On fifth solo album Fimbulvinter, Airbag’s Bjørn Riis exposes more of his soul than ever before, explaining through music how he feels when suffering panic attacks. He tells Prog about his attempt to be more honest than ever before, with the assistance of inspiration from classic prog bands.
With five solo albums in just over a decade, Airbag’s chief songwriter Bjørn Riis has proved more than capable of flying the nest. He’s been getting his talons into the “heavier stuff I wasn’t allowed to” in his main gig – but that doesn’t mean those solo records are full of clangour and anger. If anything, it’s quite the opposite.
On fifth LP Fimbulvinter he’s exposing more of his soul than ever before. He weaves through a turbulent time in his life by looking to the artists that made him fall in love with music, via tender turns and grit in equal measure.
The record hinges on the concept of mental fragility, charting the pain and anxiety that precedes a breakdown – just as how, in Norse mythology, the Fimbulvinter precedes the end of the world.
It’s co-produced by “Airbag’s fifth member” Vegard Kleftås Sleipnes, who has helped Riis establish himself as a solo artist and a vocalist; his role can’t be understated.
What makes Fimbulvinter such a personal album for you?
I started writing around the time I finished the last Airbag album [2024’s The Century Of The Self]. I was having a really bad time personally, so it was very natural to write about that period of my life. But I also wanted to keep a universal approach. The topics aren’t new, but I think I went in much deeper this time and pulled ideas directly from personal experiences more than I’ve done in the past.”
Was it hard putting those experiences into the songs?
I’ve always been confident writing from a more personal viewpoint, and I think that has to do with the music that I grew up with. One of my biggest influences as a songwriter is Pink Floyd – more than any classic prog band, their lyrics were honest and personal. But how I wanted to write this time was a big challenge; I had to really work to not get too dark or personal, and find a balance so the topics felt universal.
It’s not a concept album, but I like to write music that has a narrative, so I’m always trying to contrast darker and heavier moments with light parts, which I think makes it more interesting to listen to.
Fimbulvinter is a great metaphor for the anxiety that builds up to a crisis
What’s the story behind the album’s title?
I’ve always been fascinated by Norse mythology; I’m what you’d call a Viking history buff. I think Fimbulvinter is a great metaphor for the anxiety that builds up to a crisis – it’s the long winter before the end of the world, but it’s also a new beginning. So there’s hope there as well.
Gone feels like the centrepiece track, as it balances out your prog and classic rock influences.
I grew up listening to Black Sabbath, Kiss and Deep Purple. I discovered prog in my late teens, and I think Porcupine Tree and Steven Wilson were a huge part of Airbag’s early years. With Wilson, you can hear a lot of experimental King Crimson and Frank Zappa, and No-Man too; but Porcupine Tree also have these classic rock elements, and that for me is when they’re at their best.
A song like Arriving Somewhere – it’s fast, but it takes you on a journey. This was my attempt at doing something similar. It was really fun to record the guitars for Gone; the riffs remind me of playing in a huge stadium and just letting everything go.
Panic Attack gets really jittery towards the end, like it’s falling apart. What was the intention there as far as the song’s message is concerned?
Obviously the lyrics tell of someone leading up to a panic attack. I felt the music was important to underline that, and to create sort of an atmosphere that puts you into how I feel when I have these attacks.
Like most of the stuff I write, it starts with the guitar or a piano, then everything else is sort of laid on top, like a painting. Sometimes it takes half an hour, sometimes six years!
It has a very David Gilmour-esque guitar solo. What does he mean to you as a musician?
He’s a huge part of my sound and the way I approach writing. I discovered Pink Floyd at the same time I started to seriously play guitar. Airbag actually started out as a Pink Floyd tribute, and it was my job to do the David Gilmour thing. We evolved from that.
The title track has a little bit of everything, stylistically.
I have a riff that goes through the song, so I was asking, “How can I make it interesting for seven or eight minutes?” I tried to create some dynamics between the really heavy stuff and the more mellow parts, which goes back to King Crimson and Black Sabbath.
It was fun to go deep into those references to sound like them without ripping them off. Artists who claim to be original are lying through their teeth. We’re all stealing; we’re all inspired – even The Beatles.
