Vittra’s latest release Intense Indifference doesn’t just hit hard—it burrows under the skin. Where 2022’s Blasphemy Blues showed their technical prowess and thematic depth, this new album strips everything down to something more primal, more instinctive. We caught up with Gustav, David, and Johan to unpack the inner chaos behind the stoic façade—and how that emotional duality shaped the record.
“Intense Indifference” explores inner turmoil hidden behind a stoic facade. How did this emotional duality shape your songwriting and performance on this record compared to Blasphemy Blues?”
Gustav: “Inner turmoil hidden behind a stoic facade” I really like that phrasing, thank you! For this album the songs were based on primal feelings of the instrumental tracks and then given names and themes. So, back to basics is how I would phrase the songwriting process of the lyrics. Johan brought the riff, the framework for the song and then came David and added whatever vibe he could find in it, and as we rounded the songs up in the end you could kind of see this pattern of every song having a theme of basic human feelings or even instincts. This is more or less apparent for the listener depending on the song I think. But we literally have a song called “Hate” so that one should be kind of obvious.
David: At first it was a lot easier to look inwards to find inspiration, but it was also easy to make it fall short. You don’t want to overwork it nor can you half-ass it. If it’s going to be impactful you need to own the words and your creation. It was challenging but me and Gustav grew as lyricists. I had a more theatrical approach this time around on every song and it felt and sounded better.
You’ve said “Reign Supreme” is about resisting false promises and standing together. Was there a specific event or cultural atmosphere that inspired this message?
David: Not really, it’s more of a general (fuckoff) feeling which I assume most of us have had. It can be interpreted differently and have different meanings depending on the listeners experiences.
The record features contributions from artists associated with bands like Soilwork and Valkyrja. How did these collaborations influence the dynamics or atmosphere of the album?
Johan: It definitely added to the dynamics, additional layers and dimensions, for the listeners but also for us as musicians and songwriters. I personally just love the piano on Transylvanian and what it does to the song, adding a different level of musicianship. Also the shaker on Burn(h)er and how it first goes with the percussive acoustic guitars on the choruses but then also how it adds that extra intensity to the second halves of verse two and three. I guess details that to me make the songs more interesting from a musical perspective.
Might be worth mentioning Lawrence as well and his additions as part of the mixing process where there are samples added and even some background vocals from his side. Besides Linus, from Valkyrja, participating in the background vocals he also contributed in giving an extra twist to the mid-section of MOFO.
David: Linus definitely brought that extra spice that was very needed for MOFO. It’s a long song and a lot of me, adding a different singer was much needed to keep a fresh feeling.
The band name evolved from Vildvittra to VITTRA, rooted in Swedish folklore. How much of your national folklore or heritage still influences your lyrical or musical direction?
Johan: On the musical side, a lot. I come from a part of Sweden where the musical heritage and folk music is really strong, and I think it’s always there in the harmonies and melodies of my contributions to our music. Very obvious in the intro and chorus riff on MOFO, or maybe slightly less obvious but still there, as the pre-chorus on Reign Supreme, to mention some examples.
David: Lyrically it still does as well but it’s much less on this album, Burn(h)er for example is about burning witches. We can guarantee a lot more folklore on the third album.
Johan: Having experienced David and Gustav working together on the lyrics I guess it will be a process and we’ll see where it ends up.
Gustav: Personally, I really enjoy different folk music from different regions, not only in Sweden. So I am definitely a fan of the more traditional melodies and for sure a fan of music where strong melodies play a big role.
I like going for themes where you can add folklore or mythical beings because they almost always carry some form of message by themselves and then you can choose to either use this message or corrupt it in your own way. For this album we didn’t go for classical Swedish local folklore. To make things work in the lyrics we created more abstract demons that act like the embodiments of the themes. On this album the feeling or theme came first and then a monster was added rather than the other way around. In the song “Bound by Blood” for example we never mention a monster or imply some mythological creature but at the same time we try to depict this patchwork freak stitching himself up with body parts of someone dear to him. So in conclusion: the monsters are there but they are not playing the main role, they are side kicks, there to create scenery and make the song less abstract.
“Transylvanian Buffet” sounds both theatrical and possibly satirical. What’s the story behind that track, and how does it fit into the album’s broader themes of emotional conflict and illusion?
David: It’s about a bloodsucking vampire or alcoholic who murders or consumes women, it’s up to the reader. We had to tone it down a bit to make it less pg13. So to boil it down, it’s about lust and its grip around its host. We have all been there at some point in our lives and those who claim otherwise are filthy liars.
Gustav: I remember, as we started working on the vocals, that we had like 90% of the song done instrumentally. David was left with the task to come up with something fitting so he wrote a song about the boogie man. The idea didn’t really fly with us so he kept on working on something different. He ended up with a story about a really messed up drunk on some rampage. I remember that we started working together from that point on and I kinda wanted the track to continue on the lines of some sort of folklore or mythological theme. What ended up happening was that we made the sick bastard in the song into a vampire and used the descriptions and themes from the song to resemble acts of something a blood sucking monster would do as well as some psychopath with an alcohol addiction. The song, in my opinion, turned really obscene but also fun because of this and the complete shift to twangy rock’n’roll-guitar in the solo just added the cherry on top!
In regards to our sound and spirit I think this song is a prime example of how we work: by trying out new ideas and to make things fun and experimental. I must say though that this probably is the furthest we have gone so far, so I am more than excited to hear if this will be shit or a hit.
Johan: I can only agree with Gustav, really looking forward to the reactions on this one. The main inspiration musically is more from hip-hop and rap, then with some harmonies that I wanted to try out in combination with some more melodic Metal feel as we have on the pre-chorus. I’m not sure what the others thought from the start but I’m really happy that we have the openness in the band to do something like this and I’m super happy how it turned out, definitely one of my favourites on the album.
If you had to pick one album that captures the true essence of your band’s sound and spirit, what would it be — and why?
David: I think the album we come closest to is “The Dead Eye” by The Haunted. It packs a punch and tight riffs, we try to deliver the same energy but we take different paths along the way.
Johan: That’s a tough one. The Dead Eye is a great album, especially the song “The Medication” that definitely is an inspiration. I would also mention The Gathering by Testament. It includes a lot of thrashy guitars, superb drumming, a bit of melancholy and also a quite diverse set of songs with intensity, groove and melodies.
With the recent passing of Ozzy Osbourne, an icon of heavy music, how has his legacy impacted your own journey as metal musicians — either musically or in mindset?
Johan: Musically his music is part of my upbringing as a musician. Maybe more as a solo artist than as part of Black Sabbath, at least directly. Although I have of course played songs like Paranoid and War Pigs in earlier bands. There are some very direct influences from Bark at the Moon in some of the guitar work on both this one and on our previous album Blasphemy Blues. I have mainly listened to the Zakk stuff but stolen, or let’s say borrowed, more from Jake E Lee.
David: The first rock song I ever learned on the guitar was Iron man and we who learned it were a part of a school rock project. I guess you could say that’s how my interest in being in a band began.
Gustav: For me, Ozzy was one of my absolute first contacts with metal and rock music. The first album I ever bought was “Black Rain” (2007) and I also adored the “Live at Budokan” DVD. For me Ozzy was plain and simple, really great metal music being both heavy and melodic. I think that Ozzy has affected me in the way he was as an entertainer. Apart from making great music he always seemed to be so genuine and perform out of his heart. And I kind of like that idea, and that people notice this and that it enhances the music.
Johan mentioned building a track around tight right-hand rhythm work with groovier mid-tempo drums. Can you break down the specific gear or setup that helped achieve that sharp, Annihilator-meets-Priest tone?
Johan: The starting point has been for quite some time now my Ibanez guitar and a Peavey 5150, block letter on this album and then maybe not fully similar but an EVH on Blasphemy. Lars, our lead guitarist, always says that the main part sits in the hands and of course it does, but I think the Lundgren mics I use also contribute a bit, being very responsive and adding some of that sharpness. So I would say the resemblance to Priest and Annihilator is maybe more about the riffing style, especially the mid-section, than the gear or playing.
If the mythical Vittra creatures from Swedish folklore started a metal band in the woods, what would their first single be called and what instrument would each of them play?
David: It would be called “ Ett väsens bekännelse”, in English something like “The confessions of a Vaesen“. If I use the band instead Lars would be the Nix, since he lives near a river and he would play key harp. Johan who is from the colder part of Sweden would be the Dalecarlian guy who plays accordion. Alex is from the US so he could be Bigfoot and he goes “bangbang” with his stick. Gustav, a farmer’s boy, is the true house elf and he would play the banjo. I could be “Strömkarlen”, a version of the Nix. Just because I also live near the river and play the harp.
Johan: Not sure on the roles but I would add a birch trumpet and then a violin or two, then I think we would be quite close. I like the title!
Vittra’s Intense Indifference is out now, a blazing testament to inner duality, creative risk, and the monsters we create to make sense of our emotions. Whether you hear folklore in the riffs or demons in the lyrics, one thing’s clear—this band is only getting bolder.
Intense Indifference will be released on LP and digital formats. Find preorders at THIS LOCATION.
Intense Indifference Track Listing:
- MOFO
- Reign Supreme
- Burn(h)er
- Transylvanian Buffet
- Soul Searcher
- The Leap
- Bound By Blood
- Hate
- End To It
- Piece By Piece
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