Doomed Confessionary: Manne, Fredrik, Andreas & Stefan (Malsten)
Photos by Hedda Winroth
Malsten is a doom metal band from Malmö, Sweden. The band’s second full-length album »The Haunting Of Silvåkra Mill – Rites Of Passage« dropped on March 15th, 2024 via Svart Records.
Blending elements from many dark corners within and beyond the genres of metal, Malsten’s music is innovative and thought-provoking – both musically and lyrically. With »Rites Of Passage«, Malsten delivers a conceptual narration reminiscent of the dark theatrical sides of metal that would make King Diamond himself proud. The folk horror-themed story revolves around an unfortunate soul succumbing to an ancient evil residing in a derelict mill.
Malsten are Manne Högström (vocals), Fredrik Grehn (guitars), Andreas Svensson (bass, synths) and Stefan Winroth (drums).
Can you say a few words about your band?
Malsten: Malsten plays conceptually driven grinding doom metal. The band was formed in 2018 and has thus far released three acts of »The Haunting Of Silvåkra Mill« – a doom horror story; »The Haunting Of Silvåkra Mill« (album 2020), »Entr’acte« (single/EP 2022) and »Rites Of Passage« (album 2024).
What was the biggest challenge for the band last year?
Andreas: We faced a lot of delays with the release of the new album (»Rites Of Passage«) due to practical reasons, which was frustrating for all of us.
Also, writing and recording the new album was a challenge, as such projects always are.
What can you be most proud of so far?
Andreas: We are very proud having realised the vision of The Haunting of Silvåkra Mill with two full-length albums and the EP »Entr’acte«. The idea was born just after Malsten was formed, and it’s impressive that we have kept enough momentum and focus to complete the project with most of the initial ideas and ambitions intact.
We are also very proud of how, especially the latest album, have been received among fans and reviewers etc. We got a lot of really great reviews and that´s always heartwarming.
What was your biggest regret?
Andreas: That’s a hard question. With the delays in connection to the release of the »Rites Of Passage«-album, we went into a sort of hiatus in terms of motivation and inspiration. In retrospect, all of us were probably a bit burned out from the writing and recording process, which made it difficult to create new music or work properly with moving Malsten forward. I guess that’s a lesson we can learn from in the future.
What was the best concert/tour so far and why?
Malsten: We held a release-party for »Rites Of Passage« in our hometown of Malmö on the 12th of April. It was the first time that we’ve performed »The Haunting Of Silvåkra Mill: Rites Of Passage« in its entirety, and it was a great experience to see the audience reactions to the music and storyline.
What was the biggest surprise on the music scene for you?
Andreas: Hm, I don’t know that I’ve been surprised for a very long time. Do you have any hints?
What is currently in your heavy musical rotation?
Andreas: I listened a lot to the last two albums by Domkraft when they were released. They don’t really play doom as such, it sounds more like space-rock to my ears. But really good. I also liked the last album by Besvärjelsen. So for heavy music it’s mostly Swedish bands for me, I guess. Otherwise I enjoy classical music and film scores more than metal these days.
Manne: The “heaviest” band I listen to right now regularly would be Hällas, a prog rock band from Gothenburg, Sweden. Apart from that it’s a lot of retrowave and video game soundtracks, the »Baldurs Gate 3« soundtrack is amazing.
Can you say something more about the music scene in Malmö area?
Malsten: Sweden is in many ways a small country so generally the music scene isn’t that large. The live-scene in the southern area where we are based is alive, but not much more. There aren’t many clubs or venues to play, and in the heavy genres it is even fewer. Sadly, this has been the situation in most of Sweden since at least the 90’s, so we don’t see the situation changing any time soon.
Where can we see you live this year (concerts/tours)?
Malsten: So far we have a few shows booked in Sweden in the summer and autumn. Hopefully, we will also be able to play some shows in Europe during 2024 and in the coming years.
What are your plans for the future as a band?
Malsten: Simultaneously with preparing for shows we are slowly starting to write new music. Who knows in which direction the new material is going to end up, but heavy, slow and gloomy is a good guess.
How can people best support your band?
Malsten: The best support anyone can give us is to listen to and enjoy Malstens music. We are very thrilled to see that many people seem to immerse themselves in both the music and the story, and that is by far the best appreciation Malsten can get. And, of course, get a copy of the albums in vinyl or CD format. That is definitely the best way to experience »The Haunting Of Silvåkra Mill«!
Do you have any message for your listeners?
Malsten: As always, Crave more!
More horror, more gore, MORE DOOM!
Links:
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Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well