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Surrounded By Evil With OSKAR JAKOBSSON From AMBUSH · HEAVY Music Interviews

• 0:11
  Speaker 1: My name is Oscar and I live in Vica, Sweden,
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  Speaker 1: and in twenty and twelve, twenty thirteen, we started a
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: band together with some friends. We were hanging out drinking beer,
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  Speaker 1: listening to Judas Priests except Saxon all these bands, and
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  Speaker 1: then we played in other bands like we didn't play
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  Speaker 1: together at the time, but then we decided, yeah, let's
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  Speaker 1: let's play the music that we love and let's play together,
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  Speaker 1: and so we started rehearsing, writing songs and from there
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  Speaker 1: on we've been.
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  Speaker 2: Ambush nice tonight, but thanks for joining us tonight.
• 0:55
  Speaker 1: Thank you my pleasure.
• 0:57
  Speaker 3: But also after all of that, Backstone, sorry, might Ambush
• 1:01
  Speaker 3: well at least your four studio album Evil in Order
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  Speaker 3: Dimensioned Concept Chamber the fifth.
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  Speaker 2: How you feel about this one, man?
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  Speaker 1: I mean excited as never been before actually because I
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  Speaker 1: think this is a fresh start actually for Ambush, because
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  Speaker 1: we have two new members playing on this record, and
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  Speaker 1: they bring a lot of different creativity, so that shines
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  Speaker 1: through on this album, I think, And I yeah, I
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  Speaker 1: think it's the best we've done this far.
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  Speaker 3: Can you dive into the musical side of it a
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  Speaker 3: bit more for us and tell us what you're going for?
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  Speaker 1: We play traditional heavy metal. We call it heavy metal,
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  Speaker 1: and we we want to play it simple but interesting.
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  Speaker 1: This is a kind of a trade off. I mean,
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  Speaker 1: we want we want meat and potatoes, but we also
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  Speaker 1: want some Barnet sauce on the side, if you know
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  Speaker 1: what I mean. So we try to we try to
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  Speaker 1: fight hard for real music, as we call it. We
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  Speaker 1: we play on real instruments. We try to make this
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  Speaker 1: grassroots and organic all the way, and we do it
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  Speaker 1: with a smile on our face, and we don't take
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  Speaker 1: everything so seriously all the time. We are trying to
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  Speaker 1: have fun and we're trying to create something that we
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  Speaker 1: love and we hope that the fans love it too.
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  Speaker 2: Very nice.
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  Speaker 3: Today, you've released the singles Tom Angel at Night, Maskirovka,
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  Speaker 3: and Evil in order I mentioned so are they good
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  Speaker 3: sonic representation of the album as a whole?
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  Speaker 2: Would you say?
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  Speaker 1: I would say, but the whole album is pretty dynamic
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  Speaker 1: in a way, because there is not a song that
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  Speaker 1: is like representing the full album. I would say you
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  Speaker 1: have to listen to the whole album to grasp the thing.
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  Speaker 1: It's not a concept album, but each song brings in
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  Speaker 1: our Our intention was that each song would bring a different,
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  Speaker 1: a little bit different emotion, but I would say, yeah,
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  Speaker 1: I mean you you get the slow parts in Muskitovka,
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  Speaker 1: like the chugging like galloping thing. You get the fast
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  Speaker 1: songs in even all dimensions, and you get a little
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  Speaker 1: bit evil in Commandel of Night as well.
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  Speaker 3: So yeah, nice now Evil and All I mentioned is
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  Speaker 3: also the first track on the album, and it's an
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  Speaker 3: absolute base to a songboy, But I love the way
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  Speaker 3: it starts with a massive drum roll, Like you don't
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  Speaker 3: hear enough to those these days, especially the start an album.
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  Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean we we feel sometimes sorry for for
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  Speaker 4: Linus the drummer because he is forced to play for
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  Speaker 4: four and it's like the we call it the thunder
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  Speaker 4: behind the drums.
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  Speaker 1: But he is like enchained into a certain beat, so
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  Speaker 1: we must let him flash a little bit. So let's
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  Speaker 1: start with a flash.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, it's good and it is catchy straight up.
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  Speaker 3: Like I say, you don't hear albums start with drums
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  Speaker 3: much anymore, but when you do, it really really stands out.
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  Speaker 1: I mean, it makes a point because we we're a
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  Speaker 1: band that we want every instrument to be heard on
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  Speaker 1: the record. We want every instrument to be to shine
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  Speaker 1: through in a way. So I think in most modern productions,
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  Speaker 1: I think, for example, the bass is a forgotten instrument
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  Speaker 1: because it's only like down sub bass bull you know,
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  Speaker 1: you can't even hear it. So in the mixing face
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  Speaker 1: we said, yeah, let's cut a lot of bass frequency
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  Speaker 1: and let's open the mix up so we can hear
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  Speaker 1: the instruments a little bit better. And I think the
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  Speaker 1: mix got puncher and it stands out a little bit
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  Speaker 1: from the other stuff that is being released today.
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  Speaker 3: I think now you touched on this a little bit
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  Speaker 3: before my but in the press release, you guys have
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  Speaker 3: been quite a little saying for us, the album feels
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  Speaker 3: like a new dawn where anything is possible.
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  Speaker 2: Can you elaborate on that a bit more?
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  Speaker 1: Oh, yeah, I mean the traditional heavy metal music is
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  Speaker 1: it's been very hard for us as a band. Like
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  Speaker 1: we've been fighting hard in the underground. We've been always
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  Speaker 1: striking from from below and from behind, hence the name
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  Speaker 1: Ambush I like it. Yeah, we're fighters, but we feel
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  Speaker 1: like with this album it can can take us probably
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  Speaker 1: two places that we've never been before and that we
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  Speaker 1: never thought were possible when we started band. So yeah,
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  Speaker 1: it's exciting times for sure, and this far. We we
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  Speaker 1: we got a lot of positive feedback from from both
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  Speaker 1: the fans that listen to the singles and and from
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  Speaker 1: you guys that are like reviewing and and and and
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  Speaker 1: writing about the stuff. So we are excited as fuck.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah.
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  Speaker 3: Yeah, Now, you mentioned before this is your first record
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  Speaker 3: with Napalm Records, So what sorts of things is that
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  Speaker 3: ipen up to the band?
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  Speaker 1: I mean when we signed with nape On Records, we
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  Speaker 1: were extremely happy, of course. I mean this marks also
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  Speaker 1: that traditional music has a place in the in the
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  Speaker 1: modern music scene, which we've been fighting for since we started.
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  Speaker 1: And also that we are able to grow as individuals
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  Speaker 1: and as a band because now we have professional team
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  Speaker 1: helping us out. When we started about we didn't know
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  Speaker 1: anything about like music industry or whatever. You know. We
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  Speaker 1: just we're playing stupid farmers from Sweden that tried to
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  Speaker 1: play some good heavy metal. But now we get some
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  Speaker 1: insight and we get some help from the team. It's
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  Speaker 1: been great with Napal this far.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah.
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  Speaker 1: Cool.
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  Speaker 3: Now, you started abus back in two thy thirty mate,
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  Speaker 3: So what was a musical climate like.
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  Speaker 2: In Sweden at the time and when where did you
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  Speaker 2: fit in?
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, the music climate in Sweden. The reason we also
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  Speaker 1: wanted to play the music that we love, traditional heavy
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  Speaker 1: metal with real instruments and like real guitars, real amps,
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  Speaker 1: stuff like this is because the Swedish music was pretty
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  Speaker 1: much digitalized. Everyone played on their computer, like the Swedish
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  Speaker 1: House Mafia and stuff like this when that was the
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  Speaker 1: music scene of Sweden pretty much, at least in international terms.
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  Speaker 1: Since then, I think many bands popped up from Sweden
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  Speaker 1: that played the traditional stuff. That that's great, and we're
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  Speaker 1: not pessimists. We're just heavy metal. We're fighting for heavy
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  Speaker 1: metal and we want heavy metal culture to live on.
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  Speaker 1: This is important because the heroes are dying sadly of
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  Speaker 1: course Ossi died now, and yeah, we need the culture
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  Speaker 1: to survive and for that we also need to fight
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  Speaker 1: for it. I mean, we need to defend the heavy
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  Speaker 1: metal culture. I think very.
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  Speaker 3: Well said my man that there's been so many great
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  Speaker 3: bands from Sweden like I Sabatan in Flames Sugar. Does
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  Speaker 3: that make it easier for a band like yourself starting
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  Speaker 3: out that there athers big bands sweet or the expectations.
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  Speaker 2: On you a bit from the start?
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  Speaker 1: I mean it's when we grew up, of course, we
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  Speaker 1: were most inspired by by bands from our hometown. Like
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  Speaker 1: there's a band from from our hometown that were called
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  Speaker 1: Bullet That. It's it's not a huge band, but for us,
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  Speaker 1: it was exactly what heavy metal represented. And if you
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  Speaker 1: haven't listened to them, please check them out. Bullet That
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  Speaker 1: they pretty much proved that. Okay, if you live in
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  Speaker 1: a small little city in Sweden, you can still play
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  Speaker 1: heavy metal, and you can play abroad, you can play
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  Speaker 1: in Germany, you can you can have fun with your music,
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  Speaker 1: and you can succeed in some way, not financially but
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  Speaker 1: but but at least you can you can get some
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  Speaker 1: beautiful memories to tell your grandchildren when you're old. So
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  Speaker 1: of course we we look up to all the bands
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  Speaker 1: that are fighting for their music, not only having metal music,
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  Speaker 1: of course, I mean there are a lot of bands
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  Speaker 1: fighting out there. And Open, for example, is one of
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  Speaker 1: my favorite bands from Sweden because they they do so
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  Speaker 1: much unexpected stuff and yeah, they're geniuses in a way.
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  Speaker 1: So of course I looked looked up to them when
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  Speaker 1: I was a child.
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  Speaker 2: And still yes, right so right now, musically, you blend everything.
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  Speaker 3: That's great about traditional eighties star metal, but you put
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  Speaker 3: the modern edge to it. So how difficult is it
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  Speaker 3: to bring those two words together, like bringing the old
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  Speaker 3: rock to the polysty the new stud Like, however, you
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  Speaker 3: do what you do it fucking well.
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  Speaker 2: But is it easy?
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  Speaker 1: No, No, it's it's it's terrible because you know, the
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  Speaker 1: wheel is already invented and for us to I mean,
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  Speaker 1: the wheel is already created. But we can make the
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  Speaker 1: wheel faster, we can make it more durable, we can
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  Speaker 1: make it stronger, we can make it a little bit
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  Speaker 1: more beautiful, we can make it, you know, we can
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  Speaker 1: create our wheel, so to speak. And this is what
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  Speaker 1: we're trying to do. So even though the wheel is invented,
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  Speaker 1: it can still be modified in a certain taste. And
• 11:34
  Speaker 1: maybe we're making the wheel into a square, but that's
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  Speaker 1: not our intention, you know.
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  Speaker 3: So you got any any chores or any any shows
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  Speaker 3: planned for the album release?
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, we are. We're playing Keep It Your Rising in Germany.
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  Speaker 1: It's a beautiful festival for the lovers of the traditional
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  Speaker 1: heavy metal. Everybody should go there to see the bands
• 12:04
  Speaker 1: and then we play. We have we haven't released any
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  Speaker 1: shows official yet, but there are some. There's a tour
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  Speaker 1: in Europe to come, and in November we head out
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  Speaker 1: in to South America to play, and we've been there
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  Speaker 1: a couple of times before, and every time we come there,
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  Speaker 1: it's a big, big party, like, yeah, looking forward to.
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  Speaker 3: This nice and now you've got any players to come
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  Speaker 3: from party with us area, Yes, shame on us.
• 12:35
  Speaker 1: We've never been to Australia before.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah.
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  Speaker 1: I was talking to a friend of mine. He's from Melbourne,
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  Speaker 1: and when when we come over to Australia, we will
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  Speaker 1: we will go to his place more hopefully, and we
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  Speaker 1: will take a four wheel drive four will usually say
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  Speaker 1: four wheel drive and head out into the bush and
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  Speaker 1: we will play for the for the snakes and for
• 13:02
  Speaker 1: the crocodiles out fantastic.
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  Speaker 2: Could we expect that next year or sons?
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  Speaker 1: I mean, I hope, I hope. Let's let's hope that
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  Speaker 1: the possibility pops up and then we will go and
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  Speaker 1: go for it like it's a When I was a child,
• 13:17
  Speaker 1: I always wanted to go to Australia, but I'm scared
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  Speaker 1: of snakes.
• 13:22
  Speaker 2: So they're not everywhere. You're very well, yeah.
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  Speaker 1: That's what you say, but yeah.
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  Speaker 2: I'm shit scared to you, bro, So I would like.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, but take take take it like as a as
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  Speaker 1: a promise we will come to Australia, but the possibility
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  Speaker 1: must pop up. So yeah, spread the word and we'll best.
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  Speaker 2: I'll do my best. Before there you go, bro, I'll
• 13:49
  Speaker 2: started a new segment up called fighter Bomb.
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  Speaker 3: So basically before we spoke, I've gone through social media
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  Speaker 3: and I found a few fighters just don't want to
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  Speaker 3: know more about. So I just I'll just get to
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  Speaker 3: try this one ivory, Like, what's wrong with this picture?
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  Speaker 1: This picture is taking taken at Muscular Rock. It's a
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  Speaker 1: festival outside of our hometown. It's like a heavy metal
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  Speaker 1: hippie festival on an old folk folks park. In Sweden
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  Speaker 1: in the sixties and fifties, we had folks park where
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  Speaker 1: people went to with their kids, they went to dance,
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  Speaker 1: they went like to to watch some schlogger bands whatever.
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  Speaker 1: And some friends of ours in our hometown they they
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  Speaker 1: they bought the entire area and they turned it into
• 14:41
  Speaker 1: a festival area. So this is uh, yeah, this is
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  Speaker 1: how it looks in Sweden. Pretty pretty, pretty, pretty cute picture.
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  Speaker 1: I would say this is all of Linus. By the way,
• 14:54
  Speaker 1: this is all of en Linus. Sharing.
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  Speaker 3: If you try to do that in this stray, if
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  Speaker 3: you drink a beer in a park like that with
• 15:01
  Speaker 3: kids so close to here, you get arrested.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, but the thing is that the festival, it's it's
• 15:10
  Speaker 1: pretty much a festival. I mean it's a music festival.
• 15:13
  Speaker 1: So the kids are there supervised by their parents.
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  Speaker 3: So yeah, all right, great, it's only allowed to drink
• 15:22
  Speaker 3: light beer as well.
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  Speaker 2: We got to point that out. They're only allowed to
• 15:24
  Speaker 2: drink light beer.
• 15:25
  Speaker 1: I mean, I thought you would say that all of
• 15:28
  Speaker 1: looks a little bit like a kid. Also maybe he
• 15:31
  Speaker 1: is underaged.
• 15:32
  Speaker 3: Well, it looks like that kid in the background on
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  Speaker 3: the swing is actually eyeing you off. He's like, if
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  Speaker 3: they take their eye off that beer for one fucking second.
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  Speaker 1: I mean, you should start early. In Sweden, we start early,
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  Speaker 1: playing guitar, drinking beer.
• 15:45
  Speaker 3: You know, what a place, What a good place. Now
• 15:48
  Speaker 3: the second one I've got here, what's going on? It
• 15:51
  Speaker 3: looks like a nighting ceremony straight out of Monty Python's life.
• 15:55
  Speaker 1: Brian, Ah, Yeah, this is when I dubbed the heavy
• 15:59
  Speaker 1: Metal Night. This was in Germany earlier this year, and
• 16:08
  Speaker 1: he had some friend of his had a sword and
• 16:11
  Speaker 1: I stole it on stage and then I brought it
• 16:16
  Speaker 1: down and he said no, yeah, Now when you stole
• 16:19
  Speaker 1: my sword, you need to dub my knight And then
• 16:22
  Speaker 1: I dubbed him pretty much.
• 16:24
  Speaker 3: Did you give him a cool light's name like Lancelot
• 16:28
  Speaker 3: or did you give him a dub him something cool?
• 16:32
  Speaker 1: It gave him the name sir Beer a lot, but.
• 16:39
  Speaker 2: You know i'd ask you all.
• 16:40
  Speaker 3: It's been a pleasure speaking with you about that album,
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  Speaker 3: Even with All Dimensions is out September fifth, and I'm
• 16:45
  Speaker 3: near to the bed but I fucking loved it, so
• 16:47
  Speaker 3: best of luck with it, Brian.
• 16:48
  Speaker 2: Hopefully we get to have a beer in Australia one day.
• 16:51
  Speaker 1: Absolutely, Thank you so much, Chris, and yeah to all
• 16:55
  Speaker 1: Australian metal heads out there, stay safe. We will come
• 16:58
  Speaker 1: to you and kick your assess.
• 17:25
  Speaker 5: Its stocking fringes, the so you are you money streams,
• 17:48
  Speaker 5: some passing so common one way something guys just the same.
• 18:05
  Speaker 2: Slug away to.
• 18:22
  Speaker 5: That is get some guy that the business. Some of
• 18:40
  Speaker 5: those contacts in a mad stating the state can be
• 18:46
  Speaker 5: so long some my job a ay something it's fine?
• 19:01
  Speaker 5: Does die? So you fight something like Jock nice try
• 19:18
  Speaker 5: snows it's madness.
• 20:25
  Speaker 1: So you.
• 20:28
  Speaker 5: St John as you're telling out my fist till slaying,