One Man Army & Undead Quartet Interview

Interview
Johan Lindstrand
One Man Army & Undead Quartet

3/11/06
Interviewer: Josh Thorne

Band Members:
Johan Lindstrand – Vocals
Pekka Kiviaho – Guitar
Mikael Lagerblad – Guitar
Marek Dobrowolski – Drums
Robert Axelsson – Bass

One Many Army And The Undead Quartet Promo

"If you're not out there touring and showing your face, it's not going to do any good!"

Johan Lindstrand is a man that really needs no introduction to faithful extreme metal fans. However, for those of you who still think Avenged Sevenfold is the heaviest thing since Rosie O’Donnell, I'll be nice and enlighten you. For close to fifteen years, Johan fronted one of extreme metal's greatest bands The Crown...a band I hold very near to my heart. After a shocking and surprising split-up, Johan formed One Man Army and The Undead Quartet and needless to say, he hasn't lost a step.

On their debut, 21st Century Killing Machine, Johan proves why he is one of metal's most talented and compelling frontmen by delivering an entire album of solid heavy metal compositions that rock like nobody's business. Being the ultimate Crown fanboy as well, I jumped at the opportunity to talk to Johan from his home in Sweden about the One Man Army, The Crown, touring, and…Elvis?

Josh: Ok brother, you guys just finished up a European tour with Children of Bodom and Ektomorf. How did that go for you guys?

Johan: It went extremely well and it was very smooth for us. I mean, you can't ask for better promotion for a debut album! We were the opener, did forty-one shows and the venues were packed everywhere. The audience response was very good as well, especially considering most people didn't know that much about us. So yeah, the tour was great.

Josh: That's awesome, dude! Now, going into the subject of the band itself, how did you go about picking the musicians that make up The Undead Quartet?

Johan: It didn't take me very long to do that, actually. About two months after the split, I started writing my own material and I was on my own for about six months. I talked to Valle and asked if he wanted to help with the studio work and of course, he said he'd love to. After that, he helped me find my lead guitarist and after putting out some ads online, I was able to find the rest of the members for the band. It wasn't that hard and I think I've found some really good members!

Josh: I'd have to agree with you there for sure, man. The new album is just massive!

Josh: Lyrically, what was it like for you to write the lyrics on this album considering most of the lyrics in The Crown, except for a few songs here and there, were written by Magnus and Marko?

Johan: It was definitely a new experience, but at the same time, it was much more fun. And believe me, this is the way it will be from now on. I'll handle all of the lyrics, but musically we'll all share in the creation of it. I just can't express how much better it feels to sing my own words live! And I'm not saying that Magnus or Marko wrote bad lyrics because they didn’t'! I mean, Magnus is a great songwriter but you can never really understand the full meaning of the song until you've written it yourself. I'm totally concentrated on doing it now, and it's just a lot more fun this way.

Josh: The one vibe I've gotten from the lyrics is a very old school vibe, and not in a bad way by any means. It's just that the atmosphere really reminds me of some of the death and thrash albums of the 80's and even of the early 90's.

Johan: Well, that's wasn't very intentional but I can see how it could come across like that. I mean, I put a lot of personal stuff on this album along with a lot of fantasy stuff. I mean, yeah, I'm thirty years old and grew up on the music you're talking about so that influence is definitely there. As far as the lyrics go, it could possibly have been there in a somewhat subliminal way.

Johan: We recorded at a studio called Bohus Sound. It's about thirty minutes from Gothenburg, and it's pretty close to me and the rest of the band. It's one of the best studios in Sweden and it's got a lot of high quality equipment. The atmosphere there is very good as well, I mean it just feels like home to be there and that's the atmosphere you need when you're working long hours on an album. We were actually the first death metal band to record there.

Johan: Yeah, well part of the re-recorded version of Crowned In Terror was recorded there as well and that's actually how I found out about the place. But the equipment, like I said before, is amazing. Actually, the soundboard is from Lucas sound and it's the one they used to mix the sound for Star Wars: Episode One.

Josh: Now, switching gears just a bit, you guys are getting ready to go on the Neckbreaker's Ball tour with Hypocrisy. I'm guessing you're getting pretty excited about this one.

Johan: Oh, absolutely. I mean, I'm not the biggest fan of modern Hypocrisy but the package as a whole with us, Soilwork, and Scar Symmetry is going to be great. There's only going to be around 16 dates, but I'm expecting them to be packed every night with this lineup of bands!

Johan: The thing is, we have a booking agency in Europe that's supporting us very well, but we do want to play in the States. I guess it just all depends on how well our album does over there, but like I said, I do want to come back. I was over there with The Crown a couple of years ago and I just loved it! The atmosphere was great, and I just really want to come back over!

Josh: I guess I'll just have to stay on Nuclear Blast until such a thing happens.

Johan: Yeah, do that! I mean, I don't care if we open a tour with five bands! Live shows are the most important thing when you're trying to build a band. I don't care if you're album has high ratings in reviews or features in the press, if you're not out there touring and showing your face, it's not going to do any good.

Josh: I've tried making that point to a lot of people. The reason this genre's not bigger than it is right now is because so many bands DON'T want to tour and like you said, that's what it takes to be successful.

Johan: In the beginning of last year, the demo was finished and we just put it up for free download on the site. Once the word spread about it, a few labels contacted us and Nuclear Blast was one of them. They wanted to hear the actual CD, so I sent them one, and after talking with them and knowing what they would do for us, we basically had no hesitation about signing with them. I mean, I had two contracts I could have taken and one was from Nuclear Blast and one was from Metal Blade. Metal Blade is a great label with great people but I'd done that for so many years and I wanted to work with new people in a new environment. It basically boils down to the fact that Nuclear Blast can push us like no other label can, and in the end, I know I definitely made the right choice by signing with them.

Josh: You've also recently joined on as the vocalist for legendary death metallers, Incapacitated. How did that come about?

Johan: Well, in 2004, they asked me if I could do a show with them and of course, I said yes. The show was really cool, and I had a good time. So, last year they called and half of the band had left and I was asked to join the band so it's not really a full-time thing, which makes it much easier to do, and definitely a lot more fun.

Johan: Well, the thing is, I'm not really changing the way I sing to front this band. I mean, they're definitely more of the extreme style of death metal but it's not going to affect the way I sing. I'm still gonna do my thing and I'm really looking forward to it.

Josh: On the subject of The Crown, you guys recently issued the farewell 3-disc DVD called "Fourteen Years of No Tomorrow.” I can truthfully say, as a Crown fan from back, that you did an absolutely phenomenal job on this.

Johan: Oh, thank you very much man! I mean, it was a lot of hard work but we had to do something to show the fans just how much we appreciated them. I put a lot of hard work into this, especially with finding all of the old bootleg material and my friend Ben Isaac from the U.S. helped a lot with the actual process of putting it together as far as the old footage and even the documentary goes.

Josh: I was actually just getting ready to ask you about the documentary, because you wrote the script for it. I though it was very personal, but it was also such a true-to-form tribute to the history you guys had.

Johan: Yeah, well I wanted it to be like; um...what do you call the old movies with no sound?

Johan: That's it. I wanted it to be like that, and it took a lot of time to finish all the material but it turned out to be very cool. It covers it all from day one to the final tour we did and I think it's a great tribute and thank you to our fans.

Josh: And now, Mr. Lindstrand, it’s time for our Speed Round of Questions!

Josh: That is, quite honestly, the best answer I've ever heard to that question!

Josh: If One Man Army and The Undead Quartet was an alcoholic beverage, which one would you be?

Josh: If you could commission any one band to cover a One Man Army song, who would you choose and why?

Johan: I'd choose Metallica, just so they'd have to work harder and try and bring back the heaviness of their music.

Josh: Part of me is really anxious to hear what the outcome of those sessions will be, but I don't expect too much.

Johan: Yeah, they'll never be what they once were. They're too concerned about the business of it all.

Johan: I just hope for the best, man. I mean, the future will decide what will happen but I'll work my ass off to make sure this band goes as far as it can possibly go. I'm not going to quit this band, because I started this band and no matter how bad the reviewers think we are, I'm not going anywhere. I just hope that the American audience will dig our album because I'm really looking forward to hear what they think of this!

Josh: I'm sure they will, Johan. Well, that basically ends all of my questions and once again, thanks for taking the time to speak with us.

Josh: Yeah, last year I was working for another webzine and you did an interview with me for that as well.

Johan: I'm not good with names, but yeah, I remember now. That's cool. E-mail interviews are a completely different thing and you know, I think it's a bit strange to have that much time to think over your answers. I like interviews over the phone and in person, because the answers are so spontaneous and I don't know...that's just what I prefer.

Josh: I've never really looked at it like that before, but I can see what you mean. Nevertheless man, thank you again.