1. Valdaudr has been active since approximately 2018, however the origins of this project must be found in your previous Cobolt 60 band, what happened to make you finish Cobolt 60 and start with Valdaudr? What has Valdaudr contributed to you regarding to Cobolt 60?
Cobolt 60 was my black metal thing since 2000. It was me and original singer of Blood Red Throne(my main band) for 18 years and we released two kick ass albums and did 4 live shows. I already had written several songs and riffs for our third album, but the other guy wanted to quit the music scene. We agreed on me using all the new material, but finding a different band name. Vald(2nd singer in Blood Red Throne), was always my obvious choice to invite and he actually helped out on bass and vocals when Cobolt 60 did their live shows anyway.
2. Why do you choose the name Valdaudr? What does the name Valdaudr refer to and how does it relate to your music?
So, Osvald's artist name is Vald and mine is Død(means Death in english). Daudr is like an ancient norwegian word for death and I just thought that a combination between our artist names with a norse twist to it would be cool.Vald means force or power, so Valdaudr could also be something like Force of Death!
3. How was the composition and recording process for your first album “Drapsdalen”? What aspects have changed in the composition and recording work with respect to your previous stage in Cobolt 60? What brands of instruments have you used for the composition and recording of the album?
My composing is the same as in Cobolt 60. However, Vald brought in a bit more extreme vocals and also added some clean vocals.I guess Valdaudr is one step more extreme than Cobolt 60 overall. It's all black metal though. The songs on Drapsdalen are written over several years. Maybe 5-6 years. So, I've used different guitars for sure. I'm endorsed by Jackson Guitars, so definitely that one.
4. In one way or another your past is linked to bands like Satyricon or Blood Red Throne, in what way have these bands influenced when it comes to defining the sound of the album? How do you describe the sound of the album for those who have not done it yet? have you heard?
Blood Red Throne is still my main band after almost 25 years. That's death metal. I still have a passion for old-school black metal and that's the reason I had/have Cobolt 60/Valdaudr. I still love old Satyricon, but I think 90's Darkthrone is more describing for Valdaudr. Pure norwegian black metal with some folk elements and necro production. Gotta love it!
5. Black metal with a clear nineties sound, some thrash and why not folk, at the same time that you have had Rune Nesse for the album's drums, how does Rune's contact and collaboration take place? helped complete the sound of the album? Ee Rune a full-time member within the band?
We actually had an audition when searching for a drummer. They got one of the tunes and played along to it. However, there was no doubt in our minds that Rune was the right guy. I knew him from before as well and he totally understands this style. He works super-fast and also mixes. Pretty easy choice indeed. He's pretty busy with Taake and his other bands, but he might step in if Valdaudr decides to play a cool festival or something. I will definitely use him for the next album as well!
6. The themes of your "Drapsdalen" are related to the dark stories of the bible as well as others related to Scandinavian folklore, why do you decide to treat these themes in your lyrics? Are the lyrics adapted to the music or vice versa?
Folklore is something we love. Religion is something we hate.Many of the lyrics are not related.
They are different thoughts, opinions and stories. The lyrics are mostly (but not always) written in silence, and then adapted into the music.
7. Who was in charge of the album cover design, what do you want to represent with this cover and how does it relate to the content of the album?
Vald did everything with the cover and booklet. His wife is a photographer and it's a shot of him on the front of the album. It's nothing original or whatever, but it captures the good old feeling from the 90's and that's what the whole album is about!
8. The album has been released by Soulseller Records, how do you contact Soulseller Records for the edition and promotion of the album? Are you satisfied with the promotion and editing work carried out by Soulseller Records?
I was planning to release this myself through a friend's label. But, I talked to Dolgar from Gehenna/The Deviant and he reccommended me to have a talk with Jorn at Soulseller Records. So I did, and it turned out to be the perfect label for Valdaudr!
9. You come from Norway, a country with a great tradition within black metal, at the same time that you have been involved in different black metal projects for a long time since the nineties, how has the scene evolved in these years? Nowadays of the essence of when you started with Cobolt 60 and what do you think has been lost along the way?
The atmosphere back in the 90's was epic. Black metal was something unique and we could all sense a different vibe than anything else. I miss those days for sure, but the world moves on. I'm just glad I was part of it. I still like black metal today, but I was always in for the music and not necessarily all the gimmick behind it. I'm sure there are some cool black metal releases every now and then like Valdaudr, but I always keep coming back to the great releases of early and mid 90's.
10. Last 2020 was a complicated year in general lines for most of the bands due to the restrictions imposed by the Covid-19, how were you affected by this situation, in your case, it was a period that served you to end to shape this first album or was it a rather dark period?
I have no problem with C-19. It's good to have a break from it all and also a wake-up call how fragile humanity is. I spent 2020 very well and recorded 4 albums which are all coming out this year. However, I miss playing live, so I hope 2022 will open up for that. Valdaudr will never be a huge touring band, but we'd like to take it to the stage on cool festivals or a small tour some day.
11. How were your beginnings in music: first concerts you attended, first albums you bought? What did you do in your lives that made you want to be musicians?
I started playing acoustic guitar cause my best friend did that and he was pretty decent. After a while I bought my first electric guitar and I started making some more rock/metal riffs. I was very serious about football back then, but music also meant a lot to me. I started jammin' with one of my football friends and he played the drums. It was fun and I still have this cassette of 3 songs that we made. Anyway, I started taking some lessons and pretty soon I found extreme metal and wanted to play that style. I was pretty much self-thaught and after just 3-4 years of playing I became Satyricon's live guitarist. I'd never done a gig in my life whatsoever. First show I ever did was the Dynamo Festival in 1997 with Satyricon and just me on guitar, hehe. First real metal show I went to was Megadeth and Pantera in 1992. Totally blown away. My very first CD actually was Clawfinger, but I bought Metallica and AC/DC cassettes before that. I also stole cd's from my mom as she was listening to rock and metal in the 80's and still does. Around 1993, I bought a lot black and death metal and went to many great concerts.
12. Which album represents for you the essence of black metal? What last albums have you bought?
As for old-school black metal as I like it, Under A Funeral Moon by Darkthrone. Still old, but a bit more modern black metal back then, was both two first albums of Dissection. That is top notch black metal to me! Nowadays, I don't buy much cd's. I trade some and get some for free, but I don't remember the last CD i bought. I still collect though and have about 2000 CD's and vinyls!
13. What future plans do you have for Valdaudr, are you already working on new songs or will you prioritize your other projects? Are there possibilities of seeing a future for Valdaudr offering a concert?
There will be another Valdaudr album for sure, but no hurry. I have some riffs going on. Things will happen when the happen. There will be live shows when we get some cool offers. Big things are happening with my main band, Blood Red Throne, so we'll see when there's time for everything.
14. Thank you very much for taking the time to answer these questions for Black Metal Spirit, if you want to add something for Valdaudr fans, this is the place. I hope the questions are to your liking.
If you want a journey back to the early 90's and the epic black metal atmosphere back then, Valdaudr keeps the ancient flame burning still in these modern days. Hail!
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Vae Mortis – Pormo 2021 5,99 €
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