Interview with Guitarist – Michael Nystrom Bala of Necronomicon Ex Mortis and Pete Devine of Pete’s Rock News and Views (https://petesrocknewsandviews.com)
PD: How would you describe yourself or your band as an artist?
A: Necronomicon Ex Mortis is a combination of 90s death metal riffs combined with 80s shreds, and all wrapped in a B-horror movie. We really want the listener to feel like they’re in a campy slasher when they listen to our songs.
PD: Can you tell us briefly about your background – i.e. where you’re from, how you came to make music, etc.
A: Well, I’m originally from Fargo, North Dakota. I’ve always loved music and writing, so it just seemed natural to pursue these things as a career choice. My first exposure to music was actually Joe Satriani’s Surfing With the Alien record, and ever since then I really haven’t put the guitar down.
PD: Who and what inspires you to make music, both in terms of musical and other influences? What do you like to write about in your songs?
A: Well, my music influences are pretty eclectic. I’m just as happy listening to Tears For Fears as I am listening to Suffocation. My biggest areas of musical inspiration tend to be metal (specifically death metal, power metal, thrash metal, and old school heavy metal), as well as 80s pop/new wave, and of course, nerdy guitar music. As for my non-musical influences, they tend to be horror of any kind. Movies, books, comics, games – anything horror related really gets me going. It’s worth mentioning I’m also a big fan of 80s/90s arcade games. Something about the way the gameplay mixes with the music really turns my crank, so to speak.
PD: What are your aspirations as an artist?
A: I like to break things up into manageable goals. The short-term goal is to record more music with Necronomicon Ex Mortis. The medium-term goal is to organize our first short tour and find a label that would feature us as an artist. Finally, the long-term goal is to put out LOTS of albums with Necro, while also dabbling in some other genres of music as well.
PD: What is the proudest moment in your music career so far?
A: Recently, Necronomicon Ex Mortis was mentioned on an “upcoming releases” list with a few other bands; one of the other bands was Dethklok. This blew my mind because Dethalbum I was one of the first death metal albums I ever bought and I’m a huge fan of Brendon Small.
PD: Promoting one’s music is such a challenge these days, especially with so many new
artists emerging from bedrooms in the day of the home studio. How is that going?
A: Promotion seems to be going well. There’s a lot of new music coming out every day, so our strategy is to release music as frequently as we can to stay in the public eye. Our 2nd EP should be out in a week, and we already have studio time reserved for EP #3.
PD: And how do you book and promote your live shows and tours? Any performances coming up?
A: Touring and playing shows are expensive in this day and age, and we don’t have the luxury of living in the same area. So, the current plan is to get 4 Eps or so released in the span of about a year, and then organize a tour once we have a name that’s a bit more known to metal fans. We’re (hoping) to do our first tour in the first 1/3 of 2024.
PD: What do you think about downloading music online? What about streaming sites like Spotify?
A: Well, I tend to prefer physical copies in exchange for paper money. Some of my favorite bands I found by going to music stores and just hanging out in the metal section. I hope more people can experience something like that while they still have the chance.
PD: What song do you wish you'd written and why?
A: Maybe this is an odd choice for a man in a death metal band, but I wish I’d written Fire of Rock by Racer X. To me, this is the perfect rock tune. It’s fast, catchy, has a great melody, and Paul Gilbert is playing guitar on it. What more could you ask for?
PD: Is there anything you don’t like about the music industry, which you would change if you could?
A: The music industry has always been a little funky, no matter which era you look at. If I 
could change anything, I’d just want people to take music and musicians more seriously, and for the music we release to be looked at more than just “content.”
PD: So, what are you working on at the moment?
A: I’m working on so much it’s a miracle I manage to sleep at all. At the time of this interview, we are about to drop our second EP called “Silver Bullet.” I’m also practicing a new round of tunes we’re going to record in October for the 3rd EP. I’m also writing songs for what will eventually be EP #4.
PD: Where can we learn more about you and buy your music/merch online?
A: We’re most active on Instagram and we’re slowly beefing up the YouTube channel!
https://www.youtube.com/@necronomiconexmortisofficial/videos
https://www.instagram.com/necronomiconexmortisband/?hl=en
https://www.necronomiconexmortisband.com/
https://necronomiconexmortis.bandcamp.com/
Thanks for the interview, guys!
Necronomicon Ex Mortis links:
Band/Artist location – Chicago, Illinois
Website – Facebook – You Tube – Bandcamp –
Instagram – Apple – Spotify – Amazon – Deezer –
Check our page for Necronomicon Ex Mortis
