"All About The Album - 15 Questions" - a brand new section at the RockUnited site where any recording artist with an recently released CD is confronted with standard questions (15 of them, duh!). If you'd like to have your material up here, email: urban "at" rockunited.com (simply replace "at" with your standard @ )

THREE MINUTE MADNESS: "Disgraceful"

THREE MINUTE MADNESS, classy hard rock/metal from Sweden with one leg/foot/toe? in the nineties Seattle sound and the other way up north (they're from the northern town of Umeå). "Disgraceful" is the name of their debut album, CD release at Supernova Records. There's no need for such a strong language though... especially since this happens to be a mighty fine record in the category of "grunge" vs. traditional metal. Read on to find out more about this particular platter...

How has the reaction to your latest CD been?

The majority of the reviews have been really good. We’re happy with all the positive response but most important is all positive comments on our myspace and mail from fans etc. Getting good reviews is nice but in the end you have to be able to back it up with good live performances.

How long did this CD take to make from start to finish, recording-wise?

Memory is a bit fuzzy. I think we recorded drums for three days. Two weekends were used to record guitars/bass and two weekends for vocals. In total let’s say about 10-12 days of recording.

What kind of 'sound', production wise, did you have in the back of your mind, prior to entering the studio?

We wanted an ,"In your Face-production", modern mix but still dynamic. 

What kind of input did the producer have during the process?

Fredrik Enqvist (Fred Really) had a lot of ideas and great input when we recorded the vocal tracks and of course the mixing/mastering process. He pushed our singer, Fredrik Norman, really hard but the result got really good. He’s an old friend of the band so everything worked out great. Back in the 90-ies he played in a called Carpe Wade/Wade and have a lot of 
experience when it comes to recording.

And are you pleased with the final outcome? (sound - production wise)

Yeah, were pretty satisfied with the outcome. You can always wonder what the result would be have been like if we recorded at another studio etc, but with the budget we had and the gear at hand, we’re quite pleased.

Did the producer (you) use any (weird) experimental miking and/or recording techniques?

Nah, oldschool recording techniques. Nothing fancy, really.

How did you go on about capturing your 'live sound' in the studio, or perhaps you didn't

We didn't really think that much about it. We tracked drums, bass, guitars and vocals in that order. What we did spend some time on was getting a good guitar and bass sound. If you listen to the record it doesn't sound as "digital" as many of the newer metal records out there. We wanted a sound that we could reproduce when playing live. Gibson and Fender guitars. 
Mesa/Marshall/Ampeg amps. 

Please inform us about your favourite songs and lyrical highlights and why?

"Salvation". It's a blast to play live. Good energy and a strong melody.

Any overall theme of mood that you're trying to capture while writing songs?

Any mood does it, but most of our songs tend to lean towards a darker setting. 

Does your vision for coming up with music get affected at all by time?

Yes and no. Experience and everyday life influence you all the time. Sometimes a killer riff just pops up and that has 
nothing to do with anything.

Did the record company interfere with anything on your "sound" and songs?

No, the record was already finished when we signed with Supernova Records.

Are there any 'crazy' behind the scenes anecdotes from these sessions that you can share with us?

Well, not sure I would call it crazy but when Henrik Andersson tracked his guitar parts and solos, the 14-16 hour session 
left its mark. On the track "Open Eyes" there’s a lot of string bending 'ala Slash. He always dubs his solos and at the end of the day his fingertips were bleeding quite alot. He didn't touch a guitar for about two weeks after we were done with recordings. We had fun torturing him!

How would you describe the sound of your new CD to any potential new fan?

Great heavy riffs, amazing vocals and melodies. Good 'ol rock/metal songs. A mix of AIC/STP/Foo fighters and Guns n roses and you have Three Minute Madness. 

Who are your influences and heroes? (music-wise)

Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, Led Zeppelin, STP, Foo Fighters and the list goes on an on.

If there's anything you'd like to add, say, please do:

Thanks and check out our record “Disgraceful”!
Sincerely,
Three Minute Madness

Interview by: Urban "Wally" Wallstrom,
Photos from the band's websites www.facebook.com/threeminutemadness and www.threeminutemadness.se
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