By Masha 
Warriors! Hear my battle cry and hold your hammers high! I recently got the chance to ask a few questions to Johnny Hedlund of Unleashed, about the upcoming album “Fire Upon Your Lands”, out this Friday. The band’s 36 year legacy continues with this fifteenth studio album, with no signs of slowing down any time soon! Along with touching on the latest from the Viking death metal titans, we also talk touring, AI, and a possible book release to learn more about the Viking values and traditions that the band holds so near.
Hi Johnny, thanks for answering a few questions for us! Are you excited for the new album’s release?
Hi there and thanks for having us!
Indeed we are very excited now. Especially to get out on the road and play festivals and shows and see what our Warriors feel about the new songs.
What sets “Fire Upon Your Lands” apart from “No Signs of Life”? Anything new we can expect on this album?
First of all, our aim is first and foremost to keep to the roots. Meaning that when you listen to the first song we hope that you immediately recognize it is an Unleashed album. In the creative process we always try to add a few new things so that the album feels a bit fresh so to speak. And also this time around we really went all in to get the dynamics in place in the songs and also on the album in general. We hope that people will feel it is a memorable album well, again but of course we think the songs are even stronger this time around. We will for sure know if that is the case once we get out on the road again.
“A Toast to the Fallen”, “War Comes Again”, and “Hold Your Hammers High!” are all strong, no-nonsense death metal bangers. How do you go about choosing your singles? Are they representative of the album as a whole?
I’d say they are very representative for the album in general. But for sure it wasn’t easy to pick these three. There is also a fourth song coming out in a week from now. But really, there is a small battle among the members to figure out which ones to represent the new release haha.
The music video for “A Toast to the Fallen” seems to show futuristic space soldiers. What exactly is the significance of this? Is it a new era for Unleashed?
Well it isn’t perhaps the point to show any space things but to show future type soldiers. The storyline of the book “The World of Odalheim” is a story about the future. Unleashed has always been about the past, present and future of Viking traditions and values and so this story we have now told for 6 albums are really about a time that is not yet here…
You’ve said previously that your music espouses “Viking traditions and values”. What does this mean to you? How do you think your new album encompasses this?
It is a way of life. And one that I am happy to lead. I could go on forever about this of course but I will pass this on to a book I just completed instead. It is in the editing process now and hopefully a release in 2026. We shall see. But it is very much about the Viking Traditions and Values among other things.
If you take any song, well most of them, on this new album you can surely translate the events to your everyday life. “War comes again” for example is really a lyric for the storyline of the album but the battles of life will come to us all. Just like to our forefathers in the past, it will also come to us here and now. And also to the Midgard Warriors in the storyline of this album. It is all a matter of how you prepare yourself for battle. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a war with weapons. The fight is still the same. And surrendering is not an option.
Since your beginnings, several other “Viking metal” bands have popped up. What sets you apart from these bands?
Well, I can’t speak for them, nor will I speak against them. I am happy there are a variety of Viking metal bands out there. We have our style of Viking Death Metal and as I see it also a strong story to tell. We can only hope our warriors feel the same over time.
The live aspect of your music has always been huge for you guys. Are you hoping to tour for this album, beyond the festivals that you’re doing this summer?
We agreed a long time ago we’d do mostly festivals and single shows in order to stay hungry on the road. And also to be able to manage the family puzzle so to speak. The most important thing is to keep the band alive into the future. So this we think is a smart way of doing that yet play as much as we can.
What’s your favourite aspect of touring? Any fun stories from the road recently?
The peak is the exact time of the live show. That is when you can see and feel if the warriors like the songs. And the feedback is instant. Of course there are many other things too, like drinking nice cold beer, irish coffee (if any) and meeting good friends.
Having been a band for so many years, how have you seen the industry evolve? For better or for worse.
It’s been a long run for sure. And yes we have noticed many changes but all in all I think people are people and pretty much the same over time. Naturally the greatest change is when things got digital and the internet came and changed many things. How we work with files etc. But I think this is mostly a good thing.
One of the hot topics of recent years is AI and its use in art. What are your thoughts on this? In visual art, but also in music?
We won’t ever create our music with an external form of creative (fictional) brain. That just won’t cut it. I am sure it will come to good use in many ways. On the other hand it is too early to say, for sure there are many things we don’t know about at all when it comes to AI. It is likely to become absolutely dangerous in some fields of life. And… it will deliver what someone or some people put in there… and so… what is that exactly. The truth? Says who? That’s a tough one to understand at this point.
Unleashed’s lineup has remained unchanged for over two decades now. What do you think is the reason you’ve been able to stick together for so long? What’s your secret to holding a band together?
There are a few things of equal importance in my estimation. We agreed from day one that Unleashed should be a Death Metal band. So,if you want to play something else that is fine but not in Unleashed. Every member has to help out with all band matters if they can. And last but not least you have to be good friends or the band will crash sooner or later.
You’re one of the original big 4 of Swedish death metal bands and have quite the legacy. Do you ever plan on retiring from touring and making music? 36 years and still going strong!
Thank you! No not at all. I hope we still have a good number of years left haha…we shall see. But we will keep it up for sure! We have many ideas for the future still.
And thank you!
Thanks for the interview!
Hail Odin!
Johnny