FALCONER

for Painkiller Mag #5
March 2002

Interview

Yang Yu/Dracolich

all pics are linked from www.metalblade.de
by any problems refer to webmaster

First of all, can you tell us something of the band's beginning in brief? Which was your motivation to create the band? And could you quickly describe the music played by Falconer?

I would describe the music as: Melodic folkish heavy metal. I wanted to have clear vocals, that was my main goal when I started Falconer in 1999. I had resently been in Mithotyn but I felt like my material didn't get the right production with the possibilities we had, so I went on.

You are only three members, so did you ever thought about recruit a new partner to play bass or something like that?

It has crossed my mind, but we haven't done anything about it. We'll see what hppens with the sessionmembers we have in the future.

Because I didn't feel like Mithotyn were the right band for me anymore, I wanted more. Especially I didn't want to be limited by the growling vocals in Mithotyn. I also felt like I needed a change to regain interest and inspiration.

Do you think you expierences in Mithotyn does help you in your doings of FALCONER?

My past reflects in my present of course. I still write in the same way and the musical atmosphere is still the same but the final production and way of performing the songs differs.

Well, where does your vocalist come from? How did you find him? That's not mentioned it in your website and his performance is very good on your debut album.

I found Mathias thanks to that his father have the musicstore here in town. It was him I asked about the vocalists in our town and he mentioned his own son. Since his background was so full of promising stuff as musischools and all kind of musicals I felt like he was the right guy for my demo. Fortunately he liked my stuff and agreed to sing on it, and the result was stunning so I was mighty satisfied with it and it seemes like the labels liked it too since we got offers right away. Mathias was in to joining the band more permanently now, and I can only be thankful.

Sometimes I think Mithotyn and Falconer are quite similar Except the clear vocals, they got especially the same kind of riffs, so what's your opinion about the two bands? And do you know what are the rest of Mithotyn's old members doing?

I think you're right. Richard is not into music anymore. Karl has just began playing in a Tiamat kind of band.

Now you are in Metal Blade Records, and I hear that Hammerheart Records released an old Mithotyn albums with a new cover, so what did you think?

I think it's good that people can still find the Mithotyn albums. I havn't seen the re-releases myself though.

Which bands are the major influences to your music now?

Jethro Tull, rainbow, Iron maiden, Queen, Blackmore's night and many more. You could say that I listen to everything melodic, but mainly I listen to music from the 70's.

Could you please give us a few comments about the songs on your debut album? Especially the bonus track of that CD. that's a song written in Swedish and I can't understand its lyrics. But that's really a good one.

The complete lyric you can find in English on our webpage. The songs on the debut is lyrically the same topics as on the new, but maybe more abut the history. The music is slightly more Power Metal and a bit more aggressive I think.

Your album sounds really different in 2001. From your lyrics, I think you absorbed some inspirations form some book like "Lord of ring". Isnt it? But why not write some traditional things like dragons or warrior and holy swords? Haha?Do you think there are too many of these things in the metal scene?

Yes I do. I want to write things from my own head. Maybe some things came from Lord of the rings but not much. I am very interested in history so I think most of that came from that.

Do you think you are a "celtic" band?

No, not really. Just a heavy metal band. I don't think you can call us celtic just because some of our lyrics is about the history.

A personal question for myself. Do you know a PC game named Ultima Online? When I heard the song "lord of the blacksmith", the first thing come into my mind is that game. In that games a skilled blacksmith are respect everywhere. So I often dreamed be a master of Blacksmith:) and also in that game some bad guys who murder others will be called PK. Haha, that looks just like our magazine's abbreviation.

Hmm, interesting. I don't know about the game, so the idea didn't come from there. I'd say that the idea came from the northern mythology where the dwarfs were very good blacksmiths with magical powers, a remain from my Vikinginterest.

No more kiddings, I saw some news from you website that you just finished the recording of new album "Chapters From A Vale Forlorn", and it will be released February 27th in Japan, March 11th in Europe. So it is only several days left from now, Could you tell us something about it? Will it be in the same vein as the "falconer"-album or totally different?

I think the new one has a greater deal of variation and differences. The first was more power metal than this one. I think it's a natural development from the first. If we only wanted to make the fans happy we could have made 10 "Mindtravellers", but how fun would that have been for us? Since the mainreason for this band is to enjoy ourselves we want to go forwards instead of standing on the same spot. I do although not think that the fans will be in any way disappointed at this album, but might have to have a wider perspective on music.

Your logo and the cover of "Falconer" were both well painted. And I like it, so who did that artworks? Is he the same one paint the cover of your second album?

yes it is. Jan Meininghaus, we're very proud of his work for us. The logo though is my own creation.

What are your plans for this year? tour?

We have no plans for that at this moment. We're booked for Wacken and Bang Your Head this summer, that's it. We will rehearse with the sessionguys during the spring, maybe in the summer I will start thinking about the next album.

What's your main impression of China? Are you interest in something like Chinese food? And welcome to our country if one day you want to make a trip to far east...

well thank you a lot. I'm not that much into Chineese food, atleast not the kind we have hear, too much sweet and sour. But I have only tested like 1 or 2 different dishes so maybe I shouldn't tell anything. You have an interesting history, that's for sure.

Could you make a quick describe of Swedish metal scene for us in your own way?

Power metallish I would say. Melodic and fast, but I think most bands sounds the same. Nocturnal rites are good though, but otherwise I'm more into the older stuff.

Well, that's all. Could you say something for the ending?

Well, thank you for the interview. It's not every day I get an interview from China. I hope it's not too hard to get metalalbums back there. Anyway, cheers to you all and please check out our new album.

Thank you for your taking time and best wishes for your new album

D

ISCOGRAPHY