Entrails Interview (Jimmy Lundqvist)

Entrails is a band that was formed in the first wave of Swedish death metal bands back in the nineties, however, their record history begins in 2010 with "Tales From The Morgue" and "The Tomb Awaits", highlighting the famous Swedish sound, and garnering attention from style fans globally. After some recent lineup changes, Entrails are back with a bang on "An Eternal Time Of Decay" and Metallerium landed an interview with founder and original member Jimmy Lundqvist, who talks us through a variety of topics.

Si desean leer la entrevista en español: Entrevista a Entrails

Metallerium: Hi Jimmy, tell us about this "time out" that the world experienced and what Entrails was doing during this time.

Entrails: we have done our 7^th album and now awaiting that to be unleashed. It has been 2 years of silence almost. Really boring time. just when things got to be interesting again this covid showed up. But we had this album planned so we just grab that work getting it done and here we are. Just within a month or so, this beast will be out.

Metallerium: Something that was not very clear to me, was about the departure of some members a few years ago, that seemed to give Entrails a stable lineup, what happened with Adde and Jocke?

Entrails: they quit the band and continued with their own projects in Birdflesh and Skogen among others. It was a stable lineup at that time, so I was not so pleased when they say they were leaving. But with no hard feeling at all.

Metallerium: You have a new album about to come out, and obviously for all lovers of Swedish death metal this one doesn't show variants, but solid songs, which show that Entrails is not a band from which evolution or mergers can be expected. Tell us about the bands that influence you, as well as movies or books that can inspire you.

Entrails: old classic movies in the horror genre. Especially the 80´s stuff and some of the 90s also are some of the inspiring themes we use and to me personally, all-metal in almost every kind from the 80s to 95 inspires me for songwriting. And of course, there is more Swedish death metal in my inspiration than Iron Maiden could ever make me do a brutal riff from. But just this thing with old school and when all the best music was created is heaven.

Metallerium: Although Entrails is related to the new wave of Swedish death metal bands, the truth is that the origin of the band dates to the first generation of extreme bands in Sweden. Tell us what differences from the old days with respect to this new era have you found; what do you miss from those years that you can't find now.

Entrails: Hard to say as it's totally different. Back then we were having the band with close friends living in the same village and we rehearsed after school and whenever we wanted but today it’s a planning situation to get all guys here at the same time. takes more time and can be frustrating sometimes and they´ve spread around everywhere.  that’s the biggest thing I do miss... I wonder what would happen if we continued and stayed with the same guys and made the music back then. Thoughts I’ve been having sometimes.

Metallerium: I guess you're soaked in what's going on in death metal right now, with new names emerging from Sweden, wanting the throne left by Dismember and old Entombed, bands like Demonical, Lik, Bloodbath, etc., and many others coming from other countries like Gatecreeper, Endseeker, Black Breath, Revel in Flesh, etc. using the HM-2 as the mainstay of their sound. What is your opinion of those bands? Any in particular that you liked?

Entrails: Not really. I barely don’t listen to other similar bands. I don’t see any similarities either. We have completely different sounds and riffs.  I don’t know why I don’t bother about them. I get bored, I guess. I rather listen to the old classics instead. And I don’t care if there is a throne to get. If there is it’s only a Swedish band who can have it. And that would be us of the corpse. haha

Metallerium: Going to the more technical-musical field, such as the impact of the resurgence of this sound that Boss had to relaunch the old HM-2, but many "improved" clones of this pedal have already been coming out on the market, such as the Left-Hand Wrath, Eyemaster, Angry Swede, etc... have you tried any of these clones or do you stay true to the old original Japanese HM-2?

Entrails: Yepp. I stay with the original. I do have a clone but it’s a clone with the right stuff inside and Japan chip and stuff, so it sounds better than the Taiwan-made hm2 which is the closest to the original. I would never buy or try another of those other wannabees.  

Metallerium: What are your 5 favorite Swedish death metal albums?

Entrails: I usually don’t do this but here are 5 among many: Clandestine, An Evil Shade of Grey, Like an Ever Flowing Stream, Into the grave, Soulless

Metallerium: In recent years the music industry has returned to the single format to promote a band, instead of the full album format, do you think this will affect the metal world in the future as well?

Entrails: I have no thoughts about that. I guess this is a thing labels want to do, and I hope they know what’s best and the bands get what they deserve.

Metallerium: It is known that you can't make a living from death metal, tell us about other hard work or activities you do outside of the band.

Entrails: oh. that’s so damn true. it doesn’t bring anything worth mentioning. Besides my ordinary work as a welder in a company, I have motorsport and rally as a hobby. This is of course expensive hobby, so I really don’t know how to solve those costs. Sponsors and things like that might help a bit but no way near any money that I can use for a whole season. And the car I am using is an old classic Opel Ascona B and spare parts are not easy to find. But as long I don’t crash it's so damn fun driving.  Then I also follow the local team of football. otherwise, it’s just me and my GF and our pets in a house.

Metallerium: Thank you very much for your time, we hope to see you in Latin America soon, greetings to Entrails fans in this part of the world.

Entrails: thank you for showing interest in us and me. I hope my answers brought something to the surface and made someone happy. Haha, and we´ll see what happens in the future and if we ever can do a trip to that part of the world. Hold your thumbs for it.  cheers