AMARANTHE Guitarist: 'We're Here To Lift People Up And Also To Entertain'

In a new interview with Belgian Jasper, AMARANTHE guitarist Olof Mörck spoke about the lyrical themes covered on the band's upcoming album, "The Catalyst", which will see the light of day on February 23, 2024, via Nuclear Blast Records. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I would say that the themes are more mature and they're a little bit more 'on the nose' now than they used to be. But instead of saying that that's a new development, it's a continuation of what we already did with [2020's] 'Manifest'. But I would say if there's any kind of a theme for this album, 'The Catalyst', it's kind of self-evident in the title that it's about change, and it's about the catalyst… I mean, it can be on a macro perspective, [and] it can also be on a micro perspective in the sense that, let's say that it can be a key points in relationships to other people, or it can be about your own creativity, for example, and how you want to change that and how you want to develop. But it can also be, on a really big perspective, what kind of changes is the world going through, for example."

He continued: "I think it's also an age thing. I mean, when you're a teenager or in your mid-20s, the world is self-evident to you, but once you've lived a few decades, then you have a different perspective on things. You have seen the world go from one thing to something where it's recognizably different. And I think dealing with those kinds of changes is always interesting because a lot of our focus tends to be on the negative aspects because that's who we are as human beings. We're programmed to be scared of change, obviously. But I come to find that a lot of the changes that the world has gone through have been vastly for the positive as well. And I will not go mention details because these things can tend to sound a little bit political and whatever, but if you want to focus on things that everybody can agree on, like much less starvation, education levels are higher in the whole world than they used to be, et cetera, et cetera. And then there are also some not-good things, and we deal with those as well."

Olof added: "But I think at the end of the day, one of the many things that I try to do, which makes us unique, is to have a positive spin on it. Because you literally have thousands of bands who are dealing with more depressing topics, I'd say. And while we do that, we try to put a positive spin on it, try to be uplifting. And it also matches the sound of our music at the end of the day. We're here to lift people up and also to entertain, which is also important. But I feel like the lyrics are more on the nose on this album, and it's gonna be pretty evident what we're trying to say."

"The Catalyst" is the most conceptually coherent piece of work in AMARANTHE's storied history. Dedicated to notions of transformation and revelation, it delves deeper than any previous album, as Mörck previously explained.

"We've done these things before, but we've never been as theatrical as we have this time," he says. "In fact, we all questioned whether we went too far this time, but I also figured that this band was always this way. Literally the first seconds of our first video was a big explosion! But yes, 'The Catalyst' is more theatrical than ever. We've never really been symphonic or orchestral before, but this time we just thought why not? Because we can! The key to this album is that we let go of the boundaries and decided to do something even more adventurous."

AMARANTHE has spent more than a decade establishing itself as a formidable, positive and fervently melodic force for metallic good. From their explosive self-titled debut in 2011 to the more sophisticated, streamlined likes of 2014's "Massive Addictive" and its immaculate follow-up "Maximalism" (2016),AMARANTHE have masterfully blurred the lines between melodic metal, crushing brutality, cinematic sweep and futuristic sparkle.

Led by the endlessly ingenious songwriting of guitarist Mörck and powerhouse vocalist Elize Ryd, their rise to prominence has been a joy to behold.

Widely acclaimed as a dazzling live act, the Swedes reached a new peak of creativity on 2018's hugely successful "Helix", an album that pushed the band’s vision to new heights, breadths and depths, while showcasing the brilliance of Elize and her co-vocalist, recent recruit Nils Molin.

Not just a glorious return but a wholesale upgrade for their exuberant sound, their latest offering, 2020's "Manifest", was the most daring, dynamic and unforgettable album that AMARANTHE had released to date.

AMARANTHE 2023 is:

Elize Ryd - vocals
Mikael Sehlin - growls
Olof Mörck - guitars, keyboards
Johan Andreassen - bass
Morten Løwe Sørensen - drums
Nils Molin - vocals