The last album which AVATAR published in 2018 was their concept album „Avatar Country“ with which they toured around the world to greet their citizens. But even the king has to abdicate after some time and therefore that their new album „Hunter Gatherer“ resumes the new place.Just looking at the cover, one has the impression that this time it is again a dark album. Who listened to „Colossus“, knows that it is a one of their darkest, aggressive and most of all honest album, because the number of metaphors wanes even more. From the first second, I was fascinated from the album , which is why I interviewed Johannes Eckerström about the development of the album and its processes. So whoever wants to know more about the background and the perception of Johannes, will be interested in the following answers.
Sarah-Jane: How did it come about that Hunter Gatherer is a dark album and that you are back into an aggressive direction?
Johannes Eckerström: Because Avatar Country was something special, different and it was a kind of healing, we have known, since we have finished the album Avatar Country, that we wanted to go back into a more harder, darker and aggressive direction. We wanted to continue with something dark and aggressive. But what that means and what the songs are about has slowly developed during the processes. I had a vision, it was special, I think I had the vision, because we have done two concept albums in a row. Hunter Gatherer is no concept album, but we were better to see the big picture while we worked. I have seen a picture but the focus of the lens wasn’t right, that was the feeling. So we have known that we are back on the road. This time we had more confidence in the process and we had to make sure that we had enough time for every step in the processes. This time it was a lot of time, one month to have a fulltime rehearsal and before we had time for ourselves to work with the music, so that we could come together, living together in a house or barn, to work with the songs. There was more room to breathe this time.
Sarah-Jane: So that means you had more time to think about the topics which you wanted to present?
Johannes Eckerström: There was time to find out how we feel about different things. There is a challenge respectively a difference to produce aggressive or angry music when you are over 30 by comparison to somebody who is 18 years old. It was expressed in the music. If this album would be a horror movie, and an older album, for example „Schlacht“, if this would be a horror movie, the murder would break you face with a hammer. That is not really precision, really unfocused, really hysterical, but also very spectacular. Now in this time, when you are older, the murder is more like a Hannibal Lecter character. There is more knowledge, you know how to use a scalpel to get more damage. And there are some specific things we are sad and angry about. There was a period in which I was very careful to say some things out loud. I don’t want to point my finger on people, because it is very dangerous. Because then you have to ask yourself who you are and what is your part in life. We had to find a way, because every album should be more and more honest. We always were as honest as we could, on every record, but we are getting older and there should be one layer left to come closer to the truth. And we can only reach the truth if we live for 500 years. But this is a process we have to go through. And to find the words for this truth, where I am open-minded, and to say “that is shit. What happens here is shit” without metaphors. But I am a part oft he problem, I am not a prophet or a holy man. For example „When All But Force Has Failed“ – „Bird carcass with a belly full of plastic, one more year and I’ll be millionaire” – this type of result, to find a way where we can show our emotions and feelings, why are we more aggressive than before? Yes, because we found a new way of our expressions. Suddenly this long thought were given and we had time to develop it.
Sarah-Jane: Do you think that the older you get, writing the texts gets more difficult or easier?
Johannes Eckerström: I think in some parts it is more difficult, because we never want to write a song or texts twice. I discover that some themes come around again with new perspectives, but it is just like in the theater or as well in history. Now during this period we have a great trust in the processes and as well with the text. It is okay when during the start I like 50-70% of the idea, because then I know I need to continue working on it, but not right away and so rather put it away, leave it alone and let it ferment.
Sarah-Jane: Was it a challenge for you as a singer to perform these texts vocally? The sound is somewhat heavier as in the albums of the past.
Johannes Eckerström: I think some things were heavier. But I always look for new challenges. For me and us this is very important, because we want to find something where we are beginners. That it is interesting for us and the listener doing our 8th album. In music there are so many things one can do that there is always something which is difficult to do. And doing Metal there is always the psychological component. The body needs to be present and sweating is a must. I look for something difficult also in music. It can also mean that the higher tones were a little too easy and that I need to take them a little higher. The most difficult song for me was „Gun“, because it is so vulnerable. It is musical precision to sound so vulnerable and not at the same time weak. I started screaming as a teenager and took a trip with Avatar. It became more dynamic. Up until now “Gun” was the biggest challenge and I am very pleased with it.
Sarah-Jane: How did it come about that you decided to include this ballad on the album and to publish it?
Johannes Eckerström.: It took seven years . The first idea of the piano and the „Give a boy a gun“ strophes at the beginning, was something which existed for seven years. Then we tried to complete a whole song and most of the times there was a guitar and drums during the middle and it sounded like a power ballad. Get rid of it! Then John said: Johannes, leave it the way it is. There is a spirit in it. It just needs to be finished.“ And therefore the rest was very easy. Everything came about very fast. Seven years impossible and then it was possible.
Sarah-Jane: Sometimes is just needs its time and you yourself need to be satisfied with the song.
Johannes Eckerström:The possibilities are endless and that is the problem. Most of the songs need a dynamic change, to find a balance for example “Wormhole”. We needed the melodic contrast. Most of the time is for the best if there is a similarity in the emotions. It can be hard and smooth, it can be dynamic. For example “A Secret Door“. It fits very well. They have the same chords in the harder main riff, the refrain has the same melody like the main riff but with different chords. That is how the circle comes about. I like this kind of ideas the most when I am writing music.
Sarah-Jane: How long did you need in the studio to record the album?
Johannes Eckerström: It took three weeks to record the album in Los Angeles. Everybody had to come to an end and record everything. And then we needed 10 or 11 days to record the vocals. It is difficult to measure the time. We write our texts separately. Everyone writes anything some day. There are always these days where we say we make a new album and then we sit together and show our ideas. I think it has begun and the beginning of 2019. We had some things before, as we recorded the movie, but there was no time. But it is almost one year. We learned more how to do to music fulltime.
Sarah-Jane: How did the partnership with Corey Taylor come up and what did you like on the partnership?
Johannes Eckerström:. A partnership is an exaggeration. We played for Slipknot in France, we have met each other. He wanted to come by and he meant if Avatar want to record something, I can do it. But we didn’t write any duets. We looked through the lyrics but there was no organic reason so sing together. In the studio we just wanted to have some fun. Except whistling. We remembered some earlier episodes of South Park with George Clooney. He played a dog. Corey is an icon for us and we allowed him to whistle. He did a great job. He also made a small contribution to “Wormhole“. This is maybe my favorite part, because „Wormhole“ is one of my favorite 10 songs of the album. That is something special.
Sarah-Jane: As a last question: would you like to make a feature with different singers?
Johannes Eckerström: Yes very much so, but a song needs to written very early on, as soon as the intention is there. But not only because there is a well known guy coming in. Because for example with Corey the backup vocals worked very well. It was the color of the mix on the tray. But a closer and deeper partnership needs an intention from the beginning due tot he composition. Yes why not?
Sarah-Jane: Thank you for the interview and for taking the time. Hopefully we can see us live on a concert next year.
Johannes Eckerström: Yes, hopefully one can see each other next year. Cross my fingers. And thank you.
