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In Words: Harmony



- Markus Sigfridsson - Dec. 2008 - Claudia Ehrhardt -


www.harmonymetal.net








Harmony band promotion photo
© Harmony


Markus Sigfridsson - December 20th 2008 (by email)




The Swedish band Harmony released their first album in 2003, now they are back with Chapter II - Aftermath. Why it took so long guitarist Markus Sigfridsson explains and tells some more about Harmony!



Please tell us what happened after the release of Dreaming Awake! And why it took so long to present the follow-up?

When we we're to record the new album we lost our contract with Massacre Records, so we recorded a new three track demo that we hoped would give us a new contract with a major label. But that didn't happen. And then also we are involved with another band called Darkwater. Recording that album took some time (we actually recorded that album twice). I also made a record with my project band 7days, and then there has been some live playing with both Harmony and Darkwater. And the years passed by too quickly...

I guess you all been busy through the years, coz everybody is involved in other bands, too. So what makes Harmony differ from the other bands you are involved with?

Harmony is basically me and Tobias (drums), we write and produce everything. In for example Darkwater everyone participates in the writing process. Music wise Harmony is more straight metal (with some neoclassical influences), while Darkwater is progressive metal.

Your new album is called Chapter II - Aftermath. Why did you chose this title?

Chapter II is because it's our second album (maybe our next will have Chapter III in the title), Chapter II is like the repercussions of our first album, hopefully we have evolved a lot in our music on all levels.

And how satisfied are you with the final result? And the response to it?

We are proud and satisfied with the whole production, especially in relation to our current means. To the next album we hope evolve our sound and production even more.
And the response has been really good in media, high reviews almost everywhere.


The artwork is very dark... Who had the idea for the cover? And don't you think people might get a wrong idea about the music?

Actually I'm responsible for the artwork. I help a few bands on my spare time with CD artwork, so obviously I do Harmony's artwork as well. I hope the dark artwork can attract new listeners rather than giving them a wrong idea of the music, it was not deliberately though.

Please tell us something about the lyrics! What inspires you?

I write whatever comes to our mind and heart, anything else wouldn't be just and true. I don't want to write lyrics that a specific crowd wants to hear, and I hope anyone could find them selves in the lyrics. The lyrics can sometimes be about Christian themes since I have a Christian background. So obviously that put's different ideas into my head.

You are a Christian metal band. How important is it for you to wear your belief on your sleeve?

Not at all, you know, we don´t have to do it if don't want to. If someone puts that on their sleeve because the feel like they are expected to do it, then, what's the point with that? It wouldn't be very honest.

There is a Christian metal community, but do you think that some media have problems with you as a Christian metal band? Coz most of the time it seems that Christian metal bands get ignored...

We never aimed to be part of a specific community, that's just something that happens. I'm aware of the problem of being ignored by some media, although I can't say that it has happened to us, hope it won't happen either. Neither are all members of Harmony Christians.

Any chance to see Harmony live? Or do we have to wait til there is another album?

We've made two gigs in Germany and one in Holland lately. We really hope to get more bookings to play live, both in Sweden and around Europe.

As it took years to present the follow-up, so I guess there were tons of songs written and not all would have been used somehow... Can we expect some more of you soon?

Yes, it won't take five more years. I have a lot of songs, demos and ideas top put into a new album.

What's on your schedule for 2009?

Hopefully many gigs, and the recording of a new album.

Thanks
Markus Sigfridsson



Hope they get the chance to tour and so giving me the chance to see them on stage. And it looks like now they kick off seriously now and that it won't take long til we hear from them again.



Claudia Ehrhardt

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