Pic courtesy of: Audiopain "If we’d been a doom metal band I would have agreed with you, but we’re not… Also, we have never claimed that this is a full-length album"

Why don’t you give us a short bio since it was kind of hard to find it on the web?
Sverre Dæhli: Oki. We started the band Hæ? when we first met, 10 years ago, and then changed to Audiopain two or three years later, as we had adjusted our style a bit. All in all we’ve released 5 CD’s, some split vinyl’s, some cassettes and a 10” EP.

Let’s talk about “The Switch to Turn off Mankind”, quite a good album I may add! What actually surprised me about it, was the way it manages to sound old school but it retains some sort of personality, and to me that personality comes with a sort of black metal “aroma” that covers the entire production (and I say this not because you are from Norway!) can you understand why I hear that influence in your album, or Am I just delusional here?
Sverre Dæhli: Hehe… first of all, thank you! You are definitively not the only one that describes us like that. I think this might be one of the best explanation so far as well…hehe.

There were some problems recording this latest album “The Switch to Turn off Mankind” something about a computer loss of data or something like that, would you please explain this to me? You did loose some work right, some songs for this album?
Sverre Dæhli: When we were mixing the album after the first recording of it, we lost some important computer files which made it impossible to complete it. Luckily we had some mixes of some of the songs, so we ended up using those for other records instead. The songs we lost were re-recorded, and then some new as well to cover up for those we used other places…

The album is quite short, only 26 minutes long… and even when Audiopain does manages to make its point, still man I really needed more of this! Why such a short album?
Sverre Dæhli: With such intensity you don’t need more…hehe! If we’d been a doom metal band I would have agreed with you, but we’re not… Also, we have never claimed that this is a full-length album, so if you rather consider it as a long EP, it is closer to how we see it.

Most of the songs in “The Switch…” well all of them actually follow a pretty similar line of song writing, thrash metal with some obscure attitude, but there is a song that for me at least stands out from the rest “Alliance”, pretty much because it sound a bit more USA thrash style than the German influence that we can hear on the rest of the album; was that song written earlier than the rest of the album?
Sverre Dæhli: Nope, it was written after the first recording of the record, which was lost, so originally it wasn’t even supposed to be on the record. But this is purely coincidental, as we often base our songs on very old riffs, and then arrange it together with new shit, so the songs have both old and new parts.

I really liked the artwork for this album, who did the cover for you guys?
Sverre Dæhli: A guy named Espen Geitsund. A very talented and professional dude we know from the metal scene here in Asker. I totally agree with you about the cover as well. It rules! He has also made some other covers for us, which we are all very satisfied with!

“The Switch to Turn off Mankind” a very “cataclysmic” title, do you think that, this sort of topic, you know the destruction of mankind, the use of nuclear weapons, war, etc, etc is one of thrash metals most dearest and why not influential “ideologies”, because the topic seems to come up in almost every thrash metal album, and I know most metal in every genre deals with death and destruction, but thrash actually talks about nuclear war, something closer to reality than lets say, Satan awakening; why is this topic so attractive to you and why do you think is attractive to most thrash bands?
Sverre Dæhli: Oops… I have no idea. Thrash is an aggressive genre, so themes like war and destruction might be natural to write about simply because it suits the music very well. But the genre made its baby steps in the early 80s, when nuclear weapons and the cold war etc. was more actual in the media and considered by many as a way more real threat. Of course this influenced the thrashers back then. I don’t think we write that much about this things though.

I don’t really know why but this past 2007 I received a lot of promos from young thrash bands all over the globe that have recapture or maybe brought to light one more time that old school thrash sound we all seem to love; seen that you guys are no rookies, I ask you have you notice any sort of “thrash revival”?
Sverre Dæhli: Sure I’ve noticed it. But it seems to be a more retro-minded thing than what we do, so I really don’t think it affect us in any way. But just like all trends this brings both good and bad shit along. Mostly shit, of course…

	Pic courtesy of: Audiopain "Thrash is an aggressive genre, so themes like war and destruction might be natural to write about simply because it suits the music very well"

You guys like to release a lot of your material on vinyl, do you think this somehow forgotten format could be the answer to all the piracy and the free music trading that is going on in the world? In what ways do you think vinyl is better than CD’s?
Sverre Dæhli: Vinyl will never have anything to do with the illegal mp3 downloading thing at all. People that use vinyl are collectors, not only into the music. They listen to their music on their stereo, not their phone. And the other way around, those that mostly listen to mp3’s will never care to buy a vinyl player. It would be too complicated if they don’t care for the atmosphere of the vinyl records in the first place. If they download illegally or not is up to them to decide, but I feel sorry for them. They don’t know what they are missing. I think CD’s have an advantage for its usability/flexibility etc. It’s practical. But vinyl’s has that extra something special feeling that is hard to describe. It may sound less hifi, but still it sounds so much better. And the covers…oh my god!

Sverre you did some guest vocals on the track "Command" on Darkthrone's "Plaguewielder" are you a big black metal fan? Do you like black metal just because you are from Norway? (Trying to put a stupid joke in here!!!) How was that whole experience from you?
Sverre Dæhli: Hmmm… I wouldn’t say I’m a big fan of Black metal as a whole, but I sure like some BM. Growing up in Norway as an extreme metal fan made it impossible to not get into BM yes…hehe. It was one of those situations where everything was blown out of proportions in the media, and it became a phenomena. Still, some of the absolute best BM records were released in this period of time, so as a fan of the BM music it was good times…

What do you find most different about signing in a thrash band that what you can heard and see on a black metal band, do you think both genres can interchange singers and it will be ok, or does it take any specific “approach” or “idea” when it comes to sing for black metal and another for thrash?
Sverre Dæhli: I guess there’s different characteristic elements for all styles, and so with these genres. But it’s always possible to do things many ways you know, so this will always be a choice for each vocalist to decide. But I guess a good thrash metal vocalist might very well also understand what’s ‘right’ in black metal as well, and visa versa.

Do you think there is any characteristic that differentiates Audiopain from the rest of thrash metal bands that try to recapture the real essence of the genre?
Sverre Dæhli: Yes, indeed! While we try to make something unique, the trend-hoppers seems to be more interested in copying the 80s style as good as possible.

I read some criticism on the album that pretty much focuses on the levels or tones that you use when you sing; well here is what I read (http://www.rocknworld.com/thrashpit/reviews/08/Audiopain.shtml)
“The stuff that emerges from the singer's larynx is mostly found sleeping with high-volume wails and pestering screams, which certainly does not belong on a record of this nature” Do you think there are certain types of vocal approaches that just don’t fit on thrash metal?
Sverre Dæhli: Of course! I have plenty of examples of good bands with terrible vocalists. Often the problem is that they try to squeeze in too much vocal into every song, so it all becomes just monotone blah blah blah… My vocal is just one of many elements to make Audiopain something different and unique. If someone doesn’t like it, that’s fine. We don’t aim to please everyone anyway…

Do reviews, criticism, etc, has any effect on you? Should it have any effect on the artist at all, or that will just be “corrupting” his ideas?
Sverre Dæhli: I don’t mind critics, if it’s rooted in reality. If it’s not, I don’t care… It’s the same as with positive reviews, it’s only one mans opinion. If the composers and artists focus on their own things, rather than what others think about it, that would be the best of course.

	Pic courtesy of: Audiopain "Band pictures are for posers and groupies"

Why don’t you guys have “promo” pics of the band? Is it because you consider them dumb, or you guys just haven’t gotten around it? Or is it just gay jajaja?
Sverre Dæhli: Band pictures are for posers and groupies! We just try our best to take the focus back from the idolization of the individuals in the bands, to what really matters; the music.

Reading one of your previous interviews, I notice that you are quite sarcastic on your answers, like this one from Metal Centre “We have also learned to say that we think the first releases are always the best, and that we don’t care for symphonic, vampire black metal. Old German thrash is great, we’ve been told. And of course those really mad, Norwegian church burners made some superb black metal.” I know all of that is a cynic way of describing many bands and fans that listen to metal (the part about always saying that the first releases are always better is dead on man! jajajaja) did you wrote or answer that to point out some “clichés” about underground bands and fans, and do you actually agree with some of those statements, like the one about vampire black metal?
Sverre Dæhli: It sure is a parody of a clishé answer yes, but also in fact my honest opinion! But as I really didn’t try to be sarcastic in that particular intie, but rather to act foolish, this was my way to explain that I am one of those ‘idiots’ that have this super strict old-school attitude…hehe. Vampire BM is not my cup of piss, no…

Any tours planned for this 2008?
Sverre Dæhli: Not all finished yet, but in the making. Europe only.

Hey man Am I a failure?
Sverre Dæhli: We all are in the eyes of god!

Well Sverre thanks for the time man, I really enjoyed “The Switch to Turn off Mankind” and reading a few interviews you have done, if you have anything else to add please feel free to do so….
Sverre Dæhli: Thanx to you too! I really don’t have much to say, other than leaving our e-mail for everyone to use; audiopain@gmail.com, and tell people to visit www.vendlus.com for merch and stuff… See ya!