Swedish extreme metal veterans HYPOCRISY are writing material for their 13th studio album, which they plan to record later this year for an eary 2013 release via Nuclear Blast Records.
Commented the band: “We’re now focusing on writing new songs for the next album. We’ve already some new material and it sounds killer! The plan is to record the new album in the autumn this year and release it in the first half of 2013. So far everything is working out as planned and we’re really excited to bring out the new release. Between the writing process we’re also doing some festival shows and we hope to see you all there!”
HYPOCRISY guitarist Mikael Hedlund told Metal Shock Finland late last year about the material for the band’s next CD, “It’s too early to say what it’s going to sounds like, but all I can say is that it’s not gonna be any change of style. It will be a classic HYPOCRISY album without [any] compromises.’
Swedish project PAIN started out as a hobby project for frontman Peter Tägtgren, whose idea was to fuse metal with 1980’s-inspired electro-industrial and techno influences. Tägtgren is also the vocalist/guitarist of Hypocrisy and producer of his own The Abyss studios. PAIN’s latest album “You Only Live Twice” was released on june 2011 via Nuclear Blast. MSFinland’s Andrea Rodella had a chance to meet Peter Tägtgren just before going on stage on PAIN’s first italian show october 13, in Mezzago.
Hi Peter, let’s begin with a question about the name of the band: what’s the Pain you refer to?
Well, I have to come back in time to remember the reason, ah ah! It’s referred to all the pain you can feel, good one and bad one, nothing else.
Pain exists since 1996. How did your approach to the music change during the years?
I don’t really know, I think it’s all about technology and new stuff. I like to do experiments with new things and new kind of equipments. To me it’s a way, as producer and songwriter, to try different things from Hypocrisy. It’s just a big experiment, I think.
Is the different approach you have to the music of Pain and Hypocrisy something planned or something natural?
No, it’s really natural to me. I never really try to plan anything, I just write a shitload of songs and, when you put your hands on a new album, you can hear the differences between it and the previous ones. It’s something natural, no plans!
And how do you choose the songs for Pain and Hypocrisy? I mean, they’re two different bands, but how does your mind “change” when you write songs for each project?
I don’t know! I think a little bit different when I start to write for Pain, just ’cause the music it’s different. Yeah, it’s not a different approach, but just something like think a different kind of stuff.
Now let’s talk about the new album, You Only Live Twice: tell me a good reason to buy it.
Because it’s the best one!
A very good reason, ah ah!
Yes, it is, ah ah! Seriously, I don’t know. Maybe if you like that kind of music you can like our new album, too. If you don’t, well, don’t buy it!
And what about the artwork? What does it represent?
Nothing special, really. It’s a kind of weird figure, but so it is the band, ah ah!
Comparing the previous Pain albums and the last one, I think there’s a more industrial approach…
Yeah, but it’s also darker and heavier than the previous ones.
…once again: was it natural?
Yeah, everything came out naturally. It’s really hard to say why the things are the way they are, you know. It’s something out of control.
The last question is about Hypocrisy and the live Dvd/Cd that just came out: why did you choose to record a live release?
It’s a release with a 90 minutes long documentary and 90 minutes long show with a lot of interesting stuff like interviews with the old members of the band and things like that. It was the right time and the right place (Sofia, Bulgaria) to record the concert and I think it’s all a great product to have if you’re an Hypocrisy fan.
Thank you so much, Peter. I know you gotta go now on stage, have a great concert!
You’re welcome, Andrea, and see you under the stage!
Interview by Andrea Rodella – Photos by Elsa Piazzini
Perhaps many of you know Death Metalers Hypocrisy, but for the rest that don’t, I have to tell you that they are one of best Melodic Death Metal bands in the world from the land of METAL- Sweden, and are led by Super busy MetalHead Peter Tägtgren. They have been playing METAL for more than 21 years now, resulting in 14 great albums favoured by all who bang their heads with Death Metal.
I had my chance to interview them and ask them some questions that you may like to know, especially about their new album, Hell Over Sofia – 20 Years Of Chaos And Confusion.
How the things are going with the band? any SHOCKING news?
It’s going really good! We’re very happy to finally release the new DVD.There are no shocking news at the moment but you never know whats gonna come up in the future…
Your website is closed and i also checked your page on facebook for some info about your upcoming tours and shows but i only found news about Rockstad. It seems the band was inactive for a while, do you want to tell us about that and also if you have some info about your upcoming shows?
Yes that’s true that the website is down at the moment but we’re working on it and a new homepage will be set up as soon as possible. We’ve been active all the time even though we not been playing that many shows since the “Long time no death” tour. We’re constantly working on new material for the next album plus we’ve been busy with the new DVD.
Would you tell us more details about “Hell Over Sofia – 20 Years Of Chaos And Confusion” DVD, especially about “Long Time, No Death 2010” show.
It wasn’t easy to find out where to record the live show. We’ve played in so many great places all over the world and to find the right place was pretty difficult. We never have played in Bulgaria in twenty years so we were thinking it was time to do it. Peter had played with Pain in Sofia before and he said it was great. So we decided to take the risk to go there because we didn’t know what to expect. But we were lucky! The crowd was fantastic in Bulgaria and the organisation was great. It was a fantastic moment that I’ll never forget. I’m really happy that we did the right choice.
With choosing that name, it seems this album is the second part of your previous compilation album “10 Years of Chaos and Confusion” , is that correct? are you thinking of making a third part too, or how about a special announcement right now for the fans?!’
It’s kind of a second part of “10 years of chaos and confusion” but at the same time not. The differnce is that “Hell Over Sofia – 20 Years Of Chaos And Confusion”dvd was planned to be released.
We didn’t know that the show in Wacken 1998 was recorded when we went on stage. But afterwards we heard that they got it recorded and we wanted to release it because it was a great show and a special moment for us.
“Hell Over Sofia – 20 Years Of Chaos And Confusion”is including a documentary and finally we could tell the true story of Hypocrisy.
HYPOCRISY
“Finally after 20 years a DVD will be released to tell us the history of Hypocrisy. It’s called “Hell over Sofia- 20 Years of chaos and confusion” Mikael Hedlund said. Please analyze these 20 years of Hypocrisy…
Crazy, funny and fantastic!
It’s been many up and down moments in the history of Hypocrisy. But I think it’s normal for a band that has been around for a while. If I don’t think about all the problems we’ve had with different managements during the years I think it’s been a fantastic journey. We’ve toured with great bands and met so many fantastic fans all over the world. If it would not been because of that I think we would have quit long time ago. In the end it’s all about playing and having fun.
How do you choose the setlist for your shows? Are there any particular factors that may influence your decision or other thoughts behind it?
For the first we try to play songs from all the albums. But in the show in Sofia, Bulgaria we didn’t play one song from the “Catch 22”. Don’t ask me why.. Before the “Long time no death” tour we asked our fans to choose the setlist for the tour and I think it’s a good way of choosing the songs because it’s for the fans we’re doing this and we want them to be happy.
“Hell Over Sofia – 20 Years Of Chaos And Confusion”
Where did the idea of the Art work come from and who painted it?
The painter Kristian Wåhlin did send over the idea to us. When we saw the painting we all said that it would fit perfect as a cover for the dvd. It’s a very interesting painting with many details in it and it’s absolutly a fantastic picture in my opinion.
Have you any plans to go in the studio to record a new album this year or next year? If yes do you want to continue those brutal themes that you used before in your music or will you surprise us?
We’re focusing on writing a new album. Thats the most important thing for us at the moment. It’s too early to say what it’s going to sounds like but all I can say is that it’s not gonna be any change of style.
It will be a classic Hypocrisy album without no compromises. We already got some material
and we’re really looking forward to enter the studio again. We don’t know yet when it will
but hopefully after the summer 2012. Nothing is confirmed yet. We’re doing the MetalFest tour in
May/June plus some other festivals. Thats the plans at the moment.
Peter Tagtgren
With releasing new album of PAIN, “You Only Live Twice”, It seems Peter will be more busy from now on, how do you think this will influence your future plans?
It doesn’t matter because don’t think it will effect Hypocrisy in a negative way. When he’s doing something, he’s doing it for 100%.
As a last question how do you define the word ‘Hypocrisy’ your band as a whole?, the goals, the ideas, etc?
The the whole idea for us is to have fun and thats what we’ve had and what we’re having in the band right now. When it’s not fun anymore we’ll stop doing this.
We’re all looking forward going into the studio again and start to record the new album and after that doing a new headline tour all over the world. That’s our next goal!
Hypocrisy, North American Tour, 2010
Any final words or message for your fans?
Hope to see you all in May/June on the MetalFest tour!
Finally – after successful 20 years –iconic Swedish Death Metal act HYPOCRISY have released their second live DVD today.
The DVD/2-CD output is called “Hell over Sofia – 20 Years of chaos and confusion”. And this is, what it is!
It contains a full show from the last HYPOCRISY tour “Long Time, No Death” 2010, recorded at the “Blue Box Club” in Sofia, Bulgaria. It was a concert that had everything: the crowd was helping the band doing one of their best shows ever in history. It was recorded with several cameras. The DVD will also contain a 90min documentary, that will show you the bands 20 years of chaos and confusion. This DVD will give you the full cover of Hypocrisy – after you seen it, there is nothing more to ask.
(The whole package will also be available as a Blu-Ray/2-CD digibook.)
ROCKSTAD FALUN has issued the following, and confirmed 3 more bands for Rockstad: Falun 2012.
HYPOCRISY: We have had lots of requests for a slightly rougher and tougher line-up for years. In 2012 we feel it is high time to put some more focus on such bands at the festival! Therefore, one-of-a-kind Dalecarlian icon Peter Tägtgren and his hard rocking Hypocrisy are more than welcome to join Rockstad:Falun in 2012! The show, which according to Peter will be offering the very best the band has to give in every way, will also be exclusive to this part of Sweden throughout the summer. The long awaited the DVD “Hell of Sofia – 20 years of chaos” will be released on October 14th and will be the perfect build-up for all Hypocrisy fans during the winter months! www.facebook.com/hypocrisy
ENGEL have, with their industry-flirting melodic death metal, created their own niche within the so-called Gothenburg sound. Broad and easily listened to, without compromising on the roughness of the music. In addition the band, given their common merit list, could easily call themselves a Swedish super group. They prefer not to though – they’d rather let the music speak for itself. www.engelpropaganda.com
F.K.Ü, Thrash Metal with a horror-movie theme? That’s how this Uppsala-based band like to describe their sound.
F.K.Ü have been active since 1998, and have since then released three albums and a bunch of vinyl singles. Their latest album “Where Moshers Dwell” received great reviews from both Sweden Rock Magazine and Close Up Magazine. We have had our eyes on FKÜ for a long time, and now was the time to book them for a show in Falun! www.moshoholics.com
Tickets for Rockstad: Falun is available for just 575:- SEK right now! More info here.
The festival billing so far (in alphabetical order):
HYPOCRISY
ENGEL
F.K.Ü.
SABATON
AMARANTHE
NOCTURNAL RITES
IN MOURNING
Legendary Swedish Death Metal act HYPOCRISY have just uploaded the song “Roswell 47”, taken from the bands upcoming Live-CD/DVD “Hell Over Sofia”.
This song was recorded during the “Long Time, No Death” tour 2010 at the “Blue Box Club” in Sofia, Bulgaria.
You can download this song for free: http://bit.ly/hypocrisymp3
“Hell Over Sofia” will also contain a 1,5 hour documentary, that will show you the bands 20 years of chaos and confusion.
This DVD will give you a full cover of HYPOCRISY – after you’ve seen it, there is nothing more to add and ask.
THE ROCK ALCHEMIST – Italian Rock Band from Turin with a strong sonic identity that blends modern rock with progressive, hard, alternative, and pop elements!
Kimmo Kuusniemi’s SARCOFAGUS return with a Historic 2010 Concert Video Premiere on YouTube! Click image to watch the video
