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Interview with Filip Leo of
Corporation 187
May 11th 2008 by Sam Thomas |
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Corporation187 have recently released
"Newcomers of Sin" after several years of silence. This fact
alone would be intriguing, but it's not the only interesting thing
about them by a long way. I was pleased to catch up with Filip,
and raise a few questions that had been niggling me...
I’m told that the band name derives from the
Swedish police code for murder. Is this correct? Do you wish now
that you had chosen something more metal-oriented as a name?
187 is a police-code for murder, but not here in Sweden. It’s from
some state in America. I guess we heard it in a movie or something
and thought it was cool. We get many questions about the numbers and
we have to explain it in interviews all the time but I don’t have a
problem with the name itself.
I’ve found it difficult to describe your music
in reviews. How would you like to be described? Which bands (if any)
have influenced you?
I think it is great when someone have a hard time explaining our
sound because then people have to listen for themselves. It so easy
to say that a band sound like for example The Haunted, just because
they have a similar guitar-sound. But that does not explain how the
band actually sound. I think we have created something fresh a new
in some way on this album. One song does not have to sound like the
other to satisfy our musical needs and I think that’s why it’s hard
to describe our music. So lets just say it’s Metal. I can not say
that we have been influenced by a certain band when we wrote the
music for this album, we are 5 individuals that try to work together
and create music.
Your first two albums were released by
Earache, but now you’ve moved to Anticulture. Did you feel there was
something lacking in your relationship with Earache?
No, I can’t say we can blame Earache for anything. We parted ways
since they made clear to us that our services were no longer needed.
Then we got a new deal with Anticulture records and started to
record the new album right away.
Why choose another English-based record label?
It’s just a coincidence. By I must say that I think it might be
perfect for us. I think we have a strong fan-base in the UK.
Your latest album, “Newcomers of Sin” is your
strongest release yet. How do you think you have developed from
“Perfection in Pain”?
We are better musicians today I think. Personally I have tried to
get a darker and lower touch when it comes to my vocals, but I guess
I’m doing my part pretty much like I did earlier. I had never been a
vocalist before I joined Corporation 187 and recorded “Perfection in
Pain” so I’m new in this situation. Trying to make things better
each time. But as a band we have a slower tempo and a more rock
oriented approach on “Newcomers of Sin”, but at the same time we
have parts that might sound more black-metal.
Why is there such a big gap between these
two albums?
We couldn’t release “Newcomers of Sin” earlier because the writing
process took so long. The new sound grew during the years and when a
new song was finished we had to ask ourselves if this was what we
wanted to release. The answer was not always yes so many times we
had to start all over again. Re-arranging and writing new better
riffs. Then the recording and mixing lasted for a whole year. We
recorded the album in our own studio so we had to learn how to use
it and get the best out of the equipment. |
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Do
you plan to keep us waiting as long for your next release?
It depends. I hope not. But in the end I can’t promise anything, it
might take a lifetime, who knows? I must say that I hope we can
release a new album in the nearest years. But a promise would just
be empty words. As long as I’m proud of our releases I’m happy, but
waiting is very frustrating both for us and our fans.
If you could choose which bands to tour with
to promote the album, who would be your ideal line-up? Who have you
most enjoyed touring with in the past?
It would be cool to tour with Carcass, Bloodbath and Opeth. 3 Bands
that don’t play the exact same kind of music. I liked touring with
Arch Enemy in the UK. I think we got a great support from their fans
and I like their music a lot.
What’s the worst thing that’s ever happened to
you on tour?
I got gastric influenza when we toured with The Berzerker in Europe.
I was sitting on the toilet with diarrhoea in Switzerland just
seconds before entering the stage. I did not do it in my pants but
it was very close and my ass hurt like hell. Hehe. I had a fever and
I was a real mess. But the gig was ok...
There’s two completely different ways that
Sweden is seen in England. On the one hand, you have Volvos and
IKEA, on the other hand, huge numbers of very talented death metal
bands. Which is the most accurate view of Sweden?
Lets say it like this: I drive a Volvo and almost all my furniture
come from IKEA and I play in a death-metal band. But lets try to
find another approach to your question... I think we have very high
standards here in Sweden. People work a lot (at IKEA and Volvo) and
have good economy so they can buy music-equipment for their kids.
But the parents work all the time so they can’t spend time with
their kids so the youngsters get frustrated and want attention and
starts hating everything and a need to express this through their
instruments is born. Something like that maybe? This is not the
story of my life but for someone it might be, hehe
How would you define the difference between
Stockholm and Gothenburg? (In metal terms, rather than geography!)
Hard question. Don’t think I can make it justice. But maybe the
bands coming from Gothenburg is a bit more melodic than the bands
coming from Stockholm. But if I would say that someone would
probably prove me wrong, so. I don’t know.
Finally, is there anything you’d like to add?
Open the door for the next generation, let it our for the grand
manipulation!
See you on tour!
//Filip |
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