Since i got the cd, Sahg monopolize my record-players. In my car, at home, everyday i listen to this great norvegian band who plays old-school doom-metal with a great touch of rock'n'roll. I wanted to know more about the band, so i sent a few questions. This is Olav Iversen, singer and guitar player, who answered them.Hi guys ! Well to begin this interview, can you tell us when & why did you decide to found Sahg ? A kind of history of the band would be perfect.
I guess you could say Sahg is a result of long-time companionship. The members knew each other years before forming the band, and have played together in different bands up through the years. That way we've shared a lot of the same influences and come from a lot of the same musical background. So I guess you could say that even though Sahg as a band has only existed for two short years, it's been around in our minds for a lot longer. When the first few right-sounding songs one day were suddenly there, we knew it was time to put idea into action, and so we formed Sahg.
>What does this band name mean ? This is short & memorable. Why did you choose it ?
In the beginning we had a facination for chainsaws ands saws in general. Sahg could have been referring to this deadly tool, but the letter h turned us into a turnip.
I just received your first album & i must say it's a real masterpiece. Between heavy-metal godfathers Black Sabbath & bands like Monster Magnet / Kyuss, you created something really special. What kind of bands/musics did influence you tastes ?
You have mentioned some of our main influences right there. Black Sabbath I guess is one of our main common sources of inspiration. In one way or the other, every metal band in the world is influenced by Sabbath, but I think we have taken the influence in our own direction. Also a lot of other 70s doom-related bands have been of great inspiration, such as Led Zeppelin and Pentagram. Some of the "newer" stoner/doom b
ands also need to be mentioned, such as Kyuss and Cathedral. Is Candlemass with their recent comeback & great album had an impact on your choice to play old-school doom ?
Not really. Nothing bad said about Candlemass, but it has just not been among the inspirers worth to mention. It's more the sheer urge to carry on the tradition that formed our own musical interest and abilities that has been the driving force, and doing it our own way. When it comes to the "doomy" sound and lyrics, it's not very hard to find sources of inspiration in the world around us either.
Where did you record this album ? Did you appreciate this studio experience ? What kind of sound were you searching for ? Did you try to recreate a particular old atmosphere ?
The album was recorded and mixed in Earshot Studio, which is run by a couple of our friends and fellow musicians. Due to that, the vibe in the studio was very relaxed, and we felt totally free to create whichever sound we wanted. Within the band, we pretty much had a common idea of what we wanted the album to sound like. We wanted it to sound as live and vibrant as possible, and have a raw, unpolished feel to it. Again, our 70s influences became an obvious point of reference, to create that dark and at the same time organic sound.
Your singer has a really beautiful voice. Sometimes he makes me think about Ozzy, & the instant after this is Axl Rose who's singing. But he also can sing in a deeper range. Was it important for the band to get a real singer ?
First of all, thank you. But since I am the singer, I find it a bit difficult to answer your question. From my point of view, I am just doing what I think is right to capture the atmosphere of every song. But I don't regret to say that the things Ozzy did with Sabbath has been one of my greatest inspirations as a singer.
Your album is full of dark & deep atmospheres. What kind of topics do you write about in your texts ? Wh
ere do you find inspiration ?On this album a lot of the lyrics take inspiration from myths and stories that are fascinating because of their dark mystique. They could originate from all kinds of sources, everything from books and movies to religious and mythological tales. That said, Sahg is far from a religious band. We simply behold and interpret the tales our own way, because the spiritual and super-natural appeals to us. A lot of the lyrics bring up subjects that are timeless and that are just as relevant today as hundreds of years ago.
I read that Sahg has strong connections with Gorgoroth, Audrey Horne & Manngard. Can you tell us more about this?
All the members play in other bands besides Sahg. Bergen, where we come from, is a very vital place for music, and maybe especially within the metal genre. Thomas (guitar) and King (bass) play together in Audrey Horne, and King is also member of Gorgoroth. I sing with Manngard.
How do you compose inside the band ? Your riffs sound really powerful. Are they the skeleton of each new song ? Groove has also a big importance in your music like all those great rock'n'roll bands.
All of us contribute to the song-writing. Our common idea of how we would like the band to sound makes it a great way of developing, and at the same time it creates a great variety of songs, depending on who wrote it. Most of the time one of us come up with the basic idea and we arrange the song as a band, but we also write songs together from scratch. A lot of the time the song ideas are based on riffs, but some songs are also results of just trying to create a certain atmosphere, and the structure takes shape from that.
>Will you tour soon outside Norway ?
We are working on a few different opportunities of touring outside of Norway, but at this point no dates are confirmed.
>Well thanx a lot for your answers. I wish Sahg all the best !
Our pleasure, thank you.
R>
Interview done by DJ In Extremis
mais l'anglais ce n'est pas mon demaine!
alors si c'est possible :
pouvez vous me traduire en français???
...votre interview!
merci d avence...
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