Interview with Wormlust

Iceland. Many who are reading this, do not know that in Iceland there are bands that make Metal, they feel and play Metal, in its most Extreme (or unconventional) way. You may not even know that in Iceland, there are metal bands that kick the ass to many of the great bands from the USA and the rest of Europe. But is this: Iceland is exporting bands in a superlative level. And one of those bands / projects is Wormlust, the creature created and directed by HV Lyngdal, a smart guy, dark and different than most. The best way to confirm this is to read this interesting interview with this talented and original artist.

Puro Ruido: Well, first of all, thank you very much for the interview. Wormlust's music I really love, therefore, is a pleasure to interview you. This year has released the first full lenght of Wormlust. By the way, a very good album. Tell me about the repercussions about record. You received good reviews? Were you able to read or hear comments from your fans? Personally, I think a very good job. The perfect evolution of what you did in the demos.

H.V. Lyngdal: I think the reviews have been fair and the response good so far, though its like an out of body experience trying to connect to the album these days after working so much on it, also leaving it out to the world to see as the perfect vessel formed of my thougths.

PR: In your music, I find very special qualities, elements that make it unique. I would like to know what inspires you when creating. The songs are born from a musical idea, images, words? How about inspiration and how much work?

H.V.L: Usually it boils simply down to fucking around on the guitar until something pleasing happens, everything is then recorded on a small portable recorder and kept for maybe a year(sometimes longer).  Usally I don´t listen to what it for a few months after obsessing over them for a period of time rather revisiting them later when the spell has been broken for long enough, making notes on what could be done better. Mental images are what drive most parts towards the finished state, that is to say those the notes that resonate with the mindseye as well as the ears are spared from being destroyed. 

PR: The Feral Wisdom is the first record in which you work with another musician, am I right? More precisely, for this album accounts in collaboration with Bjarni Einarsson on drums. Bjarni is a full time Member, or a sideman? Why did you decide not to record everything yourself this time?

H.V.L: The drums were mostly written digitally when I asked him to lay down the drums, I just wanted to have an organic feel to the whole as an personal homage to the great psychedelic studio albums of the 60´s when  overdubbing experiments I am inspired by really took off. Wormlust has an open door policy on contributor though depending on the undertaking and circumstances. Bjarni is a beast of a drummer so it was only logical.

PR: With my girlfriend have been following the Icelandic metal scene for a while. I must tell you that we love the Metal Icelandic. Wormlust, Svartidaudi, Sólstafir, Myrkr, Níðhöggur, Pestuus, etc.. They are all great bands, with a huge personality. Although bands have influences from other countries bands, it is clear that in Iceland, the bands do things their own way, not looking to sound like, you know, in Norway, nor intended to copy anyone. My question is, what is happening in Iceland? We can talk about a scene already formed? Or still in formation?

H.V.L: Well as a contributor in various capacities on three project on those list I think it is safe to say that there is not much a scene, rather what is happening now is the remnants of a scene that was happening from 2000-2005 and it is probably just that now the people that stuck with making noises are mature enough of thought and creativity to make things of value. On the other hand most if not all of the bands would lend nicely to a venn diagram of shared members but each unit is though like a hungry lone wolf in terms of getting their message out.

PR: HV, if I did not read wrong, you've worked in a film called "Mýrin". You made the music?

H.V.L: No, I and a few other people where summoned by a Icelandic artist called Mugison and paid with beer to scream a version of the icelandic song “Á Sprengisandi” for the movie of which I think about 10 sec were used in the actual film.

PR: Something that always interest me whenever I interview a musician, is this: What motivated you to become a musician? There was a turning point in your life that led you to take up an instrument and start making music?

H.V.L: I don´t think that story would lend it self very well to a narrative as its a kind of gradual musical pubescence that bores me even when I think about putting it down in the form of the following uncoherent thoughts.

It calls up the philosophical dotrine “fatalism” to which I am no subscriber, not saying that you were implying such a thing - rather the truth of simply picking a guitar in your teens for your own enjoyment is incredibly mundane as a story as opposed to those that start composing symphonies at the age of three.

PR: Besides Wormlust, you also play on Pestuus. There are plans in the immediate future, to record and release an album with that band? Until now have only recorded a demo, right?

H.V.L: I was asked to contribute to the recording of those songs in the form of bass and drums as well as a mixing them, that was the end of my envolvement. That project is well dead thought, mutated into Vansköpun.

PR: There is much to be discussed, for several years now, about free download, if it's a necessary evil to promote the music of a band or not, if the new paradigm, if this happens through the fault of the industry or not, etc.. Well, you have “The Wormlust Collective” on Bandcamp, for free download, and this leads me to ask you about your opinion about the present and future of the Record Industry, free download, etc.

H.V.L: I think it should be supply and demand with a touch of crowdsourcing; that is a certain amount of people purchasing albums together as a unit on the merit of the music alone and their loalty to their bands. That way the label knows where it stands financially, the people get their copies and the bands are heard.

PR: Well, as we are with all this physical editions, free or paid downloading, etc., tell us which label released The Feral Wisdom, how can we do to buy the album, or if you have a website where we can buy both the Wormlust album merchandising

H.V.L: There is a digipak cd version out on Daemon Worship prod,then there is a LP version out soon on Demonhood prod.  You can get them there.

PR: Ok, H.V, the last question. What is the goal in the life of Wormlust? When you created Wormlust, you did with a goal in your mind?

H.V.L: To leave a bemused looking corpse.

PR: Bro, thank you very much for your time. Of course, if you want to add something else, do it freely.

H.V.L: Rappskólarapp,djöfullelskaégaðeyðatímanumíaðsvaraviðtölum