Interview: Miasmal

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Miasmal create old school Swedish death metal that bursts with energy.  Their demo (downloadable here) reminds me of “Override of the Overture”, one of my favorite Swedish death metal songs, from Dismember’s Like an Ever-Flowing Stream, one of my favorite Swedish death metal records. The similarity lies in the way that both bands craft their riffs. Hammer-ons and pull-offs carry the melodies before resolving through tremolo picking or rhythmic power chords. When I say melody, I’m not talking about some In Flames bullshit.  I’m talking about being recognizable, memorable, and arranged into cohesive narrative structures.  Pontus (guitarist/vocalist) took time out to deliver some thoughts about his band.

Miasmal has found its place in the metal scene on a level I’m completely satisfied with. It’s obviously a different climate today compared to 20 years ago. It’s easier to check out unreleased music and form a label thanks to [the] Internet. Communication is fast and cheap.

That being said, I guess it’s too easy to upload your first rehearsal boombox recording on MySpace. I also believe people are getting tired of the “use once than discard” mentality today with millions of MP3 files on the computer, and are getting interested again in physical formats like demo tapes. Still, it can never be the same as it was, since trading tapes is something you do by choice today, not because it’s the only way to get to know new music.

I can’t decide on a set top list, since that changes all the time depending on what mood I’m in. But here’s a couple awesome records right off the top of my head:

METAL:
Bolt Thrower – For Victory

Entombed – Left Hand Path

Autopsy – Mental Funeral
Bathory – Under the Sign of the Black Mark
Celtic Frost – To Mega Therion

OTHER STUFF:
AC/DC – Powerage
PJ Harvey – To Bring You My Love
Sisters of Mercy – Floodland
Stooges – Funhouse
Killing Joke – 2003 S/T