You’re just wrapping up the Metal For The Masses Tour with The Haunted, Into Eternity and Scar Symmetry. How was the tour?
Mikael Stanne: It went really well. It was one of the best tours we’ve ever done. We had great turnout and great shows. It’s been amazing.
Did you get a chance to hang out with the other bands?
Yes, of course. We’ve known The Haunted for twenty years now and the guys from Scar Symmetry are fanastic, really cool guys. It’s been really fun.
How has Dark Tranquillity’s sound evolved from Character to Fiction?
We focused more on writing real songs this time. We wanted to get away from putting too much stuff into every individual song. We wanted all the songs to be different from each other, to really stand out. We also wanted it to be heavy. We really focused on making each song really heavy. I think the songwriting is very different. We have songs that are really heavy and have songs that are more melancholy and atmospheric.
How did you decide to work with Tue Madsen?
I really liked his work. Everything I heard that he has done is fantastic. I talked to The Haunted guys and they really recommended him and said he was the greatest. They said we would love him and he would do wonders for our sound. So we said let’s do it. We recorded everything at home, and then shipped the hard drives to Tue and he worked his magic. We sound cooler and better than ever.
Do you have any expectations for the how the album will do in Europe and the U.S.?
I have no idea. We try to set our expectations pretty low so hopefully we’ll be pleasantly surprised.
How did you decide on Fiction as the album title?
We had a different way of writing this time. I wanted to project everything on someone else instead of having it relate to me.
You’ve spent a lot of time in the U.S. What are your most and least favorite things about our country?
My favorite thing is that everything is open all the time. You can get anything at any time. I like the U.S. audiences, too. They are really open minded, everybody seems to be into all kinds of different music. There’s really nothing I don’t like.
Is there any area or region of the country you really enjoy?
The West Coast is our favorite. We’ve had some great shows there.
You’re playing a lot of European festivals this summer. Are they more to get in front of a large crowd, or are they also financially lucrative?
They are very financially rewarding. We probably make more money doing a few festivals than we do with a whole tour of America.
Is there a festival you‘re really looking forward to playing?
Yes. Gods Of Metal in Italy. Heaven and Hell, Dream Theater and Blind Guardian are on the bill on the same day. It’s going to be perfect.
Do you have plans to come back to North America later this year?
We’ll do festivals this summer, then a European tour and then we’re coming back next year.
You started out in music playing guitar. What made you switch to being a vocalist?
Even back then I always sang. Niklas (Sundin) and I wrote the lyrics and I wrote the vocal lines, so I was always singing in the rehearsal room anyway. When Anders (Friden, the band’s original vocalist and current In Flames member) didn’t show up for rehearsal I would sing in his place. And I was a crappy guitar player. When we fired Anders we decided I would sing and we get a new guitar player.
Do you ever play guitar anymore?
I play guitar for my daughter, but that’s it.
Were there any specific bands or albums that inspired you to pick up the guitar?
Yes, the Flag Of Hate EP by Kreator, and Black Sabbath. They made me want to pick up the rhythm guitar at the time. I first saw Kreator in Gothenburg in 1988 and decided that was what I wanted to do.
Which Dark Tranquillity album do you think is the most underrated?
Skydancer (the band’s 1993 debut album), because at the time people thought it was just nuts. Nobody got it. People said it was too different from anything else they had heard. It didn’t really get the recognition we were hoping for at the time. People didn’t really get, and I still think it’s an album full of great ideas, even though it’s not really well executed or well played or well produced. But it’s still a great album.
Do you ever think about Dark Tranquillity’s influence and importance to heavy metal?
Playing is the most natural thing in the world for us. We’ve been doing this for more than half our lives. People will come up to us and say we’ve been inspiring them for over 10 years. It’s strange to me. We try to downplay our importance in the metal scene.
Is the current metal scene still strong in Sweden, or has it been surpassed by some other Scandinavian countries?
I think Sweden is still the strongest. There are tons of great new metal bands coming out.
What are the best and worst things about being in a band?
The best thing is that you get to hang out with your buddies, you get to see the world, and you get to perform on stage. All six of us agree that it is just amazing to be able to do. The worst things are you don’t get paid enough and you have to be away from home for long periods of time.
What’s the best advice someone gave you?
Back when we started out, Tomas Lindberg from At The Gates always came to our rehearsals and told us, “Be original. That’s all that matters. Make original music and never copy anyone else. Take inspiration from others, but always make something new.”
