Book Spotlight - Encyclopedia Of Svensk DödsMetall

It's said that over 200 bands are covered in the book and around 30 interviews will be printed, are these recent interviews that you have conducted with bands in the last 3 years of putting this book together?

First of all the interviews are 53 not 30 and are 99% ‘recent’ interviews. All the interviews focus on the very early downtuned days where our heroes were just sixteen metal dudes looking around only to raise hell and have fun!
There are only 5 interviews out of 53 which has been reprinted (special thanks goes to Frank Stöver - Thomas Ehrmann VOICES FROM THE DARK SIDE, Leif Timm – CARNAGE, Edward Janson - METAL GUARDIANS). All the rest has been conducted directly by me within 3 long years… a thousand days in Sodom! The work has been endless… just think that MASTICATION, for example, replied me in 12 months!!

I know that the book will be limited to 500 copies, if the demand is great enough, is everything set-up for future reprints?

Looking forward the amount of visits that I’m getting now (around 400 each day) I could think the first pressing will easily be sold. Anyway, as a perfect Atheist as I’m, I believe that What you see is What you get….so if I’ll see a fast selling I’ll plan, for sure, with the Editor further repressings! The Editorial-deal, which I’ve signed one month ago, already mentions this.

Do you personally feel that the true spirit of Svensk DödsMetall is long gone. Have you heard any recent bands that come close, or any of the old bands that you feel stayed true to the sound?

Let’s see… Traditional Heavy Metal has reached its peak in first 80ies with the PHANTOMS OF THE OPERA; then came Trash with cool acts like EXHUMER, ATROPHY, EVIL DEAD, FORBIDDEN, LEGACY, EXODUS. Then Chuck put the basis for the growling tunes and we all know that the top came around 90\91.
So I think heavy metal will put even further by other genius young minds but reaching different horizons; but speaking about death metal it’s an hard thing to retrieve back the true ancient feelings… Nowadays I see just good copies, if you ask me, but nothing that exciting.
Anyway my personal up-to-date favorites are: REPUGNANT, CARNAL FORGE, THE HAUNTED, CHILDREN OF BODOM, RIBSPREADER … but basically I’m, as said, an old bastard: Lay down your soul to the gods rock ‘n' roll !!!

Are you involved in any other metal-related projects or planning on writing anything else dealing with the topic of metal?

As already mentioned, I was the editor of a classic ‘death metal’ cut&paste glue zine called DISINCARNATE… put on ice around in 96 lasting only 6 years. Now I’ve to see what happens … if the book will go unexpectedly well I’ll write more for sure! I’ve already something on my head but it’s too early to reveal! … and then, Serge, it’s time to get a serious girl and getting married…. Ah ah… never!!!
As a closing note thanks a lot Serge for your time and the space in your great CULTMETAL!! We need more enthusiastic guys to keep high the true flame! Let me say hello to mighty Mat ‘Alby’ Johansson from Uddevalla who helped me a lot in these last hard months… Svensk Jävla DödsMetall !!!!