In Vain interview (Johnar Haaland)

Steadily maintaining the quality factor on their releases so far, In Vain came back a few months ago with their third -and also their best, if you ask me- album. "Ænigma" was one of the albums that stood up in the progressive extreme metal scene during the past year, so we couldn't miss the opportunity to discuss some things about it with one of its creators, guitarist Johnar Håland.

Cheers from Greece! Since this is our first interview, would you like to introduce yourself and your band to our readers?
Hi there! In Vain is a progressive extreme metal band founded in 2003 and is signed on Indie Recordings. We have two EPs and three full length albums as scalps in the belt and our latest opus, "Ænigma", was released in March last year.

How would you describe In Vain's music? At which points does your sound stand out of the scene which you are labeled in?
I'd say that we have a clear basis in both black and death metal, with an obvious progressive and melodic approach. Some reviewers have described In Vain as 'New wave of Nordic progressive metal', maybe that's fitting? Our main focus though is to write strong and original songs, and we'll make use of whatever musical element that fits and enhances the song, regardless of genre.

You released your third full-length album earlier this year, and I personally believe that it's your strongest effort to date. How has your sound developed in "Ænigma", compared to your first two albums?
I believe "Ænigma" is a very good representation of everything we have done so far. It has epic and slow songs like "Floating On The Murmuring Tide", which could be compared to "Captivating Solitude" from the "Mantra" album, and you have more aggressive and fast songs like "Times Of Yore", which is reminiscent of our earlier work. Finally, "Ænigma" has tracks like "Image Of Time" and "Rise Against" which have a more fresh and modern sound.

Some members of the band are also serving as Solefald's backing band. Has that fact affected In Vain's sound and, if so, at what extent?
Several of the guys in the band are fans of Solefald and we have been inspired by them when it comes to integrity and artistic freedom. But this is mostly from the albums as such and not the actual concerts.

Nowadays we see many progressive metal bands that are gradually turning to more prog rock stuff. Could you see a major turn in style in the band's future?
At this point I don't think so. But I guess we'll change at some point in time. It is important to reinvent yourself in order not to grow tired of the musical landscape you operate in.

They say that the third album is the most important for a band, as it determinates -in a way- its future success. Where would you say In Vain stand inside today's metal maze after "Ænigma"?
I think we have stabilized ourselves among the most creative and original bands in the genre. In addition, if you agree with the reviewers at least, our releases have upheld a consistent high quality standard.

What do the lyrics of the album concern? How much weight do you generally put on the lyrical content of your music?
When it comes to lyrics we do not have any specific topic. We do not carry any religious / anti-religious or political message, and contrary to many bands in the metal scene we try to have a more positive approach to our lyrics. I never saw the point of why so many metal bands have such a negative life philosophy in general. Topics we touch upon are everyday life experiences, philosophy, nature and our view of where the world is heading.

You have used various classical instruments in each of your albums. Is that coming from your love of classical music or do these instruments help you to express certain moods that can't be expressed otherwise?
Several of the members are fond of classical music, but it is not a direct inspiration for the music as such. I think classical instruments can be very powerful and expressive in metal, but it is important not to overdo things and to limit their use.

Is In Vain a professional tour band? Are you making a living through your activities as a band?
We are touring as much as possible, but it is not our profession as such. Our live activities and tours are costly and we have big expenses in relation to that; nightliner, crew, etc. Only the biggest bands make money from touring these days.

What do you recollect as your most important experience throughout your career? If anything, would you change anything if you could go back?
The most important experience is getting exposed to different musical genres. I am glad I kept an open view from early on, and I believe that it is the most important thing you can do as a songwriter, in order to broaden your horizon. If I could change something it would be that we could have done more touring after the release of "The Latter Rain" in 2007. That album received a brilliant feedback all over the world, but due to various circumstances we were only able to do a couple of shows after the release.

If you had to name your 3 biggest 'heroes' in music (bands or musicians), who would they be?
I consider Mikael Åkerfeldt, Ole Børud and Matt Fox to be the best songwriters in today’s scene.

What are your plans for the near future? What can your fans expect from the next album?
Right now my plan is to start writing our fourth album in January. Besides that, we will do as many shows as possible next year. We already have a couple of festivals booked. In addition, we hope to announce another tour.

Can you name five albums that you've been listening to, lately?
Shai Hulud - Reach Beyond The Sun
Ulver - Messe I.X-VI.X.
Gorguts - Colored Sands
Altar Of Plagues - Teethed Glory And Injury
Extol - Extol

That would be all from me, thank you very much for your time. You can conclude this interview anyway you want...
Thank you my friend for your support and for taking the time to do this interview! We surely hope to visit your country one day soon and we have heard that Greece has some of the most fanatical metal fans! We would sincerely hope to play for you guys one day. Take care, everyone!