Interview with Johnny Hedlund (Unleashed)

Hello and welcome into the pages of metalfan.ro. Since this is your first time here I would like you to provide our readers with a brief history of the band, insisting on each of your albums.

Thank you!

Unleashed has released 7 original albums + 2 live albums and celebrated it's 15 th anniversary in 2004. The latest and best reviewed album is "Sworn allegiance" released in 2004. Check out our history in more detail at www.unleashed.se.

I think many will agree that Unleashed can be credited as "grandfathers of death metal". How do you feel after all of these years, tired or motivated as hell and willing to go on?

We are furiously eager to go out on tour..the band is burning like never before!!! Unleashed will never stop!

How about the public, are death metal fans of 2004 as dedicated as the fans back in the nineties?

Many are the exact the same + new ones of course. The warriors of Unleashed are some of the most dedicated fans in the world... catch us live and behold...

Right now I'm playing Sworn Allegiance. Compared with some of your latest studio efforts I feel a "back to the roots" orientation. In this period many of the old death metal bands are tempted to soften their sounds, to become more "commercial" and to attract non-death metal listeners. What do Unleashed feel about it?

Anybody with the right attitude and faith is welcome in the Unleashed family. But Unleashed will never soften. Never ever. Unleashed is a death metal band and will stay that way for eternity.

What are the strongest points of Sworn Allegiance? Why must we buy it?

It's a true dedication to our faithful fans and fans of real death metal music. If you like that... go get it! If you don't... stay away from it.

Your death metal hymns are splendidly completed with lyrics dealing with your pagan viking ancestors and are often mythologically influenced. Tell me something about your sources of inspiration.

Life and death are vast inspiration sources in itself. We have many different topics in our lyrics. The ones about the Vikings and Asatru are like you said coming from our heritage and from within. It also applies easy to the modern world in which we live in today. The gods of old are made by man, to be used by man, not the other way around like in all the other religions.

Please describe to me the making of an Unleashed song.

We make music 24 hours a day.ideas come up just anytime of the day, month, year. We go through them together in the band and see what songs are strong enough to be on the next record... those who aren't go down the drain. Lyrics are normally made by me personally and I spend lots of time up in the northern Sweden in my cottage in the forest... much inspiration comes from the amazing nature up there. And the soul of mother earth.

Unleashed is perhaps the only Swedish death metal band that had/has a huge impact when playing in America . Is there a reason for that?

I think there are other good bands from Sweden as well.we made 3 US tours so far and hope to do another one soon.we were one of the first bands to tour there along with Entombed as I recall it way back in the early 90's.

Who designed the cover and the booklet of Sworn Allegiance? Please describe a little the concept of the album.

Unleashed came up with the idea: Stefan Wibbeke at Century Media Rec. did the layout and design. We are very proud of it of course. It came out just fantastic.

Tell me a few words about the persons behind Unleashed. How are Johnny Hedlund and his band mates in their spare time, what do they like, what do they hate, what do they read and watch?

Oh hell, that's not easy to wrap up. But I personally see a lot of football and ice hockey. HAMMARBY is my team. Parties and other crazyness is weekend stuff and then Unleashed takes much of what's left really.

How do you feel about the free mp3 sharing? Does it have a positive role or is just a mockery towards copyrights and artists' work?

Fine with me. I like to spread my music. I just hope people keep buying the records or it will be hard to finance recordings in the future.

What do you think about the very fast evolution of technique, are we on the right path or are we heading straight to self-destruction?

I think it's mostly a positive thing. Just think about how easy we can connect and communicate these days...in the early 90ies it was a lot harder and took much time.

Where do you see Unleashed in let's say five or ten years from now?

We will keep building. Unleashed never dies. We'll keep moving and do better records all the time. And with better and more extreme songs and lyrics. The warriors of Unleashed are worth nothing but the very best!

Which metal or non-metal albums drew your attention lately? What does Johnny Hedlund listen when being at home?

I mostly listen to metal music actually. I listen to "Dew-scented" (the Impact album) as I answer this interview. And before that I played the last "Dark Funeral" record.

The new "Grand Magus" is also on my turntable these days.

Tell me about your future plans.

Unleashed will tour as much as we can in 2005. Both touring and festivals. Check into our website www.unleashed.se occasionally and see what's new.

We are also working on a number of new songs for the next album.

In the end I would like to thank you for your time and for the interview, to wish you the best of luck and inspiration in the future and a happy and better 2005. Please tell a few words to your fans in Romania.

Thank you Radu for this cool interview. Unleashed would love to come to Romania and play and swing a beer together!!

" Warriors of Romania - Keep up the spirit!!

Hail Odin! Hail Thor! Hail Frey!"

Johnny/Unleashed