EUROPE's IAN HAUGLAND On Upcoming 'Come This Madness' Album: 'The Songwriting Process Has Been Upgraded A Lot'

Drummer Ian Haugland of Swedish hard rockers EUROPE recently joined Ruben Mosqueda of We Go To 11 to discuss the band's long-awaited new album, "Come This Madness", arriving September 25. Ian talked about the nearly decade-long gap since 2017's "Walk The Earth", the years of songwriting that went into the record and the decision EUROPE made after reuniting not to become a novelty act relying entirely on its '80s catalog. Ian also discussed the new singles "One On One" and "Cult Of Ignorance", praised EUROPE bassist John Levén as one of rock's finest bass players and explained how EUROPE's roots in DEEP PURPLE, RAINBOW, THIN LIZZY and BLACK SABBATH continue to shape the band's heavier modern sound. He also reflects on the cancelation of EUROPE's North American tour with FOREIGNER and KANSAS that was scrapped during the pandemic and what it might take to bring EUROPE back to the United States. The conversation also covered Ian's experience recording with former THIN LIZZY guitarist Brian Robertson, his early influences Cozy Powell and John Bonham, and a wonderfully chaotic onstage incident involving Joey Tempest and Mic Michaeli after the two accidentally switched their in-ear monitor packs.

Speaking about EUROPE's heavier musical direction today compared to the less guitar-driven sound of the band's mid-1980s and early 1990s output, Ian said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We definitely have the roots in especially the British '70s hard rock, like [DEEP] PURPLE and THIN LIZZY and RAINBOW and those bands. So, that's where we came from and the inspirations that we brought into our sort of mold of rock music. And, obviously, some newer influences got in there as well. But, yeah, basically that's where we come from, the British '70s hard rock era.

"When we started all over again in 2004 [with the] 'Start From The Dark' [album], we decided that we were not gonna become like a novelty act, just relying on the '80s stuff and the big hits. But in order to do this for real, we said that it needs to be driven by the force of music, creating new music and try different styles and different directions and just let the music take us on a journey, not to think too much about it ahead. Just let the music flow, and it becomes what it becomes. And it still has that signature EUROPE mark to it, I think — melodic, heavy, but also dynamic, with balance and stuff. I think that's the main theme that's been going through the albums."

On the topic of "Come This Madness", which will be made available via Silver Lining Music / Hell & Back Recordings, Ian said: "I think the songwriting process has been upgraded a lot. The last album 'Walk The Earth' came [out] in 2017. So it's been quite some time. But the good thing with that is that all the songs and all the ideas, we've had a lot of time to revisit the songs and re-evaluate them. And so I think what the album has, it's the best of all these songs and ideas that we've been collecting through the years since 'Walk The Earth'. So we had time to live with the songs and to make the best of the songs, and I think that shows a lot in the context of arrangements and the way we orchestrated the songs. So it's an adventurous album, but it also has elements from the '80s with very melodic guitar solos and strong hooks and melodies in basically every song, but still some heavier elements that we might have been used to with the later EUROPE albums. So it's the old and the new."

Haugland went on to say that the more aggressive hard rock sound is still present on "Come This Madness".

"Since we come from that '70s rock era, and we loved BLACK SABBATH and those bands as well, I think we all carry with us a lot of heavy riffing and heavy melodies and stuff like that, and rhythms as well, me having Cozy Powell and John Bonham as my favorite drummers. So it comes naturally," he explained.

"A lot of people say that when we play live, they think that the songs from the '80s, like 'The Final Countdown' and 'Rock The Night', blend beautifully with the newer songs that are a bit heavier. But for some reason, when we get on stage and we play the older songs together with the new songs, it becomes like a unified experience. So it's really nice to be able to do it that way."

Regarding why it took nearly a decade to record and release "Come This Madness", Haugland said: "The funny thing is that we haven't been unemployed during this time. Basically every year we were out doing all the festivals around Europe, and we've been touring in Asia and in South America. So it's been going on constantly, basically, even though we haven't had time to record anything. And then the pandemic hit us, so there was another year that went by. So for some reason, it doesn't feel that long, what it actually is… Time flies, and it's weird."

As for whether he thinks fans won't have to wait another decade for a follow-up to "Come This Madness", Ian said: "I've heard a lot of demos prior to when we recorded this album. So I know there are a lot of great ideas still in the can that we will be working on. And so hopefully it won't be another almost 10 years before the next album will come."

The "One On One" single was accompanied by a striking and unconventional music video, marking a bold new visual chapter for the band. Set in a stark, cinematic environment, the video centers on a single character — battered, broken and emotionally exposed — brought to life in a powerful and deeply human performance by acclaimed actor Peter Stormare ("Fargo", "The Big Lebowski", "Minority Report", "8MM", "Armageddon").

"Come This Madness" was recorded at RMV Studio, the Stockholm-based recording facility founded by Benny Andersson and Ludvig Andersson. The album features special guest appearances from Tobias Forge (GHOST) and Mikael Åkerfeldt (OPETH) and was produced by acclaimed producer Tom Dalgety (GHOST, RAMMSTEIN, PIXIES, THE CULT, OPETH),who became a true creative force throughout the process, deeply embedded in the band's writing and recording, shaping the album's sound from the ground up. To bring the project to its final stage and complete their vision, the band turned to one of rock's most respected recording legends Mike Fraser (AC/DC, VAN HALEN, METALLICA, THE CULT, LOVERBOY) to mix the record.

With "Come This Madness", EUROPE deliver a landmark record that finds them fully realized and present, confronting the world as it is and not only are they gearing up for its release, the band will also embark on an extensive run of live dates, including numerous festival appearances and a major tour to celebrate the 40th anniversary of "The Final Countdown". Kicking off in Glasgow on September 30, "The Final Countdown 40th Anniversary Tour" promises to unite the legacy that defined them with the renewed energy, driving them forward today.

The "Come This Madness" album artwork was created by Storm Studios (PINK FLOYD, LED ZEPPELIN, MUSE) and can be seen below.

"Come This Madness" will be available on vinyl, CD and digital formats.

In September 2023, EUROPE released a standalone new song titled "Hold Your Head Up". The track, which was described by the band as "a punchy uptempo rocker with reminiscent elements of early EUROPE," was recorded in August 2023 at Atlantis Studios in Stockholm with producer Klas Åhlund (GHOST, ROBYN) and was mixed by Stefan Glaumann (RAMMSTEIN, DEF LEPPARD),who also mixed EUROPE's "Secret Society" album.

EUROPE's last album, "Walk The Earth", was released in October 2017 via Hell & Back Recordings (Silver Lining Music). It was recorded at famed Abbey Road Studios in London with Grammy Award-winning producer Dave Cobb (RIVAL SONS, Shooter Jennings, Jason Isbell, Chris Stapleton).

Photo credit: Andy Ford