Freddie Eugene and Lord Chritus speaks

Welcome back with your latest album Harms Way, what reaction have you got so far in terms of media coverage and fan response?

FREDDIE: Thank you very much Gabbe. The fan response has been great. Media coverage really good world wide, I think it's just here in Sweden we have had some strange reviews from incompetent critics who don't know in what category they should put us simply because we have our own style so they try to put us down. But that is typical swedish journalist behaviour if they aren't told from someone else about a band they don't know how to handle a band, some reviews has been VERY strange, you start to wonder if they have heard the album. Don't get me wrong all journalists in Sweden aren't like this.

The new album is a lot more progressive and much more spooky compare to your magnificent debut album. Have you found the definitive Terrafima sound or will you will expand even more on the next album?

FREDDIE: Our struggle is to have an even better sound on the next album.

One of the first things that knocks me out is the production it is very dynamic the sound of the album how pleased are you with the production this time compare to your debut album?

FREDDIE: We are pretty pleased with this one. On HARMS WAY we did all the recording work ourself or maybe I should say Nico (bass player) who also recorded the 2 latest Entombed albums etc. We had time to work more relaxed, we were not interupted and we were able to experiment alot more. We had a good time recording it. On the first album we had diffrent studio technician’s, people who was not involved with the recording interupted us while we recorded that album, it was a big mess. So this is kind of a revenge.

Talking about the title of the album Harms Way has it got any significant meaning to it?

FREDDIE: It was actually Nico who came up with the name HARMS WAY and it's so much Terra Firma to it so there were no doubts about the album title. I guess life feels very harmish way many times.

Harms Way is a very unpredictable album, there is all kinds of different moods here, acoustic arrangements, spooky choirs, percussion arrangements to name a few of the suprises that is coming up while playing it. Compare to your debut album that I feel is a more direct album. Was all suprises planned when you started writing the album or did they come while you were in the studio?

FREDDIE: This time we had a chance to experiment a lot more. Nothing was really planned it just happend in the studio. We actually wrote 2 songs in the studio: OPEN SEASON and 3-5-9 (THREEFIVENINE).

The album cover of is rather strange and spooky. Where did you found the cover and is there a connection with the cover and the title Harms Way?

The album cover is totally an idea from Ola Klarkvist (who is also our webmaster). He came up with the idea and we thought it looked nice and fitted us.

The first album was a sensational album in my opinion, a grooving psychedelic experience with a lot of hooks and a lot of power. Looking back now how pleased were you with the response from the fans and media coverage and the tours you made?

FREDDIE: The response from fans was great, the media coverage sucked no that many articels about the band wich is the record companys jobb.

Talking about the inspirations to write this album what influences did you have for Harms Way in the musical and lyrical standpoint?

FREDDIE: Cliff burton and Slayer are my musically influences.

Another thing that I feel with Harms Way is that musically you have mixed the late 60s/early 70s Swedish progressive movement with classic Heavyrock such as Sabbath, Jethro Tull and Thin Lizzy to name a few. Am I right in my description of the album or do you have a different opinion?

FREDDIE: I don't know about Swedish progressive movement which I hate except for Nationalteatern and Kebenekajse (if they even belong to it). I guess it's pretty Terra firma like, it doesn't sound like anything else.

Talking about Terrafirmas strength as a band, what is the biggest strength in the band do you feel?

FREDDIE: My guitar work,,, hahaha, just kidding. Our unit, we fit like a glöööve.

There is also a amazing bonus videotrack of Threefivenine on the cd. Talking about the work with that video how long did it take to shoot it and where is the location?

FREDDIE: We did it in one day outside our rehearsing room. It actually happend because we had started to do a video for Ground man which we're not ready on time so we had to do another one pretty quick. The groundman video will be out soon, that one has some computer amination parts in it as well.

Talking about your deal with Spv, there was some rumours after the first album that you were not going to continue with Spv but luckily for us firma fans you remained. Was all that just rumours?

FREDDIE: I have no idea about thoose rumours. It is a big label but I don't feel they have done what they could for us.

When I saw you performing here at the release party at Hard Rock Café (Stockholm) I was very impressed with your liveshow it was very tight, have you reached the peak now in your liveperformance or will you progress even more?

FREDDIE: I don't know, we are playing and having good time, some day's it work out really good and some times just good. I guess it depends in what mood we are in.

Talking about the vocals on Harms Way. It is much more variations in the harmonies and melodylines this time compare to the first album. Did you work harder with them on this album compare with the first album?

CHRITUS: Not really. Well, it depends on how one sees it, I reckon. A lot of the new stuff turned out more spontanious cause the material came out under a much shorter space of time than the first album. A lot of it came out when actually recording it, very spontanius indeed.

Harms Way is so far only released on cd, is it going to be a vinyl version also is it any plans to do so?

FREDDIE: SPV fucked us up, they promised to release it on vinyl as well, but one week before releasedate they said no, thats what I call bad behaviour. We will release HARMS WAY on vinyl our self, keep an eye on our website for more info, I do not know when yet.

Talking about the future plans now, I understand that you have a number of shows lined up including a show in the US tell us what will happen in the Firma camp after the release on Harms Way tourdates, singles the new album etc.?

FREDDIE: The US show we had to cancel because we couldn't afford to go there. We are going on a small European tour with Atomic bitchwax in Now-Dec;

Terra Firma

27-11 Germany | Logo | Hamburg

28-11 Germany | tba |

29-11 Holland | tba |

30-11 Germany | Jungversprung | Arnstadt

01-12 Belgium | Musicodrome | Hasselt

Terra Firma, Atomic Bitchwax

02-12 Holland | 013 | Tilburg

03-12 Germany | Röhre | Stutgart

04-12 France | Austrachiq Nancy | tbc

05-12 Germany | Stahlwerk | Düsseldorf

06-12 Germany | Scheune | Dresden

07-12 Denmark | Loppen | Copenhagen

Out of all the shows you have played so far what has been the best show so far and which one has been the worst?

FREDDIE: The worst for me was on a sunday night in Stockholm a couple of years ago, it was a new club that was opening. I was so drunk I didn't care what I was doing so I prefer to not think about it. Best one are a couple.
 

You also made a picture single for The Music Cartel between the albums Spiral Guru one of my fave tracks from the first album along with a mindblowing cover of Jethro Tulls For a Thousand Mothers. How was the response for that one?

FREDDIE: We got mails from people world wide who wants to buy it , but I haven't seen one single ( hahaha ) review of it. We do not have any to sell.

Thank you ever so much for this interview. All the best wishes to you and to Harms Way. Hope that you will piece together a very good tour for this album and you include some dates for Sweden. Thanks for a brilliant album and a huge Welcome back.

FREDDIE & CHRITUS: Thanx.

By Gabriel Lilliehook

For more Terrafirma info go to the official Terrafirma webpage www.terrafirma.nu email the band at info@terrafirma.nu

If you dont have Harms Way you have to have a copy. Order your copy from www.spv.de