Thundermaker on Rock Attitude
Rock Attitude had a little chat with Thundermaker from Sweden, for this interested interview!
Can you tell us a bit about the background of THUNDERMAKER and how you all came together to form the band?
– It started as a project called “World Domination” back in 2013 when my ex-drummer Eddie and me sat down one night thinking about something that hadn’t been done before. We decided over the name “THUNDERMAKER” after a whole night just sitting thinking about a good bandname. After that I started to work on the music and had those done in 3-4 months time. It was recorded in the summer of 2013. I contacted some guests and then the journey began. My ex-drummer Eddie phoned uup a bassplayer called Philip and the lineup was complete.
“The Road” is your latest album, can you discuss the inspiration and concept behind it?
– The Road deals with relationships in different forms and is mainly about the spiritual jouney of twin flames. Relationships can vary a lot and still be quite similar to one another. The red line is how You treat people and the way theu behave towards each other.
Being active since 2013, how do you feel the band has evolved over the years, both musically and personally?
– It started out as a very old school band, playing Heavy Metal from the ealy 80’s, NWOBHM. As we evolved with each album, we have always taken one step further towards the more symphonic and progressive realm. The last album truly gives an imprressioon of that and the upcoming is even more symphonic and heav, but also some faster parts can be heard.
Heavy Metal is a genre with a dedicated fanbase, how would you describe the unique sound and style of THUNDERMAKER within the genre?
– We have always tried to have Our unique sound which i think is important. Nowadays many bands sound the same due to mixing and/ or recording instruments the same way. We on the other hand focus more on the basic sound when recording Our main sound. We don’t add many effects to Our guitarsound for example. But I think the reason Our sound is recognizable is due to the fact that it all comes naturally when playing. It’s how You play the instrument.
Are there any specific bands or musicians that have influenced your sound? How do you incorporate those influences into your music?
– I was always inspired by earrly 80’s Metal such as Twisted Sister, Ozzy, Black Sabbath, Dio, Iron Maiden but also Gary Moore and Scorpions etc. Those influences just happen when I create new songs. I don’t think about it, I just start to compose and what comes out, comes out, so to speak. I have my own style I think. A more traditional and heavy approach.
Could you take us through the songwriting and recording process for “The Road”? How did you go about selecting which songs made it onto the album?
– I started out with two lyrics for the album which had a much darker tone and those were “Where Sorrow Dwells” & “Fake”. They both dealt with people and their behavior towards the human race and they way they responded to it themselves. I based the music on that theme and that’s why they became so very heavy. As for the remaining songs I had evolved quite a bit spiritually as a person and evolved as a human being.
Therfor, many people started to disappear in my life, even my drummer. this was when I had found about about Twin Flames and I based the remaning songs upon that topic. Someday I could write a lyric and then write the music the next day or just the other way around. Those songs reflected me back then and some has even some “hidden messages” inside for people to uncover. It’s a very deep album.
When I found that I couldn’t write anything more about the topic, that’s when i stopped writing. I often decide how many songs I want on the album in the beginning. And that’s how many end up on the album. Usually I don’t record any extra songs.
Is there a particular track on “The Road” that stands out to you personally? If so, what is the story or message behind it?
– The song that speaks to me a lot is the song “A twin Flame Journey”. It’s about the journey about two sould that got separated at birth and then tries to find each other again in this life or the next. It deals with the hardships and the tough journey that is the twin flame journey. When You begin this journey, Your life will never be the same.
Also the song “1111” (which is a spiritual number) deals with this number and the power it has. When yoou see this number it means all that You manifest are comin true. This song also contains some “hidden messages”. Can You find them?
It’s been roughly two years since your last album release, what were some of the challenges faced during the creation of “The Road” and how did you overcome them?
– The hardest part was definitely the part where I have put my trust into people I’ve known for over 20+ years, only to be shown a side of both these people I didn’t want to see. I don’t want to mention any names but it definitely made my view on this person very different.
This person wanted to change the entire album but I believed in myself and stood my ground. I persevered and I’m proud of that. I learned to listen to my heart and believe in myself because of this. As I’m a person who never gives up, I had to puch myself to the limits as the time of the release was coming up and luckily I found the right people.
In terms of live performances, what can fans expect from a THUNDERMAKER show? Do you have any memorable concert experiences you’d like to share?
– Unfortunately we haven’t done any live shows due to the fact that it’s not cost efficient. having said that, I would love to do some shows one day but the circumstances has to be just right.
“The Road” has already received positive reviews and feedback. How does it feel to know your music is resonating with listeners and what has been the most rewarding aspect of this album cycle so far?
– The most rewarding part is that I had to focus on what I believe in and to not listen to other people who think they are right. With all the reviews in hand it proved I was right from the start. And also all the positive feedback from the press and new fans makes so happy but also very proud. it was a very difficult album both musicallly and lyrically so to know this album resonates with people is amazing and I’m eternally grateful. However, it puts a pressure on You to make the upcoming album even better.
Looking to the future, are there any specific goals or aspirations that THUNDERMAKER hopes to achieve in the coming years? Do you have any exciting plans for new music or live performances?
– The main goal is to find the right artists for the upcoming album. All songs are written and recorded and also 4 songs are completed with vocals. I want to make this new one shine a little bit extra so I’m taking the time with it. My first singer who sings on 4 tracks, did an amazing job so I’m very excited to see who will be able to join me for this one.
That’s the main focus as of now. Liveshows will have to wait to sometime in the future, but it will happen someday. Of that I’m sure. As of goals, we always strive to work with even bigger musicians for every album, so this one’s no different. BUT, it will contain people which may be unheard of to some. That’s all I can say at the moment.
Thanks so much for this opportunity and interview. It’s been a blast!
Official Links:
https://thundermaker.se
https://instagram.com/officialthundermaker
https://facebook.com/officialthundermaker
https://twitter.com/thundermaker_se
https://www.youtube.com/@thundermakertv
https://spotify.link/r56h3oNYfDb
