Hi Ragne and Styrbjörn and welcome to Grande Rock webzine. After 40 years, your new studio album “Riders of the Ancient Storm” is finally out!!! How do you feel about it?
Styrbjörn: The album has been a long time coming for us. It feels great that it finally will be heard by other people and we are very eager to hear how they feel about it. We have played the album for our friends in Candlemass, Opeth and Hammerfall and they say that it sounds typical and unmistakably Heavy Load, but with new approaches that makes the album feel very fresh.
Ragne: “Will it sound as it is supposed to?” was the question when I placed the vinyl in the player for the first time. Then the chorus of “Ride the Night” came out of the speakers and then it broke loose. Chills, that’s what I felt all over my body. Yes, it sounds as it should, wonderful.
OK, given that 40 years is a long time, please tell us what happened in the meantime. Have you stopped dealing with music at some point, and when did you start again? Were you in touch with Styrbjörn and Torbjörn all this time?
S: Ragne and I have always been in touch. In 1985 after the single “Monsters of the Night” and our very successful summer tour Eddy left the band and sometime after that, so did our bass player, Andreas Fritz. At the time, they both had the view on making more commercial music. Ragne and I, who are the founders of Heavy Load, continued working on a new album. We also had our own studio, Thunderload Studio in which various bands wanted to record their music. For instance, Ragne produced and recorded Candlemass first album “Epicus Doomicus Metallicus” and after that he also did their next one “Nightfall”. In 1988 we built a new bigger studio and kept on recording other bands, as well as continuing composing and recording our own music with the view of releasing a new album. On January 1st, 2001, this studio was flooded with a water level of one meter for five hours. Everything below that level was destroyed. After this catastrophe, we took a very long break. However, after a few years we started to be contacted by promoters that wanted us to play at their festivals, but we declined. However, our passion for music has never died. For Ragne and me, music is a dangerous drug; in comparison, everything else in life seems banal. We knew that if we were to start again, we would be addicted once more. But as you can see, here we are. As for Torbjörn, Ragne and I continued to have occasional contacts with him – he is a cousin of ours. It was not until 2016 when Eddy Malm and I had visited the Up the Hammer festival that the idea of putting the band together again was rekindled. When I came back to Sweden, I spoke with Ragne about the idea and then we contacted Torbjörn about it.
R: During these years, Styrbjörn and I kept in constant touch, of course. We brothers are incredibly close, not just in music. We stayed in touch with Torbjörn Ragnesjö, our cousin, but not in the same way as when we played together. Eddy Malm and we met sporadically until 2016. After that, we often met for a cup of coffee to discuss music and other essential aspects of life. Andreas Fritz moved to Thailand, and our contact with him diminished drastically. We have, however, seen each other a few times in recent years.
When exactly and under which circumstances did you decide to write new songs, record them or even release a new album?
R: It became obvious that a new album had to be recorded. It all started when we were invited to Up the Hammers 2016 to receive a medal, “The Medal of Honour”. I was unable to go and probably didn’t fully understand what I was missing out on. Styrbjörn and Eddy went, and it is better that Styrbjörn explains his experience which turned out to be very significant for the reformation of Heavy Load.
S: Well, that is quite a long story. Ragne and I have never said that we should split up the band – we always had the view of releasing a new album. Between 1985 and 2001 we kept on composing and recording. We had a lot of unfortunate incidents the following years. During to a great fire in London’s subway, killing a lot of people, the authorities cancelled our contract for the studio and we had to go looking for another location. In 1988, we built our second studio which was much bigger. Besides from recording a great variety of bands we also resumed recording and composing songs for a new album. In the beginning of January 2001 there was a great flood from a leaking water tower and the studio had one meter of water for about five hours until they managed to stop the water coming. It was a disaster, many, many tapes and instruments were ruined, and it took many years to get the economical compensation. During 2015 Eddy Malm and I were invited by Manolis Karazeris to the Greek festival Up the Hammers in February 2016 for the purpose of receiving the festival’s Medal of Honour on stage. The response I received at the festival was absolutely overwhelming and I found myself again being my old self – my essence. Back in Sweden I told Ragne about my experience and we decided that we had to start again. If there was a specific moment when we decided to release a new album and make a comeback it was then – in February or perhaps March 2016. It was a huge decision and changed our lives dramatically. And now we are ourselves again. We are back both as a band and as individuals. We were approached by Chris Papadatos at No Remorse Records in Athens, who is a great Heavy Load fan. Chris wanted to make official high-quality releases of our old records that had kept on selling very well all these years as bootlegs. We signed the re-releases with No Remorse and now also our comeback album after forty years.
R: When Styrbjörn told me about the experience he had at Up The Hammers 2016, receiving “The Medal of Honour” from Manolis Karazeris it came as a surprise to me. I picked up my electric guitar the very next night; the first time for more than ten years. Oliver Weinsheimer, of Keep It True, invited Styrbjörn and me to visit in 2017 and I was overwhelmed, you can say shocked, by all the love I met form the fans. After this Styrbjörn and I decided that we had to hoist the sail and start again for real. In 2016, I opened my guitar case and laid my hands on my guitar again. After not playing electric guitar for a whole decade, it felt amazing to strum some heavy riffs with the guitar in my lap. Very soon, themes and riffs poured out that brought a smile to my face that never wanted to fade. It was like a tidal wave of warmth embraced me. Soon, my phone was full of riffs, phrases, themes, and melodies in a quantity I had never experienced before. Finally, I was home again, that’s how it felt. Immediately, a longing to create new songs was born, so the question: “should we record a new album”, had an obvious answer. Of course, we should record a new album. But, why just one?
How have you managed to keep motivated and inspired over the years?
S: Music is such a big part of our beings, so it is very hard for us to stay away from it. We did our best during the period of 2001-2016 after the destruction of our studio – a period of trying to be someone you are not. Perhaps it is genetic. Both our father, his siblings and his parents were musicians. Our mother was very much into poetry and wanted to learn violin but never got the chance. To find inspiration is not hard – staying away from music is extremely hard – and quite painful.
When did you begin writing new songs and what has changed in your songwriting formula or the way you approached the songs this time?
R: Here I want to describe a bit about how we think regarding the actual technology in recording and our approach to Heavy Load’s music. But at the same time, as I perceive it, our approach to our music has not changed over time. The recording itself was a great adventure in harmonies, melodies, and rhythms. Many ideas were tested and developed into songs. Seven of them are on the vinyl, eight on the CD.
We have written a bunch of songs and recorded several. In fact, we already have some material for the next album. Two songs for the next album just need to be mixed down. For “Riders of the Ancient Storm”, we wanted a vinyl with really good sound, so we had to keep the playing time down and choose which songs would provide a mix that we thought could best represent a new album from Heavy Load, an album for 2023.
We also wanted to do as we did during the recordings of the albums in the 1980s, that is, to work in an analogue studio. For us, it is the most natural and inspiring way to work. Furthermore, we wanted artistic freedom. Since the 1970s and up until the flooding of our second studio, New Year 2000/2001, Heavy Load had its own studio. Initially, it was a rehearsal space that over time developed into a studio. Later we moved to Solna where we built a large studio, the second in order. In these studios, one could say Heavy Load had its home. Now we needed a new creative home for our music. In a detached building on my property, we created a studio that is fully equipped with analogue gear. We have a 40-channel mixer from the 70s with fantastic sound, a 32-channel tape recorder on 2″ tape, but also a 24-channel on 2″ tape. Then we mix down to 1/4″ tape and engrave and master from that mix. At the same time, we have a fully developed digital system that we use when we write our songs and make demos of them. Finally, we record them for real on the 32-channel tape recorder.
We have real tube microphones of older models for vocals, acoustic guitar, and room microphones – ambiance for the drums. The drum room is un-damped and is built in wood to give a warm, natural, and acoustic colouring to the drum sound. It becomes airy, big, and dynamic. Of course, it requires a musician who can handle and take advantage of the sound, a musician who is dynamic in their way of playing the instrument. Styrbjörn has all those abilities in every way. We do the same with the electric guitar. The speaker is in a room that provides air and sings with the tones. We avoid damped rooms. “Who goes into the closet to sing and play?”, I ask myself. “No, everyone wants to sing in the bathroom”.
Building that studio took a lot of time, but we got it the way we wanted it. It is here that “Riders of the Ancient Storm” has become an album, even though some songs are partially recorded in the old studio. In fact, the song “Walhalla Warriors” is both recorded and mixed in our previous Thunderload Studio that was destroyed in a flood in Solna, in January 2021. Every song has its own “life”, one might say, and it grows and becomes what we feel is best for that particular song. So, we do not modify a song to fit a specific sound. Heavy Load may represent something in some people’s minds; for us, the Wahlquist brothers, it is more of a natural thing. What we play and do is just the way it has to be; what else can we do but to play and write what comes from our inner selves? It is all about being true to your heart and doing it with Passion, Devotion, and Drama. When I feel it is in place, I become euphoric and my creativity flourishes. It is like my soul materializes through my music and text. And this is almost like living forever.
We play from the heart and mean every note, every pause, and every beat. What more can one do than to honestly play and genuinely mean what you are doing? I am not interested in playing for the sake of playing, but for me, it is necessary that everything we do should genuinely mean something to me. Otherwise, I would rather do something else, something where I feel a real sense of purpose for real. But throughout my life, my heart has beaten for music and lyrics; beaten for what we do together in Heavy Load. My approach may seem exaggerated to some, but then so be it. I know of no other way to find joy and love in what I do.
S: We began writing songs for the new album already in 2018 or earlier. Our method for songwriting has not changed really. The songs come to us in various ways. Sometimes when Ragne and I jam together. Sometimes when one of us is alone playing his instrument, singing or just out for walk. It comes to you as a beat, a riff, or a melody and then you become overwhelmed by a lot of ideas for lyrics and orchestration. Ragne and I always work a lot on our songs together.
What are the similarities and differences between the new and prior albums?
R: I don’t think the differences are particularly noticeable, our approach to what we do, or how we do it, hasn’t changed. Possibly though, we have allowed a bit more of our classical background to come into play. Heavy Metal certainly has guitar, drums, bass, and vocals as its absolute starting point, and so it is with our music. Yet, it doesn’t become less Heavy Metal by adding strings or other instruments, I believe. Heavy Metal is about what you play, what you mean, and how you express yourself on the instrument you play. At the same time, there are no instruments that can convey the same energy and timbre as the guitar, bass, and drums. Three instruments that together become a whole world of sounds, tones, and with an energy that makes the heart beat harder and the hair stand up. The trick with the symphonic instruments is that what is performed should be written for the specific instrument. If possible, the notes should be created by a human hand, where a heart beats in a body where Heavy Metal resides in the soul.
Regarding the classical aspect: Both Styrbjörn and I have a musical background since childhood where classical music was the first thing we encountered. Our father, Ingemar, was a singer who once had had a plan to become a professional opera singer; and during our childhood, he practised at home for hours almost every day, singing opera arias and other pieces, mainly by German, Italian and Swedish composers. The symphonic elements are there to add additional colours to the soundscape, not to replace anything. Concerning instrumentation: I have played the violin, trumpet, and dabbled a bit in flute and clarinet. Not that I really master these instruments, but I know what can be played on them. By that, I mean I have enough knowledge to understand what is, from a musician’s perspective, possible to play and the advantages and limitations of the instrument. My ambition with using, for example, strings, is that they should be as if performed by a violin ensemble. In the song “Walhalla Warriors”, there is a string quartet playing. We recorded them twice, so you could say it’s a double quartet. At the same time, we carry more life experience today than forty years ago, and of course, that has some significance for what we say with our music and lyrics.
S: The topics for our lyrics and the way we compose our songs comes from the deepest part of our beings, our own experiences, and our emotional life – these things are not an elaborate decision. Our lyrics often comes from our own life. We have other things to say – things that we find more important than lyrics about love or sex or getting drunk. Our lyrics are very true to our own experiences and our views on the human condition.
The new album features three members of the classic Heavy Load line-up; Styrbjörn Wahlquist on vocals & drums, Ragne Wahlquist on vocals, lead guitars and keyboards and Torbjörn Ragnesjöon bass. This is where new guitarist Niclas Sunnerberg (ex-Steelwing) steps in. How did you come to the decision to bring him to the band? I suppose he should have been a long-time fan of the band or something.
S: I met Niclas at a rock club in Stockholm about 7 years ago. The DJ recognised me and started to play Heavy Load songs. Niclas and some of his friends approached me and presented themselves as Heavy Load fans. Niclas told me that he had played in bands that used to play Heavy Load covers. I asked the guys how old they were. Then I said, “Oh! This song of ours that you are listening to right now was recorded three years before you were born”. Life is crazy is it not? Actually, it is quite unreal. When we were putting the band together for the reunion gigs in 2018, I called Niclas to try him out on rhythm guitar and fitted in great.
R: Styrbjörn and I discussed a lot about who could take Eddy’s place. When Styrbjörn told me about his meeting with Niclas, I naturally became curious. His experience from Steelwing promised a person with experience and quality. If I remember correctly, “Heavy Metal Angels” was the first song we played together, and right away, it felt right with Niclas. He has the right attitude towards music and what Heavy Load represents and what we do.
What does the album title “Riders of the Ancient Storm” declare? Is it related to the cover artwork in any way?
S: Oh yes. Indeed, it is. For us the title and the cover artwork have several very specific meanings. The interpretation of a piece of art may vary a lot from person to person. It comes alive within whoever listen to it, read or behold it. What does the cover and the title declare to you?
How do you feel this album represents your growth as a band?
R: The answer to that question, I must leave for the listener to formulate. What we create comes from our inner selves, and it’s hardly possible to answer such a question oneself. But if I try, I believe that we have added some new sounds and colours to Heavy Load’s music. Also, technically in recording, we have learned a lot over the years working with a variety of different bands and artists in the Thunderload Studio, and the result, both sound-wise and musically, has benefited from that.
Do give us a hint for each track…
“Ride the Night”:
R: It is a slightly faster song that illustrates an individual’s longing for success, to overcome adversities and their own limitations.
“We Rock the World”:
S: It is a heavy, groovy song, with a slight bluesy but bombastic feeling. It is a “rebel yell”.
“Walhalla Warriors”:
R: A heavy song. A longship travels over stormy seas. In a dialogue between the helmsman/captain of the ship and the crew, they sing about the adventure they are participating in. The song has a clear connection to the novel Wahlgaard Saga.
“Angel Dark”:
R: The individual’s inner struggle over what is right and wrong, light and dark. This too has a connection to Wahlgaard Saga, where one of the main characters is challenged about “which path he should take in life”.
“Slave No More”:
S: It is an extremely heavy and bombastic song with a very important message.
“Raven is Calling”:
R: A somewhat up-tempo song that has a clear connection to a scene in the novel Wahlgaard Saga. The people of Wahlgaard are about to storm a fortress. The raven calls for the attack and the arrows fly.
“Sail Away”:
R: A heavier song that perhaps most deviates from what Heavy Load usually does. For me, it obviously belongs on the album. It also has a clear connection to the novel Wahlgaard Saga.
“Butterfly Whispering”:
R: It is a piece I wrote and recorded for several reasons. Just my acoustic guitar and me, with as little tech and external elements as possible. I wanted to play something truly intimate. In Wahlgaard Saga, there is a scene where some of the main characters enter an inn in a country in southern Europe, and there a musician is playing an instrument they’ve never encountered before, a guitar. That scene, though, is not in the first book of the series.
About “Sail Away” and “Butterfly Whispering”: For me they have the same heart and soul as everything we do in Heavy Load, and therefore it belongs on the new record. In the verses, I sing in a way I probably haven’t on any other song. The choruses are more like, for example, “Stronger than Evil”. “Sail Away” wanted to be as it is, painting with all colours from the softest to the most powerful. Just like life is, as delicate as butterfly wings but also as strong as a bear. Until the last breath, the music must fill the world I live in. I wrote “Butterfly Whispering” when my children were very young. Sometimes I played it for them when they were going to sleep.
Did you record, mix, produce, and master the album in your own studio? Did you try any new techniques or approaches and what do you think of the final outcome on the whole?
R: Everything was done in our Thunderload Studio: recording, producing, mixing and mastering. The album was cut in England. In my previous response you will find some interesting things about the actual recording and the technique we used.
S: We do everything the old-school way, like we always have done, and record analogue on a 32-track old tape recorder on two-inch tapes. It is a huge machine the size of a big kitchen stove. Ragne is an extremely accomplished recording technician and take care of all that. We do, however, mix and master the songs together.
Tell us about your collaboration with No Remorse Records. How did you get to sign with this label? Did you turn down any other music label offers?
S: No Remorse are very enthusiastic and sincere and a great fan of Heavy Load. Since Ragne and I have our own record label, Thunderload, the deal is between Thunderload and No Remorse. I got to know Chris Papadatos when I were in Athens at the Up The Hammers Festival, in 2016, to receive their Medal of Honour on stage. People’s enthusiasm was unreal, overwhelming, and Chris was on fire at the prospect of re-releasing our old albums that had been selling in great numbers as bootlegs for decades. I had to spend a lot of time signing bootlegs of all our records. We chose No Remorse because of their sincerity, drive, and their clear sight that there are great number of people around the globe that like our old records and hopefully will like our new one.
R: No Remorse fully supports us, and it is wonderful. We talk about everything and nothing, as friends do, and at the same time, we work towards a common goal. To spread Heavy Load’s music to all those who want to listen.
What are your expectations from “Riders of the Ancient Storm” and what do you wish to achieve with Heavy Load now that you are back in business?
R: Our hope is that “Riders of the Ancient Storm” will show that we are a band to be reckoned with. This is just the first album of several that already live within us. But at the same time, everything depends on the audience, I mean the response. As of now, it seems like the album is appreciated. We have received many fantastic reviews and on November 17th, the album reached first place on the vinyl chart in Sweden. Naturally, this feels wonderful.
Are there any plans to give any live shows in the near future and what can fans expect from your live shows in support of this new album?
R: We are going to enter the stage in 2024. Keep it True on April 26th will be one of them. We are getting quite a lot of requests for concerts, but I am not able to tell you anything else at this point. Those who play the most crucial role in what happens in the future are the audience. Without our fans, without our audience, we are nothing.
S: There will be more videos of the songs on the album. In addition, we will do concerts, but where and when is not decided just yet. We have had quite a lot of request for concerts during the years and now there are more of them due to the comeback.
Time for our “Strange Questions”!!! What has changed in music since the 70s & 80s? Is it for the better or for the worse, in your opinion?
R: The conditions that computers offer, regarding recording and processing of the music, are significant; whether it is for better or worse, is another matter. There are both advantages and disadvantages. I don’t want to delve too deeply into this.
This is how we work in Heavy Load. In a digital environment, we create the songs and make demos and of course we play on our instruments. In an analogue environment, we record what will be released on record. Being able to work in a digital environment when creating the songs is a great asset that makes the process more efficient. What I find dangerous about working in a digital environment is that you look at the files that are music instead of listening. It is not so strange since the strongest sense in humans is sight. At the same time, it is somewhat absurd to look at music files instead of listening. “It doesn’t look right”, are comments I have heard. Forget how it looks, I say. Listen, it’s music we are talking about, not pictures.
Something I really question is why so much music is compressed to absurdity. Everything apparently has to be louder than everything else. My perception is that there is a relationship between compression and the depth and width of the soundscape. With increased compression, both depth and width decrease. This also means that the entire sound image becomes less transparent. Digital technology has made this type of compression possible, and I believe that the experience of music is strongly negatively affected by it. I don’t want to name names, but some newly recorded albums by very established Heavy Metal bands have been compressed to the degree that what’s left is a wall of sound, an impenetrable flat one, where the vocals lie in front of the wall and, at best, also with a snare drum and the click from the bass drums. Otherwise, as I said, it is just a flat compact wall. It gives incredible power and energy. In that way, it’s wonderful, but I believe that too many valuable details in the musicians’ handling of the instruments are lost.
What are those things that you do not like in the music industry nowadays?
S: It is very hard to say at this moment, since we are just in the beginning of our comeback.
Are “social media” a “compulsory part” of music biz these days or bands, artists & labels can do without them as well?
S: Well, I guess you have to adjust to the new climate. This is, however, not my forte.
Do you think that the streaming services have helped the bands and music business in general?
R: Both yes and no. Yes, because bands & artists can more easily spread their music, and that is fantastic. For new artists & bands, it is even more fantastic. The consequence is that everyone is doing it, so there is a never-ending avalanche of music out there, and in a way, that is wonderful. At the same time, it’s extremely difficult to break through this avalanche, to make oneself heard.
No, because the compensation artists receive from streaming services does not compensate for the loss of income that record sales would provide. This leads to it being harder to finance recordings of really high quality. It also makes it harder for artists to live off their music. The alternative then becomes to work with something entirely different or to give an incredible number of concerts. Concerts, meeting with the audience, are fantastically wonderful and important. At the same time, one must have time to write songs if there are to be any new albums. If the new album is also to be filled with something really good, it must take time, and then it is not possible to constantly be on the road.
At the time before CDs and streaming music came, vinyl was the thing. The playing time on a vinyl LP should not exceed 21 minutes per side, and preferably not 18 minutes. The sound quality is strongly negatively affected by a longer playing time. This meant that 7-9 songs were a suitable number on an album. Today it seems to be standard with 10-14 songs and it goes without saying that it takes more time to create and record more songs. So, there is a kind of contradiction in the relationship. Today’s record productions require more time and therefore more money to be as good as they can be, while at the same time record sales have decreased a lot in favour of streaming music, which does not balance the income so that it remains the same.
Now it is not that I, or Heavy Load, play for the money. We play because we love it and because our inner selves demand it of us. But, of course, it is also true that it is harder to invest all that one wants and can if it is not economically possible.
Fill in the phrase… “Heavy Metal music wouldn’t have evolved the way it did, if it hadn’t been for…”
R: The electric guitar…
S: Long hair and beard…
Which are the Best Heavy Metal albums of all time according to you?
R: Black Sabbath – “Heaven and Hell” & Metallica – “The Black Album”.
S: Deep Purple’s “Machine Head” should be mentioned as well and one album of Judas Priest.
Put together the best metal line-up of all time. Who plays what?
S: I feel that it is impossible because you have to consider the chemistry between the guys.
Which is the composer/songwriter who influenced metal music the most?
S: Ludwig van Beethoven. The fifth is pure metal!
Which is that band that you’d like to be part of (any time & era)?
S & R: Heavy Load – present time!
Which is the record you wish you had written and why?
R: It is about to be written by Styrbjörn and me in 2024 and 2025.
Were you obliged to give just one album to extraterrestrials that would represent the whole human music, which album would it be and from which band/artist?
R: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart…
If you had the chance to travel in time… where would you choose to go? To the past or the future and why?
R: There are some obvious reasons I prefer pre-internet and a none high-tech digital world. I believe my answers to the other questions explains some of the reasons why. This does not mean that I am against progress, but not all progress is positive. Just look at what we are doing to our planet.
What are your thoughts on A.I.? It appears to have taken over the world in every part of our life over the last year or so, and this is just the beginning. What are your thoughts on the AI-created music?
R: AI-created music. Do not do it, I say. It is not music. Music is one individual communicating with another individual and in the meeting the creation gets a greater meaning. Live there is more, there is an interaction that effects the performance. A cat, or a monkey, or a computer (AI) can create sound that will be similar to music, sounding like music, but not being so. A cat walking the keyboard of a piano is absolutely an instrument sounding but it is not the art of music. This is my opinion.
S: Machines can imitate people and the expressions of feelings, but the result is not a true artistic communication between the depths of the emotions of the artist and the depths of the emotions of those who experience the artist art.
Finally, we’ve come to the end, Ragne & Styrbjörn. Thx for speaking with Grande Rock. Before we close, you can say anything you wish. Take care, dude!
R: Thanos, thank you so much for your questions which show a genuine interest in music, in Heavy Metal, and in what we do in Heavy Load.
S: We hope to meet you in person in the future when we are on tour.
