Entrails Interview (Jimmy Lundqvist 2025)

Entrails was a band that was born in the 90s, meaning during the Death Metal explosion, but in those years the band never had a demo that put them on the map or any production that would make you say you knew them at the time, and that came to light thanks to an interview with the band that they were never satisfied with any production and/or demo they made during the 8 years of activity they had in the 90s, so they never released anything. But after years and being in new times, the band returned in 2010 with their first album called "Tales from the Morgue", which I remember very well that it caught my attention for having that Swedish flavor in its hands and with all the spices of the legends of their country, and the band thanks to that first production, they began to release more productions in the future, and now we find ourselves with their eighth studio album called "Grip of Ancient Evil" released through Hammerheart Records.  

Para leer la entrevista en español: Entrevista a Entrails  

Metallerium: Welcome to the Metallerium website and thank you for taking the time to talk with us. First, how are you all doing, and how is Entrails feeling now that “Grip of Ancient Evil” is about to be released?”  

Entrails: Hello and thx for that. No worries. vacation time here and I need to hide from the sun also, perfect to answer interviews then. Haha. We all feel good, I hope. We had a gathering a few days ago and everyone felt good. And we all feel good to have this album out. Finally. always a long procedure to have it all done and out. Long wait.  

Metallerium: Also, When did you begin writing and recording this new album, and are these entirely new compositions or did you revive ideas from previous albums?  

Entrails: I started to do new demos in May 2024, and after summer I had 10 songs ready to be rehearsed and in late autumn we entered my studio to record drums and after that the rest was smoothly recorded and rather quickly as well. As we are not so close living to HQ, we had to plan for the days to record, but it worked out good in the end. I don’t use ideas from our own previous albums, but I am influenced by the old 90s styled death metal, so I try keep that flare burning. This time we also used a lot of guest writers for the lyrics. Mostly friends of course. And they have great skills, so there is not so much to change there when it came to doing the vocals in our way.  

Metallerium: Now, we at Metallerium reviewed “Grip of Ancient Evil” and thought it was a strong record. How have you seen your fan’s reactions and media reviews until now? Do you regularly read reviews of your work?  

Entrails: Ah. Great. I’ve read it. And would give it a 3/5. Looks the same almost everywhere. Yepp, I read what I can find. It’s a mix of reactions I would say. And as usual we cannot please everyone. And we can’t do the production as everyone wants, and we cannot do that and that, but we´re happy that we satisfy the people that also have this passion for the 90´s Swedish sound and death metal. Mostly of them who are negative have no clue at all what we do and what our goal is and why it sounds like it does etc. etc. I mean. We do old school. In OUR way. And of course, we shall not invent anything new. And we don’t do it. We just do what we like and what our passion is. Can we do it like that without people crying about it? Obviously not for some people. There is a strange generation out there having a hard time getting that. They have no passion at all. Not everyone but those who complain and think they know how it must be. They shouldn’t teach us how it should be. Haha… and others who think they´re better in knowing Swedish DM than us are hilarious to read from. In the end we are truly glad about the positive response it gets. And it’s a LOT. And it’s for them we do this. Our fans are the best. The scams are just shit in space, but they need to hear it.  

Metallerium: Furthermore, Entrails is known for its classic Swedish death‑metal approach. What is your songwriting process to ensure that you keep that timeless sound without simply redoing what you’ve done before?  

Entrails: At least we try to. Well. As said. I´ve tried to not invent anything new in first step. The classic rhythmic section must be present. The riffing must be there, but avoiding collisions is getting harder every time, but I have plenty of ideas all the time. Too many ideas actually so I have to leave much outside on every song. The trick is to not practice playing guitar. Being good at it only ruins the riffing and you make too complicated stuff and then it’s out of old school. It must be at an amateur level like I have. And then keep the sound we want as close as possible for each album even if it’s nearly impossible. Even if lineup changes happen, we must sound the same and to me it’s working well. When have I done 95% of all songs it shouldn’t be so much difference right? Only the vocal dude is the very noticeable thing that´s hearable. Then if all above is cool the rest is in the mixing and production. And I try keep that flare of the Swedish sound alive by my own vision. Not anyone else’s.  

Metallerium: Now, this is your second album with HammerHeart Records. How has your relationship with the label evolved, and in an era when many young bands stay independent, why do you believe it’s important to work with a record company?  

Entrails: So far so good. Not much to discuss. It’s normal work we have. A little different compared to Metal blade where you were chased to have something done in time. And, who likes stress? I don’t, that’s for sure. It’s for sure important to have a label believing in you behind to get the right promotion and maybe pay for the party. Haha it’s truly expensive to make an album. Even if we use our own stuff. And do the mix etc. by us nowadays.  

Metallerium: Also, the cover art for Grip of Ancient Evil looks cool. How did you choose the artwork, and what themes or atmosphere were you aiming to express visually?  

Entrails: Haha. I cannot spoil that. Then it will be the same talk as Tomb Awaits album, people really thought it was looking for like Left-hand path, though it wasn’t the attention at all. For this new one we used the same artist as the last one but this time we had this theme that just by hearing the album and looking at the cover you should see every song title in any shape drawn somewhere. Zombie violine player is there, the grip from main title is the shape of the monster hand and the “corpse hand” that are shown and what it’s doing. The rest is your own fantasy to see. Unfortunately, there is no manual for this for those who cannot see that. It’s just pure imagination  

Metallerium: In addition, how did you decide on the album title Grip of Ancient Evil, and what does it signify in the context of the record’s lyrical or musical themes?”  

Entrails: Title is always the last thing to decide. I had like 10 other titles to choose from, but this one suited the cover the best.  And from there the theme of every song title drawn somewhere. Maybe it’s a long shot to figure but very clever from me. haha  

Metallerium: What are Entrails’ plans after the release? Do you intend to tour—perhaps outside Sweden—and will you be filming any official music videos?  

Entrails: Touring aint our first attending. We prefer to do more intense weekends of 2-4 shows. Being on the roads doesn’t fit us all in family situations and work etc. so we can mostly do these kinds of short runs. So, we are looking for these kinds of solutions that fit our schedule also. And then we can be on stage somewhere for anybody to see us. At least in Europe. Then we´ll see what happens. Everything can be solved to other destinations with the right arguments and such. Sweden is unfortunately not so good to be playing in. clubs, organizers, festivals are highly lazy to respond our emails. Our biggest festival Sweden rock have lost it completely with lineups and character to its name. And there has never been any direct interest in doing a cheesy video officially. Mostly live clips are what’s being up on like YouTube or so.  

Metallerium: Having existed for 35 years, how have you seen the death‑metal scene change from being fans to now being veterans? Do you find it easier or harder to sustain a band today?  

Entrails: Yeah, it’s truly hard. Family situations are something that you cannot decide above. Also, if interest is lacking it’s no meaning to be in a band and so on. And I’ve been vacuuming the whole area here for good musicians to fit the band and while getting older it’s no use to find young people, restless as they are and filled with some strange behaviors it’s no use to bring em on the train. So, I’ve been lucky finding the guys that´s on it now. And for have seeing how the scene have changed since the beginning it started already 1995, I don’t know what really happened but to me it wasn’t that much of death anymore. So, for me I keep everything before that in my memory and have that as influence in my work.  

Metallerium: With modern technology allowing young bands to record and self‑produce albums at home, do you think it’s still possible to make a living from music? How have rising touring costs and post‑pandemic challenges affected Entrails’ ability to operate full‑time, versus holding down other jobs?  

Entrails: To do it at home is necessary nowadays unless you don’t get paid tons for your album and can afford to go to a studio. Well. there are bands doing it isn’t it? We don’t. That’s for sure. You have got to have massive company behind you and as a band you just need to be around on stage all the time and leave everything at home. That’s my vision of it. Could be wrong. and after the pandemic it has for sure been much harder to get shows booked. Bands are truly fighting to get slots and organizers are now being fed with a lot of requests I assume.  

Metallerium: The rapid advance of AI tools can now generate videos, cover art, or even music from simple prompts. How do you think this will impact artistic integrity in metal? Would you ever consider using such tools, and do you view their output as a form of plagiarism given the training on other artists’ work?  

Entrails: I would say FUCK AI... period. If people have been that lazy it’s the end of mankind. and it’s not old school or shouldn’t be involved in music. People are just finding a way for quick money for not doing anything. I won’t use that shit.  

Metallerium: In addition, platforms like YouTube have already changed their monetization policies around AI‑generated content. Have you noticed any practical effects of these policy shifts on your own promotional efforts?  

Entrails: I use YouTube to check things I follow and for my own interests. And it’s not much music. and haven’t been so much into what happens on top of that so I can’t comment so much.  

Metallerium: What legacy do you hope Entrails will leave in the world of death metal after more decades of music-making?  

Entrails: Tough question. The band who kept the swedeath flare burning for a very long time while others became mainstream. haha. Nah., I don’t know. I could let others be the judge of that.  

Metallerium: Thank you all for your time, and congratulations on Grip of Ancient Evil. Finally, could you share a few words for your fans in Latin America and Metallerium readers?  

Entrails: Thank you. well. Keep on listening to what you like. And if we satisfy any out there it’s very neat and something I’ve been working on so hard and finally reach out to a lot of true fans. And by your support the flare will keep burning.