The Obelisk Questionnaire: Niklas Sörum of Altareth
The Obelisk Questionnaire is a series of open questions intended to give the answerer an opportunity to explore these ideas and stories from their life as deeply as they choose. Answers can be short or long, and that reveals something in itself, but the most important factor is honesty.
Based on the Proust Questionnaire, the goal over time is to show a diverse range of perspectives as those who take part bring their own points of view to answering the same questions. To see all The Obelisk Questionnaire posts, click here.
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The Obelisk Questionnaire: Niklas Sörum of Altareth
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How do you define what you do and how did you come to do it?
Altareth builds its musical foundation on a melding of heavy riffs and memorable melodies. The main pillars of our music are clean vocals, fuzzy guitars, pounding drums, and fat, resonating bass. Since the band’s formation in early 2013 we channel our influences from a wide range of bands both within (e.g. Uncle Acid, Sleep, Electric Wizard, Windhand, Pallbearer, Black Sabbath, Candlemass) and without the doom/stoner genre (e.g. Bathory, Opeth, Marduk). Apart from the obvious, we like to include some less orthodox sources of inspiration like for example Captain Beefheart, King Crimson, Neil Young, Kansas and Guns ‘n’ Roses, among many others.
Driven by these eclectic tastes, back in 2013 I initially set out to encounter like minds with whom to create a filthy and massive yet melodic outfit that could energize the scene with fuzzed-out quality down-tuned songs. And that is how I found Mats, Sven, Paddy, and Vigfus, and ALTARETH were born. During our formative years there were some member shifts before the five-piece came together. But ALTARETH is truly a collective effort, a one-for-all all-for-one kind of band. Every member contributes to songwriting, ideas for conceptual art and other parts of the creative process. I was just the igniting flame but now we burn together.
Describe your first musical memory.
My first memories would definitely be tied to listening to my parents’ record collection. Parts of it included artists like Elvis, Louis Armstrong, Swedish artists you would never have heard of (Sten & Stanley, Jan Malmsjö, Lill Lindfors, Povel Ramel, Lars Lönndahl) a variety of country artists and the Swedish brand of country music called “dansband” (a specific local genre of music made especially for dancing purposes in Swedish folk parks). The heavier stuff came somewhat later and included Iron Maiden’s Powerslave and Kiss Alive 1 being the first two albums that I bought.
Concert-wise my first positive musical memories would be from children’s theaters we attended to when being really young and then of course major heavy metal events like my first Iron Maiden (No Prayer for the Dying-tour) and AC/DC (Razor’s Edge-tour) concerts back in early 1990s. Seeing death metal bands At the Gates and Merciless in Gothenburg in 1990 would be my absolute favorite concert in terms of the heavier stuff. That one really contributed to my musical journey in terms of live music experiences and appreciating the heavier stuff in a live setting.
Describe your best musical memory to date.
In terms of concerts seeing death metal bands At the Gates and Merciless back in the 1990s was a defining moment. In terms of memories related to albums and listening to music outside the concert format that would be either when Darkthrone released their monumental album A Blaze in the Northern Sky back in 1992 — that period is very personal to me and a lot of interesting stuff were going on culturally — or, probably, when me and my friends gathered to form a “heavy metal listening club” that we hosted in my backyard when we were about 8-10 years old where we used to listen to mixed tapes including songs from bands like AC/DC, Iron Maiden, Halloween and Judas Priest. Oh, and I just recently went to see the Swedish band Horisont’s farewell concert here in Gothenburg and that was a really good rock ”n roll concert. Sounded amazing.
When was a time when a firmly held belief was tested?
Well, from my point of view we are constantly being tested. It is part of the human condition if you like. Speaking of beliefs I tend to think about beliefs as essentially being based on being “tested”. The outer and inner wars are constantly evolving and we have to fight them in order to keep on going. Whatever our individual aims are. The trick is to allow the outer environment to shift and change while you keep your inner peace intact. As above, so below. Obviously, our personal situations and beliefs about everything from politics, religion, family, work and romantic relations are tested all the time – not the least during the Pandemic – but those issues are private.
Where do you feel artistic progression leads?
On these matters ALTARETH are really an old school kind of unit. We always thought that securing a record deal would be a kind of success and part of artistic progression in a sense. Of course, those kind of things are important for an external standard definition of success and progression for musical artists.
Artistic progression for us, at least at the moment, means that we can develop the ALTARETH sound and especially our way of composing music, elaborating the set-up of instruments, vocal arrangements and overall conceptual development of the band.
Personally, for me, artistry in music can have a profound in-depth kind of benefit to one’s life and contribute to a positive (in a broad meaning) view on life. It could move you into places where you never thought you would go, almost involuntary. I watched this documentary with PJ Harvey yesterday and she said something about how music spoke to her soul. That is how I feel when artist progression roams free, contributes and expands on your life including your band.
How do you define success?
I guess that could be defined in quantitative measures in terms of units sold, number of streams, concerts and downloads. For other definitions see answer above.
What is something you have seen that you wish you hadn’t?
I have seen a lot of personal tragic events that I wish I hadn’t. Both in terms of family and friends going through rough times as well as going through some rough times myself. But I would never speak out about it in public.
Describe something you haven’t created yet that you’d like to create.
So we just recently released our debut full-length Blood and obviously we are currently working on a following up album. So that is one alternative. Personally I will work on my writing skills. As a researcher I am skilled in academic writing but have little or none experience in writing fiction or/and fantasy. And I would like to be able to create things out of metals (silver, bronze, gold).
What do you believe is the most essential function of art?
The function of art is extremely complex. There are some connections to the spiritual and religious spheres of life that intrigues me. When art, as Swedish poet Edith Södergran defines it, would be a world for the “Land that not is” or when Dag Hammarsköld explains that it is about a “Center of stillness surrounded by a silence”. The enchantment “function” of art is personally really important to me. That is probably why I collect Norwegian Black Metal albums.
Something non-musical that you’re looking forward to?
Yes, coming the end of November a new tv-series will air on Netflix called Elves that looks promising. I also look forward to find more time to read and a course in silversmithing that I will attend later this year.
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