OHMORK – interview

Introduce your band and describe your latest release.

Ohmwork is a power trio from Tromsø, Norway’s Arctic capital. The band was formed in 2012.

Our sound is built around heavy riffs, hard-hitting drum grooves, thunderous bass, energetic guitars and melodic vocals packed with hooks.

The current lineup consists of Anders L. Rasmussen (guitars and vocals), Helge Nyrud (bass) and Eirik Dahl (drums).

Our latest release, Ex Nihilo, is our seventh full-length album. It sees us embracing a heavier, more direct and stripped-down sound, built around the raw power of the trio.

What’s the hardest part about being a band in this day and age?

The hardest part of being a small independent band is booking gigs. It takes up a huge amount of our time, and in eight out of ten cases, we don’t even get a reply to our inquiries.

The live music scene still hasn’t fully recovered to where it was before the pandemic, and many smaller venues, which are usually the best fit for us, are hesitant to book unknown acts that might not draw a crowd. That’s completely understandable. They have bills to pay and struggle to make ends meet themselves.

Another challenge is our location way up north. If we want to play outside our hometown, we’re looking at a five-hour drive to the nearest city worth visiting. Otherwise, we have to fly, which can get expensive.

When did you realise that your project had the potential to be much more than just a fun idea?

I guess everyone who plays in a band has been through a few different projects before finding the right one. Somewhere along the way, you end up in a lineup where everything just clicks.

The songs come together naturally, everyone’s ambitions align, and everyone has the time and energy to push the project forward. That’s when things start happening and you realise there’s potential to take it seriously.

Tell us about your latest release. Why should we check it out?

As mentioned, Ex Nihilo embraces the power of the trio format. We’ve stripped away the extra layers, and what you hear on the album is essentially what you get when we play live.

It’s darker, heavier and more relentless than much of our earlier material, with stronger hints of stoner and doom without straying too far from the Ohmwork sound.

If you’re into raw attitude, classic hard rock and metal with elements of doom, stoner and progressive rock, Ohmwork might be right up your alley.

How does a song typically come together for you?

Ideas pop up all the time. We either share them with the rest of the band straight away or save them for our writing sessions, where we get together and mess around with riffs and other ideas we’ve come up with.

Eventually, these ideas take shape as rough demos, which we refine and polish until we’re happy with the result.

How would you describe your sound to someone unfamiliar with the band?

Massive riffs, hypnotic grooves, raw melodies and the sheer force of three musicians playing loud.

What do you want listeners to take away from listening to your band?

The feeling of being dragged into an emotional black hole and spat out on the other side, with no idea what just hit you. And then wanting to dive straight back in for more.

Where would you really like to tour that you haven’t done so yet, and why?

We’ve heard that Germany is a great country to tour, and that German audiences tend to be open-minded and curious about new and unfamiliar bands. So Germany it is!

How would you say that the sound of your band has progressed over the years?

In many ways, we’ve come full circle and returned to where we started, with a renewed focus on the power of the trio format.

Along the way, it felt natural to explore new possibilities and expand our sound with acoustic guitars, organ and various effects. Some of these elements can be recreated live to a certain extent, but there’s always a compromise. Sometimes it’s simply impossible to capture exactly the same feel and atmosphere on stage as you can on a record.

How excited are you for 2027, and what can fans expect from you?

We’re absolutely stoked for 2027 and hope the new year will take us and our music to new and unfamiliar places.

Those who come to see us live can expect a tight, high-energy power trio with plenty of fire and a genuine hunger to play.

We might even throw some brand-new material into the setlist. Time will tell!