Interview with Ben Corkhill
www.oakenshield.org

Metal Revolution has just recently published a review of the latest opus by British band/project Oakenshield, and it can be read here. Meanwhile I decided to come in touch with frontman and main man Ben in order to conduct an interview and ask him a few questions concerning his work, current release, plans for the future, etc. enjoy reading the following lines.


MR: Hey Ben, please introduce shortly your band and current line-up.
Ben: There is just me, Ben Corkhill – Guitars, bass, vocals, drum programming, keyboards and choirs.

MR: What does Oakenshield means?
Ben: Oakenshield is taken from the character Thorin Oakenshield, one of Tolkien’s dwarves. Tolkien, however, borrowed this name from one of the original dwarves of Norse mythology, Eikinskjaldi (literally meaning ‘Oakenshield’). The story of Thorin’s name is that his shield was shattered at the Battle of Azanulbizar, and he took up an oak tree branch to defend himself.

MR: What is behind the title of the new album Gylfaginning?
Ben: Gylfaginning is the title of the first book of the Prose Edda. It details to creation and destruction of the world, telling tales of the gods, goddesses, giants and heroes in between. The entire album is based on the book, each song telling a different story from the mythology.

MR: In your own words, how would you characterize the music on the record?
Ben: A vast soundscape of epic mythological folk metal. A blend of intense metal and majestic atmospheres, each track communicating a different tale or theme in its own way.

MR: How would you say this record differs from previous efforts released under the name of Nifelhel?
Ben: The music I write now is much more epic, atmospheric and progressive than the music of Nifelhel, which was heavier and more war-like. The lyrics are also based entirely on mythology, whereas Nifelhel songs dealt more with war and plunder. The keyboards are used a lot more extensively on Gylfaginning, providing atmospheric backdrops to the songs or adding new melodic levels to the arrangements. Structurally, the songs are also more flowing, based less on standard forms and more on telling the stories by using the music as well as words.

MR: Have you utilized any new or different recording techniques this time around?
Ben: I used basically the same techniques, just with much better equipment. The microphones I used were professional mics, rather than the standard dynamic microphones I used for the last two releases. I spent a lot of time producing this album, and the more I used the equipment and software the more I learned about it and could improve my techniques. So as well as using my old knowledge of recording, I also built upon it as I went along.

MR: Why this change of the name for the band?
Ben: Naming the project ‘Nifelhel’ was kind of a rushed decision, the original name was ‘Mjolnir’ but this was already in use by another solo project, so I took up Nifelhel as an alternative. Last year I realised that I simply wasn’t satisfied with the name, and after some careful deliberation I decided Oakenshield was much more attractive. It was also a time of change for the project as I realised I really wanted to make a go of things – I had a full album written and no way of seriously getting it recognised in the scene.

MR: What are some of the tracks off Gylfaginning that you are most proud of?
Ben: I have a few personal favourites from the album. I like ‘Ginnungagap’ because it introduces the album nicely, instantly setting the scene for an epic journey, and the melody of the verses really create an atmosphere. ‘Idavoll’ is another favourite as it uses powerful rhythms, grand lead guitar parts and is the first track in which the violin is heard. ‘Fenris’ also stands out as it is the only fast-paced track on there, working off the momentum built up in the instrumental piece preceding it. It is the most ‘raw’ track on there, relying less on keyboard work and more on the guitars and vocals. ‘Vigrid’ is my overall favourite, acting perfectly as the culmination to the album and describing its epic story splendidly through its various sections. The way the album’s opening theme is brought gradually back in at the end is something I am proud of.

MR: Elaborate on the album cover.
Ben: The album cover photo was provided by Maciej Duczynski, a Polish photographer I discovered on Deviant Art. The picture was taken in Norway, and as soon as I saw it, I saw a potential album cover. It perfectly fits the theme of the album, which is the eventual fate of earth, represented by the ominous dark clouds coming into the shot. The image of the ravens was added by the artist, Stephan, and to me these represent the ravens Hugin and Munin. The conflict shown between them acts as an omen of the conflict between brothers at Ragnarok, and the image is used as a theme throughout the album’s artwork.

MR: What about the lyrics to Gylfaginning?
Ben: All the lyrics are based entirely on the book, using some poetic passages but mainly prose based on the text of the Edda. They cover the main stories of the book, from the creation to the destruction of the earth, in chronological order. The poetic passages blend in nicely with the prose sections.

MR: Ultimately, is the process collaborative? Are you the primary songwriter, or does everybody has an equal say?
Ben: I write all the songs, music and lyrics. As mentioned before, there are lyrical parts taken directly from the book, but all the prose and the arrangement is handled by me. There are no other people involved, nor will there ever be as far as I can see.

MR: You have many years of experience behind you. What’s been the toughest part of the journey?
Ben: The toughest part was trying to promote the project by myself. When it was still Nifelhel, it really didn’t get far off the ground in terms of distribution, but the project did receive a lot of attention on the internet through MySpace. This obviously wasn’t enough to attract the attention of any labels, so that’s when the change in musical direction and name change came about.

MR: Have your goals as a band changed at all since day one?
Ben: The main goal of making music that I love to play and to listen to still exists of course, but now I have certain responsibilities to keep in mind. The major goals now are to continue the project, not to become boring or predictable and to do well for the label.

MR: The band has excellent support from Einheit Produktionen or…?
Ben: Definitely. The label has given Oakenshield its total effort and support over the last year. I have never been involved with a label before, and being a new arrival in the industry I did not know all the ins and outs of the process, but both Einheit and Markus Eck have been there all the way to help me out and give me advice. The promotion I have received has been incredible, and the feedback from the press has been extremely positive.

MR: What makes a band special? What is that vital ingredient that separates a good band from a great one?
Ben: To me the main thing a band needs to do to be special is to be original. Every so often a group or artist will come along that will do something revolutionary, something nobody has thought of before. If they can pull it off perfectly then they will be remembered for it. Another important thing is passion, it is important to hear an artist’s passion for their own music coming through the speakers, not just the words and tunes.

MR: Do you see yourselves doing this in 20 years time?
Ben: I hope so, because I love doing it. If in 20 years’ time I’m not writing music, I’ll be producing it. I always want to stay within this industry.

MR: What are some of your favourite authors, books and movies?
Ben: My favourite authors are J.R.R. Tolkien, Snorri Sturluson and H.P. Lovecraft. I don’t read as often as I should, but my favourite books are the Lord of the Rings books, Beowulf, Egil’s Saga, the Prose Edda, Lovecraft’s short stories and non-fiction historical books. As for movies, the Lord of the Rings films are my favourites. I also like Mafia films and WWII films, as well as old action movies like Rambo, Commando etc.

MR: What are the band’s tour plans?
Ben: None at the moment, any live shows or tours would be a few years in the future. I couldn’t say now how likely it would be to see Oakenshield playing live in the future, but it’s always a possibility.

MR: Last words for our readers…?
Ben: Thanks for reading this interview, keep supporting underground genres and bands. Cheers!

Interview done by Bato