Morta Skuld Interview

1. Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band members these days?

Some of us are married and some divorced. Myself I have a 19 yr old daughter and a 9 yr old son. Kent has 3 kids and Jason (o'connell) has 2 and Kevin has two as well. Myself and Jason Hellman went on to do a band called 9mm solution, which did two albums and also toured. Jef went on to several projects as well. Kent, Jason O'Connell don't play at all. 


2. I have read that over the years the band changed it names, what was the decision behind that?

what happened is Morta Skuld broke up and after a year or so I couldn't seem to find a band or anyone I really wanted to jam with. No one around me would give up the Morta history and wanted to have a good name for the new project. So when I wanted to rename the project some fans got upset, we played under the Morta moniker for a while and then the same fans felt it wasn't cool, So then changed the name to MS2. Which eventually turned into 9mm solution. 


3. How would you describe the lyrical content of the lder music?

It is tought for me to say, I'm so close to it. I had alot of help on Prolong from Jef. Him and I had a different view of what the lyrics should be, I wanted to be all dark and Satan stuff, And he wanted them to have more thought behind them. We then came togther and said let's be dark but talk and write about the act of certian things that may have happned back in the dark ages.

4. What was the meaning and inspiration behind the bands name?

Brian from viogression actually helped me with that, we were sitting around the table and he just had a few names written down, one was Puss and other weird things, and then he said the name and I was like that's it! 


5. What where some of the best shows that the band played live and how would you describe your stage performance?

Do date our Metal fest shows always went very well, But the show we opened for Slayer was by far the best, we were in are home town on our home turf and just brought it. 


6. Recently Relpase Records re-issued your older demos, what are your feeling about the re-issue?

It's a good story, Eric Grief and I were hanging out at my house and he asked if I had the old demo's we did on CD. I said yeah but they don't sound very good, I then went into the studio to clean the tracks up. Couple months went by and Jef and i crossed paths again and I mentioned to him I cleaned up the demo's. He then took a listen and was like I can clean this up even more and fix some stuff, then we went back in the studio 2 more times and mastered the final CD. I'm very proud of this work and happy Relpase Decided to release this, it sounds great and feel it still stands the test of time. 


7. I know that over the years the band was on a few record labels, out off all the ones that you worked with, which one do you feel that did the most to support your music?

Hands down Peaceville was awesome for us and really helped us along with are career. 


8. On a worldwide level how was your music recieved by death metal fans?

We had a lot of great response from fans, the bigger fan base was in the UK and oversea more so then the US. We were selling records and playing out with are favorite bands. 


9. What where some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

Back in the day we were all heavy into Metallica and Testament, and thrash in general. But before I started playing Death metal i was really into Sabbath and Ozzy and Alice cooper. With music being so different these days i'm very picky as too what I listen to and just feel there are so many bands and just too much to choose from. I listen to Morbid angel still and the new Forbidden is awesome, Mnemic and Threat signal are two of my favorite bands these days, and the new Fear Factory is awesome too. 


10. What role did Satanism and Occultism play in the music?

At first alot, and then Jef joined and wasn't confortable with the content, so we agreed to write about the act of or feeling one would feel if they were nailed to a cross or have a parasite inisde of them. Eric and I would read through different books of religion and and the occult and that's kinda where it started. 


11. Outside of music what are some of your interests?

To be honest not alot, the other guys have there wives and stuff, if I'm not with my kids I'm having a cold one and or hangin at the music store checking out the guitars, I do like going to see movies quite a bit. Other then that i"m pretty broing, I love to play. 


12. Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?

Yes please people go buy a copy of are CD and show these new age kids that old school still support there bands by buying a copy not stealing it, and thank you to all the fans that have and do support us, Big thank you to Eric and Relapse for there support as well.