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Interview
Deutsche VersionInterview mit Sabaton (24.05.2008)
Sabaton with The Art Of War have released a beautiful concept album about the old book of tactics from Sun Tzu. Drummer Daniel Mullback answered our questions and talked about difficulties with orientation, musical developement and colorful pictures...
HH: Hi, here Kara from heavyhardes.de. I'm at home at this moment. Where are you?
Daniel: Hi Kara! Im Daniel from Sabaton. In this moment Im sitting at home for the first time since months.
HH: The question above I asked because you are on tour so much, you sure don't know any more what home looks like, do you?
Daniel: That's true. I can't almost find my own bathroom when Im finally at home. *laughs* I have so many new "homes", I dont know which one is mine or isn't.
HH: How hard is it for you to be on the road so much? In the info sheet it says that "jobs, apartments and girlfriends had to go away". How much of that is true?
Daniel: Some of us have jobs on the side, but when we are going on tour or gigs nothing can be in our way. Sabaton is no 1 for each and everyone of us in the band, always! We still have homes or so, and some of us have a girlfriend, but still there is a lot of work to keep it together and sacrifices have been done.
HH: How were the reactions of the fans in the American show compared to those in Europe? What are the biggest similarities and the biggest differences?
Daniel: It's hard to say, but everywhere we go, we have a good crowd! We hope to come back to US many times more and there are plans for a return next year I belive! We had heard so much negative of US before we went there, but when we came every rumor was false!! I can't wait to come back and meet everyone of them again!
HH: Sabaton still consists of the original members. How do you manage to get along on tour to keep it that way?
Daniel: We have to get along because we are like a big family now and like every family we have some small problems now and then. We are a strong family because of our respect for each and ones differences! Its six of us guys in Sabaton and we are here to stay!=)
HH: When did you write the songs for The Art Of War? How was the developing process?
Daniel: We wanted to continue the war theme and discovered the book "The art of war" and its 13 chapters in the book, so we wanted to do one song for each chapter. The book war written over 2000 years ago in China and each chapter tells different strategies how to think and act in war. What we did was taking the informations from the chapters and searched for wars nowdays that have similar themes.
HH: Who writes the songs and the lyrics for Sabaton, anyway? Is there a mastermind or is the music a common production?
Daniel: Joakim always comes up with an idea of a song. Almost always we love the idea, and everyone starts to proceed the writing of the song. Sometimes the song is already written when he comes. Pär and Joakim wrote the lyrics for The Art Of War. The rest of the band have written some lyrics for Metalizer, Attero Dominatus and Primo Victoria.
HH: In my opinion The Art Of War is a very good album, but there is almost no developement from Attero Dominatus. Where do I have to look to find your new elements?
Daniel: When we write music we want every new song to sound better than the one before. We have found our sound and we will always sound like Sabaton even if we will write a Hip-Hop song. But that will never happen! Some of the songs from The Art Of War is very different from the ones from Attero Dominatus and Primo Victoria. Like "Ghost Division" and "Cliffs Of Gallipoli", they don't sound like any other song we have written.
HH: Is there actually an intention to incorporate new elements or do you think you have found your unique, perfect sound?
Daniel: We are very proud of our sound! But of course we still want to sound better and better though everyone of us grows as musician all the time. So hopefully we will do better and better albums!!
HH: Now to your lyrics. What is the fascination of the war theme?
Daniel: We don't want to write about things that don't exist. Like how many people have actually seen a dragon? We want to write about things that are around every one of us on this planet. Everyone can relate to war, either you have seen it on TV, or have a friend that's been in one. It's much easier to relate to something that exists everyday.
HH: If The Art Of War was a picture, what would it show and why?
Daniel: oh tricky one=) I think it would show soldiers that shake hands and no one has been killed.
HH: Thank you for your time! The last words are yours...
Daniel: Thank you so much! I want to say that I can't wait to come back to Germany and play again for you crazy metalheads!! Hope to see you all again in Essen 31/5 when we will have our release party!
Rock Hard!