An Interview with Mika Lagreen of Grave
If you’re not already familiar with the band Grave, shame on you. The death metal band from Stockholm, Sweden has been laying waste to audiences since 1984. During that time they’ve released ten albums, each one bristling with chainsaw riffs and the gritty roar of vocalist Ola Lindgren.
Guitarist Mika Lagreen, formerly of Facebreaker, graciously agreed to answer a few questions about the recording of their new album and more.
Derek: Hi Mika! Thank you very much for granting me an interview! First things first; your drummer, Ronnie Bergerstål, had a health scare in December of last year, resulting in a four week coma. How is he doing? Has he fully recovered?
Mika: Ronnie is doing a lot better now but for a while things were not looking so good. He is back on his feet now and has already played a live show with another band he is in so we will be back on the road soon again. He actually recorded all of the drum tracks last summer so he had his thing done already.
Derek: Grave is in the studio right now working on the follow up to “Endless Procession of Souls”. Where are you at in the recording process? How do you think the new material sounds in comparison to the last album?
Mika: The album is all done except for some vocals and mixing; Ola actually might have recorded all vocals when I write this so the album is almost done. The songs are very aggressive and in my opinion ”the heaviest” and most evil Grave song is on this album (maybe the heaviest song on earth). The songs are very Grave but maybe with some new elements if I have to compare it to EPOS. I am very pleased with all of the songs and I can´t wait to get out on the road again to play them.
Derek: Do you have a release date for the new album?
Mika: I don’t know the exact date but I know that if things go as planned we will release this new abomination this summer.
Derek: You were a founding member of another one of my favorite bands, Facebreaker. You joined Grave in 2011 and balanced both bands until last year when you left Facebreaker. Was it just too difficult dividing your time between the two bands? Was it hard to leave a band that you had been a part of for fifteen years?
Mika: It was a hard decision of course but to be fair to the other guys in the band I had to leave Facebreaker. In the beginning when I joined Grave I actually thought that I would have time with both bands but after a few years I called it a quit. I really didn´t give the band the kind of attention it needed due to heavy touring and recording albums with Grave. I really like the Facebreaker albums that I was a part of making and I still meet with the guys a lot because my studio is door to door with the Facebreaker rehearsal room. So I can say that the new material they have written is also great.
Derek: Once the new album is done Grave will twelve full length releases. Is it difficult picking songs for your live setlist?
Mika: It will of course be difficult but we will mainly keep focus on the songs from the new album when we tour. We have been playing the same songs live for a while now so some new fresh stuff will be all good.
Derek: Grave hasn’t performed in the US since late 2013. Will you be returning soon?
Mika: There are plans of Grave returning to the States but I can’t give you any dates or where we will play yet. We had plans of going there earlier last year but it is a very complicated story for bands out of the states coming there to perform.
Derek: Now it’s time for The Marvelous Three Round of Questions! What’s your favorite breakfast cereal? Most metalheads have large concert t-shirt collections. What’s your favorite band t-shirt? And last but not least, are you a cat person or a dog person?
Mika:
- I don’t eat breakfast cereal. When I was a kid I ate cereal but I can’t remember the name of it. I eat blood and raw meat for breakfast as all other metal guys do.
- It´s a Marduk shirt made exclusively for 3 Poland shows that we did together with them a few years ago.
- I like all animals but I would have to say that I am a dog person. Dogs are cool.
Derek: Thank you so much for taking time to talk to me! I can’t wait to hear the new album!
Mika: Thanks Derek for all the excellent questions and to all Grave fans:
We will return stronger than ever soon, just wait!!
Check Out “Venial Sin” from “Morbid Ascent”
