Johan Hegg / AMON AMARTH

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00:00:08: Please welcome...

00:00:10: Hi Johan how are you?

00:00:11: Good good How're you?

00:00:13: All right hang in there.

00:00:15: look I found Odin's eye Do have his address because i had to send it back.

00:00:23: Yeah yeah

00:00:27: There was very disturbing when I got this sent to me.

00:00:31: All

00:00:33: right, what am i looking at?

00:00:34: Oh yeah it's Amunamu... Right!

00:00:38: What is the story behind this?

00:00:40: Don't ask me.. I didn't come up with that.

00:00:44: What's The Story Behind Odin's Eye anyway?

00:00:47: Well alright so there are stories.

00:00:50: obviously he sacrifices his eye for a drink from the well of wisdom And that's the price for a drink.

00:01:05: Sticks it out and he gets a drink, then becomes very wise.

00:01:12: Perfect!

00:01:13: The All Father awakens... It is another one of those perfect Amon Amoth records.

00:01:20: when you listen to them You don't find any weaknesses although your looking at them but there are nothing.

00:01:28: We worked really hard on it.

00:01:31: But you work differently, that's what people say like... You did in a different way this time?

00:01:38: Yeah I mean we actually kind of started doing this already on Berserker where when we record we finish one song at the same time.

00:01:51: so we do drums guitarist based vocals for one song and then move onto next And the benefit of doing that is we can go back and listen to songs once they're done.

00:02:04: We can leave them, continue listening... ...and then see if there's something that needs to be changed or tweaked.

00:02:14: That doesn't work but need redo Which is really difficult otherwise because when you record the way we did traditionally it's like drums for all those songs And then you break down the drums and then record guitars, bass and vocals.

00:02:33: By the time we get to the vocals it's really hard to change the drums because they had to set up everything again!

00:02:40: So... It is one of those things where once a song is ready there are anything that needs to be changed.

00:02:51: We started doing this when we recorded The Berserker together with Jay Rustin.

00:02:58: Yeah,

00:02:59: and then we did that for the Great Heathen Army And we do that now as well.

00:03:03: So so I think it's a way to work That we felt very comfortable with.

00:03:08: um i think The main difference this time around is that?

00:03:12: We divided recording sessions into two.

00:03:16: So we wrote six songs Um and recorded those songs With Jacob Hanson And then, we went back home.

00:03:31: We had the songs with us and could listen to them... ...and started writing new material for our next recording session.

00:03:39: Yeah!

00:03:40: While we did that.. ..we could listen if there was anything we wanted to change or needed to tweak.

00:03:48: so it gave a lot of time to ponder the song as well because in studio when you have like ten There is a certain point where everything starts to sound good because you're so used.

00:04:08: So I don't know if it's that your critical thinking becomes fucked up somehow, but yeah!

00:04:20: It's one of those things like... If you focus on fewer songs and feels the more honest attention Yeah,

00:04:32: isn't there a danger when you record?

00:04:34: A bunch of songs and then you take a break.

00:04:36: When he go back to those songs ago like we're gonna do this differently You know well.

00:04:44: that's exactly the point.

00:04:45: because yeah if That's what you feel Then yeah in you need to do it differently Because I mean The song has to be So good that you don't want to make any changes.

00:05:03: And I know for a fact like, even on Berserker and there are great hit in the army.

00:05:12: They're definitely...I love those albums!

00:05:16: The Great Albums.

00:05:18: There's parts where me as a singer should have done different phrasing here or I could've done lyrics slightly differently.

00:05:30: It is inevitable.

00:05:33: But for this album, I don't really feel that.

00:05:35: You know?

00:05:36: It feels like we gave it enough time to make every song as good as possible.

00:05:41: We possibly could.

00:05:43: So the whole idea To do is a word this way so though he can go back and change stuff That we can go Back in redo stuff or even scrap a song if you don't feel.

00:05:56: it's not.

00:05:56: If your feelings aren't good enough.

00:05:59: Yeah

00:06:00: When you have two feeling when you know You got a certain, of course when all songs are recorded and they're mixed you were done.

00:06:09: But then again there's the feeling being done in that feeling of letting it go.

00:06:14: Letting your flow to the public!

00:06:19: Are you still nervous about this?

00:06:23: Both yes or no?

00:06:24: I think unfortunately is the answer because if he was up for me The minute we close the door to this studio, I would like to release two songs for the audience.

00:06:35: You know Because i think waiting Waiting it's almost painful because you have these things Like your album that feels so good about and want share with fans.

00:06:56: So You're very anxious to get it out there, and you're excited.

00:07:05: But in a way also yeah obviously There's an element of nervousness because I know what i feel about these songs but will they go across the audience?

00:07:17: Will They Feel The Same Way?

00:07:30: When you work on, at least from my perspective when we work on music or songs for an album it's just us five.

00:07:40: Yeah

00:07:41: yeah

00:07:42: It's just five people.

00:07:43: We do what?

00:07:44: We want to write the music that we wanna hear but we have no idea with other people in our little box working.

00:07:55: so What we try and do is like Songs recorded, we tried to get friends and family... ...to listen to them.

00:08:05: To get some feedback.

00:08:06: but yeah it's difficult you know.

00:08:10: So are you more afraid of the feedback from your mother or from the audience?

00:08:16: My mother doesn't care about the music really But same I mean obviously The audience.

00:08:25: You know We want people love the music.

00:08:30: That's a no-brainer, but you know it.

00:08:34: at the end of today I think The way.

00:08:37: I see in ways is that as long as i'm happy with It II have to be pleased No matter how people react to it?

00:08:46: You Know yeah Obviously want everybody to love it.

00:08:50: But you know that's not gonna Not going to Be the case.

00:08:54: none Everybody's Gonna Love all the Songs.

00:08:56: so It's just the way it is.

00:08:58: You know, music is subjective... ...it all about feelings and where you are as a person.. ..and who you're as a persons.

00:09:10: So people aren't gonna have opinions!

00:09:12: Just the way this I'm...you

00:09:16: guys basically You're not releasing a record every two years.

00:09:21: I mean other bands do this and that's okay.

00:09:23: you guys take maybe A little bit more, a little bit longer but at the end of today... ...you guys are working like a fucking clockwork.

00:09:32: It's just it's just brain-numbing because The tour is coming up.

00:09:37: That was announced one year ago.

00:09:39: Yeah

00:09:40: I'm like, what the fuck's gonna happen if they haven't finished a record?

00:09:43: If something just happened.

00:09:46: It's mind-blowing!

00:09:47: Don't you feel any pressure about that?

00:09:51: No... You can think of it as almost anything.

00:09:59: Almost every kind of venture is risk taking business.

00:10:04: You take your risks going into studio recording your songs.

00:10:09: You take a risk booking, uh tour in the first place because you don't like to be fair.

00:10:41: Would it postpone or cancel that?

00:10:44: Or done something if we had to.

00:10:47: You don't want to do and you would do everything in your power to avoid doing that.

00:10:52: obviously, so I mean... It will take probably along the line of a natural disaster or war to cancel a tour but still It's not the end of the world if that happens, it happened all the time.

00:11:16: Something...it comes with territory and there is a risk taking in this.

00:11:25: And obviously you have to cancel but you're gonna disappoint people But its inevitable.

00:11:34: You can't control everything.

00:11:36: just make plans where they are work best for you and then try to work so hard that everything goes in the right direction.

00:11:53: It's amazing, these guys ride really fast!

00:11:58: And they never seem to be creatively empty about anything... it is like ''you are my mother''.

00:12:04: yeah

00:12:04: sure

00:12:05: I got sixteen songs.

00:12:06: That's what it sounds like, or what seems to be.

00:12:10: But isn't there not a bump on the road where you go notice?

00:12:14: songwriting doesn't feel right?

00:12:16: It never seems to have been a problem for you guys!

00:12:28: When it comes to music, the musical aspect I think you should like... It's better obviously talk to Alavi and Johan Söderberg because those are guys who write their music.

00:12:39: But from a band perspective we never really write music that we don't feel is gonna end up on album.

00:12:52: So if there're ten songs in our albums wrote ten songs, not twelve.

00:12:59: Not fifteen.

00:13:01: We wrote Ten Songs.

00:13:04: having said that actually we recorded eleven songs for this album.

00:13:10: okay

00:13:12: but um there was one song where we felt it has potential.

00:13:19: It just didn't come out as good As we wanted to.

00:13:25: So...we took and put aside for now.

00:13:31: And it's a first, It never happened before seriously?

00:13:35: Oh okay that's interesting.

00:13:37: actually is your thirteenth record.

00:13:39: I think of something like that.

00:13:42: so whenever Amon Amarth goes to the farewell tour and then calls he quits there's not gonna be a vault where if you guys can open in weekend... There's nothing!

00:13:52: Nothing.

00:13:54: yep That's

00:13:55: it.

00:13:59: Tell us about the tour.

00:14:00: I mean, you guys are probably already acting out your roles for what we have to do on stage and there's a lot of expectations amongst our fans because you guys so visually cool.

00:14:17: it is always such an excitement.

00:14:19: go see Amon and Moth show!

00:14:22: We expect Dungeons Dragons fireworks...

00:14:27: Sounds right.

00:14:28: I mean, we're gonna try to do the biggest show.

00:14:36: We were working on The Biggest Show that ever had.

00:14:39: actually It's going be massive and it is an extended set as well.

00:14:44: Oh!

00:14:46: Alright So...we are playing upto almost two hours.

00:14:53: Well..We only did a tour with that long set once when When we did like an evening with tour in the United States where?

00:15:03: We didn't have any opening bands.

00:15:05: It was just us.

00:15:08: But uh, yeah so but Yeah it's gonna bring something big to on this and reward.

00:15:15: we are currently building a new stage for it for this tour.

00:15:20: So it's going to be something Special or something extra big.

00:15:27: How many extras do you need to take with you on tour?

00:15:30: a hundred two hundred?

00:15:32: how Many fights.

00:15:33: Do you

00:15:33: re-enact?

00:15:35: Oh, yeah

00:15:36: Many battles.

00:15:38: we have two Vikings with us and for

00:15:41: okay that's the start.

00:15:42: Yeah

00:15:46: The author awakeness is not a concert record right.

00:15:49: well It's a theme record.

00:15:50: I would say

00:15:51: Okay.

00:15:52: Yeah it said its based.

00:15:54: Most.

00:15:55: most of the songs not all them, but mostly the songs are Around the theme or Odin as a character.

00:16:04: Yeah

00:16:06: How much does this play into?

00:16:07: The new stage set.

00:16:10: if you cannot tell you can attack.

00:16:11: it's okay.

00:16:13: If I think confidential would

00:16:15: say in some ways a lot and then some way is not so much.

00:16:21: Thank You very much for your

00:16:23: answer that cleared things up.

00:16:25: This is great.

00:16:26: When you guys came out with new music for this record, uh... You put on a ballad.

00:16:32: How many people did scream?

00:16:35: Sellout!

00:16:36: Here we go!

00:16:38: That's it!

00:16:40: Actually I was surprised how well the song came across to fans but obviously there were peoples who were like no they just rubbed them in the wrong way and that was gonna happen.

00:16:58: We expected it, and we totally understand that's not for everyone.

00:17:09: But its just one of those ideas where...we felt really strongly about it And wanted to do it because well first of all were never done in.

00:17:19: Actually the song was awesome!

00:17:22: We all loved it.

00:17:24: Then second of all we've never done before Something new something different And we also felt that it fit the feeling of the album really well.

00:17:38: It just worked with the rest of the material, in a way... That was actually kind of surprising at least to me because my thought is going to break off too much from the rest.

00:18:00: It just gives an extra dimension to the whole album, I think.

00:18:04: Yeah What was the hardest song that you guys worked on at this record?

00:18:07: Where go like?

00:18:07: oh my god This is a bitch-to-finish

00:18:11: I Think.

00:18:12: if you ask If you asked each and every one of the band yeah You will get five different answers.

00:18:21: It's it's tricky question i think.

00:18:23: i think One sign That i struggled with A little bit Maybe mostly for not the chorus, but for verse.

00:18:37: It was eight legs of thunderer because it has that gallop riffing... I actually had a hard time wrapping my head around how to put vocals into.

00:19:03: it took a bit of an effort, but usually I just need like one line or two lines so i get basic phrasing and then it releases you know.

00:19:17: It opens up... But yeah!

00:19:19: It was uh.. Took a long time for me to get that right.

00:19:25: Also think All Father Wakes also in some ways Really, really easy actually.

00:19:36: Okay But there were parts of that song as well That was really tricky to get right and

00:19:46: it's one

00:19:46: of those things where You hear a phrasing in its like.

00:19:51: you have your hero phrasing And you

00:19:55: know

00:19:56: It's not right but it's hard to break it, you know?

00:19:58: It's hard too Hard to break out of it slip into it all like no matter what.

00:20:07: So, I took a little bit of time and had a lot help from Jacob to actually get that right.

00:20:18: we changed a lot during record just recording the song for those sections but yeah.

00:20:30: But when you made eight legs of thunder that good and he released it as a single.

00:20:34: but who came up with the idea Of The Western theme which is actually quite funny because you see guys riding horses next to Toyota standing there That was just mind-blowing.

00:20:47: I think...the basic idea for the video, i think Was um..oh right?

00:20:55: Was It Olavi or Yuan

00:20:56: Satebrei??

00:20:56: I Think they both had ideas For the Video that They wanted To get in There And they sent, we wanted to work with Grupa XIII from Poland for that one.

00:21:11: We sent the ideas to them and they loved their idea but said like alright this could be tricky too.

00:21:25: so here's our proposal how to work around it modern western type idea with a dash of Breaking Bad.

00:21:44: Who's farm is this?

00:21:46: I don't know, it's somewhere in...

00:21:50: Is he like, is this in Sweden or is

00:21:52: there...?

00:21:53: Somewhere in Poland?

00:21:53: yeah.

00:21:55: I have one final question!

00:21:58: Amon Amoth Always going to be Amon and Moth.

00:22:02: It almost sounds like the Romance Motorhead or ACDC in this respect, actually Do you think there will ever come a point where we go now?

00:22:12: We're gonna do something else... ...we gotta look left-and right and see what's gonna happen.

00:22:17: Or is just maybe even under different name Whatever but

00:22:26: breaking out.

00:22:27: Let's put it this way I don't see it happening But if that would happen, it definitely wouldn't be under the name of Almond and Marth.

00:22:40: Well then Glory Hammer is already taking through!

00:22:43: Exactly exactly.

00:22:44: We've been a band like I said before.

00:22:47: we always wrote the music to ourselves when they listen too.

00:22:52: This Is It?

00:22:52: you know this?

00:22:54: who are?

00:22:54: This what we enjoy doing?

00:22:57: And i think If we were change The direction of the music drastically, it wouldn't be I'm on a morpher anymore.

00:23:09: It would be something else.

00:23:10: Yeah that's true

00:23:13: That's it my friend.

00:23:14: thank you very much.

00:23:16: Bye bye.

00:23:17: Thank You for listening to tough stuff.

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