Thursday, April 10, 2014

Circle Of Chaos Interview

Interview with Thomas Jonsson (bass), Circle of Chaos.

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band
since the recording of the new album?
Since the recording we have focused on recruiting a new drummer and a new guitarist. We have tried out quite a few really good musicians and now we have found “Sillen” and Kenneth, two really awesome guys that will contribute to get Circle of Chaos to the next level.  At the moment we are rehearsing intensively to be ready when we hit the roads and go on tour later this year.

2.Recently you have released a new album, can you tell us a little bit
more about the musical direction of the new recording and also how does
it differ from your past releases?
Well, this album is more compact and really should be listened to from the beginning to the end, in one sweep. Almost like a concept album. It´s very intense and will leave no one indifferent, that´s for sure. I would say that we have refined our sound a bit as this is our third release, but you will find all the Circle of Chaos characteristics, cool riffs, melodies, thrash/death influences and really intense vocals. All in all, furiously angry. Just as it should be.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores
with the new release?
If you try to sum up the essence of our lyrics, you´ll mainly find topics that occupies the dark side of the human mind. Foremost written from a fictional point of view, sometimes with an undertone of social criticism and the shortcomings of mankind.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Circle Of Chaos'?

We worked for a very long time to find a suitable name for the band. We wanted the name to let everybody know what we were all about just by looking at our name. Somewhere along the way, HG (guitar player and founder of the band) told us about a name he had thought of for a while, Circle of Chaos, and no matter how much we tried to work with other names, we felt that Circle of Chaos defined everything we wanted the band to stand for. As someone also described it; Circle of Chaos could be described as having a wall of death coming towards you. That´s ok with us.

5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?
Two years ago we played in Poznan (Poland) at the Bazina club and to this day it´s the most intense gig we´ve ever done. The crowd was really awesome and after that we decided that every time we go to Poland, we will try to play in Poznan, that´s how big of an impact that gig did to us. We also did an amazing gig at the Bremer Metal Festival (Germany) in 2011. Hopefully when we go back to play BMF in November this year, it will be as great as last time.

On stage we really give everything we´ve got to make it a happening together with the fans. Regardless if there is two persons or five hundred people, we always give on hundred percent for the people being at the show. If you have never experienced us live you have missed something. So when you get the opportunity next time, don´t let it slip away. See you front row!

6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the new album?
Yes. Tour plans are in the making and we really can´t wait to go on tour and play the new material with the new line-up. As soon as the dates get confirmed we will post them at our website (circleofchaos.se) and at our Facebbok profile (facebook.com/circleofchaos).

7.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans
of melodic death metal
The new album has just been released, but our first two releases got really god reviews and attention worldwide. Within just ten months after the release of our debut album (that we distributed all by ourselves) we made our first live shows abroad. We also got airplay in every continent of the world, so we are really pleased with the reception we´ve got so far. But, the best feedback has come from the fans at our shows around Europe. Even though many people haven´t heard us before they see us at a show, they go crazy after just a couple of songs. That´s feedback!

8.What is going on with the other musical projects these days that some
of the band members are involved with?
Circle of Chaos is the priority for all five members of the band. “Julle” (vocals) lends his voice to a black metal project called Nazghor and I, Thomas (bass) is a live session member in Blackshine. That´s it. We are really focused on the band and our progress so there is not an option to be fragmented on different projects.

9.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
We´ve recently started working on some material for the new album, but it´s a bit too soon to say where we are going with it. If you listen to all out three releases you can follow the progress up until today, where I would say that we have found a sound for ourselves. Perhaps we´ll just try to refine it a bit more. You just have to wait and see.

10.What are some bands or musical styles that have had an influence on
your newer music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
All of the guys in the band are really big fans of Testament so that´s our mutual favorite band. So, generally i would say that thrash is a big influence when it comes to the bands music. But, we all individually listen and appreciate almost all kinds of music, not just heavy metal. If I speak for myself, I really appreciate the new stuff from bands like Kataklysm and Deicide. And of course everything that Iron Maiden have ever released.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?
We all have families and most of us also have kids, so that´s something really important to us. HG has a boat, i´m a soccer coach for kids, and I guess all of us also like to have a beer or two. Unfortunally we also still got regular jobs … even though it´s not an interest, but something that´s essential if we are to continue playing music.

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or
thoughts?
Thanks for giving us the opportunity to present the Swedish Metal Chaos! We really hope to see you all on tour really soon – don´t forget to check us out at Facebook so you don´t miss any news or current tour dates.
Stay metal!
Facebook: www.facebook.com/circleofchaos
Website: www.circleofchaos.se

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