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Inför Sweden Rock: Intervju med Orphaned Land

Årets upplaga av Sweden Rock Festival närmar sig med stormsteg och vi laddar upp med intervjuer med banden som spelar. Nästa band på tur är Orphaned Land från Israel där Rocknytts Effie Trikili fått ställa några frågor till bandets gitarrist Chen Balbus.

Ett prog/death/doom metal-band med influenser från orientalisk folkmusik och som sjunger om att bringa försoning mellan stridande religioner. Skumt, eller alltför pretto? Nej, israeliska Orphaned Land har nått en hängiven publik från flera läger, och i många länder. Bandets berömmelse har ökat med vart och ett av deras hittills fem album, senast “Unsung prophets and dead Messiahs” (2018), och till deras mer berömda fans hör Genesis-legendaren Steve Hackett.

Hello and welcome to Sweden Rock Festival 2022! You were supposed to play at the festival in 2020 but covid got in the way. How does it feel to finally play at Sweden’s biggest rock festival?
– Thank you for having us 🙂 It sure has been a while since OL has been abroad anywhere around the world and it sure is a grand opener for us! We always saw Sweden Rock as a huge highlight for our career and we’re super stoked to finally have the chance to play there. Especially after all this time dealing with COVID-19 issues.

As known, the festivals in 2020 and 2021 were cancelled due to covid. What have you been doing the past two years?– Honestly we all had to step back from music in one way or another. It was remarkably frustrating. At first with all the restrictions and the fact that your income as an active musician is basically cut to barely none. We all had to reinvent ourselves and focus on other things.

We are lucky to come out of this still as a working band with tons of supporting fans and we are working on our new DVD and live album as we speak. Can’t say it was all bad 🙂

Have you visited the festival before, what are your expectations?
– I think we actually never played in Sweden, at all. We came to Sweden to record both our latest albums but didn’t actually play a proper concert there. So it’s super fortunate to finally have that chance!

What was the first album you bought with your own money?

– The first album I bought was ‘Appetite for Destruction’ by Guns N Roses when I was about 9 and working in those summer vacation jobs, managed to save for that album somehow 😉

Do you have any favourite songs to play live, which ones and why?

– Pretty much any song out of our album ‘Mabool’. I think it’s by far the most “Soundtrack” kind of album we have. I was a fan of the band before joining and Mabool was the one that started everything for me. Besides that? Our latest album ‘Unsung Prophets & Dead Messiahs’ is by far the most fun album to play. very modern and atmospheric keeping that OL vibe.

If you oversee the economical aspects, which band or artist would you like to collaborate with and why?

– Metallica. No doubt. I think Metallica is beyond a band and more of an inspiration of how to endure together and still kick ass in your 50s. Metallica is an example of not repeating yourself and trying to please anyone. They’re there for the music.

What should the festival audience expect from your performance?

– Can’t promise any camels on stage. But I can definitely say we are hungry for the stage and audience. It’s gonna be one hell of a party.

Thank you for your time and see you at Sweden Rock in June!

Orphaned Land spelar på torsdag den 9 juni kl. 16.00 på Silja Stage.

Sweden Rock Festival äger rum i Norje, utanför Sölvesborg mellan den 8-11 juni. Klara band är Guns N’ Roses, Volbeat, In Flames, Nightwish, Mercyful Fate, Megadeth, Within Temptation, Accept, Saxon, Social Distortion, Dropkick Murphys, The Hellacopters, Opeth, Night Ranger, D-A-D, 10CC, Honeymoon Suite, Lee Aaron, Kingdom Come, Ten Years After, Saga, Praying Mantis, Walter Trout, Devin Townsend, Clawfinger, Hardcore Superstar, Raubtier, Amaranthe, Sonata Arctica, Kvelertak, Michael Monroe, Evergrey, Alestorm, Sodom, Nashville Pussy, Bombus, Witchcraft, Eluveitie, Orange Goblin, Freedom Call, Kadavar, Hällas, Victory, Rage, Ross The Boss, Eclipse, Satan Takes A Holiday, Bonafide, Grave, The Halo Effect, Belphegor, Nationalteaterns Rockorkester, Nestor, Eleine, VA Rocks, Månegarm, Narnia, Bomber, Magic Pie, Nile, Tiamat, Dirty Honey, Eric Gales och många fler.