Metal Zone was a Swedish metal magazine that started around late 93/early 94. Not sure how long it lasted but at least a couple of years. Here’s an article/interview translated from Swedish to English.
Afflicted: A band that has undergone many facelifts
A long time ago, Afflicted shared both a rehearsal space and a musical style with Dismember. Nowadays, they play heavy metal instead of death metal, and have nothing in common with Dismember other than the record label and certain opinions, including that rap metal is terribly bad and that Tomas Skogsberg is terribly good.Afflicted has changed many things in their days. Name, from Afflicted Convulsion to just Afflicted, bassist, vocalist, and most recently, musical style. Afflicted now plays heavy metal in the spirit of Iron Maiden and Manowar.— We changed vocalists last summer. Michael is more of a “real” vocalist. We had changed styles before, but it worked with him. That’s the problem with many Swedish bands. They keep their old death vocalists, but call the music heavy metal, thinks Jesper Thorsson, guitarist in Afflicted.The band now consists of him, Joacim Carlsson, also on guitar, Yasin Hillborg, drums, Philip von Segebaden, bass, and Michael (formerly Maciek) van de Graaf, vocals. Despite changing singers and styles, they haven't considered changing their name any further.— Well, it feels natural to keep Afflicted. We've already changed our name once. We've changed styles quite often, but it feels natural now. It feels like we've come home. The metal feels right. We used to compromise, now we're just getting it right. What we play is probably how heavy metal would sound now if nothing else came in between, what we consider to be 90s heavy metal.Afflicted's old singer now plays more in the band Dissober, while Michael is a trained singer who has even tried opera.— It was an incredible feeling the first time we tested him. I think it was the first time I played with a real singer in a serious band, remembers Jesper.
Old heroes
Right now, quite a few bands are leaving the most brutal death metal, or death metal in general, behind them.— I can only speak for us, but you get a little tired. Suddenly everyone was playing death metal. You want to develop. I think a lot of people go back and pick up old records. You listen to the same thing you did when you were twelve and get a little nostalgic.The old heroes Jesper talks about, and has always listened to, are mainly Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, early W.A.S.P. and Accept. These days, however, Jesper listens to just as much classical music as hard rock, and that's mostly Wagner, Orff, Grieg and Gustav Holst. There won't be that much death metal anymore, and if there is, only old bands.Considering that Afflicted's upcoming album will be called "Dawn of Glory" and that one of the songs is called "Raging Into Battle", you can assume that Manowar are also popular.— We've thought about doing a Manowar cover, but Edge Of Sanity did it before ( ”Blood Of My Enemies” – eds.anm). We usually play a lot of covers in the rehearsal room, but not live, because we can't decide which one to do.Afflicted's lyrics have also changed in step with the music.— They're a bit more, I can't say heavy metal, but more about things that interest us. Mythological things. You should read them to understand, it's a clearer message now.Mythology, and Nordic ones. Well then you have to be racist. (NB. Irony):— I think it's good that bands like us have lyrics like that, because then you take back and de-dramatize the subject. Writing about Nordic mythology doesn't have to mean you're a nationalist in a bad way.According to Jesper, the biggest difference between death metal and heavy metal is the song structure.— The song structure is easier now. It's actually harder to write. We used to have a lot of riffs on riffs, typical death metal. Now we try to get more flow in the songs, make straighter songs.
Please report dead links!
German demo-compulsion
Afflicted released their first album, “Prodigal Sun” in October 1992. Then it was quiet for a long time.— It was quiet for more than six months, probably eight months. We had to find a new singer, and it was slow to write new songs. And without a singer you can’t play live, says Jesper.“Dawn of Glory” is already finished at Nuclear Blast’s office in Germany, but will probably not be released until September. When Afflicted told their record label that they had changed their style to heavy metal, they were allowed to record a new demo.— They didn’t think it was their style, but they noticed that they were really cool songs, so we were allowed to record, says Jesper.Then Afflicted has three more albums to make for Nuclear Blast, because the label refuses to sign bands for less than five albums.— We're actually still negotiating, but that's partly because he's a tough lawyer too. We've gotten a lot of other good stuff through. There are a lot of bands who sign without checking the contract at all. I think that seems completely life-threatening!Skogsberg — again!
"Dawn Of Glory" is, just like the first album, recorded at Sunlight Studios, but Jesper thinks it's more Tomas Skogsberg than the studio they chose.— We work easily with him, he pushes you to play in a good way.Even the cover artist is the same as last time.— It's a buddy of us who has painted. It depicts, what can I say, a melting steel hero. Have you seen “Terminator 2”? A bit like the old man who melts at the end there…When the album comes out, Afflicted will try to get a tour, but until then, does Jesper have any special message for Metal Zone readers?— I can’t stand this new hard rock mixed with hip hop! I haven’t heard any good results yet when you mix metal with rap. Otherwise it’s fun when you mix musical styles, but this, sighs Jesper.