ASH JONES converses with guitarist BORED, of Norwegian thrash geniuses WAKLEVÖREN, about language politics, and how sex and thrash metal are an unsettled combination.

1980s: A period in metal history when heavy metal spawned the daughter genres of thrash, death, and black metal, 1970s punk trailed into grindcore and hardcore; and melodic death metal packed the final punch before all combined to form countless bastard subgenres; all nasty and reeking of low production standards. The current hybrid nature of metal bands… I know what you’re thinking; what does this have to with Waklevören?

The fact is if you explore the metal environment in any part of the world, each musical approach contains nostalgia for 1980s metal. Though ironically, with digital recording, bands can no longer re-capture the sound of the ‘80s bands they’re attempting to emulate. 21st century production is just way too clean. However, many of the fiercely divergent bands from Norway mark a time when guitar music sounded like it was bruised with grit, including Waklevören. At this point, Bored explains to me how his thrash metal band manages to display their ‘80s hardcore and metal influences, without falling into the fastidious production void.

“Simply because we are still stuck in 1986, and anyone that tried to invent or create new sounds and styles, failed badly. Digital recordings made everything a lot easier and that sucks of course. Waklevören has always been true to our roots and we will keep making our music more and more primitive and aggressive. On our 10th album we will probably just end up recording ugly fart and burp sounds.

“When we started out, we knew all along what direction we wanted to go and how our sound would capture our influences from the early thrash and hardcore scene. As for our latest EP Tiden Lager Alle Sår, we stepped even more into hardcore than on our first album Brutal Agenda. We wanted to increase the whole atmosphere and develop some uglier contrasts in our style. The title is almost impossible to translate into English, but it’s based around the old saying: Time Heals Every Wound. In Norwegian you can change some letters and it gives the expression the opposite meaning. Hard to describe.”

All of which leaves you with Waklevören, an unlikely combination of metal heavyweights, booze, and a blatant disregard for the standard record, tour, and be serious, attitude plaguing big league metal. In fact, the band insists they have “better things to do”. Which doesn’t mean they won’t spend time at gigs like 2006’s Inferno Festival, which apparently for Bored, was a “new sexual experience:” 

“I’ve never performed in front of such a crowded place before that gig, so it was kind of losing my virginity all over again. Being a guitar player is sure as hell not a sexual experience every time. At our last gig I fell on my arse four times. Maybe that could be categorised as some kind of S&M musical experience? I’m usually dead drunk onstage so I think sex is probably the last thing that comes to mind. The other guys don’t really smell that tempting onstage either. But I must admit that nothing beats the pleasure of a good f*** while listening to good ol’ thrash metal.”

By this time I’ve forgotten that I’m talking to the guitarist in a band that comprises members from Red Harvest, Cadaver, Fuck You All and formerly Trashcan Darlings. Bored (birth name, Baard Faarlund), is as much a laid-back Norwegian metal-head as I am a lazy, Australian metal journalist.

Which jolts me back to one of the first questions Bored asked me: “Will there be a problem that we sing in Norwegian?;” unknowingly demonstrating the language politics that hassle metal bands in countries where English is spoken as a second language. Swedish vocalist Mikael Stanne of Dark Tranquillity told an interviewer, “People speak in English way more than they do Swedish sometimes. It’s scary. Very scary,” so I ask Bored to give some insight into whether this issue is as prevalent in the Norwegian metal scene.

“Brutal Agenda was actually one of our first band names and we had English lyrics for some time. It all changed when we realised that our lyrics need to be sung in our native language. Just to get the real punch and be more convincing. It’s the way media and internet controls peoples minds these days I guess. All thanks to McDonalds and porn. “Kids relate to these kinds of things and convert words and expressions into their own language. It’s not as bad here as in Denmark. Damn, do they even remember their own language anymore? That’s also one of the main reasons why we sing in Norwegian, just to maintain our Norwegian upbringing. Our parents and teachers are so fucking proud of us.”

Although it is clear that Waklevören are battling globalisation’s more generic consequences, and the limitations of the Digital Age, it doesn’t hurt to know some basic facts about the band. Waklevören refers to instability, and the band often shortens their name to Waklis. They have also had a recent change of bass players, as Bølla Brandt gave up Waklevören last summer to focus on his industrial metal band Red Harvest. Far from reacting with hostility, Brandt heads out to watch the band’s gigs, where his place is now filled by Bestial Tormentor:

“We’ve known Bestial Tormentor for years, he was the only one we wanted and he accepted our wish. He presented a new song for us, already on our first rehearsal. Talk about attitude! He found his place within the band right from the start and just fitted perfectly. He’s not that heavy on the drinking though, but we’re working on that,” laughs Bored, affectionately.

“We hear that people tend to get extremely thirsty when listening to our songs. I take that as a huge compliment. That really makes it all worth doing. And please do spread the word. The world needs more trashy alcoholics.” 

The 21st Century: A period in metal history that will define which bands are able to keep guitar music dangerous. If the Tiden Lager Alle Sår EP is anything to go by, this is a test Waklevören are determined to pass.

TIDEN LAGER ALLE SÅR is available through Neseblod Records and can be ordered at www.neseblodrecords.com. The songs Grav Uten Navn and Glitrer Ett Lys can be heard at www.myspace.com/waklevoren.

Comments (5)

1. Written by Ruby, on 12-02-2008 16:37 Waklevören kikc ass!!! Love "Glitrer et lys", make me smile every time i hear it

5. Written by Tanja, on 16-02-2008 23:44 horns up for Waklis

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