“We’re here for one thing to have a good time and entertain people, to bring people’s spirits up, to inspire people, to enjoy…because those are really important things…”

In the immortal words of Peter Dolving, lead singer of the famed Swedish band The Haunted. This band has been making music for a long time for their legions of listeners, capturing the hearts and ears of fans and musicians alike since the band’s major debut of their self-titled record, The Haunted, released in 1998. Seemingly enough, this band is finally getting the recognition they deserve from the masses. Comprised of former members of the revered and not forgotten At The Gates as this highly touted band served as pioneers and a heavy influence on the infamous NWOSHM genre.

Peter was nice enough to sit down with me when the band came through Chicago during the Devastation Across the Nation Tour. Opening for Damageplan and Shadows Fall, undoubtedly the band will win the masses over, reaching a plethora of kids that may not have heard of them before. Join in conversation on my journey with Mr. Dolving as we discuss their latest triumph, rEVOLVEr, why he feels suffering is a waste of time for your art, how the death metal scene is evolving in Sweden and more. Read on...

Karma: Hur mår du?

Pete: Jag mår bra! [Laughs]

Karma: So how is the tour [Devastation Across The Nation] going so far?

Pete: It’s been going really, really good so far! Yeah, it’s awesome, it feels good! I had a cold a couple of days ago but that’s the only hard part of the tour so far but it’s gone away. I feel good now!

Karma: Good! What's the most interesting thing that's happened to you since the tour began?

Pete: On this tour?

Karma: Yes.

Pete: It’s been really soft going but we had some weird stripper, whatever chick that showed up down in Tempe or maybe it was down in Texas! [We all laugh]

Erika: Can you remember? [Laughs]

Pete: [Laughs] Oh absolutely! I don’t drink!! But I was trying to figure out what the hell she was doing on the bus! She and her friends went away after a while and I was very pleased! So that was interesting! What else? I mean there’s not that much interesting that happens on tour you go from place to place and you get up on stage and do your show basically. The main thing is to make sure you get enough sleep so you can keep your head open so that you can bash it out!

Karma: Must be awesome to be so highly respected by your peers…

Pete: ...Yes it is! [Smiles]

Karma: …especially by Kerrang where you were crowned “ the single greatest exponents of balls-out metal in the world" and "Newcomer Of The Year" and earning the prestige of the only debut album ever to receive "Album Of The Year" honors from Terrorizer Magazine. It’s nice to see you are finally getting the recognition that you guys deserve!

Pete: It feels great! We feel pretty privileged!

Karma: For this interview, I asked your fans on your board if there were any questions they’d like to ask you and there had nothing. I think it’s awesome that your fans know so much about you! [Smiles]

Pete: [Laughs] They do, but it has a lot to do with the web page. I mean we get on there, people ask us stuff, and they send us mail. We’re pretty communicative with kids out there which is pretty direct.

Karma: That is so awesome!

Pete: And it makes life so much easier because we try to get away from the icon bullshit around us! I mean it’s the music that matters…

Karma: Absolutely!

Pete: …and that’s the important thing. That’s what the band’s about!

Karma: Well I had three questions for Anders…

Pete: [Laughs] And he just walked out! But maybe I could help you…

Karma: Okay, well it’s a question from Jon Kita, guitarist for Diecast. He wanted to know how Anders came up with such good riffs on the first album.

Pete: First Haunted album [Self-titled]?

Karma: Yes.

Pete: I don’t know but most of those riffs came from Jensen. Him and Jonas kinda hash that one out. It’s a lot of inspiration from old thrash metal like Dark Angel, Testament, kinda stealing and change! [We all laugh] I mean we have very little shame. We do this because we have a good time with it but we’re thieves! Yeah! We steal and improve basically! 

Karma: Very creative! [Smiles]

Pete: [Laughs] Oh absolutely! We have a good time with it!

Karma: When do you think an At The Gates Reunion will occur? [Jon - Diecast]

Pete: I think it’s not impossible, they were talking about doing something like a one show [gig] in London but it still needs to be worked out. I think the initiative has to come from outside; someone else has to take the initiative for them. It would take a sound financial situation to make it whole!

Karma: Understood! Which song is your favorite off rEVOLVEr?

Pete: It changes everyday; I mean I am in a very privileged situation. I actually like the album; it’s being going for a while. “Nothing Right” is to me one of the songs I really enjoy. “Sabotage” because it’s really in your face and actually, since, we’ve been playing it live for the past couple of weeks, “All Against All” from the album. It is just growing [on me]; I’m just enjoying more and more the more we play it, which is kind of cool! Usually that is a good sign but I enjoy those three songs.

Karma: Okay… Well how has your writing changed since the beginning?

Pete: Oh, this is not very modest…

Karma: Oh okay…

Pete: …but I think it’s gotten better!

Erika: At least you’re honest!

Pete: All in all I think all in all we’re more confident! We’re enjoying ourselves more, kinda leaning back, and not worrying so much. There’s a great deal of worrying involved in songwriting and I think that’s for everyone, for anyone who writes music.

This time around, we had more of a good time than with any of the previous recordings. There was less paranoia, more fun! And it really is important I think. I think that’s a good thing for a song because that’s a sign that you’re on the right track. You can actually have more fun with that! The less worry you have, the more positive things will come into it. Some people, they’ll be like, “It’s all about the suffering because suffering gives you…” You know, that’s bullshit! Suffering is crap, if you suffer, you suffer, that’s it! Suffering doesn’t make you a better human being, you know. It doesn’t make you smarter or more talented or any way better whatsoever. Suffering is just suffering…Fuck, who needs it?!

Karma: Coming from thee latest hotbed of death metal, how is the scene evolving in Sweden?

Pete: In a way, it’s a really hard question. Musically I think it’s getting a lot more technical and for a while there. There were a lot of bands that were being inspired by bands like At the Gates and The Haunted and a lot of them were going in that direction of sound or looking for that same kind of energy. But I think finally that it’s occurring to a lot of those kids that it’s more about trying to find your own expression, you know. The originality level is really going up actually. Getting more weird stuff, I don’t know if that’s directly better. In the long run, yeah, it’s better because it will spur people to do something they might not have done before.

There are a couple of really cool bands that are coming out right now, like this one called Crang. Which is like this really technical, straightedge band actually. But it’s almost like…I don’t know, it’s hard to explain but it’s really, really good and I enjoy it! [Update: On 12/04 I received an email from the band's singer and was informed that the band is not straightedge]

Karma: Would you say that they are your favorite act right now or who is your favorite act?

Pete: Swedish bands?

Karma: Um-hum.

Pete: I think The Virgins because they are really provocative and they don’t stay to one musical frame. They kinda bounce off the walls with anything that comes in their way. They will mix anything. You know, I think that’s really brave. When I see them live, they always make me happy! They go from the fucking Finnish tango to 80’s lousy British disco to Kylie Minogue and then the next second its brutal grind.

Karma: Oh wow! In the same set?

Pete: In the same set; but they’re the only ones I’ve ever seen that can actually pull it off because they do it so effortlessly. They started out 15 years ago with this band called Comatose doing exactly the same thing their doing now and it absolutely sucked ass man! [We all share a hearty chuckle] So crappy! Back then, I was like, “Oh my God! What the fuck is this? How does this work?” Now these same guys are doing the same thing as before and they’re pulling it off because they’ve been working at it for so long, in the kind of medium that they’re doing. And they’re actually one hell of a live band, it beats the shit out of any of the other bands! You’re just like, “Whoa!” It’s a whole new…I’d don’t know, they’re just cool!

Karma: Sounds like they are! [Smiles] What do you think needs to change in the Industry right now?

Pete: We need less paranoia and more good times! People need to worry less about the money and more about a having a good time taking care of each other! Because honestly when it comes down to it, that’s the major problem with this business – MONEY and paranoia that surrounds it! Fuck all that shit! We’re not here to be all those things, we’re here for one thing to have a good time and entertain people, to bring people’s spirits up, to inspire people, to enjoy…because those are really important things! In a world where things are so evidently as wrong as they are, we really in this industry if anywhere, we need to do that! I mean it’s not so hard it’s actually the simplest thing is usually to just be nice to people. I mean, fuck, it’s not a hard thing to listen to another human being!

Karma: It shouldn’t be!

Pete: It’s really not hard but if you get into the whole paranoia kinda looking to get ahead to make that extra, you know whatever you think you’re going to make… You put all that fucking energy and effort in trying to do that, the more effort you put in to all those things, the less you enjoy yourself. And the less energy spent on the really necessary and important stuff: having a good time, enjoying yourself, and just making good music and spreading a general kind of good feeling, you know!

Karma: That’s awesome!

Pete: You know! Fuck!!

Karma: Coming from such awesome bands as Séance, Witchery, At the Gates, Face Down, and working with a lot great people thus far, who would you like to collaborate with in the future?

Pete: Hmm! Michael Franti from Spearhead! That would be fucking rad!! I doubt that would ever happen; he's one of my heroes. I used to love Disposable Heroes of Hypocrisy!  I'll be doing something with Shane [Embury] of Napalm Death and the bassist from Faith No More, what's his name…Billy Gould? [As he turns to confirm with a guy in their camp] Yeah, it's Billy Gould! We've been talking about doing something and I know Shane has bunch of skeletons for songs and stuff; I'll be doing vocals for them.

I know Jensen's got some new stuff going on with Witchery. I don't know when it's going to be out but I know it's all recorded.  As far as that's concerned, I think the twins [Anders & Jonas] should work more on their arty side cause they got some really, really cool ideas going on. You know it's all a matter of time but this [band] is our priority and this is what we do. We'll be on the road for another year, year and a half. [Laughs] So I know this is going to take up a lot of our time for the next year and a half, two years or so.

Karma: So who are going on tour with next?

Pete: We don't know because there's a bunch of stuff in the way and instead of worrying too much about it, we're here right now playing in Chicago…we just played the show…

Karma: Understood! If you had to set up your “perfect bill”, whom would you play with?

Pete: Perfect bill?

Karma: Yes, the perfect bill.

Pete: [Whistles and stares as he looks intensely off to the corner of the room] Hmm, it would be more like a festival! I'll tell you who would make a really fucking cool bill: Suicidal [Tendencies], Hatebreed, Sick of It All, I'd have us… It would be a double thing going with Sick Of It All and Hatebreed and then I'd want to see Erykah Badu in there! [Erykah's name pronounced in Peter's best Swedish accent]

Karma: [Stunned] Erykah Badu? Wow!!

Pete: Yeah, it's just the beauty man and Squarepusher.

Group: [Laughs] Some of the biggest names in the business!

Pete: You know honestly that would be a really outstanding bill! Because there would be all these extremes from the most brutal to the most ethereal beautiful stuff there is!

Karma: How cool would that be?! Okay, here a quick Speed Round of Questions for you.

Pete: All right!

Karma: Spiritual or religious?

Pete: Spiritual.

Karma: Which CD’s/Movies did you bring on tour this go round?

Pete: We're mass consumers of movies so it's hard to say one. We mass consume movies!

Karma: Then what are your top five favorite movies?

Pete: My top five favorites? Let's see Apocalypse Now, all the three Godfathers, I'd say even though I haven't seen all of it is The Ring trilogy because it's such a well made horror. So that covers the whole spectrum.

Karma: Introvert or extrovert?

Pete: Extrovert.

Karma: What kind of toothpaste do you use?

Pete: Whatever I can get my hands on! [We all laugh]

Karma: What's your best memory?

Pete: Standing on a field of grass being 3 or 4 years old just fresh and green early as fuck in the morning, maybe like 5 or 6 in the morning. Early, early morning, the dew is still on the grass and the sun's just up and I can hear the hay fans as they just turn on and I can hear swallows. They're flying really, really high up and it's in the summer and you can smell all the smells. It's just…I don't know, it's just my best memory ever and for some reason that just kinda stuck with me always!

Karma: Biggest pet peeve?

Pete: What does that mean? Pet peeve?

Karma: Annoying things that people do that pisses you off.

Pete: Power tripping! People who think that they are more worth or have some kind of right to hierarchy. Or just power which is ridiculous!

Karma: Nicknames your friends would give you on the fly, off the tops of their heads.

Pete: Just Dolving. It's the only thing they can come up with because they all think I'm out of my mind! [We all laugh] I mean I have really good friends and they're all wonderful to me; I love them all but they all think I'm crazy! [Laughs]

Karma: What was your first job?

Pete: I was a bus boy thirteen years old, I started working as a bus boy at my uncle's restaurant, and that was my first job.

Karma: If you could travel the spans of time: which era would you visit?

Pete: Now see that's a hard question because the world is becoming a better place not a worst place uh…if you look back five hundred years, the world was a terrible place! [Laughs] It doesn't really matter where you'd go in the world it was worst before it was terrible! Oh, could I choose what culture I'd like to be a part of… I'd be a bad ass Viking working in Constantinople at the Core just having a good time and partying hard with the kings… [Laughs]

Karma: Whom would you like to see answering these Speed Round Questions?

Pete: Marilyn Manson! And I'd ask him why the hell he's not taking The Haunted on tour!

Karma: That would be a good question to ask of him! [We all laugh] Tack så mycket för intervjun!

Pete: Tack så mycket! [Smiles]  

I'd like to thank Pete for the interview, to Bo the band's tour manager, and to George Valle at Century Media for setting it up.

Click here for follow-up interview with Peter during Ozzfest 2005

&

Here for 2007 interview with Mr. Dolving