by Alexandra Mrozowska
— Senior Columnist —
Only a few bands manage to survive without line-up changes, and that says a lot about the challenge that keeping the line-up stable through the years is. These changes are common, but certainly not easy – and it’s difficult to imagine how discouraging it may be if they happen yet before the release of the band’s first album! But even in such circumstances, the Swedish guitarist Christofer Dahlman (ex-Alyson Avenue, Bai Bang) wasn’t about to give up. He returned with a renewed line-up of Hellsmoke, including his previous collaborator Roger Landin (ex-Cloudscape) on drums, Rimbert Vahlström (ex-Syron Vanes) on vocals, Jörgen Löfberg (Darkane) on bass guitar and Michael Åkesson (Alicate) on guitars. The band’s aforementioned first effort titled just 2020 hits the shelves this month, so we just couldn’t pass up the opportunity of chatting with Hellsmoke’s mastermind.
Hardrock Haven: With the first spin given to Hellsmoke’s first album, one can mistakenly believe it’s an American Southern Metal band. Where’s that kind of inspiration come from?
Christofer Dahlman: I think it’s from the period when me and Torbjörn [Månsson, a former member of the band] started this band. He was into that style of music, I was not (laughs). But the music progressed along the way and initially there was no intention of getting there. I think this kind of direction was due to Torbjörn; I just thought it sounded good and we worked on the songs. And somehow we ended up sounding like that, with no intention at all. It’s just happened.
Hardrock Haven: Having mentioned Torbjörn and his subsequent departure, how did those changes influence the band and the process of making the album?
Christofer Dahlman: It’s a long story (laughs).
Hardrock Haven: We have time, I think (laughs).
Christofer Dahlman: So, I’ll start from the very beginning. Me and Torbjörn started out as members of a cover band at the beginning, just playing traditional Hard Rock songs. But we wanted to make our own music, so we started it [Hellsmoke] and we also set the rules for the band and how we would like to have a band. And along the way we tried to play with some guitarists, bassists and singers as well… but in our age – we’re all over forty – usually you have commitments and you’re not really burning for the cause (laughs). Torbjörn and I were really burning for Hellsmoke. I mean, it’s one hundred per cent or nothing. So of course, if you’re not one hundred per cent committed, you couldn’t have been in Hellsmoke. Then we got two Danish guys – a guitarist and a singer – and the singer was really good, I must say. His voice fitted our music perfectly. And a record deal came along our way, but we – the Swedish side – said no to that deal, ‘cause in economical terms it wasn’t too good. We have done recordings and have paid a lot of money for them, so it wasn’t good enough. The rest of the band was dissatisfied. So, we kicked one out and the other one – the singer – wanted to leave by himself. We’re still good… well, I don’t know if we’re good friends actually, as we don’t speak (laughs), but we’re friends on Facebook and we don’t have any issues with them and hopefully they don’t have any issues with us too. But to be honest, I couldn’t care less. Because, you know, when you enter a band – for me, it’s about brotherhood, it’s about giving one hundred per cent for the band and your bros in the band. Basically, you become a kind of a family. But they went out and Torbjörn had his personal issues at the time, so he wanted to jump off as well. I asked him one hundred times to join again, but he’s not there anymore. So it was up to me to find the new guys and of course, Roger – the drummer – was with me as well. But it was only me and Roger, and we had a record (laughs). Then we found Rimbert [Vahlström], our singer, and then Jörgen [Löfberg] and Michael [Åkesson]. And the timeline for that is roughly one year, I would say. Quite a lot of work too!
Hardrock Haven: I believe you actually used the term “rewriting” regarding the process of making this album, having it actually finished before the current line-up was completed… so why was the material rewritten, or maybe reworked?
Christofer Dahlman: I would say “reworked” rather than “rewritten”. We disassembled the songs and put them together again, but we didn’t change that much. But we got a new singer who’s got his way of singing and he’s very different from the Danish guy that sang before. So for sure, I also wanted him to put his DNA into the songs as well. And for some songs, he was just like, “I don’t want to change it. It’s good as it is,” but we changed quite a lot when it comes to other songs. Like “Black Sun Rising” or “Rest When You’re Dead” – we changed both a lot. Mostly the harmonies, I would say, and I’ve changed some guitars too. But we didn’t re-record the whole album.
Hardrock Haven: You’re one of the band’s songwriters. What’s your general approach to songwriting like and how does it translate into Hellsmoke?
Christofer Dahlman: I have to go back to Torbjörn again as we both started it. Me, I’m more technical kind of guitar player. I shred a lot more than I do on the album (laughs) but instead of presenting a lot of ideas, I took it as a challenge. Torbjörn had simpler ideas which I thought weren’t good enough – technically, I mean. But then he just added some singing phrases to it and I thought, “Oh, he’s got something there!”, so we started working on it. So mainly it was Torbjörn coming up with the riff or a verse or a chorus and then me jumping into it, and from then on we worked on the songs together. On the other hand, for the next album, I will write more complete songs and Rimbert, our singer, will do that as well. Then we’ll both have a sit-down and then we’ll work on the songs like me and Torbjörn did. So I don’t know the outcome yet, ‘cause we’ll get to that in a couple of weeks. But the approach is, what comes out of my fingers, it just does. I don’t know what will come out (laughs).
Hardrock Haven: So it’s the beauty of unpredictability.
Christofer Dahlman: Yeah, because like I said in other interviews – a good melody is a good melody, and a good riff is a good riff. Sometimes it fits Hellsmoke and sometimes it’s too much AOR, because I love AOR, but I also like Death Metal and all that in between (laughs). So sometimes it’s various kinds of songs and various kinds of riffs.
Hardrock Haven: Are the songs on Hellsmoke’s first album personal, or presented from more of a general viewpoint?
Christofer Dahlman: Torbjörn wrote the lyrics and I was never involved in it. I run a company on my own as well and I did bodybuilding as well so I didn’t have the time. I like the music (laughs) and I do that. So Torbjörn wrote the lyrics and I know for sure there are some really personal lyrics. Probably he wouldn’t agree upon that, but I know they are. And those lyrics are the best, I would say. I did the most part of the song “Nowhereland”, I think eighty to eighty five per cent of it, but the lyrics that Torbjörn wrote were amazing. They hit your heart and I know it’s a really personal song.
Hardrock Haven: Another song on the album, called “Common Man” isn’t a typical Rock’n’Roll cliché lyric-wise. Do you think Rock/Metal should be more down-to-earth and less of a fantasy-driven genre when it comes to topics of the songs?
Christofer Dahlman: That’s a really good question, I have to say, ‘cause I struggle to answer it. And “Common Man” is exactly that song that portrays that struggle, because initially I said to Torbjörn, “Are you kidding…? We can’t have those lyrics, you have to change them. It’s not always a struggle and we’re not living that kind of life”, but I know that in his mind, he thought he lived it. And, in a sense, he did. But I don’t know really… For sure, you can write about fantasies or make up stories – I think that’s really good – but in an earlier interview I also said that with all lyrics, it’s up to the listener to interpret the meaning and put them into their life story. So you can surely write personal lyrics and all of us will relate to that, but you can also make it up and still people can relate to it. So I think it’s both yes and no (laughs). But for me, the strongest lyrics on the album is “Nowhereland”, ‘cause I know what’s behind it. And I think a lot of people – for sure, people our age – can relate to it.
Hardrock Haven: The other song on the album is titled “Rest When You’re Dead”. Can we read it as your (or the band’s) motto, especially with your “all-or-nothing” approach you’ve already talked about?
Christofer Dahlman: Yeah… Of course, I didn’t write the lyrics like I said, but knowing Torbjörn very, very well, I’d say it’s exactly that one hundred per cent kind of thing. Because for us, when we were together in a band, it was all in – or fuck off. Don’t waste our time if you’re not committed. It’s quite hard, I know, and I’m not that kind of person in private (laughs), but you know – we’re not thirteen, sixteen or seventeen anymore. We’re grown-ups and it’s taking responsibility. And if you’re willing to accept the terms, you should also live by them, and that’s the most difficult part of having a band.
Hardrock Haven: In general, are lyrics important to you, both as a songwriter and a listener, or is it more about the overall melody or groove of a song?
Christofer Dahlman: Lyrics nowadays are more important to me than it was before, ‘cause I just wanted the melodies and I’m all about them. And melody can be found it Death Metal or some really hard shit (laughs), but there still could be a melody there and you’re like, “I like that”. It’s what gives the feeling. But nowadays lyrics are more important.
Hardrock Haven: If you could have writing credits for just one song in the history of music, which one would it be and why?
Christofer Dahlman: I’d say something from Whitesnake’s catalog, ‘cause they’re my gods. I’ve got John Sykes tattooed (laughs). So I’d say “Still Of The Night” or “Bad Boys” – the latter’s riff is the best riff ever written. 1987/Whitesnake is a killer.
Hardrock Haven: And back to Hellsmoke – in terms of production, you collaborated with Anders Hahne on this one. Why did you choose to work with him?
Christofer Dahlman: Early on, when we had the demos, we were looking for how some other bands sound on the records. And we’ve heard the name Syron Vanes somewhere, and it came along our way while scrolling on Spotify… and me and Torbjörn were totally blown away by Syron Vanes. And I loved the singer (laughs), and the production was amazing. And then we found out that was Anders Hahne who was the band’s guitarist and songwriter along with Rimbert, of course. It was Torbjörn who contacted him on Facebook and actually he had some time, so we sent him some songs to work on. The result is amazing, and the next record will be even better because I think he made magic with our album. He’s the best guy ever to work with and he’s one hundred per cent (laughs).
Hardrock Haven: He made magic indeed, ‘cause the album’s sound is big but not polished… How did you manage to get this balance?
Christofer Dahlman: I’d say it’s the result of collaboration between Anders and us. Because, as I mentioned before, we made some changes in some of the songs, and Anders was deeply involved with those, so he’s a co-producer. Also [he made it easier] with decisions – “You can change that”, “You can’t change this” and so on. Torbjörn was quite involved in the first mix and mastering that Anders did – and it was not that good. So this time, we gave Anders the entire responsibility, but we also shared our thoughts with him. And by that, he made magic. We’re extremely fortunate to be working with Anders, so he’s highly appreciated.
Hardrock Haven: A rumour has it that the album’s working title was a title of one of the songs – “Hellcome To The Badlands”. Why did you decide to drop it in favour of 2020?
Christofer Dahlman: I do all the artwork and all the illustrations, I’m also responsible for everything that ends up in our social media and so on. And working with the album cover, I had some ideas and started to work on a compass. And as it has the North, the South, the East and the West – you erase the North and you’re left with S which can mean Sweden. As we’ve got lost with the Danish people and we’re a band from Sweden after all… But 2020 means of course the year we release an album in, but also a point zero – a new start for the band in a double sense. Me and Roger and Rimbert will surely last a couple of records, I know that. Oh, and we decided on this before this pandemic actually started.
Hardrock Haven: So you didn’t know how meaningful this title would become. Anyway, you’ve already mentioned a couple of times that you’ve been working on some ideas for your next album. Do you plan it to be a continuation of 2020, or perhaps experiment with your sound?
Christofer Dahlman: Of course, it will be a process, so we don’t know for sure what we’ll end up with (laughs). But we want to make music that is more technical – just a little step forward… I think you’ll be able to hear it’s Hellsmoke, but there will be some changes in the style. Maybe we’ll lose the Southern Metal vibe, I don’t know. But we won’t force ourselves into this genre if we don’t make this kind of songs.
Hardrock Haven: Like you’ve said before, you listen to everything from AOR to Death Metal and you don’t seem to mind genres while songwriting. So are genres and labels that reviewers divide music into redundant?
Christofer Dahlman: I don’t think you can remove the division into genres, and it’s because people need to have a feeling of belonging to something. So if you’re a Death Metal guy, I don’t think you’d admit you listen to AOR and probably otherwise (laughs). Me, I’m an open guy. I don’t need to belong to a subgenre or whatever. I also listen a lot to ‘80s Pop (laughs). That is a kind of a fetish for me, but I love Pop songs from the ‘80s.
Hardrock Haven: Some of them are actually really good music!
Christofer Dahlman: Yeah, it’s again all about melodies. I love the melodies, so I have a lot of different kinds of records – even though I’m a Metal guy. But to answer your question, I think genres are important because today they’re almost like a brand. AOR sounds this way and Death Metal sounds the other way… They’re like brands really, not genres.
Hardrock Haven: I believe you’ve already managed to hit the stage with the previous band line-up before this pandemic started. What kind of experience was that and what kind of feedback did you get?
Christofer Dahlman: We played in Copenhagen with Pretty Maids at Amager Bio with the capacity of about thousand people – and it was packed that night. Pretty Maids is obviously big in Denmark (laughs). So we got great reviews from those who wrote about the show and the experience was fantastic. I love Pretty Maids and actually I bought my Les Paul Custom that I have in the videos from their guitarist Ken Hammer – I think a year prior to the show with them. So it was fantastic and so was the response, ‘cause we went into the audience to watch Pretty Maids play and people came to us to congratulate us on a great show. All was great.
Hardrock Haven: So can you make any predictions or tell about your expectations as far as resuming playing live is concerned, especially to promote the new album?
Christofer Dahlman: We actually started to ask around ‘cause we know some people whom we pay to book us, and may pair us with bigger bands. We got an offer to do a one-month tour with a well-known artist – in nine countries – in December, but that won’t happen now and is out of the picture… Last week and this week we’ve been asking around – preparing – but the answer we get is that it’s either fully booked, or cancelled. ‘Cause there were so many gigs that were planned, but many of them got postponed – some even twice – and some got cancelled. And they’re all next in line. So actually we’re just joking within the band that maybe we will release the second album until we hit the stage (laughs). Because we don’t really know when this is over. So I don’t have a good answer for it, but of course – we have our ears open and we’re looking for opportunities.
Hardrock Haven: So let’s keep our fingers crossed!
Christofer Dahlman: We’ll surely do a smaller show here in the southern Sweden, ‘cause we need to do something onstage and try our wings together, with the new line-up.
Hardrock Haven: Definitely. So you guys all come from different bands, so how does all that experience translate into what you do now?
Christofer Dahlman: I think it’s really, really interesting ‘cause we had noticed that as well when we were rehearsing. You see, Jörgen comes from the really heavy, tough side – I think it’s Death Metal that Darkane plays, and the guys are friends of ours – and Rimbert comes from more Progressive side with Syron Vanes. Me and Roger have the same background, listen to the same music and love the same songs and bands… So we’ve noticed in rehearsal that’s interesting and it’s more details, but the details are really important when it should sound great. So we’re working on it and it sounds good – don’t misunderstand it – but for sure we want to make it a one hundred per cent great show. But when we enter the stage – in a real way – we will have flamethrowers and shit on the stage. So it’s not another band just staying on stage and playing ten to fifteen songs. It will be a show. And again, it’s one hundred per cent determination on that one (laughs).
Hardrock Haven: Actually, every other musician I interview these days is from Sweden, so why do you think there’s so much potential in your Rock/Metal music scene?
Christofer Dahlman: There are so many different explanations to that, one of them being that it’s so cold and dark in Sweden and we have nothing to do, so we sit in our rooms and just play…? (laughs). I don’t know, but I think it’s probably not. Other explanation is that we have traditional Folk music which is very melodic, and then ABBA came in the seventies… I don’t know, but what I do know is that people I know who are really good on their instruments and succeeded – they’re really into it. It’s, again, one hundred per cent. It’s not like sixty per cent or “I just wanna be in a band so then I get girls” kind of thing or whatever. It’s just about being a good guitar player, or a good drummer, or a good singer and they work really hard on it. Then also, when I grew up, my parents went out to dance and it’s kind of Folk music. So I grew up on that too ‘cause I couldn’t stay at home all by myself and I went along (laughs). I was really little and I was sitting on the stage behind them just listening to the music. Melodies, melodies, melodies… For a lot of people in Sweden, it’s all about the melody. We’re quite a small country, but we have quite a huge music industry… And ABBA had a lot to do with it! (laughs)
Hardrock Haven: Is there anything you’d like to add in the end?
Christofer Dahlman: Thank you for your great questions!
Visit Hellsmoke online: https://www.facebook.com/HellsmokeOfficial/
