Norwegian progressive death metal band Tessia released their new album, The Cataclysm, last May. We spoke with vocalist Julie Berthelsen about her personal reflections on the record, the lore driving its universe, the realities of balancing music with modern industry demands, and her thoughts on the representation of women in the metal scene.

Check out our review of The Cataclysm.

Reuel

Hello, Julie! I’m so happy to chat with you. How are you doing?

Julie Berthelsen

Hello! I’m fine, thanks, happy to be here 🙂

Reuel

Congratulations on releasing The Cataclysm last month! What does this album mean to you personally?

Julie Berthelsen

Thank you! This album has been in the works for several years now, and it means so so much to me. I pour my heart out with lyrics and storytelling and have explored my voice and reached many new milestones along the way. Dennis (our guitarist/producer) has created this big universe in which the journey of ‘The Cataclysm’ takes you through, and it’s so exciting and vast, I love being able to tell the story to people.

Reuel

How do you feel about the way it was received by your fans and by the public?

Julie Berthelsen

Absolutely blown away, the response has been amazing. People really seem to like the heavier direction we have gone for. It has gained us many gigs both nationwide and internationally, and of course, the big win for Wacken Metal Battle Norway.

Reuel

Could you share a brief synopsis of the universe you built for The Cataclysm and your previous releases?

Julie Berthelsen

As mentioned earlier, Dennis created this major universe in which we explore. To sum it up as short as possible, it’s mainly about two sides of a story, there is the story of two ethereal/godlike entities, clashing together, and the cause and effect of that conflict, and the consequences on both a grand universe scale but also on a minor scale for humans facing struggles in their daily lives. And not to spoil the story, but the album title is a hint as to what happens 😉

Reuel

How would you describe Tessia’s sound using emojis?

Julie Berthelsen

🔥😡🩸😇😈

Reuel

In an alternate reality where music is tasted, just like food, what would Tessia’s music taste like?

Julie Berthelsen

Like something very tasty but spicy, exploding flavours in your mouth so hot you can barely hold it together, but then you have a sip of milk or cream that relieves you, and you get a break haha xD

Reuel

Releasing an album today requires an artist to juggle music, marketing, and social media. Looking at the process as a whole, what is your favorite and least favorite aspect?

Julie Berthelsen

Yeah that’s very true, like you say, you have to be an influencer, PR manager, booking agent, producer, visual designer, video director, and then at last you get to create a little bit of music haha. I guess that’s my least favourite part, I wish it were the other way around. My favourite part is getting a “hands-on” approach with fans and people who interact with us on social media. I get to talk to a lot of people and respond to people’s kind messages, if we had a social media person, I wouldn’t get to be as much part of it, I guess.

Reuel

What are your thoughts on how women are represented in music today, and what do you think can be done to promote more inclusivity and support for female musicians?

Julie Berthelsen

Well, we have come a long way in the metal since just 10-20 years ago. There is a lot more female representation in the genre now than there was before. But we still need a lot more, absolutely. There is still a lot of stigma around a woman growling for example, which I think is absolutely ridiculous. I think increased inclusivity can be promoted by giving women equal opportunities, recognizing their contributions and engaging with their work. Supporting each other is important and not only as performers but also as producers and industry professionals, which helps create a stronger and more diverse music scene overall.

Reuel

Thank you for your time, Julie!