Bandet er Norgesaktuelle til høsten, og stakk hodet innom Heavymetal.no. Takk til Alex Hellid for tips og hjelp.

Hello, and welcome to Heavymetal.no and Norway, life is good?

«Life is very good! We’re finalizing our debut album and planning upcoming summer.»

A Sinister name …

Bloodstain, a rather sinister and dripping name, hehe, what was the reason for choosing this name?

«It was kind of a joke after Oskar cut himself on a string at rehearsal and got some blood on the guitar. After a while, we decided to go with it.»

You are listed as a thrash band, but for me you are more of a power band, classic metal with a solid doze of energy. You agree? And does it matter? :).

«We don’t list ourselves as Thrash. We say we play Metal. We don’t want to categorize our music further than that. Instead, we leave it up to the listener to decide as they wish. Your description aligns with the way we want people to feel when listening to our music.»

Fresh and good looks …

Sweden is overpopulated with metal bands, what makes Bloodstain special? What are your skills, what separates you guys from the rest? Why should people check out your band?

«We are fresh and got the looks! (Haha…) We are always trying to give our absolute best when we put up live shows. Despite our young age (19-21), we all have been playing for many years which makes us technically proficient on our instruments. We have a musical maturity that we hope is reflected in our music creation and expression. If you listen to our songs, you will hear that these guys play really well!»

Threeman Recordings, most known for the connection to Entombed I guess, how did you secure a deal with this label? They came to you, or vice versa?

«We did a tour across Sweden in the late 2024. Alex Hellid, founder of Threeman and Entombed, saw us perform at Debaser in Stockholm and reached out. We signed a management deal with Threeman.»

Bloodstain is a new band, couple of years, three years, since it was kickstarted. Are you guys a young bunch? Or do the members have a cv of bands from before Bloodstain?

«Bloodstain is the completely first band for Benjamin and Oskar and the first serious band for Jonathan. Tobias, who’s the latest addition to the band, also plays with Eternal Evil. But none of us have played in a bunch of bands before Bloodstain.»

Inspirations

And what are your inspirations? It isn’t obvious from hearing your stuff, I’m excited to find out :).

«We all have different musical backgrounds and influences which all contributes to the sound of Bloodstain. It’s everywhere from blues rock to progressive metal. We all love all sorts of music and can get inspired from songs that isn’t even near Bloodstain music-wise. The most common bands associated with our sound has been the thrash legends such as Metallica, Megadeth and Exodus, but also Judas Priest. These comparisons have all been related to the EP I Am Death which was our first release. The first release for bands often sounds very much like their influences before finding their own sound. Our upcoming album will show a more distinctive sound.»

Yeah, an Ep and some singles so far, when will an album arrive?

«The album is planned for late September.»

Lyrics, topics, concepts, what occupies your mind, what are the songs about? And lyrics, a necessary evil, or as important as the music?

«We wouldn’t call it a necessary evil, and lyrics aren’t as important as the music. In Bloodstain, riffs and song structure always come first. Then Benjamin, who usually writes the lyrics, adds themes, melodies, and words to the more or less finished song. Never the other way around.

Inspiration comes from all kinds of places, like books, movies, comics, mythology, and sometimes real events. Sometimes, like in Something Sinister, we mix a few ideas to build a story. It’s a fun, creative process, and we usually know right away if an idea fits a song.»

Gig in Norway

I know Bloodstain will play their Norwegian live debut this fall, on the niche-/cult festival Heavy Nights/Black Nights in Kopervik, Norway. What can people expect?

«We always try to give the audience a great show. It is something we think is essential for a great band and is something we always try to improve. We’re excited to meet new fans from another country.»

Sjekk HER for info om festivalen på Karmøy.

So far, what is/are the coolest, most precious moment(s) for the band? The main achievement(s)?

«A milestone, for us, was to play at Sweden Rock Festival. It was a great chance to get new fans. The biggest stage we played so far.»

Thank you for taking time to hang out here at Heavymetal.no, I really appreciate it! Hopefully people will check out your music, and turn up at the gig. All the best in the days, weeks, months to come! Any final words, hate or love?

«Heja Norge! We’re really looking forward to playing in Norway, and we hope to be booked for many more festivals and shows.»