BLACK ROSEBy Nicky Baldrian
BLACK ROSE
By Nicky
Baldrian
Sweden's Black Rose are a
very entertaining hard rock band making a huge impression on
yours truly. The band have been recording now since the early
nineties and their dedication to their art is outplayed in their
music which is ambitious, pure, uncluttered rock music of a very
high standard indeed. Check out this interview with Peter, Ola
and Magnus as they talk about all things BLACK ROSE.
Nicky:- Tell me about BLACK
ROSE?
Peter Haga:- BLACK ROSE was formed back in 1990 by Anders Haga
our bassplayer. He's the only member left from the original
lineup. Peter Haga took over the drumthrone in 1991 and Johan
Spinord grabbed the microphone a year later. When BR parted ways
with the former guitarist and keyboardist Ola Carlsson and Magnus
Vesterlund were asked to join late 1999, and we're sounding
worse, sorry, better than ever. We've released the following:
Black Rose - Demo - 1992
Covers up - Demo - 1993
Fortune favors the brave - CD - 1993
Winds of fire - MCD - 1995
Demo 97 - Demo - 1997
Promo CD '99 - MCD - 1999
There's also a video available from "Fortune favors the
brave" for the song "Lost in your love". Right now
we´re rehearsing new material to be recorded very soon. It will
probably be five or six songs, and one of the songs is from Ola's
solo-MCD.
Nicky:- Tell me about the songs
on "PROMO 99"?
Peter:- They are recorded in our home town Fagersta, at a studio
which is located just outside our rehearsal room. So we just
miked up the drums in our rehearsal room and played. So
"PROMO CD 99" is basically recorded in our rehearsal
room, you can tell by the sound. But it's done only for
promotional, and we think it came out ok considering the little
amount of money that we spent on it. The songs on the cd are
following the same tradition as the other releases with BR, that
is: well played melodic hardrock/metal with neoclassical touches.
The lyrics is for everyone to interpret or read out anything they
want to, BR is about
music first and foremost.
Nicky:- What is the meaning and
purpose of music?
Peter:- To have fun and create great music that will please you,
and hopefully someone else too.
Nicky:- When you
were young was music your dream?
Peter:- Yes, as long as I can remember.
Ola:- I can only agree.
Magnus:- No, music came later, in my young years sports were my
dream.
Peter and Ola: Idiot. (LAUGHS)
Nicky:- What's are the next
steps for BLACK ROSE?
BLACK ROSE:- We've started rehearsing six new songs to be
recorded very soon. One of the songs is a remake of a song from
Ola's solo-MCD, and is called "Decisions". Anders has
more or less written all songs before, but now we've two more
songwriters in Ola and Magnus, even Peter has written a song. But
the songs are in the BR vein, 'cause we can't all of a sudden
start to play like Oasis or Dream Theater, that would be pretty
silly.
Nicky:- I hear mixes of YNGWIE
MALMSTEEN, RAINBOW, IRON MAIDEN, PINK CREAM 69 etc in your music,
would you say that these artists inspire your music, or is it
some other strange force at work?
Ola:- All the above are influences except PC69, as we said Anders
wrote all songs before and he hasn't heard 'em, so if we have
similarities it must depend on that he and PC69 has the same
influences. But Peter and Magnus likes 'em alot, maybe the others
too, it's just that they haven't heard them.
Nicky:- Do you play live?
Peter:- Yes, as much as possible. But with the new lineup we
haven't had time to do it yet, 'cause we've been rehearsing the
old material with them. And as we said, we've been writing new
songs too. It's quite hard to get gigs nowadays too, there isn't
lots of places that would let an unsigned band that play their
own material, up on stage. They mainly want cover bands, and
that's a shame
Nicky:- Of the
eighties scene what would you say was the most happening band?
and which were not in your opinion?
Peter:- Iron Maiden I guess, and they're still going strong.
Ola:- Helloween. Magnus: Def Leppard. We've repressed the least
happening bands.
Nicky:- What was
the first and last records you bought?
Peter:- Ozzy "Bark at the moon", Virgin Steele
"The house of Atreus".
Ola:- Accept "Restless and wild", Yngwie
"Alchemy".
Magnus:- WASP "WASP", Pretty Maids "Everything
worth doing...."
Nicky:- If you could describe
your music as part of a womans body, what part would you choose?
Peter:- We'll have to skip that one, too hard for our little
brains. (LAUGHS)
Nicky:- What are the girls like
over there in Sweden?
Peter:- They've got two eyes, two ears, two noses and look
strange,(LAUGHS) no they're great, as great as they are anywhere.
Nicky:- What kinda food do you
eat over there? Or do you eat the girls?
Peter:- Pizza, pasta and girls.(ooer!!)
Nicky:- What is your popular
alcohol of choice?
Peter:-Whisky.
Ola:- Beer, as strong possible.
Magnus:- A cold beer.
Nicky:- Are you going to pass
out with excitement at these questions?
BLACK ROSE:- Sorry, we didn't hear the question, 'cause we've
passed out.(DUH!!)
Nicky:- What's the scene like in
your home country and what can we do to improve matters?
Peter:- More and more bands starts to pop-up and releases cd's,
but the media here is very cold and takes no notice of
hardrock/metal-bands. They are only following the trends and are
looking for the flavour of the week. To make hardrock/metal big
here again it has to become big in USA first. You can only keep
writing and we can only keep playing and hope that some American
labelboss decides that hardrock/metal should be the next thing.
Nicky:- Tell us your most
humorous story?
Q:Why did the blonde climb over the glass wall?
A:To see what´s on the other side.
Nicky:- Any last words?
Peter:- Start a record company and sign BLACK ROSE, and keep
rocking! Check out our official BLACK ROSE homepage at: http://home.swipnet.se/blackrose