This is an interview with Zeenonīs vocalist Linn Pedersen,a heavy as hell singer with a lot of attitude:

Against the World is a really heavy album...how was it received by the people and the press?

We have gotten massive attention with our latest 5- track "Against the World". We have through this cd been interviewed by several web-zines and magazines all over the world. To give you an example we have gotten attention in England's best known music magazines Rock Sound and Kerrang. We have caught people`s attention through media, but also through massive promotion. This year we have worked a lot with promoting ourselves. We have sent our music to every corner of this world. The result has been very positive for us as a band, then thinking about both media and people in general. We receive e-mails and letters from people that supports us from all over the world. It has amazed us how supportive and helpful some of the "crowd" are. In March this year a fan from Canada formed the official Zeenon fan club. We have been contacted by all kinds of people, both men and women, so we have to do something right!!? We have attended several compilation cd`s with songs from the Against cd. We`re constantly working on spreading the Zeenon word, and we have really made it with this 5- track!

 

Was Zeenon conceived as a female fronted band on purpose or was it something that arose naturally?

Zeenon have been in existence since 1995. Everything started in 1994 when Nina and Linn formed a band called Spooky Balloons. Couple of months ( and band members) later finally Linda came along and Zeenon became a reality. So in the beginning Zeenon were all ggrrls, but this has never been a necessity for us as a band. After being through couple of drummers, we met Tom a year an a half ago. He was our perfect match, and since then we have been working hard getting somewhere.

 

Since you are a really prolific band, releasing almost one demo or CD a year, I would like to ask you if you are working on new material for a new release.

Yes, we`re currently working on new more massive and brutal sounds. We`re planning on recording some of the new material during this winter. Actually we`re gonna start the pre-production one of these days.

 

Do you prefer to work on your own or are you looking for some label to release your music?

As I said earlier, we have been concentrating on promoting ourselves because we wanted to see have people responded to the music. Of course, after putting so much work into our music, one of our main goals will now be to secure a record deal.

 

What can you tell me about your first demo "Zeenon"?

This is our first studio recording, and took place only after a couple of months together as a band. The sound is" thinner" than today`s work, but I have to say even if it`s an old recording, it`s hard and heavy. You`ll hear major differences in the way the tracks are built, if you compare them to our new stuff. The tracks on the" Zeenon" cd have different arrangements from today`s music, because we were more into doom- metal at that time.

 

Which are the main differences between "Against the World" and "We want your mind"?

"We want your mind" ended unfortunately up as a low price production. The tracks are heavy, but I personally feel that the angriness didn`t come through because the way it was produced. . When we first started we were as I have earlier said more doom metal like. That wasn`t really our cup of tea since we actually were more into hardcore, industrial and death metal. We have developed during the years and finally now we are starting to put some more of ourselves into the music. It`s a big process letting the music you have inside yourself out to the public. "Against the World" is a symbol of that we`re getting closer and closer to our goal. Our latest cd is more brutal than our earlier work. We`re always working on developing ourselves into a more heavier genre.

 

Can you explain me a little bit the lyrics on "Against the World"?

The lyrics are based on life in general both personal and public matters. The lyrics can can involve everything from little details in daily life, important stuff in politics till major questions in life. Linn; "Of course the lyrics are very personal to me, because I write about things and also persons that mean a great deal to me. I`m not concerned that people wont understand my lyrics. That is for me the whole idea. I`m personally into poems, I want people to use their mind so they can interpret and find their own meaning. Maybe they understand me right, maybe they don`t"

 

Are Zeenonīs songs composed in rehearsals or each member works individually?

Linn writes the lyrics, but we all participate in composing the music. Sometimes we work individual with for example the guitar, then we put the whole thing together at rehearsal. We all help each other out when needed with the different parts.

 

I read that on 1998 you made a minitour through Scandinavia...are you planning new tours to support Against the World?

If not a tour, we`re definitely gonna do several shows during the winter. We`re planning a trip to England, but of course we`re ready for every town or country!

We`re also gonna do some shows here in Norway.

 

Can you describe a Zeenon show?

"Right in your face", massive music with angry life forms full of attitude!

 

How do you see the Norwegian metal scene nowadays?

Norwegian metal has just exploded the last years, and we can really understand that. There are a lot of great sounds and musicians out there coming from Norway. There`s a lot of action on the metal scene here. This April we attended this big metal festival called" Inferno", were great bands like Red Harvest, Borknagar, Cadaver Inc. and Zyklon attended.

 

Which was the help that Ted Parsons gave to you and that you mention on the Against the World CD?

Ted Parsons helped us out with the samplings, and also gave us some good ideas along the way.

 

Something more to add?

The future is so bright that we all gotta wear shades!

The future plan of attack is to send demos to labels and press and spread the word of the Zeenon world.

The superior goal is as we earlier mentioned to play more shows, secure a record deal and basic world domination.

"We are the queen of the gods"

"We are the mother of all gods"

"From ( for) us all others come"

 

ZEENONīS WEBSITE: www.zeenon.com

Interviewed by Federico Marongiu

 

ZEENON - DISCOGRAPHY

Zeenon - CD (1995)

Dhuma - CD (1996)

We Want Your mind - CD (1999)

Against The World - CD (2000)

 

ACTUAL LINEUP

Linda Aurland - guitar

Linn Pedersen - Vocals

Nina Hansen - Bass

Tom V.G. Nilsen - Drums