The Swedish doom metal band WHEN NOTHING REMAINS has returned after nearly a decade with their new album, “Echoes of Eternal Night”. To mark this long-awaited release, I spoke with Jan Sallander, the band’s vocalist and guitarist. With this record, the autumn season takes on a darker and more evocative tone.
Hello, a warm greeting to you. To start off the interview, I’d like to pause for a moment on your previous successful album “In Memoriam”. How do you view it with the benefit of hindsight? Do you consider the period around 2016 as the very best times from the perspective of WHEN NOTHING REMAINS?
Hello and thank you! This is Jan Sallander, who will answer all the questions in this lovely interview. Actually, we had a very difficult time during the “In Memoriam” album. We received very bad offers and faced financial problems with gigs. Every time we tried to take any gigs, we ended up in a bad situation due to stormy weather and poor management. We had to cancel gigs to promote the album, and some members quit. We decided to put the band on ice until Peter and I gained the strength to make a new album. When we had the material, our session drummer quit in the middle of recording, and Peter (guitars, bass) had personal issues to handle, so it took much longer to finish the album than expected. But we put our heart and soul into it, taking our time to make it the very best album we could do all by ourselves.
Within the metal underground, you gained a certain standing, and many fans of doom metal couldn’t have missed you. Could the band’s rise have been turned into something even greater?
Musically, yes, definitely. We have taken all the knowledge on how to make our doom music even better now. Peter and I have always seen WHEN NOTHING REMAINS as a studio band to record albums. For live performances, we had other members, but this album has such strong material that I hope it will make a stronger impact on doom lovers’ heavy hearts around the world than our previous albums did.
For a long time, you were signed under the Russian label Solitude Productions, which focused exclusively on doom metal and had an excellent reputation worldwide. Was that a major loss for you? How would you evaluate your cooperation with Solitude Productions in hindsight? Are you still in touch with them?
Solitude was a very good record company and loyal to us for many years. We see them as good friends. Peter even worked and helped Solitude a lot in his free time, and he still has contact with them.
How hard is it for a band that already has some name recognition in the world to start again almost from scratch?
We never started from scratch when we decided to make a new album. People still remember us, and we have a fan base who always loved and supported us. If we didn’t have all this that has taken years to achieve, then I would agree with your question.
How much has the environment of the metal community changed over the past few years?
Let’s say, for better or for worse? Both, I have to say. It’s become very difficult since COVID and after with the terrible war in Ukraine, for example, and tariffs on everything have made it more expensive and harder to make things work. But the music gets deeper and better during difficult and sad times. People reflect, think, create more, and make better music, taking the time needed to make good music.
The new album “Echoes of Eternal Night” presents a narrative that builds upon the story from your previous release, where a young girl bids farewell to her parents by a forgotten lake. Could you share how this continuation came into being and what served as its inspiration?
Sure, I made the concept of the album’s storyline and theme for WHEN NOTHING REMAINS from the start. I had a strong vision, both symbolic and personal, to make each album connect with each other and have a strong narrative and story that grips the heart and continues after each album. The songs themselves are not only about the album artwork story but about the hardships we all face in life and death.
Do you often think about death—about what it will be like when your life’s journey comes to an end? From an artistic perspective, what about death fascinates you the most?
Every day I think about life and death and beyond. Life is precious and very special, yet it’s often taken for granted, and many poor souls in the world are suffering and dying in vain because we have lost a deeper connection with nature. Our consciousness, understanding, and love for each other are fading with a very egocentric viewpoint. When we all are humans, we have to decide to live or die; in the end, we all are standing on the edge, and I want to live for the passion for doom and metal!
The new album is sure to be welcomed by longtime fans of WHEN NOTHING REMAINS. One could even see it as a special gift for the most devoted followers. Would you agree?
Yes, but it’s not only for our dear devoted fans and followers. This album may even open up eyes for new metal fans to start enjoying and feeling the depth of what doom metal can offer that no other music genre can. If so, I think we have succeeded nonetheless. I’m very proud of this album more than ever before.
On the song “A Ceaseless Rain,” you’ve got Gogo Melone as a guest singer. Could you tell us a bit about her? How did you guys start working together?
We’ve always been fans of her band’s music and have known of each other for many years. Gogo (AEONIAN SORROW) is an amazing singer, and we knew she was the best choice to have as a guest singer on the album. She knows doom very well and can convey the true feelings needed in the song, which is very personal to me.
How does “Echoes of Eternal Night” differ from previous recordings? In what ways do you think you have progressed the most as a band?
We have learned a lot about making our own sound, and Peter has become an amazing mixer and producer. We worked hard to perfect the sound we wanted. Even though we worked with good friends who know doom metal before, it’s just best to do it yourself to get what we want. Then we have no one else to blame if things don’t sound good. But we are crazy perfectionists, Peter and I, so we have nothing bad to say about what could be better about this album.
The new album seems extremely melancholic to me, feeling very deep and dark. Is this part of the new direction of WHEN NOTHING REMAINS?
Yes, we wanted to make it heavier and doomier than before. Even though you can hear it is WHEN NOTHING REMAINS, something darker has taken root… maybe because the world has…
Sweden has given the world a lot of great bands in the doom metal genre. Would you now choose one that you consider truly essential and irreplaceable?
A band from Sweden? Hmm, why do I have to choose one? 🙂 I can’t pick one band and say they are the most essential when there are so many good doom bands from Sweden that are important in the big puzzle of inspirations of doom metal!
(My inspirations of Swedish doom bands are: DRACONIAN, TIAMAT, OCTOBER TIDE, KATATONIA, and CANDLEMASS).
How popular is doom metal in Sweden at present? Are there any new bands you could recommend to us?
No, I can’t say that doom metal is a popular music genre in Sweden, but it’s getting more mainstream now, I think. I only care about what music is good for me, if it speaks to me as many other metal genres do in their own ways, and this is what all people should think about, not what is more popular or not. I’m an old-school listener and mostly listen to doom bands I’ve known for years, but I’m open to new ones also.
Are you planning concerts or a tour to support the album? Where would you like to play?
We have some offers to play live, and we want to promote the album next year. I can’t say more than that since no gigs are official yet, so stay tuned!
Thank you for the interview, I really appreciate that you took the time for me…
Thank you! It means a lot to us! Doom on!
ALL