For over 35 years, Swedish death metal legends Unleashed have stood as one of the genre’s best, delivering battle hymns rooted in Norse mythology and pure aggression. These giants have now returned with their 15th studio album, Fire Upon Your Lands, arriving this Friday (15th) via Napalm Records. Metal Insider caught up with founding vocalist/bassist Johnny Hedlund to discuss the record, bringing back the World of Odalheim, and more.
How did the writing process differ this time around for the new album, Fire Upon Your Lands?
We are doing pretty much what we always did because we’ve been together for such a long time in the band, and we know each other very well now. So I would say the entire creative process is pretty much, at least as the previous seven, eight albums I would say. So that says that after the introduction of the internet and all the new types of technology, we’ve been working pretty much the same way. So yeah, it is an easy way of working, though, because I don’t love extreme surprises. So for us, that’s good.
Sometimes, having a consistent streamline works in your favor, so that’s really good.
Yes, it does. Yes, it does. Yeah, and we are fortunate like that.
How would you compare the new album to 2021’s No Sign of Life?
Well, I could say what our plan was or the aim was, and yeah, we try to put a little more freshness to this one because you have to refresh yourself somehow between the albums. And of course, we also try to make stronger songs, obviously. Well, most musicians would answer that, but that’s the truth, though. We try to see if we can make, let’s say, 11 songs a little bit more memorable than the previous album and maybe some more dynamic to it, and maybe try some new melody lines that were not as obvious, maybe to fit on the previous one. But then, well, we’re Unleashed and we’re not going to invent the wheel, just all of a sudden we’re not going to go crazy places with a new album. And I mean, our aim is to, like I said, to refresh ourselves a little bit in between the albums. But anyone who puts on a new Unleashed album hopefully understands on the first song that, yes, this is Unleashed. And if that happens, then I think we’ve done the job we set out to do.
How does the new album expand on the world of the Odalheim storyline?
It takes over exactly what the previous one left off. It is still about the warriors and their fight, the battle against their main enemy, white Christ. And the previous album left off in a huge battle at the Mount Sinai, so there are obviously out for a big battle right there. And so the first song on this album takes over exactly at the end of that battle, and the entire campaign is just moving along. So this entire album is still about the same storyline.
Nice. Which track on the album challenged you the most, either musically or lyrically?
Well, first of all, Fredrik [Folkare, guitarist] does all the music. And I do all the lyrics. And the other guys are literally just watching and saying, “Okay, I like this. This should be more, this should be less.” So it’s just me and Fredrik creating the stuff, really. Well, we’ve done pretty much what we always do, and I think that we know each other pretty well now. I think that there are very few mistakes in that way. Because if you know what your band members like, then you’re not going to spend 25 hours working on something that you risk having a decline on, so to speak.
What was the first song written for Fire Upon Your Lands? Did it set the tone for the rest of the album, or did you write out of order, or how did you guys put it together?
I think Fredrik has a timeframe in which he concentrates on making new Unleashed songs. And I’m not exactly sure if that is three months or six months, or I’m not exactly sure exactly how he works with that. But he normally starts with sending me four songs, perhaps. And of course, since I’m doing this as a storyline now, then I have to really try and think hard on which songs can be number one, number two, number three, number four, et cetera, because it depends on whether it fits the actual content of the storyline. And so maybe song number one can’t really be about the continuation from the previous album.
And so that’s what takes all the time, to be honest, and to figure out which songs can be what. Because sometimes if he sends me another two songs, maybe I can’t start working on them because they don’t fit in the storyline. And so that’s something that I have to think real hard on, because otherwise, I would just line them up and have five, six songs, and the story can be whatever, but it doesn’t work like that. So normally it works. I could probably start doing maybe song two, three, and maybe song five, and then that’s normally how it works now with this storyline. And I never really get so lucky that I can do song number one, two, three, four, and five directly lyric-wise.
What songs are you most excited about performing live?
We spoke about that, and well, it’s still a little bit of a secret as to which songs we’re going to play live, but we’re going out now in August anyway, so we’ll see. But for sure, “War Comes Again” is one that’s going out that’s on the set list already. And a few more, depending on how long we play as well. Because if you play for an hour and 20 minutes, it’s a big difference as to if you play 50 minutes because you have to play some of the old stuff as well.
We have 15 albums now. And plus the guys in the band, everybody has an equal say. So if I want to have three songs just very much, maybe they don’t want the exact same three songs. And so there’s a bit of a debate there for sure. But we started practicing that, and we are going to come to a conclusion pretty much any day now. We’ll see. But I can’t say I have one exact or two exact favorites like that. Well, it’s a decision for all of us together at the same time. But we’re pretty much there soon, so we’ll see.
You guys have been around for nearly four decades. How do you continue the spark to keep everything creative and keep the momentum going?
Yeah, I don’t think there’s another way. I don’t know how it could be different. I think we’re up in, what is it? 37 years or something now, and I almost don’t recall how it is to wake up in the morning, and don’t think about Unleashed music or lyrics as a creative process. It’s pretty much the other way around. We’ve been fortunate enough to be able to do this for such a long time, and I think we’re worth it because we’ve done a lot of things right. We haven’t killed each other along the way, and we help out in the band.
Everybody has an equal say in the band. And we agreed many, many years ago to what Unleashed should sound like, and we keep to the roots, and we try and refresh ourselves, and everybody agrees to that. So yeah, I think that’s pretty much what it is. I don’t really know another way of waking up in the morning. But I would say this though, that if that happens one day and we’re not in Unleashed anymore and we’re not playing Unleashed music, I would probably scream somebody else’s lyrics. I would be at some other band’s show, and that’s probably what it is. And then I would just be at the festivals anyway. So yeah, I think that’s how it is.
And looking back at earlier work, how do you think Unleashed has evolved musically?
I think Fredrik has brought a lot to the table as he joined in the mid-nineties. I mean, it’s some time ago now, of course, but he brought a lot because his knowledge about how to create songs and play guitar and produce music generally. And he’s a producer, of course, and has meant a lot to the band. I would say there are two. I mean, before he joined the band, things were obviously not as digital as they are now. And that goes for everybody, of course, everyone in the world. And I think nowadays we can do things a lot easier, and it’s easier. You don’t have to spend three days a week in a practice room like we did in the early ’90s. And Fredrik is pretty good at that, and doing all this on the digital side of things, and that makes it easier for the rest of us. And I think that’s probably the biggest change for us as a band. Obviously, for most bands, of course. But yeah, it’s been a good ride. And we’ll just keep on going. Yeah.
Are there any plans to further develop the Odalheim saga outside of music?
Yeah. Well, of course I have thought about actually completing the book, but my friend and I said many years ago, the problem is that life comes and fuck things up for us. There are so many things to attend to, and maybe the work of a book that big would be a little too much. I mean, we set out to do a really big thing, but it just took too much time. And maybe if we were extremely talented or authors of books previously, maybe that would be easier for us, but we’re not. I mean, I’m a musician, and he works with many different things, IT, and stuff. So we had no previous knowledge of how to complete a book that fast. Yeah, I don’t really know. Maybe there is some time in the future, but I would say if I were to complete that, I would have to spend two years doing absolutely nothing other than the book. And I don’t know if that’s going to happen. I just don’t see it happening.
It would be nice because a lot of people ask me about it all the time, but I just don’t think, I got to be honest, that it’s too much of a job. And I mean, it’s a lot of work just trying to translate the chapters into songs, but that’s not ending. If you have 11 songs on this album, I know exactly which chapters I want to put into this album. I know what I want it to start, and I know where I want it to end so that it doesn’t get too wide content-wise. And so that people who like to read the lyrics can follow it, at least in a pretty easy manner. Yeah. So I guess that’s it. That’s the only thing that we can do at the moment.
Maybe a die-hard fan be like, “Hey, I’m a writer, I could help you.”
Yeah. You never know. I mean, yeah, it’s a bit, yeah, I have thought about doing it. And I don’t say I will never do it. Well, I would say at least as far as playing live and stuff like that goes, and that’s what has to be the priority right now. And that’s how it is. If you release a new album, you can’t just stay at home for two years and write from the book. That would be really strange.
Outside of Unleashed, what music do you personally listen to that your fans might be surprised about?
Oh, I don’t know if they would be surprised at anything. I think I listened to a lot of things, from blues to black metal and everything in between. Maybe they would be surprised. I listened a lot to Mike Sanchez, perhaps. He played a piano in a blues band with his own name. And he’s from London, plays a lot of really good blues and rock and roll music. I think there are actually a few artists with the same name, so do not mistake them for the others. But well, maybe that’s a surprise to some people. I have no idea.
What do you hope listeners will feel or think after finishing the new album from start to finish?
First of all, when they put the record on, I hope they find that it’s, well, it’s an Unleashed album because that’s our first aim, that people would recognize it instantly, that it’s not somebody else. It’s actually an Unleashed album. And of course, we would like to have the feeling that they think it’s a very memorable album, that the songs are easy to remember and scream along to, at best, hopefully. And also that they enjoy the songs. We try to create as memorable songs as possible. And hopefully, from start to end, it’s an enjoyable album. And hopefully, they get the experience of the Viking, death metal style that we play as something they want to go and see live. And that’s pretty much what I can hope.
Unleashed’s new album, Fire Upon Your Lands, arrives on Friday (15th), via Napalm Records, with pre-orders available at this location.
Feature Image Photo Credit: Jens Rydén
