Aus Norwegen kommt nicht nur hasserfüllter Black Metal, sondern auch beeindruckender Progressive Metal. Die Prog-Jungs von Pagan’s Mind haben sich kurz Zeit für Metalblaze genommen und uns einige Fragen zu ihrem aktuellen Album und anderen Themen beantwortet. (Interview auf Englisch)

First of all I would like to congratulate you for “God’s Equation”. I still enjoy it a lot! The Press reacted really positive for your last album. Are you all satisfied with “God’s Equation”?

Hi there, thanks a lot! It really makes me glad to hear that. We are extremely pleased with the result and all the hard work putting it together – both the last two years of songwriting and the recording process this summer (we were totally pale and unpresent to everything else) really were hard. Being in the studio is not always a fun thing. It´s hard, hard work and you don´t have time for anything else during that period – everything and everyone in our lives are completely on hold during that period. So greater is the joy when things turn out good – as we really think it did) So thanks again and yes, I am a proud man now – you know, it´s almost as having a newborn baby (I don´t have it though, but others in the band has so they really compare it)

Could you tell us something about the writing/recording process? Any problems you had, funny stories or any new experiences you made as a band, while writing all the songs?

We started up with the recording of drums somewhere around April this year, and the mixing took place in August. So all summer was studio work with no time off hehe. I would say we have been more picky about most everything this time so it was a harder process than earlier for sure. We have been more picky in all branches of the production tree and we think it creates results! We actually recorded this album in shorter time than both Celestial Entrance and Enigmatic: Calling because we had Stefan Glaumann´s tight schedule to attend to, but that meant even harder work and less time off. But we managed good anyway I believe.

I guess we used almost two years of songwriting on this record.

We always grow and experience things on every record, which makes it easier to avoid problems the next time. I guess it just makes us more experienced producers and musicians. Hmmm, we have a lot of humour going on when recording, and though we work extremely hard while doing it we tend to keep the good spirit up…which is „a funny story“ in itself. Just joking and having fun inbetween, really….

Why is there a Stargate on the front of your booklet? Is there a meaning behind choosing a Stargate for the artwork or are you all just big Stargate fans?

My concepts are based on mysticism, etherical questions in space and time, alternative ways of philosophy around questions about life. In general we try to add an sophisticated “overlooking” way of expressing the concept and lyrics, never “telling anyone”….it’s like it’s up to everyone to figure out for themselves what the lyrics may contain and if they mean something to the individual listener. “God´s Equation” is partly a concept-album inspired by questions around extra-terrestrial life, parallell dimensions and the fact that human beings have been seeing strange objects in the sky for thousands of years……and still ignoring them.

I have to speak for myself when it comes to personal interest in these topics though, everybody in the band has different opinions on this and that, but since I write lyrics and concept, you will notice some of my own personal beliefs and ideas. I have been interested in different aspects of mystisicm since I was a little boy, and think I always will be. I have experienced several strange episodes during my life, and some of those inspire me when I write lyrics. I am personally convinced that we can’t see everything around us. We can’t see electrisity, but it excists. We can’t see radio waves either, but that also excists. Either way I think these topics are an very exciting deep well of inspiration. Note that I personally prefer the “positive powers”, though I can write and sing/express all aspects of them!

The Stargate thing has become almost like an “Eddie” for us – a symbol for us if you will. A gate to different galaxies and other worlds is in itself so enchanting and a great symbol for what we stand for lyrically and conceptwise, I would say.

The Woman in front of the Stargate seems to representate all religions in the world (at least the most biggest/famous ones). Who had the idea of the woman at front of the Stargate? Could you tell more about it?

God´s Equation is partly a concept album – that is, not telling a story from A to B, but dealing about the same topics throughoutly, it deals not only with origins of mankind but the origin of EVERYTHING. More like a red line throughout the album, this is. We wanted it to be a red line through the songs more than a pure concept album so that the songs can “live a life of their own” but on the same time walk hand in hand. “God´s Equation”: those are most enchanting two words – first off was Albert Einstein talking about and releasing the “God´s Equation” though in the 1930´s – his theory about the ever expanding universe which was “God´s Equation”, he later declined his theory until recently scientists has proof that he was right. It´s matemathics, physics and religion all together. You know, everything in life is really mathematics – numbers and equations – which sows everything together. God´s Equation is also a real equation that explains the formula that everything organic and alive in the universe are built upon. Really true – and it really makes you think, because when knowing that all living things has an equal factor – that specific formula – how can you say that it is all coincidential? In addition, we think it´s cool and kind of provocative when the album title is “God´s Equation”, a manly entity grammarwise, but showing a FEMALE – a goddess! The “Mother Goddess” was what the old Pagan religions believed in long before the great religions of today. Nature people has always believed in mother earth, the naure and the universe. All that is represented in the Goddess on the front cover. She is holding several known religious symbols in her Shiva-inspired arm pairs, to illustrate that everything comes from the same source – the energy of life, which you can call God, Vishnu, or whatever. The same, original equal divine soure….well, I came up with the idea at first.

On “God’s Equation” I recognise some Steve Vai influence during the solo and the first few bars of “Alien Kamikaze” sounds like if Jimmy Page himself would have written it. Did this happened accidently or are Vai and Page some of your idols?

Oh, Jorn Viggo is inspired by a lot of guitarists and can adapt to most any of them, but Steve Vai and Jimmy Page is certainly two of those he really adore. So I´m glad that you say that, thanks. I myself also have great respect for both Vai and Page opf course. Jorn is a versatile and intense guitar player which can pull off most anything, which makes the limits very high for us – which is great! I also don´t think Jorn Viggo tries to hide anything in terms of him being inspired by anyone. He just pulls it off, and often better than the original :-)

What are your favourite songs out of the album (God’s Euqation)? It would be great if every band member would list his favourits songs.

My favorite is “God´s Equation”, the title track. I tried to call the guys but they’re unfornately working all of them today, so couldn’t reach them, really sorry about that. But I think Stian´s favorite is “Atomic Firelight” and Jorn Viggo´s “Hello Spaceboy” at least!

Do you ever plan to have a second guitarist again?

No, I don´t think so. The “Dream Theater” lineup we have now is something that we are very much satisfied with. Jorn Viggo is such an intense guitar player and plays more that three guitarists would manage haha. Also, Ronny´s great talent and fills/guitar inspired solos do all that lacks in a missing guitarist.

Nils, will there be another Eidolon album? Somday in the future?

I am the vocalist for Eidolon still, and intend to be that. But both Glen and Shawn are in Megadeth now and they are touring a lot and are 100% busy with Dave. So Eidolon is not a priority for them now, which is totally understandable. Hell, they are busy being rock stars in ´Deth which I always loved!!! I am really really happy for them and they really deserve it, cause they are two great guys (and brothers) which has worked hard always getting there. They are most talented and totally deserves it!! So Eidolon does not take up time for me at all. I guess we are doing more albums in time, but is would have to be in between Megadeth and Pagan´s Mind (which of course is my top priority) albums and stuff. Eidolon is a great band and I love the sound. But it is and I believe it will still remain a studio band. For now at least. But I have material back home for a new studio album by Eidolon that I already should have started up on. I have been busy with PM and X-World/5 recordings also.

But as already mentioned, both Glen & Shawn are busy so I would say an new Eidolon album is not to be put out in at least a year and a half or so anyways. But the band excist, yet sleeping, and will return in some way or the other!

What happened to the Dimension Infinite project with the guys from Eidolon?

When Pat Mulock still were the singer for Eidolon, Glen and Shawn wanted to form a project with me and that´s why we “formed” Dimension Infinite not to ruin anything for anyone else. But I think that in the cards there were intended from Glen and Shawns side that they really wanted me to join Eidolon instead. Dimension Infinite was maybe a kind of a coverup/bridge if you want. Glen just called me one day I remember asking “Hey, instead of having all these side projects, wouldn’t it be better if you just joined Eidolon and made that our project instead?” So I approved on that and the rest of it is history :-)

5 short questions with short answers: please write down the first thing that comes to your mind.

If you have to decide: Dream Theater or Symphony X

Dream Theater….

Varg Vikernes

He has some interesting views and really have the gift of speech and writing skills. An artist, really. An intelligent guy an many ways, and as many great artists also raving mad, so if the world followed his words I´d rather live on the moon. The world already have Bin Laden and George Bush, we have had Hitler also so I think that´s enough of crazyheads.

Science-Fiction

I love Sci-Fi, it´s dreaming about something that could end up as reality one day.

Pagan Metal

Makes me think about Vikings more than ourselves, funny thing. I guess the term has been used to describe Viking/Folk-metal bands so many times. Though if I never heard about that I would have thought in termas of a crossover between Enya(or some other New-Age sounding thing) and metal. Pagan to me is more “Goddess” and Mother Earth/Divine and Holy, than eating raw flesh and knocking women in the head with bats haha.

David Bowie

A great, sophisticated artist in all ways which I can see myself in many aspects. A Khameleon and intelligent, mysterious and “unreachable”. As far as I could go without sounding gay, he has an sexy aura around his music and to himself also hahaha. I dig him in all ways, always did.

Anything you always wanted to say?

I always say: “there are more to life than we can see with our eyes. Science has proven that over decades and hundreds of years. So open your eyes and try to see beyond “the dull surface” of everything, and it will enrichen and enlighten your life.

Thank you for your time and we will see you on march 21st 2008 in the Szene Vienna (Austria).

Thanks so much for your support and interest, can´t wait to come to Vienna to play, never been there before!.:-)