With their electrifying fifth album Helix due out October 19 and armed with new singer Nils Molin, Amaranthe take another leap forward in their sonic evolution. Helix proves the band has refined its melodic sensibilities ever further while retaining a cutting-edge metal assault. The band is as massively aggressive as ever and the first single “365” is the perfect example of such — its seductively velvety mix of contemporary sounds and modern metal will take up residence in your brain for days. We talk to singer Elize Ryd about the new songs and much more.
Steve: Hi Elize how are you today?
Elize: I’m great thanks, it’s really nice to be speaking with you!
Steve: You also! So how does it feel to have a new album out very soon?
ER: It’s super exciting, it’s always mixed feelings like it’s super exciting but then you also get a little nervous because you want people to be satisfied with our work. And of course we are going to start a new touring circuit and as a band we are really looking forward to playing the newer songs live, it’s going to be so much fun to present these songs when we go on tour.
Steve: Excellent well I have to be honest I am a first time listener of Amaranthe and I have to say I’m really taken with the new album “Helix”, in particular the tracks “GG6” “Unified” and Breakthrough Starshot”.
Elize: Oh cool, really glad you like it and they are great choices for the songs, they are very different from each other. We know that for people that have not heard us before it can be difficult to understand where we are coming from.
Steve: Yeah I totally get that and listening to the album to me it sounded very experimental?
Elize: Yeah that is exactly what we were going for and what we wanted, it’s part of who we are. We like to experiment a lot with our music and themes.
Steve: Yeah sure so when you guys go into the studio did you have a particular vision for this album or did you just hit record and go from there? How did that work for you guys?
Elize: Well we usually have some discussions before go into the studio apart from the first album because it took two and a half years to write and that is when we found the band and ourselves and things like that and after that we wanted to develop and do better. That was the “Nexus” era then came the “Massive Addictive” album and that was really all about the passion for the music then came “Maximalism” and on the new album and the previous one we wanted to find the core and the roots of what is Amaranthe. We wanted to make everything solid, we didn’t want to go extreme one way or another. We tried to keep it in the middle, that is where we found this sound and that was part of the plan before we started to write. It comes from life experience and where we are in our personal lives and what you want to express so we really worked on the basics, like let’s bring down the tuning one step to make the guitars heavier and for instance we wrote the song “Unified” in the studio. Overall it took four months and we were very creative in the studio so the more time you have the more things you want to get into it, and this one has something a little bit extra.
Steve: Yeah dare I say you can hear a lot of raw power and emotion on this album, is that a fair statement?
Elize: Yeah for sure and thank you, I will go and tell the rest of the guys (laughs).
Steve: So in terms of inspiration where do you draw it from? Maybe books, other music or something you’ve heard along the way? How does that work for you?
Elize: Oh that’s actually very interesting. It’s hard to point out exactly where our inspiration comes from but I mean I listen to music every day, I can’t get enough of it but then it also comes from within ourselves or it could be someone else’s story and you got really touched by it so this is something I’d love to write about. So it always comes from the core and the emotions that you want to get out, I think that is the easiest way to write when you feel like you can let yourself loose emotionally. We didn’t feel like we had to hide behind anything so that force to write this album it came together in such a short time, it was kind of like going to see your psychologist because we can talk to each other about everything so that is how the album came together.
Steve: Awesome it must feel cathartic at times and feel great to have it out for people to hear.
Elize: Exactly and for us last year was probably the most difficult ever. I thought I was going to die, I was so sick and everybody was so sick and we were working really hard and the tour schedule was like months in advance we were so drained in our bodies but somehow it came out good, this album was very self focused.
Steve: Sure so earlier you were speaking about touring, do you guys have any plans to head down to Australia?
Elize: Yes like with the last album we made plans to come and I was feeling positive and in every interview I was like, yes we will come next year! That didn’t happen and I feel ashamed and I’m thinking what should I say? But this time I really think it will happen, we are planning it right now. I mean we will definitely go to Japan, we are going to try and do Australia around the same time so I’m just keep my fingers crossed that we get an invite. It would be amazing to come over, we are working on it.
Steve: Well you’re always more than welcome!
Elize: Thanks I think if I come over I’ll just stay (laughs). We definitely want to see you at the show!
Steve: Absolutely I will make sure I’m there! It’s been great speaking with you this morning. Thank you so much for your time, really appreciate it and finally do you have a message for the fans in Australia?
Steve: I appreciate your time also. Thank you and of course we can’t wait to see you all and about 5 years ago I was going to come with a band called Kamelot but I couldn’t make it and I was so depressed so anyway hopefully this time we can get there.
Steve: Definitely thanks again and take care!
Elize: Cheers!
