I N T E R V I E W

Interview Magnus Henriksson

Thank you guys to answer to aux portes du metal questions. You've just released an album, which make, in your discography, directions' change. In fact "Are You Ready To Rock"s' production, compositions and performances are much better than the ones on "Second to none". Did you work flat out to get this result or is it the line up change, which explain this evolution?

Hi! Thanks a lot! Actually, we were a bit afraid that all the AOR-aficionados would get scared away by this album being too heavy, but it seems to be on the contrary luckily enough. This is the direction we've always wanted to go. It hasn't that much to do with the line-up change because it's still me and Erik that write all the music. The new guys have obviously had an effect on the sound, but we went for this sound intentionally when we wrote the material. Robert Bäck (our new drummer) must have like 2 brains and 10 arms! He is just the best drummer I've heard. He plays like a million bucks!!

Until now, you claimed to belonging to the AOR family. Your album seems more energetic: did you want it in order to have another audience, or is it a logical continuation because the band didn't identify anymore with the music they played before?

It was never our intention from the beginning to sound like an AOR band. The albums just came out that way anyway. Me and Erik were thinking about that just a few days ago. We said to each other "Why did we become an AOR band? We´ve never listened to AOR that much, then why did our albums come out this way?" Actually we listen more to AC/DC or SLAYER than Journey or TOTO.

Erik and you created Eclipse. There is a real complicity between both of you and we really feel it on this new album. First, there is a technical mastery for both of you, and through this album, we feel a common joy: The singing meets perfectly up the guitar part. Did you feel the same? If yes, how did the two others bands' members to get a place inside the band?

Me and Erik just completes each other's perfectly and we've always worked well as a team and we're the best friends and have tremendous respect for each other. I can tell Erik when he sucks, and he can tell me when I suck without having hard feelings. If he thinks I suck I just have to do better because I trust in what he´s saying. When we were looking for new band members, we wanted to have 2 guys who could give our music that extra push and attitude and make it even better, and they really did! Also, we wanted to have cool guys who's easy to work with and that totally believed in our vision and really liked the stuff. When we had audition for Robert (the drummer) he was so charming 'cause he said to us: "Even if you won't give me the drum job, I will be your biggest fan and I will stand first in line outside the record store when your new record is released" How sweet isn't that?

Tell me if I'm wrong, you've produced this album in our own studio, and the result is so convincing. In France, in this case, we will say: "If you want something done right, do it yourself". Did you really don't want to ask someone else to produce this album?

That is so true! We use to say that all the time! Every time we give away the duty to someone else it will disappoint us. You have to do it all yourself. Of course if we had lots of money it would be cool to work with a great producer, but I think me and Erik made an OK job producing this album.

As far as I'm concerned, I found, while I was listening to "Are you ready to Rock?", that there was a change over between some songs more classics ("Hometown calling" "Wylde me" "Hard time loving you" or "Two souls") and some songs which are more ambitious ("To mend a broken heart", "Unbreakable" or "Million miles away"): Do you think the same, or, to your mind, there's no such a fence between all the songs ?

You might be right in saying that, because "Unbreakable" and "To mend a broken heart" were written 3-4 years ago when we had the old members in the band and had a different state of mind. The rest of the songs were written more recently and have a bit more positive and happy-go-lucky attitude.

According to French people, the Swedish metal seems to take two different ways: the melodic hard rock, and the black metal. Is it true or just a "minds' view"? How do they can live together? And how can you explain this phenomenon's' origins?

To be honest, I don't know much about the Black Metal scene. I don't know what's going there. I think it was quite big in the 90's, but has mellowed a bit now. But melodic hard rock is growing bigger every day and attracting younger and younger fans. And that's great! I thing Crash Diet has attracted a lot of younger fans and they have started to check out the older stuff also which feels very hopeful.

Can we expect a tour, which will allow to the French people to discover your progress, or do we will have to wait (impatiently) for the next album?

We definitely will go on tour in 2009! France is no exception! You can count on us there! Next album will come quicker. 4 years is too long. Viva la France! Best wishes, Magnus Henriksson