WOLF (Eng.)

– Hello, thank you so much for answeing our interview. How are you currently doing with the release of «Devil Seed»?

We’re doing great! I’s been nice reading the rave reviews after putting so much work into the album. Fans and critics have really received it well and we have started to play the new songs live.

– «Devil Seed» is your seventh album. Tell us a little but about what does the album deal with, about is title and the cover artwork.

The album has several themes, for me personally it’s about rising oneself after hard times and come back stronger because that’s what happened to me since 2012 and I always write about personal stuff. The title is taken from the song My Demon, in which the words Devil Seed appears. It’s just a cool title that leaves a lot of room for the imagination. Together with the cover art, made by the legendary Thomas Holm, it represents something nasty growing that will turn out a monster in some way. That’s what we hope this album will do – grow on you and have a huge impact on the metal scene. We think the songs are strong and they deserve it.

– Listening to the record I see you are still walking the most traditional Heavy Metal path, but this time perhaps the sound is heavier and more updated to current productions. Are you pleased with the final oucome? Has it ended up as you expected?

The production turned out exactly as we wanted. Believe it or not, but Wolf has never tried to mimic the sound of the eighties entirely like some bands do. We just want to write music in that tradition but bring it to the next level with the best sound we possibly can. We always try to make the production and songwriting timeless so if you put on the record ten years from now it will still sound fresh. I think we came very close this time, but time will tell. We didn’t choose the producer Jens Bogren because he is famous or anything like that – he just happens to produce the sounds we really like.

– I find it probably is a darker opus, with more mid tempos. Do you agree on this? Maybe the songs required an album like this?

I agree with the mid tempo thing and that was actually not something we planned. The songs just came out that way. We always write directly from the heart and are very honest to ourselves when it comes to the songwriting and these were the songs that wanted to come out. People keep telling me it’s a darker album and I don’t say they are wrong, but for me it is kind of my happy album. It represents a new era in the bands history and I have gone from a very dark place to a much better life and I feel great about this album. To write and record an album takes quite a while and all the things going on in your life you make a part of this album. So for me it is a very positive album indeed. I consider Legions of Bastards a much darker album, but it was also produced in a much darker period in my life. We always try to give the songs the production they want and let the songs speak to us. I think we reached another level in the song writing this time, where we didn’t try to control the songs as much but instead let them control us. So I guess the songs required the sound you hear on the album.

– What members are part of the line-up? Is there any main songwriter or is it a team effort?

It is team effort, no doubt about that, although I consider myself a main song writer, or rather like a captain in the songwriting ship if you know what I mean. My strength is that I am really good at putting a song together and grabbing ideas from everybody and turn it into a Wolf song. I also write most of the words and melody lines, but we all agree together on what goes on the album and we all give our personal touches to the songs. It’s a very exciting process to write an album, you give yourself entirely into it and you’ll never know where you end up. Sometimes the creativity takes you places you didn’t expect and that’s the best part about making music.

– Looking back; how do you see the band’s evolution since the early days?

It’s been a journey from a very enthusiastic young unexperienced band into a very enthusiastic not so young solid professional unit. Music wise i think that we still have that same spirit as we did in the beginning but the music has more depth to it now and more integrity. On the first three albums Wolf, Black Wings and Evil Star we evolved and carved out the Wolf sound. On The Black Flame, Ravenous and Legions of Bastards we took that sound and perfected it. Devil Seed is a new chapter in the Wolf history where I think we reached the next level in our songs.

– What has been your best period? Or maybe is it yet to come?

It has yet to come. That’s how I still feel. We have achieved a lot during these years but we are not satisfied at all. We have written a lot of very good songs, but still I want to hear that particular Wolf song that is a metal classic forever. And we want to reach out to more people. We have quite a big fan base now, but I think that it would become a lot bigger if we manage to reach out more because I feel we play timeless solid metal that people from every metal genre can appreciate.

– I remember back when your debut albu came out that by the band’s name and cover artwork it felt lik an underground band from the 80’s. What did it mean to you that first release?

We were so proud that we had released a proper album. Since we were kids it was our dream to become musicians and play in a band, releasing albums, having people sing our songs live and being signed and all that. It was the only thing we ever wanted to do in our life and when we finally had an album out and did all of that it was a dream come true. We worked hard to get to that point. We didn’t try to be ”underground” or so. It was just that in that time, in the late nineties, classic metal was not popular and I don’t think the metal scene were in a great place. We just didn’t care. We loved this music and we wanted to play it no matter what.

– And of all your albums released up to the date, which one do you think is the best? Or what is your favoruite one of the one do you believe is the most elaborated?

I think Devil Seed is the best and most solid work we ever released. And I’m not just saying that because it’s our last album. Next to that I really like The Black Flame and I keep hearing all the time about that album, how huge of an impact it has had on people. Ravenous is also one of my favorites and I think the song Speed On is one of those classic metal songs that will live on forever, or at least I hope so. We play many of the Ravenous songs live, they are such great live songs. Looking back at all seven albums, that’s the three I consider the best and am most proud of.

– Coming back to the present days and to your album; what are your plans to support it? Is there any tour on the works?

There will be tours. Check out our tour plans at www.wolf.nu to see what’s going on. Our agency is booking shows all the time and we hope to tour on this album for a long time. We don’t have an entire year of touring set, we just work it out along as we go.

– Have you ever considered doing a live album?

A live DVD perhaps. That’s seems to what the fans want. If we do it it must be a proper one and I hope we can make it happen one of these days.

– And now as a curiosity, I would like to know what are those 5 albums that have influenced you the most.