Eleine – Under the Hell Moon
Tuesday, 24th December 2019
With two full-length albums to their credit in this decade, Eleine decided to close out the ‘10s with a brand new EP entitled All Shall Burn. Having stumbled upon a sound within the symphonic metal genre that feels more unique than most (somewhat due to the gothic and heavy twists in the music), they’ve built up a reputation as an act that is willing to push the boundaries. Something that they have continued with their latest release, with sweeping compositions and even a cover of Rammstein’s “Mein Herz brennt.” Vocalist Madeleine Liljestam caught us up to speed on their most recent work and details surrounding it, as well as a look at some of her favorite experiences in the band and fan interactions.
Dead Rhetoric: What do you feel that All Shall Burn provides for someone who is new to Eleine?
Madeleine Liljestam: To put it simply – More metal!
With our EP, All Shall Burn, both new and longtime followers will delve deeper into the sound that is ELEINE. We’ve gotten a bit darker, an evolution our followers have embraced and are excited to be part of.
Dead Rhetoric: You have two full-length albums under your belt in addition to All Shall Burn. How do you feel that your songwriting has changed as you continue on as a band?
Liljestam: We always write whatever feels right. We don’t sit down on a Monday asking ourselves what people might want to hear and what’s the hot trend right now. Rikard and I write all the music and lyrics, but I have to say – with the lineup we have now, there is room to make more advanced music than there was before. Which is fun for both musicians and music lovers alike!
We believe in staying true to ourselves, something I think our fans notice and that is also a big part of why they enjoy what we do. I’m just thinking out loud here, everyone has their own reason for liking something. But I believe fans like ELEINE for what we do as artists.
Dead Rhetoric: What can you say about the artwork for All Shall Burn?
Liljestam: I got a pretty clear idea about how the artwork should look like, and by accident I stumbled upon Nestor Avalos on Instagram one day. His drawn digital art caught my eye immediately. So Rikard and I put together a basic idea of what we wanted, and Nestor nailed it. Without saying too much about the artwork, it symbolizes, just as the entire EP, a hard time in our life that we’ve overcome.
Dead Rhetoric: How did you decide upon covering Rammstein’s “Mein Herz brennt?”
Liljestam: ”Mein Herz brennt” is our first cover and it was chosen because Rammstein has been a great inspiration to us over the years and we felt it was a great addition to the EP.
Dead Rhetoric: Is there any planning in the works for another full-length album in the near future?
Liljestam: Yes, there is. You’ll hear more about this in the near future.
Dead Rhetoric: How do you feel that Eleine separates themselves from other bands within the symphonic/gothic genre?
Liljestam: This question often comes up, and we feel really humbled to the fact that a lot of our fans, old and new, express that ELEINE sounds like nothing they really can compare it to. What makes it? I don’t know. We just, once again, write whatever feels right at the moment and we stay true to ourselves.
Dead Rhetoric: How important are the fan interactions for the band? You keep regular contact on social media and have also been doing YouTube videos as of late.
Liljestam: Fan interaction is something we value very much. YouTube videos, apart from music videos, is something we do whenever we have time….which is rare haha.
But, we have a Patreon page where we have an exclusive feed for members that get recap videos, behind the scenes material, we do monthly Live Q&A’s on Youtube etc etc. It has become the official fanclub of ELEINE and it is more engaging and fun than I could ever have imagined.
ELEINE gets a lot of messages, and so do I on my own account. I answer as often as I can, but it’s impossible to answer every DM or comment. But you all should know that we read all of it, and it warms our hearts knowing our fans spread love like they do.
Dead Rhetoric: What do you look for when you are coming up with ideas for a music video?
Liljestam: When we decided which songs to have a music video, pretty fast we see a clear picture in our heads and that’s what we’re striving for. Inspiration is everywhere my friend!
Dead Rhetoric: What do you enjoy about heavy metal? Is there anything you’d like to see change within the genre?
Liljestam: I love the dedication from metal fans, and I like how united everyone feels. Metal, heavy metal, dark metal, oriental metal, melodic death metal gothic metal…it’s all metal. There isn’t much I would like to see change within genres. Genres have a way of evolving anyways.
Dead Rhetoric: What are some of the best experiences that you have had with the band so far?
Liljestam: Oh, there are MANY, haha. Everywhere we’ve played has been the best experience in a way ‘cause that’s when we get to do what we love. Japan was something extra though since I’ve always wanted to go there and I really loved it. But I mean, the fans in Europe and the UK…wow. I am looking forward though to when we get to play in the US and Latin America for the first time too. The best experience by far is to perform with the band in front of a dedicated crowd; that is always the best experience.
Dead Rhetoric: What do you have planned for Eleine in 2020?
Liljestam: Coming up first we have a performance at a metal cruise in Sweden and after that we head out on a 5 week tour alongside with MYRATH in Europe, for which both I and the band are grateful for. I’m confident that it will be a great experience, and I am really looking forward to it. Everything happening after that, will be announced shortly.
