Metal Anarchy

Time for the next edition of Metal Anarchy’s “new music showcase,” the feature where I introduce you to artists that readers of this site may find interesting. This time I have a Q&A with Minneriket.

METAL ANARCHY: Tell me a little about your band:

MINNERIKET: Minneriket is a solo project I started almost 10 years ago to be able to create music focusing solely on atmosphere and an internal dialogue with myself. It’s about being nostalgic but still innovative, rooted in tradition but walking new paths and carving out a whole new beast. Within Minneriket there are no goals – there are only soundscapes, audio therapy and a straight-to-the-core kind of songwriting.

METAL ANARCHY: Who are your main influences?

MINNERIKET: It comes from within. There are things within me I need to let out, and music is my weapon of choice. When the wind whispers of nostalgia, or the clouds roar with anger, I use all that to compose the music.

Inspiration comes from the wind, from the rain, from the unheard sound of the sunrays, from the guy you see on TV, from the note before the commercial on the radio. Inspiration is words, beats, meanings, images, paintings, people, it’s everywhere. You just need to tune in and listen with more than just your ears.

METAL ANARCHY: What is your latest release and why should readers of this site check it out?

MINNERIKET: The latest album “Gjennom meg går ingen til hvile” is a tentpole album of how to do a gothic approach to Black Metal without having it become sterile, overly symphonic or by-the-book. There’s an extensive use of field recordings done in nature combined with somber pianos, a multitude of different voices and instruments, and a songwriting style rarely seen within extreme metal. Orchestration, octavation, harmonizing, jazz and blues inspired, folk elements… It’s avantgarde without being pretentious – it’s just a great fucking album in a style no one saw coming.

METAL ANARCHY: What can people expect when they go to your live shows?

MINNERIKET: Minneriket is a one-man studio prosject and does not perform live rituals.

METAL ANARCHY: Where do you see your band heading in 5 years?

MINNERIKET: Expanding, I hope. I can’t stand being static or in a standstill position when it comes to creativity. My contributions to music will forever be rooted in the darker aspects of Black Metal and Ambient, but I’m not much of a metal fan really, I prefer the black in Black Metal, and not the metal. Hopefully I’ll be able to shape Minneriket into the notorious outfit I imagine it has the power to become.

The only thing I know about the future for Minneriket is that it will continue to evolve, that no ground is too sacred to tread upon, and that there are no barriers for sound, message or aesthetics.