Interview with Zillo Musikmagazin

Zensor-launching their career on the Internet
by Markus Furgut

With their first release, "Bunker" (Angel Production 2000),the Norwegian Industrial-Metal act Zensor probably will continue to establish a far wider audience. Sakari Janti (vocals), Glenn T. Nilsen (guitars/programming), Patrick Andersen (programming), Steinar E. Rossing (bass) and Thomas E. Jacobsen (drums) delivers with this four-track EP, Industrial-Metal that satisfies even the strongest of purists, high demands and expectations

The song "Nothing" thrills with it's sawing guitar-riffs and well-crafted synth-sounds and especially Sakari Jantti's singing varies between shouts of aggression through more subtle and undistorted passages, all delivered in a professional manner. Influences, such as Nine Inch Nails can also be heard within this track.

Returning more to the Metal-genre, the last song on the EP allows the drums to be more heard and with the loud and sharp bursts of guitar. "Intimat" stands out as a hard and heavy track.

No wonder then, that this sympathetic quintet is at ease with themselves and their surroundings: " ´Bunker`has become as hard and as dirty as we imagined it to be", proclaims Glenn T. Nilsen, songwriter and programmer/guitarist in Zensor. Upon releasing the EP in october ´01, the band was met with many reactions and much positive feedback; " The recception was overwhelming. We have received positive reviews in magazines in many countries and I am especially proud that listeners of genres as diverse as Metal, Goth and Industrial really seems to appreciate our music."

Even more surprisingly is the fact that no major labels until now have shown interest in Zensor's material and that it had to be a small independent label that arranged for a match seemingly made in heaven:
"Let us not forget that Zensor's first real demo was completed as late as early November 2000, in other words, only one week after finding our singer, Sakari Jantti." Posting the demo on the Internet made results, when Tom Kalstad, label manager of Angel Productions became interested.
After seeing the band live, Kalstad became convinced of the bands potential and soon signed a record deal with Zensor.
"We felt that signing the deal early on was a wise choice, as we're satisfied with being on the Angel label for the time being. The people involved, including us, are idealists and it suits us perfectly well, considering the amount of energy that went into the making of "Bunker".
Limited budgets again leading to complete creative control makes for a especially productive group, responsible for both the artwork on the EP and production:
"The creative control is very important and calls for us to do everything ourselves, with input from none or few outsiders. I think this makes for a more complete vision for the band", he concludes.

And for those who give the Zensor-sound a listen or two, surely will agree upon that these Norwegians fabricate and produce their own Sound.
"Thanks for the compliment. Producing our own sound has been our main goal from the start. But we will continue to grow. During the next year or so, we will go into postproduction on our first full-length album. Musically, the new material will be harder, darker and more beautyful. It will be more extreme poles in the music. We are excited and looking forward to presenting new material to the audience. We can't wait to see their reactions."

Zillo are excited too. Until the full-length album arrives, "Bunker" will continue to be a well-tasting teaser.