Interview with Rogga Johansson vocalist,guitarist of Paganizer done by Patrick
1.Hello Rogga how are things in Sweden this week?Please introduce yourself to the readers?
Autumn is here and winter pproaching, so its getting cold, and windy. Perfect weather for making metal i guess. Well Im ROgga Johansson and I do quite a few bands, been doing music since the early 90s, mostly metal. i guess thats an introduction as good as any haha.
2.When did you first start listing to metal music and who were the first bands and artists you listened to?Was it long before you discovered death metal music and who were the first death metal acts you listened to?Who are some current bands that have caught your attention?
When I was a kid, maybe around 6 or 7, I got hooked on heavy metal from older friends. I got copies tapes from them, and there was also cassettes you could borrow at the library. The bands were the classics like Iron Maiden, Accept, Judas Priest and stuff like that, then after a little while also stuff like Twisted Sister and WASP. I was around 7 when I got my first own vinyls, Iron Maidens Killers and Kiss Love gun, needless to say the Kiss album didnt get much play compared to the Iron Maiden album. I discovered more extreme metal when I got into my teens, first thrash like Kreator and I discovered one of my fave albums too SODs Speak english or die. When it went onto death metal the first bands I really got into was Massacre and Dismember. As for surrent bands, I dont have the best knowledge there haha, I usualy listen to my old things, aswell as when the old bands release new albums.
3. Rogga you started Paganizer back in 1998 when did you first get the idea to start this band?
We started in 1994 as Terminal Grip, and then we changed name to Paganizer in ´98 as we changed some members. Oh I dont know how I got the idea haha, I mean I recall coming up with the name, and at the time I played more industrial type music, and just wanted to move into making death metal stuff myself, this was in my later teens. I had some bands before, but not doing death metal, as I also listened to industiral music and crut punk a lot.
4.Who would you say are the bands biggest influences and have they remained the same over the years?For the readers who have never heard Paganizer's music how would you best describe it?
I guess the biggest influences are Massacre and Grave. aswell as Hypocrisy and Vomitory. but I dont know if you actaully hear that in our music though. Paganizer plays fairly simple death metal, with hooks so you can remember the songs I hope, but we are not very melodic. I dont think we sound like the regular swedeath stuff much, we are a bit different, but I dont know really in what way haha.
5.The Tower Of The Morbid is the bands newest full length release how long did it take to write the music for the new release?Does the whole band take part in the writing process or do you usually write everything?How long does it usually take to complete one song?
I dont know really, I guess we worked on the album for maybe six months, rehearsing once a week and then recording during a couple weeks. The whole band does take part in adding their stuff, the drummer comes up with the drums, the lead guitarist does his solos and such but I write the songs mostly. This time Martin the bassplayer wrote a song, its the one last one the album, the fastest one. Usually I write a song during just like fifteen minutes or so, but then it ofcorpse can chnage a bit, and then we play it in the rehearsal room, where we figure out the drums and where to put the solo parts and things like that.
6.Besides the The Tower Of The Morbid release are the bands previous releases still available?Besides physical releases does the band have any other merchandise currently available if yes what is available and where can the readers buy it?
In this internet age I guess all previous releases are available at different websites, some of them maybe just used, but then again you can often find old releases new too. We have merch for the previous album aswell as the new album, really cool stuff like tshirts and ziphoodies, just swing by the Transcending Obscuirty bandcamp and check it out.
7. Paganizer comes out of Sweden's old school death metal scene what is your opinion of Sweden's death metal scene over the decades?
I think the swedish scene is the best one, most my fave bands are swedish. Ofcorpse the US scene has some great bands too, aswell as the british and german scenes, but to me the swedish stuff is closest to the heart I think. And I think it still is a great scene, I know lots of new bands come out all the time, and from the stuff I hear they always sound good too.
8.Who are your all-time favorite Swedish metal bands and are their any new bands that have caught your attention?
I would say Edge of Sanity is the fave band, cloesly followed by Hypocrisy. I also totally love Furbowl, wich is a very underrated band. Graves first albums are also among the faves aswell as the first few Vomitory albums. As for new bands I dont know... i hear a song here or there and it always sounds great.
9.What does underground metal mean to you?
I guess it means that you dont do anything just because it could sell, or make you get to play more shows or whatever. Basically that you do what you want, and not try to do something just because you think it would make you successful. theres nothing wrong with commercial metal, if the persons making it also like what they are doing. I mean its their thing, but if you do it just to be successful I think its rather shitty.
10.Besides working in Paganizer I know you have some other bands and projects you are currently working with.Please tell the readers about your current bands you are working with?
Oh its too much haha. But yeah I have a few, some old ones like Dead Sun wich I started back in the 90s, where I play more melodic stuff, like old Tiamat or Lake of tears sorta. Then i have a few projects together with friends, people who I love the vocals from, like The Grotesquery with Kam Lee, Johansson & Speckmann with paul Speckmann and Down among the dead men with Dave Ingram. I have various other stuff too like Eye of purgatory, Ribspreader, Revolting and more, as I simply write too much music haha.
11.Rogga as mentioned earlier you have been a part of the underground scene since the early 90's so I was curious did you read a lot of fanzines back in the day?What were some of your favorite fanzines that you read back in the day?
Ah yes I love reading about music, and tried to get my hands on fanzinesas much as I could. It was a long long time since I gave them away or sold them though, so I dont remember the names really, but it was stuff like Nekrologium and Nordic vision I think and many many others. But after the internet boom eventually all of them went away, and since then Ive just kept reading online aswell as getting the few official bigger metal magazines that are or were around, like Terrorizer, Close-up and Sweden rock magazine.
12.Are their any current fanzines that have caught your attention?Do you read any web-zines these days?
Nothing in physical form no, as for webzines I usually check them out when I get a link to a review of some of my stuff, then I browse around and check out the rest too. I read both metal zines aswell as industrial music zines online, aswell as naturally the more tabloid stuff like Blabbermouth and Metalsucks, just to keep in the loop a bit.
13.Besides fanzines I know tape trading was a big part of the underground back in the 80's and 90's did you ever do much tape-trading?
Actually i didnt do any tape trading, I live in a small village, and the way i got music was from catalouges from the metal shops in Stockholm. So I never got into tapetrading at all.
14.What were some of your favorite demo's and releases that you traded for?
As mentioned above, it wasnt something I did at all back then, I didnt even know it was a thing haha.
15.When you need to take a break from working on new music or band business what do you like to do in your free time?
I love spending time with my family, just doing normal stuff, playing with the kids or watching movies or series with them. Or be out in the playground, or get out when they ride their bikes. I like listening to music too, other bands music haha. And having a few beers too, and firing up the barbeque, even if its snowstorm. When youre swedish you cant be bothered with the weather too much haha.
16.Thank you Rogga for taking the time to fill this interview out do you have any final comments for the readers?
Thanx man! Yeah, check out the new Paganizer album and the merch at Transcending Obscuritys bandcamp, if youre needing some quality ugly music!
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