Metal, Hardcore, Indie, Rock
From Dimmu Borgir’s triumphant Helsinki show to Entombed’s difficult final years and Cemetery Skyline’s next album, bassist Victor Brandt looks back on a career that has taken him through several corners of heavy music in a new interview with Chaoszine.
Swedish bassist Victor Brandt has built a remarkable career with bands including Dimmu Borgir, Entombed, Firespawn and Cemetery Skyline. Chaoszine caught up with him at the House Of Metal festival in Umeå, Sweden, to discuss life on the road, his musical beginnings, difficult memories from Entombed and what comes next.
Victor Brandt had recently completed a European tour with Dimmu Borgir, Behemoth and Dark Funeral. One performance stood out in particular.
“The Helsinki show was one of the best of the tour actually, and one of the best crowds of the tour as usual,” Brandt said. “Everything works in Finland, people are great. Production-wise everything works and is prepared. So for touring musicians it’s like a treat to play in Finland.”
The tour was not without logistical challenges. With Dimmu Borgir and Behemoth alternating the closing slot, crews had to accommodate two full-scale headline productions.
“Usually it’s one headline production and then smaller ones for the supports. But now it was two big headline productions that needed to fit, and we switched every other day,” he explained. Despite the workload, Brandt praised the crews and was pleased to see extreme metal drawing crowds in large venues.
Brandt has also contributed riffs to Dimmu Borgir’s recent material. Although he acknowledges that the band has two principal songwriters, he enjoys bringing ideas to the table and was happy to hear some of his parts make the final recordings.
“I like to write music and I had some ideas,” he said, adding that it was particularly rewarding when songs featuring his contributions were chosen as singles.
Brandt grew up in a Swedish village of around 800 people. Before the internet made music easy to discover, even hearing a local band rehearse was an event.
“Me and some friends of mine, we used to ride our bikes near the house where they were rehearsing. Sometimes we could hear they were practicing. Whoa, super cool.”
From early on, music was more than a hobby. He dreamed of writing records and touring internationally, although he initially felt protective of that ambition.
“I had this goal in life … to be a full-time touring musician and write songs, albums and record and tour worldwide,” he recalled. “I never had a plan B, so this is it. It has to work.”
He first picked up the guitar, but discovered bass after being required to choose a second instrument at music school. He had considered the Swedish folk instrument nyckelharpa, but could not find a teacher.
“When I started playing bass, it felt just like coming home,” he said. His influences have ranged from Motörhead and S.O.D.’s Dan Lilker to Primus bassist Les Claypool and Tool’s Justin Chancellor. For Brandt, the choice between a pick and fingerstyle playing comes down to what best serves the song.
Brandt was already a huge Entombed fan when an unexpected encounter changed his career. While waiting at an airport, he met vocalist Lars-Göran “LG” Petrov, who noticed his Grave T-shirt.
Later, Brandt contacted Petrov through MySpace and offered to help out if the band ever needed a session player. The answer came as a surprise: they did.
Initially, the plan was for Brandt to fill in on bass while another member was away for family reasons. But his introduction to the band was anything but gradual.
“They called me … ‘Can you do two festivals this weekend? We’re playing Bloodstock and Summer Breeze.’ And yes, of course,” Brandt recalled. “They sent me the set list and flight tickets. So I practiced as much as I could. And the first time I saw them was at the airport on the way to the gig.”
The shows went well, and what began as a temporary arrangement turned into years of playing with the Swedish death metal pioneers.
Brandt remembers his time in Entombed fondly, but the band’s later internal difficulties remain painful. He says he sensed early on that there was an unspoken issue surrounding new material.
“I was so psyched when joining Entombed,” he said. “I kind of quickly understood there was sort of an elephant in the room about writing new material.”
He offered songs of his own, initially assuming that the others simply lacked inspiration. Eventually, he realized there were deeper disagreements he did not fully understand.
“There was all of a sudden two versions of the band. And that was kind of weird,” he said. “I would have preferred if there were more communication and everyone that wanted to play could play.”
Brandt stressed that the underlying conflict was not his to resolve. Although Entombed A.D. allowed the musicians to record and tour again, he wishes the split had never happened.
His subsequent move to Dimmu Borgir came at a convenient time: Entombed A.D. had completed an album cycle just as the Norwegian band was preparing to tour behind “Eonian”.
At House Of Metal, Brandt was also performing with Firespawn, the death metal band he formed with Petrov and other musicians. After Petrov died in 2021, continuing without him initially felt impossible.
Now, with Jörgen Sandström handling vocals at live shows, the band has returned to the stage with a clear purpose.
“With Firespawn, 100%, we’re here for LG Petrov and to keep his memory alive,” Brandt said.
He also wears a shirt that belonged to Petrov. It carries a deeply personal connection: Brandt remembers seeing the singer wear it at an Entombed show in Sundsvall long before they became bandmates.
“Little did I know that we would play in the same band and I would use his shirt,” he reflected.
Whether Firespawn will record new music remains undecided. “We’re not closing any doors, but we have no concrete plans,” Brandt said. For now, the priority is enjoying the performances and honoring their late friend.
Another important chapter in Brandt’s career is Cemetery Skyline, whose melodic gothic metal is quite different from much of his earlier work. The band’s debut, “Nordic Gothic”, was originally intended to be a studio-only project.
“We had plans with Cemetery Skyline to never perform live,” Brandt explained. He recalled singer Mikael Stanne insisting that he would never sing an entire clean-vocal set onstage.
An invitation to Finland’s John Smith Rock Festival changed those plans. Once the members checked their schedules, a debut show suddenly became possible. Extensive preparation helped make the performance a success.
Brandt admitted that he had initially worried the project might be too melodic compared with his other bands, but he has come to enjoy the freedom and dynamics of its music.
“Anything goes,” he said of the band’s creative attitude. “It’s very cool. Very relaxed.”
The group is now working on its second record. “We have a bunch of songs, like more than enough songs, demos for the next album,” Brandt revealed. “And it’s going to be even better.”
He believes the new songs are not dramatically different from the debut, although he cautioned that it is difficult to judge a record while still working on it. The new album is currently the band’s main priority.
After a busy 2026, Brandt expects somewhat less touring in 2027, although Dimmu Borgir will remain active.
“Dimmu hasn’t been very tour active,” he said of the band’s recent years. “This year was a busy one for Dimmu.” He nevertheless expects more live activity: “It’s going to be gigs and tours next year.”
Cemetery Skyline also has festival appearances lined up, but its main focus is completing the next album. Brandt added that he is open to session work while his schedule remains relatively flexible.
Before the interview ended, he returned to his affection for Finland, describing the country as a second home and praising the reception both Dimmu Borgir and Cemetery Skyline have received there.
Watch Chaoszine’s full video interview, filmed at House Of Metal in Umeå, Sweden:
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