HOSTILIA: “WE WERE PUT TO THE TEST!” After witnessing a jaw-dropping show by the youngsters of HOSTILIA, renowned producer Jakob Herrmann just had to see if the magic was real …
When the Gothenburg bar ‘2112’ (owned by members of In Flames / The Halo Effect) threw a party they handpicked a local Thrash Metal band called HOSTILIA as the highlight of the evening. One of the guests was the Top Floor Studios owner/producer Jakob Herrmann who left the establishment overwhelmed by emotions.
He was only there to party really, but walked home puzzled by the tight performance and the great songs. Jakob was in fact so eager to get rid of his curiosity that he offered HOSTILIA to record some songs in his studio. For free.
To put his initial positive gut feeling to the TEST, he decided to record the band without safety nets: All of the members in the same room. NO OVERDUBS. NO CLICK TRACK. NO SAVES OR FIXES OF ANY KIND – a scrutiny so revealing that many established bands would have turned the offer down.
HOSTILIA entered the studio and recorded three songs 100% LIVE during one day and let a bunch of cameras document the whole thing. Then the songs were mixed and paired with a video from the session.
“It’s common that artists expect the engineer or the producer to bring the magic. Sure, a lot can be done nowadays. But that special ‘something’ has to come from within the artist. Watching HOSTILIA nail track after track in the studio with cameras adding to the pressure made was remarkable. That kind of honest youthful energy is impossible to imitate. It’s a rare gift and it’s obvious HOSTILIA’s got it”, states producer Jakob Herrmann.
Songs 1-3 recorded live at Top Floor Studios Jan 14th, 2024. Recorded, mixed and produced by Jakob Herrmann. Song 4 (vinyl/cd bonus track) recorded at Nacksving Studios by Kim Ruiz. Mixed by Per Stålberg at Welfare Sounds. Song 5 (bonus track) recorded live at Restaurant 2112, Gothenburg (Sweden). Mixed by Carlos Sepúlveda. All songs mastered by Johan Reivén (Audiolord Mastering). Cover painting by Karl-Oskar Hansson. Layout by Niklas Sundin. Top Floor live session videos produced by PA Nilsson.
HOSTILIA / A GOTHENBURG THRASH METAL ATTACK!
Gothenburg based HOSTILIA was formed by the brothers Albert (drums) and William Lindeblad (lead guitar) in the fall of 2021. The band quickly caught the attention of the underground, generating great reviews and playlist additions. The reputation of HOSTILIA as a killer live act soon began to spread. When the brothers were joined by bassist Gabriel Sepúlveda, guitarist Petter Hernroth and frontman Tim Angelini, the band had finally found its bonafide lineup. The band is currently in the studio recording their debut album.
JAKOB HERRMANN / TOP FLOOR STUDIOS:
Top Floor Studios is a recording studio situated in a 19th century theatre, one of the most iconic buildings in the heart of Gothenburg, Sweden. The owner Jakob Herrmann is a renowned producer who’s resume includes working with bands like Anthrax, In Flames, Europe, Machine Head, Raised Fist, Dark Tranquillity and Devin Townsend. Jakob is known for his skills in recording drums and has created signature products for plugins and software companies like Superior Drummer / EZdrummer, Softube and Bogren Digital.