JOHAN SÖDERBERG On The Best Part Of Being In AMON AMARTH: 'You Get To See The Whole World And Meet People Who Like What We Do'

November 24, 2018

DJ Jesse of the WSOU radio station recently conducted an interview with guitarist Johan Söderberg of Swedish death metallers AMON AMARTH. You can listen to the entire chat via the SoundCloud widget below. A few excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On putting together AMON AMARTH's new retrospective documentary and live DVD, "The Pursuit Of Vikings: 25 Years In The Eye Of The Storm":

Johan: "It was a long process. It has been two years long, I think. The guys filming it have been like a fly on the wall, you don't really notice that they are around. It's been pretty smooth."

On his best memory or favorite aspect of being in AMON AMARTH:

Johan: "You get to see the whole world and meet people who like what we do. It's amazing to be able to do something we really love to do and we get to go out and show that to the whole world and get feedback. I would say that's the best thing about being in a band."

On AMON AMARTH's writing process:

Johan: "The writing process is usually me or Olavi [Mikkonen, guitar]. We sit at home in our home studios and write in our home studios and then when have something to present to the other guys, then we get together, the whole band and discuss lyrics and the themes that will fit to the songs. Johan [Hegg], the vocalist, starts to write the lyrics after he's heard the songs Olavi and I have written."

On how AMON AMARTH's writing process has changed over the years:

Johan: "In the past, we had a rehearsal place where everybody was sitting and jamming together, more or less, but lately, we don't have a rehearsal place anymore. We do all the writing at home because when you're at a rehearsal place, it's kind of hard to hear what everybody plays at the same time."

On his favorite song to play live:

Johan: "It's usually the one that has the best crowd response like 'Twilight Of The Thunder God' or 'The Pursuit Of Vikings'. It's always fun to play new stuff. When you release a new album, you get to go out and try new songs, but I also think it's fun to play the old hits like 'Guardians Of Asgaard', or 'Twilight' because the crowd response is so good.'

"The Pursuit Of Vikings: 25 Years In The Eye Of The Storm" was released November 16 via Metal Blade. The set includes a retrospective documentary that features a wealth of live and behind-the-scenes content and extensive band interviews. This film tells the Swedish quintet's history, through both their own eyes and those of the fans that have supported them along the way. It is a thrilling collection that pays respect to the faithful, as well as making for a detailed and riveting introduction for those new to their inspiring story. Paired with this documentary is the live video/audio, which contains two different sets at 2017's Summer Breeze festival in Dinkelsbühl, Germany, capturing the unit at their very best.

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