Interview:	WULFGAR
Title:	Sweat-driving passions for Vikings

Screaming throat Emil Augustsson, lead guitarist Jimmie Mattisson, rhythm guitarist Max Lindqvist, bass guitarist Morgan Löfstedt and battle-drummer Thommy Lindskog gathered their Swedish Viking souls in 2005 in Kristianstad-Sölvesborg.

Furthermore pure and brave done Epic Death Metal style should it be from now on, and the ambitioned horde had no inner rest since then. After some first celebrated stage-attacks, Wulfgar recorded a first – and pretty successful – demo-disc, which got the comprehensible title „Hate For Mankind” stamped.

As a strong follow-up to their second demo these grim Nordic bunch of aggressive heretics then worked out their current debut album „With Gods And Legends Unite”. So I have tortured the Scandinavian Viking Death Metal command with a pile of questions. And their often time unexpected comments are pretty funny. As it seems, we do have real jokers here.

OK, guys, let´s begin – so tell me each a ´bit about yourself!

Thommy: I´m just another handsome guy.
Emil: In my days I was an elite moto-cross driver, but too much injuries stopped that. Today almost everything walks hand in hand with the music. Music studio, several bands, arranging gigs to other bands, doing some PA stuff. Love movies and the making of them. And I am into reptiles and other exotic things.
Morgan: Viking, musician, composer, movie maniac, read comics, engaged to a wonderful woman and listens to all kinds of Metal.
Jimmie: I´m Wulfgar's lead guitar player – the one with the longest hair in the band.


What do you think of your previous life?

Thommy: I think I was a bad ass warrior.
Emil: I was actually a wizard.
Morgan: had some ups and downs but now I'm heading for the top!
Jimmie: pretty relaxed and nice. Love beer.

What are your lifelong dreams?

Thommy: to make it in the music world, make an impression in Metal history.
Emil: to live on the music instead of that fucking truck.
Morgan: to play music, make some records, write and direct a movie, write a book.
Jimmie: to play music. I have shitloads of fun with it.

What kind of personalities do you prefer in life?

Thommy: well. I don´t like people that always have be in the centre of everything. Otherwise, I´m not real picky.
Emil: good looking and has to have tits. Is that a personality? Hehe. Well. I guess I can get along with most of people if they aren´t fucked up in their head.
Morgan: kindness, righteousness.
Jimmie: well. Not numnuts.

Which are each´s responsibilities in Wulfgar, guys?

Thommy: since I´m the drummer its my job to play the battle drums which are needed to create the battlefield feeling.
Emil: well. I´m the vocalist. I deliver the agony in words! I also handle stuff like promotion, contacts and stuff most of us. I guess.
Morgan: write songs and play them.
Jimmie: play the guitar and drink beer.

What are your each strengths as musician?

Thommy: that´s not for me say.
Emil: I guess expressions.
Morgan: I have a great ear for melodies.
Jimmie: I´m good and fast learner.

Please give me examples of ideas you've had or implemented for the music of Wulfgar.

Thommy: I like it heavy and headbanging friendly.
Emil: its about the right feeling to it.
Morgan: Well, a lot, haha. I have written a lot of the songs on the album.
Jimmie: more partys. Better music.

So, tell me about your proudest achievement.

Thommy: I always feel proud when people likes what i have done, live in particular.
Emil: hum. There actually are a lot of those moments, but of course "With Gods And Legends Unite" is one of them.
Morgan: the release of "With Gods And Legends Unite".
Jimmie: "With Gods And Legends Unite".

What are you most proud of?

Thommy: beeing in the greatest band in the world, haha!
Emil: haha.
Morgan: my mom.
Jimmie: my next album.

What is your biggest regret, and why?

Thommy: that I didnt start playing earlier in my life, I started when I was 24-25 so it was pretty late.
Emil: to trust the doctors. Its their fault I cant be a motocross driver anymore.
Morgan: I don't have any regrets.
Jimmie: Regret?

Who are your favourite bands and why?

Jimmie: Deicide. Six Feet Under. Aeon. At The Gates, they play real good I say.
Thommy: Amon Amarth because the give me that special feeling.
Emil: hum. Thats alot. But, Morgana Lefay, Iced earth, Blind Guardian, Suidakra, Norther, just to mention some. Because they have the right shade of insanity of music making, going on there.
Morgan: Bolt Thrower, Death, Amon Amarth and Paradise Lost. Their uniqueness and their ability to make me headbanging is a lot greater than any other band.

Who are your heroes among them?

Thommy: all of them.
Emil: hum. I would have to say Morgana, because they have been there many years with me. So fucking nice. But Iced Earth could play at my funeral.
Morgan: Jo Bench, the bass player in Bolt Thrower. She is just so damn good looking! Chuck Schuldiner, the man behind Death. He's the greatest god damn musician ever!
Jimmie: Heroes ain´t my thing really.

So, what are the qualities of a good band in your opinion?

Thommy: band that loves what they do and shows that they are having fun.
Emil: a band that does what they believe in while they are having a great time.
Morgan: music that makes your head bang!
Jimmie: Having fun is the most important thing really.

Why do you make this kind of music?

Thommy: its the kind of music that i prefer to listen to but i also play in other bands that doesn´t sound like Wulfgar at all.
Emil: I do the kind of music I love, and I love Viking metal! Also I love the genres that my other bands play. But Viking metal is the closest in my heart much because I´ve always liked the Norse mythology and I love the epicness.
Jimmie: sounds good. The world needs more Viking Death Metal!
Morgan: the Norse mythology carries a lot of great stories and characters that must be shared with the rest of the world. The Vikings has been my passion since I was a little kid, it just comes naturally to write about them. To mix the Viking-theme with melodic Death Metal is a great way to mix the best things in life.

Where would you like to be in your career five years from now?

Thommy: playing the big stages and living on the music, that would be awesome.
Emil: play for fans that go crazy when its time for the berserk tunes and which are prepared to die with us.
Morgan: on a pub in Dublin.
Jimmie: playing guitar. Sweaty gigs and a few more albums released.

What's your ideal song?

Thommy: I like "Cleansed By Fire" a lot.
Emil: ah! Names. I dont do names, haha! I´m kinda senile, but it has to have a story to tell.
Morgan: a song that paints a picture in front of you (and makes you headbanging).
Jimmie: fast. shredding. banging..

What attracted you guys to your current record-label?

Thommy: well we just got a sweet deal i think, we had some more offers but none of them was as good as this.
Morgan: a nice man called Ville.
Emil: yepp!

What do you think about music-industry?

Thommy: to many big talkers I think.
Emil: I´m not into that industry stuff. Thats like, Ikea, haha!
Jimmie: to many ppl in it that don´t know their shit. There only to make money. Not in it for the music.
Morgan: it sucks, but we are just in it for the music, we don't give a fuck about making money and stuff.

What kind of goals would you have in mind if you get a contract with a big label?

Thommy: just getting the music out to more people, and playing more gigs.
Emil: well, more people in front of stage maybe?
Morgan: to reach more ears!

What are you looking for in terms of development of musical style?

Thommy: I really don´t now, we have to see on the next record.
Emil: dont wanna change too much. Because we already have killer tunes. But some tunes are already made for the next album, and some of them are faster and stuff. Come to our gigs, and you will have a taste of the next album!
Morgan: Greatness!

What big do you ultimately want to become in music-biz?

Morgan: I want everyone to know who we are. Emil: always fun to be recognized in a good way.

How would you describe your working style for the promo of your band?

Emil: we try to have as much personal contact with the fans as possible. We answer all fanmails ourselves, run the myspace ourselves, and so on, as good as possible. (www.myspace.com/wulfgarse) (www.wulfgar.se)
Morgan: write music, rehearse it, record it!

Tell me about a time where you had to deal with conflicts in the Metal genre.

Jimmie: everytime we meet Numnuts. Haha!

What's the last book you read?

Morgan: "The Portent" by Peter Bergting.
Thommy: pearls drum catalogue, closest to a book I come in my life.
Jimmie: eeehhmm. dont know. Too many beers since that!
Emil: hum. Does the Playstation game manual count? Or was it the bonsai book?

What (Metal) magazines do you read?

Thommy: Close Up, Swedenrock and some on the web.
Emil: Close Up.
Jimmie: Sweden Rock. And a lot of online magazines.
Morgan: Terrorizer, Sweden Rock Magazine, Close-Up Magazine.

Why should listeners buy your CD?

Thommy: because then I make money, haha!
Emil: Because you have to see the cover and booklet art to understand how fucking good looking it is! And it really adds to the epicness on the tracks, which you don´t get if you only download it.
Morgan: so that they can enter the world of glorious battles, myths and legends.
Jimmie: well if they like it. Why not?

What can you do for the fans with your music that other candidates can't?

Thommy: hard to say, take them on an epic journey back in time I guess.
Jimmie: take them on a nice epic trip.
Emil: a fellowship of five warriors, named Morgan, Jimmie, Max, Thommy and Emil. And their sick way of making awesome tunes?
Morgan: introduce them to a world of glorious battles, myths and legends.

When were you most satisfied in your band?

Thommy: on our release party, kick ass gig! And kick ass party!
Emil: yeah. Release party, great feast with great gathering and an unforgettable night!
Morgan: when we played at the release party. It was a blast!
Jimmie: when the album was done.

What are three positive things your other musicians in the band could say about you?

Emil: I´m handsome?
Morgan: 1. I'm a good songwriter (I hope) 2. I don't pick my nose in front of them 3. I'm quite good-looking.
Jimmie: funny shit. Look at the videos from the recordings at Youtube and see, haha!

What negative things would your band colleagues say about you?

Emil: I´m to handsome?
Morgan: 1. I'm a bastard 2. Self-centered 3. A bad songwriter (I hope not)
Jimmie: drinking to less beer? And falling asleep afterwise. Ehm. U know who u are!

If you were an animal, which one would you want to be?

Thommy: wolf or an eagle.
Emil: I like snakes and exotic animals. But I guess a house cat would be relaxing as hell, hehe!
Morgan: A wolf.
Jimmie: a dragon?

What spiritual ways in life are you seeking?

Thommy: none, just living.
Morgan: higher wisdom.
Emil: my soul will be around for a long time. To hount kids!
Jimmie: to be able to drink two beers in my sleep.

Do you have plans to have children in the near future of this socially rotten planet?

Thommy: no way, dude.
Morgan: yes! But I will sure as hell keep them away from social-rotten people.
Emil: hahaha! Think I have answered that in the question before?
Jimmie: kids ain´t my thing!

What kind of car do you drive?

Thommy: Mercedes 300 CE, I like the look of it.
Emil: I regret to have sold my Audi A6V6... Now I´m just driving what comes in my way.
Morgan: I walk.
Jimmie: Volvo.

There's no right or wrong answer, but if you could be anywhere in the historical world right now, where would you be?

Thommy: year 1000 in Sweden. Vikings!
Emil: Haha! Thats a easy one!
Morgan: the dark ages.
Jimmie: with the Vikings fighting side by side!

What would you do if you won the lottery?

Thommy: get really drunk.
Emil: go to the restaurant with my friends and family. In Greece or somewhere else.
Morgan: buying a castle and build a studio into it, maybe start a festival for Vikings.
Jimmie: quit my job. Buy more guitars and amps. Play until all neighbours move away – far!

© Markus Eck, 13.03.2008

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