Please tell us a few words about the new release, about the music on it as a whole or a few words on each track in part. How are you happy with the final release?
Anima Sola follows in the footsteps of the first two singles «An all too human heart» and «Tro, håp og kjærlighet». 
«An all too human heart» is the culmination of a mental fire and ice. The forces of Muspell and Nifl collided into a frenzy of poetic lyrics and hard riffs, willing this song to be a revolt against myself and my own myth. It echoes the works of Aleister Crowley and John Muir, and certain lines of the lyrics were written all the way back in 2005. It’s the most personally challenging and painful song I’ve ever done, because I had to work through so many demons in order to clear the right path for it to take shape and become what it wanted to be. To me this song is like looking into a broken mirror, not knowing if the cracks are in the glass or in yourself. They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but what about the darkness?
“Tro, håp og kjærlighet” (“Faith, Hope and Love”) is a song with a sharp and accusatory pointed finger. This is the opening track, and the leading line «Can you believe in God when children wish to die?» (transl.) sets the tone for the rest of the album. While it is a peremptory indictment against blind faith, it also speaks volumes about the state of the world. It’s about self-destructiveness, about reaping what you sow, and about the brutality of merely existing. It revolves around loss, and uncomfortably asks all the questions we really don’t want to answer about ourselves.
These two opening tracks sets the scene for the remaining songs on the album. Seeing how the album opens with a question, it also closes with the question of «Oh why cast this blackness upon me?» from «Time for Suicide», pulling everything out in the open and not providing any answers.

How would you describe/label the music on it? Does it sounds like anything we might have heard before?
This is ice cold and relentless Norwegian Black Metal, the sonic equivalent of an open wound going straight for your guts. It definitely has the unique Minneriket sound, but with an added flair of more rock-oriented drums and a heavy audible bass making the rythmic sections something hard and uncompromising. 
The album is hugely experimental in the vocal section, but also in song-structure and rythms. The heavy energies of songs such as «Alle hjerter banker ei» is in stark contrast to vicious pieces such as «When life gets sick the dead grow strong», but they all fill the same atmospheric void.

Where was it recorded and how much time did it take you to record it? Any interesting stories from the recording/producing the material?
Actually, parts of the lyrics on this album was written back in 2005, so it’s been in the making for quite some years… Most of the music was written in 2015 and completed in 2016. Some parts had to be re-recorded early/mid 2017 after I re-wrote a lot of the lyrics. It’s important for me to be able to be what I present, and to become the right entity when I perform it. So I had to re-write a lot of the lyrics and record vocals again, performing it with the right feeling.  This is also the first time I’ve had an external partner providing the mastering, and the music this time was mastered by Nagasaki Sound who did a fantastic job. 

What can you tell us about the cover artwork? Is there a link between the artwork and the lyrics? What are the topics of your lyrics?
The art for both the two singles and the main album is of course tied to the lyrics of the album. I had some sketches I did myself, and reached out to the renowned goth artist Anna Marine who was able to bring her touch into this and really perfect my ideas. The atmosphere of artwork and lyrics both diverge from «normal» Black Metal aesthetics, and I’m very pleased with what we were able to achieve. All the three art pieces complement eachother and provides another depth to the holistic interpretation of this era of Minneriket.

What do you expect to gain through this release? What are the band's aims at the moment?
Right now Minneriket is focusing on establishing a firm presence in the underground and digging up some tombstones along the way. I want this music to reach out and touch some broken souls along the way.

Is there a special format the material is released in? Or is it released in multiple formats? How many copies were pressed?
The first singles were released digitally, with a complimentary music/lyric video, and featured on different compilation CDs in international magazines. The full-length album is released in a limited edition CD (first print: 50 copies) and a bundle with merch, and digitally of course.

Where and how will you promote this new release?
Other than the above mentioned exclusive releases with magazines for the singles, there have been a few select and private listening sessions for the whole album with relevant people attending. 

Where can we order it from?
All news and music will be available from www.minneriket.com. 

December 2017