Byfrost – the name itself refers to a mythological bridge that connects the Norse realms of Asgard and Midgard. Such concepts might exist exclusively in the mind of a pagan believer or at the heart of some ancient story long lost in a modern world disillusioned with the old religion. One connection we can make is Byfrost's rare link to the UK. It's a bridge under construction, but nevertheless a one with great promise. Angela Davey finds out more from drummer of the three-piece Alkolust – to get the low down on what life was like on tour with Taake and whether the UK has treated them better than Norway.
“If you want to survive on tour, make sure you drink plenty or it’s not fun,” laughs Alkolust, aka Mads. Touring is certainly a romanticised concept, and the charismatic sticksman makes no illusions about the ups and downs of travelling across Europe.
“I try to behave like a tourist in every city we visit,” he confesses. “Visiting monuments and taking lots of pictures keeps it interesting. It’s very easy to get bored!”
Byfrost’s second ever performance in the UK was last October and unfortunately, London was the only British date of the ‘Noregs Vaapen’ tour. Theirs was a performance both brutal and incredibly heavy. So how do the Norwegians feel about the capital? “London is about the same size as Norway,” says Mads. “You’ve got way more people here though, it’s crazy! You feel like you’re drowning, but I love the tube, I love the cabs, the people, and the double decker buses. It’s just so big!”
Bloodstock was the first time Byfrost ever performed in the UK and Mads reveals that the band had doubts whether they’d pull in plenty of people for their performance. “We weren’t sure if people had heard of us, fortunately we got put on a really good tent and ended up with a full tent. Bloodstock was an amazing experience – probably Byfrost’s biggest achievement to date.” AFM records signed the band at the beginning of the year and since then Byfrost’s career has soared. “As soon as we signed to AFM they asked for a new record almost immediately,” Mads says. “They’ve been treating us really well. We’re really satisfied with what they’re doing for us.”
In getting to this stage, there have been some minor rifts – but it lies more with the receiver than the maker. One continual source of debate erupts amongst fans and it's a surprisingly trivial argument that divides their listeners – what genre Byfrost fall into. “We are thrash metal,” Mads confirms. “I’m a huge thrash fan, I’m also into black metal, but that’s not Byfrost’s sound. Obviously as three completely different individuals we have different opinions, but we all have an equal share in writing the music and all elements of our personalities are included.”
A lot of people boast over the rich listening diversity that their ears experience – most passionate music fans can't resist divulging in their sonic pleasures. Mads is no different. But when it comes to the very albums that he has personally put blood, sweat and tears into, there's one record that stands out. “'Of Death' is my favourite album” says Mads proudly. “It’s an album that doesn’t let go of you. It’s aggressive as hell, but also really melodic in places. I love brutality and this album has lots of it.”
When it came to finding the inspiration in writing ‘Of Death’, Mads tells us that it was a pretty simple task. “We don’t go into the woods and start howling like wolves or anything like that. We take inspiration simply from the instruments we play and the desire to push boundaries and make aggressive yet intellectually challenging music.”
Testing themselves in the studio is paramount. But yet still, after the success of 'Of Death' and their explosive tour across Europe, Byfrost have bigger plans for the future. “We’re hoping to start writing new material soon and we want to get back to the UK to play more winter dates. We just love playing interesting shows with interesting people. We’re a live band and we do it fucking brilliantly.” Keep your eyes peeled for more action from these Norwegian thrashers – they aren’t done with the UK yet!
Features & Interviews 
travelling across Europe. 
In getting to this stage, there have been some minor rifts – but it lies more with the receiver than the maker. One continual source of debate erupts amongst fans and it's a surprisingly trivial argument that divides their listeners – what genre Byfrost fall into. “We are thrash metal,” Mads confirms. “I’m a huge thrash fan, I’m also into black metal, but that’s not Byfrost’s sound. Obviously as three completely different individuals we have different opinions, but we all have an equal share in writing the music and all elements of our personalities are included.”