You scrambled my world and you shivered my spine
Kategori: Allmänt
Hey Ho!
In the dawn of February THE UNGUIDED is leaving the refuge of home on the wild, wild, west coast to travel to the north of Sweden. The final destination of this journey will be the haunted town of Pärlby, located in the very dark woods of Dalarna. We will plunge into The Abyss recording studio once again, and regroup with producer and friend Jonas Kjellgren (Only Inhuman LP, Love and other disasters LP and Burn This City EP) to immortalize the two tracks we have chosen for the purpose. Jonas has been kind enough to contribute his valuable time into the project despite his very busy schedule, and we are eternally grateful for his generosity! (Told you… good news!)
We will, of course, be sure to bring a film crew to get this whole event on tape to later be released on The Unguided TV YouTube channel. We will also try to capture any paranormal activity and ghostly fugitives, who have not yet been banished from the abandoned, yet haunted asylum ward nearby the studio.
Studio neighbors, an asylum of mentally retarded ghosts
I have been busy finalizing the lyrics for the upcoming release, and I’m very pleased with the result. The project names on the two songs from the Nightmareland EP are the following:
GREEN EYED DEMON and PATHFINDER
This, however, is subject to change as we get closer to the end of production. But as of now I’m pretty confident it’s final. Pathfinder will be a lyrical follow up to Rebellion in Nightmareland, to straighten out any questions revolving around the EP title.
The Army of the Unguided is growing in numbers, and the forum over at the official fan site, www.armyoftheunguided.com, has been firing up nicely. I’ve overlooked some of the discussions, and they are very interesting indeed.
Some claim the creatures on the Nightmareland EP have similarities with the character Raziel from Soul Reaver, and the Leagacy of Kain series. As I don’t play games, I wouldn’t know, obviously. Of course the members of Blue Man Group were used as reference for the cover artwork. The same characters were also found starring in Eiffel 65 - Blue (Da Ba Dee), Avatar and Zoolander.
Same mom?
Raziel, however, seems to be a nice guy and hope we won’t run into any complications with him. As long as vampires don’t shine I’m totally fine with them! As a matter of fact Anne Rice heavily inspired the song, We Rule The Night.
We have also been in contact with Patric Ulleaus (Denied, Enclave, Jack of Diamonds, My Escape, Burn This City and My Own Life) to have a professional photo session soon. Also, there is small talk about a possible video once the songs are recorded.
As of last week, I’ve received my iPhone 4 after being robbed of my iPhone 3GS. I didn’t get the micro-SIM at the same time as I received the phone, however, so I tried to manufacture one myself out from my standard SIM card MacGyver style. This failed fatally, obviously, and I was standing with a worthless phone and a battered SIM for the jurrassic Samsung SGH-X200 I borrowed. Broken, I went to McDonalds instead to order a McGyver & Co, to make up for the defeat.
"Everybody makes mistakes once in a while. The trick is learning to live with it."
As for my long distance relationship, it is not really much of a long distance relationship anymore since we have been stuck together every day for almost a month now. It has been a bit of ping-pong between Stockholm and Falkenberg, and whoever moves first is on the table. I’m confident the west coast will win flawlessly against the east coast! ;) I mean, the east coast clearly is the backside of Sweden anyway :S There are a lot of you who showed concern and care for what has been going on in my life as of late, and I think it’s really beautiful of you to care so much for my well-being. I really appreciate your empathy! As a matter of fact, I’m very happy with my current life situation. The only problem is really that I think I write better lyrics when I’m in emotional valleys. But I’ll be very sure to visit dark places when I write. I can assure you there’s plenty of that, so no panic! Hehe.
We rocked out Stockholm last weekend, and honored the rock club Medusa in old town with our presence. I had an awesome evening and met a lot of new friends. The taxi drive who took us back home, however, was not among the bunch. I was very persistent in my will of wanting to hear Iron Maiden on the way back—something that he refused to comply with. To channel my dissatisfaction, I puked in his backseat. This was of course very unnecessary but denying a man in need of listening to, “Can I Play with Madness,” in his drunken hours is simply nothing I can take lightly. Well deserved pizza delivery, I’d say!
"Your soul's going to burn in the lake of fire"
I’m also going to do my first appearance on stage since Sonic next month (Not with THE UNGUIDED, however.) More about that in an upcoming blog entry.
In my third blog entry I asked you to mail me your favorite albums / titles and lyrics etc. by Sonic Syndicate. Thousands of you have participated in this, and I would like to finish this off to show you the final results of that. No surprises here really:
ALBUMS:
1. Only Inhuman
2. Love and Other Disasters
3. Eden Fire
4. We Rule the Night
ONLY INHUMAN:
1. Denied
2. Psychic Suicide
3. Aftermath
4. Blue Eyed Fiend
5. Double Agent 616
6. Flashback
7. Freelancer
8. Only Inhuman
9. Enclave
10. My Soul in #0000000
11. Unknown Entity
12. Callous
13. All About Us
LOVE AND OTHER DISASTERS:
1. Jack of Diamonds
2. Power Shift
3. Red Eyed Fiend
4. Dead Planet
5. Damage Control
6. Encaged
7. Mission: Undertaker
8. Ruin
9. Affliction
10. Freeman
11. Contradiction
12. Fallout
13. My Escape
14. Hellgate Worcester
EDEN FIRE:
1. Jailbreak
2. Soulstone Splinter
3. Crowned in Despair
4. Prelude to Extinction
5. Enhance My Nightmare
6. Lament of Innocence
7. Misanthropic Coil
8. Where the Black Lotus Grows
9. History Repeats Itself
10. Zion must fall
WE RULE THE NIGHT:
1. Heart of Eve
2. Rebellion in Nightmareland
3. Dead and Gone
4. Break of Day
5. Beauty and the freak
6. Burn This City
7. We Rule the Night
8. Plans are for People
9. Revolution, Baby!
10. Leave me Alone
11. Black and Blue
12. Miles Apart
13. My Own Life
14. Turn it Up
15. Perfect Alibi
FAQ Mark VIII:
Thrilling...
Q: I'm from a country where almost every band sings in our mother tongue. I have never understood why could a Swedish band write lyrics in English, it has been in my opinion for fame, and maybe, for money. Then I see a lot of musicians like you who don't like to change one's music or lyrics for fame or money, and of course I believe you. So, why do you write lyrics in a foreign language?
A: I write English lyrics because it’s a universal language, and most people on the planet are familiar with it. I want everyone to be able to understand what I write. Don’t get me wrong, I do think Swedish is powerful language in its own ways but what does that matter if just a small fraction of the earth’s civilization would understand what I’m saying? Also, I think I can express myself better in English, and feel more limited in the way I write using Swedish. If a band can be a worldwide success using their mother tongue, which is not English, I would suggest that’s a freak of nature—Rammstein, for example.
Q: Some people suggest that if you want to be really professional in something, for example Hockey, Music, Soccer etc. etc. you need to invest 10000 hours, do you think this is accurate?
A: That’s an interesting formula. But I wouldn’t bet money on an equation like that. I guess it’s true that the more time you invest into something, the more you improve at it. But there are always prodigies that defy the logic. You can be a natural at something, and practice it with perfect results in the duration of months that would otherwise take a lifetime for someone else to master. The question is way too inconstant and relative to answer.
Q: Very bad question but... Why did you quit Sonic?
A: Why is the earth round? Because the code says so! Same reason why I quit; because the code told me to!
"The Future Will Not Be User Friendly"
Q: The question is, what does the half-mechanic creatures on all 3 REAL Sonic albums mean? And what do the covers individually mean?
A: I can only answer for Eden Fire, which is tied together with the lyrical content. Frankly, for the other two, I have no clue because it was not in my hand. They were handled by entities, which were not band members, and whatever plan (if there even was one) they had for the band, I know little about. They also were certainly not entwined with the lyrical content. The mechanical female creature on Eden Fire was, however. She was supposed to resemble the organic and mechanic elements of the music. She was fashioned into a cyborg kind of way because that’s how the music occurred to me. The story does not unravel the mystery of whether she pulled out her own heart, or someone else’s. I suppose that was a direct reference to “Helix Reign” and the “Black Lotus” chapters of the album, which handle heartache and losing people to either death or circumstances in life. J.A.Aranguren, who illustrated the artwork, always put a lot of time into research, reading my lyrics and listening to my concept ideas before he started sketching. And he always surprised me with the amount of details he actually managed to get into his art.
So, to sum things up, the cyborg, vampire angel on Eden Fire, to me, is the same person whom I refer to as the “Blue Eyed Fiend,” which also is the same entity and situation which I based all the three songs in “Helix Reign” on. So, to me, it would be my heart she is grasping onto. The fact that she has organic and mechanic features is my view of how our music was structured. If you took a peek of the inlay artwork of the booklet it illustrates a burned down wasteland. That was to portray my personal paradise burned down. The whole Eden Fire concept art and illustration is extremely well thought through, and executed with cunning accuracy by J.A.Aranguren—not to mention of how clever they are tied to the lyrics.
"I see the smoke from the Eden fire"
Q: I will also be working on an online metal project, would you be interested in doing guest vocals? In the meaning that I would send you the instrumental track so that you could record at home your verses?
A: I just recently finished my first guest appearance session post-sonic in my home studio for a band with a pleasing result for both parties. So, as long as you have an instrumental track, lyrics and some reference vocals send them to [email protected] and I’ll get on it.
Q: You say that your inspiration from lyrics comes from life, right? Well, what made you change from the emotional/suicidal/heartache based lyrics from Eden Fire and Only Inhuman, to introduce (if I’m not wrong) politic/apocalyptic lyrics in Love and Other Disasters. I haven't really gotten around to looking that much into the lyrics on We Rule the Night after listening to tracks like My Own Life and Turn It Up, I just turned my head and shouted “WHAT THE FUCK!”
A: Valid observation! I had soaked all my lyrics up to that date with my private life, which called for a lot of interviews about it. I wanted to move away from that, and wanted more direct band related questions, which were not about the lyrics I wrote. This called for a turning point in the way I wrote. Even if I had a hard time straying away from writing personal things (because really my lyrics are a kind of diary for me) I wanted to do it in a way where I did not expose myself, and my private life to the same extent. I brought the use of metaphors to another level and tied my original meanings into the lyrics between the lines instead of voicing them straight out. Also, instead of not trying to talk about my private life too much, I intentionally wrote about more meaningful things in general like the world situations, which were general issues for all people, whether we liked it or not. This resulted in Power Shift, Dead Planet, Dead & Gone, and Affliction, among others.
Q: Are the lyrics for “Rebellion in Nightmareland,” are they based on World of Warcraft? “The dots connected and now I see!” ehhaea, me and my friend had a good laugh when we realized it...
A: First off, I don’t see how “The dots connected and now I see” have anything to do with WoW? Please advise me, what did I miss? But to answer your question I can assure you that the lyrics for RIN have nothing to do with WoW, whatsoever. (I don’t even think I played during the time I wrote them.) I guess there would be other similarities, which would be more questionable like: “Sleigh of hand,”and “Killing spree,” which were both rogue talents (the class I happen to play). Also, the lyrics where incorrectly written on the official site. The word “agility” was confused with “ability,” which is what I initially wrote. That also calls for suspicion, since agility is the rogues primary stat. The middle eight has a part that goes “You made the swing with your unstoppable force and I parried with my immovable object.” People also connected that with WoW (A two-handed mace and a shield from Alterac Valley to be more exact). That was NEVER intentional, so if there ever was any premeditation (see what I did there?), it was subconscious. And, “What happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object,” has been a philosophic question for ages. It was a reference to that. The song is really about a girl. I wrote this song when I recently had some friction with a particular girl, yet still desired her more than anything in the world. At the time being, it was impossible for us to fuse our worlds together, but we still used the same strategies to keep our lives together. This story has a happy ending, however, because it is about the girl I’m currently with. There will be a follow up to RIN on the Nightmareland single. So no games, save from the game of life in this song! And yes, I now know what happens when an unstoppable force meets the immovable object. It’s a beautiful thing, hehe.
TUF Vs TIO = <3
Q: "Rebellion in Nightmareland" is probably one of the most intense songs I've heard from you guys. It's brutal, fast and everything... Why just one brutal song? Don't get me wrong, you've got heavy stuff on the older records for sure, but RiN separated itself for me... and why wasn't it included on We Rule the Night as a bonus track or something?
A: I think RIN is without doubt the heaviest song we ever made. And that’s probably how WRTN would have sounded if Roger and I would had free license with it. But as we all know, we didn’t. I think “Heart of Eve” was the next stop in terms of being a fast, brutal song on WRTN. Except from that there’s little of that stuff (the right stuff?) on the effort. It wasn’t included because people working with the band didn’t care about it and the band itself didn’t struggle enough to get it on there either. While somehow BTC ended up on there (In a worse tapping than the original through unfortunately, but still).
Q: Why did you in Sonic Syndicate decide to leave the artwork theme that you had on Only Inhuman and Love and Other Disasters? Was it the same reason as for the logo, to leave all the "old and bad" stuff behind?
A: I don’t think there was any thought behind this really, and it just happened. It was convenient to use Gustavo Sazes over at ABSTRATA.net because we worked with him on many occasions ever since 2007, and he always got the job done. He started off with web design, later on merchandise and than on BTC EP and WRTN LP full album artwork. I like his work, and he’s indeed skilled! But I’m a sucker for things connected to each other and I would love to see the same concept as OI and LAOD on WRTN as well but at that point I didn’t really care either.
Q: I read Metal Hammer every month, but this time I got pissed beyond redemption... On their new free give away CD that was included in the January issue "Revolution, Baby" was included, and what it says about Sonic Syndicate is: "From also-ran metalcore (what does that even mean?!) to modern metal conquerors, and all in the hiring of Brit singe Nathan Biggs." Seriously... that's gotta be the biggest piece of crap I've ever read in this magazine! What do you think about this statement? I think you should contact the magazine and put the record straight once and for all.
A: Couldn’t care less about what magazines write. I’ve learned not to attach any significant value or emotions anything printed. It’s all about sucking up to the bands they like and pushing down the bands they don’t like now days. It’s not like any opinion is neutral, or even reflects what they really think. They just go for what will benefit them the best in the long run. Same with reviews, really, it’s just one person’s opinion. One guy could hate it, and the next guy at the same office could love it. Still, it’s the review that reflects the opinion of the magazine. I mean, who cares really? Everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion.
All these media lies...
Q: I'm kind of new to Blind Guardian. I really love melodic heavy metal/power metal like Avantasia, Edguy, Sonata Artica and stuff... and I've only REALLY (like through the whole record sometimes) listened to At the Edge of Time. Do you have any suggestions for which album I might like? Eventually which album you like the most, and why?
A: That’s cool! Roger and I used to be HUGE power metal fans when we grew up. We often went to see Edguy, Sonata Arctica, Helloween, Gamma ray and Blind Guardian in Gothenburg with friends. Avantasia was also huge for us, and I have to admit I bought the latest efforts as well, hehe. I absolutely love all Blind Guardian albums, and they are all special to me in their own ways. I’m such a fan boy. I own every album and every single ever released by them. “Tales from the twilight world” and “Somewhere far beyond” are probably the ones closest to my heart because they were the first albums I bought from BG. “Imaginations from the other side” and “Nightfall in middle-earth” are two masterpieces as well and “A Night at the opera” is an awesome experimental album, which had a lot of impact on my lyrical journey. “A Twist in the myth” and “At the Edge of Time” are not my favorites but I still think that they are really good albums. The both prove that the band is still going strong.
Q: Talking about At the Edge of Time... what do you think of that record? I personally think its really enjoyable, not the best heavy metal/power metal album I've heard for sure, but the best in a long time actually. My favorite tracks are "Curse My Name" and "Into Obsession". What's your opinion?
A: I think “At the Edge of Time” kind of slaughtered “A Twist in the Myth,” and I recognize a lot of old vibes in it blended with their more current sound, which was a nice surprise. I think I like it more as a whole album, rather than track by track. Hansi Kürsch, to me, is the best vocalist in the world with his unique voice (I’ve yet to see anyone that sounds like him, and have a voice that appeals and touches me the same way as his does). He certainly proves it on “At the Edge of Time,” where he sounds more refined than ever. If I had to select songs, it would be “Sacred worlds,” “Road of no Release,” “A voice in the dark,” and “Wheel of time.” Thos are my favorites. “Sacred worlds” is a masterpiece. The chorus got stuck in my head for weeks.
At the Edge of Time
Q: Karin did the female vocals on “Enhance My Nightmare,” right? Now... why the hell didn't she do it more often? Not that she should be the lead singer or anything, God forbid... but why only one track? I mean it turned out so damn awesome and stood out on the whole records... why didn't she sing on any other tracks?
A: She actually had her parts in “Crowned in Despair,” as well in the chorus, so it’s two occasions really. However, once Roland boarded the ship, we saw no use for it because there was plenty of melody already with the setup. Also, it was not really functional live. We didn’t want to fall under the same category as Evanescence, or similar bands. In general, all of us agreed that female vocals were not what we wanted, so it simply never happened.
"Bad luck to have a woman on board"
Q: Will The Unguided feature guest singers? That would be too cool... Especially if you would get a female to sing along.
A: I have not touched the subject with the others yet but I would love to see a guest appearance by different vocalists in every song. I think it is interesting and fun, especially people that we have been connected with in the past somehow. And it might very well be a female guest of course. We’ll see!
Q: The material you guys recorded in the Burn This City session like “Phoenix Down” and “Waiting for You to Wake,” how were they? Were they already pop-ish like Burn This City, or even worse like Turn It Up or My Own Life? Or were they old school Sonic Syndicate? Just trying to figure were you guys REALLY started to go down town...
A: Phoenix Down was a downright old Sonic bitch slap. Assassination of a martyr was a bit midtempo but still really heavy, especially the intro. Actually, I think the intro of that song is the outro of We Rule the Night song nowadays. Waiting for you to wake is really Burn This City but heavily rearranged vocally. WFYTW was a bit more pop.
Q: My question is, when you were making "Turn It Up," did it sound, idk, hip-hopish to you at first?
A: Yes, even worse! There was rap in it. It was always an abomination, no extenuating circumstances!
Sup!? Turn it up bro!
Q: Do you have any contact with record companies so the album will be released in stores? Or will I still be able to purchase it even if you don’t have a record deal?
A: We have contact with a record label for the single release. We will evaluate our options when that time comes for the album. Either way, I can guarantee you that you will be able to buy it.
Q: When can we see you on tour?
A: When the planets align!
Alignment
Q: If there’s any merchandise for The Unguided id love to support you!
A: Working on it, evaluating our printing options as we speak. We have a shirt design already.
Q: I saw Sonic Syndicate live in Gothenburg in October, back then you had to pause the song Turn it up because of technical difficulties (the playback was messing up). How much of that song is played back?
A: First of it wasn’t the playback that messed up, it was the band. The playback can never play wrong if it’s not programmed to do just that, it is always how the band performs to the playback that can go wrong. In this case, it was a singer’s fault (NOT ME! hehe) and it was very ugly. I think it was the first time we ever had to abort an already initiated performance and start over on a song. What’s played back in that song is all samples, drum loops (disco, disco kick drum…), vocal harmonies and gang vocals. Save from that whatever’s left is real! Weee… Just to make something clear, I have nothing against play backing stuff because frankly every band you ever liked which is on a professional level how true and real they seam to be most likely does it.
"..."
Q: Why does Nathan do all the talking in English to a Swedish crowd?
A: I don’t know, maybe it could be because he is ENGLISH!? He doesn’t speak Swedish because.. yeah he doesn’t speak Swedish literally.
Q: I’ve seen pictures where Robin and Roger have a rack mounted between the guitar heads and the 4x12, what is it for?
A: Wireless system, or tuning apparatus, I believe.
"I'll get you next time, Gadget. Next time!"
Q: I have a thousand questions but just one that is interesting. Your sister, is she avalible?! Haha!
A: You have a death wish, son? She’s off limits for anyone that doesn’t go through my interrogation and exhaustive examination first. Just to warn you; So far, no one has passed… alive… *evil scientist laugh*
Off limits
Q: I was wondering if you play Runescape and if so what is your name on there?
A: Never played Runescape, and never will, I believe.
Q: Do you guys think you will have any songs that will sound like the Eden Fire album? That’s by far, your best album created in my opinion.
A: I guess we just have to wait and see where we are after these two tracks are recorded. I can’t be objective anymore. I’m to deeply tangled in the writing process to know what the hell we’re doing here. I wrote some lyrics yesterday that felt a bit Eden Fire, though. Let me know what you think it sounds like when it is released, will you?
Q: Well something I liked about SS was that three of you were brothers, you clearly had a close(r) bond because of that. I know you still speak with Roger but was wondering why you don’t speak with Robin. Well, maybe it’s not my place to say at all, but I don’t think you should let what happened because of Nathan / the label (if that is what caused it) affect your relationship with your brother. It's more of a friendly hint than a question, actually... You guys are too awesome to fall apart :( but I’m probably not getting something, which is not my place.
A: I can agree to that you are not getting something right indeed. For example, Robin and I are NOT brothers? We are cousins. But fact stands, we’re kin and there is no reason whatsoever for us to hold any grudge against each other. I’ve stated it before, and I do it again. I don’t have anything against him ,and in time I’m sure (or I hope) there’s a way back for us as well.
Q: Do you have any idea where i can get the Jack of Diamonds T-Shirt from? ;D Here is a picture of it
A: If it’s not in the official web shop, or they don’t bring it on tour, your best shot is eBay, I’m afraid. Maybe there’s a limited few collecting dust in the rehearsal room. I really don’t know.
Q: If it won't be a waste of your time could I ask you for a little tip - rogue, hunter or mage on WOTLK? ;> I've got all of them at 70 and I'm moving to WOTLK with them so I thought I'll ask you as some-kind-of-an-idol for help in choosing ;)
A: WOTKL, Aren’t you like two years behind? Anyways the answer is simple: ROGUE!!!
Rogue
Q: You wrote in the blog about the songs you didn’t play live, and Affliction wasn’t in there? Or you just forgot to add it to this list?
A: We did play Affliction live with Roland a couple of times. There’s even a YouTube clip with it as far as I remember with us playing the song in Kiev.
Q: And about the Freelancer: can you tell, where (in which city) or when it was performed? I couldn't find it on YouTube just by "Sonic Syndicate Freelancer Live", but don't believe that no one have recorded it.
A: I don’t remember where it was. I have to ask Roger. If we just played it once though, theoretically there’s a big chance that no one video recorded it. There is a chance that it didn’t even end up on YouTube if someone did record it, actually.
Lost in cyberspace
Q: I've read somewhere on the internet that Dead Planet was not actually your song, that it wasn't written by you. True or false?
A: False! That’s our song, all right. Not to be mistaken with the “Mondo Generator” album with the same name.
Q. What are the songs off WRTN that you would say you like, and which are the ones (besides Turn It Up) that you really hate?
A: I love Heart of Eve, Plans are for People, We Rule the Night, Dead and Gone, and Break of Day. In that order! I hate Turn it up, My own life, Perfect alibi, Miles apart, Black and Blue, in that order probably as well. I can’t stand the album version of Burn This City but I like Jonas Kjellgren’s mix of it (the music video mix). Revolution, baby was a borderline case but I enjoyed it live, so it will pass.
Hater
Q: Do you also listen to punk? (like Blink 182, New Found Glory, Rancid, Crass or The Casualties)
A: Can’t say I do, no. Of course I’m familiar with Blink 182 but I have never actively listened to them.
Q: And do you also listen to Amaranthe? (One of the three singers played in Dead By April's old band)
A: I’ve ran into Jake on various occasions, and he’s a great guy. Saw them live last summer at Getaway rock festival in Sweden, and it was a good performance!
Q: Someone mentioned that Hungarian Denied cover in the latest FAQs. It was the first time I've heard it and that was a positive disappointment for me. As I am Hungarian and a keen fan of The Unguided, I'd like to write down the Hungarian lyrics (Just to pronounce it if you want, however, people say that Hungarian language is amongst the most difficult so I hardly think you could) and also an English translation to it (Unfortunately I don't speak Swedish).
So here it is:
: WHILE FALLING APART ::
Verse 1:
There is nothing left for me
Nothing left for me after you
The storm overwhelms everything
the storm tears up everything
I wish you could see it, too
I wish you could know it, too
Step across me and watch
I can see in your eyes that you still fear
Don’t lie to me again
Get out of my life, go!
Why don’t you understand it?
Together we would kill each other
sometimes the desire disappears
Just to see that nothing lasts forever
maybe one day you will feel again
when two bodies about in heat
Chorus:
It’s even good while falling apart
Now I need another word
You bore me, why doesn’t he(/she?) come?
I see the fire in the Garden of Eden
we burn there in every minute
Verse 2:
I lived amongst dreams, enough
Bad hands are stretching for me
Now I don’t have enough power
you broke my bulb
my dreams in it
my desires
But my existence denies you
A: Now that is some funny shit right there! I guess it was easy to understand that words and sentences had to be adjusted and rearranged, to fit a foreign language and still keep the same rhythm and flow into the song. But that’s like a totally new song, and I don’t even think it’s legal in terms of publishing, hehe. Not that I mind, though. Sure gave me a good laugh! Thanks for taking your time and translating it for us!
Q: Why did you leave the band during a tour? I didn’t understand this until today :O
A: Because I’m evil like that... No, seriously, it feels like I’ve answered this particular question over and over again in FAQs. Don’t you take my answers for what they are or can’t you just be bothered to read them through? ;) I suspect the latter, hehe. Anyways! I wanted to leave straight after summer festivals. Band wanted time to work in a replacement. I gave them just that, end of story.
Cya!
Q: Also why did Sonic have Solos in their songs?? Only two songs had distinct solos...
A: Because none of our guitarists were very fond of solos. And the general opinion we had in the band was that we didn’t want to slap a solo into the song just for the sake of it. I’m sure Roland is cooking together face melting solos for THE UNGUIDED songs, however, so hold tight.
Q: Can you highlight the BEST characters of your previous band mates??
A: Ehm, how in hell am I supposed answer this question objectively? ROGER OF COURSE! He’s the best brother and friend a… brother can have. Whatever happened, we always had each other’s backs, and still continue to do so. Roland is a very peculiar and funny character as well, always cracks me up. John was always very down to earth, unpredictable, and was someone always cool to be around. I always had a good time with Robin when we were drunk together.
Rogeo
Q. I just yesterday realized that somebody in some kind of community, told that he has been in touch with you, and tells that Miles Apart were supposed to be Crowned In Despair -like song? True? If so, then what happened? Sad that I can barely hear your scream in that song :(
A: True story. “Miles apart” was called “Lake of Fire,” initially. And as far as vocal structure went, it kind of reminded me of “Crowned in Despair”. “Lake of Fire” was more keyboard oriented, and didn’t have all the acoustic elements, which I think is overused in it now, or at least too high in the mix. It certainly had more oomph to it in terms of usage of screaming vocals and lyric theme. What happened was that it apparently didn’t fit the commercial format of WRTN, so people who do just that rewrote it. I’ve recorded it for myself at home just for shits and giggles because I was curious as to how it would turn out. And when all is said and done, it certainly would have more impact than “Miles Apart” ever had. Too bad I can’t ever release it because of legal purposes. But you are welcome to have a coffee in my apartment and listen to it if you like! Hehe.
Coffee & Lava
Q. Why did Hollywood Undead pick you as support? Hollywood Undead is a total different genre than Sonic Syndicate.
A: Good observation! I’m not really sure how we got onto that tour but somehow they must have picked us because that’s what usually happens. I mean it’s good for a band to play in front of different crowds, so I guess that was the idea. And it certainly was a dynamic evening every show night. That tour was ace, as a matter of fact! I like Hollywood Undead a lot as well. They are cool dudes, sup?
Rich Undead
Q. First I was wondering whether The Unguided planned on having any songs written in Swedish? I understand that it might be hard for you to write in Swedish (seeing I am Norwegian myself, and very often prefer to write in English). Anyway, that would be smooth, especially since the dialect in Gothenburg is indeed very cool.
A: I’ve thought about adding minor Swedish parts here and there. Whether this is something that will make it to the final mix or not, is hard to tell at this point.
Q: What do you feel about having Caroline in the My Own Life-video (I think I remember you saying that was "your other half", or maybe I'm imagining things)?
A: I don’t mind at all. We had a great year and a half together, and I think that video is a symbolic token of that. I’m also very grateful that she volunteered to be in it. It felt very natural to me. If it was because she wanted to be nice to me or couldn’t stand having someone else do it, I’m not sure. The script was already set, so whether it was Caroline or someone else, it would have been the same concept. To be fair, she certainly was my other half—my better half as a matter of fact—but things didn’t work out in the end. I will miss her as a friend because right now she’s everything but that.
Q: And do you have any pictures of young Roger and Richard?
A: Yes! Here you go:
Happy times!
Q: Would you care to explain who all the people on this picture are? Like, names and maybe if their having other bands now, that stuff..
A: Sure! From the left to the right: Andreas Mårtensson, A childhood friend that I still bump into every now and then. Not spending as much time as I want to with him but we still talk occasionally. He was our keyboardist. He recently finished a degree in art school and is pursuing a job as an art teacher. He still sends me electronic songs randomly but is not in any band as far as I know. Next one is Me, naked… or just about. Third person is Kristoffer Bäcklund who was our former drummer. He sings in a Falkenberg based band called, What Tomorrow Brings now with Christoffer Andersson (my replacement in Sonic Syndicate) also plays guitar and does screaming vocals. Mr.Bäcklund also works at my current job, and we play WoW together occasionally. The three last ones you’ll surely recognize. Roger Sjunnesson, Karin Axelsson and Robin Sjunnesson.
Q: I must know what brand is it on the t-shirt you use in the Power Shift video? I must have it, it’s awesome!
A: Once again it’s NoFear, or SoCal. No surprises there!
Q. I was impressed by the single artwork for Nightmareland. Is it symbolic of something? Someone on the forum said it represented your nightmare during the “We Rule the night” time and Sonic syndicate… ;)
A: Could very well be that! It’s also because it will contain a follow up song to “Rebellion in Nightmareland,” as far as lyrical content goes. I think a lot of pieces will fall into place in time. I can already say that the artwork for Nightmareland is just a piece of a bigger illustration. The complete illustration will answer a lot of questions. For example, it will answer why the iron banners from EDEN FIRE are in the picture, while THE UNGUIDED crest is left out. It will explain why there is a winter theme. It will also explain the story behind the artwork, meaning what is happening in the background with the creatures and so forth. All these questions will be answered in time. The artist did a tremendous job with the whole artwork. The piece that has been revealed as the Nightmareland single is not close to where he put most of his time, effort, and gun power. His full potential will be displayed on a different piece of the illustration. The best has yet to be seen!
Eden Fire iron banner
sanna säger:
Bloggadress: http://ssanibo.blogg.se/
Briljant.
Jag älskar ditt svar på Blind Guardian frågan. att du hade bra musiksmak hade jag inga tvivel om, men att den var så jävla bra! underbart,
lrv säger:
What's your opinion on In this moment? That chick has got some serious lung power!
Renata Pieni säger:
Bloggadress: http://frontrowforever.wordpress.com
"Green eyed demon" - me likes ;-)
Ah, I KNEW "We Rule The Night" lyrics were Anne Rice-influenced =D I've read all her "Vampire Chronicles" and some things just sounded too much like Lestat ;-) I'm glad she stopped writing them, though, as the last few stories weren't that good anymore... Still better than "Twilight", but then again, anything is better than that, ah ah.
Marcus säger:
Nice :)
endtell säger:
Eden Fire is on the third place oO. It was your best album, musically and lyrically. And wow, Zion Must Fall is last...
Nils säger:
Red Eyed Friend,
Blue Eyed Fiend,
Green Eyed Demon? Hehe, I likez it (:
Skitnajs inlägg som vanligt, Älskar att sitta och läsa!
Johan F säger:
Som Nils skrev ; >!
Klockrent!
Zoofie Ljung säger:
Bloggadress: http://zoofie.devote.se
Hey you.. Det går inte att skicka requests till er på army sidan ^^ Skulle vara coolt med en tatuering, I must say :D
Miro Kiiski säger:
I see the smoke from the Eden Fire! Ultrabrutal!
Miro Kiiski säger:
I see the smoke from the Eden Fire!! Ultrabrutal!
björn säger:
Älskar att läsa din blogg, och jag är ett stort fan av din musik och hoppas och tror att the unguided kommer bli grymmt! Skriver även egen musik och texter, vilket är både lyriskt och instrumentaliskt likt gammla sonic, tänker skicka dom till dig när jag är klar,och tycker du det är bra,hoppas jag att du kunde tänka dig att sjunga på några:-)
Melissa säger:
I'd like to come and listen to "Lake of Fire" at your place. I'm actually going to Falkenberg in march! So, were will we meet? ;)
Melissa säger:
I'd like to listen to "Lake of Fire" at your place! I'm actually visiting Falkenberg in march! So, where will we meet? ;)
Vigaren säger:
Shit, fan va jag är taggad på låtarna ni ska släppa! :D
Dan säger:
I couldn't help but notice you missed a few songs from the "What do you think of the songs from WRTN" question. Specifically 'Beauty and the Freak' and 'Leave me Alone'. What do you think of those 2 songs?