CommunicHaving just launched their new album "The Bottom Deep"

this July, vocalist and guitarest Oddleif Stensland talks

about the experience

How did the band form?

I have had several bands up during the years before it al l turned into

Communic. At one point, back in the days I was a vocalist in another local

band called Scariot, and did not play guitar that much at that time. After we

released an album ("Strange to Numbers") and started to work on new songs,

I got more into playing guitar again, and I tried to get a few songs that I had

written approved to be used in Scariot, but they did not l ike it that much. So I

asked Tor Atle, that also was in that band at that time if he wanted to jam out

a few songs - just for fun - and it resulted in a sideproject that I cal led

Communic, we recorded a 3-track demo that eventually got us signed to

Nuclear Blast - so then it was GOODBYE SCARIOT, and Tor Atle and I quit

that band to focus on Communic as the one and only band, and here we are,

8 years later.

How was the recording of "The Bottom Deep"?

This time I decided to self-produce the album, unl ike previous albums which

were recorded and mixed by our long-time production collaborator, Jacob

Hansen. Because of the underlying personal frame that this material had,

I decided that, I could not leave this in someone else hands, I had to trust

myself. I t doesn't mean that we recorded this cheap to save money, it has

actually been our most expensive album so far. We booked the most pro

studio in our area, got a deal that we could use the studio 24/7 for 21 days,

and we could use the studio tech guy during his working hour to to the “tech”

stuff. I t went smooth, but also quite hectic. The album was in the end

mastered by Dan Swano. More or less, the same procedure as earl ier, but a

different studio and sound.

What's the concept behind it?

I t is based on personal happenings and feelings that was in my mind and

focus during this whole writing process. This is a concept album, based on

one specific incident in my life, that also forced me to take a step back from

everything. That is also the main reason for the big waiting gap between the

last two albums that we was talking about earl ier. I t is al l dealing with a

personal close encounter by death that suddenly came all to close, when

someone really close to me passed away way too soon. This incident left so

many unanswered questions about l i fe and death behind and twisted my

mind, and all these thoughts and feelings came back to me in form of the

words and songs on this album.

I t is not easy to talk or describe to a detai led point, but expressing myself

through music is easier for me, and it is al l written between the l ines, so the

deeper meaning of the album, can be explored by those who feel for diving

into it a bit deeper. I t is a much darker theme than I have ever done before,

and everything is as personal as I could al low myself to be. I t is actually more

personal that I actually wanted to be, but I had to let this happen. Writing this

album has been like going to a "shrink", it has been more like therapy session

for me, something that I just had to do, no matter what people would think of

it in the end. I hope I don't have to do another album like this ever again, even

though I love these songs, and the outcome of the album is for me close to

perfect - it wi l l be a statement in my life forever, and I am proud of my

courage to actually go through with this. Those who cares to read the lyrics

and put themselves into the situation wil l get an even deeper album, even

though the songs wil l work great on their own as well for those who just l ike to

l isten so some interesting metal tunes. . .

How does it differ from previous material?

I t's sometimes difficult to see your own differences in the stuff you do, and

maybe people on the outside has a different view on it, but this is a more

“human” album. I t is based on personal happenings and feelings and is more

earthly connected. Musical ly it is darker, heavier, maybe straighter, even

dough it is quite progressive at times, it's more down tuned and more

dramatic in the mood if I should try to explain it. And yes, the keyboards are

stripped down to almost nothing.

What can we expect from you in 201 2?

We wil l be going on a European tour together with Rage in apri l/march, then

some festivals as well . We also have plans of making a video for one of the

tracks on the new album, so hopeful ly we can get that out there as well .

If your music were to be adapted into film, what story would it tell?

Oh, that would have been cool. I think all our albums could have worked on

the screen. I guess I would have choosen “Waves of Visual Decay” and how

we as humans are control led by the media, who is the media, and who is

deciding what we should see through the news and the media. Could have

been a futuristic thri l ler...

Would you like to come to Portugal?

Yes, that would have been awesome. Don't you have a huge festival down

there that would book us?

Design & Interview: Rick

Words by: Oddleif Stensland

Photos courtesy of Communic

"The Bottom Deep" is now available for

purchase at:

http://www.facebook.com/OfficialCommunic

It is also available for free streaming on

GrooveShark.