RAAHP:
First of all, I suppose we should introduce you guys since it's your first
release. Can you fill us in on the band's origins and history up to
this point?
Tuka:
Dogpound is a four piece band from Sweden. We met in The Nordic School
Of Rock Music in Munkfors Sweden. We found out that we loved the same
stuff, Beer! Micke and Figge used to play together in bands like World
Of Silence(Black Mark) and Godgory(Nuclear Blast). So we started a band.
From the first moment we got this great responce from all over. So we
decided to keep on going. We signed to a little label in Germany called
Shark records, but it turned out to be nothing. Then we signed with Z
Recorde in England. We luckily got out of that with our asses intact.
Mark Alger who runs the place is a well known scumbag. And then in
early 2003 we finally got picked up by Lion. A label we really wanted
to work with and had had contact with for years. And now Lasse thought
that it was time to do this.
RAAHP: This band is relatively new, yet the sound is extremely tight, did you guys hit it off right away or did it take a bit to develop your chemistry?
Tuka: We hit off right the way. We all know what we're doing 'cause we been playing our instruments for years....and if you really love eachother as persons, it makes it easier to make music together. And we really do love each other, like brothers.
RAAHP: I have a tough time describing the music, it's Melodic, but quite
heavy. In some ways you've taken the 80's sound and made it fit in
today's music world, is this a fair assessment? How do you guys describe
the music?
Tuka:
We basiclly use the same words you do. We reely love the music from the
80's. But also alot of stuff from the 60's and the 70's. We wanted to
mix the melodic stuff from the 80's with modern, heavier stuff. Hard to
explain. Basiclly we just play from the heart. The things that just comes
naturally is always the best.
RAAHP: I like the bands philosophy "Why turn the volume of the louder
instruments down when you can turn the lower ones up?!" This is really
a
LOUD album, but as I mentioned earlier, it's very melodic. There's so
many
bands doing the Death and Black Metal thing, whey did you guys choose
this style?
Tuka: As I said before, we just do what we love. Micke and Figge use to play like very progressive metal and death metal. I used to play everything from blues to pop. But mostly and ever since I was a kid I played music very influenced but Black Sabbath and Electric Boys. But when the four of us met and found out that we all liked heavy guitars, slamming drums but also strong melodies and music from the 80's. We decided to stop thinking and just do whatever would come to us.
RAAHP: Did you guys have much trouble shopping this album around? I noticed you passed on Z-Records (smart move).
Tuka:
After the first demo we did, we had like 17 labels that were really
interested in the band. And thats how it's been ever since. But we have
made some stupid moves. Signing to Shark took 6 months of our time. Signing
with Z took more than a year. Time we could have used in a million better
ways. When Lasse wanted to do something with us it was just, YES! Let's
do it! Lasse is known for taking good care of his bands and really promoting
his releases. Signing to Lion is the only good move we done.
RAAHP: Let's talk about the lyrics, you guys generally reach deeper than
most hard rock bands, what are some of the subjects you write about?
Tuka:
I don't know. Hea and/or Micke write all the lyrics. And they both are
really weird guys, so I have no clue. Sometimes I go: I know what this
song is about! And the I tell them what I thing....and they go: Duh! WRONG!
But it's not much of the typical love shit or party 'til you drop themes.
We are a little bit more serious than that. It's very much about how people
treat eachother and why we are doing things that we know is wrong. Hard
to say....next question!
RAAHP: I noticed you were a fan of the Electric Boys! In my opinion one of the most underrated bands of that era! What are some other Swedish bands people should know about?
Tuka:
Electric Boys is the greatest band ever! I just love them!
My biggest source of inspiration!
Other Swedish bands.....that could be a very long list, but I will try
not to
get carried away.
Modest Attraction - a great 70's inflenced band. Great drummer, Mick Nordstrom
and a wonderful singer Christian (now in Narnia).
Freak Kitchen - we just love them! Very nice guys and they are all mad!
Titanic Truth - Conny Bloom's post-electric boys-band.
Vomitory, Dispirited & Hypocrisy three great swedish death metal band.
Great King Rat - best medlodic rock band ever!
Space Probe Taurus - very monster magnet, great!
Than I like a lot of 70's music sung in swedish.
But it's not hard rock and you guys would'nt understand it a bit. There
are so many great bands in sweden, I can't list them all.
RAAHP: So where do you take it from here, we all it's getting harder and
harder to get noticed in the music biz, are you guys able to tour for
the album?
Tuka: Hopefully we will do some touring next year. We have got people working on that. None of us are involved in that bit.
RAAHP: Personally I think you'd have a huge audience in the Midwest of
the United States, it's great that we can relate so well to a band thousands
of miles away! I wish you guys the best, is there anything you'd like
to add?
Tuka:
Thanks for the kind words. And I really hope that people will buy the
god damn HELLBUM! It's an powerful, rough, aweful and beautiful cd.
Rock'n Roll!
