Interview

Archaea Talks Debut Full-Length Album "Catalyst"

Arcahaea's "Catalyst" will see an official physical release this coming August 28th, and we recently had the pleasure of premiering the "Silhouette" single online (available below).

With the release pending, we chatted up the members of the Gothenburg-based death metal group to discuss the trials and tribulations of home recording, the band's favorite cut off the album, best and worst live shows, and more. Read on to dive into the collective minds of a Swedish melodic death metal band.

xFiruath: How long has Archaea existed in its current form and what has the band done up until this point?

Archaea has gone through a couple of lineup changes since it was formed in 2007. Our current six-piece form was established in late 2012 when Richard Mikulasi joined on bass guitar. With this lineup we have struck the perfect balance between good friends and good colleagues! We've recorded two EPs with external help and one full-length album in our own studio, we've played a whole lot of gigs all over the west of Sweden and gotten to the local finals of the music contest Emergenza. Now we're looking forward to the global release of “Catalyst!”

xFiruath: Tell me about the process of self-recording the album in your own studio.

We're literally a garage band! Since the start of the band we've had the privilege of using the Heidarsson parents' garage as our base of operations. We've rehearsed there all these years, and we also rebuilt it to house our own home studio for the production of “Catalyst.” With no prior studio experience of recording on our own, it was an arduous, drawn-out but ultimately very rewarding experience. We learned a lot about the recording process; everything from handling hardware and managing 70+ tracks per song, to playing in a studio setting. We hope that the effort we've put into every single second of this album will be heard by our listeners.

xFiruath: What's happening with the specific lyrics and themes on “Catalyst?”

The title “Catalyst” in itself connects the different themes on this album. The songs deal with change of many different kinds, often in the face of both personal and global adversity. The lyrics veer towards the dark and sometimes catastrophic, but there is often an aspect of hope to be found. We consider each song to be an example of change, driving a development of some kind, be it disastrous or empowering.

xFiruath: What's happening on the cover there and who created the artwork?

Demithrea Mikulasi, sister of our bass player Richard, made it possible for us to connect the overarching elements of the album with her original art. The fiery butterfly on the front cover emerging from a frozen cocoon mirrors several of the themes in our songs, both in metamorphosis and polar oppositions. Demithrea has done a fantastic job of giving our music a visual dimension that permeates the album, and we are very fortunate to have worked with her!

xFiruath: Is there one specific track or segment on the album that sticks out in your mind you are particularly proud of or where you feel you gave your best contribution to the music?

We are particularly happy with the second track, “Silhouette,” which you recently premiered on MetalUnderground.com! It's a highly technical and atmospheric track where every instrument adds to a sum that far exceeds its parts. At times it pushed us to our limit as instrumentalists, with intricate revolving rhythms, soaring leads and highly contrasting segments. Especially now it feels great to play, and Markus demands we finish every rehearsal with it!

xFiruath: Will there be anything like a lyric or music video to come out for any of the “Catalyst” tracks in the near future?

More than just a single song, we've got a full live concert in HD coming up soon! It was filmed from 12 angles by Brendan Morse from LiveAudioLiveVideo.com at Gothenburg's finest club stage, Sticky Fingers Top Floor. Moreover, we're planning to showcase the instrumental side with a guitar playthrough of at least one of the songs.

xFiruath: Have you read many reviews of the album, and if so have you seen any in particular you thought were really insightful or that offered up criticisms you weren't expecting?

We were pleasantly surprised to find that all reviews that we've seen so far have been positive! Many of the sites and zines that have picked up the album agree that we're a fresh take on melodic death metal that is different from the usual Gothenburg sound. We were particularly pleased to get an 8/10 from Sweden Rock Magazine!

xFiruath: Are you guys active in the Gothenburg metal scene and what's happening in your area as far as metal these days?

A few years ago we were one of the central bands of the underground metal scene of Gothenburg along with several bands supporting each other and competing in a similar sound. These days it is not as vibrant metal-wise, but we're still able to generate a good amount of buzz around each gig we play. The local scene has diversified quite a bit, and we're good friends with bands based in more classic rock, and have seen some former metal musicians become troubadours and the like.

xFiruath: What's the best show you've ever played, and what was probably your worst?

On March 6th we played alongside Chugger at Sticky Fingers, supporting the release of their album “Human Plague” with a local release of “Catalyst.” The venue was packed and the mood was through the roof! We performed most of the songs off the album, and Oscar Wahlqvist joined us to perform his guest parts off of “Helios Ascend.” We would prefer not to talk too much about our worst gig, but let's just say it involved too many deathcore bands and too little management, resulting in a lot of confusion and a malplaced Archaea.

xFiruath: I saw on Facebook you guys are already working on a new track with the working title “Gravity” - can you tell us anything at this point about the upcoming material, what sort of direction its going, and when any of this might see release?

We've already been discussing possible themes for future releases, and it's currently leaning towards a more positive tone, grander arrangements and a little bit of space mixed into it. SPACE! Hannes wrote the first few riffs of “Gravity” with the weight of black holes and neutron stars in mind, taking inspiration from the unfathomable universe. We've got plenty of other ideas we want to get out, and we're expecting to return to the studio in late 2016.

xFiruath: Is there any new metal you've heard lately you'd really recommend to our readers, or any old classics you've been spinning a lot lately?

Here are some Metal album recommendations from the members of the band.

Alexander: “Exit Wounds” by The Haunted, “Sturm und Drang” by Lamb of God
Hannes: “Koloss” by Meshuggah, “Communion” by Septicflesh
Magnus: “Blackwater Park” by Opeth
Markus: “The Joy of Motion” by Animals as Leaders, “Those Once Loyal” by Bolt Thrower
Nils: “Ad Majorem Sathanas Gloriam” by Gorgoroth, “The Satanist” by Behemoth
Richard: “Cell-scape” by Melt-Banana, “Babymetal” by Babymetal

xFiruath: Anything else you'd like to add before we wrap up?

Ha det illa gôtt.