Interview | Guitarist Carlos Alvarez of Behölder

A True Visionary

Every era in metal needs visionaries, artists who dare to redefine boundaries and reshape genres. Carlos Alvarez is one such force. With a career spanning more than two decades, Alvarez has become a familiar name in the international metal scene. As the former guitarist and songwriter for Power Theory and Shadowdance, he’s left an indelible mark on American heavy metal. But with his latest project, Behölder, Alvarez proves his creative fire burns brighter than ever.

The band’s debut album, `In The Temple of the Tyrant’, is a tour de force that speaks to fans of epic doom and US heavy metal, but also to those who crave melodic power and adventurous concept albums. As I wrote in my review for HeadBangersLifestyle: “Behölder may well be creating a turning point in doom metal, but for now, ‘In The Temple of the Tyrant’ is simply a stunning release. Listen and shiver!”

I do not stand alone in my findings with colleagues in the field heralding the band for its creative thrive and musical bliss. International media echo this sentiment: Metal Temple calls the album “a masterclass in epic storytelling and sonic power”, while Angry Metal Guy hails Behölder as “a bold new voice in the realm of doom and power metal”.

What truly sets Behölder apart is not just their musical prowess, but their immersive conceptual vision. Dungeons & Dragons lore, Lovecraftian mythos, and a touch of theatrical grandeur combine for a listening experience that’s as captivating as it is heavy. With guest appearances from the likes of Tomi Joutsen (Amorphis) and the charismatic vocals of John Yelland, `In The Temple of the Tyrant’ is an album that refuses to let go. It is as commanding as it is challenging and refreshing.

In this exclusive mail interview, we dive deep with Carlos Alvarez into the origins of Behölder, his departure from Power Theory, the creative process behind the album, and the influences that shape his work. We leave no stone unturned, uncovering the stories behind the music, for diehard fans and newcomers alike, and for anyone curious about the future of metal.

Prepare to journey into the `In The Temple of the Tyrant’, and discover why Behölder is already being hailed as one of the most promising and refreshing new names in the genre. Let’s welcome Carlos Alvarez to the stage, the charismatic writer and composer, separating from the masses as a man on a mission, the visionary with the future unfolding:

FORMATION & DEPARTURE FROM POWER THEORY

Carlos, let’s start at the crossroads: What led to your departure from Power Theory, and how did that moment of transition ignite the formation of Behölder?

,,There were several factors involved with that, nothing worth getting into really. The only important thing is that I’ve remained friends with those guys. Things may not have turned out how I would have preferred, but I’m still 100% proud of the `Force Of Will’ album I produced and wrote a majority of music for. I told those guys if they would trust me with taking the helm for it, I would help deliver their best album up to that point and I feel we accomplished just that. I would have liked to do at least one more album with the same lineup and even had a couple albums worth of new material written and demoed out for it but it never came to be. Such is life.’’

BLENDING DOOM AND POWER METAL

The Power Theory album indeed kicked up real gravel in the metal machine. Gripping back to the heydays of classic US Power metal, the band and Alvarez brought serious new light to the plate. Clawing deep into the rich past of metal, they fused European influences into the brooding potion that would define the path for his future as a composer. Behölder’s debut feels as a continuation of the Power Theory strain, but also strays from the classic path with a more sinister approach to the musical content. Blending doom and power metal, the band and Carlos are on a sonic exploration trip enriching the genre and widening the musical scope!

Was it a creative restlessness, personal evolution, or something else entirely that pushed you to take this leap?

[Carlos elaborates on the subject] ,,A bit of it was definitely creative, restlessness for sure. As I mentioned, after the previous Power Theory album, I had written a huge batch of songs for the follow up but then the whole covid thing hit. I even tried to push for a “covid album” like a lot of bands were doing at that time.

Basically, reworking some of the older songs with the new line-up and then throwing in a couple of brand-new songs to keep some momentum going. That ultimately didn’t go anywhere, so while waiting to see what would happen, I took the opportunity to finally re-record and remix the 1^st Shadowdance album `Ageless’. This is something I had wanted to do for years at that point and just never had the chance. Once that was done there was still really nothing going on with Power Theory.

A friend of mine in another band was also having similar issues and we were talking one day about maybe just putting a project together for fun and to keep ourselves busy. We’re both huge Dungeons & Dragons fans and I told him I’d always wanted to do a doom metal band based in that lore, even had the name and everything. He was very excited about the idea as well so that’s what initiated everything. A few months later it seemed things started picking back up with his band and he told me he wouldn’t be able to do anything. So, I told him I was going to run with the idea, having already written 6 songs for it at that point. I spent the next few months writing a few more and then putting feelers out to who might be interested in doing this with me.”

THE PHILADELPHIA METAL SCENE

You’ve been part of the Philadelphia metal scene for over two decades and have seen bands evolve and dissolve. How did your experiences in Power Theory and Shadowdance shape your vision for Behölder, both musically and personally?

,,Honestly, neither band had much to do with what I had in mind for Behölder. In fact, the idea was to do something that was as much its own thing and different from both as possible. Shadowdance is tricky because the whole intention of it, from day 1, was to have no musical limits. So, while it’s in that older, more aggressive power metal format with progressive elements, it also allowed for everything from death metal, 70s hard rock, latin jazz, etc. to creep in. Everything I wrote that ended up being the Behölder album was written from a completely independently minded place.

I found myself just enjoying and having fun with what I was writing, and being inspired by the subject matter and writing specifically in this style. As the press release says; everything was written as a love letter to the classic doom metal albums I grew up with and loved. Of course, it’s still me writing, so some of the power and traditional metal sensibilities would naturally find their way in, but as I’ve said to others, listen to those old Candlemass, Trouble, Solitude Aeturnus albums and you’ll hear plenty of power metal and traditional metal stylings throughout.”

Behölder’s origin story is entwined with your passion for Dungeons & Dragons and classic doom metal. Can you walk us through the moment when the idea of merging these worlds became a concrete band rather than just a dream?

,,The idea originally 1^st came to me a few years prior but it was just something I had sitting in the back of my mind until the time was right. I’ve been a lifelong D&D fan, starting from the late 70s as a kid. Now obviously there are many bands, especially in power metal, that draw heavily from fantasy elements of all kinds. Aside from a few exceptions here and there, no one really seemed to be focusing on the darker aspects of it all. For me, D&D, specifically old school D&D, has more of that grim feel to it. Using classic styled Doom metal as a vehicle to draw in listeners to these amazing worlds and characters but telling those “dark tales” just made sense for me.

Hey even Candlemass mentions “Dungeons and Dragons” specifically on the song ,,Ancient Dreams” so they obviously were onto something before me, they just only touched on it in the occasional song rather than having it as the framework for all their music.”

BAND CHEMISTRY & CREATIVE PROCESS

One of the key ingredients of the album is the interaction of the musicians. There’s an impressive amount of energy lamenting from the interaction and musical marksmanship. It is tough to imagine the short term of the band being put together in this line-up and the intense interplay at display. It feels natura land fluent, lamenting into great comradery eluding from the recordings. The natural vibe and contemporary elements find its way into the listener immediately, and with the sonic tapestry of the production, it all feels immensely organic.

The chemistry within Behölder feels palpable, especially with the addition of vocalist John Yelland. How did you assemble this lineup, and what qualities were you seeking in your bandmates to realize your vision for `In The Temple of the Tyrant’?

,,Most important was I needed to work with people that I knew I liked and would get along with. This was started with the goal of ‘have fun / no stress / no drama’. I’ve been at the point for a long time where if I’m not having fun with the people, I’m doing this with, it’s not worth it, full stop!

That, and people who can write / record independently. So yeah, I already had in mind who I wanted to work with from the start. Definitely John (Yelland) and Matt (Hodsdon) at first.

I had been very impressed with Andrew’s (Julkowski) drumming on the last Chaos Frame album, so I asked Matt if he thought he might be interested. I had no idea what kind of person he was so it was a stab in the dark regarding that, but as it turns out; dude is the perfect person for the job. His skillset speaks for itself but on top of that he’s just a super chill, friendly and likeable person. He wrote me when Matt passed my message along and we hit it off pretty quick and he got to work even quicker which really impressed me more. No messing around. He also handled himself, completely independently, with booking studio-time to track his drums and getting all that sorted. So yeah, Andrew is awesome and it was really a wonderful stroke of luck getting him on board which I’m real thankful for.

Michael (Sanchez) I’d known via his time in Judicator and we hit it off great even back then. The fact we had a great report coupled with his already having worked with John, made him the natural choice to complete the line-up. He’s a very talented multi-instrumentalist, an absolutely sweet guy, and might have just about the most dead pan delivery I’ve ever heard when talking, which makes the funny things he says hilarious. I’m thrilled he agreed to jump in on this. The real test was, when we all finally got together last November, to do group pics and shoot the video. Within minutes we were all joking with each other like we’ve been hanging out for years, and I’m just lucky to be surrounded by such excellent talent and personalities.”

You wrote nine songs in a short burst of inspiration when your previous band went on hiatus. Was this a cathartic process, and did you feel a sense of creative liberation compared to your previous projects?

,,There was zero pressure to write because it was literally just being done for the fun of it and with no immediate end goal at the time. I felt very inspired and was really enjoying and looking forward to getting home from work every day and breaking out the guitar to write more. It had been a while since I’d felt that enthusiastic about writing or playing, so I just let myself soak it up and went where it took me”.

THE STORYTELLING ASPECT

How do you and John Yelland approach the storytelling aspect? Is it a collaborative process, or do you each bring your own worlds and then find the common ground?

Carlos digs a little deeper revealing the perfect interaction and gelling camaraderie in the band:
,,So far the process has been I give him the music for a song and my basic arrangement for it vocally, what’s intended to be a verse, a chorus, etc. I usually have a song title already at that point so he’ll do a dive on the lore for whatever the title is pointing towards and then come up with a 1^st rough draft of lyrics and melodies.

Then I take that and refine / change / add whatever I feel needs it and throw it back at him. If we’re both in agreement from there, he’ll do his final version based on my notes or more typically, my vocal recordings of the changes. We did this for basically every song. Some stuff was way more me but most of it was a close 50/50. Only one that was pretty much 100% John is “For Those Who Fell”. Only change I asked of him for that was to write additional lyrics for the verse parts”

INFLUENCES & CONCEPTUAL GROUNDWORK

,,In The Temple of the Tyrant” is steeped in epic doom and US heavy metal, with clear nods to the likes of Black Sabbath, Candlemass, and Paradise Lost, but also a melodic American touch. What artists or albums were most influential during the writing and recording of this album?

It is pretty obvious Behölder and Alvarez hold a special place in their hearts for the slow croawl of doom classics, but boy, am I treated a history lesson in doom with his answer: 
,,I would say the 1^st few Candlemass albums for sure, especially `Epicus Doomicus Metallicus’. Definitely `Into The Depths Of Sorrow’ and `Beyond The Crimson Horizon’ by Solitude Aeturnus. Also `Rhymes Of Lunacy’ from Memento Mori. Those would all be the primary influences for this particular album. The last couple Sorcerer albums factored in there as well”.

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS

The Dungeons & Dragons theme is more than just a gimmick; it’s woven into the very DNA of the band. What draws you to this mythos, and how do you translate its lore and atmosphere into music and lyrics?

,,Heavy Metal and fantasy are definitely no strangers to each other. There have been lots of bands drawing influence from one set of worlds or another whether it be Tolkien, Howard, Moorcock, etc. For us, the nature of the music we’re creating lends itself to focusing more on the darker aspects of these fantasy settings. There’s plenty of bands out there telling stories about emerald swords and defeating the dragons and all that. We’re here to talk about the righteous paladin losing control to an evil cursed artifact or the master of thieves believing in his own legend a little too much. Those make for more interesting stories in my opinion. Also, I’m just messing around a little with the ‘emerald sword’ comment… I love Rhapsody”. He continues laughing….

The album’s production is notably clean and powerful, a departure from the murkier sound typical of doom metal. What was your vision for the sonic landscape, and how did working with Ronnie Björnström help you achieve it?

,,From the very start of this I knew I wanted to avoid the fuzzy, lo-fi approach a lot of doom bands opt for. It works great for that kind of retro, sludgy / stoner-type doom, but that is not us and that was never the intention for this band. It had to be massive and powerful sounding, with lots of weight, but clarity was just as high on the priority list. Ronnie absolutely nailed exactly what I was hoping for even before I knew exactly how to articulate it. I basically said to him something like ‘the last Sorcerer album is amazing, like that but not sounding anything like that’, and somehow, he almost immediately knew what he wanted to do. ‘No problem, bro!’

Next thing I know, he’s taking the album into an almost Metallica `Black Album’ direction and it just seemed to work perfect”.

SONGWRITING & CREATIVE FREEDOM

Let’s dive into specific tracks. ,,A Pale Blood Sky” fuses US-metal melody with doom’s weight and slow tempos. What was the inspiration behind this song, both musically and lyrically?

,,So musically the 1^st opening riff was also the very 1^st riff I wrote for this album. It kindaset the stage for where everything else sprung from. I guess I felt if I had just 1 riff, I could show anyone from the album to give them an idea of what we’re about, it would be that one so it made sense for that to be the opening track. Come out swinging. Lyrically, at the very beginning I had almost wanted to try and make the album one long continuous story with each song being a chapter. Basically, its own contained adventure campaign.

That didn’t pan out (this time) however a few of the initial concept ideas stuck around. I told John my idea story-wise for it and he had in mind some kind of supernatural, Lovecraftian detective mystery. So, we combined everything and used an ambiguous D&D setting as the framework. In my mind its more Greyhawk, but I guess someone could just as easily place it in the Forgotten Realms as well”.

,,Dungeon Crawl” stands out with its infectious riffs and dueling guitars. Can you break down how this track came together and what you were aiming for in terms of mood and energy?

,,The funny thing with this song is that quite a bit of the original arrangement was changed around because John forgot to read my notes when I sent him the music… lol. So only thing that ended up being correct was the verses!

However, happy accidents and such, because I was forced to change the music arrangement to make better sense of things, and the end result was definitely superior to the original. Plus, it allowed room for me to add some vocal parts. Like the group adventure party singing, which I wrote being slightly inspired by the dwarves singing ‘Over the Misty Mountains Cold’ from The Hobbit. Anyway, the song is a tribute to the game itself and all the people that have played it and loved all it had to offer over the last 50 years…”

AMORPHIS

,,Eyes of the Deep” features Tomi Joutsen of Amorphis and continues a Lovecraftian narrative begun on the album’s opener. How did this collaboration come about, and what does Tomi bring to the Behölder sound?

,,I’ve been friends with the guys in Amorphis since I toured with them once, back in like 2004. We’ve stayed in touch since and whenever they come to town, if I’m around I go hang out with them. Fantastic group of guys, really awesome people.

So, when John and I were discussing the ideas for ,,Eyes…” from a narrative perspective, it started making sense that this could be a great song for a guest vocalist, given the nature of it building to clash between the protagonist and antagonist. John is incredibly versatile with his voice, but we both agreed it had to be someone with a distinctly different voice and as John said ‘they’d have to be real scary soundin’. I thought to myself ‘well, nobody sounds scarier than Tomi…’ haha!

So, I reached out and luckily for us Tomi (Joutsen) said ‘sure!’ When schedules permitted, he blasted out the vocals for us and absolutely crushed it. We’re incredibly thankful to him, also to their drummer Jan (Rechberger) who handled the recording of his parts, so Tomi could just do his thing.’’

,,Those Who Fell” introduces almost dreamlike rock elements at its start. Was this a conscious effort to push genre boundaries, or did it emerge organically in the writing process?

,,I just liked the chord progression. I didn’t think too much about it really. It just felt very somber and melancholic sounding, so I decided to see where it would take me. I did have the thought however, that wherever it ended up it would probably make sense to have in a “cool down” spot, to accentuate overall album dynamics”.

NAVIGATING THE LINE BETWEEN GRANDEUR AND GRIT

Across the album, there’s a balance between epic, theatrical moments and raw, heavy riffing. How do you navigate the line between grandeur and grit in your songwriting?

,,I’ve always tried to incorporate concepts like tension and release in anything I’ve written over the years. The goal is always to make each song feel like a completed story.

No story worth listening to stays in one spot, with one vibe all the way through. That would be incredibly boring. You need those peaks and valleys, highs and lows, push and pull, to keep a person engaged regardless of what type of song it is. Fast songs are great. I love playing super-fast like in Shadowdance or in Krilloan, but even the fastest stuff I’ve written always has moments where things change up, down shifts into a heavy part, breaks into a clean spot, whatever. It not only keeps it interesting for the listen (and myself) but also makes for a much more dramatic impact when you switch back to the fast again. The Behölder stuff is no different, just a little more restrained overall in ways to play with tempo, so I’m forced to be more creative with melody and perceived spectacle”.

PERSONAL APPROACH & FUTURE VISION

As both producer and guitarist, you have a unique level of control over Behölder’s sound. How does wearing both hats affect your creative process? Do you ever find yourself at odds with your own ideas as a musician versus a producer?

,,One of the greatest skills you can acquire is learning how to self-edit. It’s not easy! Especially if you’re stubborn like me. Over the years I’ve not only learned how to do that effectively (in my opinion) but I’ve also gotten much better with not second guessing the choices I do make. Because ultimately, I can recognize if I’m doing something to better serve the song or my ego. That’s not to say there’s isn’t a place to serve your ego in all this, I just have to be more mindful of it. I still have moments after the fact where I’m like ‘ah… I should have done this or that instead’, but you’ll have that regardless. You just try to trust your instinct and keep the big picture in mind”.

The album feels like a statement of intent; a new chapter for epic doom and power metal. What do you hope listeners take away from `In The Temple of the Tyrant’, especially those discovering Behölder for the first time?

,,Honestly, I think we just hope that they take away a sense of having listened to something thrilling with a desire to hear explore more. We know we’re not reinventing the wheel here. That was never the purpose. We’re here to deliver exactly what our mission statement has declared since day 1 … “Dark tales of adventure filled with magic, mayhem and riffs heavier than a Storm Giant’s Ass!” haha!

If someone likes what they hear and wants to join in with us on the ride, strength in numbers. All are welcome! This is pure fun and escapism. And for anyone not familiar with D&D or for older people that maybe pushed it to the wayside long ago for whatever reason, if we help them discover or rediscover these remarkable worlds of fantasy, then we consider our job done well”.

A CORE SOUND AND CONCEPT

Looking ahead, do you see Behölder as a vehicle for ongoing experimentation, or is there a core sound and concept you want to preserve as the band evolves?

,,There’s definitely a core sound we’re going to stick with for sure. It was the reason the band was started in the 1^st place; to be a certain thing and to be confident in that thing. Of course, there will probably be some playing around within the parameters that have been set by this album, not trying to just cookie cut a new batch of songs or anything. With Matt being more involved in writing this time, I’m sure there will be a touch more of the progressive element in some places, but nothing so overt as to feel like it would have been out of place on this current album. Same with any of the other ingredients; some songs might push the power a little more than the doom, and vice versa. That seems to be how the new batch is shaping already anyway. We’ll see where it goes”.

Finally, for the die-hard fans of your previous work and for newcomers alike: What sets Behölder apart in today’s metal landscape, and why should they follow you into the Temple of the Tyrant?

,,I’m not sure what may set us apart. We’re not doing anything overly unique or gimmicky really. We’re just focusing on writing some badass, heavy as hell songs with obvious nods to our influences while striving to put our own collective stamp on that sound and make it ours. That coupled with doing our best to tell compelling and entertaining stories that anyone who has played Dungeons & Dragons would be able to relate to and recognize the authenticity of our love for the subject matter.

I’ve always felt that if you’ re writing music from a place of genuine honesty, people will gravitate to that. We’re just 5 normal dudes with a love for nerdy things and metal, so if that sounds like your tribe, come join us!”

Maybe Behölder is creating a turning point in Doom Metal, but for now, ‘In The Temple of the Tyrant’ is an amazing release.”

,,THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THIS AWESOME OPPORTUNITY!!! CHEERS! \m/”, Carlos

Thus, greets us Mr. Alvarez. The mastermind of Behölder seems pretty aware of the niche he and the band has carved. The creative mastermind behind this album and the band not only stands out as the creative force of the band, he also is one of the few musicians encapsulating a mission that is clear from its outset. He puts in words exactly how his journey developed and how it transcends the usual. A man on a mission!

A visionary that will stun and unite metalheads in their mission to conquer the world as a musical force, reviving the past into a glorious metallic present. He is the Iommi of the 21st century, the composer of the future. All hail to the new king!

Header photo credit: Adam Yodido Manwill Minder