Good afternoon, thank you very much for answering these questions. How are things going in Trondheim?
Hey, all good up here in Trondheim. Dark skies, cold winds, just the way we like it. Thanks for taking the time with this interview.
1. Around 2017, you decided to start Brotthogg. However, there's a special connection with a previous band you were part of, Subliritum. Why did you decide to leave Subliritum and start a new project? What does the name Brotthogg refer to, and why did you decide to use it?
Well, Brotthogg actually started out more as a side thing, kind of a solo project, while I was still active in Subliritum. I had these songs that didn’t really fit in there – more direct, more “in your face” stuff – and that became The Last Traveler EP back in 2017. Subliritum was heading in a more technical direction at that point, so it just made sense to separate the two.
I also liked the idea of having a project where I had full control – writing, lyrics, production, instrumentation – without interference. That way of working suits me well. The whole process of putting those songs together was so rewarding, and the response was so strong, that it pushed me to go for a full-length. Again, the feedback was overwhelming, and from there it just felt natural to keep going.
There’s definitely a connection between the bands though. Subliritum was started by me and my brother back in 1998, and both of us are in Brotthogg now. Stephen Carlson also contributed some solos as a guest on the last two Subliritum records, so there’s a shared history there. Just to be clear, Subliritum has never been laid to rest – I haven’t left the band, and I’m sure another album will come from that camp eventually.
As for the name, Brotthogg comes from an old forgotten Norwegian dialect word, meaning “the one who has to take care of the dirty work – the unpleasant one.”
2. Brotthogg's fourth studio album, "Ved veis ende," will be released soon. However, in the beginning, you handled all the instruments and left the vocals to two singers. Why did you make this decision initially? Why did you decide to have two singers instead of just one? How has your way of composing and working on new songs evolved over the years, and more specifically for the new album? What brands of instruments have you used in the process?
Like I mentioned earlier, handling all the instruments gives me complete control over the final result. Vocals, however… I suck at them. So, it was natural to bring in my brother, who has what I consider the perfect black metal voice – grim and raw, but still clear, like somewhere between Satyr (Satyricon) and Aldrahn (Dødheimsgard). From the start I also wanted more vocal variety, so Craig Furunes was brought in. He’s got more of a death-metal growl, but also with qualities that remind me of Emperor at times. Having two vocalists opens up a lot of possibilities – it gives us a wider palette, which fits Brotthogg’s shifting musical expression.
When it comes to instruments, I usually compose riffs and songs with a clear plan in mind. In other bands I play bass and synth while working with strong guitarists, but one of the goals with Brotthogg was to track all the guitars myself. I’ve always composed on guitar, so recording them myself felt natural and educational. Same with drums – I’m not technically skilled enough to play that level of drumming live, but by combining programming and played parts I can shape them exactly as I intended in the writing process. Sure, we could have brought in a great drummer, but that would also mean losing some of that total control.
The way I write songs hasn’t changed too much, but I’d say I’m more conscious now about flow and dynamics – that comes with experience. Songs usually start as riffs on guitar, sometimes even on piano. It’s about capturing a mood or atmosphere and building on it. I don’t want to just stack minor riffs on top of each other like a lot of black or death metal does. I think more in terms of film music – tonal shifts, dynamics, and tension. Metal that just throws riff after riff at you doesn’t do much for me. I spend a lot of time working with dissonance and how to make it sit inside the melodic framework to create something haunting.
3. Listening to your new album, we can appreciate a wide range of styles—black and death, yes, but also sections that are more thrash, others more progressive—and a wide range of influences all have their place to coexist coherently. How would you define the sound of the new album? What bands and styles inspired the composition of "Ved veis ende"?
We aim for a dynamic mix of aggression and atmosphere – songs that are both intense and haunting. The album combines blistering speed with eerie heaviness, carrying the cold melancholy of black metal but with the precision and punch of death and thrash. You could probably call it a progressive blend of black metal, thrash, and melodic death metal.
On this record, we keep pushing into different shades of extremity – from epic, fast, and chaotic sections to slower, darker, and heavier passages – always keeping melody and atmosphere at the core.
As for inspiration, it’s hard to pinpoint exact bands. It’s more about the sum of all the music I take in. I listen to a lot of different stuff, and it all finds its way into the sound. That said, the foundation is probably always rooted in the ‘90s black metal that shaped me in the first place.
4. You use Swedish to write your lyrics. Why did you decide to use Swedish instead of English, for example, which is more common? What topics do you cover on the new album, and why do you find it interesting to write about them? Does the music adapt to the lyrics or vice versa?
Well, it’s not Swedish – it’s Norwegian. Since we’re a Norwegian band, it just felt natural to write in our own language. We’ve had some Norwegian lyrics on previous albums too, and I find it more rewarding to write in my mother tongue.
I’ve always been drawn to the old Norwegian writers from the 19th and early 20th century – people like Hamsun, Ibsen, Vesaas, Welhaven, and Wilhelm Krag. They used a rich, metaphorical language full of imagery and atmosphere that’s hard to translate into English. That style works beautifully in a metal context, and that’s where I draw inspiration both in form and content.
The lyrics on Ved veis ende take inspiration from Norwegian folklore – figures like the Mare, Fanden (the Devil), the Kraken, and Pesta – but also from old ideas about madness and insanity. So there’s a common thread of darkness, folklore, and human fragility.
5. Aside from Stephen Carlson, who collaborated on guitars, did you handle the entire recording and mixing process, or was it done in a professional studio? Who is Stephen, and why did you decide to ask for his collaboration?
The idea with Brotthogg has always been to keep it as DIY as possible. Partly because I enjoy working that way, but also because today’s technology makes it possible to achieve good results if you’re willing to dive into production and recording tools. So all the recording was done by us.
Mixing and mastering, however, was done at Skansen Lydstudio here in Trondheim, with producer Stein Bratland. We’ve worked with him for over 25 years, so it’s a strong collaboration.
Stephen Carlson is an old friend I’ve done a lot of projects with over the years – not just metal, but also other musical styles, especially live. I’m pretty lousy at guitar solos myself, but Stephen comes from that neoclassical shred background, and he brings in melodic, virtuosic solos that lift the songs. On top of that, he’s just a solid guy to work with.
6. One aspect that remains consistent in Brotthogg's albums is self-publishing. What is the reason for this approach when it comes to releasing his music? Is it due to a lack of interest from record labels or simply to having greater control over his music?
It’s mainly about DIY again. Brotthogg is not a career project – we’re not aiming to sell millions of albums. We’ve been at this for a long time, and the music industry has changed massively, for better or worse.
The bigger labels are mostly looking for bands with huge social media presence and a heavy touring schedule, which isn’t really us at this stage of life. I don’t think the issue is with the quality of the music – the response we’ve had has been excellent – but we just don’t fit the model those labels are pushing.
Smaller labels often still rely on more traditional promotion like print magazines, which has limited reach today. Some of them are basically just “hobby labels” that wouldn’t push our music further than we can ourselves.
So we release it independently, but we do work closely with professional PR companies like Suticate Music and Black Roos Entertainment. That ensures our reach is just as strong – maybe stronger – than what we’d get with a small label. Plus, we keep full control.
7. There is a difference in the cover of the new album, this time more "mundane" and dark, far from the more ambiguous concept of the previous ones. Who designed the album cover? What does it represent and how does it relate to the album's content?
The cover is based on Pesta, a figure from Norwegian folklore tied to the Black Death. In the old tales, Pesta is often depicted as an old woman carrying a broom or a rake. If she came to your village with a rake, some people might survive, but if she came with a broom, everyone would perish. She personified the plague itself – a terrifying and inevitable force of death.
The artwork started from an old amateur painting, which was then reworked with Photoshop and a touch of AI tools, mainly to recreate painterly textures and brushstroke effects. The final layout, colors, and placement of the logo and title were all done by ourselves. It ties into the album’s lyrical themes of folklore, death, and the end of things.
8. First with Subliritum and now with Brotthogg, who has been involved in the world of extreme metal for over twenty-five years. How have you seen the Norwegian black metal scene evolve over the years? What do you think is the most mythologized aspect of that scene? What is the black metal scene like in a city like Trondheim, and what bands like it would you recommend?
What was unique about the Norwegian scene from the very beginning in the early ‘90s was how bands went in completely different directions: some primitive old-school, some avant-garde, some flirting with electronica, others going symphonic or epic, and some drifting into ambient or even hard rock and progressive territory. Each branch has continued to refine and push its own corner of black metal, and many of the ‘90s bands are still doing that today. A lot of the newer bands – not all, but many – just end up sounding too primitive, like straight-up copies of the old stuff.
In Trondheim the scene isn’t huge right now. I don’t really know, but there are some strong acts like Nexorum (blackened death), and a few decent bands tied to the Nidrosian scene. Whoredom Rife is probably one of the better. That said, nothing will ever top early Bloodthorn when it comes to Trondheim black metal.
9. Have you ever considered performing Brotthogg's music live? What would have to happen for this to happen? How do you imagine a Brotthogg concert?
Never say never. But since Brotthogg has mainly been a studio project, a lot would need to fall into place. We’d need to recruit members, rehearse, get bookings, festivals, and so on. It’s a lot of work.
If we were still in our twenties, it might have been easier. But with full-time jobs, kids, and all the commitments of adult life, time becomes scarce. We already play live quite a lot, but in different musical settings. That said, it would be fun to bring Brotthogg to the stage someday – I think the music would work really well in a live setting.
10. How did you get started in music: your first concerts you attended, your first albums you bought? What event in your lives made you want to be a musician?
I’ve played in bands since elementary school – probably a pretty familiar story for most metalheads. For me it started in the late ‘80s/early 90s with bands like Iron Maiden, AC/DC, Helloween, and Manowar. From there it gradually shifted toward more extreme stuff – death, thrash, and eventually black metal.
As a kid and teenager, music hits you harder. Around ’94, when I was 12 years old, I discovered my first black metal albums, and they felt mysterious, dangerous, and otherworldly. Combine that with wandering in the woods, reading fantasy, Theodor Kittelsen and Norse mythology – it all clicked together.
11. What album represents the essence of black metal for you? What recent albums have you bought?
That’s a tough one. Atmosphere-wise, Panzerfaust by Darkthrone might capture it best for me. But the early albums from Burzum, Satyricon, Emperor, Dødheimsgard, and Enslaved also collectively represent a lot of what I see as the true essence of black metal.
I don’t actually buy as much music as I should anymore – like many others, I’ve become too Spotify-dependent. But in terms of recent releases, the last Dødheimsgard record really stood out. That’s a masterpiece. I also really enjoy Dold Vorde Ens Navn.
12. Thank you very much for taking the time to answer these questions for Black Metal Spirit. If you'd like to add something for Brotthogg fans, this is the place. I hope you enjoy the questions.
Thanks for the interest and the great questions. To everyone who checks out Brotthogg – we really appreciate the support. Ved veis ende is something we put a lot of effort into, so I hope people dig it.
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