2014-12-25! The muthafucken Day Of Enlightenment…
“THERE IS NO EARTH I WILL LEAVE UNSCORCHED” is completed! If you haven’t yet bought this masterpiece, here’s all the info you need to do so. That’s a link. Click it. Buy the album. Support art. Support TPH.
With that out of the way, now… sit back, grab a drink and prepare for a quite lengthy read, coz there’s definitely a few things I wanna share with ya, and a bunch of people I wanna say “thank you” to before December 25th comes and you will have the privilege to experience this album in its entirety. But first I wanna hand you a few sentences from Mr. Dan Swanö, the hero who’s made sure this album sounds glorious production wise. As you all know, there’s a FLAC version of this masterpiece included, and for good reason. Here’s Dan:
 “- About the Full Dynamic Lossless Audio (FLAC) version. Since the TPH album is jam-packed with frequencies from the deepest depths to the highest highs and layers of various instruments, all with their own unique dynamic content, I felt obliged to present the mix as I heard it, before I put it through the limiter to push it up to the louder levels of the CD standard (A completely unnecessary and stupid process invented by deaf record label executives… that robs the mix of punch and width, and then the MP3 process steal some more). So if you wanna hear the album in its full glory, for the price of turning the volume up on your device a few more steps… please do!! Why not listen to it in good quality headphones, and just sit back and enter the diabolical realms of TPH in sonic 4K resolution!!!”
I thank Mr. Swanö for making that clear to everyone. We have also decided to NOT be a part of the shameful “loudness war” with the high-res MP3 versions (full and instrumental) of the album, becoz we want to minimize the loss of frequencies and whatnot. So you will experience a more balanced volume with this and will prolly need to crank the volume up a little more than if you’re playing the, f.e, abomination called “Death Magnetic” by Metallica, where shit is distorted and way too loud, aka sounds like utter… well… shit. Brick wall mastering is something we wanted no part of with “THERE IS NO EARTH I WILL LEAVE UNSCORCHED”. We want this monster to breathe, and eventually you will understand why. And you will thank us for it.
Now, let’s dive head first into the rest of important matters that I must share with you before you can be a part of “THERE IS NO EARTH I WILL LEAVE UNSCORCHED”.
After the last album, the magnificent “THE CADAVEROUS RETALIATION AGENDA”, I felt the urge to go somewhere else, to places I hadn’t been before with TPH, explore unknown areas and crush all boundaries without straying away from what this entity is, without losing the core of this beast. I wanted to step it up on exactly every level imaginable. My playing, my composing, the details… EVERYTHING. Change was needed and change was implemented so I could further enhance my vision of TPH and what this behemoth is capable of doing.
On “THERE IS NO EARTH I WILL LEAVE UNSCORCHED” I have done exactly that. And more. Much, much more.
I couldn’t have conquered this task by myself, though. I would never have been able to create my life’s work, which is exactly what this album is, over these past 2 years without the following people:
My best fucken friend, Jörgen Sandström. The undisputed champion of death metal vocals and crony-ship (that’s not a word, but fuck it), and the one guy who’s been standing by my side since Day One with TPH. Once again he’s stepped up, absorbed my shitty demo vocals and delivered something that is best described as pure fucken insanity in audio form. He’s never sounded better. He’s never been more varied in his delivery and he’s never put in so much effort to make sure I’d get the best goddamned grunts I have ever heard for this album. With the lowest of lows to the highest of highs and everything in between – his work is out of this muthafucken world. There is something that happens to him when he puts down vocals for TPH, that much is obvious. I believe it’s possession. Lucky bastard. I raise my glass in your honor, J.
Ellinor Asp. I don’t even know where to begin. No words I will type can ever explain how incredibly, incredibly talented and wonderful this woman is. During my career, or whatever the fuck one should call it, I have never met anyone with such a voice and such unparalleled view on music. Not to mention how incredibly straight-forward, hard working and genuinely fantastic she is as a person. To work with E is a luxury that few people get to experience. From her playfulness to her absolute professionalism and insane work ethics… I am blown the fuck away on a daily basis thanx to her. When I hear what she has done on “THERE IS NO EARTH I WILL LEAVE UNSCORCHED” it’s clear to me that we are now in a different league altogether. A league of our own. I’ll go as far as stating that if I can’t work with E for future TPH albums, well… then there can’t be any future albums. That’s how high she’s raised the bar for what we can do. Luckily she’s already accepted the invitation to continue the collaboration. The universe should be very fucken grateful. Ellinor embodies everything that I always envisioned when it comes to female vocals. She’s free from limiting beliefs and she’s the best girl I have ever heard within music, and worked with. It is truly an honor to be able to create music with someone like her. She is plain and simple just muthafucken perfect. A prodigy. A phenomenon. I am forever thankful for having crossed paths with Ms. Asp. She makes me wanna become an even better musician.
Dirk Verbeuren. Seriously… Fucken Dirk Verbeuren. I could stop right here. This guy, this absolute genius of a drummer and human being… Dirk definitely doesn’t NEED to play drums for TPH, he’s one of the most revered drummers in the business and got his work schedule smack full and then some. But he CHOOSES to do it anyways. I actually told Dirk quite early on that with the planned budget for the album there was no way I could hire his services and pay him his more than deserved fee that he charges as a studio drummer. Have in mind that 3 songs with TPH is more or less a full album by any other band. Needless to say, Dirk saw things differently and ended up doing some of the most insane drumming endeavors I have ever experienced on “THERE IS NO EARTH I WILL LEAVE UNSCORCHED”. I am at loss for words when it comes to Dirk. Except for the words I just typed, that is. Multiply it by a thousand and you’ll understand the kind of respect I have for this guy’s way of leading life and playing drums.
Lasse Johansson. One of my childhood heroes since I saw Candlemass live back in 1988 for the first time. To have this other-worldly guitarist sitting beside me, laying down solos on MY songs in my home studio… Well, that image will forever be etched in my mind. A more down-to-Earth and laidback fella is hard to find. And to find someone with that quality as well as a Devil-given gift of playing guitar is just… unbelievable. I have muthafucken Lasse Johansson doing 95% of the solos on this album, get it? God be damned. There are millions of talented guitarists out there. People who can shred with the best of them and so on and so forth… But very, very few guitarists have that FEELING when they play, like they are one with the guitar. Lasse is one of those few. And for some fucken reason he obviously thought I deserved having him on this album. Fuck knows why, but I just have to be extremely awesome it seems, haha… Thank you, Lars, for all the incredibly nice things you have said to me about this recording and for letting me have you being a huge part of it. It blows my fucken mind.
Marko Saarelainen. My beloved Finnish companion who’s been making sure that TPH’s gotten excellent album covers and layouts as well as websites since way, way back. I can never thank him enough for all the work he’s done over the years, and it’s not like he’s been paid for it either. At least not as much as he fucken deserves. To see him top himself graphics-wise album after album, just like we do music-wise, is astonishing. Marko truly is a member of the band even though he’s not a musician. I value our friendship more than you’ll ever know, Mr. Saarelainen.
The previously mentioned Dan Swanö. We have been working together for longer than I can remember now, and he truly understands what I am trying to do with TPH. It’s impossible for me to see myself working with someone else when it comes to TPH. He just KNOWS. All the assistance I get from Dan when it comes to pre-productions, album recordings and whatnot… It’s just invaluable. I have to give Johan Berglund of 4Sound, Örebro, Sweden, tons of thanks as well as far as helping me with technical problems etc for the home recordings go. It wouldn’t be what it is today if these 2 guys helping me on a regular basis weren’t there for me at all times. The production Dan’s given “THERE IS NO EARTH I WILL LEAVE UNSCORCHED” is so crushing I don’t even know what to say. And that bass sound… For fuck’s sake. It’s always a pleasure to work with ya, Dan. Here’s to many more years of doing so. Cheers, brother!
Mike Wead. I have had the luxury of utilizing Mike in the past for TPH, but couldn’t do so for “THE CADAVEROUS RETALIATION AGENDA”, released on 12/12/12. We both thought that sucked, but it was what it was and things didn’t work in our favor at that time. Mike’s another one of my absolute fave guitarists (I have like 3… Yngwie hasn’t returned my calls yet) so to get his ass on “THERE IS NO EARTH I WILL LEAVE UNSCORCHED” with a solo again puts a huge smile on my face. Thanx for finding the time to do this, Mike, and thanx for the excellent stuff you have done for me in the past. I am truly grateful.
Henrik Danhage. I actually talked to Henrik many years ago about having him on a TPH album, but for some reason nothing came out of it. Now it did, and it was about time. Truly a great fucken guitarist and a nice guy to boot. I am very happy that I managed to get him on board now for this piece of TPH history. And I am sure he is too. Everyone deserves to be a part of something truly diabolic at least once in their life.
And naturally I have been lucky enough to get some of my fave vocalists on here too this time around.
Erik Rundqvist, he of Vomitory fame, is a close friend and an excellent grunter, but for some reason he’s never been included on a TPH record, though I am sure we have touched on the subject numerous times over the years. Now it finally happened. It feels so fucken awesome to hear his magnificent roars on this material. I’m extremely happy about it, to put it mildly.
Lawrence Mackrory. You know him from Darkane/F.K.Ãœ. and whatnot. One of the more underrated vocalists in metal. We’ve been acquaintances for many years now and Larry is just completely ace. I simply text messaged him and said that I have a part that I’d really love to have him sing on it if he felt like it. His reply: “FUCK YOU THINK?!”. I told him that I wanted some of those Sean Killian screams, only they needed to sound good. And how he delivered… Truly spectacular.
Richard Sjunnesson. I can guarantee you all that no one saw this coming, which is exactly why I did it. Richard is an excellent screamer (listen to the work that he did in Sonic Syndicate and his current band The Unguided) and a fuck-all cool kid who ought to to be doing vocals on something heavy for once (calm down, I’m just busting his balls here… kinda). So, we made it happen. And it sounds fucken excellent.
The legendary Ross Dolan from Immolation. One of the nicest fucken people I have ever met, with an insane growl on top of that. I believe I tried to get him on “THE CADAVEROUS RETALIATION AGENDA” but conflicting schedules prevented that from happening. It all led to this, though, and I am blown right the fuck away. A huge, huge honor and another dream come true to have Mr. Dolan on a TPH recording.
And naturally, last off – YOU, the Haters who have made “THERE IS NO EARTH I WILL LEAVE UNSCORCHED” come to life thru your donations. You are obviously the sole reason that this album is being presented as it should be presented. None of this would have happened if it weren’t for you. I can NEVER thank you enough for it. You made it possible and “THERE IS NO EARTH I WILL LEAVE UNSCORCHED” is me saying “thank you”.
This album has truly become something bigger and more intricate than I could ever envision. I knew, from the first riff I wrote, that this was going to be something extra-ordinary. And on the journey of completing it I saw it build up, day by day, becoming its own entity – sometimes creating itself and moving into directions I never planned for. I went with it, I have poured every ounce of my being into it and this is the result. I have worked more on this album than any band in the history of mankind has worked on an album, that is guaranteed. It is fact. You will have so much to discover, so much to devour and you will find nuances in this absolute devilry for many, many years to come.
This is muthafucken perfection.
And on 2014-12-25 you will witness it.
