Parental Advisory! ”Carrion”, the heavy, hypnotic doom death metal debut album by Copenhagen’s RECITATION is a multi-faceted, hostile, and mysterious beast, and you better be prepared before diving into its 27-minute one track core. Using an effective and depressive combination of the darkest nooks of metal, RECITATION create a stormy, gloomy atmosphere of horror, spiced with some psychedelic wizardry. IDIOTEQ is here to dig deeper and find out more about the band and this crushing debut album. See the full interview with the band’s vocalist/guitarist/bassist J. S. Jarlstrøm below.
”Carrion” was released on LP/Digital via Indisciplinarian Records and Earsplit Distro on October 12th on limited black vinyl.
Hey guys! What’s up? How are you? Are you already getting ready for this year’s gloomy autumn?
Hello Karol. Everything is well here in Copenhagen. How are you?
I have a feeling that this autumn is going to be especially gloomy, but yes we are ready.
Ha! You could be right! I’m fine, thanks!
Ok, so when and why did you start RECITATION and how much time do you put into the band? Do you have any other side projects or bands you’ve been in before RECITATION?
RECITATION started out in early 2014.
I was simply in need of a new musical outlet after my previous band OBSTACLES disbanded and I started to write songs on my own. I recorded a demo in Easter, showed it to my friends Martin and Sune and asked if they wanted to join in. They both accepted the invitation, Carrion was written during the year and recorded in December. Martin has played in MARVINS REVOLT and is currently in RISING. Sune has also played in OBSTACLES and was in a band called IOTA. I also release solo music as J.S. Jarlstrøm.RECITATION is something we do when we really need to, and the time we spend on it differs. Now that Carrion is out, we hope to get around to play some more shows.
Oh, so it’s more like a spare time activity, huh?
Ok, Jeppe, how would you describe the metal community in Copenhagen and Denmark in general? All my interviews with other Danish bands kind of prove that there’s a really supportive community over there. What are your thoughts on that?
It’s by no means a job, let’s put it that way! But I do put a lot of effort and time of my own into this thing.
I don’t know much of the metal community. I prefer to be on my own. But since Denmark is a small country I guess most of the people know each other.
Ok buddy, back to your newest recording, did you try to develop a unique experience with “Carrion”? Is it still possible within the genre? If yes, then what do you think makes your debut album different? Was the one-track project one of the ideas to make it so?
The idea came pretty early in the writing process and just seemed natural at the point.
The idea of having an album consisting of only one song came pretty early in the writing process. We definitely wanted to create some sort of environment for the listener to sink into for a while and when once the song was starting to take form, it felt natural to make it this way. Single track albums have been done many times before, so I wouldn’t call it unique, but I really enjoyed working with this approach and the experiences that it gives you.
Photo: RECITATION live by Johannes Leszinski.
Are there some other artists’ work that work as catalysts for what you guys do? Tell us a bit about your inspirations.
Inspirations are manifold, but I would say that SLEEP‘s Dopesmoker was a big inspiration for this record. Next to that i’m also a very big fan of Stephen O’Malley and his various projects, my favorites being KHANATE and TEETH OF LIONS RULE THE DIVINE. I was also listening a lot to old delta blues when I was writing Carrion. Our tastes span pretty wide over various styles of metal, but also a lot of more droney and meditative stuff. Probably too much to mention.
We like to mix things up and see what happens.
How about the lyrical and thematic sphere of this recording? What message is it trying to convey?
Lyrically the record is a series of fragmented pieces that occur almost randomly in relation to each other. They are out of chronology and order, always showing hints of a bigger picture. Thematically the record revolves around death and decay.
It feels so painful. Why go so gloom and dark?
I don’t know. It’s not really a conscious decision, I think. I guess I’m just attracted to the darker sides of life.
Ok guys, so when and where can we catch you live? What are your touring plans?
At the moment we don’t have anything scheduled. Interested promotors should feel free to get in touch any time. We would love to play anywhere. We will most likely tour Europe in the spring.
In closing, what is your main objective as artists? What’s the goal?
Our main objective is to make music that feels fulfilling to ourselves. We have no goals.
Thanks so much for taking some time with IDIOTEQ! Feel free to add your final thoughts and take care!
Thanks to you, Karol, for your attention.
We would also like to thank all of you who have been supportive to us, especially Indisciplinarian.
Hang in there.
