DEW-SCENTED Interview

The Gauntlet: How are you?

Leif Jensen: I'm doing good, thank you very much. How are you?

The Gauntlet: Not too bad. Just woke up about half an hour ago, still a little sleepy.

Leif Jensen: Well, I'm going to go to bed in about half an hour.

Gauntlet: Are you in Germany now?

Leif: Ah, yeah, Germany, at home.

Gauntlet: Alright. And where is home for you? I was looking at a map trying to figure it out, but I wasn't quite sure.

Leif: Are you asking for me personally or for the band? Because we live in different areas. I live in Dortmund, which is nearby the Dutch border in the, let's say, middle-western part of the country.

Gauntlet: I think that's actually because I've been to Germany a couple times when I visited I was in Krefeld.

Leif: Yeah, that's not so far. That's about a half-hour from here. What were you doing in Krefeld? I mean, I've been there once.

Gauntlet: It was a school exchange while I was in high school; we had a sister city with a school program there so we'd go for a couple weeks.

Leif: I wonder why it was Krefeld. You didn't get lucky on that one. Not the most happening place. But at least it's near Holland, you know, and there are a lot of cities nearby.

Gauntlet: Yeah, we went to some other places. We went to Amsterdam and spent a weekend in Berlin, K�ln, you know. Kept ourselves entertained.

Leif: Good, good.

Gauntlet: So, as for Dew-Scented. What�s coming up for you guys?

Leif: Well, I hope a lot (laughs). I wish I knew what�s going to happen for us throughout the rest of the year, but in fact we�re just in the middle of plans. We just came back last week from a tour, the first European tour that we�re doing on the verge of the release of the new album over here. So we were out with Behemoth and Napalm Death and Moonspell, which was pretty good. We are right now rehearsing for a longer set with the new drummer that we have. He�s been with us for about six or seven week and we�re still getting him into some of the newer material. And we have some festivals coming up and a tour with Misery Index in June. That�s going to be the next challenge, I guess. But aside from that, just busy doing promo, going through all the usual behind the curtain types of things that bands are busy with.

Gauntlet: Mm. Seems like you guys are really dedicated to touring throughout your career.

Leif: I think that�s what keeps it fun, to be honest. Our style is meant to be performed and put on stages. It�s obviously cool to be in the studio and track down some new songs, but I think the essence and the vibe at are their best in the live situations. So, we try to be as busy as possible on the road. But obviously, you know, it comes down to what�s available, what tour possibilities and targets are reachable for us. Hopefully we�ll have a bit of a chance to come over not only once but twice to North America with this album. But we�ll see, we�re still looking into possibilities right now, but that�s definitely what we all enjoy the most and what probably has been keeping the band alive throughout these many years. Because that�s where we recharge the batteries, actually. I know a lot of bands, they die on the road and they suffer and come back home and they�re hating it and all that, but I think we actually prefer being on the road.

Gauntlet: So that is the plan for you guys�trying to come back to the States?

Leif: Yeah, we would love to. I mean, we�ve been there a couple times, like with shows or festivals, and we did one North American tour with Vader and Decapitated for the last record, �Issue VI�, at the end of 2005. So it feels like it�s been a long time and we had a really, really good time then. A lot of nice cities, a lot of nice shows, met a lot of people who had been waiting many years to see the band live, so we would be very happy to be able to come back. But since we�re so dependent on getting a good support slot or a nice package type of tour, we need to see what�s available. We�re just discussing possibilities right now, but it should be, I�m going to say, October, November, December, something like that.

Gauntlet: I remember hearing about that tour. It�s too bad that I didn�t get to see it, but I really wanted to�looked like a great bill. I�m surprised it�s been that long, it seems like it was just last year, but 2005 already?

Leif: Yeah, exactly, that�s how I view it as well. I mean, it just seems to be around the corner, but looking at the calendar it�s been one and a half years, so I guess it�s time for us to return. What area are you from?

Gauntlet: Chicago.

Leif: Ok, yeah, we did play in Chicago on that tour, which was nice. There were a lot of Polish people at the Chicago show, I remember that. With the two Polish bands, too. I believe that Chicago�s one of the cities in the world with the most Polish immigrants, I guess, right?

Gauntlet: Exactly, I think it�s the largest Polish city outside of Warsaw.

Leif: Yeah, I remember somebody saying that to me on that night. We met a bunch of nice Polish chaps there that night, because we were on tour with Decapitated and Vader, so obviously a lot of countrymen came out, so that was cool.

Gauntlet: Sure. You mentioned the new drummer�how�s he working out so far?

Leif: No complaints (laughs). He�s a very talented guy and we were searching for quite a while with this change of drummers. We knew it was coming�our former drummer who also performs on this album, �Incinerate�, has been with us for almost ten years�so we knew this was going to be a new beginning with someone we were not aware of. We had had a couple of replacement drummers in the past, like live session drummers who played with us when Uwe wasn�t available, but we wanted to start afresh with a new guy and eventually found him through a friend of a friend of a friend. He showed interest, he�s been into the band, he showed the right style, he�s around our age, like 29. His name is Andi, and he�s still playing with a more melodic thrash metal band from Berlin [Desilence]. I guess he had a lot of homework to do, to learn a big catalogue of songs. And the first thing he ever did with us was performing on that video that we did for the new album, which I guess is a weird beginning for a new drummer in a band, to play back a song for a video clip. But he did that well and then we did a record release show at home and went on the tour with Behemoth and Napalm Death, so he�s been having a busy time. But character-wise and attitude-wise he�s the right guy. He�s got the drum skills as well, so everybody�s very motivated and enthusiastic because of that. And that�s the good side of having a member change. It always refreshes everybody and reactivates a lot of energy, because you have to go through the songs and a lot of details that you take as a given for the rest of the time, you know? And, yeah, it�s been very good for us, and we�re definitely looking forward to doing something new as well with him. It�s not like we�re going to rush into songwriting right now, but it�s going to be cool to find out what he can add to the band when he starts playing his own stuff.

Gauntlet: Now, when you were looking for the replacement, did you want to try to find someone that you didn�t know or was that just how it worked out?

Leif: Well, I guess most of the people in other bands who were good drummers we would have known about throughout the years. Because we are friends with a lot of bands, we�ve been touring a lot, we�ve had a lot of live session drummers. So we knew a big pool of people that we were pretty sure were not going to be the right ones, because we wanted somebody who prioritized our band. And we didn�t want a guy that comes in and has another three bands or lives in an area that�s too remote, or maybe has a style that is too different from ours. I mean, a lot of the really good drummers these days are the death metal kids: they are very good at blasting, very technical, but they don�t know how to thrash, they don�t know how to pound, work the cymbals nicely, you know. So, we knew right away that we were going to be very anal and very picky about the guy, and since we didn�t find anybody off the top of our head what we started to do was to inquire through all sources�magazine, internet, you know. And we eventually ended up having quite a list of people who were interested that we were not aware of. Since we were going to be very picky we only had two guys in the rehearsal room that tried out and both of them were really, really good, but we just ended up going with Andi because the feeling was right. It was like a blind date.

(Laughter)

Gauntlet: Well, you got lucky then, right?

Leif: Well, yeah, that�s what happens. You just have to go through that, and eventually you�re going to find somebody. It�s like blind dating, I guess. I�ve never done it myself, I guess it must be a weird feeling, but if you end up with the right girl then it doesn�t matter how you got there.

Gauntlet: Yeah, that�s a good point. It seems kind of unusual for a vocalist to be the heart and soul of a band, particularly for a thrash band, like you have been for Dew-Scented. As far as line-up changes go, has there been any consistent reasoning behind them or has it just been bad luck?

Leif: Hm. That�s a very interesting question. As far as why you are talking to me and why I�ve been the constant person in the line-up, I think it�s because I was the most focused guy from the very beginning. I knew that I was into this for the passion that I have for the music and I wasn�t in it for the money, I didn�t want to make a career, and I didn�t want to be in the spotlight for two years and the disappear if success didn�t take me further. I just wanted to be into the music as long as possible. I guess a lot of other people in the band throughout the years had a lot of other motivations. We never had a bad split, like an argument or anything like that, but obviously priorities split. You know, you�ll start a family, you want to build a house, get a really good job that takes you elsewhere. And I respect that, that�s fine; people have to set their priorities. But the essence of this band was to invest a lot of time, to work hard, hopefully to have a lot of fun with it. And then, if that vanishes, the time has come for you to look elsewhere. And I guess what happened, as far as the line up changes, was always very organic. In fact, I think the constellation of the band at the moment is pretty healthy, because everybody has the right attitude, everybody enjoys playing the music and enjoys playing the concerts. But we needed to understand that we�re not going to be able to live from it. I mean, if we haven�t done so in so many years and so many albums then you have to live with it rather than from it, and that�s what I think a lot of starting musicians don�t understand. They expect that once you put a little bit of work into it that everything else is going to come back naturally, and that you just have to kick back, relax, sign a record deal, and all of a sudden you�re made. And that�s not how it happens. I don�t know, it looks like we are always in line-up turmoil, but that�s not really the case. It�s just that we have a democratic system, where if a majority of the band is in favor of doing something we just do it and somebody has to sit out. I would even replace myself on a tour, if the rest of the band wanted to go and I couldn�t go for certain reasons, then I wouldn�t have a problem with them choosing to go with a different vocalist. So it�s not like I�m the total dictator and switching members left and right because I feel like it, you know. It�s just been out of necessity, really, to survive.

Gauntlet: Hm. I think it�s a rare thing to hear a vocalist say that they would actually replace themselves on tour.

Leif: Well, I have offered it, but I don�t think the guys would do it because at the end of the day I�m also the guy planning all the schedules (laughs). So I guess it would be tough for them to do it. But we�ve had the situation before where a tour was offered to us but I definitely knew I couldn�t do it because of work duties or something like that, and I told the guys, �Hey, I can actually recommend for you a guy who would be good enough to do it.� Because, at the end of the day we�re transporting a band message, we�re not transporting something that is related to me exclusively. We have this band called Dew-Scented, we have certain songs, a certain energy there, and if someone else can perform them, then I�m happy with using that opportunity and going elsewhere to present the music, rather than presenting the individual. So it sounds a bit weird, but in the concept of the whole, we�re an underground band that needs to use all the chances we�re given and not five years from now sit back and think, �Well, we could have done that amazing tour in South America, but our bass player didn�t feel like it, so we lost that chance.� We�re trying to avoid those situations.

Gauntlet: Now, when you have had to replace a member�you mentioned something about what you were looking for with the drummers�with the guitarists, is there a special sort of style that you�re looking for or just what feels good when you see them play, what works with the chemistry, that sort of thing?

Leif: Well, I don�t know. I think the guitarist part was always very crucial, and we haven�t had many changes there. I mean, when it comes down to it we have only had live session members coming in who were replicating the material that our original guitarist wrote. So, I wouldn�t know how to go about with the guitarist, to be honest. We had a situation where our original guitarist Flo exited from the band before �Issue VI� was recorded, but he wrote the album along with Hendrik. They�re a good duo, a good combo of writers and performers. And for personal reasons and a lot of other things that were not right with the atmosphere of the band he left the band for a while. An old friend of ours came in who had been gigging with us for many years; any time we were missing a guitarist for a certain tour he would always step in. This was Marvin from Severe Torture, a band from Holland, a very good buddy of ours. So he fits the band magically, he�s a perfect match. So we never had a situation where we had to integrate somebody who didn�t fit the vibe. I would agree with you, I think since thrash is riff-based and rhythm-guitarist based, we probably would not be able to afford losing a key guitarist or songwriter. So that hopefully will not change. That team of Hendrik and Flo has been together now since, I don�t know, 2002, 2001, since the �Inwards� album, which was when the band took a big step forward in terms of our promotion, distribution, and our availability. People started to become aware of the band internationally with that record, and that has been the team of guitarists writing the songs and performing since then, so I think that definitely is they key to a band like ours and I wouldn�t like to see anything changing there. But most likely, something�s going to happen. Flo came back into the band after about ten months of sitting out. He had all his shit together again, it felt right again, you know. Everybody was looking in the same direction and we were agreeing about how to do things and it just felt like he�d been on a long holiday or he�d been on a school exchange and came back. He had all these boring stories about not doing anything in that time, and then we just started working on the new songs.

Gauntlet: (Laughs) Now, if I�ve got my timeline right, Flo left the band before the tour for Issue VI, right?

Leif: He left the band before we recorded for �Issue VI��we were done with, like, 85% of the songwriting and had just one or two songs to finish off that he wasn�t part of. Hendrik tracked all the guitars for �Issue VI� and Marvin came into the band around the time we were done with the songwriting, but he didn�t put his part on the rhythm recordings just because he didn�t know the material that well. He played a couple of leads on that record and he did the first European tour with Nevermore, he went with us to Japan with High on Fire when we did a tour there, and he also was part of the North American tour with Vader and Decapitated. But then he actually got sick during that tour and we had to fly him home and continue the second half of the tour with one guitarist, Hendrik. Which is the reason, actually, that Flo came back into the band. We came back to Europe, Marvin was still unable to perform because of a need to recover, and therefore Flo stepped back in to help us and he just happened to remain in the band. So it�s a bit of a complicated story, but it all�it was not technical, it always made sense. We just took one step after another and then noticed that we were back in the same line-up as we were before.

Gauntlet: Now, had the writing process for �Incinerate� started while he was out of the band, or did that not really get going until he came back?

Leif: That is actually a very good question. I do think that we wrote the first, one or two songs, we wrote early after �Issue VI�. One of them, let me think, which song was it that we wrote? �Final Warning�, I think, was the first song, which is this typical Dew-Scented song, I�m going to say. That�s one that we wrote first and I think it was done relatively short after �Issue VI� was finished, but I believe that song was already Hendrik and Flo working together. Those guys are like fuel to the fire for both of them. One guy has a great riff and then the other guy tries to make an even better riff to compliment it, so those guys work as a team and once they get going together, I know that it�s going to be a good song. Whereas, when they try separately, sometimes it isn�t, something is missing there. So, I believe the record actually came out the way it did because the atmosphere was good again between those two guys and there were pushing each other constantly.

Gauntlet: I think that�s one of the things I really like about the band. How the riffs just seem to build off each other and work together towards this great tempo.

Leif: Nice. That�s what keeps me enjoying this as well, you know. I�m obviously the last layer of musicianship involved with the band, because we first write songs and then we write lyrics and vocals to them, but that�s what makes me enjoy it as well. I was really challenged and intrigued by the material that they wrote on this record and I had a really good time adding my part to it.

Gauntlet: And that�s, I don�t want to say reassuring, but I guess not surprising to hear you say that you had that really consistent core of guitarists even though it looks like there may have been line-up changes. Because, listening to some of the old stuff like�as far as the albums of yours that I�ve got��Ill-Natured�, �Inwards�, �Issue VI�, and I�ve heard songs from pretty much every album you�ve written. And there�s certainly a lot of growth that�s happened, but there�s that Dew-Scented core that you can always feel. So, yeah, it makes sense that there�s been a solid team.

Leif: That�s actually really cool that you can go back to �Ill-Natured�, which was already our third album but is probably one that is still quite unnoticed. I think we had a production problem on that record, I don�t think it sounds very good, but it was probably the most technical record we ever did. I think some of the songs on that album, I mean, with the amount of riffs we could have done an entire album, but I think everybody wanted to show off on that record. We didn�t notice until a couple of years later how complex some of that stuff was, actually. But that very record is the foundation for what the band is now. The first albums, I�m going to say, they were learning processes. The first album was a completely different line-up, the second album was the first time that Flo wrote songs us, who became our main songwriter for years to come. So I guess those are a little bit on the side, and I think �Ill-Natured� is really the starting point for the band. And I think there is actually a nice thread that keeps all the albums together and I think that has to do with how we understand and appreciate the rhythmical structure of the riffing, starting there and taking it to the level where we are at the moment. And I think actually we learn to, well, hopefully we learned to write songs effectively, and more in-your-face these days, and I think that�s also what makes the band more �happening� these days. At least, for me on a personal level. That we�re actually learning something from our albums (laughs).

Gauntlet: Yeah. The reason I bought that album [Ill-Natured] was that they only song I�d heard from it was �Idolized�, which has that fantastic opening riff. That to me was, �Wow, this band is carrying the torch for thrash metal.�

Leif: It has a big Slayer vibe, doesn�t it.

Gauntlet: Yeah, yeah, it does.

Leif: We actually played that song for a very long time in our live set. I think we only skipped it only because of some line-up changes and some people not learning it. But, our drummer was actually just bringing that song up the other day, our new drummer, so maybe that�ll end up coming back to the live set. That will be very interesting to see, how we actually manage to play it these days. We did that experiment on the �Impact� record; we did rerecord a song from �Ill-Natured� called �Skybound� that we used as a Japanese bonus track simply to see how those songs actually worked and if they had a proper sound, which I don�t think they had on �Ill-Natured�. And it was good. It was actually still fun playing it, fun recording it again, and I guess we were tempted to revisit some of those albums, but at the end of the day we�re�I�m not going to say lazy�we prefer to look into the future rather than to the past.

Gauntlet: While we�re sort of on the topic of that album, I must ask: What is going on with the cover? I always thought it was the strangest thing.

Leif: �Ill-Natured�? The white cover with the skinned fox on it?

Gauntlet: Yeah, that one.

Leif: Mm. I thought it was strange, too, to be honest. But, trying to remember, the thing is that it is an official promotional picture from PETA, the animal rights organization, which I personally support a lot. I�ve been a vegetarian for as long as I can think, actually. And we just thought it was a very mean, disturbing picture that goes along well with the title of the album, being �Ill-Natured�, and a lot of the lyrical themes that it had. And it�s not only the shock factor and the �clean� design of the record, but also the fact that it wasn�t meant to be brutal, it wasn�t meant to be degrading to animals or anything like that. It was actually meant to be supportive of a good cause, you know, pro-animals. And it had a credit in the quotes to PETA as well in the booklet. So I hope that explains it a little bit better, but when we did re-release that album we actually went with a different cover, because I think a lot of people didn�t get that cover.

Gauntlet: Yeah. You know, there are a lot of those gore metal bands that try to be as graphic as possible, and I didn�t really get the feeling that you were trying to do that, but I wasn�t exactly sure where you were going with it. I�m looking at it again now and I can see where you�re coming from with that.

Leif: Yeah, we were not meaning to be graphic, to be honest. I think we were just trying to be aesthetic in a way and to pass out a positive message more than anything else. But I definitely see your point as well that it wasn�t as obvious as it should have been.

Gauntlet: To go back to something you said recently, that �Inwards� was really when you guys started taking off�I noticed that as well. Because I didn�t know when I first started getting into Dew-Scented that you had as many albums as you do and it was only when people started talking about �Issue VI� and that it was your sixth album that I realized, �Wow, they actually have had six so far,� and I didn�t even know about the first couple. I know you mentioned the distribution, but is there anything else that you think has really helped you guys break into the big time, so to speak?

Leif: Yeah, I think there are actually several factors�. It�s funny, I�m having this memory right now of a review that I saw for �Issue VI� that said it was actually �Issue IV� because they thought it was the fourth record (laughs). That was a great typo, but it doesn�t really make sense, you know. But yeah, I think there were a lot of factors. For one the fact that we ended up releasing that record, �Inwards�, on Nuclear Blast, who have an international distribution. It was the first album that came out in North America, whereas the first ones were only available on import-made orders or internet shops, like really underground and rare. It was also the fact that we made a major step in songwriting between �Ill-Natured� and �Inwards�. Being a lot catchier, being a lot more straightforward, which I think helps our thrash message a lot, rather than making it too complex. It was also the fact that we finally had good production. That was the first record Andy Classen recorded with us, who then moved on to be our producer for the next two albums, �Impact� and �Issue VI�. So I think that made a big difference, because I remember a lot of people were saying, �You guys are good, but we don�t like your production so we�re not picking up the record.� And it seemed like everything was coming together on �Inwards� more nicely and smoother than before. And we put a lot of touring into that record, so I guess that�s really when it started growing, you know. That was the first album that came out in Asia, as well, the first time we were released in Japan, we toured there and all that. So it was probably the moment of time where all the previous work of growing up, maturing, becoming something fell into place with a better structure around the band and for the release of the album. Other people might call it luck, all at the same time, yeah.

Gauntlet: I�m trying to think of Japanese thrash�it seems a little odd. Did you guys get a lot of support while you were over there?

Leif: Yeah, yeah. We had some�the scene over there is more into melodic bands, like guitar hero type of bands and more technical bands. You know, bands like Children of Bodom or things like that would be huge in Japan, whereas a fan of ours would be in North America or Europe. Which is cool, you know, but there is a scene for everything over there. The first tour we went over for we supported Defleshed from Sweden, who are right up our alley, musically, so that was a very good tour. And we actually made friends with some Japanese bands: Terror Squad or Outrage, who are Japanese thrash bands, actually, and very good ones as well. So, yeah, there was an acceptance for our music. We ended up releasing the last four albums domestically in Japan through Soundholic Records, which is our Japanese label, and they brought us back to tour in 2005 when we released �Issue VI�. That was on a very strange package, but a very cool one: it was Misery Signals, from the States, which is more of a metalcore band if you want to put it like that, High on Fire, more rock and roll, punk driven, you know, and then us. So it was a three band package that looks maybe a bit odd on paper, but it was actually a nice combination. I thought it was pretty challenging to have those three bands together every night, and it worked well, we were very happy with that tour.

Gauntlet: I�ve read that you like the challenge of a harder audience or a harder crowd to try to win over. Is there a particular reason for that or a tour in particular that has given you a tough time?

Leif: Hm. No. And I think it would be a little too egoistic to reveal that people would give us a hard time. I think we would probably enjoy ourselves, anyway. And I don�t recall any long tour where we didn�t fit in at all. We�ve been out with different types of bands, but they always had in common that they were extreme to a certain extent and, you know, we matched. The thing is that the thrash scene itself is not very big, so we can�t always go out with Kreator or bands like that�bands that would probably make a good fit for us, musically. So we go touring with black metal bands, with death metal bands, we�re touring with hardcore bands as well, and metalcore bands. That�s all fine to us at the end of the day. I�m not going to say you were wrong, quoting me that I liked the challenge, but I can live with it. It�s not like I�m asking for it, but with the style of music we chose to play, that we enjoy playing, we don�t have much of a chance without playing outside the box.

Gauntlet: I guess that�s a good way to approach it. It really does seem like there aren�t that many good bands that are playing thrash nowadays. Even Dew-Scented isn�t strictly thrash metal�.

Leif: Right.

Gauntlet: It�s got a lot of that spirit, though, which I certainly respect. But there are so many bands�like The Haunted, who are calling themselves �post-thrash� nowadays.

Leif: Yeah, which I think makes sense. Their new album is going a little bit elsewhere, which I think is good for them as a part of their progress. But, yeah, I believe that there is Slayer and then behind them there is a big gap until you find the next movement of thrash bands. Obviously there are bands like Destruction, Kreator, bands like Testament, Exodus, still releasing good albums and touring, but there are only so many. And those are traditional thrash bands, bands from the 80�s, that we listened to when we were kids and when we didn�t even know how to play our instruments. And they, in a sense, are still dictating the scene. Which is great, you know, we love those bands. But there is a generational gap between them and us. And The Haunted is a prime example of a band from that second generation. They grew up with all that stuff as well and ended up doing a modern version of their influences, such as what we are doing. And now I am hearing that there is a new movement, especially in the States�a retro thrash movement by young bands, especially in California, which are sounding very 80�s like. And that�s great as well, I�m happy for them, but I think what we�re trying to do is a 2007 version of extreme metal on the foundation of thrash, but also with influences from hardcore, from death metal, whatever we like to listen to. So we�re always in between the styles and I�m happy with that, to be honest.

Gauntlet: Do you feel any pressure to lead in the wake of that generation gap, or do you just play what you want to play?

Leif: I think we just happen to be there and I don�t see this band leading anything anywhere (laughs). The scene is changing every couple years and it changes around us. I remember when we started in 1992 or 1993, people were like, �Whoa, what you�re playing is so dated. Check out these death metal bands, they sound a lot fresher, more brutal.� And we were like, �Yeah, I love Morbid Angel and all that, it�s all fine with me.� They�re one of my favorite death metal bands, but what we wanted to play was something else. We went back and re-listened to Razor, Voivod, Discharge, Trouble, Slayer, Testament�those were the bands that crafted us. And the scene then happened to develop and there was a bit of a resurrection for thrash and that was probably around the time that �Inwards� came out�around 2000, 2001�that thrash bands were getting a little more appreciation after death metal and black metal calmed down in its wave. So I guess everything just happens around us and we happen to be doing what we�re doing. So I don�t think we at any point actually thought about it.

Gauntlet: To stay with those early days for a bit. As far as the name of the band�. I�ve read where it comes from, the Poe reference and so forth, but as you�ve become more popular do you think it�s been an asset for you guys or an obstacle that you�ve got to overcome?

Leif: No, I don�t think the name has been beneficial at all, to be self-critical, but we wanted something different and original when we decided on it. I remember there was a French band called Death Power in the 90�s, they were a thrash band. And it�s a great name, but�Death Power�.

(Laughter)

Leif: It�s a bit flat, you know, in that sense. So everybody knows that, �ok, it�s not going to be Gothic Rock�, or something like that. It can�t be. What we wanted was a name that was neutral in meaning. Maybe a little enigmatic and weird, but at the same time dark. And just neutral enough to one day have this name for the band so that people could talk about the new Dew-Scented record or going to a Dew-Scented show without making any other reference to that term but for this very band. That was the intention back then. So we thought the name was interesting for that reason. I don�t even know if it was taken from a Poe poem, to be honest; it was just from some poem and we thought it was weird enough to go with it. It has been an obstacle, I admit that, because a lot of people were turned away from the name or were not sure what they were getting. A lot of people seem to need the envelope to actually put their time and effort into something that has do with the metal world. Would we have wanted to change it? Yes, maybe, at some point. But it was already too late and we still stood up for the reason that we chose it for. We wanted to be different. Obviously, if we had know that seven albums in, fifteen years later that we would still be questioned on the name we probably would have chosen something different (laughs). But it happens every day.

Gauntlet: I remember I was showing a friend of mine the band, I said, �You�ve got to listen to this band Dew-Scented�, and he just looked at me all weird and said, �Dew-Scented? What are you talking about?� I said, �No, when you listen, you will understand. These guys are not messing around.� And he was impressed and now he says Dew-Scented as if it were nothing.

Leif: That�s cool. I mean, you�ve got to get past the name. If you�re called Destruction, if you�re called Vio-lence, I guess you have a better beginning, you know?

Gauntlet: (laughs) At least for metal.

Leif: I was thinking, if I ever had had the chance to go with a really catchy, punchy, heavy, hard name such as those that I mentioned that was still free and available, I probably would have gone for it regressively, but I haven�t really been able to think of something�. I didn�t really want to have the �Dying Corpse� type of name to bother my parents with.

Gauntlet: (Laughs) Do they listen to Dew-Scented?

Leif: Yeah, they do. Obviously, I don�t think they�re big-time into metal, and my mother was definitely not into the idea of her son spending 90% of his time with music. But since it became serious and since we�ve been doing it for so many years, they actually respect it and are happy that we are able to see other places and have a good time with the music. Because music does keep you young in that sense. So they are happy for that. My father actually showed up at our release gig the other day, but he arrived we already performed due to other duties before. But he came out, so that was cool to see. I always send them the new albums from the band when they come out.

Gauntlet: It�s good to have that support.

Leif: Yeah, definitely. At least to have the respect for it, I think that�s a very important thing. I don�t need them to be fans of ours because it�s not their style of music, but they should at least understand that this is not a childish, rebellious thing, which maybe it looked like at the beginning.

Gauntlet: Right. I also read�I don�t know whether this is true�that you also wanted to have a name that didn�t lock you into any particular style, because you weren�t necessarily sure what you were going to play.

Leif: Hm. That is partly right. I don�t think it is because we were not sure what we wanted to play; we wanted to have a name that was open enough to do with it whatever we wanted to. I mean, obviously, now I don�t think you will ever hear anything but thrash from this band Dew-Scented. But you never know�maybe after two albums we could have morphed into something else and then we would have had the stigma of having a name that was too strict and conservative. I wouldn�t have known that we would have passed two albums, anyway. When we started, we did a demo, got signed, played some shows, and then all of a sudden we went back to the city to do a second album. And then it just came step-by-step, one thing after another, and then fifteen years later we�re still here. I think back then we just wanted something that was not the clich� for a death or thrash metal band. But I don�t think we would have wanted to do, stylistically, anything else than what we are doing right now. If we had wanted to do that we probably would have used another name for it anyway. It�s like a half-truth, in there. I probably would have quoted it as such to feel better about it, but I don�t think that it really would have worked.

Gauntlet: Are there other styles that you think you might dabble in later down the road?

Leif: For us, from now on?

Gauntlet: Or just for you�not necessarily for Dew-Scented.

Leif: I enjoy a variety of styles, really. I listen to Jeff Buckley or a Tori Amos record as much as I enjoy listening to Terrorizer or Nasum. I�m pretty open-minded when it comes to that. I love punk and hardcore as well, I listen to Discharge, Amebix, and to classic metal like Thin Lizzy as well. But would I want to play anything else? No, I don�t think so. I think we�re style trying to become the best at what we�re doing and we still have a ways a head of us, so I think that we found our mission and our direction a long, long time ago and we are just trying to define it and refine it every time. But we�re not really looking left and right anymore. I�ve always been saying that even if we tried to write a�Country Goth Rock song, it would sound exactly like one of the tunes from the new album.

(Laughter)

Leif: You know what I mean? There�re guys that can�t do anything but what they�re doing at their best, so I think that we are a prime example of that. If you ask if there�s anything else I�d like to be involved in myself, I would be happy to play in an extreme, crusty punk hardcore band. When you check out the selection of cover songs that we have done throughout the years�we�ve done a Discharge song, we�ve done a Zeke song, we�ve done a Turbonegro song, we did a Bad Religion song on the new album. So we definitely have a big affinity for those type of bands. But I would rather do that on the side rather than a front project, and not really seriously

Gauntlet: Yeah, that was something I was noticing, just going back through your discography. You�ve chosen some really unusual, or at least unpredictable, songs for a thrash band to end up covering, so it makes sense that that�s what you�d be listening to.

Leif: Yeah, but we did some predictable songs as well. We did a Slayer song, we did a Metallica song, so�.

Gauntlet: Maybe you just have to do that, you know. If you�re going to be in a thrash metal band you�ve got to cover at least a couple of those.

Leif: And you know, those are the bands that originally influenced us. Sometimes you find yourself jamming the riffs in the rehearsal room or on stage and you don�t think about it, so it means it�s there in your system. So why not exercise it?

Gauntlet: Pay homage to it, yeah. To stay with the new album, I cannot say I�ve heard it yet�I�ve heard only the single, not the entire thing�from what I�ve been reading about it and what I�ve heard it seems like you guys are trying to be more focused than you were on �Issue VI� and that it�s a lot leaner of an album.

Leif: Yes, I think that was the biggest goal that we had with the songwriting: to go back to an intense flow like we had on the �Impact� album. More straightforward, where we trim away the fat, so to speak. Whenever we had ideas that were not adding anything to the song but complexity, we tried to stay away from them. We just tried to have this album where everything could be available for our live set and we could replicate it all on stage without having to break our fingers. I think the album has a lot more of a gut feeling than �Issue VI�. �Issue VI� was, I�ll say for our standards, pretty experimental. We were trying to push our frames and broaden the self-imposed limitations that we have and this one brings across the message a lot clearer simply because it is more compact.

Gauntlet: Mm. But at the same time it�s also the first album of yours, at least that I�ve seen, that uses intro and outro tracks.

Leif: Right, right. That�s true. And that�s actually a funny story. The intro and outro tracks are an instrumental riff pattern that did not match any of the other songs and we just liked that riff very much. So at some point in the rehearsal session before we went into the studio we said, �What if we composed a theme with it and faded into the album and fade the album out with it?� Connect it to the first and the last song, which actually works very nicely, I think, because it warms you up into the album, then it�s pretty merciless for the next forty minutes, and then it sends you back home after the album is done as well.

Gauntlet: Hah. Lets you down slowly.

Leif: Exactly. It�s a pretty doomy thing.

Gauntlet: Alright, excellent. And you haven�t really seemed to come out and discredit �Issue VI�, but it seems as though you were a little bit, I suppose, disappointed with how it came out.

Leif: Are you hearing this out? Like in the way I�m putting it?

Gauntlet: Well, partially, and from what I�ve read as well.

Leif: The thing is, you know, musicians will always come out and tell you that their new album is the greatest and so on and why it is so without saying a bad word about their previous records. I could probably try to do the same, but we knew that there were certain things on �Issue VI� that could have been better. We tried to go for a little bit different production, staying with the same formula and team, same approach to the sound, which doesn�t work. If you want to sound different you�ve got to do things differently. So we were not 100% happy with how we ended up sounding, I personally did not like some of the vocal performances I had on that record as compared to the new one, so I knew I had to step it up just to please myself, basically. And I think we did what we needed to do to get a certain amount of experimentation and new ideas into the songwriting, which was great. But, looking at the fact that sometimes we went through a 50 minute live set and had more songs from �Impact� than from �Issue VI� when we were promoting �Issue VI� led us to the understanding that maybe there was something about the material that wasn�t quite as we wanted it. I wouldn�t bash the album because I think it is 100% of what the band represented in July of 2005 when it came out. But then again, I�m happier that we have April 2007 now and we have this album �Incinerate� which I think does present the band in a more fruitful light for what we are all about. But it�s tiny details. Somebody that�s not really into the band or not really into thrash in general, I would be surprise if they could understand that these are all different albums (laughs), you know? So, if we�re talking steps forward or improvements of percentages, I think we�re talking small percentages here.

Gauntlet: Mm-hmm. Well, I�ll be interested to hear how it comes out. There were some tracks that I did really like, though, on �Issue VI�, like �Ruins of Hope� and �Never To Return�, those are a couple excellent songs, I thought.

Leif: Yeah, �Never To Return� is still part of our live set and that�s one of the songs that we like the best as well. We actually have our personal favorites�for example, the final song on the record, �Conceptual End�, is one of my favorites. It�s got a really cool Exhorder vibe to it, which I adore, I think it�s great. But then again, we never play the song live. So I was sitting down with the guys one day and said, �How come this song is so cool to us, we enjoy playing it so much, we enjoyed writing and recording it, but then it never ended up on the live set? Something is wrong with that.� And they were like, �Yeah, something is.� But some things, you just can�t explain. It just happens the way it happens. But hopefully Nuclear Blast are going to be able to send you the full copy of the new record, hopefully even the two CD version that we released�we have a limited edition with a bonus CD�so that you have all the material there. The bonus CD includes a lot of rare stuff from over the years like the cover versions and all that.

Gauntlet: Yeah, I remember looking at that and certainly being interested. I�d be up for that, certainly.

Leif: I�ll put in a good word (laughs), let out publicist know.

Gauntlet: As for other parts of this new album, you�ve got some pretty remarkable guests on it as well. How did that all end up working out? I read that you�d toured with them, but did you just up and say, �Hey guys, why don�t you come play on my new album�, or was there a decision process?

Leif: I think it was something like that. At the end of the day, we knew the other guys from being in the band and touring together with them in the past. When we noticed that we had a little bit of time between the recording and the mixing to fool around a little with the tracklist, some extra recordings, we thought about inviting people. And we had two guitar spots available in the song �Perdition For All�. So, I just went with exceptional players that we know who really do make a difference when they touch a guitar. And we�re really happy that we got Gus and Jeff involved and they delivered killer solos that are very different from ours, but at the same time are little anthems themselves, really nice pieces. For vocals it was just a personal choice. I happen to like Mille from Kreator a lot as a person and a musician as well as an early influence of mine. And he lives around the corner pretty much, the next city from here, and I run into him every now and then. So I wanted a contrasting type of voice�nothing that was melodic or that was female or anything like that�within our extreme metal scene that sounds completely different. And he was the guy I had in mind for that because, for one, you can hear him and know it�s Mille from Kreator, and secondly, I think he�s very far away on the spectrum from what I�m doing, vocally. And he just happened to be interested and available this time. We had wanted to have something done with him on �Issue VI�, but it didn�t work out for logistical reasons. I think he was busy with Kreator on tour or in the studio or something. And I�m very happy that this worked out; it�s a big honor and a pleasure to have those giant guys on our album. That�s, in a way, a reassurance that we�re doing something right.

Gauntlet: Yeah, a real mark of success.

Leif: Definitely, and we�re very happy and impressed by that as well.

Gauntlet: So, did you have the songs already written or did you write them specifically with the guests in mind?

Leif: No, everything was written and then we just picked the spots to add them into.

Gauntlet: Hm. Well, I know we�re running over, but I�ve got one more question. I�ve looked around and around and I�m sorry if this is a question that you get asked all the time and the answer�s already out there waiting�

Leif: �Why did you call your band Dew-Scented?�

(Laughter)

Gauntlet: No, it�s not that. It is actually, is there a reason that every album begins with �I�?

Leif: Oh, there are several, and depending upon my mood I pick a different one for every interview where I get that question. I used to talk about �I� being a very underrated letter in the alphabet, because there is not one single classic metal record starting with an �I�. Can you name one? If you cannot, we might be the band that works our asses off in their long writing career so that at one point we write this one killer, classic, cult record that starts with an �I�. That would be me being a little bit weird. But no, I don�t think there is any reason behind it. It�s just a theme. When we started we didn�t know we were going to have this long of a career and this many albums, so when we were down to the second album we said that maybe we should call it something similar like the first one, like a one-word title starting with the letter �I� that fits with the cover. With the third album we thought something similar, and at some point we just noticed the thread.

Gauntlet: It brings a nice continuity to the discography.

Leif: At the least, the style and the titles are the only continuity we have. You know, we don�t have an Eddie on the front cover art, so I guess we�ve got to compensate for it somehow. And it gives me a great time with interviews, because sometimes I would pull really, really wrong and bad answers for this question.

Gauntlet: (laughs) Messing around with them, alright.

Leif: And I guess the only reason would be, as you say, the continuity, to put the releases all in one line with each other and hopefully have a title that fits with the artwork and the theme of the record, lyrically. But more than that, there is no reason for that, so it�s fun to make them up.

Gauntlet: And for �Issue VI� did you run out of ideas or just think it sounded nice?

Leif: Our guitarist was assessing the fact that it was a cool title. We�ve never done anything numeric or symbolic. I guess he was pushing the fact that, �Wow, it�s already six albums. A lot of people don�t know that, maybe we should make a title with it.� And, plus, we were going through a lot of line-up turmoil, so we were having �issues�, which was, I thought, fair enough. It wasn�t my choice, I just had to live with it in a democratic work.

Gauntlet: Mm-hmm. The final representation of the political system of Dew-Scented.

Leif: Yes. A prime example of how I would have done things differently so I can�t be so much of a dictator.

Gauntlet: It�s a good way to run things. I�ve got a lot of respect for that.

Leif: Thanks very much. It�s not always easy, but it�s fun.

Gauntlet: Yeah. Well, thank you very much, I really appreciate the talk. I wish I could have conducted it in German, but my German is not quite that good (laughs).

Leif: Maybe next time.

Gauntlet: Until then, good luck with the rest of the promotions. I�m really looking forward to hearing it. Vielen Dank.

Leif: Bitte sch�n.

Gauntlet: Wiedersehen.


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Tags:  Dew-Scented, dew scented , Leif Jensen, interviews

Sam Rahn    April 23, 2007