1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
Trident is a hardcore metal act originating from Porvoo, Finland. We’ve always wanted to play and started this band as an outlet for our creative energies back in 2005 or 2006. In the beginning we sought our form and found it in a rather unforgiving blend of NY styled hardcore and extreme metal from around the world. We were four guys just seeking the thrill of it all. A member change or two down the road and the energy is still strong and we’re back after a break to continue building a legacy with our music.
2.Recently you have released a new ep, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the demo you had released back in 2008?
We have two releases in the past. The first was ‘Chained to Routines’, a five song demo released in 2008. Even before that we had recorded a three track demo that never got released (for a reason). On the three-track we were still heavily seeking direction and we decided to scrap it before release. On ‘Chained to Routines’ we had found our lifeblood and it was hard and extreme metal with hardcore influences. Musically it was a decent package, but could have used a producer. A couple of tracks were too long and the sound, especially on the vocals, was not what it was supposed to be. At this stage our ex-guitarist Aleksi was still in the game.
In 2009 we released a digi single called ‘Inner Stigma’ with the current line-up and here we were much closer to completing our vision. It was two tracks with much better production quality and our songwriting skills had taken a leap forward. Shortly after this we went into hiatus and in 2014 we released our new EP ‘Jezebel’. The production quality has again taken a huge step forward and our musical maturity has brought good new vibes into the tracks. These entities have more thought in them and they represent our current sound, twenty fourteen motherfuckers (a nod to those who know the drill).
3.The band was broken up for awhile, what was the cause of the split and also the decision to reform?
After ‘Inner Stigma’ we lost track of our musical direction and things started to crack up. We decided to take a break and me and Wille formed Bob Malmström together with a couple of friends, while Tuomas and Jukka continued their work with Millennia and Erwin Preston. Down the line a couple of new acts, namely Superflesh and Evolution Chaos took shape, all the while Trident was still resting. Nowadays Tuomas also plays in crossover heroes Final Assault.
During our years of absence we had a bunch of tracks that were good and didn’t fit any of the other outfits we were playing with. We never actually split up either, so after a few years in hiatus we decided that we need to pull together these tracks and see how it feels to play again. The first rehearsal in almost five years was a blast and we loved every second of it, luckily, as we had the studio booked already. We needed a break and fresh ideas at that time and during the break we did a bunch of records with our other bands. After all the work with other bands it felt fantastic to work together again and now we’ll do our best to get things up to speed again.
4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects and the band explores with the newer music?
On Jezebel we wanted to take a thematic approach to the entity. Previously we’ve written songs about just about anything, everything and nothing and now we wanted to get out something that would be seen as a complete package and not only by the music. We started writing the lyrics with Twin Peaks in mind. It’s always been a source of inspiration and once we contracted the album art by Jani Rapo the story behind Jezebel started to form. The album cover is very sinister and has an incredibly dark and depressing mood to it, almost as if the sickness within manifests to the physical world. Hence, the story took on the idea of supernatural spirits wandering in our realm, much like Bob in Twin Peaks. Jezebel takes place in our realm and our present time, i.e. 25 years after the original story. A girl goes missing and the protagonist leads the search for her. Time is running out, as they find clues that she will be killed at a specific time and place, but cannot find out when and where. As the search goes on, there is an interplay on the supernatural level, as benevolent spirits from the spirit realm try to stop the marauding predator from wreaking havoc in the land of man.
5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Trident'?
Trident has a deep-rooted symbolic meaning in almost all the world’s cultures and it has been the weapon of choice throughout history for gladiators, the God of Sea and the Devil. We thought that if a trident is good enough for deities, it should good enough for us.
6.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?
We’ve always seen ourselves as a live band and thoroughly enjoy performing live. Between 2007 and 2010 we played 20 shows, before the band came to a halt. The best shows were warming up for Finnish cult band Rytmihäiriö in the legendary Finnish punk hole Factory, which closed its doors approximately at the same as Trident went into hiatus. We had some good runs with Finnish death metal band Coprolith and groove metal rednecks Skulldriver back in the day as well. We only played in Finland before our hiatus period, so there obviously is a lot to do on this front.
7.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
Our live journey came to an abrupt halt and this is something we are going to pick up in the near future. We feel our spiritual home is on the stage, wrestling thunderous riffs and tongues spitting venom. In 2015 we will see Jezebel come to life on stage. At this point we have on set date, but are looking to pick up a handful of dates during 2015. Bob Malmström is keeping Matias and Wille very busy, so it’s hard to balance families, work and other bands with live aspirations. But no matter what, this journey will continue and it is a dream of us to play with our brothers around the world. It would be a crime against our collective not to get to bang heads with our good friends in Bludger (UK), Driller (PL) and Kaos, Kris & Helvete (SWE). If there is a calling in other destinations, we’re always happy to travel.
8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of metal and hardcore?
On our first run between 2007-2010 we steadily got better shows and received more and more attention from the media, but we never made it across the magical threshold of “making it”. Metal fans seemed to be much more keen to us than the hardcore kids; we’ve probably always been too metal for the punks. With the new release the media and fan feedback has been even more positive than earlier, so we’re really excited about the future. We’re still steady on our feet and as we’re starting to be old fucks, our goals are not anymore in becoming the next Metallica. We still feel though, that these dogs have a lot of barking left in them and we’re hungry to show the world we still have fire in us.
9.When can we expect a full length album and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
A full length is a natural step for us in the near future. We were in hiatus for four years and Jezebel has in a way been rebuilding our artistic connections and seeking out a common path again. It felt great to work on music again as a unit and we’re keen on exploring where our new start will take us. Musically we won’t diverge that far from our roots, but of course a full length gives more room for musical experimentation. You can expect to get a tight album of hardcore influenced metal with a lot of death and thrash metal vibes in the corners.
10.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
When we started out we sought to build a foundation on NYHC styled grooves and mix them together with thrash and death metal riffs. Biohazard, Merauder, Madball, Sick of it All, Cro-Mags, Carnivore, Pro-Pain, Hatebreed and the likes were the starting point where Entombed, Morbid Angel, Sodom, Kreator, Testament, Metallica, Slayer, Machine Head, Pantera and all the rest were infused. This was what we listened to and what we wanted to create. Somewhere along the line this merged into what we are now. These building blocks have naturally influenced our sound so, that our outcome sounds a bit like Converge, Mastodon, Gojira, Face Down and a plethora of other bands that have had similar influence pools as we do.
11.What are some of your non musical interests?
We’re all avid music lovers and that takes on a lot of our time, but fast cars, dogs, art and the dirty little secret that is Tuomas R/C and Scalextric hobbies could be mentioned. Since you can’t live without a steady cashflow, work is of interest. Wille and Matias work in the ICT field with interesting projects and Jukka is a car mechanic. Jukka is also a family man, so hats off for getting all that to fit together smoothly. The before mentioned art is a complex topic, as it incorporates every level of art out there; fine arts, opera, ballet, symphony orchestras, metal and hardcore shows, splatter and italo horror movies, comics and classic as well as contemporary writing go hand in hand and fuses together into a mash of everything. If it has depth, it’s enjoyable.
12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Thanks for the time and space to get to vent our views on how the world lies. Now that we’re back, we hope to set a mark in our time on at least some front. We were gone for such a long time, that it’s almost as if we’re a new band on the market, so it’s not going to be an easy ride. Perseverance is the key and the easy route is for pussies. We’ve got threaded tires and a four-wheel drive, so bring it on!
-Matias
