The Norwegian prog metal band Hagra will release their long awaited debut album on Rob Mules Records.
Tales from the Unexpected is due in December.
Hagra were formed in 2017 by Roger Hagen and Tommy Granli. The latter is known from Dimension Act, Dale (feat. Tony Mills), The Maudlin Hounds and The SwampBorn Assassins UK.
Hagra have spent the last three years writing and recording their debut album, Tales from the Unexpected. Finally, they’re ready to present their music to the rest of the world.
We have conducted an interview with drummer and bassist from Ohmwork, Børge Bendiksen and Helge Nyrud. Ohmwork are on the verge of releasing their fourth album HorrorWorks on Rob Mules Records. A concept album that’ll be out Friday the 13th of September. Listen up!
Who are Ohmwork, and what is the story behind your band name?
Helge: I actually stole the name from GZR (a Geezer Butler album). It was short and it appealed to me at once. We had a long list of names and we landed eventually on Ohmwork (hope Geezer doesn’t read this…).
Børge: Ohmwork is a power trio. We have played together for seven years, and soon we will have four albums to our name.
You will release a single titled ‘Sleep Killing’ 16 August, tell us about it.
Børge: ‘Sleep Killing’ is the first and only single from our upcoming album.
Helge: It’s a song that Anders crafted from some old riffs we had from way back, if I remember correctly.
The album HorrorWorks will follow a month later (out 13 September). What can we expect?
Helge: Well, hopefully a band that’s evolving. We try to be better and keep things fresh. If you listen back to back to Storm Season and HorrorWorks, you will hear something has happened. We are not the same band in 2019 that we were in 2014.
Børge: The new album is a bit heaver than Alyssa Drone, I think. It’s been two years of great progression. Anders and Helge have come up with great riffs, and Anders has done an awesome job on the lyrics. The recording went smoothly and I think we have made a good album.
Anders L. Rasmussen in studio
Yngvar Mehus has co-produced, mixed and mastered your album, what is the story behind it?
Helge Nyrud in studio
Helge: Yngvar has been with us since ShadowTech (2015). He’s got to know us, and he knows how we want to sound. So, we got an understanding between us in a way. He comes up with alternative ways to do things, like: “Are you sure you wanna play it like that? How about just keep it simpler, straight forward like this?” So, that’s how he kinda got a producer role. He is heavily involved in the album. Not just the guy who is tracking us.
Børge Bendiksen in studio
Børge: This is the fourth time we work with Yngvar (ShadowTech, Mother City EP, Alyssa Drone and HorrorWorks). We really enjoy working with him in the studio. He understands how this style of music should sound like, and how we want Ohmwork to sound like. A great guy to work with!
Tell us about the cover art?
Helge: Made by Vegard Laupstad, the same guy behind the artwork of ShadowTech, which was great! He has done an incredible work on HorrorWorks too!
What’s in store for Ohmwork the next couple of months?
Børge: We will release a single this month. Around this time we will prepare and rehears a setlist for gigs in September-October. Among them a concert at Kulturhuset in Tromso 28 September.
Helge: Gonna be some gigs of course. Northern Norway, Trondheim and Oslo.
Talking about sound and style, tell us about your influences, bands you like?
Børge: I have been a fan of hard rock since I heard Thin Lizzy on tape when I was six years old. So, I like any hard rock/metal band from Thin Lizzy to Pantera. Drummers that have influenced me are Scott Travis, Brian Downey and Mikkey Dee.
Helge: 70’s and early 80′ always seem to suit us. But we try to make it sound “these days”.
Live photo by Hans Petter Skog & studio photos by Yngvar Mehus
Listen to Ohmwork’s mixtape below – a diverse and powerful stack of great rockers!
Razorbatswill release the track«The City» as a radio single 19 April, and follow up with a 7″ vinyl release 7th of June. It contains a highlypotent double dose of addictive rock-euphoria in the form of Razorbats«The City» and«Summer of Head», backed up by twotracks from the Canadian band Sick Things.
Razorbats will tour clubs and festivals in Norway and England in April through June in support of the release. A music video is also in the pipeline sometime in May.
Great news! Autokarma from Hamar has signed a deal for a future album release on Rob Mules Records. If everything goes according to plan the album will see the light of day sometime this year.
Autokarma received national attention already in 2010 when they participated in Storbynatt at NRK. This resulted in concert activities throughout eastern Norway, as well as two EP releases in Fare Fare Krigsmann (2012) and Hel (2015).
The band, which by many is characterized as a cross between Seigmen and DumDum Boys, hit another high-point when Emil «Valhalla» Meek debuted in UFC in 2016 to the sound of «Fare Fare Krigsmann» by Autokarma, which also resulted in TV appearances on TV2.
