Conducted by:	Undercraft
Published:	02.01.2004
Band profile:	Invocator

1. Hi there, thank you for taking the time to answer this questions for Metal Storm.

- No problem, bro!

2. You've been around the scene for many years, since the first Demo in 1989 to your latest album in 2003, many things has changed in your music, can you mention some?

- Firstly, I think that we've grown a lot as songwriters and musicians. I know I have. The 8 years of pause from Invocator has taught me to write more direct songs. No more beating around the bush, songwriting wise. I mean, although the songs still seem complex, they're actually build very rock'n'roll like. And secondly, I think the new album shows Invocator from the best side ever. We now have a label who believes in us, we've got our first real good production, if I may say so, and this time our cover looks great and fit the music perfectly. I also think this constellation of musicians could very well be the best we've experienced. I spoke to the guitarist Jakob Schultz who played on "Excursion Demise" our 1991 album, and he told me that he'd never experienced a better sounding Invocator, both live and CD wise. I think Invocator has gone through some very important changes while we were away from the scene.

3. And how did you look at the Metal scene back then and how do you look it right now?

- I think it's in some way the same. For Denmark, the scene is stronger now, and the standard is quite a bit higher, but it's still not metal that rules the world, if you follow. As for the rest of the world, I am not sure. I think we're flooded with "gimmick" metal, as I call it; metal which is nothing without an image, and that's sad. Luckily these bands don't last. You'll not see Marilyn Manson outlast Slayer, will you? I mean, we still need the bands that can look like shit and still play really great music. These bands will survive!

4. How do you met, and how was the band formed?

- The line-up we have now met like this: I started to write new songs, and asked Flemming C. Lund to join me on this project. He agreed. After we wrote a few songs, we recorded a demo, and I sent it to Carsten (bass), who was also playing bass on "Dying To Live" from 1996, and he was very much into it, and we asked if he'd like to join us. So he did, and at the same time, he was in another band with Jakob Gundel (drums), and then the band was gathered.




5. Do you dedicate all of your times to the band, or do you have dayjobs?

- We all have our dayjobs. I am a full-time producer/engineer, Flemming is a webdesigner, Carsten and Gundel are music teachers. But the band takes a lot of time.

6. Any tour plans?

- We've just finished a 15 day tour around in Denmark. After that we will have to start writing new material, and maybe wait for some tours to be offered to us.

7. In all your career, which was your best concert?

- I really think we had a very nice show together with Sepultura in Denmark in front of 3000 people. They were here on their "Arise" tour, and we got the opening slot instead of Fudge Tunnel. That was excellent. We also played some really good shows with Dark Angel in 1992. We toured with them for 22 shows.

8. Which bands inspired you to make music? Actual favorite bands?

- Mercyful Fate and King Diamond inspired me a lot in the early days. Then Slayer came, and of course Dark Angel had a huge impact on me. But also bands like Fates Warning, Queensryche, Meshuggah and Forbidden has made their marks.

9. Talk us about your last album "Through the Flesh To The Soul"

- It was really great to record this album. For the first time we could spend just as much time as we'd like to (more or less), and I really used a lot of time for my vocals. Normally I did it in 3-4 days, and you can hear that! I am really satisfied with this album, and really proud.




10. We will make this now, is very entertaining (at least for me), when I read the lyrics of each song, I imagine of what is about the song, let's see how many I guessed, please tell us a little about each song in the album:

Through The Flesh To The Soul:
- This is a song about trying to escape the inevitable, the selfinduced destiny. But all loved ones is holding me back. The sad realization that only I is to blame. This is my destiny. Realization through flesh to the soul, that I never will come back to where I started.

Writhe In Spit:
- This song is about the decay and decadence that fills the modern world. Good sense is hardly found, I would give anything to find "God", purpose or what you like to name it. And after each long day, I'm still here drowning in it.

On My Knees:
- To beg for forgiveness, but you know if you are forgiven, it's not for real.

Flick It On:
- The song is dealing with a phenomenon described by Edgar Allan Poe: The imp of the perverse. It's about the demonic and destructive force that dwells within man. The urge to take that little step closer to the chasm. It's about the perverted "drive" that devides lovers, pull triggers and feeds chaos.

Infatuated I Am (Speak To Me):
- A song about love and affection. And about the name/word-less language of love, hate and death. It is about the loneliness of man

There Is No Savior:
- There is no saviour. Messiah is a picture drawn to ease mans fear of death. I've search hard for the saviour, unsuccessful. There is only emptiness to be found within this constellation. It is about the void left by the missing saviour.

The Chemistry Of Restlessness:
-This is a song that deals with fatherhood

Under The Skin:
-Another song about becoming a father. Bringing someone to life in such a filthy mess. It's about being fragile under the "determined surface", about being this "ceramic" man. This unconditional love of a child

Fire Cleanses All:
- It is a song concerning the conflict between vanity and responsibility. See nothing hear nothing, only unrestrained agression and bitterness. It's about angst and the waiting of what is next.

Sand Beneath The Teeth:
- First of, it's "Sand Between The Teeth". This is a song about doing the best you can, within the time taht is given to you. It's a song about the time I wasted looking for passion lust and sense in places were these things are not to be found. The desperation in the aimless seeking.


11. This was so much fun right? You know, is my first interview ever, so anything else you want to say to me or the fans out there?

- Thanks for this interview. Excellent! Keep up the good work, and check our band out as soon as possible! www.invocator.com
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Thanks! Keep on the heavy work!

Don't forget to check out the "Through the Flesh To The Soul" at this location: http://www.metalstorm.ee/reviews/more_review.php?id=165