Joining us this week are Adrian Utzon Dietz (Guitar) and Tobias Hjorth (Bass) of the Copenhagen, Denmark-based black metal band Solbrud. Their fourth album - a double live album and DVD titled Levende I Brønshøj Vandtårn - is a collection of material primarily from the band's first three albums, recorded in a water tower, over two sold out evenings in November 2019.

In addition to the acoustics and cold temperature, the water tower’s functionalist design and interior architecture offered unique conditions for Adrian and Tobias to consider when organizing the show and arranging the setlist. The building itself - beams, interior stairwell and fifteen seconds of natural reverb - is present in the recording as a collaborator; presenting an ideal platform for the band's monumental sound. Adrian discusses taking inspiration from architect Ib Lunding’s blueprints of the water tower - now almost 100 years old - to create a stunning visual presentation of the concert and space.

Levende I Brønshøj Vandtårn is the most recent example of Solbrud’s effort to find or create unique locations for its hometown shows in Copenhagen. Adrian and Tobias discuss how seeking out special locations enables the audience to build a strong connection to not only the performance but also the songs, themselves complex, physically demanding and re-worked to accommodate the specifics of the show. We conclude by discussing the bands next studio effort and reimagined approach to songwriting.

Check out a video of the entire performance, a playlist featuring Solbrud’s discography and links to information and blueprints of Brønshøj Vandtårn. 

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Episode Art and HH Logo By: Bryn Gleason

Live Photos By: Adriana Zak

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