HEARSE + new album = new record company! What do you think about this reckoning? Looks a bit like same procedure as every year? Almost! ; -) What happened with Dental Records for those you only released one album in 2007? It also seemed that there haven’t been much attention by the mainstream Metal press as well?
Max: "Yup, time for label no. 3 if you don’t count the name changes (Hammerheart turned into Karmageddon Media / Cold turned into Dental). About Dental, let’s just say that Dental is happy to get rid of us and we’re happy to not be on Dental anymore. So when Dental let us go we signed to Vic pretty fast and so far it feels just great! Getting attention in the mainstream Metal press is getting harder and harder. It seems like nowadays you have to advertise a lot in the mags to get them writing about you. And, well, it’s always easier for bigger labels with more money to do that."

Your latest killer output “Single Ticket To Paradise” was released on June 15th via legendary Dutch record company Vic Records. What can they do better or what have they already done better than your previous record companies?
Max: "I try not to look back that much actually. Guess it’s too early though to say too much about how the work with Vic is going. I can only say that it’s a great feeling and so far Vic has been very easy to work with. And after being on a label where the label boss tells you that your music sucks it feels great to be on a label where you hear the opposite, he he!"

You guys also shot your first video clip for a song called ‘Sundown’. Who come up with the idea and who was responsible for the shot? Had you guys to chose between financial support for the video clip or touring?
Max: "It was Vic’s idea to shoot a video and well… making a video is always cool. I begin to wonder if it’s even going to be finished though. Actually I begin to lose hope! Anyway of course it costs a lot of money to make a video but as I see it we won’t make a fortune out of the record sales anyway so why not!? Too bad the video didn’t really turned out the way we wanted, but just wait for the next video! Will be a blast (or at least a small fart in the wind)!"

How are the chances this time to see HEARSE live on stage promoting the new album? Isn’t it sad that you guys only did a Benelux tour in 2004 and one summer festival show in Germany in 2006? Ey, you guys never played in your home country Sweden so far! Doesn’t the Swedish scene require any HEARSE shows?
Max: "I have no idea actually. I wouldn’t mind doing some more gigs myself. But it’s always difficult getting this band moving. Seems like we always end up not doing the gigs due to some unluck I guess. Guess it’s also time to finally make some Sweden gigs too. Might play with our friends in GENERAL SURGERY here in Stockholm in some months, but as usual it’s a bit unsurtain – of course! Mattias will be a father around that time and to follow the unlucky HEARSE trend you can count on the fact that the birth will take place on the gig day!"

“Single Ticket To Paradise” includes a very cool additional DVD which features a live show from Tilburg, Holland in 2004 and the below mentioned video clip. Why have you released this concert footage that late to the public? Financial reasons again? Or because HEARSE isn’t the busiest live band on the planet? So the fans will be able to enjoy HEARSE in front of the telly! ; -)
Max: "The thing is that the filming was paid for by our old label Karmageddon Media and was supposed to end up at some kinda Karmageddon collection video that would feature the label’s roaster. However the label put down their activities and the film recording was all forgotten about. Then one sunny day when it was time for the new album to be released and we were talking about adding some bonus stuff it struck me that this filming was done. We got hold of the recording and Maurice (LEGION OF THE DAMNED) edited it and if you ask me he did a real great job! I couldn’t be more happy with it!"

By the way. Why is the first song ‘Mountain Of The Solar Eclipse’ not fully included? Have there been technical problems with the filming or sound? Or did the band screw it up? ; -)
Max: "When it was finally time to edit it and get it out we could just find an audio CD where half the first song was missing. So, well, nothing much to do about it. I’m just happy we found it at all. It could all as well had been erased ages ago."

I would like to come back to you regarding the meaning of the title “Single Ticket To Paradise”. What’s the truth beyond here? Has it something to do with suicidal tendencies, the world sailing into a dead-end-street or some martyr’s death?
Max: "Well, I wouldn’t really call it suicidal tendencies. It’s just some kinda speculation about life and death I guess. My idea with the song was in some way to see inside someone’s mind and figure over the world of today. Would it actually be better to leave right now? Wouldn’t it actually be better for Mother Earth?"

I recognized a lot more spoken word parts on “Single Ticket To Paradise”. On previous albums you guys used them much lesser and they became highlights. Because they were used wisely. This time you overdone it a bit in my opinion. ‘The Moth’, ‘An Emotional Fraud’, ‘The Ferocious Embrace’ and ‘Your Purgatory’!!! That are 4 songs out of 9 incl. 2 instrumental tracks!!! It looks a bit like Johan is getting tired of singing… growling… grunting… barking and shouting??? Or will he follow the footsteps of Henry Rollins who did some full length spoken word CDs in the past? Mr. Thornell, your statement is highly requested here! ; -)
Max: "I don’t really think that Johan’s getting tired of shouting but that lazy s.o.b. (love you Johan!) isn’t really keeping his voice in shape! So this time not even whiskey really made it for him. Guess he should sing more in the shower and so on to not lose it really! Or else I have to sing on the whole next album, he he! But that idea about a spoken word CD isn’t such a bad idea, he he! Johan is a funny guy and I bet he would come up with something clever, he he!"

Talking of instrumentals… What do you think about this statement, that there are only instrumentals existing on records when there is a lack of lyrics? ; -)
Max: "Nope, don’t agree, he he! I actually like instrumental stuff a lot. Really dig Bozzio, Levin, Stevens for example. Real cool stuff. A bit better musicians than us though, he he!"

Anyway. Even if you don’t like instrumentals, HEARSE’s instrumental tracks are always full of skills and over the top musicianship. Is it possible that these tracks are like a playground for you and guitarist Mattias Ljung? Moments, where you guys can live out your creativity and energy on your instruments?
Max: "I don’t really think in those terms. It’s more like I compose songs sometimes that I think stand out for themselves or are just bloody impossible to make anything good out of with vocals."

On the other side there are helluva songs like ‘Misanthropic Charades’, ‘Sundown’, ‘The Moth’ or ‘Degeneration X’, which are 110 percenter, totally killer tracks. Please be so kind and inform us, what do you eat for breakfast? Cuz there are a lot of bands out there who could need some vitamins, minerals, etc. This would decrease to pain in my ears! ; -)
Max: "Just raw meat and barbed wire, what did you think!? Isn’t that what all Metalheads eat for breakfast? (Ok, just between you and me, I’m a vegetarian and don’t eat raw meat, but don’t tell anybody, OK!?)."

Once again you guys booked the services of Mr. Dan Swanö at Unisound for mixing and fixing. What makes the work together with Dan so special? Why is he better or more advanced then other guys? Do you guys have the same beliefs how a HEARSE album should sound or is there a fair kinda fighting between the band and him which makes your union so effectual?
Max: "The thing is that Dan is so easy to work with. I can really tell you we don’t have the same beliefs on the sound. And in this case it’s actually a good thing. I mean, I don’t want this neat, polished clear sound that almost every Death and even Black Metal bands seem to want nowadays. I still want it to be rough and organic and not like it’s recorded right after Britney Spears made her album with the same settings. More VENOM goddammit! Then we have Swanö on the opposite side. So then the battle begins he he! And we seem to end up somewhere in the middle, which feels just super!"

Roel of Vic Records wrote me, that he just finished the fat re-issue of FURBOWL’S 1992 debut “Those Shredded Dreams” incl. bonus disk, liner notes, new booklet with lots of pics! What else can you tell us about this overdue re-release? Why now and not earlier? Has it something to do with the successes of the book and compilation “Swedish Death Metal” by Daniel Ekeroth?
Max: "I’ve actually never really thought about re-releasing any HEARSE stuff before. Then Roel of Vic contacted me, telling me he was a big fan of the band and wanted to release the first FURBOWL album again with some cool bonus stuff. And well, why not!? Go ahead! Then when he heard that we wanted a new label he wanted to sign HEARSE too and here we go!"

A lot of old, presumed dead and gone Swedish Death Metal bands are currently getting overwhelming attention by fans and press again. Do you think that Death Metal can become a trend again like in the early / mid 90s? Is it time for bands like FURBOWL, the true inventors of Death and Roll, to get a piece of the cake called “acknowledgement” now?
Max: "The thing is that I’ve never been that interested in getting this acknowledgement. I mean, it’s not the reason why I’m playing. But sure, I wouldn’t mind if the scene turned more into the way it was back in the late 80s / early 90s. It was a completely different feeling back then. People started bands for the feeling and the love for the music. Nowadays it seems like it’s all about fixing a myspace and become a big star. So, well, I can sometimes feel that I miss those old Death Metal days!"

Alrighty. Final and last question for today. My crystal ball told me, that FURBOWL has something more in the pipeline for the future! Would you like to make an announcement here and tell us what great surprise you guys have hindquarters? You have to, cuz otherwise I have to contact fucking Myspace, Facebook, Twitter, etc.!!! hahaha ; -)
Max: "Hmmmm…great surprise? I guess you’re refering to a new album, right? Well, we’ve been talking about that, but at the moment it doesn’t look that bright actually. The thing is that we were supposed to record the third album back in ’94 when Johan left the band so we have the songs. We’ll see what the future will give us."

Famous last words. Max, please tell us what’s on your mind or what we have to know but never allowed us to ask? Feel free to let it all out…! But firstly, thanks a lot for your time answering our questions for VOICES FROM THE DARK SIDE ‘Zine and once more thank you for the music.
Max: "Nothing much more to say really. So I just say thanx a lot for the support! I really appreciate it! Cherrioo!"

www.hearse.se, www.myspace.com/hearsesweden

Marc Lehmann