SAHG Frontman Talks About Upcoming Tour With CELTIC FROST

Jeff Maki of Live-Metal.net recently conducted an interview with SAHG frontman Olav. A few excerpts from the chat follow:

Live-Metal.net: The band is set for an upcoming tour in the U.S. with CELTIC FROST. How did this tour get put together and what can we expect from a live SAHG show?

Olav: We got a personal proposal from frontman Thomas G. Fischer himself, to join them for a part of the North American leg of their tour. It is a great privilege, and makes it an even greater pleasure when the headlining band expresses a personal wish to have you joining them on tour. The background for the proposal came from King's acquaintance to the CELTIC FROST guys from touring with GORGOROTH. I am a big CELTIC FROST fan, so I didn't hesitate for a second.

We put a lot of effort into our live shows, and put all we can at stake to make every show as memorable as possible. I would describe it as a macabre combination of dark atmosphere and musical explosion. We focus a lot on the musical performance as well as the visual, and vary each show with impulsive improv parts to make each show special.

Live-Metal.net: Do you plan on touring extensively for the album here in the U.S., or are you planning a trip back to the studio anytime soon?

Olav: We are only doing 17 dates in the U.S. and Canada this time, and we are heading straight back to Norway to continue working on songs for the next SAHG album after the tour is ended. Our goal is to release the next album already next year, and try and keep a higher intensity on album releases than a lot of other bands are doing today. I think a lot of bands wait much too long between their album releases, and I think that's a disadvantage in many ways. We plan on starting recording the new material already this autumn.

Live-Metal.net: Obviously BLACK SABBATH seems to be a huge influence on SAHG, but what other bands have influenced your sound?

Olav: Since we all have written material and obviously played on the record, I think each member have added their share of personal taste and style to the songs. Though we share a lot of the same influences, we also have experience from various ends of the rock genre. King and Kvitrafn have definitely added some of their black metal experience on there, and Thomas has added a lot of his devotion for traditional riff rock, such as THIN LIZZY and KISS. My own riffs come mostly from the SABBATH/PENTAGRAM landscape, I guess, and vocally I have taken a lot of inspiration from a lot of different singers, like Bruce Dickinson, Robert Plant, Ian Gillan — and Ozzy, of course.

Read the entire interview at Live-Metal.net.