Machinery’s debut album Degeneration made quite an impression, receiving some very good reviews. In order to keep the MER readers well-informed, Michel Isberg was called to answer the following questions.
Metal Express Radio:
Please, introduce Machinery to the Metal Express Radio readers!
Michel Isberg:
If you ever thought there should be a band that combines Extreme Metal like Strapping Young Lad with a huge dose of Thrash like Overkill, and combined with Classic Metal like Saxon or Iron Maiden … you’ve found your band! And, if you sometimes feel even that’s not enough and wished it to bee a little more progressive … that’s us too! Many say we sound a bit like Nevermore, but that’s not our intention … somehow the label just has been stuck on us.
MER:
How was the current lineup formed?
MI:
The current lineup has been around for about 1.5 years. Me and Johan (Westman) are the only remains from the “Demo-era,” and we’ve always had a wish to progress and to blend all forms of Metal. The hardest job in a band is to find a good solid lineup. If you’ve got that right, half the battle is won! During the years, there’s been countless arguments and splits, but in the end … it paid off to continue! Per (Lindstrom) joined us in December 2005 and Fredrik (Klingwall) in June ’06. We found Per through my brother Markus (who left the band November 2006). I think they had a mutual friend who recommended Per to join us playing the bass, and the kind of guy I am, I put him to test right away and let him play with us at the Mondo Metal Fest in January 2006 (supporting Dismember & Incision). The gig went very well and he’s been around ever since. Fredrik’s been a childhood friend to Per … Johan and I thought it was worth a shot to incorporate our music with keyboards. Today I’m really glad that we did so. Fredrik is not the kind of guy who does Euro-LALA keyboards … NO names mentioned … but, sticks to what fits the song in a sublime way, which fits us perfectly! Mano (guitar) joined us in January ’07 since we came to the mutual agreement that Markus should leave the band. Markus is my brother and I love him to death, but we have some musical differences and I wish him the best of luck with his new band Desultor!
MER:
Machinery has been active for almost 6 years. How do you feel now that your first full-length album has seen the light of day?
MI:
Some mixed feelings, really! It’s a great relief that we’ve actually done it, but the cost for making it up to here was to let go of some illusions. A lesson that I think many bands need. In our case, the lesson meant do NOT take anything for granted and basically the rewards come when you really push for things to happen with blood, sweat, and tears.
MER:
For how long have you been working on the new album?
MI:
It depends if you refer to Degeneration as the new album or the new one we are currently writing? As for Degeneration, the answer has to be that some tracks were made years ago and others were written just weeks prior to entering the studio. Since we have such a long history, it was obvious that we needed to pay tribute to our older material. Songs like “Blacker Than Pain” and “Rectifier” have been around for a few years. “Salvation For Sale” and “Falling Through The Grid” literally formed days before recording sessions began, and for me that’s the way I like it. You need challenges and inspiration as a musician you know (LOL). We are currently preparing the next album (to be released late 2007) and this is in a way a new experience! Now we have the pressure of writing new material during a limited period, which is both rewarding and frustrating! I get really excited when I manage to solve a tricky arrangement, and sometimes I just want to smash something in frustration! But, the end result is worth it, though. At this point, it looks like it’s going to be more Black Metal-influenced as well as more Heavy Metal. We’ve always had tendencies to make intricate and progressive songs, and we’ve tried to tone that part down a little bit (i.e., to make it more straight forward). We’ll see how it goes.
MER:
Are you satisfied with the result?
MI:
Both yes and no, unfortunately we stressed the time schedule during the mixing in order to have the album out ASAP; a stupid mistake that we shouldn’t have done. The end result was that the album had some bone crushing guitars (which I like), but the overall mix came out to flat! I wished to have some more variety and dynamics in the melodies, but you know, musicians are F****d up and never satisfied! But, a remix is coming … don’t know when, but the songs deserve it!
MER:
Did the songs that you wrote make it into Degeneration? Are there any leftovers?
MI:
We got two songs that didn’t make it to the album. The first one is “Grind You Down.” It’s a song with extremely fast riffing and brutal growls. No clean singing whatsoever, which was why it was rejected from the album, cause it differed compared to the other songs. The other one is “Convicted,” which is more of a basic Thrash song with straightforward riffing.
MER:
What will you do with them?
MI:
“Grind You Down” will probably be included in Thrashing The Masses Vol.2 (a collection from Last Entertainment including F.K.U., Subcyde, Searing I, Goatsodomizer, among others).
MER:
What was your writing process? Did all the band members contribute to the album?
MI:
Degeneration was mainly written by me and Markus under the supervising eye of Johan. He is the one with control-issues (LOL). Seriously, though, his input is important and he’s not afraid to tell me when I’ve gone too far! Fredrik wrote all the keyboard parts in the studio. The main aim is that all band members can contribute to the writing process. I hate when you’ve done everything at home and arranged everything down to every last little detail before presenting it to the others. I usually do a skeleton and then we pick it up from there at rehearsals and see where it goes.
MER:
What are your major music influences?
MI:
Alright … I’ll give you the short version, or you’ll fall asleep: Nevermore, Slipknot, Carcass, Death, Anthrax, Bruce Dickinson, Enter The Hunt, Queensrÿche, the Haunted, and Markus Isberg!
MER:
What are the lyrics about?
MI:
I like very much that the writing goes through the eye of the beholder! Personally, I imitate everyday-reflections, which we all can relate to. Sometimes I hide in a biblical tone or in a stern preaching manner. I often shift the tone or the narrators view so you can interpret the topic in different ways! A great example is “Unholy Demon,” which can be candy for Goat-worshippers. It can also make you think about addiction or drug abuse.
MER:
Do you read the album reviews?
MI:
Of course! Since were kind of new on the market, we have now for the first time a chance to hear what others think in all corners of the world about our music. A great input!
MER:
When you’re writing music do you think of the fans?
MI:
No, no, and no! I’m quite aware of the circumstances and our main goal is to encourage other bands to go their own way! It’s a sensitive question since many record labels, distributors, producers, and such consider themselves to know what the fans want to hear! I believe that to some extent you can force the fans to like some music if you expose it to them hard enough, and that’s what the industry does. I hate it … it makes the average listener more intolerant to music that is not immediate! But, ask me that question again after our fourth album and I think I’ll give you another answer …
MER:
Where do you get your inspiration?
MI:
Don’t know … it just comes to me. Of course, I have bad days and good days, but for most of the time it just comes and I need to write it down or I’ll go crazy! So what if I’m f***ed up … yes I am! Ha ha, I think when we were young you could get inspired by what you’ve listened to, but it doesn’t work like that after you’ve been exposed to so much music throughout your life. I honestly can’t say what makes me write music … maybe I had a bad childhood or something!
MER:
What are your personal musical influences?
MI:
Gee, that’s a though one. I’ve always been a fan of melancholy music — Heavy Metal or not. But, I don’t like it when it’s lame (according to my personal references). But, I’ve always been very keen on bands who play Classic Metal! It’s strange, but I love bands like Overkill and Exodus, but hate Pantera and Machine Head! At the moment I’m very much into Enter The Hunt, Metallica, Slipknot, Lååz Rockit, Lethal, Wolf, blablablablah.
MER:
Can you make a living from playing music?
MI:
No way! But, that’s why we are here … to make it happen!
MER:
Nowadays, the Metal scene is flooded with new bands. So, how can a new band survive?
MI:
I believe that we fill a void in the Metal scene. I wish there were more hard, aggressive bands with more varied vocals. A band that can be powerful and equally emotional and dynamic. I think we can fill that void and hopefully attract others as well. There are so many new bands out there, so I guess you just have to believe in your thing and sooner or later it will happen.
MER:
What is the situation in the Swedish Metal scene?
MI:
Hard … really hard if you don’t have the contacts or “right” people to back you up.
MER:
Do you have any tour plans?
MI:
We are currently working on material for a new album and have nothing planned, but we might go on a small one later in the summer.
MER:
Any final word for your fans …
MI:
Live Metal and drink East European beer! Thanks Metal Express Radio!
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