The Halo Effect gives voice to its new album.
Entitled March of the Unheard, it comes out two years after its predecessor, and renews the trust placed in Mikael Stanne (vocals, Dark Tranquillity, Grand Cadaver, ex-Hammerfall), Jesper Strömblad (guitar, Ceremonial Oath, Cyhra, ex-InFlames, ex-Hammerfall, ex-TheResistance… ), Peter Iwers (bass, Fleetburner, ex-Cyhra), Niclas Engelin (guitar, Engel, We Sell the Dead, ex-Passenger) and Daniel Svensson (drums, ex-Sacrilege) in Nuclear Blast.
The album gets off to a quiet start with the already heady intro to Conspire To Decieve, but the rhythm section quickly explodes into effective heavy metal harmonics, along with Mikael‘s powerful vocal parts. The heavier break leads into a final chorus, then on to Detonate, an energetic composition the band chose to introduce their album, and which offers us the sharp leads typical of the Swedish scene, as well as a catchy groove. Our Channel To The Darkness allows us a brief moment of floating, but the riffs soon come back to bludgeon us with a furious Old School approach, but Cruel Perception puts us back on the gentle path with extremely melodic guitars, whether in clear or saturated sound. The track is relatively accessible, while What We Become, which follows closely on its heels, returns to heavier tones, but also features more ethereal keyboards that help create a hypnotic contrast. A few choruses pave the way for the riffs of This Curse of Silence, a two-minute interlude that heralds March of the Unheard, the eponymous track, which takes us on a wild, jerky ride studded with soaring leads. Forever Astray starts off quietly, but you can feel that the rhythm that follows is coming fast, and its waves of rage are devilishly effective, even when the clean vocals come in to soften them. A touch of melancholy is added by the violins of Between Directions, which set the tone for the rest of the composition with a fairly heavy rhythm that accompanies this obvious gloom, where the two types of vocals cohabit, before A Death That Becomes Us hits us in its turn. This darker touch is felt once again, but in a very different way, before The Burning Point reveals its frantic rhythm that doesn’t allow itself to rest until the choruses become more majestic, but the album is already living its last moments with Coda, a final instrumental composition where the sound takes on a completely different, more orchestral approach, allowing us to escape one last time.
The Halo Effect represents everything we’ve come to expect from Swedish-style Melodic Death Metal, both in its catchy violence and in its softer, more floating moments. March of the Unheard is an excellent way to start the year!
95/100
A few questions to Peter Iwers, bass player with The Halo Effect, for the release of the band’s second album, March Of The Unheard.
So let’s go. So, first of all, hello. And thank you very much for your time. How do you feel?
Peter Iwers (bass): Hello and thank you for having me. I feel really good. Thank you. Having a really nice, calm evening here in Gothenburg, Sweden, chilling in my little patio room here.
Ok. So, could you please introduce the band? The effect without choosing the words “Melodic Death Metal”?
Peter: The Halo Effect is a band that plays some very, very interesting, according to me, melodies. Well, this is hard. I was never going to use the term Melodic Death Metal, but The Halo Effect is a band that creates music we enjoy listening to while playing it.
So The Halo Effect’s second album called March Of The Unheard will be out next year. How do you feel about it? And maybe you already have some feedback?
Peter: Yeah, I have some feedback. It’s all positive so far. I’m very happy with it. Our second album with The Halo Effect. I think we went in a little differently than we did before the first album because before we didn’t know what to expect. We didn’t know what to sound like. We just went in with some ideas and started playing together, and it came out a certain way that we all felt comfortable with. There was no pressure. Nobody even knew that we existed. Fast forward to recording March Of The Unheard, we tried to recreate that feeling. Obviously, now people knew about us, which meant we could do some really cool footage in the studio and present it while we were working. That was different, but there was no negative pressure. It was just fun to keep going from where we started. Niclas (Engelin, guitarist, ed.) had a lot of ideas that he finished together with Jesper (Strömblad, guitarist, ed.), showed to the rest of us, and we added our parts. The cool thing about doing music this way is we’re all very open-minded about everyone’s contributions. Niclas showed us some ideas, and he went just “do whatever you want”. We all trust each other so much, we trust his songwriting… I think just going in and playing without any anxiety about how it’s gonna sound in the end, which I think shows on the album.
So how would you sum up the new album with only three words?
Peter: Great questions here (laughs). I’m totally unprepared. Only three words? Interesting, inspiring, happy.
You mentioned the composition process, which was a bit different. What were the main changes you noticed?
Peter: It wasn’t really different. Niclas is the mastermind when it comes to riff-making, and he’s very generous in inviting everybody into the process. Since the beginning, we talked about this since the beginning, involving everyone in songwriting because it creates a more generous, happy atmosphere. That was still the case for March Of The Unheard. The difference was he had more ideas, because he doesn’t stop writing, he writes music all the time. He lept on writing after Days of the Lost. When it comes to me, I get into creative mode when I’m about to enter the studio. So I think that he had more finished songs on this one than on the first one. But we trust each other so well, so it doesn’t matter. He writes the way he does, Jesper writes the way he does, and the rest of us, we come in and we add our touch. So I think it just blends well together.
So about the artwork. Did you give any guidelines to the artist?
Peter: Mikael (Stanne, vocalist, ed.) does. He has conversations with Adrian (Adrian Baxter, ed.) about what the lyrics are about, what he ment and the concepts behind them. Adrian gets to create his vision from that. That’s the key, we don’t want somebody to give life to our lyrics and tell him exactly what to do. This is my idea about it, this is how I write and visualize it. And of course Niklas Sundin, he also gets to do his way. It’s our creative process and we all trust each other like this instead of saying “do this that way”, and it’s always like this when it comes to The Halo Effect.
Bass has always been an important element in all the bands you’ve played with, and it’s the same for The Halo Effect. How do you manage to get such a groovy sound?
Peter: Thank you. It helps to have great musicians to play with. When the songs are the way I like them, it’s easy to go in and let loose. I’m not the type of player who writes my parts, just sit down and say “I’m gonna play like this”. I go in and I try to improvise as much as possible and I might have tons of inspirations on one song, some melodies of some kind of groove. And sometimes I go “let’s make it more simple” or the other way. And of course having a good drummer to jam with helps a lot. I’ve been playing with Daniel (Svensson, ed.) for so many years with In Flames, or when it comes to Cyhra I played with a guy called Alex Landenburg, he’s also an amazing drummer. If the drummer is grooving, it’s easy for me to just follow. I don’t think about it that much, it just comes naturally. When it comes to Daniel, I kind of know what he will do next, even if it’s the first we play a song, I kind of know what he’s going to do next, which I can follow. Same thing when it comes to the guitar riffs, I feel very comfortable with the way they play, and I just groove along.
How do you find the right balance between all the band members’ influences?
Peter: We don’t limit anyone. For instance, I had an idea for the first record that started as an acoustic pop song, I showed it to Niclas, who felt something else, and it became Gateways, from the first record. I think that’s a perfect example of how we embrace everyone’s inspiration. Whatever any inspiration anybody might have, we just try it. And it should happen that somebody doesn’t feel it, then we change it. But so far it doesn’t happen. If I’m coming to a song that somebody else wrote, I’m told “do whatever you want” on it. And I do what I want, and it sticks. It’s not a manner of “oh I’m thinking more like this”. I think that’s the key. Everybody is free to play whatever they want on these songs. Because that’s what makes us comfortable in the end. We have a lot of bands in common that we listen to and that we like, and that’s everybody’s choices, and even if we don’t like some, that’s the influences we bring into the way that we do, and it comes out because of how we perform it.
About the music itself: every song has its own identity. I noticed the songs Between Directions and A Death That Becomes Us have a melancholic vibe. Is there a concept behind them, or are they just intentionally sad?
Peter: I think it started with a vibe, feeling or inspiration. Niclas came up with it, and we just kept going, he shows us and we immediately felt it, and it just followed. At least for me, it wasn’t tied to a specific emotion, just having a good vibe, or a good riff that came out a certain way, and we just kinda drag it into a certain direction. I think it’s different when Mikael puts his vocals, he has a little bit more – I think – feeling of what he should writes about when he listens to the song. It’s still very melodic and I don’t know somehow melancholic, like it’s some kind of bridge between the other songs. It’s not fun having songs that all sound the same, you want to make the whole to make sense, just like a setlist, a running order, it’s really important.
So maybe you have a favorite song on this album?
Peter: I was asked this question earlier, and I’m still learning the titles (laughs). When we choose singles, videos for the albums, we each put our request in the hat, we made some sort of list, we made it listen to people around us, to the record company because sometimes they decide, they have a good reason for it. But one song always remained, it was Detonate because I really like the harmonies. It’s a lot of Iron Maidenish like something from No Prayer for the Dying kind of vibe, and I think that’s very good because it’s kind of my favorite band of all time. It’s cool to have this upbeat fast song, harmonies between guitars, the energy. And it’s been my favorite since day one.
It’s a really good one, actually.
Peter: Thank you.
The band only began back in 2019, but you just released some music in 2022. Now there’s a second album on the way, how do you find your inspiration to create music?
Peter: Niclas, I’m gonna say his name a lot because he’s an amazing guitar player and riff-maker. He doesn’t stop writing music, he writes all the time for different projects, The Halo Effect and whatever he does. He always have this inspiration, that’s his livelihood, and that’s what’s he’s doing, playing guitar. So he’s playing and writing all the time, and he sends out ideas, and his inspiration comes from his life and environment I’m sure, thinking “this song would sounds perfect if Mikael sings that way” or “Daniel plays drums that way”, or “Jesper does something”. And this is just me speculating on his inspiration. But for me, inspiration comes naturally when I hear riffs, and I just go into creative mode, and I put my feeling on it, so to speak. It’s always been the case, inspiration comes naturally. If you start thinking about, like “now I need to get into that type of mode”, it’s gonna be stressful. I just get in the mode when it’s time, but you know, playing shows and just feeling interactions with the crowd, having new inspirations, hearing the riffs, songs or something else, it comes from everywhere. Just from watching a supercool show of another band, listening to a track that I heard on the radio.. enjoying your friends’ guitar playing!
Maybe you think you improved as a musician and songwriter with this new record?
Peter: Absolutely. I think that like I said, it’s very much a group effort even when the main songwriter is Niclas because he invites us into the songwriting process. He and Jesper does, I should say. I think I absolutely I grow up to participate in a different way that I’ve ever did before. And also when you don’t get any guidelines when writing music and you just go in, do whatever you feel. You kind of learn to trust yourself and make you evolve as a songwriter, as a musician, and as a person. Not every band work like this, and I think that I grow all of that from playing, I just keep on playing and practicing. And enjoying it.
The band has played many shows since its creation. How do you feel when you go on stage and play?
Peter: Amazing. I love it. It’s always been my favorite feeling in the world. Going on stage, hopefully hearing people having a special moment that the crowd have, on the band to come. I enjoy it so much, just getting to interact with my friends on stage and with the fans, with the crowd. It’s a difficult feeling to explain because you get a lot of attention, your ego is filled in a positive way, so you can give it back to the audience, you have a sort of symmetry when you play. I feel very blessed to be here and to perform. But also about me, I left my previous band In Flames because at that point I didn’t feel like doing it anymore. Then we started The Halo Effect and we started to think about playing in front of thousands of people, and it’s a magical feeling.
The Halo Effect announced a European tour scheduled at the beginning of 2025 with Pain and Bloodred Hourglass. Do you think you’re ready for this tour?
Peter: I hope so (laughs)! We’re putting together the setlist right now and stage production and all that stuff. It’s a pleasure doing this, I mean Pain is a great band, we’ve been friends with Peter for years and years, I also played with Pain a little bit as a live member. That’s gonna be a lot of fun. And also with the opening act, they’re coming with a professional approach, so that’s going to be really amazing. And just hoping people stay for our show, that’s always the concern because you have learned to never take anything for granted. We’re happy with whatever comes, and yeah, I think we’re ready! Are you?
I am for sure! There’s a show in Paris scheduled. Do you enjoy playing in France?
Peter: I love playing in France. Yes I do, and there’s a lot of countries that I enjoy, and France is definitely one of them! I like the culture, the people, I love the fact that when you go to some places, you need to speak a little French to get through, and I like what you have in your country and your language, it’s a beautiful thing. I like the food too, the wine and everything about it, it’s amazing. The shows have always been great. Plus I saw that my friends in Dark Tranquillity had a really good show, they sold out the Bataclan, so I’m really looking forward to coming back to France and to Paris!
I was at the Bataclan with Dark Tranquillity.
Peter: Oh cool!
Will Jesper play on the tour, or will it be Patrick (Jensen, ed.) with you?
Peter: Patrick will always be with us live, but Jesper will be with us when he can. And that’s up to him, Patrick will always be here so he doesn’t feel like he has to, it’s up to Jesper, so whenever he wants to come and play, he will. I hope that he will come on some day, we will be like Iron Maiden with three guitar players.
That could be interesting!
Peter: Yeah, and we actually did it a couple of times, in Gothenburg especially, Jesper came in and we just all played. The more, the merrier.
Are there any musicians or artists you’d like to collaborate with for a song or a cover?
Peter: There are many cool bands we could do covers of, but I think that a cover of a song, somebody else’s music is special. It needs to be treated with respect. Somebody wrote it a certain way, somebody plays a certain way. I’ve seen a lot of bad covers, maybe just screams about it… If you want to do a cover, you need to be delicate with it. With that said, I’d love to do… let’s see something by Danzig maybe, it could be cool. I have done covers, we did some Depeche Mode (Everything Counts, ed.) and Iron Maiden (Murders in the Rue Morgue, ed.) in the past, which is cool, but go back to that, it needs to be very special. And you need to treat it gently! And there’s people I’d love to play with, but no one in particular comes to my mind right now.
A funny question: with which dish would you compare The Halo Effect’s music?
Peter: A dish? Pizza! You get so many different types of toppings so something for everybody, whether you like pineapple on pizza or not, there would be something for everybody.
That was my last question, but before we finish, I’d like to tell you something: I began to play bass more than 10 years ago because I loved In Flames’ bass lines.
Peter: Oh cool, thank you very much! That’s an honor to hear! For myself, my personal favorites are Steve Harris (Iron Maiden), John Myung (Dream Theater), Geddy Lee (Rush)… people like that always inspired me about how to play. I always wanted to be the little rhythmic part, but also add some melodies into it before. But not overdoing anything, so that’s kind of how I do it. I keep the groove, but I also add some flavour to it. So thank you very much for saying that!
As I said, it was my last question, so thank you very much for your time and your music, last words are yours!
Peter: Merci beaucoup for always supporting me and my musical career, and for supporting The Halo Effect. I really can’t wait to come back to France and to play for you at the end of January, I think it is. I really hope to see so many of you having an amazing time, eat some good food and drinks! And just having great time together.
See you in Paris!
Peter: Of course, take care!