FEATURED BAND:

Read on for an interview with guitarist, Jonas Stålhammar of the early Swedish Death Metal Legends, Macabre End / God Macabre. This is one of my favorite bands so it was pleasure to interview this godly and long-defunct band. We will be conducting a newer interview with Old Sjoberg, also of Macabre End / God Macabre soon.

ENTER THE BURIAL OF THE DISMAL DEAD.....

1. Hello Jonas, Tell us something about the history of Macabre End / God Macabre, members etc..

-Hi Daryl! Well, Macabre End formed 1988 under the name BPB. The members were: Per Boder-vocals, Ola Sjoberg-guitar, Thomas Johansson-bass and Niklas Nilsson-drums. In the spring of 1990 I, Jonas Stalhammar, joined the band as a Lead Guitarplayer. At first just to help them out, and then in June I left my band ABHOTH to join the band MACABRE END (as they were now known) on a permanent basis! This was the band up until Thomas was asked to leave the fall of 1991! After the recording of "The Winterlong" CD we split up!

2. The "Consumed by Darkness" 7" ep is timeless in my opinion. This recording was originally released as your demo, correct? Any interesting memories of that recording session? How did the 7"ep
vinyl come about and many copies did Corpse Grinder Records press?

-Yes it was our first demo originally. We recorded it at Sunlight studios in about 8 hours (Including mixing). We had rehearsed like hell prior to the recordings. The demo was pressed in 100 copies and sold out within a couple of weeks. Corpse Grinder came into the picture right away and offered to release a re-mixed version on vinyl. Me and Tomas Skogsbergs remixed it in January 1991 and it was released in 1000 copies!

3.How was the record received and were there plans to record
something new as Macabre End before the name change?

-I don't remember exactly when or why we decided to change our name, but there were probably plans to record more songs under that name.

4. Who wrote the music / lyrics? Were you guys involved in the
hardcore/grind scene at all before Macabre End? I hear a bit of
Swedish hardcore in the song, "Spawn of Flesh".. Were any of the
members involved in any bands prior to Macabre End? What bands
influenced you guys at the time?

- Per wrote all the lyrics and I wrote and arranged every note of music we did, with the exeption of "Into Nowhere" which was mainly done by Per and Ola! And yes, we were heavily into the hardcore/grind scene! That's the music a band played under the name BPB! I played in the band ABHOTH before I joined MACABRE END! Our influences were stuff like: CARNAGE, NECROVORE, NIHILIST, AUTOPSY, TROUBLE, BLACK SABBATH, FIELDS OF THE NEPHILIM, REPULSION, DISCHARGE and lots more...

5. Please inform our readers on the early death metal days in your
area of Sweden? Were there any other brutal bands from your town worth mention?

-In the area were MACABRE END was based there was no other bands playing this kind of music. VOMITORY formed right after us though!!

6. Did Macabre End or God Macabre play many shows and were any off
them outside of Sweden?

-We did 3 shows and they were all local shows!! Have them all on video!! (I really need those !! - ED)

7. I noticed Per changed his vocal style a bit on "The Winterlong"
album, was it a conscious choice to not go as extreme with the
vocals or did he just do his thing on the recording. His vocals on
"Consumed by Darkness" are fucking brutal.. One of the best.

-I really don't know why!! I guess he wanted his lyrics to be more audible! But yeah, his voice was really brutal on the demo!

The Winterlong" CD 1993 (Mangled Beyond Recognition Records (Germany))
Into Nowhere
Lost
Teardrops
Ashes of Mourning Life
Spawn of Flesh
Lamentation
In Grief

8. Did you guys get alot of mail back then?

-Tons of mail! Me,Per and Ola all had fanzines and were deep in the tapetrading swamp!!

9. Relape has released a re-issue of "The Winterlong" album as well
as the "Consumed by Darkness" 7" ep..I read that you took part in
the re-mixing and re- instrumentation..Are you happy with the final
production? Looking back at these recordings years later it must
be a good feeling to know they are getting the proper release they deserve?

-It was great fun to re-mix the album!! I finally got to put mellotrons on the keyboard parts as i wanted to do originally! We just couldn't get ahold of one when we first did the album in 1991! It sounds so much better now!! Back in 1991 we slept at the sunlight studio while recording it in 3 days.

10. What were the circumstances surrounding you leaving God Macabre
and forming a new band, Utumno?

-Well, I never left GOD MACABRE. We split up. And UTUMNO formed in 1990 while I was still in GOD MACABRE. I played in both bands at the same time. UTUMNO was formed with a couple of friends in my home town( I came from a different city than the other guys in GOD MACABRE), and we played together until 1993. We released a 7" and a Mini-CD called "Across the horizon". Our drummer sadly commited siucide 4 years ago!!

Utumno - The Light Of Day (Cenotaph Records) 1991

1. Saviour Reborn
2. In Misery I Dwell

11. What are your thoughts on Death Metal in 2005 and are there any
recent Swedish bands worth a listen?

-I'm not that up to speed about so many new bands, but I like VOMITORY, ENTOMBED, ABSCESS, DEAD AWAKEN to name a few!! I'm more into the old bands that I listened to 15-16 years ago

12. I've heard your still involved in creating music. Tell us
something about your bands. What is Bombs of Hades all about?

-I put most of my time into THE COLOMBOS which is more of a regular 60's rock band with lots of organ!! BOMBS OF HADES is a side project with 2 friends just playeing brutal old school Crust/Death metal. Kinda like AUTOPSY mixed with CARNAGE and DISCHARGE!! It's hella fun!! I also do alot of other stuff on my own!!

13.Alright, Jonas thanks for the interview. Any final words?

-Thanx alot for showing interest in stuff we did 15 years ago!! It brings back alot of memories!!

Take care Daryl!!

 

Macabre End / God Macabre Gallery

Jonas - Guitar

Ola - Guitar

Nicke - Drums

Per - Vocals

 

 

 

Past Featured bands:

FUNERUS INTERVIEW BY ROY 2003

DEATHMETALSITE: 1) Fuckin killer new release out now !!!! Tell us about your band's History JILL !!!!??!?!
THANKS ROY! BASICALLY FUNERUS WAS FORMED BY BRAD HEIPLE (GUITARS/VOCALS) AND JASON FOUST (DRUMS) BACK IN THE VERY EARLY 90’S. THEY HAD THE BAND GOING WITH A FEW SONGS WRITTEN, BUT NEVER HAD A PERMENEBT BASS PLAYER. I HAD MET THEM A FEW TIMES AND BECAME FRIENDS WITH THEM, AND HAD WENT TO SEE THEM JAM ONCE. I THOUGHT WHAT THEY WERE DOING SOUNDED REALLY HEAVY AND I LIKED IT. I HAD SOME EXPERIENCE PLAYING GUITAR, SO THEY ASKED ME TO PLAY BASS FOR THEM. I WENT OUT AND BOUGHT A BASS AND LEARNED THE SONGS FROM BRAD. WE RECORDED THE ‘94 DEMO AND PLAYED A FEW SHOWS. FOR WHATEVER REASONS, BRAD LEFT THE BAND WITHIN A YEAR AFTER THAT. JASON AND I WORKED WITH A FEW OTHER GUITARISTS AND DID MAYBE ONE OTHER SHOW. WE TRIED TO KEEP THINGS TOGETHER BUT IT NEVER LASTED. JASON AND I EVENTUALLY LOST CONTACT AND I THINK HE MOVEDD TO ANOTHER STATE. YEARS LATER I WAS PUTTING A SHOW TOGETHER IN MY HOMETOWN AND I WANTED FUNERUS TO PLAY. I GOT TOGETHER SOME MUSICIAN FRIENDS TO PLAY THE “ONE OFF” SHOW WITH ME. IT WAS A LOT OF FUN, BUT IT JUST WASN’T THE SAME. I DECIDED TO OUT FUNERUS ON THE SHELF, FOR GOOD, I THOUGHT. IN 2000, I MARRIED JOHN MCENTEE FROM INCANTATION. AS IT TURNS OUT, KYLE FROM INCANTATION HAD SEEN THE ORIGINAL FUNERUS PLAY AND HAD THE ‘94 DEMO AND REALLY LIKED IT. KYLE AND JOHN USED TO LISTEN TO IT A LOT AND WERE REALLY INTO IT BEFORE I EVEN KNEW THEM! SO BOTH JOHN AND KYLE WOULD ENCOURAGE ME TO REFORM THE BAND. FINALLY ONE DAY I TOOK MY BASS OUT AND WENT IN THE PRACTICE ROOM WITH THEM AND WE PLAYED THE DEMO SONGS TOGETHER, AND IT SOUNDED AMAZING! IT JUST SOUNDED SO RIGHT! SO WE GOT IN BACK IN TOUCH WITH BRAD AND ITS ALL SNOWBALLED FROM THERE. WE’VE PLAYED MANY SHOWS AND RECORDED OUR CD. AND WHO KNOWS WHATS IN THE FUTURE!

DEATHMETALSITE: 2 ) Share with us your history of the Pittsburgh death metal early days please...??!
IN OUR EARLY DAYS, FUNERUS PLAYED A FEW SHOWS IN THE PITTSBURGH/GREENSBURG AREA WITH BANDS LIKE ROTTREVORE, MIGAUSS, BLOOD COVEN, DECREPIT. I REMEMBER GETTING A DECENT RESPONSE EVEN THOUGH PEOPLE DIDN’T KNOW WHO WE WERE AND WE WERE INEXPERIENCED AS A BAND. I ALSO REMEMBER HEARING COMMENTS ABOUT HOW HEAVY WE SOUNDED LIVE, WHICH IS GREAT TO HEAR! AROUND THAT TIME WE WERE CIRCULATING THE DEMO AND TRYING TO GET THE NAME OUT. I DIDN’T REALIZE THAT DEMO EVEN MADE ANY SUBSTANTIAL IMPACT, BUT NOW THAT THE FUNERUS NAME IS GETTING OUT THERE, I’VE BEEN HEARING A LOT OF PEOPLE SAY THEY EITHER HAD THE DEMO, OR HEARD THE DEMO FROM YEARS AGO. OR THEY’LL SAY THEY ARE GLAD WE STARTED PLAYING AGAIN, AND I’M THINKING…WHAT? YOU MEAN YOU HEARD OF US BEFORE??? HAHA KINDA A FUNNY LITTLE STORY ALONG THAT LINE….WAY WAY BEFORE REFORMING FUNERUS WITH JOHN AND KYLE WAS EVEN A THOUGHT…I WAS ON TOUR WITH JOHN/INCANTATION. WE WERE AT A SHOW IN NEW YORK, AND WE WERE HANGING OUT BACK STAGE. A GUY COMES UP TO ME AND SAYS “AREN’T YOU JILL FROM FUNERUS?” DAMN, I COULD’VE SHIT!! I DIDN’T KNOW ANYONE KNEW OF THE NAME FUNERUS, LET ALONE “JILL OF FUNERUS” HAHAHA. IT TURNS OUT IT WAS BILLY FROM RAZORBACK RECORDS AND HE HAD THE 94 DEMO. KILLER GUY!

DEATHMETALSITE: 3 ) Straight up , I hear a European influence to your dark and brutal sound....talk to me about some demo bands who you might have collected or been into....??? What were some of your early underground demos that spiralled you down the dark path....???

YES IN THE LATE 80’S/EARLY 90’S THE BAND WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO HAVE PICKED UP DEMOS BY ENTOMBED, ROTTREVORE, DERKETA, NECROPHOBIC, GRAVE, UNLEASHED, IMMOLATION, EXMORTIS AND SOME OTHERS. THESE BANDS WERE DEFINITE INFLUENCES.

DEATHMETALSITE: 4 ) How long ago in age were some of the tracks on your CD wrtten ? like 5 - 6 years ago ? ACTUALLY NOW THOSE SONGS WERE WRITTEN MAYBE MORE THAN 10 YEARS AGO. THEY WERE RECORDED ON THE 1994 DEMO, WHICH THIS YEAR WILL BE 10 YEARS, AND I KNOW THEY WERE WRITTEN BEFORE I JOINED THE BAND IN ABOUT 1993. SO THEY ARE PRETTY DAMN OLD!!

DEATHMETALSITE: 5 ) I see you have a CD release coming out on SONIC DEATH Records from Brazil , please fill us In on some details , will it have the same track list ? same cover ?
SONIC DEATH IS OUR LABEL IN SOUTH AMERICA, WITH DISTIBUTION IN SOUTH AMERICA AND JAPAN. THEY ARE PRESSING OUR CD WITH THE SAME TRACK LIST, BUT WITH A DIFFERENT COVER. WE HAVE A KILLER CHRIS MOYEN COVER PIECE FOR THE NEXT PRESSING OF FESTERING EARTH.

DEATHMETALSITE: 6 ) Funerus contains 2 members of Incantation , yet no sound of Incantation are creeping into your doomy horrid style...do you think its hard to keep the bands styles apart !??
THANKS FOR RECOGNIZING THAT! SO MANY PEOPLE ARE SAYING WE SOUND LIKE INCANTATION, AND ALL FOUR OF US JUST DON’T HEAR IT AT ALL. NO, WE DON’T FIND IT HARD AT ALL TO KEEP THE STYLES APART. THE BANDS ARE SUCH TWO TOTALLY SEPARATE ENTITIES. PART OF THE REASON JOHN AND KYLE JAM IN THE BAND IS BECAUSE IT SOUNDS SUBSTANTIALLY DIFFERENT AND IT’S FUN FOR THEM TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT FROM INCANTATION’S STYLE BUT STILL TOTALLY DARK AND HEAVY.

DEATHMETALSITE: 7 ) I find that its ultra rare for death metal to be played by females , yet your area seems to churn it out.....why is that ?!??!??! Whats your thoughts on Derketa ?!??! I know you share the same spirit as Sharon from Derketa......its killer !! Talk to me about Deathly females....?!?!DERKETA IS SOME KICK-ASS DOOM/DEATH METAL. YES SHARON AND I HAVE A LOT OF THE SAME THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS, WE THINK A LOT ALIKE. WE HAVE BECOME REALLY GOOD FRIENDS AND WE TRY TO TALK/HANG OUT AS MUCH AS WE CAN. SHE IS VERY BUSY WITH DERKETA AND EVISCIUM! I CAN’T ANSWER ABOUT THE AREA, MAYBE ITS SOMETHING IN THE WATER, HAHA. THERE DOES SEEM TO BE A LOT MORE WOMEN SHOWING THEIR BRUTAL SIDE IN METAL! SOME THAT I RECOMMEND ARE SHARON OF COURSE, ZDENKA PRADO OF ESTUARY (TOTAL BAD-ASS LOW VOCALS THAT WILL KICK YOUR ASS ALL OVER THE PLACE), RACHEL OF SINISTER/INFINITED HATE, LAURA OF WARFACE(GUITARS), FROM SAN DIEGO.

DEATHMETALSITE: 8 )Tell me about some underground locals bands you recal from back'in the day !!!!?!??! I know some chugging death metal spewed from the PITTSBURGH area....
THE EARLY DAYS IN PITTSBURGH WERE PRETTY BRUTAL. THERE WERE A LOT OF BANDS IN PITTSBURGH AND THE SURROUNDING AREA, LIKE DERKETA, ROTTREVORE, BATHYM, SATHANAS, ACHERON, NUNSLAUGHTER, HIDEOUS MANGELOUS, LETHAL PRAYER, MYTHIC, FATALITY. THE WHOLE PITTSBURGH AREA METAL SCENE IS DEFINITELY NOT WHAT IT USED TO BE. MOST OF THE CLUBS IN THE AREA ARE CLOSING DOWN TOO, ITS LOOKING VERY GRIM FOR METAL IN PITTSBURGH!

DEATHMETALSITE: 9 ) You have already returned from a full scale tour in 2003 with Disgorge , and Incantation ,share your feelings about your first band on the road ?!??!
OUR FIRST REAL TOUR WENT PRETTY WELL. IT WOULD BE GREAT IF MORE PEOPLE CAME OUT TO THE SHOWS TO SUPPORT METAL, BUT THAT’S PROBABLY NEVER GONNA CHANGE. BUT I REALLY LOVE TOURING. I AM USED TO BEING ON THE ROAD/ LIVING IN A VAN BECAUSE I WOULD GO OUT ON THE ROAD WITH INCANTATION WHEN I COULD JUST TO HELP OUT DOING MERCH OR WHATEVER. BUT THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME I HAD TO LIVE OUT OF THE VAN AND PLAY SHOWS EVERY NIGHT, HAHAHA BIG DIFFERENCE!
BUT IT WAS A KILLER TIME, WE PLAYED WITH A LOT OF GOOD BANDS, MEXICO IS ALWAYS AMAZING SHOWS AND A LOT OF FUN. WE DID HAVE SOME VEHICLE TROUBLE ON THE TOUR AND HAD TO MISS SOME SHOWS, BUT OVERALL I FEEL IT WAS A GOOD EXPERIENCE FOR US.

 

DEATHMETALSITE: 10 ) Some may , or may not know....your band travelled to Australia , where you joined to play with some Incantation shows down under !!!....I heard there was a brutal accident that snared some of your plans ??!??! Tell us about the trip , the shows , and your side what what happened....?!?!
AUSTRALIA WAS INCREDIBLE. AS FAR AS THE TRIP, IT WAS VERY, VERY LONG. IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, IT’S ALMOST 24 HOURS TO GET THERE FROM THE EAST COAST, TILL YOU GET TO LA, THEN FLY TO AUSTRALIA. BUT ONCE YOU ARE THERE, YOU FORGET ABOUT THE FUNNEL OF THE TRIP, BECAUSE THE COUNTRY IS SO BEAUTIFUL! YES, THERE WAS THE CAR ACCIDENT. BASICALLY, WE WERE ON OUR WAY TO THE PRE-BLOODLUST FEST SHOW, THE ONE SHOW FUNERUS WAS SCHEDULED TO PLAY. WE WERE ALL PILED IN ONE CAR EXCEPT FOR JOEY( INCANTATION’S BASSIST). A ROADIE WAS DRIVING US TO THE CLUB AND I THINK HE WAS JUST IN A HURRY TO GET US THERE, AND HE RAN A RED LIGHT, AND WE HIT A TRUCK, CARRYING OXYGEN TANKS!!!! HA, YEAH OXYGEN TANKS. IT KINDA STILL MAKES ME SHIVER WHEN I THINK ABOUT IT. MOST OF US HAD MINOR TO POSSIBLY SERIOUS INJURIES AND JOHN AND I, AND KYLE AND HIS WIFE WERE TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL IN AMBULANCES. WE ALL TURNED OUT OK, I WAS THE ONLY ONE WITH A BROKEN BONE. NEITHER FUNERUS OR INCANTATION PLAYED THE SHOW THAT NIGHT. KYLE WAS VERY SORE FROM GETTING KNOCKED AROUND HIS BACK AND RIBS, SO HE COULDN’T PLAY DRUMS FOR THE BLOODLUST FEST THE NEXT NIGHT FOR EITHER BAND. SO, INCANTATION WORKED FOR HOURS WITH DAVE, DRUMMER FROM PSYCROPTIC TO LEARN A FEW SONGS SO THEY COULD STILL HEADLINE THE FEST. SINCE INCANTATION WERE ONLY PLAYING A FEW SONGS, THAT LEFT TIME FOR FUNERUS TO PLAY A SET ON THE BLOODLUST FEST. SO, THAT WAS THE ONLY GOOD THING THAT CAME OUT OF THE CAR ACCIDENT! WE QUICKLY FOUND A REPLACEMENT DRUMMER IN MATT FROM ONI, NOW CALLED BEYOND MORTAL DREAMS. HE WORKED REALLY HARD LEARNING THE SONGS IN VERY LITTLE TIME. WE WENT ON RIGHT BEFORE INCANTATION,AND I HAD TO EXPLAIN TO THE CROWD BEFORE WE STARTED THAT WE WERE FUNERUS, BUT ACTUALLY ONLY HALF OF THE REAL FUNERUS WAS PRESENT, BECAUSE BRAD DIDN’T MAKE THE TRIP, AND KYLE WASN’T PLAYING DUE TO THE ACCIDENT, AND MATT WAS FILLING IN AND JOHN WAS FILLING IN ON VOCALS. IT WAS PRETTY KILLER ON A HUGE STAGE WITH JUST JOHN AND I IN FRONT! BUT WE DID 4 SONGS AND IT WENT OVER REALLY WELL, WE GOT A KILLER RESPONSE! AND THEN WE VACATIONED THERE FOR ABOUT AWHILE AND HAD AN AWESOME TIME!

DEATHMETALSITE: 11 ) Do you practice any witchcraft , grave robbing , satanism , black magic , necromancy , etc ??
I DON’T PRACTICE ANY WITCHCRAFT, OR ANYTHING OF THAT NATURE, NO. I DID ENOUGH DABBLING OF THAT KIND OF STUFF IN MY HIGH SCHOOL DAYS TO LAST ME A LIFETIME.

Contact Funerus by e-mail at:

Jill@funerus.com

or by snail mail at:

P.O. Box 5321

Johnstown, PA 15904

USA