Scheitan have premiered their new single, Believe, this morning at MetalTalk. The song is from their upcoming album, Songs For The Gothic People, which is due in May 2024. Pierre Törnkvist and Scheitan are back after a 24-year break. Believe is the third new song released, and it oozes gothic rock atmospheric quality.
“Believe was one of the earlier tracks I wrote for the new album,” Pierre Törnkvist told MetalTalk. “Ghost had just released their eminent song My Little Sunshine, and I was inspired by the tempo of the track. I think it has a certain groove to it. Mr. Forge is one of the most prominent songwriters of our time, so catching a bit of inspiration from him can’́t do no harm.”
Songs For The Gothic People is the band’s first album since Nemesis, released in 1999 via Century Media Record. They did begin to work on the follow-up back then, but Pierre Törnkvist, the guitarist, multi-instrumentalist, and vocalist, explained the reasons for the break and the almost accidental rebirth to MetalTalk.
“When we started writing on what was to become the fourth Scheitan album back in the day, we thought there was too much rock ‘n’ roll in the songs,” Törnkvist says. “Therefore, I decided to bring my brother Patrik in and start Helltrain instead. So, it was not so much a decision to discontinue Scheitan. We just moved on with another project.
“We were restless young men and always tried out new stuff musically.”
Scheitan began as a Black Metal band. But, quite naturally, their style has continued to evolve over time. More recently, Törnkvist found himself moving back towards gothic rock atmospheric music. “When I gave birth to Scheitan again, it came gradually,” he says. “It was not planned.
“I started working on some material in a more gothic direction and had a few names for the project. But the more I worked on it, the more I realised that this would suit the Scheitan banner. It’s just the vocals that are different from what Scheitan did on Nemesis back in 1999. Apart from that, the sound is obviously a bit more modern, but the songwriting, the dark melodies, and the ambient elements are there.”
In Believe, Törnkvist’s use of lyrics is as powerful as ever. “To me, the lyrics have a double edge,” he says. “At first glance, they could be seen as written from a pure ‘I’ perspective, what ‘I believe’. But one could also interpret it as to what ‘I’ does all belief lead. They all claim to believe in some kind of god and goodness, but there is more fire than ever in the world. Look at Ukraine, Israel, Gaza and all acts of terror constantly committed in the name of god. Maybe your gods are not the gods they claim to be?”
Earlier, a Scheitan goth version of Billy Idol’s White Wedding was released. “Billy Idol has always been one of my favourite artists,” Pierre Törnkvist said. “It was the same for Oscar, Scheitan’s drummer, who tragically passed away some years ago. I think Oscar would have approved of this version of White Wedding. We talked many times about recording Rebel Yell with our other band, Helltrain, but I think this one will do equally well.”
Scheitan will also perform live during 2024. So far, only one show in close proximity to their hometown, Luleå, has been announced, but the band say they are talking with promoters. “I am not 100% sure of playing old material,” Pierre says. “I will definitely prioritise these new songs, but we will likely add some old songs to the set as well.”
Songs For The Gothic People, which is due in May 2024, will be released by The Circle Music. “The album has now been completely recorded and mastered,” Pierre says, “and I am really looking forward to presenting it to the audience.”
For more details about Scheitan and Songs For The Gothic People, visit the band’s website here or to pre-order visit The Circle Music.
