With KATLA. Guðmundur Óli Pálmason, formerly drummer of Sólstafir, has founded an exciting new project with Thorberg Guðmundsson from Fortíð. Their debut „Móðurástin“ would have provided enought matter for an extensive interview. But although obviously annoyed, Gummi also answers all our questions about his expulsion from Sólstafir and draws a completely contrary picture to the depictions of Aðalbjörn in the Metal1.info-interview.
You’ve got a new band, named KATLA. Could you tell us a few words about the band – how would you describe KATLA in one sentence, for example?
I wouldn’t really. But since you asked nicely I can try.
Katla. is a holistic artproject that combines music, poetry and visual art to create an atmosphere that hopefully moves whoever is on the receiving end.
When did you get the idea of forming the band – was if after you got fired from Sólstafir, or did you already plan this as a soloproject before that happened?
You get fired from a job, you can’t get fired from something that you created and should rightfully be co-owned by you. That’s a hostile takeover. But yes, after my time with that band was over, I basically needed something new to work on. So no I did not plan KATLA. as as soloproject before that, nor is it a soloproject now. I am only half of KATLA. and in fact Einar writes more of the music than I do.
So, is KATLA. „your version of Sólstafir“, does KATLA. sound, as you’d have Sólstafir prefered to sound? Or is it something completely new for you?
No, KATLA. is not way my, or for that matter our version of Sólstafir nor any other band. KATLA. is KATLA. and KATLA. is something new for the both of us. Of course we build on previous personal experience. Not doing so would be humanly impossible.
I can and will say however that KATLA. sounds a lot more like the music that I want to create than the last real Sólstafir album ever did. There are no inflated egos in KATLA. writing powerballads inspired by cheesy 80’s stadium rock. There is no pressure on KATLA. to write commercially successful music, so artistically we are a lot more free than what I have experienced in the last 8 years or so.
For this project, you joined forces with Einar Thorberg Guðmundsson of Fortíð. How did that come into being, do you know each other for a long time already?
Yes. I have known Einar for more than 20 years, we have been working together with music on and off since 1997. I did session drums on a project he had called Hel and we released our first full length album together called Bálsýn under the bandname Potentiam. We have also recorded some music together that never saw the light of day. After my time with my former band was over, I basically needed something new to work on. Einar was a natural choice. I actually contacted some other people as well but it ended up just being the two of us. It was the simplest and fastest way to start something from scratch really. More people would simply have taken a lot more time
You named the band after a huge volkano on island, and all of us not-islandic people are glad that you did not select Eyjafjallajökull. Why KATLA., what was the idea behind this bandname?
Why KATLA.? Because Eyjafjallajökull isn’t really a good bandname. (laughs)
Seriously though, we felt that the destructive, but also life giving powers of a volcano fitted our concept and music 100%. „Life giving?“ you may ask. Well, even though volcanos can be destructive and deadly, we wouldn’t be here without them. You see, volcanos don’t just spew out lava and ash and fire. Volcanos have created our atmosphere by spewing out gas that would otherwise have been trapped inside the earth. Sure this gas is deadly to us, but over millions of years this gas has turned into the atmosphere we breath. Life and death are forever linked.
Also we wanted a name that connected to Iceland’s nature. We both enjoy nature a lot, and I work as a tourguide so I’m out in this nature every day, this is our reality.
You signed a deal with Prophecy Productions. How did that come into being? It’s quite a surprise, since recently Prophecy Productions booked the „new“ Sólstafir to play at their Prophecy Festival 2017 – not KATLA.?
I don’t see the connection. One is a festival and the other is a record label. The festival doesn’t just have bands that are signed to their label. KATLA. is not a live band so it would not have even been possible to booked us to play.
The album is entitled „Móðurástin“, love of a mother. What was the idea behind that title, why did you choose this term?
I don’t know really. (laughs) It’s just a title that popped into my head one day and I thought it would be a great title for a blackmetal song. So when we wrote the heaviest song of the album I knew that song must get that title. Later on I started thinking it would make for a great album title as well, but I was afraid Einar wouldn’t like it at all. To my surprise he agreed on using this title for the album.
The lyric to that song ain’t really as beautiful as one might think though. It is about a mother that leaves her newborn child out in the unforgiving wilderness of Iceland to die of hunger and cold. This was not an uncommon reality back in the old days when working women and slaves were impregnated by their masters. Children like that were considered another mouth to feed so the mothers were forced to get rid of them. There is some literature and poems about this available in our written history.
Who wrote the lyrics and what are they about? Is there some kind of concept regarding the topics of the lyrics?
We both write music and lyrics, but Einar writes more of the music while I write more oft he lyrics. The red thread throughout the album is family and generations. It is about Iceland, its nature and its people and their battle against the elements in the unforgiving conditions up here in the far north. But also about the joy of summer and the life that prevails despite the harsh circumstances.
All lyrics are written in Islandic language – so for most of your audience, your message gets lost as soon as it leaves your lips, so to say. Isn’t that a bit frustrating as well, and why did you nevertheless decide to stick to Islandic?
It is really frustrating yes, because we put a lot of work into our lyrics. The lyrics aren’t just there for the vocals to make random sounds. The lyrics add to the concept, enrich the atmosphere.
But we had no choice really. We have to stay true to our selves, and our truest expression when it comes to words, is our own language.
The label did ask if we wanted to include English translations in the special edition, and we did think about it. But eventually too much would be lost in translation. We’re using a lot of words that can not be translated at all.
The most prominent element within the music of KATLA. are the clean vocals – male and female. Who is the lady singing?
Her name is Sylvía Guðmundsdóttir, and she is Einar’s sister. And in the very end of the song we can hear a recording of my great grandmother Laugheiður Jónsdóttir, recorded in 1934. We’re very proud of the fact that we could keep it all in the family!
Did you also consider to use screams or at least harsh vocals as „main-style“ of vocals for KATLA.?
I don’t think we’ll ever use screams as the main singing style, as it’s too limited. Screaming is good to express angst or anger, but that’s it. There are some screaming vocals on the album though and maybe we’ll use more of that in the future if it fits the songs and the concept oft he lyrics, but clean singing will always be our main singing style. Einar is a great singer and can actually sing in tune, so why not take advantage of that. (laughs)
How much did you contribute to the songs of „Móðurástin“?
Einar writes the majority of the songs but I wrote some riffs that we turned into full songs together. I also wrote some of the vocal melodies.
Some weeks ago, we did an Interview with Sólstafir, who told us (asked about what changed since you’re not longer part of the band) that „Gummi never wrote any of the songs, so the songwriting didn’t change that much“. Do you like to comment on that?
Not that I care for such questions, nor do I care what they say but it is simply not true. Everyone that knows us personally and has ever been at a Sólstafir rehearsal knows that this is a lie.
I was the only member into post metal (discovering Neurosis in 1996 and Godspeed you Black Emperor in 1998 or so.. amongst other bands) as well as atmospheric blackmetal, and I was the force that pushed Sólstafir into the direction we took, where as Addi only wanted to play AC/CD, Judas Priest and Slayer inspired heavy/trash metal. This is very audible on the shitty Black Death 7”ep which was a step in the wrong direction as far as I am concerned, a step forced upon the band by Addi. Also after Köld Addi started to get inspired by cheesy 80’s powerballads from shitty bands like Foreigner. I fought very much against this, trying to keep Sólstafir as an atmospheric metal band. Just listen to their new album, which I’m told is absolute shit and tell me I’m wrong! (laughs)
Furthermore, they stated the following:
„You have to understand that there was no other option [than firering Gummi], and it was the only solution. The band was dying, there was no friendship left, no one had fun, no one could talk, there was just rotten atmosphere with constant argument and violence. The 3 of us did not have problems with each other, but his actions and behaviour were the reason for his dismissal. It’s like talking about a marriage that you were in. You dont file for a divorce unless some serious shit has been going on. We are talking about stuff that happened 2-4 years before he got fired, but in the end it just became worse and worse. So no one could tolerate it anymore. If you have never been a touring band for years, or been in a serious relationship for years I am not gonna expect you to understand this.“
>> Read the entire Interview with Aðalbjörn here!
Could you please give a comment on this – what’s your point of view here, why did the Sólstafir-lineup broke up, why did you get fired from the band?
I’m not going to sink down to this level. Is this is KATLA.-interview or is this about Sólstafir?
I have helt back a whole lot of details, but it would not be in their favour if I tell the whole story. I was singled out because of jealousy and greed. If you think bullying only exists between kids you are dead wrong, and I can say I was bullied in the band for years. If the reason for them to force me out have been legitimate, both Addi and Svavar should have been fired for the very same reasons years befor me.
You also started a lawsuit against the band back then – what is it about? Money? Injured Pride?
No, it was about my right. Do you really believe building something like a band for 20 years is like a marriage? No it’s not, it’s like a business and you don’t just take it all for yourself and leave one person with less than nothing. When I say less than nothing I mean they actually left me with the debts of the company that ran the band while they pocketed the income. They payed for all the expenses of a tour I wasn’t even on with the companies credit cards but then put the income in their own pockets. Is that injured pride?
Someone who compares this to a marriage totally lacks all ethics and has a skewed moral compass, and will proably also make for a lousy parent because if being in a band is like marriage then I guess the songs are the kids. This is a totally nonsense metaphor. The songs and the merchandise is a product, just like any other business produces. After 20 years of hard work you as a founding partner must be entitled to share the income? They are still selling merchandise that I designed, and I haven’t got a penny from them since January 2015! Explain to me how that is in any way right or fair!
Did you give a listen to „Berdreyminn“, the new Sólstafir-Release? What do you think about that album?
No I have not listened to a single song.
With Sólstafir you had „made it“, reached a certain degree of popularity. How hard is it to start again with a completely new project, to keep motivated even if everything you got before is lost and you’ve to fight for every new fan, for popularity, for selling records again?
If I was making music fort he wrong reasons I assume it would be very hard.
Besides, if you think Sólstafir have „made it“ you are dead wrong. Nobody „makes it“ in the metal scene except for Metallica and Slayer and maybe Mastodon.
I have a great life now, a beautiful girlfriend that supports me in everything I do and we have a beautiful, happy son and I also have my two older children. I have the best fucking job in the world driving so called super jeeps (modified mountain trucks – google it) up mountains, on glaciers and through rivers. Every day on that job is a real adventure out in our amazing nature. If you think I miss small, smelly clubs and living out of a suitcase in a bus and never having any money you are dead wrong.
What do you expect for the future of KATLA – do you think, it is possible to make it once again, to get with this band, where you got with Sólstafir, make it an internationally well established band?
I expect the future of KATLA. holds some more questions about Sólstafir, if this interview is anything to judge by. I don’t care for „making it“, I don’t make music to please an inflated ego and a greatly misguided sense of self-importance! I don’t make music for anyone to think I’m anything special. I make music because I feel the need to do so, to express myself artistically, and so does Einar, whom you seem to have totally forgotten is 50% of KATLA..
Thank you for the interview! Please let us do a short brainstorming in the end of this interview. What comes in your mind first reading the following terms:
Island: The shit!
Kim Jong Un: Little shit
Politics in Island: Shitty shit
Angela Merkel: Don’t give a shit
Your favorite album in 2017 so far: New shit from Legend
KATLA. in 10 years: Still answering questions about another shitty band
Once again thanks for your time. The last words are yours – is there anything left you want to tell our readers?
Danke schön! Hellisheiðarjarðvarmavirkjun!
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2. Oktober 2017 Moritz Grütz
„Wenn du denkst, dass ich kleine, stinkige Clubs, das Leben aus dem Koffer in einem Bus und den notorischen Geldmangel vermisse, liegst du verdammt falsch.“
Mögen die Buben nicht auf Tour? :-(
Das was ich bis jetzt zu hören bekommen habe: Gottverdammtescheiße, wie geil :-)
Ich hoffe inständig daß man Katla wenigstens auf unseren einschlägigen Festivals zu hören bekommen wird.
Was soll man sagen, man wird nie erfahren, was wirlich vorgefallen ist. Irgendwo habe ich aber das Gefühl, dass das Ganze musikalisch Katla weit interessanter werden lässt, als eben Solstafirs letzte Platte. Für mich wirkt er irgendwie ehrlicher oder sagen wir besser „menschlicher“ als die Gegenseite. Solstafir finden es ja befremdlich, wenn man sagt, dass mit Gummi die Seele der Band gegangen ist, aber genau das empfinde ich beim Hören der neuen Solstafir-Platte. Das mögen die Herren jetzt nicht verstehen, aber so geht es scheinbar mehr Menschen. Ich denke Katlas Debut wird ein großer Wurf werden und mit Prophecy haben sie den wesentliche sympathischeren Partner an der Seite als mit Seasons of mist.
Ach ja, ich finde es übrigens sehr gut, dass ihr da nicht nur Standartfragen abschickt, sondern durchaus auch kritisch nachfragt. Gelungenes Interview, welches die menschliche Seite hervorragend einfängt. Danke!
Hallo! Zunächst danke für die lobenden Worte. Das war in dem Fall zugegebenermaßen auf Risiko gespielt – es hätte genauso gut sein können, dass Gummi die Fragen gar nicht beantwortet … und in der Tat hätte da wohl nicht viel gefehlt, wie man zwischen den Zeilen auch mehrfach rauslesen kann. Da war im Anschluss noch einige Beschwichtigungsarbeit zum Glätten der Wogen nötig. ;)
Im Endeffekt wars das Risiko aber wert, weil nur so von beiden Parteien ein Statement zu bekommen war. Womit ich beim inhaltlichen wäre: Ich bin ganz bei dir: Natürlich wird an beiden Versionen was dran sein – aber mit der Firmenkreditkarte weiterzahlen und die Gewinne in die eigene Tasche stecken beispielsweise ist nicht die feine englische Art. So das stimmt, und es spicht wenig dagegen, glaube ich persönlich Gummi seine Version eher als dem Rest der Band.
Bezüglich Katla. hast du ebenfalls recht – das Album ist weit spannender als das letzte Solstafir-Werk! Unser Review dazu folgt in Kürze!