6 November 2011. Inmoria Interview. Furtively our brave hero stalked the dark and oppressive atmosphere of a place unknown to him. He twisted and turned through the maze of pathways trying to reach his goal. A feeling of paranoia and panic washed over him as his quest continued unabated towards his ultimate goal. Then, down a lonely side street, he realised that his journey had reached its end and he was here!
Interview & Pics by Lee Fitzsimmons
Okay, so maybe not an intro worthy of Tolkien, but a scouser’s journey through Manchester is no less fraught with peril as the journey through the mines of Moria that inspired the name choice of this Swedish dark Metal band!
Inmoria, for those who don’t know, are a fantastically accomplished dark Metal band who delight in providing their fans with an experience that will not easily be forgotten. We can dismiss Sweden for their role of providing us with cheap, easy-to-assemble furniture. This, however, would be a huge tragedy as these guys are extremely talented and always give their utmost to ensure that a fan leaves a gig satisfied, happy and, above all, feeling like they matter to the band as much as Inmoria matters to them.
I managed to catch up with two of our erstwhile heroes – new vocalist Ronny and keyboard-player Danne – before they graced the stage to find out what makes them tick and how their current tour has been going.
First mini-quest: find space to interview! Cue a fantastically echoey setting in the form of a fire escape which lent an oppressive atmosphere, having the desired effect of conveying an image of being deep underground – aside from the fluorescent lighting, of course! Loved it! So now to the saga. How’s it been going?
“So far it’s been going great,” replies Danne. “Well I think it’s been going great!
“People told me that, basically, unknown bands coming over to England, it’s hard to get crowds coming to the shows, but it’s been small places and it’s been really cool.”
So it’s safe to say you guys prefer the smaller, more intimate gigs then? Ronny chips in:
“Yeah, coz at the gigs, you can go mingle and talk to the audience and stuff.”
Danne continues:
“It’s perfect! We are really happy about it. Ronny, our guitar player and bass player are wireless, so they have been out running through the crowd every night. I think it’s funny!”
I have to say, fair play to the guys. It’s nice to see them adding to the gig experience for the fans by getting out and having a good old mingle with them, plus the added bonus of them checking out the support acts and really getting into the spirit of the gig! So, guys, what’s the response been like from the fans? Danne smiles:
“Surprisingly, they have been awesome! I mean, in Portsmouth, they were crazy! And yesterday in Burton, they were really cool, so I think it’s been going just perfect!
“Hopefully, we can come back as soon as possible. In Sweden, the fans are more, like, standing there, arms folded waiting for some faults that we make.”
Ronny laughs:
“Music Police!”
Danne continues:
“But here they are in front of the stage screaming!”
Ronny:
“They are also fans of beer!”
A more accurate statement has never been made. We do, indeed, love our beer and will gladly indulge any chance we get! Any excuse to lower our inhibitions to have an aggressive mosh right in front of the stage!
Poor Ronny was worried at this point about curbing his language and behaving himself. Fuck that! Anything goes! (Oops, sorry Mum! Wow, Lee, does your mum read MetalTalk.net?! – Dep Ed)
So now on to one of my favourite questions, as I’m truly curious about the answer. Which living artist would you sacrifice to bring a dead one back?
Ronny:
“Danzig for Dio!”
Danne:
“Oh that’s a tough question; there are so many people who I hate I can’t remember them! But Justin Bieber? That’s one of them, so get rid of Justin Bieber and bring back Elvis!”
So which song would you guys as Inmoria loved to have written?
Danne:
“‘The Final Countdown’, I think.”
Ronny:
“That’s just because you wanna earn money!”
Danne:
“Yeah exactly, hahaha! Ah, it’s another tough question… ‘Imagine’, of course, John Lennon.”
I think that’s a nice balanced choice between the financial and the creative. It’s a quality song choice, I think, and not just because I am from Liverpool.
So, the last question flows rather neatly into my next one about time travel! So which gig would you guys love to head back to?
Danne:
“Woodstock!”
Ronny:
“Inmoria gig in Portsmouth 2011! Nah, Woodstock would be cool too!”
DID YOU KNOW…?
Trivia time!
Fast food or home-cooked meals?
Both: "Home cooked."
CD or Digital download?
Ronny: "CD."
Danne: "Digital download."
Planes, trains or automobiles?
Danne: "Automobiles."
Ronny: "Automobiles, I hate flying."
Intimate gigs or large arenas?
Danne: "Intimate gigs."
Ronny: "Intimate gigs but preferably on large stages."
Beer, wine or spirits?
Ronny: "Beer...beer...beer."
Danne: "Wine...wine."
Horror, adventure or comedy?
Danne: "Horror all the way."
Ronny "Adventure." So that’s the interview heading to its very own mountain of doom, but before we go I ask two last questions of the guys. What’s the stupidest question you have ever been asked?
Danne:
“I remember one time a journalist asked me if I was going to commit suicide because I had written lyrics which were quite depressing.”
Your answer to that?
“I said he will have to come to the show! Maybe I’ll do it onstage, you know, just to increase the CD sales! Hahahaha! I think that’s the most stupid question I have ever been asked!”
Right. Packed out, huge stadium and you have to play one song from your backcatalogue to grab the audience and get them baying more Inmoria. Which one do you choose? Danne and Ronny reply together:
“‘COME INSANITY’! That’s the one that makes the audiences go crazy!”
Questions over, pencils down! That’s your lot but I’ll do another whenever these guys are back to get the trilogy going.
As for Inmoria? The future is very bright in the darkness of that dwarven city. These guys bring music that will engage, invoke and astound, all in their own style of delivery. I have to thank everyone involved in arranging this interview, as I count it one of the absolute highlights of not just my journalistic career but also my life so far! Top quality guys!
Back into the blackness I delved, heart steeled against the elements, spirits lifted by the camaraderie I had just been a part of. A fellowship of five on their own personal quest to bring their own sound and style to the masses of the Metal market.
I, for one, am happy to have aided that quest and, like a bit-part player of old, shrink back into the shadows whilst these guys go on to become the heroes they are.
Bring Inmoria back to the UK and let’s make this a tale worthy of being told!
Our boy Lee gettin’ in the pic again!
