I have a soft spot for band's like Arch Enemy, Lacuna Coil, In This Moment and Otep. They play hard and heavy music, but there's also the fact that these metal bands are fronted by women singers.

The other day a friend introduced me to Madder Mortem, a progressive metal band from Oslo, Norway.

Comprised of lead vocalist Agnete Kirkevaag, guitarists B.P. M. Kirkevaag and Odd Eivind Ebbesen, bassist Tormod Langoien Moseng and drummer Mads Solas — Madder Mortem isn't all growl and scream, but intricate and passionately melodic, with shots of dark and menacing compositions, laced with all types of styles, including jazz.

Angete Kirkevaag spoke with me a few days ago during a phone call from her home in Norway. We talked about the band and the new album "Eight Ways," which was released in the United States last week.

Here are some highlights of that conversation.

"We have always wanted to do something different than what other bands have been doing," Kirkevaag said. "We have many many different influences. I like strong vocal lines, and that's why I like classical composers like Bach. His melodies are strong. I have always been a major fan of the Eurythmics and Soundgarden. They have great and interesting vocals. And then I also like Faith No More."

Those bands, Kirkevaag said, were introduced to her when she was a teen.

"That was the time when I was able to only buy three records a year," she said with a laugh. "I would buy one record and listen to it over and over again and learn it from front to back. And by the time I could buy the next album, I would do the same thing until the next record."

Making music is always the first and foremost goal for Madder Mortem, Kirkevaag said. "We have always tried to make music that we like. We don't want to follow trends."After taking a few listens to "Eight Ways," it is evident that Madder Mortem isn't trying to make popular music.

"There is a dynamic when people hear our music," Kirkevaag said. "Metal fans understand it differently than other music listeners. They try to grasp it at once. Other people who aren't metal fans who hear our music usually just sit back and let it wash over them.

"The problem for us is the fact that we're stuck between styles in some ways," she said. "People at record labels try to find a neat little compartment for us. And we are so different that we confuse people.

"We are hard to categorize."

The album "Eight Ways," which is available on www.amazon.com and iTunes, took a long time to make, Kirkevaag said.

"We spent a lot of time doing a lot of preparation," she said. "We decided to produce the album ourselves. So that meant making our own studio and soundproofing our own rooms for the recording sessions."

The songwriting was also more spontaneous.

"Any one of us could come in with ideas, and if we all agreed to them, we would work on them," she said. "Sometimes a riff, or vocal idea or something would spark more creativity. Those were the times that were exciting."

The band has a myspace page at www.myspace.com/maddermortem.

So, click, sit back and listen.

E-mail: scott@desnews.com