Artist: Slingblade
Genre: Heavy Metal
Label: High Roller Records
Bandmembers:
vocals – Kristina Karlsson
guitar – Johan Berg
guitar – Linnéa Olsson
guitar – Tobbe Ander
bassguitar – Niclas Svensson
drums – Peter Henriksson
It’s not only the hard Metal Sweden has to offer, but also the very classic Heavy Metal. The band Slingblade embodies the young generation of this genre. With their debut album „The Unpredicted Deeds of Molly Black“ their music spilled across to us and so I am pleased to be allowed to interview the Swedes about their album.
Time for Metal / Hellania:
A very warm „Hey Hey“ (as they say in Sweden) to you. Thank you for finding time to give me a few details and insights.
Slingblade / Jason:
We always have time for the German media, after all Germany has produced the best metal in the world.
Time for Metal / Hellania:
At the beginning, it would be very interesting to get to know Slingblade better. The readers know little about you and are curious to learn how the band was founded and whether there were other projects of the members or not.
Slingblade / Jason:
A few years back me (Johan) and Kristina had a couple of beers at her place, we were listening to some oldschool heavy metal and head banged. We had just put our old band in the grave and had a yearning to play heavier music. We both grew up with Judas priest, Iron Maiden, Accept etc and we really wanted to do something like that, with that kind of vibe. Not a copy cat, but still music you could hear origin from that kind of music.
The day after, hangover and bruised I picked up my guitar and hammered down some riffs. I recorded some song ideas and sent them over to Kristina. She soon started to write some evil chorus lines and words right from her black soul.
After a while we had a couple of songs and we needed some good musicians to back us up. I knew that my neighbour (Peter) had a break with his band Gemini Five and that he is one of the best drummers in the Stockholm area. So I asked him to join, no question asked he joined at once. Niclas from Baboon Show has a past in some good old Swedish death metal bands, so that was a no brainer. I asked him to play some bass and he was thrilled. And for the other guitar part we wanted a heavy metal guitarist as I´m most of bluesy kind of guitar player. The Växsjö based pretty-boy-beard-bold-guy was perfect for that job. He also play in bands such as The Scams and Antichrist.
Time for Metal / Hellania:
As a young band, you have chosen one of the basic form of Metal. Have you ever wanted to use this genre entirely or would you also like to try out something totally different?
Slingblade / Jason:
Well, I don’t think that we play plain basic metal. The songs structure is more based on pop-songs with a classic vers and catchy chorus. But with elements of metal, like a hard driven riff and a melodic vocal melody on top of that.
As for the “to try out something totally different”, we don’t have any plans for a crossover mix or something like that. We leave that to bands like Rage Against the machine, the other guys play in bands that are not quite the same deal as Slingblade.
I think we have found a good form and we want to create this kind of music. Maybe some slightly changes in the future, but the concept will be the same.
Time for Metal / Hellania:
Your first album is a concept album, which is planned down to the smallest detail. Who has come up with that magnificent idea? Who has designed the cover and who has come up with this story?
Slingblade / Jason:
When all the tracks were done Kristina came up with the idea that it would be cool to do a concept album. We had already set the recording date and only a few weeks to re-write the lyrics. But Kristina was determined that she wanted do a concept album. I thought it was a brilliant idea, but a little worry about the time. Anyway, we decided to give it shot. So with a little help from Kristinas brother Björn, they laid out a storyline and she started write the lyrics. It came out pretty darn good if you ask me.
As for the cover art and layout we hired a good friend that we knew could do the job just like we wanted to be. Erik ”Keke” Rovanpera is one of the best artist/painter I know, so that was a no brainer. He has done some cool exhibitions with Nick Royal here in Stockholm.
Time for Metal / Hellania:
A question I am keenly interested in is: who actually is Molly black? Is she a real existing person or just pure fiction?
Slingblade / Jason:
Molly Black was a priests daughter that after being abused and bullied in school totally flips and starts murdering her classmates. We have been in contact with her doomed soul and she has let us write about her horrifying fate…
In the early 80´s there was a girl living in the dark forest of northern Sweden, a daughter of a priest. After being abused and bullied in school she flipped and killed all her classmates, then she suffered a tragic death. After a few years her father found her diary, the writing was terrifying and he soon burned it. But he told a close friend and church member bits and parts of what his daughter had written. He told him that his daughter wrote about all the abuse she had to put up with. But after a while she stopped and only wrote down the day and date. Eventually she didn’t even write that, but only one sentence, page up and down “I walk with the demon”. Her father was in despair and soon after that he ended his life.
Time for Metal / Hellania:
In terms of creating a new album, what will your next planning be like? Will there be a story again or can one be curious on new things?
Slingblade / Jason:
We are not in the making of a new album right now obviously. But we have some plans for the second album, how we want it to be. And I can tell you this, the demon that’s feasting on Molly Blacks doomed soul isn’t dead.
Time for Metal / Hellania:
What do your fans think about your first album? Is it well received?
Slingblade / Jason:
The response have been overwhelming, reviews in magazines/fanzines all over the world has for the most part been very good. Friends and fans have been positive and a lot of thumbs up on facebook and a lot of pat on the back. Hopefully the album will reach out to so many as possible.
Time for Metal / Hellania:
Do you have played some live performances as yet? What do you plan in the future? Do you want do a bigger tour?
Slingblade / Jason:
We have done some gigs around Sweden. But mostly we have been concentrating on writing songs. We didn’t want to do random gigs with half finished songs. In the near future we would like to play as much as possible. We are looking into some booking agencies that could help us with that task. A big tour around Europe would be awesome, including Germany.
Time for Metal / Hellania:
This fits the question whom you would like to rock with? Is there a special band you’d like to perform with?
Slingblade / Jason:
This is a tough question, but I think I will have to say Judas Priest under the Defenders of the faith era. Or Accept just after they released the Restless and Wild album. That would be awesome! Then Jörg Fischer could learn me the guitar parts on “Fast as a shark” and I could join them on stage.
If I would have to pick a modern band, I think I would choose In Solitude because I’m good friend with Henke, the guitar player. They are a great band and it would be a blast.
Time for Metal / Hellania:
Finally: is there anything, you want to tell your fans?
Slingblade / Jason:
Be sure to get a copy of the album, it´s available from the 11:e of November and can be purchased at several internet store or directly from High Rollers website http://www.hrrecords.de/
STAY TUNED AND STAY METAL!!!!!!!!
Time for Metal / Hellania:
At least, I wish you a lot of success and even more such terrific albums on your path. It was a pleasure for me to interview you and I hope we’ll find out news about your further work soon.
Slingblade / Jason:
Thank you and I can assure you many existing new from the Slingblade camp further on.