THE HAUNTED Frontman: 'I'm A Lesbian And Proud'

THE HAUNTED's MySpace page has been updated with the following interview:

Answering Questions: Patrik Jensen (guitar)

Q: You my friend, are becoming a damned icon to some kids. Is that good or bad, or just weird?

Jensen: I doubt that is the case. I dont have jetblack hair, a neo-Rocky hairdo, my guitar right under my chin (with a cut-out for my atoms apple) and I have a fair handle of my instrument. This all adds up to absolutely NOT the "flavor of the month".

Q: Tell me, what makes a good riff?

Jensen: A riff that breaks out a cold sweat on your back, and makes your neighbour need to have a bowel movement when you throw a party.

Q: Angus or Malcolm?

Jensen: George! Their brother George Young had a great band called FLASH IN THE PAN. Plus he helped produce some of their first albums.

Q: To me you are this living encyclopedia of cool metal riffs and melodic leads, I really wish you'd plug more stuff for me to listen to... but for you what defines metal?

Jensen: My motto: If Biff Byford or Chuck Billy would enjoy it, then it is metal.

Q: Tell me about your rig. And what you'd like to improve.

Jensen: It's black… but the front is metallic grid. I'd like to make that black in the future too.

Q: You talk about DARK ANGEL as a huge inspiration, tell me about 'em, and what you find so unique with them.

Jensen: Jim Durkin and Gene Hoglan were the most fierce heavy guitar-drum combination thrash metal has ever seen. DARK ANGEL began writing all these extremely heavy breakdown parts, when bands of today who build their entire career around this style of riffing (though written and performed much lamer) were still scooping sand into each other's diapers in the sand box. The L.A. Caffeine Machine rules... period.

Q: Not only are you a serious fan of metal, but when you play records you often mix it up with '60s pop and all kinds of music from the '70s and even the '90s. What is you find inspiring about that stuff?

Jensen: I subscribe to a monthy Mr. Music CD, which tells me what songs to listen to and what to like. I have no music taste of my own whatsoever. I also like TRIVIUM...

Q: Technical riff-o-rama or straightforward songwriting?

Jensen: DARK ANGEL's "The Burning of Sodom". Basically only two riffs make that entire song. Gotta love 'em for it!! Still it's one riff too many though.

Q: Is there a method to coming up with cool riffs or something that just kinda happens?

Jensen: Listen to MERCYFUL FATE's "Dont Break the Oath" on repeat while you fistfuck a goat on some old bitch's grave. At midnight.

Q: For someone who's learned to PANTERA's "Broken" and METALLICA's "Seek and Destroy" where should they move on to next?

Jensen: In front of a train for lack of better judgement. Those songs suck ass.

Q: Got any secrets you like to share? Stuff you'd like to see more of on tour...?

Jensen: Yes, I'd like to share a lot more sekret on tour than I do now.

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Answering Questions: Jonas Björler (bass):

Q: All right, Johnny-boy, what do you have to say in your defense?

Jonas: Not much, really. Is this the Spanish inquisition or what?

Q: What's up with that banging on the strings thing you do? I've seen you do this almost percussive thing for some stuff. What's that about?

Jonas: Usually when getting bored with the pick...you can produce some interesting sounds with banging on your instrument. Be sure to watch some stuff with Adrian Belew and you'll know what I mean :)

Q: John Entwistle or Geezer Butler?

Jonas: Geezer for me, thank you. He is one of the bass players who come closest to what I'm doing myself. I like the mixture of blues and rock in his playing.

Q: Now, I know you got one fine bass this last year, and I've been fortunate to see you go from a pretty lazy bass player to well, fucking awesome. What has changed? Because it's almost as if you've understood what an important instrument bass really is in any rock.

Jonas: Yeah, I got a new Warwick "Streamer Stage" bass — and it's amazing. It has a nice neck-through design with nice inlays on the frets, plus black hardware, I totally love it. I wouldn't say I'm lazy, only that my philosophy on bass playing has always been "less is more." I am kind of doing the same bass licks now as always, only a bit more sophisticated, I guess.

Q: What would you consider important in a good bassline? I know it's a fairly open question, but with every new album, it's as if you're finding a place for your instrument. Could you tell me a little about that?

Jonas: Finding a place is more of a production issue, I think. I tend to like bass lines which are more in sync with the drums and kind of moves away from what the guitars are doing...

Q: If you were to say anything to someone who loves rock and have pretty much just recently decided that bass is it, do you have any little tricks you could share with us?

Jonas: I don't know. I started out jamming with the bass to my favorite tracks playing on the stereo. That way I learned a lot of different playing techniques and such...I would suggest jamming to some IRON MAIDEN, RUSH and THIN LIZZY songs.

Q: I've worked with a lot of bass players and generally though there a great deal of talent out there few seem to be able to wrap their heads around metal as a concept. What is it they don't get?

Jonas: Metal is just blues and rock 'n' roll in another shape...maybe add a bit of classical music as well. There's nothing different about playing metal than other genres.

Q: Do bass players really get all the girls?

Jonas: This is probably something for "The Mythbusters"...

Q: When did you start playing the bass?

Jonas: I started out in 1989 playing in a really cheesy rock/thrash (no kiddin') band called DEMOLITION... We sucked.

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Answering Questions: Peter Dolving (vocals)

Q: Are you gay? I've read a lot of people on Blabbermouth say you are, so — are you?

Peter: Definitely, I'm a lesbian and proud.

Q: Man, you really do a lot of interviews! What is up with that? Are you trying to get attention or something?

Peter: Hell, yes. I want attention for my band! I'm a fan of THE HAUNTED and I'm not gonna lie about that or anything. I mean what the fuck, if I didn't love the band I'm in and feel a great deal of love, respect and sometimes even admiration to the dudes I work and live with I can't see the point in doing this rock 'n' roll thing, It would just be some hollow act.

Q: Why do you have to seem so happy to be in THE HAUNTED? Don't you suffer for your art?

Peter: When I was younger, I actually thought a certain amount of suffering was necessary for art. I was on this sacrficial ritualizing self-extermination trip that I know just kind of "Whatever…" So yeah, I've got another approach to it. Shit, if you live a life that is filled with creative things it makes you stronger and of course it will help you create better art. Art is not the same thing as misery. Misery just sucks.

Q: I understand you like singing in THE HAUNTED. Can't you find a real job?

Peter: THE HAUNTED IS a real job. But one I love. I've done so many other things along the line and none of them have really satisfied me on any deeper level.

Q: Are there any contemporary metal singers you like?

Peter: Sure, ummmm, I think Robb Flynn is pretty cool 'cause he's not trying to be fucking Pavarotti or something, he just kinda singing the song. And the guy from PLANES MISTAKEN FOR STARS, if that counts. And Oscar from RAM, that dude is INCREDIBLE, mixing old with new in a really cool way. The guy from SLIPKNOT is good, but I don't like his other band — just not my thing I guess.

Q: You have a blog and a lot of people talk about it. Do you think you know something we don't and need to tell us about it?

Peter: Nah, rather the other way around. I think a lot of my writing is about NOT knowing or understanding, and that's the cool thing with blogging — you get response immediately and for me that's really important. Short emotional attention span I guess, or just not enough attention as a kid or something...

Q: Three rules for staying able to sing/scream like you do on tour?

Peter: Wow. OK - a good night's sleep; in my case, a good day's sleep. Make sure to eat like four times a day, but don't overeat. Stay off alcohol, cocaine and amphetamine — those three really fuck your voice... And warm up before show. I try to do like one hour of physical warm-up that integrates different techniques from Yoga, Tai Chi and Pilates, and then 30 minutes to an hour of vocal warm-ups. It's kind of gay, but my voice and body works even if we do like 60 shows back to back.

Q: So as far as lyrics go, why do have to be so damned depressing and dark?

Peter: I guess I have a lot of dark morose shit in me and a need to express and have that reflected? I've tried writing stuff that I consider really positive, but others read it and there all "Goddamn, man, that's some mean dark shit!"

Q: Do you think you're a good singer?

Peter: Not really. I nourish hopes of becoming a good singer one day, but I can't sing classical stuff or opera and I suppose [that] is like the real test to one's technique. Mostly I just want to rock.

Q: What do you think someone who wants to sing in a band should think about?

Peter: Ummm, getting your shit together, being persitant and humble with the people you work with. Though it's kind of strange trying to deal with being an instrument. Nevertheless I accept that's what a singer is. My ego easily starts swelling. I think it's some kind of defense mechanism. A guitar you can just crank it up, step on the dist pedal and it goes CRAAAAAANNNHHHHGG!!! But if you're feeling really sore, lame, weak or utterly lacking motivation one day it can be pretty harsh getting up there in front of complete strangers with nothing to hide behind.

Q: What is the most important and hardest thing for you as a singer?

Peter: Not losing myself and letting this twisted mind of mine fuck me over. I've got a lot of not completely functional arrangements in my head and it's lot of work keeping myself in check.

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Answering Questions: Anders Björler (guitar):

Q: So Andy, tell me why solos suck.

Anders: They don't necessarily suck, but I'm not really into the typical "metal" solo with arpeggios and super fast scales. I admire musicians that are mimimalist in the sense they come across with just a few simple melody lines. A solo can't just be thrown in wherever it fits, it has to add something meaningful.

Q: How is your basic look at effects, being one of very few metal guitarists who look like you're not buried behind a wall of pedals?

Anders: Well, if they add something important to your playing, I'm all for it. My personal view on effects change all the time since I'm very schizophrenic at heart. On some tours (like on the tour I'm on now, with KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, for instance) I don't bring any effects whatsoever. Just a tuning/mute pedal. The basic view on playing in THE HAUNTED has always been "Plug and play. Just connect your guitar to an amp and you're sorted."

Q: You've been using Caparison for quite some time now. I know when we started this band you had a way different instrument. What was that, and why did you change, besides the endorsement?

Anders: I had an old Ibanez Maxxas. A predecessor of the Satriani model, I think it was. It was a thin-necked, hollow body guitar which was pretty nice. Anyway, years of abuse led me to get something else. I had some ESPs for a while, but wasn't very happy with them. I approached Caparison and was surprised to see their enthusiasm and interest. It's a small Japanese company that only produce a limited amount of guitars each year, but I'm certain they will grow. I'd rather stick with a small personal company. That's why I chose Caparison.

Q: When you did "The Dead Eye" I know you got into a lot of different guitars and amps. Why the variety? What has it brought for the sound of the album?

Anders: We always try as many different instruments and combinations as possible on each recording. I think it's mainly to see if we are not missing out on
something good. When recording "The Dead Eye" I think it got a little extreme. I think we went through like 10 guitars and 7 amplifiers (plus all the combinations, of course). I think it made the production stand out on this album. We wanted a little bit more retro-feel to it (and also a little less processed) and I guess we succeded well.

Q: Again, I know you have a pretty spartan live setup. Why the simplicity?

Anders: I like it simple and I like the way the amp sounds without additional distortion/effects.

Q: Who are your three all-time favourite rock guitarist?

Anders: Alan Holdsworth, Reine Fiske and Tony Iommi.

Q: Melody or rhythm, who wins and why?

Anders: It's a tough question, but being the soft kinda guy I am, I'm gonna answer melody over rhythm. Melody doesn't need a specific rhythm to work, but rhythm needs melody.

Q: What is the most important thing for you with your playing live?

Anders: That I can play the guitar parts without too many mistakes :)

Q: One of the things I really enjoy with your playing is your tone. Is that a concious thing or just something that's come naturally?

Anders: It comes with the playing. It's something you have to develop yourself. It can't be taught. For me, I guess it comes from listening and interpreting other kinds of music.

Q: Distortion... What's it for?

Anders: It's a good way to hide the fact that you can't really play, hehe ;)

Q: You [played] the "Blackest of the Black" tour with Glenn Danzig this winte. Is there anything cooler than black, honestly?

Anders: Black is pretty cool, but I wouldn't want it for wallpaper in my apartment.