SOURCE – Please tell the readers about the origins of Devation – Did you know right from the start the type of direction you wanted the band to go in?
Richard Wiberg (Guitar) – Devation started out as a fun project between Joakim and I at around 2009. Coming from Gothenburg and being in love with the metal scene it was only natural for us to go into the melodic side of Death Metal. We have always been big fans of melodic music in general and therefore it’s an obvious thing to incorporate a focus on melodies and harmonies.
SOURCE – With the album being out for a few days now, how has the initial response been to Giants?
Joakim Karlberg (Guitar) – The response has been huge! We are surprised by the number of people that has accessed the album and shown such great support & feedback towards it. The Internet sure is a beautiful thing!
SOURCE – What were some of the hurdles that Devation had to face in order to get Giants released?
Joakim Karlberg (Guitar) – The process to get Giants released was a bit different than our previous album. This time around we chose to release it through our own label, Scorn Productions. This way we had full control over everything.
Richard Wiberg (Guitar) – Being interested in both the creative side and the business side we kinda just embraced it, worked our asses off and had a lot of fun making Giants available for the world.
SOURCE – What can you share about the recently released videos for the Wake Up and The First and the Heartless tracks?
Richard Wiberg (Guitar) – Recording the videos was really fun. We went out to the middle of nowhere in an old rubber factory to record both videos. Thanks to some friends in Reloaded Airsoft we got permission to shoot there for a whole day.
Joakim Karlberg (Guitar) – The place looked like this post-apocalyptic, overgrown place and you really had to watch your step to not fall through the floor and/or walls. We can’t wait to go back and shoot some more!
SOURCE – What can you say about the cover art for Giants?
Richard Wiberg (Guitar) – It’s awesome!
Joakim Karlberg (Guitar) – A co-worker of mine, Molin, did this original hand drawn piece of a gigantic bird-like monster holding our “symbol”. It turned out really great and we couldn’t be happier with the result.
SOURCE – As the band progresses further, do you think that you would ever reach that point where you would want to take Devation in a direction other than energy and anger?
Richard Wiberg (Guitar) – It’s hard to say. We’re living in the now and like to have that mentality in our writing. We’re doing what feels right at the moment. I don’t think we will ever write pop music though, but we’re always open for new ideas and new inspiration.
SOURCE – What type of goals do you set for yourselves as a band – and do you believe personal chemistry and friendship is as important as honing in on similar musical ideals to achieve success?
Joakim Karlberg (Guitar) – Definitely! Friendship is a big part of this thing. We’ve known each other for many years – me, Richard & Fredrik met the first time when we were around 6 years old, playing soccer! I don’t think our parents knew then that we would go a much darker path though.
Richard Wiberg (Guitar) – I would say personal chemistry and friendship is everything. We’re in a 5 guy marriage, basically. You got to be able to stand each other on a personal level also, not only professional.
SOURCE – The Denmark metal scene is thriving with diverse styles, bands, promoters, and venues in my opinion. What are your thoughts on the scene and who are some of your favorite bands plus places to play?
Richard Wiberg (Guitar) – Last year we went to Copenhagen and played with a couple of awesome dudes in the danish band The Vision Ablaze and we really enjoyed it. Copenhagen is an awesome place both to perform and hang out in.
SOURCE – What do you feel separates Devation apart from the metal crowd from Denmark?
Joakim Karlberg (Guitar) – Well, we’re Swedish so that’s something that separates us! But aside from that I think you can hear a lot of similarities in the nordic metal scene. A lot of the bands share the same influences and it’s quite common to travel around the north to play and spread your music.
SOURCE – Anything else you’d like to add?
Joakim Karlberg (Guitar) – We are happy for all the support we’ve got so far since the release. We’ve received great response from people in Brazil & South America!
Richard Wiberg (Guitar) – We’re also thankful for this opportunity to sit down and chat with you guys.
Link:
Video: