With the current year coming close to its end and most bands wrapping up their onstage activities, it’s time to take a look into the future and things to come in 2020. With only one concert I’ve missed out in 2019 due to some health issues and an emotional crisis, I could’t be more excited to get out a litte more again. And as much as I’m still bummed for not being able to actually see Cher live in Cologne, I got some more arena shows to enjoy in December and yes, I AM talking about finally catching up with the Kelly Family. And once again I will try and see Lucifer as well, as they will hit the road The Third Commantment tour throughout the month of may.
Another Swedish band about to get back out in the open is Blues Pills who are working on a new album right now. Be sure to check them out at a festival near you like Tons Of Rock alongside Deep Purple or the German double trouble that is Hurricane Festival and Southside Festival. Guess there will be more dates announced sometime soon. As for festivals, next year will be seeing some of the biggest names from the nineties, like The Offspring and oh yeah, Faith No More. Not to mention the most amazing package of Green Day and Weezer, who sold out way to fast for me. And then there is the reunion of Rage Against The Machine that really needs a decent run of European dates, Let’s see if that will happen. Also US punk legends Bad Religion will celebrate 40 years of raising their voices on the road in Spain and Portugal. And last but certainly not least, the Prince Of Fuckin’ Darkness himself Ozzy Osbourne will be joined by special guests Judas Priest for the second part of his rescheduled No More Tours tour. Check out all German and Austrian dates below.
11.11.20 Dortmund – Westfalenhalle
16.11.20 AT-Wien – Stadthalle
24.11.20 CH-Zürich – Hallenstadion
26.11.20 München – Olympiahalle
28.11.20 Mannheim – SAP Arena
30.11.20 Berlin – Mercedes-Benz-Arena
03.12.20 Hamburg – Barclaycard Arena
When a certain female-only duo stepped onto the rock-infused limelight, I was very unimpressed. Specially with the vocals of one Johanna Sadonis. Not even their stage attire in all its resemlence to The Runaways caught my attention in a good way. Fast forward to the present and the new incarnation of Lucifer, I am proud to call myself a fan of this female musician, who clearly is so much more than “just a singer”. Still patiently waiting for a full-length European headline tour and my chance to finally see her live on stage, this has been a most pleasuerable interview in the making. Enjoy – I do!
How and when have you been first introduced into the world of Rockmusic? (I know you gave a very nice insight in a previous interview with Rock Hard, but since that one is currently unavailable, I’d be happy to learn about this as well)
Music has always been around me when I was a child. My mother was a classical trained piano player and listened a lot to classical music and rock. I was raised on the Stones. My parents also loved bands like Deep Purple, ZZ Top, AC DC, Roxy Music, The Velvet Underground and a lot of 50s rock and roll like Chuck Berry, Screamin J Hawkins, Little Richard etc. My older brother, who I am very close with, was a punk. It was the 80s. He made me mixtapes with all kinds of stuff spanning from Ramones to Run DMC. When I was coming of age my natural rebellion was lying in Heavy Metal which soon turned towards extreme metal.
Speaking of which: Who inspired you the most to start making music yourself??
Hard to say. In elementery school I started in to sing along to everything and was in my first band at the age of 13. First guitar, then vocals, which I stuck to. Around that time Danzig had a huge influence on me. The first three albums. But also early Metallica and Guns N Roses.
Most people know you from your former band The Oath, but you have quite the history of work to your name – is there any band/collaboration or project that you regret or might even be ashamed of?
No, everything lead up to who I am today.
dances with the devil
Have you ever felt less of a musician, being „just“ a singer on stage?
I am a singer but also a songwriter and write 50% of the songs and all lyrics in Lucifer, not even mentioning all other creative and managing processes concerning Lucifer that spring from my head. Lucifer is my creation, vision and concept. However, there are many “just” singers, as you put it, out there that get a complete song with lyrics thrown at them and I don’t think there is any shame in that either. One wouldn’t ask a guitarist how it feels to be “just” a guitar player.
Being in a band is much like a relationship and in fact your husband is also part of the second coming of Lucifer – what are the advantages and disadvantages of making music with someone your that close to?
I feel extremely lucky. To love each other, be best friends and play music together is the ultimate goal for us. We are both sort of introverts and have a very special and sacred relationship, nothing I have ever experienced before. We do everything together, so it’s a blessing for us that we get to go on the road together too and share this journey as well. Living out in the Swedish countryside away from people with our own studio, we get to completely immerse ourselves into what we love doing the most – music. Discussing ideas and music is never ego driven for us, it’s rather an excitement towards the greater good – to make the best song possible. That is our goal and ideology. We have a lot of fun with it all because this is what we both want out of life. It’s a satisfying thing!
On that note „Lucifer II“ sees a whole new lineup, apart from yourself of course – if you (would ever) compare it with the debut, how do you feel about the development, of you as a musician, the band and the music itself?
With every album there is a growth as a musician and human being. I am very proud of “Lucifer I” but “Lucifer II” is certainly a notch up. The sound is more organic and diverse with catchier crafted songs. I feel I have grown quite a bit as a musician but also us, as a band, especially live. Lucifer is a very energetic live band now, which has a lot to do with the great chemistry within the band. We are a very passionate group of friends, minus the toxic ego bullshit that can haunt a band. We all just wanna play and enjoy the ride. Being in the middle of the writing and recording process of “Lucifer III” and can already say, that we will continue the spirit of “Lucifer II”, possibly a notch up once again. Watch out!
top notch on stage and off
Do you think that your moving to Sweden will have an influence on the future sound of Lucifer?
Music springs from within one but yes, it’s a blessing to have left city life behind. I lived in huge cities most of my life. Berlin, LA, London. I can tell you that I am relieved to be away from crowded places. Now I have the luxuary of not working a regular job and being able to focus solely on being creative and letting my mind roam free as an artist. And to write for Lucifer together with Nicke, who absolutely shares my musical vision, has already had a big influence on Lucifer’s sound with the second album.
How much of your actual persona can we find in your music? – or to put is this way: are Lucifer & Johanna the same person?
Yes, Lucifer is one very big part of me. Of course there is a whole personal universe outside of the band but I pour my very heart into Lucifer. The lyrics are all very personal, even if metaphoric at times.
Have you ever felt or might even been told that there are certain things you couldn’t (or shouldn’t) do because you are a woman?
Never felt but have been told many times. Of course, I never listened!
What are your thoughts on feminism and do you consider yourself a feminist?
It’s a sad thing this even needs to be talked about but it is very important. I am certainly with feminism. I am woman and have faced sexism in various forms since I walk the earth, like all of us. I take every opportunity to speak up, when I detect the slightest form of patriarchry. May it be just underlying, hidden or being even catered to by other women. It is a very frustrating and unfair thing, so deeply rooted in our society and it is very important to sharpen one’s sensibilty and raise awareness. Take no shit, girls! I am allergic however to the misuse of this whole debacle towards men and to preachery. Speak when it’s necessary!
Aside from sharing the magic on stage, you are also a fan and a Djane – what do you enjoy the most when it comes to music worship?
Oh yes, I am a huge music fan, DJ, record collector and supporter. I love going to shows. I used to put on shows myself, run my own metal club night for nine years. and worked a variety of jobs in the music industry myself. Almost all my friends play music. Music is all I want to be surrounded by ever since. The best is when you put on a record and hear a song that touches you so profoundly or pierces your heart in a way you have to listen to it over again. Or being at a show and it get’s to you so hard, you can’t help but actually shed some tears, yes!
music worship pro level
So much about Lucifer has a great vintage vibe, but your also very active on facebook, instagram etc. what is your personal take on social media?
Actually I recently deactivated my Facebook because it just became too much. I do see social media as a practical tool to get the word out, get to know what’s fresh but mostly to stay in touch with my friends, family and peers all over the world. The down side is being so approachable. I just don’t have time for it, so Facebook had to go!
And finally: Is there anything you’d like to tell the world, specially all the girls out there who are into the dark side of music, like an advice or maybe even „warning“ before they start dancing with the devil?
I encourage you to dance with the devil! It’s been the dance of my life!
Kicking off a month from today, magically infused Rock revelation Lucifer will cast a Spell on Europe this fall. Lucifer is a multinational Heavy Rock band from Stockholm. Founded in 2014 in Berlin by The Oath front woman Johanna Sadonis who had then parted ways with former band mate Linnéa Olsson (Maggot Heart) just as their praiseworthy debut saw the light of day. Lucifer is defined by their very heavy 1970s Hard Rock sound, spiced with a good dose of Proto Heavy Metal and Doom Rock. Main influences are groups such as Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Blue Öyster Cult, Lucifer’s Friend, Steppenwolf, 70’s Heart and Fleetwood Mac. With a shift of constellation within the band in 2016 and Johanna Sadonis’ move from Berlin to Stockholm, Lucifer were ready for chapter two. With the critically acclaimed release of their long-awaited second album ‘Lucifer II’ via Century Media on July 6th 2018 and the videos for their new singles ‘California Son’ and ‘Dreamer’, Lucifer is facing a new grand chapter.
Lucifer corrupted the souls of many and achieved international recognition on their past tours. Starting this years live ritual on October 7th, the band will be homebound, playing the first show in the fair city of Stockholm. A most logical step as both sticksman Nicke Andersson (Entombed, The Hellacopters) and his now wife singer Johanna Sadonis call the Swedish capital their home. The newly weds tied the knot on Friday, July 13th 2018 – congrats to the happy couple!
Make sure to catch their magic and love live on stage at any of the upcoming dates in October – check flyer below.
Swedish Dark Rockers Tribulation finally announce their new sticksman, after Jakob Ljungberg has officially left the band earlier this year. The following statements have been posted on their facebook page:
As the summer in the year of their lord 2017 draws near and the world in the north is again fully starting to wake from its slumber we, on the other hand, are forced to face an inevitable end in the departure of our drummer Jakob Ljungberg who has decided to leave the band. We have spent the last five years together through pain to heaven, in chaos to bliss! It’s been such a strange, wonderful, tiring and inspiring time and we would like to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for making this time the most important in the history of the band. We surely couldn’t have done it without you. We were like brothers even before the time of Tribulation and we certainly will be in the time after! Make sure to check out Jakob’s unique and most excellent band Second Sun where he sings and plays guitar!
Jakob comments:
”It is with a heavy heart that I leave Tribulation. These last years have been among the best in my life, but they wore me out and now I have to continue life on different paths.
Thanks to everyone involved – you made this journey spectacular, thanks to everyone that came up and said hi – it meant the world to me, thanks to everyone who believed in me – you made me believe in myself. Jonathan, Adam and Johannes. I love you.
“The end of nights we tried to die – this is the end.””
For Tribulation, however, this is not the end, but a new beginning. After this period of silence, renewal and contemplation the time has now come to give you the new Tribulation! We have now fully immersed ourselves in the making of a new album that will be recorded at summer’s end.
We are very pleased to announce that Oscar Leander (previously in Deathstars) is our new drummer. He will make his first appearance with us on Muskelrock på Tyrolen now on Thursday, June 1st!
Are you ready? We are!
Photo by Ove Wiksten
Tribulation 2017:
Oscar Leander – Drums
Johannes Andersson – Bass & Vocals
Jonathan Hultén – Guitars
Adam Zaars – Guitars
Though the band has been forced to cancel its appearance at Bang Your Head, they will play at Metal Magic Festival and Graspop Metal Meeting.
Early on in promoting their About Time Tour 2017, Swedish Classic Hard Rockers Horisont announced a first date as sold out. What to expect from a show in a rather tiny venue, selling out on a Saturday night to host the third day of their European leg with special guests ’77 and Black Mirrors: Nothing but one of the best live packages of early 2017, maybe the entire year.
Starting off with a slight delay of about ten minutes and a strict curfew to be done by 10pm sharp, opening act Black Mirrors enters the small stage of Pitcher – Rock’n’Roll Headquarter Düsseldorf. The Belgian four-piece offers a great blend of groove enthused Garage Rock, taking influences from Janis Joplin, Jack White, Anouk, Nirvana and Queens Of The Stone Age, this is pure, raw entertainment. Guitarist Pierre Lateur gives in to the power of the moment as if there was no tomorrow, laying on his back, bending his knees as much as the strings on his white stratocaster. While vocalist Marcella Di Troia impresses the audience with her vigorous and well-trained voice, looking like a younger version or younger sister of Jex Thoth. Their self-titled debut EP has been released on March 3rd via Napalm Records and with songs like the funktastic “Funky Queen” a full-length record is only a matter of time.
Won’t You Take Me To Funky Town?
With both founding members, brothers Valeta well in their 30s and their minds set somewhere in the 70s, Spanish Powerhouse ’77 saw quite a rejuvenation right after I’ve last seen them in early 2013. Adding youngsters Guillem Martinez and Andy Cobo to the lineup, the new face of the band is vivid and rough. Though Armands lead vocals seem a bit frail at first, each member delivers all the way through from the introductory part to the final tone. My personal fave “High Decibels” comes in second and as I changed my position from stage left to merch right, this proves to come in handy mid through the set, as lead guitarist LG climbs up the bar the present his entertainment skills. No need to warm up the audience for the main act with sweat literally dripping from the ceiling, ’77 take the title of their most current record literal as there is no stopping them – “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us” released 30.10.2015 via Century Media. And no need to compare this act with AC/DC during the Bon Scott era, as they rock and roll a niche entirely of their own.
On Your Knees And Play!
A century into their career, Horisont take the headlining position serious enough to choose tracks from all phases of the past ten years. Epic timelessness flows from tracks such as “Electrical” off their most recent release “About Time” (out on 03.02.2017 on Century Media) or “Writings On The Wall” & “Diamonds In Orbit”, both off “Time Warriors” (out on 27.09.2013 via Metal Blades Records). The night clearly peaks with the uptempo masterpiece “Break The Limit” from the fourth full-length “Odyssey” (out on 18.09.2015 through Rise Above Records), that has main parts of the crowd singing along with the chorus. But my personal highlights are the two beautiful bluesy pieces from their debut “Två Sidor Av Horisonten” (out on 25.09.2009 on Crusher Records) “Nightrider” and my all-time fave “The Unseen”. Needless to say that the with its current incarnation featuring vocalist Axel, guitarists Charles and David, bassist Magnus and drummer Pontus, the band is as strong as ever.
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