Tag: dismember

Interviews
Darren Cowan

DISMEMBER – Interview with Vocalist Matti Kärki

In the late eighties, a circle of friends in the Stockholm, Sweden area came together as architects of the Swedish death metal scene. These friends formed NIHILIST, GRAVE and DISMEMBER. Shortly afterwards, Johnny Hedlund left NIHILIST to form UNLEASHED, and NIHILIST changed their name to ENTOMBED. GRAVE, DISMEMBER, UNLEASHED and ENTOMBED formed the basis of a very distinct death metal sound, a sound honed at Studio Sunlight.

Each band has shared members, which may explain similarities in sound and style are. However, every band has unique characteristics that separate it from the other one. ENTOMBED was by far the most popular of the four; therefore, some would accuse the others as imitators, but each band came out around the same time, and as stated before, each group has its own distinct qualities. Of the four, DISMEMBER is the most melodic and is the only one of the four to blatantly use classic metal elements. These elements have remained with the group throughout it’s long reign.

The churning, down-tuned gruesomeness of their debut full-length, which many consider a classic album, “Like and Ever Flowing Stream” has remained. However, DISMEMBER has experimented slightly with styles. Their 1994 release, “Massive Killing Capacity” was an experiment with a death-n-roll style akin to “Wolverine Blues” by ENTOMBED. Dissatisfied with that trial, the group returned to their savage roots with the bluntly titled “Death Metal.” DISMEMBER has a style that works and fans expect, so their ensuing albums “Hate Campaign,” “Where Iron Crosses Grow,” and “The God That Never Was” maintained this maiming sound.

Sticking to their guns, mortars, canons, nukes and whatever artillery they have in their vast armory of metal weapons is exactly what DISMEMBER has done with their forthcoming album of no title (Matti fervently states it is not a self-titled album) . Here, the group displays the type of decapitating decadence fans of the group have grown to love. While sipping a choice Danish beer, singer, war general and all-around World War II fanatic, Matti Kärki gave Metal Centre the low down on his new, untitled effort.

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