Electric Bone Rattle’s debut album The Descent sees Johan Ruborg embracing his heavy metal roots, delivering a riff-driven homage to classic influences like Sabbath and Alice in Chains.
1. “The
Descent” marks your first official heavy metal project under Electric Bone
Rattle. What inspired you to take this bold step away from your previous work
and dive into heavier territory?
First of all I grew up listening to heavy metal music, that was the genre that actually made me wanna be in a band in the first place, and I’ve always been going back to that kind of music. Riff driven music is in my DNA and all I know how to make, whether it's blues, americana or metal. Also, I just felt that the time was right to do something different and to step out of my comfort zone.
2. You’ve described the album as a homage to the music you grew up with. What
were some pivotal moments or records from bands like Black Sabbath or Alice in
Chains that shaped your sound?
Well, I remember the first song I heard by Sabbath was ’War Pigs’. And though I’m from a much younger generation, there was still something so menacing and powerful compared to other more modern heavy metal bands at the time. There was just something about the instrumentation, the vintage sound ,the lyrics and especially Ozzy’s very unique voice that got me totally hooked. Then, of course you know, Tony Iommi is the riffmaster, the lord of doom. You can’t make this kind of music without being influenced by him if you’re a guitar player who’s into heavy music, whether you want or not. When it comes to Alice In Chains, I just think that Layne Staley was definitely one of the greatest singers in heavy rock music, and still to this day I think his position is unthreatened. He has inspired and influenced me immensely as a singer through the years. To me Alice In Chains was more than just a Grunge band from Seattle. They took that old, classic Black Sabbath vibe and made something new and fresh out of it.
3. The album title “The Descent” suggests a thematic or emotional journey—can
you elaborate on what that descent represents for you personally or musically?
Yeah, the title track is actually about the downfall of our civilization, not by any natural disaster or nuclear holocaust, but by the degradation of the human norms and society structures. Then it’s all of course wrapped in some metaphorical and biblical good and evil symbolism, just to raise the dramatical effects. After I finished that song, I just felt that it would be a fitting title for the whole album.
4. You’re handling vocals, lead guitar, lyrics, and composition. What does that
level of creative control bring to the overall sound and direction of Electric
Bone Rattle?
It has its disadvantages and advantages. The upside is that I don’t have to listen to anybody else and I can go in whatever direction I want to, since I have a clear vision of the end product so to speak. The downside is that I don’t get any external input that could actually improve the overall production. But in the end, it’s also a question of resources and logistics. It’s easier to do it yourself and much cheaper.
5. How did the rest of the band—Marcus Blom, Johan Söfringsgård, Glenn Welman,
and Nuno Oliveira—contribute to shaping the sonic identity of this project?
They’ve all been involved in many of my previous projects and they’re all good musicians. Markus, for example, I’ve known for years and he’s not just a good musician, he’a also a close friend of mine.
6. Did writing in a heavier genre come naturally to you, or did you have to
change your approach compared to your past rock and Americana material?
You have to think a bit differently when it comes to approaching songwriting and composing in a totally different genre. Bob Dylan’s lyrics wouldn’t fit in a Slayer song. Heavy metal and hard rock is very much about power and energy. So it was a challenge for me vocally to really cut through that loudness, and distortion. It was both fun and scary because a lot of the songs are certainly in the higher range of my capacity.
7. Is there a specific track on “The Descent” that you feel best captures the
essence of Electric Bone Rattle’s sound? Tell us the story behind it.
Well, I don’t know if there’s any song that specifically captures any certain essence, but I do have a few favorites that were fun to write and record, like ‘Perfect Day For a Breakdown’ ’The Descent’ and ’Drown Me In Fire’. That particular song is actually quite trivial and corny lyrically. It's about sex, or about a woman and what you call a ”man-eater”, who uses her sexuality to get what she wants. But when you listen to the lyrics initially you rather get the sense that it’s about brimstone and hellfire. I like that aspect of songwriting, that tongue in cheek thing.
8. Your past work has often had strong storytelling elements. Does this album
continue that narrative focus, or is it more about the raw energy and
atmosphere?
No actually not that much. The songwriting in this project is way more theatrical and metaphorical. it’s not that I didn’t take it seriously but In this project I wanted to focus more on how you say things, not what you say.
9. Given your history with Swedish-language and genre-crossing records, how do
you balance experimentation with staying true to your influences?
The thing is that I don’t either want nor have to stay true to any certain influences or past works. That’s a good thing about being an independent artist, you don’t have responsibilities towards anyone. If I want to record a Jazz album or make a boyband record, I can do that. As for now my fanbase is quite limited to say at least, so pleasing a bigger audience is nothing I have to think about right now anyway.
10. What has the fan response been like so far to this new direction? Do you
feel you’re reaching a different audience—or bringing your existing fans along
for the ride?
I do think that this music may stray away from my regular folk/rock listener, but I was perfectly aware of that. Hopefully I will gain new listeners that can both appreciate the new heavier stuff and also the more mellow work I’ve done as a solo artist.
11. With the album dropping in October and singles coming beforehand, what can
fans expect from your live performances? Will you be touring as Electric Bone
Rattle?
I do hope to get out there and play these songs live, that would be awesome! If the reception of the album is good there will also be more material to come in the future.
12. Looking ahead, do you see Electric Bone Rattle as a one-off project or
something you’ll continue to develop alongside your solo work?
I hope this is the start of something but it’s too early to say. Let’s see what the heavy metal gods have to say about that.
Electric Bone Rattle (@electricbonerattle) • Photos et vidéos Instagram
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