JOHNNY HEDLUND On UNLEASHED's Upcoming Album: 'It's Gonna Be In The Same Style' As The Previous LP

Earlier this month, Swedish death metal veterans UNLEASHED entered the studio to begin recording their fifteenth album for a tentative summer 2025 release.

In a recent interview with Chile's iRockCL, UNLEASHED frontman Johnny Hedlund stated about the upcoming LP: "Well, I can't give you any songtitles or stuff like that because I haven't… We need to speak to the record company first about when that should be done. But I can, of course, tell you that it's gonna be in the same style as the previous album, as [2021's] 'No Sign of Life'. It's gonna be in the same style.

"There are no big surprises when it comes to UNLEASHED, really," he added. "We do the same music and the same type of lyrics, and that's how it is. We don't change that much."

Hedlund also talked about UNLEASHED's longevity and how he has managed to keep the band's current lineup intact for three decades. He said: "Yeah, I think that we… well, we started up very early, like in the end of the '80s. First of all, I think we were just really good friends. And there are also two things that I think was very important. We spoke very long and hard about what UNLEASHED should be, and also what the band should not be, because, along the road for so many years, you will have a lot of questions, a lot of opportunities, let's say, and we spoke real hard about what the band really should be, and not change too much. So, everybody that was going to be in UNLEASHED needed to really understand that this is a death metal band, and these are the type of lyrics that we write and we're not gonna change. Because if you change that, and all of a sudden you start making other styles of music, then it's not UNLEASHED anymore. So, this is the first thing we spoke about, and that works today as well. Also, we spoke a lot about that everybody that's in UNLEASHED has to help out. Because if you're four guys in the band and there's just one guy doing all the work, it's not gonna last long. So I think these are the two key things, really — and, of course, three things, because apart from being good friends, but I think that's essential."

In addition to Hedlund, UNLEASHED's current lineup includes drummer Anders Schultz and guitarists Tomas Måsgard and Fredrik Folkare.

In November 2021, Johnny told Time For Metal about how UNLEASHED has managed to keep a steady lineup for all these years: "Well, we have since long been very good friends. We all help out in the band with all things in UNLEASHED. And we have also that long agreed on what to do and what not to do with the band. We also know pretty well what we want to play and what we do not want to play. So I think these are things that really play a key role in keeping the band in a strong and solid shape for a long time."

Hedlund elaborated on UNLEASHED's longevity in a 2021 interview with Metal1.info. He said: "There are a few things that I think need to be in place. First of all, you have to be very good friends in the band. Second, you all need to help out with things so that it doesn't become a one-man show. And, you need to agree on what to do and also, what not to do. Especially when it comes to what to play, and what not to play. It also helps out a lot if someone in the band is good with finance. I took my degree in finance in that time frame between 1999 to 2001. A really good time for a break."