ROCKET Interviews Vladr of VANMAKT

Sweden’s VANMAKT are a black metal band that, that like so many coming up from the underground scene today around them, have found the newest form from the past decade or so now of this great metal sub-genre, to be wholly over-produced, synth’d out to the max and just plain watered down by the likes of big time acts such as Cradle of Filth. They have recently signed on with Singapore’s Pulverised Records and are scheduled soon to release their debut album entitled: ”Vredskapta Mörkersagor”. And any black metal fan that is worth their salt needs to at least hear what these guys are up to, for I truly believe this band and many others off the greatly respected Pulverised label are going to set a new standard in the sound of pure evil for many years to come. I got some new Q&A in with their unholy menace on the four strings, Vladr.

Rocket: Are you a native of Sweden?

Vladr: Yes, I was born and raised in Sweden.

Rocket: When did you first start playing bass guitar?

Vladr: I began to play in my early teens, around sixteen, with a punk rock band.

Rocket: Very cool. That makes two of us!

Vladr: But I’m actually a guitarist in the first place.

Rocket: Okay. I see. Very interesting.

Vladr: But in this town there is a shortage of bass players…

Rocket: Haha. You won’t get that in that here in the United States. Haha. That’s for damn sure! Haha.

Vladr: So I picked up the bass and all the sudden I was invited to play in several bands. So I ended up in a death metal band called Deprived, And it was in that band I met Gorgoth for the first time, he was the lead singer. And we got along very well, so that was that, and from that on I´ve been a metal bass player.

Rocket: Do you play with your fingers, a pick, or both?

Vladr: Well I use a pick. I think it has to do with my punk rock background, back then you where just supposed to mangle your bass as hard as you could. So I never really got that nice touch with my fingers, and I do think you get a very “mean” sound using a pick, and that´s good considering that I´m playing black metal.

Rocket: That’s a subject we could go back and forth on for sure. Who are some of your biggest playing influences?

Vladr: Well, I´m not a guy who has many influences at all, Rocket. Especially when it comes to bass players.

Rocket: Honestly, man. That’s the most fascinating thing I’ve heard in a very long time. Please elaborate.

Vladr: I think it´s more interesting to find a unique way of playing your instrument, rather than using other musicians styles and ways of playing.

Rocket: Mind blowing shit. Thank you for dropping that nugget of hella wisdom on everyone. What kind of basses are you playing live and in the studio?

Vladr: I only use one bass in Vanmakt, an ESP Horizon, both in the studio, as well as live. So if the ESP management reads this, please send me some more basses, I promise to use them.

http://www.vanmakt.com/