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METAL PULP AND PAPER
METAL PULP AND PAPER INTERVIEW
Niklas "Dango" Källgren of:
METAL PULP AND PAPER: Hello. Thank you for taking the time to sit down with Metal Pulp And Paper and talk about your new release, V, coming out this September 30th on the Century Media Label. First give us a brief history about Truckfighters?
 
DANGO:
We started in the fuzzy year of 2001, took the name from a pulp fiction style book series and got funny nicknames with a Mexican sound to them, worshipping the desert and the sun. At that time not one of us had actually been in a desert but that didn't matter to us, ha ha. When we released our first album Gravity X in 2005 things were more serious but the band name and the nicknames got stuck. We put out Phi 2007, Mania 2009 and toured over Europe, twice with Californinan desert rock legends Fu Manchu. In 2011 a documentary about the band the ”Fuzzomentary” was released and I think it gave us a push. In the film Josh Homme says we are 'the best band that's ever existed' and even if he was possibly (most likely) being ironic it defintely drew some attention. The film came in a perfect time when we had a longer break inbetween our releases. Universe was released in 2014. We didn't just sit around on our asses letting the fat grow though, these years we widened our touring and went to the US two or three times as well as South America and Australia for the first times. Following Universe we played some of the major rock festivals in Europe and North America, for example Carolina Rebellion, Rock on the Range, Heavy Montreal, Wacken Open Air, Hellfest, Pukkelpop, etc. 

MPAP:
For our readers who have never heard of your music before, how would you describe the sound and what the listener might experience? 

D:
This is a very tricky question. Alternative rock in a modern shape but with both feet in a more classic rock sound foundation. I mean we don't sound like an old 70's or 80's hard rock band but we don't sound even close to modern metal bands either. Dare I say we got a fairly unique sound? Yes I do. Mix 70's rock 90's grunge rock and metal with a big doze of a fuzz pedal... Obviously the listener will experience total euphony. Very fat dense sound but not to the point where the soundscape looses clarity. Our ambition has always been to sound as fat as possible but we also wanna have a nice sound thats pleasant to the ears at both low and loud volumes. Musically the listener will experinece a wonderful mix of heavy grooves with nice melodies and intricate songwriting. Kind of progressive but not so much that you need to ba a nerd to appreciate it. More TOOL than Dream Theater in that way but we are less metal than TOOL and more heavy rock.  

MPAP:
V will be your 5th release. What’s something new everyone can expect from it?

D:
The sound is a bit different, it is more of everything compared to Universe, we have refined what makes us unique and skipped the rest so to speak. It's a new drummer (as usual) ha ha! Also it's your new favorite songs! 

MPAP:
How would you say it compares to the 2014 Universe release?

D:
More thick fat dense in the soundscape. More progressive but also more melodic. I'd say it follows the path that we started already on Mania towards where we are now moving more and more away from what people like to call 'stonerrock' and playing simply alternative heavy rock. This album has the potential to become huge ;) 

MPAP:
Gravity X, your first release that came out in 2005, how has Truckfighters music evolved since then?

D:
As we grow older we become a bit more progressive I recon. It feels like we have followed a path evolving gradually for each album. It's not like we sit down and say hey lets play another kind of music suddenly, ha ha. We still have the basic sound and feel that we had then it is just in a different form. And the songs are longer in general nowadays. Gravity X has 13 tracks nowadys we can't fit more than 7-8 or maximum 9 into the LP format. 

MPAP:
 What kind of sound did you all of you have in the back of your minds, prior to entering the studio to start working on V?

D:
No sound, we try to empty our minds completely and just create. The only thing we said before hand was that we wanted it to be a bit dirtier and more fat than Universe. 

MPAP:
Any overall theme of mood the band was trying to capture while writing songs for V?

D:
Not intentionally but the songs reflect a world climate that becomes harsher for every day. Many fucked up things is happening and the most terrible thing is that the world lets it happen. The general opinion in the society makes politicians do stupid things. We have the refugee situation in Europe with closed borders and extreme rightwing winds blowing, the war in Syria, Donald Trump may become your president, terrorist attacks (we are good friends with the band that supported EODM in Paris)... I could go on and list stupid scary things for a while... So this definitely affected our mood and gave the album the serious (a bit) dark tone that it has. We are also in legal conflict with our former management and that is on a more personal level something that affects us and puts us in a very very bad mood when we think about it... 

MPAP:
Who writes the songs? Does everyone all have a collaborative input on the music and lyrics?

D:
Yes though Ozo writes most of the lyrics these days. At the moment we are just two steady members so yes me (Dango) and mr.Ozo writes together and produces the songs. I mixed this album myself, in the past I mixed or we mixed together. We always done everything ourselves. We have our own studio in Örebro, Sweden called Studiobombshelter and it is in a real bomb shelter. If a war breaks out we can jam, ha ha. 

MPAP:
How long did the new music take to make from start to finish?

D:
If you include mixing and mastering about 8 months. 

MPAP:
Are you pleased with the final outcome?

D:
Oh YES. 

MPAP:
So far what’s your favorite song on V that stands out the most that you are excited for listeners to hear?

D:
 "The Contract".

MPAP:
What is the name of one of the new songs that you can’t wait to play live for everyone?

D:
All of them! Seriously, this time I love all songs and think they will all be insane to play live. 

MPAP:
Ten years from now where do you hope Truckfighters will be?

D:
Still playing, considered to be a credible band with a mark in the underground history also sniffing into the more mainstream rock audience without compromising musically. Only a few bands in recent history has managed to break big with complete artistic integrety in my opinion, TOOL would be the prime example in my mind and Nirvana. They created magic art that somehow appeals to a wide audience.
 
MPAP:
What’s something you hope to accomplish in that time?

D:
Writing songs in a artistically free way that manages to engage into a wider audience. Save some people in the world from all the fucking crap music they get fed by the major labels. (Yes I know SONY owns Century Media but fuck it they are also bad in some ways, ha ha. More rock to the people!

MPAP:
Is there's anything you'd like to add or say for everyone about V or Truckfighters?

D:
 Probably the best record in the world. I strongly suggest that you buy a physical copy of this disc as it, especially the limited edition versions, enhances the experience of the art in it's whole. The combination between cover art and musical art is close to perfection. Then when you have become a fuzz fan, if you are not one beforehand, check out our recently released 'Live in London' becuase it is live that we fully bloom. In my personal opinion the live album has better versions of many songs than the album versions. Also we are a crazy energetic live band so a live gig is something unique! 
May the fuzz be with you  

MPAP:
Thank you from Metal Pulp And Paper. 

D:
Thank you from mr.Dango 

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