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M=Band Web Site:
http://www.dimensionf3h.com/
Morfeus
Arghamon
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AViolent Fantasy
Dimension F3H bandleader Morfeus
is sitting at his computer on the other end of my MSN window,
ready to e-chat about the band's new, yet long delayed album
"Does the Pain Excite You?" He starts off by explaining
why it's taken four years to deliver their follow up to "Reaping
the World Winds", "Basically everything that could
go wrong went wrong. First of all we faced some issues with our
drummer, he wasn't really too much into the band, so in the end
we decided to fire him. Now the big problem is that skilled drummers
don't really grow on trees in this country, so we spent a long
time searching for a fitting drummer. In the end we found one
and he was more or less perfect for us until he suffered leg
injuries and other things that prevented us from being able to
finish the album. Then we got hold of another drummer, and spent
some time getting him up to speed on the material, and just as
he was ready, he injured his wrists, so his doc told him that
he had to quit playing drums totally in order to save his hands."
At the time, their label, Hammerheart, also folded, leaving
them searching for a new record company, "We had also faced
severe problems with our label, and we simply decided to find
another who would appreciate our work, and who were more serious.
So it took quite a while before we found a suitable label for
us, and at the time when we did, we still didn't have a drummer."
Morfeus finally turned to the
old Limbonic Art strategy of employing a drum machine before
securing the services of Arghamon, who co-incidentally, also
plays with Daemon in his other band Sarcoma, Inc. "I had
known about him from many, many years earlier, and we actually
spoke about doing something together, but then he joined with
Sarcoma Inc and that was the reason I didn't inquire him earlier.
But in the end we really had no other option. At the time I
knew also that Sarcoma wasn't really too active, so I had a talk
with the guys, and we decided that it would be best for all parties
that he would join us. I think that this works quite well now,
and he still hasn't got any injuries to speak of, so I guess
he is here to stay." Nor were drummers the only significant
line-up change, as Morfeus has taken over vocal duties as well
this time, "Nesmoht wasn't really too much into the more
extreme parts of metal as the rest of the guys in the band, and
we felt that he was lacking in some other areas too, he wasn't
too eager to rehearse the material and I felt that it was my
place to take over. I had done most of the vocal melodies on
the first album and then we adapted them together, so it wouldn't
prove too hard for me to sing them, even though I don't have
his skills as a vocalist, and also myself fronting my own band
would feel more natural to me."
The change in voices has resulted
in the new release having a different feel from the power metal
tinged debut, and Morfeus feels that's for the better, "The
new album has a much more aggressive, darker sound. I'm fairly
happy with it, and the situation and the feeling in the band
is a lot better these days. It has turned a lot darker, that's
true, but that was also what we were aiming for." The band
had plenty of time to find their direction, as Morfeus now has
his own little studio, dubbed MOF for "Middle Of the Forest",
conveniently located in a shed behind his new house, "We
recorded the entire album at MOF studios. I think over a period
of more than 2 years actually. We weren't working too intensely
in the start as we had no place to release the album anyway,
but just pinning down bits and pieces, rearranging, doing things
over again. I think I recorded the guitars on this album 4 times
or so. But it is a good place for us to be, it's basically free
of charge, and we can spend as much time as we want on the album."
Always the perfectionist, Morfeus
admitted he was at least able to refrain from doing the artwork
himself this time, "I spent about a year I guess just pondering
the cover, having several ideas, even one that I nearly completed,
until I stumbled across this picture and it completely threw
me off. It has almost every aspect that the lyrics deal with
in one picture. Pain, lust, bloodthirst, suspense…I just
had to get it, and luckily the photographer was very nice and
forthcoming, and we made a deal about it. It was very liberating
that way, and a time saver too. Plus, I wanted to do something
different this time, just let go of my own "I have to have
total control" mentality and let someone else in on things."
Morfeus thinks the striking white cover stands out among the
mostly dark metal artwork on shop shelves, "Apart from being
quite beautiful I think that it is really eye catching. If you
enter a record store, even at 10 meters distance you can instantly
recognize it."
Of course, the record's presence
in stores, especially in America, is an issue that continues
to vex Morfeus, despite their being on a new label, Dark Essence,
"I am not too happy with the distribution, I hear people
complain that they are not able to get hold of the album, and
that is a pity I think. I know they have US distro, but how well
organized it is, I have no idea. They are however a small label
with limited funding and limited capacity, so I wouldn't be too
surprised if you would have a hard time finding it there. BUT...
the good thing about that is that we have a nice little webshop, and by using that one, you not only get the
album, you get it directly from the band, supporting us even
more!"
The lack of record sales can
make it tough for the band to gain a large enough fan base to
support a US tour. "I have been working hard lately on the
tour arranging, but it seems also here that nothing is really
going our way. There's lot's of talk, but little action, so far
at least," Morfeus laments, "But I think that next
year there will be a lot more going on with Dimension F3H, we
are gaining more and more contacts around the globe, and it has
to kick in sometime, so far we have 3 tours planned for next
year, but still nothing is confirmed, but I hope that at least
the first can be confirmed very soon." Despite all the
setbacks, Morfeus and the rest of the band are determined to
persevere, "It is not a lack of will from our side that
is stopping us, but I do however see that from an agents standpoint
we are probably not the band from Norway that will bring money
in the purse…YET…but we are working on it, more fiercely
than ever, and slowly but surely work our way up the food-chain!"
(The metal gods must have
heard his wish, as the band is slated to tour with Mayhem in
the UK soon, check for tour dates!)
- Ruin
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My Space:
http://www.myspace.com/dimensionf3h
Motvind
Moe
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