"Krone" interview

Amon Amarth: “We don’t lean back when we’re successful”

With his mighty beard and imposing appearance, Johan Hegg is undoubtedly recognizable as Amon Amarth's chief Viking.

(Bild: Metal Blade Records)

For more than 20 years, the Swedes of Amon Amarth have been a constant in the extreme metal sky, filling the halls and conquering the charts in Austria too. The only Austrian gig will soon take place in Innsbruck. Frontman Johan Hegg agreed to a somewhat different interview.

"Krone": Johan, you once said in an interview that you became a musician after covering a Europe song because it inspired you so much. Is this legend true?
Johan Hegg: Yes, but it wasn't just Europe. I also tried my hand at other songs. There were certainly some Metallica songs in there too.

Before you took off with Amon Amarth, you sang in the previous project Scum - at least for a few months. So you've never been anywhere else but with Amon Amarth. What did you learn at this early stage of your career that would later become important?
That I knew nothing. (laughs) In the first few years I had no idea about techniques. I trusted my ear completely and that alone doesn't get you anywhere. I didn't care much about the lyrics either. It was important that a song stood and sounded good. If there was room for a line of text somewhere, it was squeezed in. Whether it made sense or not. It was only when we brought more and more professional producers on board at Amon Amarth over the years that professionalization set in. Vocally, I realized early on that you need a good warm-up to be able to growl through a show. The best way to do this is to get help. A vocal coach can work wonders, so I got one early on.

The band went uphill quite quickly. The first three albums are fan favorites, then in 2002 you hit the big time for the first time.
Yes, with "Versus The World". That was an initial spark, but I think the real step forward came in 2006 with "With Oden On Our Side". That was the first time we worked with an experienced producer, which really took us forward. The next big step was "Twilight Of The Thunder God" two years later. These two albums paved the way for us. Since then, we've grown with every single album. The halls got bigger, the audiences more, the sales figures have also been increasing since then. No longer in spurts, but very regularly.

There have been very few line-up changes over the years. The consistency of your line-up has always stood out. How do you keep a relationship between band members so fresh and cohesive over the years?
The relationship between us is as good as ever, in some ways probably even better than before. When the band first started making enough money for us to make a living from it, our personal interaction with one another declined somewhat. That's because everyone started families and we're on tour so often that we need the distance. We also no longer have a shared rehearsal room where we can just meet up. I've also moved from Stockholm to the countryside, which is why we don't meet up in the city as often as we used to. Iron Maiden played in Stockholm a while ago and we all went to see them. We still spend time together, but not as often as we used to.

In the beginning it was all about death metal with a Viking twist and having a good time. Beer, partying, gigs. The bigger you got, the more fans you got, the higher the expectations from your listeners, the label and all the people who work with you. Has that changed your lifestyle?
I drink a lot less than I used to. Of course we enjoy a beer or a drink here and there, but we now play headlining shows in front of thousands of people every night. These people pay a lot for admission and don't want to see five drunk guys stumbling across the stage. There has been a professionalization in every respect. I generally drink a lot less than I did ten or 15 years ago, but the hangovers the day after are all the more brutal. (laughs)

You're also a sportsman and an established hiker. On your Instagram account, people can follow your closeness to nature very well. Is getting away from big cities and finding peace and quiet in nature important in order to perform so well as you get older? Is a sustainable and happy lifestyle particularly important to you?
I can't answer that because I've lived in the countryside for 16 years. Although - country is relative. My house is only about ten kilometers from Stockholm, but that's enough. I also prefer to look out of the window into nature rather than into another apartment. I used to think that I had to stay in Stockholm and at some point I realized that although I live in Stockholm, I don't participate in city life. That was the crucial point for the change of residence. It's given our visits to the city more quality. We go to concerts, a restaurant or a good bar with a purpose. Apart from that, I go camping a lot, I go hiking and I'm active in canyoning. All the things that are fun in nature in Sweden.

Ad hoc, I can hardly think of a band that has been attracting so many people so consistently for years with music that is so brutal for mainstream tastes. Was there ever a moment in your life when you felt that there was really a lot possible or does it still surprise you?
The short answer would be no, I didn't expect it. But I'm only speaking for myself and not for the others. Each of us certainly had our own goals with Amon Amarth. I'm rather sober, I've always just looked from album to album and from tour to tour. Just taking the next step and making sure we didn't fall behind. When we started playing really big venues, especially in Germany, it was so comfortable and natural that it didn't throw me off my stride. We never took the big step, but many small ones that added up. I wouldn't have expected these venues 20 years ago. In any case, it wasn't a goal - but of course you always have dreams.

Like the other guys in the band, you come from a Swedish working class background. Does that make you approach things with a different ambition?
To be successful, you have to work damn hard. And above all, you have to set your goals precisely. People know where we come from and who we are. We used to have jobs, but for some time now it's just been the band. That's why we can tour more and work a lot more with the band. Why should you sit back when you have more success? We are at a level where we have a great and big crew, a big label and a knowledgeable management. But nobody can do the job of writing good music and playing a good concert for you. If you're dusting off a record deal and want to sit back and relax, then you're definitely in the wrong business. There's always something to do here. How can we make the music even better? What do we do with the stage? How can we minimize costs and still improve the show? Most of the work happens when and where the audience isn't there.

Your fellow countrymen Sabaton, for example, are real workhorses. They have created a history channel, their own magazine and are even planning a museum. Wouldn't such things also be conceivable for Amon Amarth?
Phew, I don't know if that suits us. You need a lot of interest and passion to get all these things off the ground and I don't know if we want to invest so much energy in these sideshows of music. I'm already annoyed by the short clips for Instagram that we have to film over and over again. I see our strengths more in other areas. For example, we founded our own merchandising company, Victorious Merch, where we also sell material from other bands. First of all, we'll see how we can take the chapter forward. Then we might have time to consider further steps.

Speaking of work ethic - did it ever look different for you? Have you ever lost interest in the band or in music?
I'd like to say no, but that would be a lie. The few years before the coronavirus forced break were somehow no longer fun. It was almost as if we were trapped in a limbo that only consisted of songwriting studio tours. Over and over again, without a break or space to take a deep breath. In those four years, we weren't at home for a total of twelve months and that pushed us all to our limits. Before "Berserker", we took a break to recharge our batteries and regain our spirit. But then we had far too much on the agenda again. Corona was terrible, of course, but - don't get me wrong - it was incredibly important for me and the band in general. We could really sit back and relax and had plenty of time to finish "The Great Heathen Army" for 2022. Time has certainly saved us a bit.

But have you also learned any long-term lessons from this realization? That it might sometimes be wiser to plan a tour less and enjoy doing it more? Or do you quickly slip back into old routines?
It could be better. (laughs) We've already taken on a lot again in 2023, but it's a little less at the moment. But it fits. We feel when it gets too much anyway.

You became famous with Viking lyrics and of course you can't get out of this role. For many years you've been using these historical themes as a substructure for current social criticism, which is very clear to see, but it never works completely without Thor's hammer, dragon boat and Viking skin. Do you sometimes regret today that you specialized so narrowly so early on?
Sometimes I write a lyric for a song and while singing along to the melody I somehow realize that it sounds familiar. I sort of stumble across my own discography. (laughs) Of course, you're limited within this framework and it's getting harder and harder to come up with new ideas within the corset of Viking death metal. I've also written the almost identical lyrics of an old song for a new one. Then it has to go in the trash, that can happen. We have to be extremely vigilant and accurate. We owe it to the people, but also to ourselves.

Many musicians like to try their hand in other areas. Morbid Angel frontman David Vincent, for example, is passionate about country music. Wouldn't such a side project be something for you, where you could also pursue other musical passions?
I've never been interested in that. I would also have no idea what to do, because I see my musical interests very well represented in Amon Amarth. I have other hobbies apart from that. Like the "Victorious Merch" online store that I run with a friend. Or sport and nature at home.

A stable family life with your wife is also particularly important to you. Is she sometimes on tour with you or is it strictly separated?
That depends a bit on the tour schedule. We were recently in Scotland, for example, and had two days off. She flew over to us and we spent the two days hiking and sightseeing. Otherwise, that's not really the case and it used to be unimaginable. We also have such a big production that the crew is big and we need our own trucks for the shows if they are special. We musicians now sleep in our own tour bus. That's an incredible luxury, but it's also important as you get older if you want to be at your best.

What are the biggest advantages and disadvantages of being the frontman of one of the most famous metal bands in the world? Being a face celebrity, for example, is something I don't think is that great ...
I don't want to sound stupid, but going out and seeing a band in the audience is pretty much impossible because people always want to recognize you and take photos. At festivals we can hardly leave the backstage area unmolested because someone always wants to chat with you. On the other hand, it's also a blessing because it shows you that you're important to people. The best part of being me is that I earn my money with my greatest passion. I make music and make a very good living from it - what else could you ask for?

Do you still have big dreams that you want to fulfill and that you would like to chase after?
My big dream has always been music, even as a child, so I'm living my dream and I'm happy with my life. I play in a popular and successful band, live in a beautiful place, am married to a wonderful woman and have some really great dogs and cats. I've always lived by the maxim that I take opportunities when they arise. Only when you try things do you see if it's for you or not. This is especially true for the band. When doors opened for Amon Amarth, we just went in because we were curious. When the next level was imminent, we refocused and didn't stand in awe.

Leading such a long-lived and successful band is nice, but it always comes with compromises. Not everyone always has the same vision or direction. Even putting together a setlist has often led to drama ...
So far, things have always worked out quite well for us. We've always been able to talk and discuss well with each other and if things get really tight, then the majority decides. We're five band members, so there's always a decision - it's as simple as that. Everyone wins sometimes, everyone has to take a back seat sometimes.

Honestly, what do you think is Amon Amarth's least successful album? Where did you waste potential?
I can easily answer that with "Fate Of Norns". I still quite like the album myself, but it didn't turn out as well as it should have. We were going through a lot of changes, the band was getting bigger and bigger and we simply weren't focused enough because we didn't have enough time and we didn't know how to prioritize at the time. I'm convinced that many of the songs on the album would have been real hits if we'd just paid a little more attention to them. I would record it differently today, but it is a part of our history and therefore has its justification again.

Live in Innsbruck
On August 20, Amon Amarth will be coming to Innsbruck's Congressaal Dogana for their only Austrian gig in 2024. They have Insomnium and the hyped Germans Kanonenfieber on board. Tickets and more information about the show in western Austria are still available at www.oeticket.com