Words by Simon Milburn

Would it be a surprise to many that Norway isn't just about rabid black metallers murdering one another and burning churches to the ground? I don’t know. Susperia may have black metal heritage, including the likes of Mortem, Dimmu Borgir and Old Man’s Child, but there more recent efforts suggest more of an alignment with the likes of Testament – blackened thrash with a melodic edge. After two albums as a part of the Nuclear Blast Records family, Susperia and Nuclear Blast parted ways amicably. They searched for a new home, and after some time, they found themselves on Tabu Recordings, a division of Tuba Records. That move was vindicated by the success of their 2004 effort, Unlimited, which was well received around the globe.

After almost three years, the time has come for the group, who are vocalist Athera, guitarists Cyrus and Elvorn, bassist Memnock and drummer Tjodalv, to regroup and bunker down to write and record album number four. The result is Cut From Stone, eleven tracks of melodic, blackened thrash that sees Susperia continue on from where Unlimited left off, which can only be a good thing for the band’s profile in today’s metal scene. It has been a slow process though that resulted in such a lengthy delay between long players. “Well it’s been very busy with touring and making the new album. No time really for us to rest our weary bones,” begins Memnock. I caught up with the bassist days prior to the release of Cut From Stone to discuss the upcoming tours with W.A.S.P. and Onslaught, writing and recording Cut From Stone, the pressure the band felt during that time, the success of Unlimited and just why it took so long before album number four was ready to be unleashed upon the metal world.

“If we weren’t out on the road we were working on the new album. It took a while because we never want to release something we aren’t totally satisfied with.”

Susperia has been riding high on the back of the success of Unlimited, and deservedly so. They’ve shared the shared with many high profile metal acts whilst supporting the album around the world, but for Memnock, one high point out of that entire time stands above all others.

“The high was definitely the tour with Testament – the one with the original line up. We had a blast. The guys from Testament were so nice and down to earth. They even got us pissed drunk on Cyrus’s birthday,” laughs the bassist. “Lots of fun there man!”

A significant factor in the band’s raise profile and the subsequent success that Unlimited enjoyed can be attested to the band’s shift in labels. They parted ways with Nuclear Blast Records to find themselves a new home with Tabu Recordings.

“We left due to some disagreements you might say. We didn’t feel that we were getting the backing that we needed for the second album. We basically got told there was no money to do anything. So we asked to leave the label. They agreed and it was all sorted in an amicable way. We all walked away still friends. We were without a label for a while because we wanted to get it right with the next label. We searched for someone that wasn’t too big or too small. Nuclear Blast are a big label and we were a band that were drowning amongst all the bands that they have, so we decided to approach smaller labels to be sure that Susperia would be a priority. Tabu turned out to be the right label. They were totally into Susperia and really wanted us and that’s where we are today. Not too big, not too small and we get more attention from them rather than being lost in a sea of bands. It’s working perfectly for Susperia.”

The move paid off immediately with the band’s first release for their new label, and third of their career, receiving an overwhelming response world wide.

“It has been massive. It’s our best selling album to date. It got fantastic reviews everywhere. It is unbelievable how the press and the fans embraced the album. We are so happy about that, but it really makes it hard to out do it on the new album. I hope the response is just as good.”

The huge response that Susperia’s Unlimited received worldwide from both fans and press alike was more of a vindication for the group’s effort than a surprise.

“We were more happy than surprised. It is always nice to get good responses on an album you have worked long and hard to get right. We felt like the album was a good one but you never know what the turnout will be. The world press is varied and give different opinions. In the long run we are happy that it turned out like it did.”

Of course, such success doesn’t come without affect when the time comes to return to the creative drawing board to follow it up. Memnock isn’t afraid to admit the pressure that the group felt when their time was nigh.

“Well, the previous album was a great one, and to better something like that is pretty damn hard. The pressure was tremendous. It was very important to keep our heads and not panic. I think a lot of musicians do that and start making bad albums. Sometimes you can worry too much and put yourself under a lot of stress. It’s more important to feel the music otherwise it will become just an album with out any soul.”

When the time came, the quintet regrouped and got down to what was not a quick and easy overnight job, and everyone knew that they would have to step up to the plate this time around, more so than ever before.

“A lot of it was done at my summer house. It was a long and difficult process. All the band were involved in the songs. Everyone did their best to make sure that this would be our best album so far.”

Fitting in line with Memnock’s perspective of worrying too much about the pressure that the band felt, it is of no surprise then that he had no preconceived ideas as to what the final product, dubbed Cut From Stone, would be like.

“No we didn’t have a clue. I think we even surprised ourselves the way it turned out.”

But with the album in the bag, and in fact on the shelves of your favourite record store as you read this, Memnock is clear about what they want to achieve with Cut From Stone.

“World fame,” laughs the bassist. “No, we wanted to take Susperia a step further and renew ourselves once again. We didn’t want to fall into the same pattern of just repeating ourselves because it felt safe. We know how it works if you get locked in a system. You forget the most important thing, which is the music. You have to do what you feel is right for you. It’s easy to fall into that trap of repeating the same formula, but not very smart. After a while it gets to the point where you are not making the music you love any more.”

As a part of continuing that “do what you feel is right for you” mantra, Memnock outlines that things that Susperia did differently this time around with the writing and recording process for Cut From Stone.

“We always try to renew ourselves; it’s a constant process. We changed our approach on the mix this time round. We decided to use Daniel Bergstrand because he has his own style, the ability to bring a warm and organic feeling to the songs. This album sounds more human. In the past we’ve tended to go for the digital clinical sound.”

Although Memnock explains there are no themes running through the album (“There’s no special theme, just a lot of different poems about life in general”, he says), there is a definite meaning behind the album’s title.

“If you cut something from stone it tends to stay forever. It is our goal to be around for ever and not disappear like manufactured pop stars.”

On the immediate horizon for Memnock and his Norwegian cohorts is a tour with metal legends W.A.S.P. and Onslaught.

“(That came about) through the hard work of our management, Total Concept Management (T.C.M,), and our booking agent Extreme. Also, the fact that W.A.S.P.’s agent likes Susperia helped. Blackie Lawless gave the final OK after listening to some of our music. Nothing magic about it, just hard work.”

The question has to be asked of Memnock then if W.A.S.P. mainman Blackie Lawless has heard their cover of Wild Child, which they did for their E.P. titled Devil May Care, which was released sometime after Unlimited.

“Honestly I don’t know if Blackie has listened to it. If he has cool, if not, ok no problem. We’ll find out on the tour.”

From there on in, the road will be the home for Susperia for the remainder of 2007.

“Lots and lots of touring. We want to take this band to as many places as possible to support the album. Then we’ll look at a new album next year.”

It’d would be nice to think that one of those “many places” that Memnock alluded to would include several shows down under at some stage, to which he agrees.

“Now that would be cool. We’d really love tour down there. But plans at this point? No not that I’m aware of, sorry. You need to get hold of your local promoters and demand that they bring us over.”

Susperia’s Cut From Stone is out now on Tabu Recordings through Modern Invasion Music. For more information on Susperia, check out www.susperia.net.