Dimension Zero - Interview with lead singer, Jocke Göthberg
Interview by Anders Sandvall
What got you to start again and is this a project or a real band?
This is a real band, that’s important to mention because a lot of
people think that it isn’t. We should have done this album earlier, but
there wasn’t enough time before. We didn’t want to rush together an
album just for the sake of it, if that was the issue then we would have
done it earlier but as I said before, this is a real band and we really
wanted to do something good. In 2000 there finally was enough time to
focus on creating songs and in the fall of 2001 we recorded.
About the record Silent Night Fever. What do you think of your vocal
contribution and what do you think about the record in general?
I’m totally satisfied with my performance because this time I could
actually sing the lyrics with total power because I’ve written the
lyrics myself and I really can stand for what I’m singing, so I really
got it all out of my system. The record overall turned out like we
wanted. The sound is the sound that we were searching for, the dry and
hard production, it really fits our music I think.
Who has written the song lyrics and composed the music for the record?
The lyrics are all mine. The music is mostly Glenn and Jesper except
for “Until You Die” which Hans also have written.
Why is there a short time (one second) between the songs?
We wanted to create an intense and energetic feeling so therefore
there its only one second between the songs. We wanted to hit the
audience in the face with this record.
Why are there so few songs on the record (only nine)?
We wanted to keep the intensity intact and by putting more songs on
the album it would get lost. I think that 9 songs are enough before it
starts to get boring.
Are you going to tour on this record and in that case where? Are you going to play in Sweden?
No Swedish gigs planned yet, we’ll see. The only thing decided now is
that we are going to play 3 gigs in Japan supporting SODOM at the end of
May and maybe Korea directly after Japan.
Has the record gotten a positive reception from the press and the
fans?
Yes absolutely! I’ve only read 1 bad review this far, the others has
only been great
(almost too great). Some people think that we made a mistake by taking
out all the guitar solos but that was the first thing we said that we
were going to do with the new material so if people liked the EP then
they will perhaps be disappointed but there’s only one guy this far that
has reacted on that. We don’t think that guitar solos have any place in
our music because if you listen to the EP the solos are completely out
of place, I mean when the solo hits the song, the feeling gets lost, at
least on those songs.
You were only in the studio for sixteen days. How could
you work so fast?
If you have the vision and material done before you enter the studio
it shouldn’t be a problem recording it fast. If you know what you’re
doing and know what you want then it’s easier. Also Anders was a perfect
companion to work with, really comfortable.
Do you have any favorite songs on this record?
I like them all but if I must chose one I will go for “Your Darkest
Hour” because that song contains the best lyrics on the album.
What are your plans for the rest of the year?
As I said we are going to Japan and maybe Korea at the end of May to
perform for the first time ever! Also we are working on some new stuff
so we will probably record another album before this year is over. We
feel that we have a lot more to give.
I have reviewed the record Silent Night Fever on Metal-Rules.com and
I gave the record 5 max-points. How does that feel?
I must say that that feels great if you’re serious. I’m very glad
that our album is getting so many great reviews, I hadn’t really
expected that as a matter of fact. I know that we have done a great
album but I didn’t think any further than that so its surprising.
Do you play in any more bands?
Yes, I have a couple of bands on my conscious. ABSOLUTE BASTARDS, MR
WALKER & THE HITMAN and KARMANJAKA to mention a few.
How long did you wok with writing and composing and rehearsal before
you entered the studio?
About 6 months or something. A couple of the songs are
re-recordings.
What do you think about working with a small record company?
I must say that it is perfect but on the other hand I have never
been on a mega-label so I don’t know what that is like. REGAIN is
perfect for us because we know Per well and we know that he does a good
job, also I believe its best to have a label which is in your own
country because you can have daily contact if you want to.
Do you see any future during the 21st century for metal and hard rock?
Yeah, of course. Metal is hard to kill off! There’s new bands coming
up all the time and always new people getting into metal so there is
definitively a future for it.
Is it something you want to say to the fans out there? The word is
yours.
Thanx for listening! Hopefully we will play in a town near you in the
future.
Thank you Anders for your interest in DZO!
Thanks Jocke for answering my questions and thanks to Regain-records for the pictures.