THE LIGHTBRINGER OF SWEDEN has suddenly become one of the best heavy/power metal acts this year.
The band has received great feedback from all over the world and has become one of the most popular indie bands from this year.
Its debut album: Rise of the Beast (2020) has sold out very fast which has changed the whole background.
We had an interview with Lars Eng, mastermind of THE LIGHTBRINGER OF SWEDEN. This is his very first talk to a latinamerican site.
Lars Eng: I don’t know what I want with THE LIGHTBRINGER OF SWEDEN
- Rise of the Beast sold out in the first week
- «The plan was to write an album that I wanted to listen to».
- «The project was called The Lightbringer from the beginning».
- «There will be another album coming up. I have already started writing».
HeavyRiff (HR): Tell me how did you start in the music scene. As far as I know, you are a luthier and you fabricated guitars for some swedish musicians, right?
Lars Eng (LE): Yes that’s right. I started to build guitars in 2008, and worked with that for some years, built guitars for Pontus Norgren in HAMMERFALL, Hans Ziller in BONFIRE and Niklas Stålvind in WOLF, just to name some of them.
It was quite fun, but the time wasn’t enough, with 3 kids and a full time work and music and other bands.
So I decided to end that chapter. But I still have some thoughts of starting to build guitars again.
Side note: All the clean sound on Heaven has fallen and The beast inside of me was recorded on one guitar I have built.
HR: Why did you name your project as «LIGHTBRINGER OF SWEDEN», why did you add «of Sweden»?
LE: The project was called The Lightbringer from the beginning, but I did some bad research.
When I released the first single Skeletor, a fan showed me there was a band in Canada called The Lightbringer, so I added “of Sweden” for not getting confused with them.
The first print of the single Skeletor has the old name on it, and every one that ordered the CD before the release day got one as a bonus for free.
HR: How do you feel about the feedback that the Rise of the Beast album has had so far?
LE: The feedback is enormous, I’m shocked that it has been this much love and good response from all over the world.
HR: You left the music scene a couple years ago, however, you’re back with a very successful album. Would you like this to have happened before or this is the right time?
LE: Actually I don’t know what I want with this project, the plan was to write an album that I wanted to listen to.
HR: What do you think has the music that made you come back; do you feel more fulfilled now than before?
LE: I started this project with no other goal than to write a good metal album, and I think I fulfilled that now. I love the album.
HR: The album has had great feedback! What do you attribute this good response to?
LE: I think many people feel the need for simple heavy music, I want to keep it clean and no symphonies and no synth.
I love bands like BEAST IN BLACK, AVANTASIA, HAMMERFALL, and bands like that, that’s what I listen to every day, but I wanted to keep it simple.
HR: Tell us a little bit about the album cover. It is awesome! Is The Lightbringer the one who appears on it?
LE: Yes, I am so glad that I found this awesome artist Isabell Sarstedth, she absolutely made my vision come to life.
I made the backgrounds and logos, and she did some seriously awesome work to illustrate the demons.
It’s actually Skeletor that’s rising from the grave, not The Lightbringer.
HR: Did the rest of the band contribute with some arrangements on the songs or everything is yours?
LE: I did all the arrangement, song melodies, all the rhythm guitars, all the melodies.
But when the others in the band were about to record, I did want them to set their personal touches on the recording.
Only the guitar solos were left for the artistic soul; only on Fallen Angels I did the ground solo, and then let Jonas (Andersson, lead guitar) fly away.
I’m not the best lead guitarist so I put down my guard and let him do his thing, as the awesome guitarist he is. But on One by One, I did all the guitars.
HR: You released this album on your own, right? Did you ever look for some label to release the album?
LE: No, I did not search labels that hard, I have some contacts, but nothing is done yet.
HR: You are the living proof that there is a lot of great talent beyond the spotlight. Do you think the people may be sometimes a little bit centralized and ignore what happens in the underground scene?
LE: As a start, I think I have to say thank you! And YES! There are A LOT of good songwriters and musicians out there that never we never are going to see.
I think the world’s best songs and albums are recorded in someone’s garage and are just laying on a shitty laptop and collecting dust.
HR: Is there any way to purchase your album or some other merchandise in this part of the world?
LE: Yes, I ship worldwide from my home, you can buy the CD through our website. But for now all the CD’s have been sold out in the first week, that’s insane!
HR: After the great feedback this debut album has had, have changed your original plans regarding the band; do you have any different approach now?
LE: The plan has changed, as in the form that it is for sure will be another album coming up. I have already started writing.
HR: ¡Thanks a lot for your time! Do you have any final words for all the mexican and latinamerican headbangers who are just about to know your music?
LE: Thank you all for listening to my music, I’m so happy and blessed by all the good feedback and response the album has got! Hope to see you in the future.
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