“Our goal is to turn heads and burn shit to the ground!” Intervju med nya hårdrocksbandet Demonicus

Demonicus är ett nystartat band med en imponerande meritlista. Vad sägs om Mercyful Fate, Pentagram, Witchcraft, Overdrive, Candlemass och The Graviators? Precis. Att tala om supergrupp i sammanhanget känns inte speciellt överdrivet.Demonicus håller just nu på att spela in musik, och de säger själva att de planerar att ta över världen. Rocknytts Niklas Webjörn har pratat med Demonicus om deras musikaliska bakgrund och influenser.

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Demonicus är ett nystartat band med en imponerande meritlista. Vad sägs om Mercyful Fate, Pentagram, Witchcraft, Overdrive, Candlemass och The Graviators? Precis. Att tala om supergrupp i sammanhanget känns inte speciellt överdrivet.

Demonicus håller just nu på att spela in musik, och de säger själva att de planerar att ta över världen. Rocknytts Niklas Webjörn har via mail och ett möte på Sweden Rock fått intervjua Demonicus om deras musikaliska bakgrund och influenser.

Intervjun publiceras på engelska.

Demonicus IMG_2277

 

Demonicus is a newly formed band with members active in both Sweden and U.S.A. The band consists of Niklas Sjöberg (vocals), Fredrik Jansson (bass), Mike Wead (guitar), Kjell Jacobsson (guitar) and Peter Campbell (drums). The guys in Demonicus have some quite impressive track records, having played in various bands, like Mercyful Fate, Pentagram, Witchcraft, Overdrive, Candlemass and The Graviators. In other words; It’s no exaggeration to call them a supergroup. Demonicus are currently making music, and their plan is simply to take over the world.

The interview is a based on mail exchange with Mike and Peter, and a meeeting with Niklas, Kjell and Fredrik at the Sweden Rock Festival.

Hi! I’m very pleased to have the opportunity to talk to you guys. Can you tell me, very breifly, what’s the ambition behind Demonicus? What kind of music do you play?

Niklas: We play 70’s rock. But we don’t want to get stuck talking genre. It’s like going back in a time machine, trying to capture that special feeling, you know. To take us back to the time where music were created by masters, and to make magic together. Check out our musical backgrounds and you’ll get it.

Peter: Our goal is to turn heads and burn shit to the ground!

Sounds interesting. I’m very curious about your musical backgrounds. What bands did you play in?
Niklas: I was the singer in The Graviators and NYMF, and songwriter in both bands since 2008. I have also done some guest performances on stage and on records. We recorded Zero the Hero with Monkey 3 and recently with Naevus. On stage performances togheter with Scott Wino, Chritus Lindersson and Brain Police etc.

Fredrik: I used to play drums in Abramis Brama and Witchcraft. Played bass with Count Raven as well for a couple of years.

Kjell: I have always had a dream to come back to, and write songs inspired by, my first real heavy experiences, i.e listing to Jimi Hendrix, Black Sabbath’s first albums, Led Zeppelin, early Judas Priest. To go to my roots playing more heavy riff based rock. I played in the classical Swedish eighties heavy metal band Overdrive formed in 1980, and we released we did a revival after a gig at Sweden Rock Festival 2006. We released the 4-track EP Resurrected and were signed by Lion Records at that time. I have done three more albums; Let the Metal do the Talking (2008), Angelmaker and Angelmakers Daughter (both in 2011). We have also done gigs in Sweden, Germany and Finland. In 2014 we went to Japan. Before that I played in the Swedish band Ocean. It was heavy hard rock, and progessive rockn’roll with english and swedish lyrics. Today I also play some southern rock/country inspired music with the swedish band Charlie Harbor.

Peter: I started playing in cover bands when I was 12 years old… all over Minnesota. Did that for many years. Joined a band out of Maryland called Sixty Watt Shaman in the late 90’s and did a bunch of tours and a record. Then I started The Mighty Nimbus. Met and hooked up with my brother Victor Griffin and joined Place of Skulls for a few years. Victor and I also wrote and recorded our project In-Graved. Now I’m currently drumming in Pentagram which is amazing. Also have my baby Buzzard that I sing and play guitar in…album is out now. Demonicus I am so pumped for…to play with these talented dudes is a dream.

Let’s talk about influences. Name the top ten best bands and albums ever. Or at least a few influences. Do you only listen to hard rock/metal or are there other stuff that inspire you?

Niklas: Candelmass, Pentagram, The Doors, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Neil Young, Hanson & Karlsson, Motörhead, Kyuss, Judas Priest etc. Some of my favorite albums: Epicus Doomicus Metallicus (Candelmass), Relentless (Pentagram), L.A. Woman (The Doors), Led Zeppelin (Led Zeppelin), Black Sabbath (Black Sabbath), Harvest (Neil Young), Painkiller (Judas Priest), Monument (Hanson & Karlsson).

Kjell: I’m very fond of listening to different styles. I’ve always been into different kind of styles because it insprires me, and the different styles goes into my writing and playing. I’ve always been playing with different blues, country and hard rock bands in Sweden. It’s very hard for me to mention my favorite albums. I’ve had some great moments listening to Black Sabbath, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Rush, Montrose, Judas Priest, Foghat, Bachman Turner Overdrive, to mention a few.

Fredrik: Black Sabbath: Master of Reality, November: En ny tid är här, Pink Floyd: Wish You Were Here, and the first Captain Beyond has been very important to me through the years. I listen to any music that is good, doesn’t matter if it’s Black Flag, Yuseef Latif, Guy Clark or Napalm Death.

Peter: KISS KISS KISS! LOL! I’m influenced by a lot. Some of my favorites are Thin Lizzy, Robin Trower, Mountain, Blue Cheer, Deep Purple (Coverdale/Hughes records), The Alice Cooper Group, Alice in Chains…etc. I’m also very into big band/swing and jazz; Max Roach, Gene Krupa, Louie Bellson, Buddy Rich, etc.

Tell me about your work progress when writing songs.

Kjell and Niklas: In Demonicus we write all the music together. We have started up writing songs and it’s getting along very well. It seems to be really heavy, doomy inspired stuff when all the memebers have put their touch on it.

When do you plan to record your debut album?Are you in touch with any record label/s?

Kjell and Niklas: We have started to record now and we will tell about it in the future.

You have already printed some grim looking shirts, with a very good looking logo by Vance Kelly. I’ve seen his amazing artwork for bands like Mastodon, Down and Huntress. Who the hell is this talented guy, and will he do your album covers too?

Niklas: He is a magician and perhaps he will do it…

Any further plans for the future?

All: Take over the world!!! m/  LOL

What bands do you plan to see on the festival?

Kjell: I’m really looking forward to see King Diamond, Graveyard, and Megadeth. Going to check out Queen with Adam Lambert, even if it’s not the same as Freddie Mercury.
Niklas and Fredrik: King Diamond, Graveyard and Slayer

Peter (not on Sweden Rock): I’ve got a lot of festivals coming up with Pentagram but the one I can’t wait for is Psycho Las Vegas in August! We play with Blue Öyster Cult, Alice Cooper, and Arthur Brown!!! As well as countless others.

Any foreign press picking up on the buzz?

Niklas, Fredrik and Kjell: We have fans in South America. Internet is fantastic. Suddenly you get mail from a guy in South America who heard something, and want to know what we’re up to.

They know all about what bands we’ve been in. And you know, Pentagram is huge!

Thank you for your time, and good luck with the band!

… Thank you, and lots of metal to you for the support and we can’t wait for everyone to hear DEMONICUS!!!

DEMONICUS are:

Niklas Sjöberg: Vocals (The Graviators, NYMF)
Fredrik Jansson: Bass (Witchcraft, Abramis Brama, Noctum, Lugnet, Count Raven, Atlantic Tide )
Mike Wead: Guitar (Candlemass, The Haunted, Mercyful Fate, King Diamond, Bibleblack)
Kjell Jacobsson: Guitar (Overdrive, Ocean)
Peter Campbell: Drums (Pentagram, Place of Skulls, In Graved, The Mighty Nimbus, Buzzard, Sixty Watt Shaman,Vulgaari)


Check out the Demonicus facebook page for updates and info:
https://www.facebook.com/Demonicustheband

 

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From left to right: Fredrik, Niklas and Kjell of DEMONICUS

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