Before getting in contact with Pete of Maze Of Torment I was sure of two things. First of all I knew they were Swedish and I never heard of them before for all these years (which sucked very much by the way). Secondly their fourth full-length album, "The Unmarked Graves" really kicks ass pretty good, and I felt it as a break through for the band.
So I asked Pete [guit.] a couple of questions and this is where you begin Your journey through the Graves...

1. Hello Pete & Maze Of Torment! How are You guys doing these days?
     Really good actually. For the first time in years things are starting to move forward for us. Not in a big way maybe, but at least we feel that the new album will spread our name a bit more in the underground.

2. First of all, how would You introduce Maze Of Torment in a few words to a new audience
     A 100% honest Death/Thrash band from Sweden. Creates fucking Metal just for the fucking love for it. No fucking dreams to become a big mainstream band, just showing our honest attention to people that come from the same roots like ourselves.

3. After all these problems with every consecutive release caused by labels, how did You feel getting the possibility to release "The Unmarked Graves" on Hellspawn Records? Were You like "Yeah - this has to be it at last!" or rather "I wonder where this time will it go wrong"?
     When Blackmoon contacted me with the attention to take over the album we were more than just happy with the fact that some label wanted to release it. We knew that Hellspawn was maybe not the "biggest" label plus that we never had been in contact with Blackmoon before, so we didn't know at all what to expect. But as Necropolis had fucked everything up this was better then nothing at all, at least the album would got released. But since Hellspawn have taken over everything have started to go very smothly. Blackmoon does a very good job for the album, and he really belives in the band. So, we are really satisfied so far. If everything goes as planned and Hellspawn don't fuck up like all our other labels we hope to even release our next album there as well.

4. Ever thought of giving up through the years? What is it that makes You keep trying and trying again and agai
     Kjell and I have played together now for 11 years, and there have only been one time that we really thought about giving up. We were not tired of the music, but after all these troubles we have had with fucking labels whores the inspiration started to fade. This was the period when we were on Necropolis. We actually didn't play for two months, and today when I think of it, that was the best thing we could do at that time. When we came back we had lots of inspiration and we also had the attitude that not a fucking label would fucking bring us down. We started to work on the songs to "The Unmarked Graves" and we had a fucking great time making it, the inspiration was bloody high. But after the recording things start to fuck up again with Necropolis. After 10 months they still not had paid The Abyss for the studio time. A fucking annoying time for us! But we never gave up, and then luckely Blackmoon contacted us. We see this like some kind of new start for us, and we will fucking go on till we drop dead. At least it feels like it today. The Slayer is still in our veins, haha!!

5. What are the main topics You base upon for Your lyrics? Would you tell us a bit about the longest track on the album "13th disciple".
     Erik writes most of the lyrics and the topics can be everything from Satanic fiction stuff to more dark personal thoughts. He really puts down lots of work into his lyrics. He is never like lets put one cool word here and there, he must be 100% involved in the stuff. His lyrics are his ventilation, if he didn´t have it he would fucking die. The track "13th disciple" is the more odd track on the album, here you can really hear our Sabbath influences. The lyrics are about the Devil's lost disciple. Simply here to bring you fucking hell.

6. Whose idea was it and what was the purpose of choosing "All hell breaks loose" for a cover song? Why Misfits
     Don´t remember whose idea it was to cover that tune, but we are all big Misfits fans and it´s for sure a track that we can stand behind. We could have taken a more cult track from a band like Possessed or Celtic Frost. But we wanted to do something that not to many bands in our genre have done before. Also something that we could really re-do and put our on mark into. We are satisfied with the result. We have got some negative response on the choice of the cover track, but most have been possitive. Some person that I send a promo CD asked me why we did a cover of the Destruction track "All hell breaks loose", haha!!

7. I couldn't imagine, the outcome of the recording session could sound any bad for whatever reason. How do You recall working at The Abyss Studio comparing to previously spent time in Unisound and Sunlight - both well known studios... must have been awesome. to a point of releasing an EP afterwards hehe?
     To compare to work in The Abyss with Sunlight is like night and day. I fucking hate Tomas Skogsberg and his fucking Sunlight. He have lost everything he once had back in the 90´th. Why we choose to also record "Death Strikes" in Sunlight after the dissapontment with "Faster Disaster" was because The Abyss then was booked over one year ahead and Sunlight was the only studio availible at that time. But we refused to work with Skogsberg and only used Jocke Pettersson (drummer in Dawn, Thy Primordial, Regurgitate) that worked there back then. At least he had a feeling of what we where looking for. The result was much better than on "Faster Disaster" and he did what he could with the stuff they had in the studio. All respect to Jocke, but a big fuck off to Tomas. When we worked in The Abyss with "The Unmarked Graves" we all felt like. "this is it". The atmosphere around the whole recording was just amazing. Some people may have thought that it was stupid to choose The Abyss as it had become a trend to use it, but that attitude is just pathetic nonsens. It´s never a studio's fault that most of the bands sounds the same. If you have 5 black metal bands that have the same style, then you will have the same outcome. We didn't get the "typical" Abyss sound just because not too many bands of our style have recorded there. We will for sure use The Abyss again when it´s time for the next album. Hail to Tommy and The Abyss!! I don´t remember too much how it was to work with Dan Swanö in Unisound, but he was a great guy though.

8. How much do You think the Swedish evergreen melodic death/black metal scene had to do with the lack of major attention given Maze Of Torment, as a much more thrash rooted band, for all these years?
     Well, don´t really know. But it´s for sure more popular to play the more melodic stuff. We could do it if we wanted, but this is our roots and we fucking stay there. We don´t do this with the attebtion to become as big as for example In Flames. Sure it would be nice to be able to live on the music, but we all know that that never will happen as long the scene are craving for easy pop listning Metal.

9. Yet "The Unmarked Graves" has this unique intensity and aggression that many bands out there could only envy really. In my opinion it is certainly a step (even a couple) forward comparing to "Death Strikes". Do You feel this might be your "break through release"?
     Yes, I feel that this album could be a little "break though" for the band, but also remember that we still is on a preatty small label. I know that this album will bring us a little bigger attention in the underground scene then before. But if you want a little bigger "break through" you need a bigger label in your back that also can offer you tours. But at least we will feel that we moves forward a step with this album, and then hopefully with our next album we will be able to go out on tours ect. Of course we really hope that we already now will be able to do that with this album. But it´s to early to say. If the album goes really good maybe Blackmoon puts us on a smaller tour.

10. Do You follow Your local/national scene? What is it man - the weather, the beer, the girls - that make Sweden deffinitly European's leader when it comes to metal stuff of all kinds...?
     Yes, I follow the scene to the point where my interest goes. I have no idea why people seems to rate Sweden as the top country for Metal. Today I think that Sweden are really overrated. Most of our biggest Metal exports are just some soft Metal pop shit with those fucking melodies I hate. Bands like Nifelheim and Repugnant should be there instead. I rather find my bands from South America or Poland. I get a more honest feeling and a better conection with people from those places, don´t know why really.

11. Now, that was nice hehe... Anyway, how's the porn industry doing theses years over there? Any releases worth checking out, any uprising stars
     I watch porn, anykind. But I dont have to much insight in the Swedish market.

12. Alright, tell me Pete, what is Your idea of a perfect, happy life?
     When you more or less are not in the need to be bound to other people or the society. My life would for sure be perfect if I only could concentrate on making music. That don´t meen that I crave after to be a big "rockstar". But I have a preatty good life now, I´m in control of most of the things I must do to survive.

13. On the other hand - would You ever consider suicide as any kind of solution
     No, not as long I have the music. But one day you may feel that you have dwelled this earth long enough. I would never take my life because of lack of money, love etc. That's stuff that don't mean a shit to me anyway. Just if I feel that this place don't have anything more for me to offer.

14. I see... Now, as You're probably aware, we have had many returns of the greatest like Grave, Unleashed, Suffocation, Disharmonic Orchestra, Pungent Stench... to name just a few... Some kick ass hard, others...well... I'd like to know Your opinion about these surprises..?
     Haha, to be honest I have not heard anything new from these bands you mention. The only band that would interest me today would be Disharmonic Orchestra. Is it good? Their debut wwas a really oddball, but I liked it. Bands like Grave and Unleashed had nothing good to offer after their debuts, at least in my opinion. The only return I crave for is Dissection. I guess these returns are good in some ways, but most of them don´t interest me. Give me returns from Sadus, Morbid Angel with Vince or Autopsy instead.

15. Could You name the worst album You listened to last year? Any other disappointments
     The worst album I have heard must be the new Biohazard. I have fucking always hated them, so there was no suprise when a friend of my played it and it sucked. A small disappointment was the new album from Merciless. I liked it, but in some way I expected something more after 8 years of silence. I guess I get the whole Thrash elite on me now, haha!!

16. That's what it looks like ha,ha! What upcoming releases are You mostly looking forward to listen to?
     Absolutly the new Voivod album. I know that it will fucking kill!! Should be out next week I think. Ever since I heard that Snake was back so have I been longing for this day.

17. Name three other bands that would make up a perfect Maze Of Torment World Tour...
     Merciless, Nifelheim and Dissection maybe.

18. Anyway, it's been nearly a year and a half since those nights at The Abyss Studio... Have You been working on any new tracks for the next album? Are you able to give us any info on that yet?
     Yes, we have been working on some new material. Actually we have 8 songs ready for the next album. The plans are to enter the studio sometime this autum and then have it out till the summer 2004. We have always had long spaces between our albums, and that has been negative for us, as we have not been doing any tours between them. It's easy to be forgotten in this scene with all these new bands that are popping up. This time we will have something new to offer before "The Unmarked Graves" is long forgotten. How will it sound? Fucking Death/Thrash!!!

19. Shall we see Maze Of Torment demolish other European countries in the nearest future?
     A tour would be fucking great, and we will work for it. But if we see all the facts so is it not possible at this point. Hopefully we can instead attend and some of the summer festivals.

Alright Pete, thanks a lot for Your time, wish You best of luck and The Unmarked Graves to flow into the world and never fall into any shitty trends in future time! Would you like to say hello or/and fuck off to anybody in particular?
     Of course I want to thank you for your support with this interview. Hail to the Polish underground warriors!! Anyone are welcome to contact us for more information regarding the band or the new album... Cheerz!!

Maze Of Torment
http://www.mazeoftorment.da.ru