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| Dawn/The Metal Web: Your current release "VERSUS THE WORLD" was released mid January 2003. What has the response been in the US to the new album thus far? Johan Hegg: It's been great so far! Unfortunately we don't get the chance to hear so much feedback from the US but from what I've heard; the response has been great! Actually we've made it to No. 1 on CMJ's hard rock chart and that's cool! Dawn/The Metal Web!: With the NJ Metal Fest marking the beginning of the tour for the new album, there is a "ROADSHOW" that will follow. Can you tell the fans what this tour will consist of? Johan Hegg: Maybe your referring to the W.O.A. ROADSHOW? That tour is going off in Europe in April. But we will do a tour in the US starting with the NJ Metal Fest. We got the co-headliner slot to DEICIDE and will be touring March through April 8th. Dawn/The Metal Web!: What US tours dates if any will follow NJ Metal Fest? Johan Hegg: It should be a full-scale US tour and apart from Massachusetts I guess it will be the whole US. I hope we'll get over to the West Coast this time. We actually don't have any dates yet but we will post them on our homepage as soon as we get them, www.amonamarth.com . Dawn/The Metal Web!: When touring, do you feel there is a difference from overseas fans compared to the US? If so, what? Johan Hegg: I noticed that the crowds in the US seem to do a lot more moshing than European fans. But it's also different from venue to venue and really hard to say. It's also a big difference between fans within Europe, for example the hot-blooded Spaniard’s and Italian’s are normally more crazy than the weed-smoking Dutchmen! (Laughs) Now it's been a year since we toured the US so I'll be refreshing my memory, ask me again in a couple of months! Dawn/The Metal Web!: We talked about the reaction in the US to "VERSUS THE WORLD", what about in Sweden? Besides us, I’m sure you have a huge fan base there. Johan Hegg: Funny you should say that, we have a respectable name here in Sweden and the reactions from "VERSUS THE WORLD" has been great here too. But we haven't been that known to people outside of Stockholm until now. For this album we got a review 4/5 in Sweden’s biggest daily newspaper, so I wouldn't say we had a huge fan base before, but we're working on it! Dawn/The Metal Web!: How does the US Metal scene compare to Sweden and are there a lot of resources for bands? Johan Hegg: I don't understand exactly what you mean with resources. At least here in Stockholm if you go out to any of our 4 metal clubs and talk to ten guys you can be sure nine of them play in a band! The bad thing is there is no underground movement here anymore. Going to a show with local band’s ten years ago would mean at least 300 people, now you can be lucky if 50 shows up! But I know there is a scene, cause last year when In Flames played they sold out a venue that takes 3000 people! Guess the kids are spoiled or something. Dawn/The Metal Web!: Speaking of getting signed, you’ve been with METAL BLADE since 1997, how did that come to be? Johan Hegg: They contacted us by sending us a contract and since their offer was better than Nuclear Blast's, we took it. Dawn/The Metal Web!: Before Metal Blade, did you sign with any other label? Johan Hegg: The first Mini CD was released on Pulverized Records. It was only a one-deal contract and they lost their rights to release that CD since they did at least 4 re-prints without our permission. Dawn/The Metal Web!: AMON AMARTH has been together since 1992. That’s a long time. What main piece do you think keeps this puzzle in tact? Johan Hegg: That piece is named “Olavi Mikkonen”. Dawn/The Metal Web!: Being that you’ve been on the scene for quite a number of years, you’ve also seen the changes in the music scene and media. What’s your thesis on the Metal scene today as compared to years ago? I think there’s to many "labels" on Metal today. I remember when "Metal" was just "Metal". Johan Hegg: Yeah I know exactly what you mean, but I think it's always been a problem though. I mean, I never really figured out myself if I was a heavy metal guy or thrasher, speed metal or death. Back then it was more that we tried to label the music to make it sound as brutal as possible. However, black metal sounds wimpy to me compared to grindcore! But gore metal is a brutal name! I'm waiting for someone labeling their music "shred metal", how cool wouldn't that be! (Laughs) But it gets sissy when they start to find new names for something; well I have no idea what's the reason for it. Nu-metal what the fuck is that? Better call it for what it is, “pop music” or “rap”. Dawn/The Metal Web!: I read that the name "AMON AMARTH" came from a novel by JRR Tolkien "LORD OF THE RINGS". Is this true and what is the symbolism behind it? Johan Hegg: We took the name just because we knew it would be a totally hot name in the early 2000 century! No, it was Ted who found the name. Don't ask me how cause none of us was ever really Lord of the Ring fans but it sounded cool and the meaning of it is killer! It's the name of "Mount Doom" in Sindarin, whatever that is, ask a Tolkien fan. But I think it's cool and really symbolizes what Amon Amarth stands for. Dawn/The Metal Web!: To set the record straight, how would you categorize "AMON AMARTH" musically? I’ve heard so many labels being put on the music from Death metal to Viking metal. Who would know better than the band themselves? (Laughs) Johan Hegg: We play Death Metal. We write about Vikings so therefor some refer us to Viking metal, but I have no idea what that is. I can't imagine the Viking’s veer into metal at all except on the swords and stuff. And musically, I guess they only played these strange lip instruments and some bongos or whatever. Dawn/The Metal Web!: The band was quoted as saying you have "firm beliefs in Viking mythology". Can you explain these beliefs for the people that don’t know and how do these beliefs fit into AMON AMARTH? Johan Hegg: Well, It's not like we can deny believing in the Viking mythology since it actually happened, but it's not a religious thing. It's more the philosophy they lived by that appeals to us. And of course it's rooted in our backbones and a history we're proud of. Dawn/The Metal Web!: Who did the majority of the writing for "VERSUS THE WORLD" or is this done collectively within the band? Johan Hegg: We do all the writing in our rehearsal room together but Olavi comes up with 90% of the riffs, and I write all lyrics. Dawn/The Metal Web!: Lyrically some of your material is written about the end of the world. What influences the bands writing? Johan Hegg: The main influences are taken from Viking mythology and old Viking sagas and legends. But for this album we concentrated to write about one specific concept and that's "Ragnarök", the end of the world in Viking mythology. Dawn/The Metal Web!: The title track "VERSUS THE WORLD" is about the band as a whole. Is this the way you see the band? Johan Hegg: Us against the rest of the world? In a way, yes. But it more describes our way to come to where we are today and like many of our other songs they can have different meanings. Dawn/The Metal Web!: What tracks do you feel best represent "VERSUS THE WORLD"? Johan Hegg: I would say "DEATH IN FIRE" for the heaviness and brutality, "VERSUS THE WORLD" for it's ruthlessness and fury and "AND SOON THE WORLD WILL CEASE TO BE" for the atmosphere and melancholic. Dawn/The Metal Web!: For the fans, how will this album compare to past albums? Johan Hegg: This is the darkest, heaviest and most melancholic album we've ever done and the atmosphere can be felt through the whole album. I would say it's the most even album we've done so far and that the concept can be recognized in every song. Dawn/The Metal Web!: I received the promo copy. The actual release contains 14 extra tracks. What do these extra tracks include? Johan Hegg: "SORROW THROUGHOUT THE NINE WORLDS" is a mini CD we released before signing to Metal Blade. There are the first two demo-tapes "THE ARRIVAL OF THE FIMBUL WINTER" and never before released "THOR ARISE". There's a new recording of the classic "VICTORIOUS MARCH". Dawn/The Metal Web!: There is so much talent within the band, how long has everyone been playing? Johan Hegg: For about 15 years. Dawn/The Metal Web!: Your drummer "FREDRIK ANDERSSON" recently got endorsed to DDrum. Are any of the other members endorsed and if so, with whom? Johan Hegg: No, no one else got any endorsement. Dawn/The Metal Web!: Some members have exited throughout the years. Do you feel this is the best line-up to date and why? Johan Hegg: I would like to see in an interview with some band where they said that their old line up was better than the recent! (Laughs) That would be funny to read from KK Downing that this line-up sucks and it was much better before! Well the line-up now is very solid and we are really good friends, which I think is important. But we've also found that we compliment each other in a good way so that what one guy lacks, the other one has. Dawn/The Metal Web!: I always ask this question. Being that you’ve toured extensively, is there any good tour stories good or bad that you’d care to share with the fans? Johan Hegg: I wish I had a fresh story from our last US-tour but I just feel I have to tell you about the craziest shit we've ever lived! Last European tour we did, we had an English bus driver driving our tour bus that we shared with Vomitory and Callenish Circle. He was the worst driver you can imagine. Being an Englishman and driving an English bus in European streets, meaning he's used to driving on the left side of the street and the bus was made for this. First, this guy was like blind; he never saw any street signs and drove the wrong way every day. He would drive in the middle of the streets and sometimes on the wrong side! At one point in Italy he was an inch from crashing into a gas-tank-bus. In Spain when we were leaving the venue, he first smashed a couple of parked cars, then drove into a house. The fucking bricks from the house fell down and we had to sweep them off the roof of the bus the next day when we arrived in France. There was one of these crazy things every single day, but the sickest thing which happened was when we were driving on the freeway and both back-wheels fell off on the left side of the bus. I can tell you we're never going with a English Bus Company anymore! (Laughs) Dawn/The Metal Web!: When being on tour, what band did you find to be the best and worst to have shared the stage with? Yes, we love gossip! (Laughs) Johan Hegg: Well, it's of course easiest to share the bus with fellow countrymen so I would say Vomitory has been our best tour company so far. But we also get along well with The Crown and drinking with Hypocrisy is always good fun. The worst? Now that is tricky. I don't really want to bring up names but what does bothers us is when bands act like “Rock Stars” or just complain all the time. We had some good laughs about the Dutch’s in Callenish since they had some phobia or something. They had to have at least one shower every day, preferably two and being on tour means you might not get one every day. In some countries in Europe you can be lucky if they have warm water. Dawn/The Metal Web!: Well, Johan the new album slams, but I’m sure you already knew that! Thanks for doing the interview. Do you have any final words for The Metal Web!? Johan Hegg: See you on tour! OFFICIAL SITE "AMON AMARTH": http://www.amonamarth.com HOME |
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