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Hi, first off all I just want to congratulate you on your debut album “From Hate Incarnated”. Are you satisfied with it?
Kristoffer - Yes. We’re extremely satisfied with both the production and the artwork and we think the album turned out to be just as uncompromising and brutal as we could have wished for.
How did you get your name Spectral Mortuary?
Kristoffer - The name was chosen even before I joined the band, but as far as I know it was our old lead singer who came up with it. We have kept the name because we think it is a bit original and gives hints to the themes of the lyrics which mostly revolve around horror, gore and general vile topics.
“From Hate Incarnated” is one hell of a Death Metal album. Where did you record it?
Kristoffer - Thanks a lot, glad to hear that you liked it!
We recorded and mixed the album in Berno Studio in Malmo, Sweden with the owner Berno Paulsson as producer. It was a great experience to work with Berno since his a very cool guy and his immense experience really allowed us to get the production we were aiming for. We chose Berno because we wanted to make a Danish death metal album without the classic Danish sound, which is great but we found that a more aggressive and dirty production would suit our music better.
Was everything written before entering the studio?
Kristoffer - More or less… We worked very intensively before entering the studio to make all the material ready and rehearse enough to produce an album as tight as we wanted within the limited amount of time we had in the studio. Of course small changes in lead guitar and vocal arrangements were made during recording, but I guess this is how it usually is done.
Even though that “From Hate Incarnated” is pure Death Metal, bands like Slayer and Destruction comes to mind when I listen to it. Are you influenced by them?
Kristoffer - Not directly, but after listening to these bands throughout the years, riffs and passages referring to some of these metal titans will naturally occur. We think these thrash influenced parts works as a cool contrast to the blast beat death metal dominating the album. So I guess we use them instead of adding acoustic guitars and keyboards which absolutely do not fit into the music of Spectral Mortuary.
What music do you listen to in your spare time? And which band or bands was or were the reason to start a formation yourself?
Kristoffer - Too many to mention, but mostly we listen to old school Swedish/US/UK death metal and grind core along with much of the older heavy metal. To mention a few Grave, Obituary, Morbid Angel, Carcass, Death, Krisiun and Immolation are among the favourites. So obviously these bands serve as the major sources of inspiration, but at the same time we are trying to add a personal sound by including e.g. the thrash metal parts mentioned above and what else we see fit.
How important do you think the internet is nowadays to promote an up-coming band?
Kristoffer - Extremely important! These days most of the up-coming bands are promoting themselves on sites like myspace which gives them enormous possibilities to present their music. But also more established bands need to take this seriously since the exposure the internet provides largely exceeds what traditional medias offer. The internet as a media also appeals to people who might not have went out and purchased a CD.
How do you see the future of Death Metal?
Kristoffer - I think the future looks pretty bright. After a down period of some years brutal death metal is starting to get the attention it
deserves and bands as Dawn of Demise, Crucifix, Corpus Mortal and Exmortem are doing a fine job promoting Danish death metal.
What do you love to hate in the music industry?
Kristoffer - So far our cooperation with our label Mighty Music has been great, so we have not really found anything to hate yet.
The five most important Metal albums of all times, please.
Kristoffer - Impossible question but here is one suggestion;
Morbid Angel: Blessed Are the Sick
Obituary: Slowly We Rot
Judas Priest: British Steel
Death: Leprosy
Pantera: Power Metal
What are you doing besides Spectral Mortuary, job wise as well as hobbies?
Kristoffer - Most of us are under education and Spectral Mortuary takes most of our spare time, but as you can see Morten Jørgensen has spend an hour or two in the gym and Siersbæk has some car obsession which I honestly don’t get.
What tasks presently lie ahead for Spectral Mortuary?
Kristoffer - Currently we are working hard on writing some new material and setting up gigs.
If you could choose freely, who is your dream band to tour with?
Kristoffer - Tough question, but I’m sure a tour with Johnny Madsen (Danish Pop singer) we be something special.
Well, that’s it! Thanks a lot for the interview. Anything you’d like to add to our head banging readers?
Kristoffer - Hope the readers will find our album worth banging their heads to and that we will be seeing them at venues around Denmark when we hopefully soon get a chance to tear them apart. Keep on supporting Danish extreme metal!
Interviewed by Peter | 
