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BEYOND
DAWN
The Future Sound of Norway
By Mikko Kuronen
As it has been easy to notice from Beyond Dawn’s previous full-length
albums [1995’s Pity Love, 1998’s Revelry and 1999’s
Electric Sulking Machine], they have an incontestable tendency to
amalgamate distant frequencies and foreign sound continuums into
their capricious form of rock music. The forward-thinking Norwegian
quartet have in their music a wavelength that stubbornly hankers
to create a signal of its own, totally unique and individual. Therefore,
there is one question that could be asked every time a new Beyond
Dawn album is released, and that is: do they not fear their stylistic
re-routings might make it impossible for them to hold on to the
followers they have managed to get with their preceding efforts,
ranging from the eerie romanticism of Pity Love to the electronica-flirting
explorations of Electric Sulking Machine?
"I don’t know," Einar Sjursø, the band’s
drummer, muses. "I think we always lose some fans when we put
something out, but we also gain new ones. As long as we have our
hearts in what we do, it is not important who likes our music. We’re
a bit surprised that so many metal heads still turn into it, though.
"We have always sought inspiration in what we listen to at
any given time, while at the same time we have made a very conscious
effort not to copy anything. We set higher standards for ourselves
in terms or writing, arranging, performing and producing the music
all the time, and when we’re done, we seldom find it good for
much longer than a few months. Stagnation and lasting satisfaction
are the enemies."
"I don’t think we are settled really with anything,"
says vocalist Espen Ingierd, "but I think this is the first
album I’ll still feel comfortable with when a year has passed.
The songs are kind of old now but I think the result this time was
more refreshing. It doesn’t sound like other things I’m
listening to, like new rock bands. I feel so different when I listen
to it these days. I think it hits you more, it’s more honest
perhaps. I think it is music you cannot really be totally indifferent
to. You can hate it or like it. It’s much more vulnerable as
well."
The album the frontman speaks of, Frysh (out now on Peaceville),
is the most mercurial and telescopic of Beyond Dawn’s works
yet, and also their best. Listening to Frysh and contrasting it
with the foursome’s development from their genesis as a death
metal band in 1990, it would almost seem there are no boundaries
to their creativity.
"I guess there are boundaries to everything," says Sjursø.
"I think it’s more a matter of just doing whatever one
feels like, paying little attention to boundaries. If one needs
to make music for the sake of breaking rules alone, anything good
rarely comes out of it. Being at the top of your creativity doesn’t
automatically challenge boundaries either, as I don’t think
you can measure creativity. Either you’re creative or you aren’t.
It’s like Seinfeld says—there’s no degree to wetness.
When you’re wet, you’re wet."
Beyond Dawn have always suffered from the eccentric nature they
have been associated with. Even though their albums have fared quite
well among critics, the music has never skyrocketed in popularity
among the majority of people. This hasn’t gone unnoticed by
the band; on the contrary, they even have the sense of humour to
call themselves "Norway’s best and least selling act"
on their Web site. Though the lack of success has never caused any
serious trauma, Einar and Espen admit it has bugged the band to
some extent.
"It has of course been the subject of much frustration, especially
considering the amount of time and effort put into the band,"
Sjursø reflects. "Nowadays we take things a bit more
easy. We don’t have any illusions of becoming rock stars or
anything. As long as we enjoy making the music we will continue
doing it, I guess, but on a level that doesn’t interfere with
earning a living in other ways than touring our asses off and living
off trash."
"We haven’t really let that get into us," opines
Ingierd. "I just think that we’ve always had this independent
kind of attitude towards things that we are doing. I’ve never
been depressed about not selling records or anything. I think it’s
great just to be able to release music. Of course, I want as many
as possible to listen to it but it doesn’t change how much
I want to make it and how much I like creating music."
An interesting point to talk about is also Beyond Dawn’s absolutely
thrilling cover version of Autopsy’s "Severed Survival",
definitely one of the high moments of Frysh. Even if it’s a
totally revamped and metamorphosed take on the original, it still
serves as an apt reminder of the band’s deep-seated roots.
"We listened to it one night and just liked the idea of trying
to do it as a cover song for the album. But then we had to do something
completely different. I think that was the first track for the album
that we did. It’s always nice to start with a cover song. We
did a lot of versions of it and then just came up with this at the
end. It sounds different!" Espen chuckles.
Einar: "Autopsy are true heroes, and will always be. They managed
to take a lot of influences and make a sound of their own that is
yet to be surpassed. Listen to albums like Severed Survival and
Mental Funeral and you’re immediately struck by how brilliant
they were. I could start listening to country exclusively and yet
I will always worship Autopsy. We thought it would be nice to do
a pop song with that kind of lyrics. I guess the words eventually
had some sort of influence ’cause the song turned out quite
dark in the end."
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