EUROPE Singer: 'We Said Goodbye To The Eighties'

Vocalist Joey Tempest of Swedish hard rockers EUROPE was interviewed by Musica Metal after the band's May 7 intimate three-song acoustic set at the Feltrinelli in Milan, Italy. You can now watch the chat below.

When describing some of the songs off the band's latest album "Bag Of Bones", Tempest underlined how EUROPE, one of the most successful and recognizeable bands of the Eighties, wanted to say goodbye to that era. He said, "[The song] 'Requiem' [from the new CD] was a requiem for the Eighties. We were saying goodbye. It was called 'Requiem For The Eighties' in the studio. We even had a memorial. We played it in the studio and everybody was like [makes mourning pose] 'Goodbye, Eighties.' It was really serious. But we called it just 'Requiem' in the end. Because we were in a Seventies studio, we were doing classic rock influenced by the Seventies, we felt the vibe. Together with Kevin [Shirley, producer], there was really a great moment."

Photos of the acoustic showcase, which saw Tempest and guitarist John Norum playfully ripping through three songs and a lot of improvisation, are available at the Musica Metal web site.

The setlist for the acoustic show was as follows:

01. Rock The Night
02. Not Supposed To Sing The Blues
03. Final Countdown

EUROPE's ninth studio album, "Bag Of Bones", entered the official chart in the band's home country at position No. 2.

"Bag Of Bones" was released in Europe on April 27 via earMusic/Edel. The CD, which features a guest appearance by blues-rock guitarist Joe Bonamassa (BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION),was produced by Kevin Shirley, who has previously worked with IRON MAIDEN, JOE BONAMASSA, BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION, BLACK STONE CHERRY and JOURNEY, among others.

"It's more organic," Tempest told Metal Shock Finland about the new CD. "Kevin Shirley brought in a warm '70s sound. It's a dynamic record, like vinyl almost.

"One of my [favorite songs on the CD], 'Riches To Rags' has quite a big chorus with exciting riffs.

"It's a journey with an emotional ballad at the end, called 'Bring It On Home'. Very much a classic rock album — more rock than hard rock."

On the topic of "Bag Of Bones" also being released on vinyl, Joey said, "With the new 'Bag Of Bones' cover, there is so much detail on it. It became a bit boring there for a while; everybody was thinking, 'CDs are small, so let's just make something simple.' But we have computers, so we can blow up the cover to use for posters and vinyl, so it's still worth going that extra mile to make great covers. And we're really happy we did that."

The "Not Supposed To Sing The Blues" video was directed by Patric Ullaeus of Revolver Film Company, who has previously worked with DIMMU BORGIR, LACUNA COIL, IN FLAMES, SONIC SYNDICATE and KAMELOT, among others.

The "Not Supposed To Sing The Blues" digital single was made available on March 9.

Regarding the new CD title, EUROPE drummer Ian Haugland said, "It's not [called 'Bag Of Bones'] because we all have lost tons of weight or found a new interest in archeology or dogs... It's just because it sounds fuckin' cool!"

Interview:

Acoustic performance: