Disfear
- Story by Shane Mehling
Björn Pettersson and a pair of Swedish death metal legends keep Disfear simple, not stupid
When it comes to Sweden’s Disfear, the Grateful Dead said it best: “What a long, strange trip it’s been.” I know you’re not here to read about a bunch of hippie bullshit, but when the D-beat disciples started almost 20 years ago they never expected to tour the world, much less that the singer of At the Fucking Gates would become their shrieking frontman. Hell, back then they were just hoping to put out a couple of songs.
“The big dream was to record a demo cassette, or even better, release a 7-inch,” remembers guitarist Björn Pettersson. “I remember holding that first 7-inch in my hands and I was so proud of it.” Now, four full-lengths later, Pettersson and the band (bolstered by ex-Entombed shredder Uffe Cederlund) have finished Live the Storm, a record filled with so much pissed-off rock that it could start a circle pit at a nursing home.
The band knew that GodCity Studios—operated by Converge guitarist/production wizard Kurt Ballou—was the place they needed to conjure Storm. “We discovered early, when we started to send over demo recordings, that we just had to make it to Salem to give the songs justice.” Not that it didn’t take some brass meatballs to complete their task, as the band braved homeland security, deadlines and a flaming appliance to finish the record.
“First night at the hotel, a dryer caught fire and we had to stand outside for an hour at 3 a.m. to watch the fire squad do their job,” Pettersson recalls. “We finally fell asleep and again the same dryer caused another fire alarm.” Luckily, after the fire squad incident, the trip was well worth it.
“There are some strong wills in this band and we needed someone we actually knew really wanted to do this album, had opinions [and] ideas, and could guide us to do the best we could. Kurt was the right dude and we are happy, to say the least.” And from the first chords of Live the Storm, Ballou’s expertise has clearly done nothing but bulk up Disfear’s already unrelenting sound. But why did fans have to wait four long years?
“We actually toured a lot after the last album. We were not really used to getting that attention, and it slowed the writing process down a bit,” explains Pettersson. “A lot of time has been spent in the rehearsal room, too. The main reason, though, and I hate to say it, is probably the fact that we’re getting older. We all have jobs and some of us have kids. It’s not easy to get things together anymore.”
Drummer Marcus Andersson half-jokingly offers his two cents: “Sloth, pure and simple. Oh, and I blame the family fathers of the band.”
But only the harshest of bastards won’t forgive Disfear after hearing Live the Storm, a record that gives the finger to pretension and boils music down to the core of what the band loves: AC/DC and Discharge. “[They’re] my heroes,” Pettersson happily admits. “We play this music because we love it and if you try to do something you’re not really into, it will just end up sounding crappy. I like uncomplicated, straightforward music and that’s what I wanna do. And I’m not even sure I can play any other kind of music even if I wanted to.”
It’s unlikely anyone wants the man to play different music and that’s especially true of vocalist Tomas Lindberg, whose unrivaled screech has led to dozens of copycats and hundreds of shit pants. And while Lindberg’s tenure has lasted longer than most bands’ lifespans, Pettersson still doesn’t take it for granted. “The first time he did a show with us, it was completely nuts, and nearly 10 years after he first joined the band, I still get the same feeling. It doesn’t matter if it’s in the rehearsal room, in the studio or live—he delivers what we want him to. I guess this is what keeps us going, even though it’s not always easy getting things together.”
Andersson offers a slightly different perspective: “[Lindberg] still hasn’t got a driver’s license, so the driving schedules on the road are still the same.”
And that driving schedule is about to be dusted off as the band prepares to get back behind the wheel with plans to hit all over Europe and the lucky coasts of the U.S., though you’ll have to keep on top of their website to see the details unfold. After that, the future is hazy; will the world of D-beat have to wait another four years for a new Disfear record? Pettersson assures us that at least a little snack is on the horizon.
“We’re trying to get organized and write a couple of songs for a 7-inch. If everything goes as planned, it will be released by Disfear Records just in time for the first upcoming ‘real’ tour. There were no leftovers from the Live the Storm session, so we need to record a couple of new ones, and maybe a cover as well.”
And while I couldn’t find the perfect lyric to explain how Disfear continues to thrive and thrash after so many years, Pettersson crafted his own poetic summation: “There’s something inside that keeps burning and as long as it does, we will keep doing what we do.”
In your face, Jerry Garcia.
