Your lalest album, “At The World Of Untrodden Wonder”, has been released quite recently and I wonder about the response you received…

- The response has so far been great. Most of the people I have supplied with promotional material has been very supportive. Great reviews, it seems like it is an album which they have expected from the band. Most of the reviewers has been happy that we haven’t progressed to a softer direction and they appreciate that we have remind true to the style of “The Seasons album”. Even if there is a bit of a progression between the albums. As far as the selling results so far, I don’t know anything about that. Actually not really mush about the selling result of "the Seasons" eighter. We hope STIM (a music association in Sweden) will be able to check that out for us.

“At The World…” was released this year, however it was recorded back in August ’97! What caused such a delay?

- The delay is not to blamed on one single thing, but mostly because of Pulverised Records actually. However, the curse stroke us as soon as it was recorded. Cutting room mastered the album. Normally this step in the production of a CD master shall be done on the twice of the running time of a CD, but something happen when we got the final mastering we found several dropouts, and the whole process had to be done 4 times before they could deliver a decent master. Then the cover was delayed for 3 months. And suddenly Gothic released the debut album, which Pulverised saw as a threat for the promotion for the band. They were afraid that people should mix-up everything. Well, I actually don’t remember everything, I think some of these things are made up because of financial problems on Pulverised.

Are you pleased with the way Tomas and Fred worked with you? Tell us few words regarding Sunlight Studio as well as it’s equipment…

- Yes, both of them did a great job for us, even if we did allot of the recordings by our self, as they were quiet busy at that time. The equipment at Sunlight is old but it works great. The whole place is quiet relaxing and stress less.  By the way Morth has replaced Fred Estby nowadays at Sunlight.

“At The World Of Untrodden Wonder” features photos taken by Henke Forss of DAWN while the coverart was made by Par Johansson of SATARIEL, so it seems like MITHOTYN is not the only band you’re in contact with, eh?

- We are actually not in touch with SATARIEL, Per did our cover but besides that we have no contact with them at all. DAWN used our rehearsal place back when Morth helped them out with drum playing on the “Slaughtersun” album. Henke and Lars from DAWN live around here. So we run into each-other sometimes. But the MITHOTYN guys are the once we hang with. Otherwise there is a handful of band which I use to mail to sometimes, for example ABYSSOS.
 
We’ve just been talking your latest CD, however what about THY PRIMORDIAL’s first-ever release?

- The first release was “De Mörka Makters Alla” demo ´95. This one included 8 songs. We recorded it in the same place as we have used for the INDUNGEON records. Back then the studio only had a 8 tracker and a small mixerboard and almost no equipment. The music was more deathmetal based, more influences from bands like AT THE GATES. I still find the guitar sound very cool. I think we sold pretty mush of it atleast 200-300 tapes before we sold the master tape to Paranoia Syndrome production.
 
I hope you wouldn’t mind telling us anything you’d like to in regards to that 7”EP you mentioned in the former interview we made?

- The 7” EP was a thing we did together with Paranoia Syndrome. It was done meanwhile we dealed with Pulverised. We saw it as a promotion thing for the band, as we at that point left Gothic Records, without a release to our name. Since the release of the first demo there were no material released between early 95 and mid 96. We thought we had to do something new to promote the band before a full length CD on Pulverised. The deal we got from Paranoia was really bad actually, we even had to pay for every single copy of the 7”EP we liked, exept for the 5 once for the members in the band. But we agreed anyway, we saw it allot better to release a 7”EP then a demotape. The material to this self titled EP was recorded in Nidengate studio (same as “Under Iskall…” was recorded). It contains 4 songs plus an intro which Karl Beckman (MITHOTYN) did for us. Two songs was later recorded for “The Seasons” album. It was printed in 500 copies which sold out pretty fast. The sound was pretty chaotic but still better then the sound on “Under Iskall Trollmåne”. The only real bad thing with this release was the front-cover. We liked a black front with our logo, but Paranoia found a drawing (probably in the thrash can) which they used as cover. It looks like a black and white copy of ENTOMBED’s “Wolverine Blues” album. They didn’t let us know before everything went to the print so we had not a chance to stop it.  As I said it sold out fast.

As far as I know, “Where Only The Seasons Mark The Paths Of Time” was released in the shape of LP lately… Why did you decide to issue it on vinyl? Are there any plans to do the same with “At The World…” CD?

- Once again we used Paranoia Syndrome to work with, this time we established a better deal, or actually we didn´t do mush  about it, Pulverised fixed everything. It was released in December 97 (not recently) It contains same material as the CD version, this one is still available, from us at least. The reason why we released it on vinyl is that we like to please the vinyl fans as well as our own interest for vinyl. At this point I really don’t know if Pulverised has any plans to release “At the world…” on vinyl. We have actually been in touch with Paranoia Syndrome. But nothing sure yet. If there will be a LP of “At The World…”, it will be on P. S.

Can you tell me why “Under Iskall Troll Mane” wasn’t it released back in 1995 as it was planned? You know, it’s somewhat strange to see the band releasing it’s second album a year before the first one…

- Yes, it’s a strange story. As you know , the album was scheduled for a late 95 or early 96 release. But nothing happened, and we tried to get hold on the Gothic staff. But they never answered eithter phone-calls, faxes or letters. So we in the band went on. After the release of  “the seasons” album there was some other labels in touch with me. They were all interested to release “Under Iskall...” But the only existing masters of the was at the Gothic office. So I told them, if you manage to buy out the masters you can release it. But none managed to even reach Gothic. Finally Thorns of Full Moon located the guys of Gothic. He offered them some cash for it, but Gothic just told him, that the CD was about to be released. However, in August 98 they released the album.

Actually, I was somehow surprised when I got “Under Iskall Troll Mane” and discovered that it was unleashed through Gothic Records… Why them, not Pulverised?

- As I said, we signed a contract with Gothic which allowed them to release the album, it was nothing to do about it really. Back in 95 we saw Gothic as a good label as they carried ABSU and SADISTIC INTENT on the label. We had no idea that the label suffered of several things. However, Pulverised was never involved, they were not interested at all, they told us maybe if we re-recorded the album in another studio. Which we didn’t agree to do, we didn’t see any point in record a three years old album once again.

“Under Iskall Troll Mane” has eight songs of nine in Swedish, “Where Only The Seasons Mark The Paths Of Time” has five tunes of ten with verses written in your native language, while “At The World Of Untrodden Wonder” is all-English album… Strange (though splendid) metamorphosis…

- In the beginning, we felt uncomfortable with the English language, so we wrote the lyrics in Swedish instead. It was somehow easier to express our feelings through our native language. Later on we tried to do some English lyrics. So 50% of them was in English on “the seasons” album. And as we gained our English knowledge we decided to do a album with only English lyrics on the “At The World…” album. We will probably keep it that way in the future aswell.

“Dit Far Min Sjal Under Iskall Troll Mane. Har Jag Hor Hur De Svarta Skogarna Mumla, Hur Tradkronorna Susa. Svart Och Kallt, Mork Och Dyster Tid. Lat Denna Tid Vara Forevigt, Forevigt…” Could you please give us a translation of this message (placed on the inlay of “Under Iskall Troll Mane” CD)?

- Ok this is quite hard to translate, but it CAN be translated to something like this: “There goes my soul, under the icecold trollmoon. Where I hear the mumble of the black forest and how the wind sweeps through the tree tops. Nocturnal and cold, a dark and gloomy time, let this time remain… Ever and forever”.

Why did you decide to release “Under Iskall…” as a limited (1000 copies) edition? Don’t you fear that it will become difficult of access rather soon? I mean, your fans won’t gain by it for sure!

- The whole CD is not limited in 1000 copies, just the first press. When the first press has sold out there will be another press, but with another front cover. But except the cover, there will not be any difference at all. I really don’t know when Gothic will release it, I heard July 99 but it might be false. I really don’t care to ask them eighter as my contact with them isn’t too good for natural reasons.

Are you still on Pulverised Records? Haven’t you received any other offers after “Where Only The Seasons…” was brought forth the light? Also, isn’t it kinda difficult to collaborate with the label based in Singapore (I mean, CD’s and money transfer, etc.)?

- Yes we´re still on Pulverised. Our deal with them is for three albums. So we are soon free and can go to which label we want. Yes, it can be difficult to collaborate with them. Lately we had some problems with the studio for the fourth album. Actually it didn´t went out at all. We had to cancel. All because miss understandings. But a new date is set now. Yes there has been interest from other labels. Two of them is really respectable in the underground. But I think the only wise thing to do for us is to act professional, and remain to the contract. After all it´s just a question of months left on the Pulverised contract. Maybe we walk on to another label then, maybe we stay. The future will tell.
 
How do you manage to keep the lineup stable throughout all these years?

- I really don’t know,  haven’t actually thought about it. There was a period during early 96, when N. Nilsson was out of the band for awhile. He didn’t show up for rehearses or even the photo session of the 7”EP. So he was mentioned as a session musician  on that release. But we worked it out.

Leather, spikes, corpsepaint, bulletbelts… Do you feel that all these ‘black metal trademarks’ really fit you?

- Yes otherwise we would not use it.

What about satanism? Your lyrics and appearance obviously tell me that you appear as the devil worshippers… Hence, the following question arises: don’t you think that by worshipping satan you support christianity? Speaking plainer – being spawned by miserable jews, christianity and satanism are Siamese twins since one won’t exist if another fails… so x-ians NEED satanism in order to keep alive their own religion. If I’m wrong considering you satanists, then a) sorry b) let me ask what are your philosophical beliefs, more on a theological direction?

- Even if our lyrics can be related to such things as satanism, we don´t claim to be satanists.  I am an atheist. I don´t believe in any gods, or whatsoever.

Well, seems like that's all Micke wanted to tell us. Here's the point this interview should be finished, I guess... Check out THY PRIMORDIAL's homepage for latest news about the band:
http://come.to/thyprim

If you want to contact the band themselves, write to: thyprim@hem1.passagen.se