Daniel Bryntse: Guitars & Vocals
Henka: Bass & Vocals
Crister Olsson: Guitars & Vocals
Jonas Lindström: Drums

Formed: 2004
Gävle,  Sweden
Label: Napalm Records
Genre: Epic Doom Metal

CURRENT LINE-UP:

Isole's Crister Olsson

May 2, 2009

Interviewer: Peter

DISCOGRAPHY:

Forevermore (2005)
The Beyond EP (2006)
Throne of Void (2006)
Bliss of Solitude (2008)
Silent Ruins (2009)

Through all of the years of toil, lineup changes, and a name change, Isole has persevered through it all.  It was just last year that the band started to become known to a wider audience with their style of doom metal with their third album Bliss of Solitude.  Clearly not a band that rests on their laurels, Isole returns with their fourth album in Silent Ruins and as one would expect, the band puts some deep thought into its lyric matter.  Recently, Crister Olsson took some time after finishing a two week tour of Europe to talk about all things Isole, as well as give a free, albeit brief, lesson in French and Italian.

Peter: Since most people are still relatively new to Isole, would you give a brief history of the band?

Crister Olsson: Isole or Forlorn, as the name was back then, was founded back in 1990 by Daniel and Crister, and the idea was to play doom metal.  Lots of demos were recorded during the 90’s and also many line-up changes.  The only demo worth mentioning is Waves of Sorrow from 1994 that even today, is considered as a doom jewel. In the late 90’s, Forlorn were put on ice mainly because we had huge problems with the line up, members quitting or moving elsewhere. And the break lasted until 2004, when I Hate Records contacted us and wanted to sign Isole and after that, things have moved rather quickly, four fullength albums and one 7” in just five years. The two latest albums were released via Napalm Records.

Peter: Originally, the band was called Forlorn.  There was also a band from Norway of that name.  How much confusion was there early on, and is there a meaning behind the current band name Isole?

Crister: There were not much confusion, but we didn’t want to share a band name with any other band.  Therefore, we decided that we should change the name and Isole has the same meaning as Forlorn, but in French. I have also learned that Isole is island in Italian.

Peter: Prior to the release of the band's third album Bliss of Solitude, the band signed on to Napalm Records.  How did that deal come about and how would you characterize the relations with the label?

Crister: We didn’t try to change labels at all, but we got some offers from a couple of major labels after Throne of Void and we thought that maybe it was time to move on. Napalm may not be famous for having lots of Doom metal bands on their roster, but we thought that they could be the right choice for us anyway. And I’m really pleased with our cooperation with Napalm. Napalm has a huge distribution and the promotion is huge compared to our time at IHR, and the most important thing for us is that we have our artistic freedom and that is all that matters to me.  Napalm has helped us to take a big step forward and I hope our cooperation will continue in the future, as well.

Peter: Prior to the signing, Isole released two albums on a different label.  Are there any plans to re-release the albums through Napalm Records?

Crister: I don’t know.  Time will have to tell. We have discussed things, but nothing is set and we must think about this.

Peter: This year, Isole released a new album in Silent Ruins.  What are some of the details that you can give, in terms of the cover art and production?

Crister: Crister: We have recorded, mixed and produced the album ourselves at our studio Apocalypse. The mastering is done by Peter in de Betou at Tailor Maid Production. We tried to get an acoustic sound, and I think we succeeded rather well and I think this kind of production suits us very well. The layout is made by Gustavo Sazes; he had free range to make an image of the story of the album.  We are very pleased with the result and we might use his services again in the future.

Peter: The full title of the album is Silent Ruins - Part 1: Redemption, which implies that it is a concept album.  What is the concept of the album and what are some of the other themes that may be covered on future albums?

Crister: Actually, it is a long story on this album that continues throughout the whole album. It’s about a person who wakes up alone, without any memories in an abandoned and dead world. As he wanders through the wastelands and amongst the ruins, he starts to suspect that he might be the reason for the world’s demise. The story will continue on for at least one more album. It is Henrik who is the author of the story and I know he reads lots of books and is interested in history and religion, but I’m not quite sure what his main inspiration comes from this time.

I can’t really say what other themes will be covered on future albums; it depends on where our inspiration guides us. I don’t know if next album will be “Redemption part II,” either; maybe we will do a regular album in between.

Peter: Are there any shows lined up in support of the album?

Crister: We just got home after a two week tour in Europe with Evoken and Officium Triste and we will try to do some more shows this year as well, but the only thing I can reveal at this point is that we are heading to Spain in September.

Peter: Is there anything else that you would like to add?

Crister: If you like sad, heavy, and melancholic music, you should give Isole a spin or two. Who knows, you might enjoy it.

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