Interviews About Albums: HUSQWARNAH - Purification Through Sacrifice (2024)

In this new interview, we sat down with the Italian Death Metal band HUSQWARNAH to ask questions about their album, "Purification Through Sacrifice".

1. "Purification Through Sacrifice" seems to delve into dark and ritualistic themes. Can you elaborate on the inspiration behind the album's concept? 

The themes arise very naturally, after an initial instrumental writing, we let the music itself paint in our minds the themes to be developed. The album meanders between various themes, both real and fictional.

2. The idea of purification through sacrifice suggests a ritualistic aspect. Is this inspired by any particular culture or mythos?

This concept is excerpted from the last track (“Tower Of Suicide”) the cadenced rhythm of the song, which then evolves into more violent sections, suggests to our minds the image of this long procession through the desert, a journey of the physical and spiritual until we arrive at the "tower of suicide," a place where all sin is absolved through extreme sacrifice. This is a ritual inspired by ancient cultures but reinvented by us.

3. It's been three years since your last album. How has the band's creative process evolved since "Front: Toward Enemy"?

The process has more than changed; it has been improved and taken care of in much better detail. "Front Toward Enemy" was a very spontaneous and direct record, musically it is a hybrid of everything we like in death metal. With this new record, we have begun to draw a much more pronounced line in creating our own sound.

4. Were there any specific challenges or highlights during the recording of "Purification Through Sacrifice"?

We are all professionals in our jobs and we have very hectic lives, often the real struggle is to be able to carve out the right time to devote to music and to fight against fatigue and stress. Fortunately, we have a great passion for music, we all come from long experiences in other bands and we still manage to be productive and create good music. So basically, the real challenge is everyday life, music remains an outlet and a pleasure.

5. Your sound pays homage to traditional death metal from the early nineties. How do you balance this classic influence with bringing something fresh to the genre?

This is a great challenge, as you will notice the influences range from Floridian to Swedish death metal via the UK (Bolt Thrower, Napalm Death, Benediction). Like good cooks, our intent is to make the most of the characteristics of each of our influences combining them in the service of the song and the best possible stylistic performance.

6. Are there any new elements or experimentation in "Purification Through Sacrifice" that fans can look forward to?

Certainly, the entry of Riccardo Rjillo into the lineup has allowed us to take advantage of his talents to create much more aggressive songs, bordering on black/grind in some episodes, so expect a much faster record than the previous one.

7. The new single "Tower of Suicide" has been released alongside the album announcement. What can you tell us about this track and its significance in the album?

It is the track from which we extrapolated the title "Purification Through Sacrifice," and musically it is a very good calling card of what will be heard on the record, it is a good link between "old" and "new" as well as being one of our favorite tracks.

8. Titles like "Lawn Mower Massacre" and "Wheel Of Torture" are quite evocative. Can you give us some insight into the stories or ideas behind these songs?

Lawn Mower Massacre is a track that veers very much into the grind, a short and intense track, it is about a boy who on Sunday morning, in the throes of a severe hangover from alcohol and drugs, is woken up by the noise of the neighbor's lawn mower...the rest is simply the violent instincts that generate our imagery, which is almost never put into practice but, when the opposite happens, we end up reading about it in the newspapers. Wheel of Torture takes its inspiration from the "wheel of fortune" game show and develops the concept of life taken as a game show in which the "surprises" are anything but positive, a continual unraveling between disappointments and setbacks that characterize our increasingly difficult world today.

9. You've had some line-up changes since the band formed. How has the current line-up influenced the band's sound and dynamics?

The actual lineup took shape only a few months ago with the entire album already recorded. Emanuele joined us recently but he's already writing new stuff for the next one. We already know him due to his years in Perfidious, Mechanical God Creation, and many other bands. The aim of HusqwarnaH has always been to play with friends first.

10. With members from different bands like Black Rage and Sojourner, how do you blend these diverse musical backgrounds into a cohesive sound?

The choice when choosing the sound was pretty simple: straightforward death metal with simple but efficient riffs so we've always walked the same path.

11. You've been quite active on the live front, sharing stages with notable bands. How has the live experience influenced your music and performance style?

Ours is a music that relies heavily on the "live shows", the songwriting and the choice of set list is always designed to create a show that is as engaging as possible. Live we are a band without many frills, our show is also very old school, if we had to make a comparison I would say "Asphyx style"

12. Do you have any special plans or surprises for your live shows in support of the new album?

We'll present some new tracks with a special set with synths and FXs. And maybe we could have “something to drink” later after the release.

13. After the album release, what's next for HUSQWARNAH? Do you have any tours or projects lined up?

We're looking forward to these already planned shows and then we'll do something around our little country with some not already announced events.

14. With the music industry constantly evolving, how do you see HUSQWARNAH adapting to the changes in the way music is consumed and shared?

We're always updated with new ways of listening to music and like everyone we're on every platform trying to spread our passion for death metal keeping an eye on physical formats too, this is what a metalhead needs at the end of the day.

15. Which artists or bands have been particularly influential in shaping the music of HUSQWARNAH?

As previously mentioned, Asphyx, Bolt thrower, Dismember, Entombed, Benediction, and Morbid angel.

16. Are there any contemporary bands or trends in metal that you find inspiring or noteworthy?

Bands like Baest, Gatecreeper, and Deserted Fear definitely represent our philosophy of death metal, a fresher version of the old school.