Oslo, 6/6/2023 Tales of Dhvaras just released their debut album, "Full Speed or Nothing", on vinyl prior to its digital release on 16/6. The limited edition vinyl album is currently being shipped from Norway and listeners can pre-save the digital version now. You can read the full review of the album below.
"We are back in the early nineties and in the genre that makes people travel from all over the world to take pictures in a brick cellar in Oslo." Scream Magazine #276 (May 2023)
Why is this release important?
The band founder, Kyrre Riksen explains. "This record is a tribute to the riffs the way we used to play them where we come from. After all these years, we only know Håvard Jørgensen (early Satyricon and Ulver) who still plays actively with his new band, Dold Vorde Ens Navn. The riff was our local language and weapon, and it needs to feed on passion to not die. When we were rehearsing at Stovner Rockefabrikk from 1991 to 1995 over 20 years ago, our songwriting was inspired by classical music and Norwegian folk melodies, and therefore we named the style “Skogsrock (Forest Rock)” as we felt we didn´t fit into an established music genre at that time.
Like always all songs are first conceived on the acoustic guitar and then evolved into hard hitting riffs to amplify both darkness and beauty (yes, darkness can´t lurk without it). For example, "Geiranger" sounded very much like the song "Tverrbekkli" with the only exception we had the time to record Geiranger live with full band instrumentation in the studio. Tverrbekkli, on the other hand, I squeezed in by recording it in one take with no metronome. Parts of that acoustic version was played live as concert intro in various youth clubs in the 90s with distortion making it sound similar to parts on Bathory´s album "Twilight of the Gods". My former Dhvaras band member, Espen Aure, introduced the album to me when it was released in 1991, and it fuelled new perspectives on what metal music could be.
Geiranger has a special place among all our songs as the whole theme was improvised in real time by simply staring at the epic waterfalls while I was in Geiranger. I was having a dialogue with the mountains so to speak. These days I carry one of my Norwegian bukkehorns as a songwriting tool to remember melodic ideas when wandering on longer journeys since bringing my guitar isn´t always practical on the go.
In our youth it was the rawness of the forest and escape from "following the flow thinking" (forbanna streitinger og byvankere), which inspired our songwriting. For me it was never fun to make the type of music we played, but more like a necessity or obsession. The same goes for skateboarding. It was never a rational choice to gradually displace my hip muscles by constantly slamming my body on the skateboard ramp (Grorudrampen). But it was something helping me to live my life with integrity and mindfulness. Anyways, I used to go to the forests of Østmarka (via Ellingsrud and Elvåga) and Nordmarka (via Steinbruvannet) to get in the right songwriting mood.
The songs "Skogsrockens Aapenbaring" and "Den Siste Groruddøl" were both written as a result of re-exploring these places from my youth. I no longer have long black hair, but that´s what happened then and still happens. Preferrably, completely alone with no other people around.
When we were 14 year old, my bass player, Ruben Drage Deleon, would often shake his head when I presented my ideas, and he pushed me to play more disciplined with rhythm and simplicity. He also taught me to master Spanish guitar harmonies, which I adopted in how I approach scales on the fretboard. Thus, in many ways he taught me how to translate my musical ideas into structured arrangements.
In hindsight, if I had a chance to go back in time and give myself a piece of advice as a youth back then I would say:
Don´t overthink it, just go full speed or nothing.
I feel a bit sorry for the metal head who suddenly decided to cut his hair and throw all his original visual drawings, lyrics and cassette recordings into the fire place in rage when the riff material was at its best (nothing was digital back then so it ceased to exist at least in physical terms). These were intense times, and when you´re that young, life decisions are made in the flick of a second.
This release is important, because Riffs Speak Louder. Tales of Dhvaras is about expressing our own story through sounds, and connecting the past with the present. You see, the mighty fjords of Geiranger may do just as good job in inspiring riffs as the forest. Respect for the individual and go full speed or nothing in whatever you are doing and wherever you are 👊. I am a grown up by now so I know for sure."
Watch the teaser video for "Den Siste Groruddøl"
The band just released a teaser video ahead of the album release date, 16/6/23, for listeners to finally enter the heart of Skogsrock. The video was filmed by Kyrre at Steinbruvannet in Nordmarka, a 10 min walk from Kyrre´s first home at Romsås.
Source: Official Band Youtube Channel of Tales of Dhvaras.
Announcement from the band
The band had the following update on the band´s official Instagram account on 28/6.
"...We love the physical world. That’s why we wanted to release a vinyl first album you can touch and smell from Norway, made of raw recycled vinyl material and packaging. All before the digital release👊🏻 We added two never released songs that both capture the essence of the sound we termed «skogsrock» in the early nineties for the completeness of the vinyl album. The whole record is remastered for a complete listening experience and each element of the hand drawn album cover represents a tale or perhaps a song. You may buy the limited edition album «Full Speed or Nothing» in our shop (bio) now🤘🏻" Kyrre
Official album review
The May issue of Scream Magazine Norway featured the band with the interview "Norwegian reincarnation of the month" and the following review of the album.
"An old new Norwegian band is out with their debut album, and this was sure as hell good for me. It's always fun when new and undescribed leaves appear, but especially fun when it evokes so many nostalgic feelings. We are back in the early nineties and in the genre that makes people travel from all over the world to take pictures in a brick cellar in Oslo. The soundscape is old, but has a sound that makes me think in the direction of the songs that have made Dold Vorde Ens Navn one of today's most exciting bands. I think this album has the most, and I find a lot of entertainment in the many and varied moods of the material. The soundscape varies from acoustic guitars to thrash-based riffs and wonderful angry vocals. The album has no bad songs, but I simply have to mention the song "Geiranger". It is an epic musical journey in a Norwegian landscape. In short, you should check this one out." Score: 5 out of 6
- Ove Ringdal
Source: Scream Magazine Norway, Issue #276 (May 2023).
How to get the limited edition vinyl album?
Each vinyl record is numbered by hand and can be ordered worldwide through the band´s newly formed label Full Speed or Nothing Productions (FSN) , or picked up physically at Neseblod Records on Schweigaardsgate 56 in Oslo.The limited edition vinyl album will be shipped from Norway until stock last and listeners can pre-save the digital version released on 16/6.
About the band
In the early nineties, the metal band, Dhvaras, played what they referred to as "Skogsrock" (Forest rock) in Groruddalen, Norway - inspired by both the beauty and dark rawness of nature itself. All songs were created on classical guitars as the melodic foundation before riffed into a loud and melodic soundscape.
During Fall 2019, its band founder, Kyrre, was able to restore an old DAT tape demo previously believed to be lost forever, and wasn´t too pleased with the sound (and in fact couldn´t cope with it). So he decided to go back to the studio, make the spirit of Dhvaras a last favour, and finally record material that have piled up over the years.
Kyrre met with the drummer, James Regout, in September 2019, in London to rehearse and record songs with his original Dhvaras band member and bass player, Ruben Drage De Leon. Those Tales of Dhvaras live on and are no longer buried and dead.
Tales of Dhvaras is a Norwegian metal band out with their debut album "Full Speed or Nothing" in June 2023🤘
The current band set-up is:
Kyrre Riksen: Guitars and vocals.
Ruben Drage DeLeon: Bass.
Zach Mizzi: Drums.
Source: Official Band Website talesofdhvaras.com
About the record label
Full Speed or Nothing Productions (FSN) is a creative place for writing, producing and distributing original sounds and various arts. Its recording studio, record label and shop help produce, finance and distribute music releases by the band, Tales of Dhvaras, based in Norway.
Source: Official Record Label Website fsnproductions.com
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