Intervista Flash: Forstenet

Forstenet è il nome di un nuovo progetto che va ad inserirsi nella multiforme e tumultuosa scena metal italiana. Jerico ha intervistato per voi i ragazzi del gruppo: sentiamo cosa hanno da dire!

Visto che siete alla prima intervista in questo sito, perché non presentate ai nostri lettori quando ed in che modo avete iniziato il vostro percorso nel mondo underground?

From 2012-2018 Forstenet was known as Poisoner, an old-school thrash metal band. It was founded by multi-instrumentalist Lauritz Andersen while he was 13 years old. A few months later 17-year-old, Emil Deleuran Poulsen joined in on the drums. Later Lasse Sølling Madsen joined on guitar and Morten Eide joined in on bass. In fact, Lasse also played bass for a short period of time, before Morten joined in. This is the short edition of the story, since we had a few line-up-changes and so on, but we consider them pretty insignificant, or well, even boring, for the reader. During the years of Poisoner, the musical influences matured, and the band slowly naturally evolved their sound and from 2018 and onwards, the band has been the progressive rock and metal band FORSTENET. The band played with trombonist and keyboardist Troels Mathiesen for five years in Forstenet, which recently was replaced by Mads Lørring Dahl (who can't play the trombone). From 2022, the band's founder Lauritz Andersen, began playing the saxophone which will annoy any listeners with woodwind-aversions. \r\n\r\nThe band today is:\r\nLauritz Andersen - Vocals/Guitar/Tenor Saxophone\r\nEmil Deleuran Poulsen - Drums\r\nLasse Sølling Madsen - Guitars\r\nMorten Eide - Bass Guitar\r\nMads Lørring Dahl - Keyboards

Da quali generi e bands è influenzato il gruppo?

The band is very much influenced by the 60's and 70's progressive, experimental and psychedelic rock music. Genesis, Yes, Rush, Pink Floyd, Camel, David Bowie, Frank Zappa, Scott Walker and so on. However they are also influenced by the more recent wave of progressive rock and metal, such as Steven Wilson/Porcupine Tree, Gojira, Opeth, Vektor Devin Townsend. Many different artists has influenced the band over the years, as the band has went through many phases. Everything from jazz fusion to atmospheric post-rock and black metal/blackgaze and to classic heavy metal such as Dio, Black Sabbath, Judas Priest. The list goes on and on and every member has many different influences.

So che potrebbe non essere facile farlo, ma potreste commentare il vostro ultimo lavoro?

Yes. Our latest work, "All We Touch, All We See" is a song that stretches over seven intense and densely packed minutes, where the melodic progressive style of the 70s blends with heavy and dissonant elements from death and black metal. In the lyrics, we explore themes of disillusionment, authenticity, transformation, and the wholeness of life. The track, despite its growling vocals and violent dissonance, resonates with an invigorating message about embracing the intricacies & poetic beauty of nature and of life; a message which culminates in the song's atmospheric outro. It has been inspired by the profound works of writers like Fyodor Dostoevsky, Aldous Huxley and Viktor E. Frankl, but also just the band's experiences with life and the human experience in general. In this song, we focus on edification, on optimism and beauty, rather than destruction, criticism and negativity. We rely on the importance of relationships and on a feeling of connectedness, on persistence and trust. We've strived to craft something truly beautiful with this song. While some may perceive a contrast between the aggressive growls and dissonant sounds and the optimistic message of the song, our song is also about transformation and growth. It progresses from an initially dissonant and heavy sound to a more harmonious and melodic sound, reflecting the journey towards beauty and purpose. \r\n\r\nThe song has been recorded at the legendary Medley Studios in Copenhagen and mixed and mastered by Jens Bogren (Opeth, Devin Townsend, Ihsahn, Leprous, etc) at Fascination Street Studio in Orebro, Sweden. \r\n

La scena metal underground è indubbiamente inflazionata da tantissmi gruppi, per cui (spesso) risulta necessario presentare delle composizioni che si facciano notare nel marasma delle varie scene musicali. Ritenete che le vostre canzoni abbiano da dire qualcosa in più o di diverso da quello che è già stato detto nell'affollatissimo mondo metal?

This is a difficult question to answer. To some extent, we must have faith that our compositions and concept is strong enough to stand out and be intriguing to new listeners. However, we have no way to be sure of this. We understand that the metal scene is an extremely saturated market. However, we think our music has evolved more into a 70's rock sound with metal influences rather than the other way around. Maybe this can make a difference to the listening experience. We are not an extremely riff-based band. We usually spend more time creating big chords and melodies, and most of the time it is the bass guitar carrying the band with actual "riffs", which is something that is a bit unusual for metal in particular, which usually is very guitar-based and riff-based. Maybe this can help us stand out. We also care a lot about the production. We believe only the best is good enough, which is why we seek to work together with the best mixing and master engineers possible. Maybe this could also contribute to a good and memorable listening experience. We also care a lot that our vocals do not suck too much, which is something many bands seem to struggle with (in their own words). Of course, we cannot really decide what the listener thinks, whether the listener likes the timbre of the voice and so on, but we do apply ourselves in order to make it sound as good as can be, and we think that is really important not to scare away listeners.

Cosa pensate del panorama underground nazionale?

In Denmark, where we come from, it is a bit ambivalent. Metal has become more popular the last couple of years. We think that Copenhell Festival has played a large roll in this. It was not many years ago metal was even more a niche thing than it is today. You see a metal band once in a while in television and so on. I think the common Dane has gained more understanding for what metal is. This has helped the scene in some ways, it seems. However, there are still a lot of concerts with almost no attendants. It is difficult to say whether the scene is thriving or struggling. Concert venues in general seem to be struggling and some have been closing down recently, which is very sad.

La carriera di un gruppo musicale (pur breve che possa essere) è sempre costellata di avvenimenti più o meno positivi. Cosa vorreste cancellare e cosa ricorderete per sempre della vostra esperienza di gruppo, dagli inizi inizi sino ad ora?

We don't regret anything, even though we've had our ups and downs. Maybe, we could have done without the COVID-19 mess and some personal crises and health problems, but going through tough times has made us stronger and more inspired. We're about to release our second album and we've learned a ton from just sticking it out and keep on writing and playing music. We'll remember both the good and bad times, but both have been important in shaping who we are as a band. For us, the most important thing is to stay true to ourselves, be honest and positive. . Authenticity and sincerity at all times. Our friendship is everything, and we're just happy to have each other. We've had some great times together, but I'd say the best was when we went to Sweden to mix our single with Jens Bogren. At this time, our new keyboardplayer Mads joined in and went to Sweden with us to mix the song. We had a wonderful trip, where we could focus intensely on our music, but also spend time in nature, which was really good for us all and for our band relationship. Jens was a total pro and the song sounded very good very quickly. We were all super inspired and just happy to be there with each other and for each other.

Come giudicate il veicolo Internet per la promozione della scena musicale?

It's alright, we suppose, but only if you have got money. Hahaha.

Visto che ne stiamo parlando.... quanti CD originali acquistate ogni mese? E quanti ne ascoltate?

CDs: None. Some of us buy some vinyls once in a while.

Cosa vuole fare il vostro gruppo da grande?

Honestly, we'd all love to keep making music and playing shows, but we also value having a healthy family life and living in an environment that keeps us happy and inspired. Let's face it, the music industry doesn't exactly bring in a ton of money, even for successful bands with lots of fans. Many bands end up spending almost every penny they make for various reasons. So we don't have high expectations of making a living off our music alone. One is studying medicine, another computer science, a third is almost an electrician, and so on. We hope to make it all work with our jobs, families, and the band. Fortunately, most of our careers are pretty flexible, so we can use them to earn money and funnel it all back into the band. Haha. \r\n\r\nOur upcoming song emphasizes the importance of living a fulfilling, not necessarily happy life - but one that's complete in as many aspects as possible. It's about striving for deep connections, being a good friend, partner, parent, neighbour and so on, and embracing life in its entirety. Focusing solely on one goal may cause us to lose sight of the bigger picture. As artists, we need to understand the broader aspects of life to create great work. A diverse range of experiences shapes us into who we are, and we draw inspiration from living life fully - with all its ups and downs. Although we must dream big, it's essential to remain grounded in the present and focus on what we can do now. Changing our mindset and attitude can bring about significant transformations in our lives. While we may not be able to eliminate all suffering, we can strive for a balanced, at times even joyous, active life on earth. Can we hope for more than that? This is a complex question that may hinge on our beliefs about happiness. Our perspective is that happiness is a by-product of living a purposeful life. It often arises unexpectedly and in fleeting moments when we stop seeking it. Therefore, it seems naive to look for such an unrealistic thing as “happiness.” Purpose, on the other hand, is a more realistic pursuit, but it often entails struggles and challenging times that can be hard to get through. But this can also be a catalyst for growth and fulfillment. Dostoevsky said: “Man only likes to count his troubles; he doesn't calculate his happiness.”, but at the same time he also said: “Pain and suffering are always inevitable for a large intelligence and a deep heart. The really great men must, I think, have great sadness on earth.” Maybe, by delving deeply into both of these statements, we can realize that the experience of suffering is an inevitable aspect of life, but at the same time consciously choose to direct our attention towards the positive elements of existence, enabling us to live a balanced life in reality rather than just in our dreams. All the things we touch and see, that is, the world around us, is filled with beauty and wonder, including the people who support and love us, the grandeur of nature, and the many things we interact with every day. With the right perspective of gratitude and optimism, we can transform these elements into a manifestation of our dreams, realistically and attainably. \r\n

Ok, ragazzi! Lo spazio a nostra disposizione sta per terminare, ma voglio lasciarvi carta bianca per l'ultimo messaggio. A voi la parola, siete liberi di esprimervi!

Thank you very much for having us! You can listen to "All We Touch, All We See" on your favourite streaming platform from April 28!

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