It was after hearing Protests second real demo "Hoppl�shetens Avgrund" that I decided to do an interview with them... It's an excellent crust demo and I think that this band will be able to record some killer tracks if they just got a hold of a real studio... Anyway, the interview is done over internet on ICQ...


In almost every interview I read the first question is always something about the line up in the band. Personally I think that's such a boring question that I think I'll skip that one. Who's answering my questions and whom are we missing?
I agree completely. Over here it's just me, Micke (guitar) that's fingering with the keyboard. Missing are Linus (drums), Einar (guitar), Ekk� (vocals) and David (bass).

Ok� Do you guys play in any other bands or do you spend all your time developing Protest?
I play the bass in Rescusitate and in a new punk rock band. Einar plays the guitar in Z�po/The M�skers/Stacheldraht and he's got his own post rock/lo-fi/noise project called The Living Daylight. Linus plays guitar in Evolution Cancer and bass in The Project. Ekk� abuses the bass in Razorback and fiddles with his own noise project Beatbreaker 80. David plays the drums in Rescusitate. And all of the members in the band also play in Mis�r. So there's a lot of inbreed. And not to forget is Drugrape were I play together with Ekk� and Einar.

That's a lot of bands� But the only thing I've really heard of before is Evolution Cancer� How come you chose the name Protest? Not to complain, but it's not really original :)
The other bands are mostly loose projects. Maybe that's why?
Yeah, we chose the name a long time ago. We're considering changing it, Protest is actually a pretty bad name for a band.

Haha, yeah� just didn't wanna say it myself ;)
For the readers that's not familiar with Protest yet. What would you say separates you from the crowd, or at least makes it worth the while buying your demos?
Nothing worth naming. I think we sound like a bad Tragedy at the moment. Honestly, I wouldn't buy our demos hehe.

Haha. But I would :)
On your website I read that you released a promo for a split 7" with Massgrav. How come the seven-inch's never seen daylight? Was the promo never really released or were no labels interested?
Haha, thanks.
First off: The recording was really bad. Second: Massgrav were even worse. Third: I was supposed to release it, but I came to my senses and let the shit rot instead.

Haha, ok� that's good reasons.
If you read your song titles you can easily get the idea of a very gloomy way of thinking for the writer. I'm thinking of the song Hoppl�shetens Avgrund (Abyss of Hopelessness). Is angst something you're trying to get across with your music?
I guess I have to answer for my self, I write most of the lyrics and Ekk� does the rest. Hoppl�shetens Avgrund is meant to be a crust clich�. But sure everything sucks. Now if you should write hundreds of lyrics on the topic is another story. But who can play crust and sing about being happy?

Damn true.
A pretty personal question considering everything's suckiness: Most people have sometime in there life been struck by the idea of committing suicide, more or less seriously, but most people have thought about it. If you were to kill yourself, how would you do it?
I'll start with the ironic-Pyton(the magazine)-answer: I would get on top of a skyscraper and say I was gonna jump. When a crowd has gathered below I would wrap myself in piano wire and attach the end to the roof, pour gasoline over myself, set myself on fire and jump. I would rain in small burning pieces over the surprised crowd. Then the serious answer: I have no fucking clue. What ever happens happens.

Haha� I think I read in a survey that that was the most popular way of killing yourself ;)
Personally I think your song Hatets L�gor (The Flames of Hate) from your last demo kicks ass. You have a session vocalist on that song that shares the work of screaming. How come you decided to have two vocalists on that song?
Haha, that's Jalle that sang in Warcollapse that does the second vocals. He was in the studio to sing on a Warcollapse cover we recorded. One thing led to another and before we knew it he was screaming on Hatets L�gor.

Well, I think the dual vocals give the song a lot more angst. Another thing about Hatets L�gor: The sample you use in the end give the song the perfect touch of angst. I recognise the voice but I just can't put my finger on it and say who it is. Where the hell did you get the sample from?
Dual vocals are rule number on the crust handbook. The sample is from Ingemar Bergmans masterpiece Det Sjunde Inseglet, and it's Max von Sydow (that plays the role of the knight Antonius Block) that's speaking to Death.

Ahh, well I'll be damned� I saw that one not too long ago�
I don't think I have anything else too ask� Later on I'll probably come up with something I should have asked, but that's it for now. Anything you'd like to say before we call it quits?
I'll end with a quote from the Bible:
"Och n�r Lammet br�t det sjunde inseglet uppstod i himlen en tystnad, som varade vid pass en halv timme. Och de sju �nglarna, som hade de sju basunerna, gjorde sig redo till att st�ta i sina basuner." (Uppenbarelseboken 8:16)

Thanks a lot for the interview.

Hahaha� How the hell am I supposed to translate the quote? :)
Thanks to you too for taking the time to answer all of my questions.



Related links:
Protest