It’s not difficult for me. Even though I don’t have any “inspiration” at a certain moment, I can write a song anyway.
It becomes like a routine – in a good way. When I start working on an album, I work very intensively for like 4 to 6 months writing and recording. After that, I usually take a break for a few months, not making any music at all. Instead I listen to a lot of music to get inspired. I gather new ideas for lyrics from movies, books, news, life. Then I start writing and recording again. I can’t make a living from my music, so I have a full-time day job, which means I spend a lot of my spare time making music.
Pix666: Do you have any concerts or a tour planned for this year?
Andreas: No. I would love to play live in the future, but I have to find the right musicians first.
Pix666: Andreas, what do you do when you’re not into music – do you have an interesting job or extraordinary hobbies?
Andreas: Like I mentioned before, I have a full-time day job. Apart from making music, I like to write. I’m working on a few ideas for a screenplay. We’ll see what happens with that…
Pix666: Do you have any advices for readers who want to go on holiday to Sweden? What should they definitely visit and see? … and which beer is the best in Sweden?
Andreas: Sweden is a very beautiful country. We have long beaches in the south and high mountains in the north, huge forests and open fields. Our biggest cities, Stockholm and Gothenburg, are great for shopping but are also close to the ocean – a perfect mixture of city and nature. When it comes to beer, I would recommend trying one of our most popular beers, “Norrlands Guld”.
Pix666: Do you have any other news about Dwell In Doom, that you would like to share with the fans?
Andreas: The biggest news is of course that the new album “Forest of Mourning Souls” will be released on August 26th. But I can also announce that Dwell In Doom will continue the tradition of releasing a Halloween song. So the listeners can expect an epic doom metal song on October 31st!
Pix666: Thank you very much for the interesting answers – Good luck with your new album and stay healthy!
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https://dwellindoom.bandcamp.com/
photos © by Dwell in Doom
