Blinded Colony
Karlshamn, Sweden
www.BlindedColony.com
Hello out there in the music community. My name is Brian, and this is my first interview for AudioXposure. As a Heavy Metal/Punk Rock enthusiast, I recently got the opportunity to interview/spotlight a Heavy Band on the rise. They hail from Sweden. Ladies and Gentlemen, Here’s Blinded Colony and their story.
AX: Ok, Blinded Colony. Could you introduce yourselves for the reading public?
BC: Hey Brian! We’re a Swedish metal band currently working on our second release.
AX: In browsing your site and listening to your music, I noticed both songs on your myspace.com were listed as demos. I must say, they both sound very well produced, and the quality is great, so when do the full studio tracks come out? How long have you guys been together in your melodic death metal assault?
BC: The album is scheduled to be released this fall, no date is set at the moment. We’ve been playing together since 2000, but with the current line-up since late 2004.
AX: How would you accept being labeled as a part of a scene, or is there a scene going on in Sweden/Norway/Finland with heavy metal bands? There seems to be a revolution coming from that region, of especially heavier music. Would it be a welcome thing to be lumped with other bands from the region, the same way all the grunge bands were all supposedly from Seattle? That could be a double edged sword. If it becomes a phenomenon to other people the way I see it is, that brings maximum exposure. But you might lose a sense of individuality in people’s minds. If people see that connection in the region, what do you hope will come of it for your band?
BC: Just the fact that we’re from Sweden labels us to the Gothenburg scene, though we’re not from Gothenburg. All bands need exposure and right now the Swedish scene is hot, so why not use the advantages. People that really listen to our music will hear our individuality, and those with narrow minds will bunch us together with the rest of the bands from our scene. That’s just the way it is. Just look back at the bay area era in the eighties. Some people said Exodus, Testament and Metallica sounded alike; would you?
AX: What has being in a band done for your personal lives? Do you shy away from attention, or get caught up in the debauchery of groupies?
BC: We have tons of groupies waiting after every gig! Hehe, NOT… It would be nice though. But that’s different from every member of the band; some love attention some don’t. Like most metal bands, you’re most likely to get a free beer or something at the bar, that’s all.
AX: What Inspires you, as a group, to lean towards heavier music? Do the events in your lives cause you to react in a heavy metal type of way, or do you just like the music; what causes the death metal?
BC: In our case it’s the love of the music, to see the crowd go mad in a pit, or just bang their heads to your music is an incredible feeling. You just don’t see that in other genres of music. If you’ve had a bad week or whatever and you hit the stage, you get rid of all the aggression, and I guess that’s something you don’t get if you’re in a boy band singing cheesy anthems about your ex-girlfriend.
AX: As a group, what are you trying to accomplish?
BC: We want to make this our living, get on tours, and make ourselves a name in the scene.
AX: If the band broke up tomorrow, what would you guys end up doing?
BC: Tough question. I can only answer for myself, but I would try to put together a new band or look for free spots in other bands. I can’t imagine a life without music.
AX: Any plans for a U.S. tour any time soon?
BC: We have some plans, but nothing is set yet, so we just need to keep our fingers crossed.
AX: How do you guys get in the Death Metal frame of mind before performing or recording? Is there some kind of yoga technique, or do you just scream and build up testosterone until your ready to rock? I’m curious. When I’m going for the Death Metal Approach, I end up making lots of angry faces.
BC: A couple of beers, that’s all. We’re not that death metal really.
AX: Ok guys, tell me about your equipment setup. This is your chance to plug your favorite amp/petal or whatever. Let the readers know how that Blinded Colony sound is possible.
BC: Me and Johan uses ESP LTD guitars, Johan has a mesa boogie head and I have a Peavy 5150 head. Roy uses Ibanez basses and a Warwick amp. Staffan uses Premier drums. Nothing special at all really.
AX: Anyone you want to thank for being where you are at this point?
BC: At this moment, ourselves.