Interview with Johan Ejerblom
(IMPLODE)
Hi, Johan, welcome to Archangel's Lantern! Tell us firstly about the beginnings of Implode, please. How and when did you enjoy the guys? It was your first band?
- Hi Georgius! Thank you for having me! Well, I joined the band about 5 years ago, before me Victor Brunö held the mic. Before Implode I played in a Pantera sounding band called SLUG from Sweden and a stoner metal band called Hatebox, so Implode is the third band in the order.
Your debut album, called „The Hour Has Come” was released in 2011. Who wrote the music and the lyrics? What were reactions by metal-press about your first full-length?
- That album is a mash up between some new song and some songs from the demo "Memento Mori" with Victor on vocals. Everything re-recorded of course. But the music was mostly written by Christoffer Knutsson, the lyric on the old songs by Victor and on the new songs by me. Actually the song "We Fail As One" which was released with the single "No Limitations" was written by Christoffer.
Well I must say it was very well received, although with a quite small range. We released it with our current label at that time, Supernova. The most important thing was that it set the way on which our sound was heading.
Implode released an EP called "Under a New Sun" (which included 4 tracks) in 2013. Tell us please more about this one!
- We felt that it was time to release something new, but we also felt that a full album would take to long to produce and record, so we decided to try for an EP. Also on this one Christoffer was the main man on writing the music and myself to get the lyrics together. This was the first time I decided to try to make a concept, a story behind the songs.
The story behind Under a New Sun is how the humanity trembles and brakes down under its own weight, how the last two people on earth wakes up to see the ruins of our civilization and how nature in the end returns to a normal state, reclaiming the earth which we have stained.
As for the music, we took another step towards what we are doing today, trying to getting more death metal into the sound. I´m happy how it ended up, but we all feel that it was just a step towards how we really want to sound.
When I've searched on YouTube more music of Implode, I found your brutal version of Jingle Bells, I like it so much, good job. Who had the idea to brutalize it a lá Implode-style?
- Haha, yes that one. Thank you, it was one of those things we did when we all stopped in the middle of making it and thought, "should we really release this?". But we did and people seemed to like it! I can´t remember who came up with the idea though, sorry. Victor Lindqvist wrote the music and recorded it and I think we did everything on a evening more or less. And we´ll see, maybe you´ll get another present from Implode this Christmas!
Tell us now about your live-activity, please (2 weeks ago you totally crushed my ears in Colosseum Club, Kosice/Slovakia, Implode gave a very massive-show, thanks a lot for that!) Share to the readers a funny story about the tour with Grave/Entombed A.D. :)
- Thank you! Well in the roots and through our metal pumping veins we are a live band. We all love to be on stage, and I think me in particular. Of course I love the act of creating something new, to get it on tape and to let people hear our creations, but live, one stage, there is something else, like a rawness and honesty of what we do. I love the feeling to step into my alter ego and empty myself of energy for 30 minutes. I want to fall to the ground in a pool of sweat and an aching body after each show, I want to give everything to the audience for that short time.
On the tour with almighty fucking Grave and Entombed A.D. we had the chance to play for the right audience and with the bands you love and listen to! And travelling through Europe you come to love the people of the places you normally never visit. It was truly awesome, and I feel that we got well received on this tour.
Well, the first night on tour which started in Münich, Germany we all ended up, pretty much piss drunk in a, I kid you not, Hardcore Raggae Electro underground club. That was a weird sight, seeing Grave, Entombed A.D. and us on this place. We did not quite belong at all.
(with Johan after their show, Colosseum Club, Kosice, Slovakia, 16.X.2014.)
(with Victor Danling-bass player of Implode, Collosseum Club, Kosice, Slovakia,16.X.2014.)
Implode's new work ”Aeon Clockwork - I of Everything, Chapter 1” will be released on the 11th of November if I'm not mistaken. Would you be so kind to tell some important details about your new EP?
- Of course, the album is divided in four chapters, the first chapter "Aeon Clockwork" is the first piece of the full length album "I of Everything" which will be released early next year. The four chapters will only be released digitally and finally the full length album will get a physical copy. We have worked with the American artist Caitlin Hackett, which is pretty amazing in her style, to create a cover for each chapter that will end up as one big cover in the end.
We choose to make this album as a theme based creation also, connecting it to the former release "Under a New Sun". I wont tell you everything just yet, because the coming chapters have more to reveal.
But the story behind is a trip from the Universe and how it all is created on the first chapter, down to the single individual only fighting for himself on the last chapter. Through Caitlins drawings, symbolism has been intervened with the lyrics which have made this album absolutely awesome to create.
The music, which is of course why we do this in the end is, what I feel, absolutely how I think Implode should sound. We have finally reached our goal so to speak. Well, actually we´ve just begun. The sound is way more brutal and with a uniqueness that will make it a Implode trademark I believe.
Which vocalists inspired you when you started to sing? Name us your favourite ones! Do you play any musical instruments?
- Easy, Phil Anselmo, the one reason I started t sing, it´s that simple. He had that attitude and voice I saw as the absolute coolest when I was 14. If there is one album I will never grow tired of it is Cowboys from Hell, I will use it as my requiem. Others I look up to now on later days are Troy Sanders of Mastodon and Greg Puciato of The Dillinger Escape Plan, awesome singers with a unique voice both of them.
Not well no, I´m trying them all though. I play bass in a punk band called Mad Minutes, and I´ll try to torture Henriks poor drums as soon as I get the chance.
Would you be so kind to speak briefly about your local scene? Which bands could you recommend us directly from your area?
- It´s a small town with a pretty small scene, buy our friends in Vengha are doing a great job I think. A more groovy kind of metal, but well produced as hell and very catchy! And of course our friends in Syconaut and Kaross.
What foods, drinks, tobaccos can you recommend us from your area?
- Oh shit, hard one! Well as for the tobaccos, I´m the wrong person to ask I´m sorry, never used any. As for food, the kebab pizza is a must when coming to Skövde! As a big consumer of beer, the small brewers around here are pretty good.
Do you have any special hobbies beside the music? What are your favourite albums, books, movies?
- I´m quite the gaming nerd actually, and I love everything with Sci-fi in it, so a lot of books and movies in that theme.
- As for albums, Cowboys from Hell of course, but then Profane with Svart Crown, Blood Mountain with Mastodon and Revolver with The Haunted. Books - Lord of The Rings, The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy and 1984.
Oh and movies, there´s so many of them! But Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Avatar and Meet the Feebles pretty much sums up what I like!
I've seen on your fb-page that you will have a mini-tour in The Netherlands in December this year with a Death horde, Ancient Monstrosity. Good luck to you with crushing Dutch stages. What we should to know about these live performances?
- Correct! We got a small little "tour" with three gigs, but actually, I know very little about the stages and towns. We played in Alkmaar last year with Rotting Christ, that place is absolutely awesome, love it. It´s our first headline gig outside of Sweden, so we are very excited to see how it goes!
Tack så mycket for the interview, Johan! Share some Implode thoughts in the end to the readers!
- Well first of all, a big fucking thank you to all who came early and watched us these past three weeks! It was overwhelming to get so much positive response that we have got on this tour.
We can´t wait to get the first chapter released and get some response from you all on that one also. I hope I´ll see you on the road in the future, and never stop headbanging!
And a big thank you Georgius! It has been nice talking to you!
Important links:
YouTube: youtube.com/user/ImplodeSwe
Homepage : implodeofficial.com/
Merch store: http://implodeofficial.tictail.com/
Booking andreas@cramada.se
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