STEELHEART's MILJENKO MATIJEVIC Teases 'Really Heavy' New Project With Ex-IN FLAMES Guitarist NICLAS ENGELIN: 'This Is Intense'

In a new interview with Laughing Monkey With Shawn Ratches,
STEELHEART vocalist Miljenko Matijevic spoke about his collaborative project with Niclas Engelin, the Swedish guitarist best known for his work with IN FLAMES and THE HALO EFFECT. Miljenko said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I had this vision I was gonna do something really different instead of the rock world, something really heavy. And I had another friend of mine, a Swedish guy, and I had talked to him about that, and he goes, 'You need to meet Niclas.' So Niclas and I connected. And I gotta tell you — he came over. We did 10 songs. He had the music, so he put the songs up, and I just went live, whatever came out. I mean, boom, boom, boom. And it's, like, boom, there it is. Of course, then you gotta finesse it, write the lyrics and all that stuff."

Regarding the musical direction of his project with Engelin, Matijevic said: "Ah, just wait till you hear this shit. [Niclas is] a fantastic guitar player. So think of it as Gothenburg sound — really heavy Gothenburg sound — with my voice on it."

He continued: "I promise you — this is intense. And I'm singing my ass off. We're doing all of it. We're screaming, we're yelling, we're singing low, we're singing soft, we're singing in between. It is everything. And the lyrics are super deep, intense, and a lot of that stuff that I've been through in my life."

Miljenko went on to say that the music he has been working on with Niclas will be released under the DEATH TO LOVE banner. But he quickly clarified: "That doesn't mean 'kill love'. It means when you die, you come to love."

As for a possible timeline for the release of the DEATH TO LOVE music, Miljenko said: "We're looking at an October release for the first single. We're just preparing. We wanna make sure we roll this out properly. It's way too precious to just throw out there."

Asked if there is a possibility of DEATH TO LOVE hitting the road in support of the upcoming album, Miljenko said: "Oh, absolutely. We would love, love, love to tour with this. It's a big picture. It's a big show. It's not really for clubs. We'll see where life takes it. You want one thing, but life has another thing for you… Wherever it takes us. That's the way I look at it. There's love everywhere, and I am always ready to jump on a plane to perform to people who are appreciative and wanna hear it. Absolutely."

Matijevic, born in Zagreb, Croatia, moved to the United States at age six and has been a defining voice in rock for over three decades. From fronting STEELHEART to performing the music from the film "Rock Star" as the singing voice for Mark Wahlberg's character, to fronting THE DOORS alongside Ray Manzarek and Robby Krieger, he has built one of rock's most resilient careers — rising from the severe injuries he suffered in a 1992 stage accident that nearly ended his life.

Niclas, the visionary guitarist behind THE HALO EFFECT, is renowned for his precision, passion, and trailblazing riffs. With a career spanning iconic bands like IN FLAMES and ENGEL, Niclas has cemented his place as a true pioneer of the Gothenburg melodic metal sound. His dynamic riffs and atmospheric melodies define the genre and inspire fans around the globe.