Band: Skuggor
Latest album: Where Sun Resigns (out May 17th)
Genre: Ambient Black Metal
Country: Sweden
Label: Naturchmacht Productions
Today BMZ has the pleasure of catching up with Aussie native turned Sweden demon Skuggor. Since 2022 Skuggor has been putting out some truly dark and cold sounding BM. With a new release due and an upcoming tour with Austere in Australia. We caught up with them to chat about all things evil.
Hey man thanks so much for joining me today, how is the weather on your side of the world?
Matthew: Unfortunately, this winter hasn’t been too bad. Not much snow and not too cold. A shame, just dreary (but not the good kind).
So tell me, How did this project start?
M.: Skuggor started in 2022 when I recorded a demo playing all the instruments. I originally said there were two members, but X. doesn’t exist and was also just me. The band was just me messing around with low quality production and didn’t have much thought behind it.
So I know you’ve been involved with a few projects over the past 10-15 years, what was the goal with doing Skuggor compared to say Autumn’s Dawn (for my ears, Skuggor feels more menacing and 2nd wave oriented whether as Autumn ‘s Dawn feels more melancholic and DSBM oriented)
M.: Yea, you are spot on. The goal of Skuggor was to be raw, old school in its vibe, and also not too much effort- more stream of consciousness writing than meticulously going over every section of every song. With something like Autumn’s Dawn (new album out this year by the way), there is a much larger focus on the “songwriting” aspect, as well as crafting an album. Skuggor is more about the attitude.
So previously you were in Australia yeah? I was wondering when you made the move overseas man
M.: I am Australian, but moved to Sweden in 2019, and became a citizen last year. This will be my first time returning to Australia since I moved.
Whats the black metal scene like in Sweden/Europe compared to Australia? (are you more of a recording artist or are you also involved with the Swedish live scene on some level)
M.: I’m not really involved with that many Sweden musicians- actually all of the musicians I’ve collaborated with in Sweden have been musicians who have moved there from overseas too.
Whats usually involved with recording and making a Skuggor release? Is there much variation with what you try and do on each release?
M.: In the past it’s been plug in and record. Just live guitar and vocals and the rest was programmed and mixed by myself. I have my third album coming in May (will be announced soon), that was mixed and mastered by Tim Yatras at Equinoxe Studios. Same writing and recording process, but this time he mixed it. I felt like after 3 releases using a very similar soundest it was time to try something a bit different.
You’re touring with Austere this year, what can people expect from the live show?
M.: Although on record the music is quite contemplative and insular, live I try to make it more energetic and aggressive, as a lot of times I find atmospheric black metal has a hard time successfully working in a live context. If the vibe isn’t right I find it often can fall flat. So Skuggor live really tries to play like a live band and not a bedroom act stepping foot on stage for the first time.
Who have you assembled to put together for your live band?
M.: The music is written to be performed live as a duo, so the live line-up will be myself on guitar and vocals and a drummer.
I was wondering what your future plans are after this one? Do you have any recording plans after this or any further touring?
M.: As mentioned above I have a new album coming out in May, where details will be released soon. After this tour I will write more music but don’t have any immediate plans for more shows
Thanks heaps for your time man, I was also wondering if you heard any cool albums recently that people should check out or have any bands you want to shout out?
M.: Thanks for the interest. Listen to Abigor – Supreme Immortal Art. The nerve to title an album that is worth a listen just for that alone.
Support Skuggor here: https://skuggornp.bandcamp.com/album/where-sun-resigns
Catch them here on tour with Austere throughout the end of May in Australia
Your thoughts on Skuggor
We’d love to hear your thoughts on Skuggor! You can rate it right here on this page, share your opinion on our social media channels, or join the discussion on our Discord—where we talk about all things black metal. Don’t forget to follow our Facebook page, Black Metal Zine, for updates on our latest articles, and have a look at our Instagram @blackmetal.zine for concert photos and more!