The Massive Sonic Artistry of Aerial

The Massive Sonic Artistry of Aerial

Based out of the icy atmospheric landscapes of Southern Norway, Aerial present their own intoxicating brand of thunderous metalcore that is sure to enrapture the senses of all whom encounter their absolutely thrilling reveries.  Foresight is the name of the current EP, a compelling work of massive sonic artistry, featuring stunning tracks such as Foreign Coast and The Ascent. Aerial recently filmed a music video for Foreign Coast which may be viewed at the conclusion of the article.  We had to chance to interview bassist Josef Fredén to find out more about the exquisite auditory heaviness that is Aerial.  Read on…

Introduce yourself and tell me what you do in Aerial and how long has the band been together.
Hi. I’m Josef and I play bass for Aerial. As a group we actually have a pretty solid history together. Nevertheless, Aerial formed in January 2015.

Where is your band based out of and what is your music scene like there?
We are from a small town called Fevik, Grimstad located in the south coast of Norway. The metal scene here goes in waves in terms of people. The bands here usually play really dark, black, death metal. Almost all of our marketing goes beyond our borders. To Europe and the US because that’s where our audience is. There´s a good chunk of people in Oslo that listens to metal, but it’s kind of widespread.

Is there any story or concept behind your EP title Foresight?
I’m glad you asked. ´Foresight´ is something like your gut feeling. You could also describe it as your internal compass. It’s a title that represents the underlying principles we want to portray in our music. By taking massive action and by changing your mindset, you naturally change the outcome as well.

As we all know we can’t actually control the future, but we can follow our dreams and stack the odds in our favor. By keeping the end in mind you’ll create a space for the best possible outcome.  We can steer life in a positive direction by thinking ahead. That´s how we feel about the process leading up to the ´Foresight EP.´ With a lot of setbacks, trials and tribulations we managed to keep our heads above the water. ´Foresight´ is a trophy for us personally.

What is the inspiration for the lyrics for Foreign Coast?
We really want to make the world a better place in some way, shape or form.
The number one key to unlock your true potential is to free your mind and be true to yourself. ´Foreign Coast´ is about dealing with self-acceptance, and the beauty of all the realizations that’s being revealed as life unfolds. As the title suggests it’s purpose is to unlock the unknown dimensions/ perspectives of life, and it´s definitely a powerful and inspiring song for us personally. ´Foreign Coast´ is a reminder of hope when life’s wearing thin, and an appreciation when it’s going great.

Select any other Aerial song and what inspired the lyrics.
Everlasting is a song about the transformation from being a boy to endure in adulthood. It’s about finding the courage to be vulnerable, honest and face your fears. I’ve found in my own life, whenever I try to cover something over, it seems I’ve lost my way. And when I finally let go, there’s a brief moment of pain and then a stronger sense of freedom. When you’ve found your truth, and you carry it with pride. When your’re not afraid to express who you are, and stand for what you believe in. Life gets hard in a brief moment and then a stronger sense of freedom.
I’m aware that there are layers to this, and a lot of nuanced points to be made clear.
I’m not a psychiatrist, but I know that there’s a fundamental shift that needs to be made in your life in order to thrive. The song encourage you to transcend from feeling like you just belong towards being aligned with who you are.

What was it like working with Jesse Cash of Erra and Keaton Goldwire of Invent, Animate and how did that come about?
After writing our material, piece by piece, we reached out to Keaton because of his writing in Invent Animate. We went outside of the local pub and had Skype calls with him and kept sending material back and forth having him put his thoughts and opinions into the writing process. He really liked what we were on about, and so we started from there. Since Keaton is a friend of Jesse we had him ask if he’d be interested to help produce the vocals, and so he did.

What could one expect from a live Aerial show?
One can expect a lot of positive vibes and high energy. We play really loud and our music is very expressive. Roaring drums, heavy riffs and massive breakdowns.

Has Aerial ever played here in the States or plan to do so in future days?
We’ve heard great things about the scene across the pond. But unfortunately we’ve not played in the states yet. It´s one of our dreams to tour in the US, so it would be sick to do so in the future.

What was the experience like paying the Skjærgårds Music Festival and who were some of the other bands on the show?
It was a lot of fun. The show was located in a venue called «The Gym». So you guessed it, we played in a little gym hall. The venue was almost packed when we started our show. We got to play really loud and we had some amazing bass-drops blasting through the crowd.

Any strange or scary happenings on the road or at a show?
There was this one time. It was pretty scary actually. One of our tires were so worn out that our whole car was shaking massively. And we were on the highway driving through Germany. We would start the drive in Budapest at night, and found ourselves in Germany in the morning. We would have a stop at the amazing Music Store in Köln, and we found out that there were absolutely no grip on the tire. Luckily we found some guys that would change it with our spare tire. And so we moved on with our trip to the UK.

If Aerial could open for any band either now or from the past, who would it be and why?
Northlane. They are our number one influence. We’ve been to their show and it´s just amazing. They´re really talented guys.

What’s up next for Aerial?
We´re going on a tour through Europe with John Wolfhooker in April. Feel free to follow us on FB and IG to keep yourself updated.

Any final words of wisdom?
Be aware of who you surround yourself with. The people you surround yourself with will shape who you are and who you’ll become.

Aerial is:
Markus Johnsen – Vocals
Sebastian Madsen – Guitar
Josef Fredén – Bass
Mathias Corneliussen – Drums

(Interview by Ken Morton)

Aerial on Facebook