Interview: Wolfbrigade
Fast raw angry Swedish hardcore! This record has a more primitive energy and straight forward riffs.
Swedish hardcore punk maniacs Wolfbrigade have just brought out their latest album, the fearsome Life Knife Death and the follow up to 2019s The Enemy: Reality sees the bands music sounding even more venomous and hard hitting as ever as they lay waste to the records twelve songs. Gavin Brown caught up with Wolfbrigade vocalist Micke Dahl and bassist Johan Erkenvåg to talk all about Life Knife Death, the band’s new label Metal Blade and a whole host of hardcore punk related goodness.
E&D: Your new album Life Knife Death is out now. What can fans expect from this record?
Micke: Fast raw angry Swedish hardcore! This record has a more primitive energy and straight forward riffs.
E&D: What fuels the vicious lyrics on album tracks like ‘Disarm Or Be Destroyed’, ‘Cyanide Messiah’ and ‘Age Of Skull Fuckery’?
Johan: Waking up every day to this never-ending shit-scene – the idiocracy of humanity. Coping with the fact you’re a part of it all somehow.
E&D: This is your first album on Metal Blade records, how is life on the label and how did you come to sign to them?
Micke: We had done our three albums with Southern Lord, that’s what we had agreed upon. Metal Blade reached out to us after we released our latest album The Enemy: Reality, and showed interest in working with us. We were in contact with other labels as well, but Metal Blade felt like a natural step for the band. It’s been a smooth ride so far.
Johan: Yeah, you could really tell they’re into our music, that means a lot to begin with. Then they’ve given us all the creative freedom and support we could ask for.
E&D: Does this feel like fresh start for Wolfbrigade with an even rawer sound this time around?
Micke: Yeah, with this record we went in a more primitive direction. With our last album The Enemy: Reality we wanted to see what we could do different with our sound. Experiment and progress, and we spent a lot of time working on the arrangements. With this release we wanted to bring back a rawer sound and energy. To catch that feeling you have on that first demo take.
Johan: Work fast and trust that first gut feeling. No edits. Keep it rough. I think that brought some nerve to it. On every album, we want to try new ways of writing and recording to keep it interesting.
E&D: With the state of the world now and over the past few years, are Wolfbrigade angrier and more ferocious than ever?
Johan: Same as ever. And so is the state of the world right? Ever since the beginning of man we’ve been fucked. A legacy of bloodshed and brutality. You know that scene in 2001: A Space Odyssey – the first ape discovering a bone and using it as a tool to crush a skull. The starting point of our violent evolution up until now, that’s what this album is about. Just take the Middle Ages and all the sadistic torture devises they came up with. That’s pure, depraved humanity for you.
E&D: Do you feel that music is still a powerful tool when it comes to rebellion, especially with all the chaos the world is continuing to face today?
Johan: Sure. Music can change your heart and your mind. For us it’s mainly an outlet where we can express ourselves, ease some frustration, and be creative.
E&D: Can you tell us about the song ‘A Day in the Life of an Arse’, and do you find it important to still have a sense of humour with such serious music?
Johan: It’s a song about all the arseholes you have to deal with in your everyday life. And yeah, humor is essential to be able to co-exists and survive in a world of morons and power-hungry greedy pigs.
E&D: Were you happy with how your last release, the Anti-Tank Dogs EP was received?
Micke: I think so. It’s our first EP in about 22 years haha. It was about time! It was released by Agipunk and Armageddon Records, and both labels are friends of ours. So, it was a fun release in-between making albums. Pretty nice to only focus on three tracks for a recording.
E&D: How have your recent live shows gone and how has the new material been going over live?
Micke: they have been good; the sound, turnout and energy from the crowd has been great. We haven’t played any of the songs from Life Knife Death yet though…
E&D: Wolfbrigade are playing live with Discharge after the new album is released, how excited are you about that show?
Micke: It’s the first time we do a club gig with them. Will be cool to see them live with JJ.
Johan: Gehennah is also on the bill. I’ve never seen them live so looking forward to that.
E&D: What are your top three Discharge songs and why do you love them?
Micke: ‘They Declare It’, ‘The More I See’, and ‘Doomsday’. They just got this energy, makes me wanna smash things!
Johan: I love the whole B-side of Hear, See, Say… But if I have to name my top three songs that stand out it has to be ‘State Violence/State Control’, ‘The Blood Runs Red’, and ‘The More I See’.
E&D: What other d-beat bands are you fans of?
Micke: So many good bands out there, too many to mention.
Johan: Yeah, too many.! What and who is d-beat or not? I enjoy a lot of mid 80s era punk from Japan anyway. Jack Sabbat who drew the cover for the new album plays in a band called Subdued. They’re great!
E&D: What other upcoming live shows have Wolfbrigade got that you can tell us about and will you be making it back over to the UK with this album?
Johan: We’ll do some weekend trips this autumn. London and Leeds have been up on the table, but nothing booked yet.
E&D: I saw Wolfbrigade live at the Temples Festival a few years ago with Doom and Vitamin X, in a rare UK appearance, and you were brilliant. What are your memories of day?
Micke: Well, just hanging out and meeting old and new friends. Seeing Doom and Neurosis. Free bar at the hotel since they lost our booking… haha.
Johan: Yeah, I remember that too. Drinking weird expensive cocktails.
E&D: What other festivals have Wolfbrigade loved playing at?
Johan: Most of them are fun. But nothing beats a great club show. No fences and bullshit like that. More intimate.
E&D: What have been some of the most memorable gigs that Wolfbrigade have ever played?
Johan: When we played Milwaukee in 2007 the show was attacked by cops, and they shut it down. So, we played in a small basement at some house in the middle of the night instead. Underground punk extravaganza!
Micke: Stockholm gig in April last year with Skitsystem and Swordwielder. A thousand people showed up. Packed and sweaty.
E&D: Who are some of your favourite ever Swedish punk, hardcore, crust bands and what newer bands would you recommend for us to check out?
Micke: Puke, Meanwhile, Totalitär, Anti Cimex. As for more recent bands: Vidro (been going for a few years). They’re a great live act!
Johan: Yeah, Vidro is killer! Cortex, Brainbombs and Shitlickers are total class!
E&D: What does punk mean to you in 2024?
Micke: The same as in 2023!
Johan: …and as in 2022. Chaos and be bop a-lula!
