"We are just one of those bands [the duo is rounded out by drummer/keyboardist Erik Andersson -- Adrian] that likes to change things up each album. To take our music to the next level. We just want to improve things as we go along and I think we have done a good job with these last four albums", he says down the line from his home in Sweden. "But now knowing what we have done with our music over these four albums, for our fifth album we will look back and try to take our music to another area, to be influenced by other ideas. We already have some new material written, so the wheels are in motion."

What kind of ideas is he planning to bring to the music of Godgory?

"We just want to develop our sound. The gothic / death metal feel of our music is great, but there is a lot more we can do. I know there is."

The latest album by Godgory (recorded at Studio Fredman with Fredrik Nordstrom) is a solid album that is very atmospheric and dark. Gothic overtones clash vividly with the death metal, and some of the keyboard work is stunning. While at first the album may be hard to take in (such was the case with yours truly), a few spins of _Way Beyond_ will have you enthralled with the music this duo creates.

"I love everything about this record, especially the atmosphere. It is great", says Andersson of the music found on _Way Beyond_. "There are a lot of good ideas on this disc and a lot of them work well with each other."

"This is the first time we have ever done pre-production for one of our albums", the singer reveals. "We have a home studio and that allowed us to really concentrate on getting the songs right before we went into the studio to do the final recording. We were prepared and knew exactly how things had to be assembled and played. We will definitely do pre-production again next time around."

And seeing that this is the band's fourth album, has songwriting become any easier over the years, or is it still a challenge?

"It still takes time to write material, but not as long as one would expect. Erik writes a lot of the lyrics, so he has a good idea of what we should do and knows what we have done in the past -- so when it comes time to record, our ideas come together pretty quickly."

One listen of _Way Beyond_ and metal fans will notice that the longest song, "Final Journey" (8:34), opens the album. What was the decision behind that?

"We were so pleased with that song, and it came out great. It really offers a great atmosphere and brings the listener into the song", he says. "I like the fact that if some kid who doesn't know Godgory goes in the record store and listens to our album, when he hears the first track he will hear quality and a song that truly represents what Godgory is all about."

"A lot of our fans tell us that they like us because we just do things differently. Our sound is unique and we just approach songwriting a lot differently from most acts", he states. "I know they appreciate that we have cool atmosphere, slow parts mixed with brutal parts and some great guitar work. A lot of our fans have stuck with us since the early days and I totally understand why they still follow us."

"There are a lot of great songs on this album", the singer notes. "I like "Final Journey" and "Caressed by Flames". I already said why I like "Final Journey", but "Caressed by Flames" is also a very cool song. There are some great melodies that really make it an enjoyable listen." He adds, "I think our band's music really takes a lot of getting used to. I can see how some music fans that hear our album might not like it the first or second listen. But if they take the time to play the record and give it a chance, the music will stay in their head and they will become closer to the music."

What about the meaning of the album title _Way Beyond_?

"It actually comes from the Nicholas Cage movie "8mm"", Andersson explains. "There is a scene in the movie [which deals with snuff films -- Adrian] where Nicholas Cage is walking through a basement looking at several categories of movies being sold; one of the sections is titled "Way Beyond". We thought it was a great title for the new Godgory album. There really is no real meaning for the album title other than we liked the sound of it. If there is a meaning to it, it is up to the listener to decide for themselves."

The topic shifts to the music business and how many young bands want to make it beg come the first album. Godgory has been around since 1992, but didn't put out their debut disc _Sea of Dreams_ (on Invasion Records) till 1996. The band's growth and success has been in stages. How does Andersson feel about all of these young bands wanting to break out big early on?

He responds, "It would have been great if we had seen success with our first record, but it just didn't end up that way. If we had toured for that album things would have been better for us, possibly, and we might have more recognition."

So you don't tour at all?

"No we don't. We will try to tour for this album, but with two people in the band, it would be kind of hard to pull it off. We will try to get on the road this year. We want to recruit our session guitar player [Mikael Dahlqvist] to go, but he is busy with other bands. We'd like to see this happen. It is time to tour with Godgory. This record deserves a tour because it is a great album and people should hear the music in a live environment. I love playing this music 'cause of the way it makes me feel. I want people to experience that as well."

He ends, "I know if we toured, we'd have more fans, but at this point in time people who like us continue to buy our discs. Who knows? This tour may or may not happen. If that is the case, we will go back to the same way things have been for the band: we write records, record them and put them out. Then we start all over again and we are okay with that. Making music is the most important thing for Godgory and I think it shows."