In an effort to archive interviews from former publications, I will repost them in their entirety (or as much as I can, and likely without much re-editing) here, and give some background on the interview. Today, it is the Týr interview with Heri Joensen from August 2008 that was posted originally on Living For Metal.
Metal music has a funny of finding people from around the world. Take Týr for instance; they are from one of the most unlikely places to find metal bands in the Faroe Islands. Granted, they are a territory of Denmark, but few people probably knew the islands existed until Týr came along. As for the band itself, they don’t need much of an introduction, as albums such as Eric the Red and Ragnarok do the talking for them. If you still haven’t heard the band yet, the new album Land should be worth picking up. If you have heard of the band, then you probably caught them on the Pagan Fest USA tour that occured during the spring. Heri Joensen took the time to talk to Living For Metal about all things Týr, from the new album to some historical bits related to the band and the music.
Peter Santellan: What is the meaning behind the band name and how does it fit with the band’s sound?
Heri Joensen: The band name was inspired by the Old Norse god Týr, who was the bravest of the gods. Another thing that lead us onto that name in particular, and our logo in fact, was the Black Sabbath album of the same name. I'm not sure how that fits with our sound, though. I suppose many people expect something a bit more extreme before they hear us, but I don't think that has anything to do with the meaning behind our band name. I think it's maybe more the fact that other Viking and Pagan Metal bands play a more extreme form of metal. I'm not sure that I can answer the last part of your question. When people have heard our music and seen our logo, and heard the story about it, they connect the two, and maybe it will seem to fit with the sound no matter what.
PS: When the band started, what were some of the things you wanted to accomplish and do you think you’re coming along in achieving such goals?
HJ: I wanted to represent Norse Mythology and the Faeroese and Scandinavian folk traditions dating back to the Vikings, and in doing that, I simply wanted to become a professional musician. It looks as though my dream came true.
PS: How did the deal with Napalm Records come about and how are the relations to this point?
HJ: Napalm Records heard of us through a Booking Agency in Copenhagen, Denmark. We are very satisfied with the cooperation between Napalm Records and our band.
PS: Recently, the new album Land came out. While not as conceptual as Ragnarok, the songs still cover subjects near and dear to the band. To touch on that idea, I will mention a few songs and you may explain what each one means. First, Gandkvædi Tróndar and how the poet J.H.O. Djurhuus influenced the band, if any.
HJ: Gandkvæði Tróndar is a very heathen poem. Being a great adversary of Christianity, it warms my heart to see that there was opposition in Viking times, with Tróndur í Gøtu, as well as in modern litterature, as when J.H.O. Djurhuus, my lyrical idol, writes about Tróndur; and I feel that torch has been passed on to me, and I intend to carry it on.
PS: How about Ocean?
HJ: Ocean is a song about the Viking expansion westwards in the 800's, about what could have made them undertake the journey in the first place and what thoughts might have gone through the heads of those people, what hardship they might have been facing and what choices they had.
PS: The inclusion of the last track Hail to the Hammer is a bit of a surprise, since it originally appeared on How Far to Asgaard and has also appeared on the re-issue of Eric the Red. Is this a gateway for new fans to listen to some of the older material or is there any other reason?
HJ: All the older versions that we have of Hail To The Hammer feature the old singer, Pól Arni Holm, and the recordings are not top quality either. Since this song has become so popular, it's practically our signature song by now, we thought it wouldn't make it worse to have a good recording of that song, so we re-recorded it.
PS: Recently, Týr had completed the Pagan Fest tour in the United States. Obviously, this was the band’s first tour in North America. How did you feel and are there any potential plans to come back in the future?
HJ: There are specific, but undisclosed, plans to return early next year, yes.
PS: Any other plans for tours in support of Land?
HJ: Yes, we are currently on a festival tour all over Europe, and in October, we will set out on a headlining tour all over Europe, together with Hollenthon, Svartsot and Alestorm.
PS: Are there any words of wisdom for the fans?
HJ: Yes. BUY THE FUCKING ALBUM!
No comments:
Post a Comment