STYRBJÖRN WAHLQUIST (HEAVY LOAD) (THE HAMMER #2, 1983) TRANSLATED

The Hammer was a Swedish fanzine, written in Swedish. Released between 1983-1984, focussing on traditional metal and hard rock. Here’s an article/interview translated to English for you. Music links added by me.

Exclusively in The Hammer: Special interview with Styrbjörn Wahlquist: meet one of the forefathers of Swedish hard rock, get to know one of the most interesting profiles of Swedish heavy metal!!!

STYRBJÖRN WAHLQUIST

Styrbjörn Wahlquist, drummer in HEAVY LOAD, 23 years old, with a real, beautiful, long hard rock hair is one of the absolute biggest profiles of Swedish hard rock life.

Even in the more substantial scope he is big. And that is probably necessary, a good drummer should have a little to put behind the beats, just look at the powerful Bill Ward.

An artistic intellect, and a large portion of very special humor complete the picture of this young Stockholmer. So don't take EVERYTHING he says bloody seriously, sometimes the lines between jokes and seriousness are oh so narrow.

The Hammer: Why did it end up with drums?

Styrbjörn: Well, I was going to start playing the flute first, the piccolo flute. But they were so expensive, I went around the shops and looked. So then I chose another small instrument that was easy to take with me…

Honestly, I started playing the guitar, my parents wanted me to learn a real instrument, and they had initially thought of the piano. PIANO! No, no, no, I thought, I can’t play that, just a lot of notes and shit. Then I had to choose that and guitar, and at least the Beatles had guitars, so it seemed pretty fun. So I started with that. I lasted 2 years, it was terrible, my fingers are way too short and then there was the notes…

The worst thing I’ve ever experienced. Kind of like school, learning a lot of shit.

So finally I thought “Nah!” and started with drums instead.

I started going to a drum teacher on the condition that I didn’t have to learn notes, but they came there too, in the end.

“You have to know notes if you’re going to be a professional,” he said “because you will.”

Now I have fortunately managed to forget them all, sheet music is meaningless and completely useless.

BRUCE LEE

tH: Why did it become hard rock for you?

S: Why not, hard rock is not soft and full of a lot of inessentials, but it highlights the best in humans; strength, intelligence and power, in those who have it. Lower life forms like synthpop and disco because they themselves lack power.

tH: Do you ever think of starting to play commercially viable butter pop, and making lots of money?

S: The thing is that it is a question of what you are after. If I was looking to make a lot of money, I would not be doing music or art at all, I would be a drug dealer. They are the ones who make money. I want to play hard rock.

tH: What inspires your songwriting?

S: Bruce Lee… Of course, it’s not JUST music that inspires, but if we talk about other groups, first it was the Beatles, in the beginning you didn’t know much else, this was the end of the 60s. Then it was Deep Purple and Ian Paice.

tH: What do you like about recording in the studio?

S: An inspiring hell, it gives a lot but also takes a lot, gets on your nerves, for example playing the same song for 7 (seven) hours straight.

tH: Is Heavy Load a typical live band or a typical studio band?

S: We are just as much a live band as a studio band.

tH: What do you like about touring, being “on the road”, do you enjoy that in the group?

S: Not me. I don’t like it, not playing in the studio and I hate rehearsing, otherwise rock ‘n roll is fun!

It's clear that it's fun to be on tour, what gives you a lot is to meet your audience, meet them and hear what they say, which songs are the best, etc.

SEX SYMBOL

tH: How is it otherwise...?

S: Lots of girls, since I'm Heavy Load's sex symbol, there are some problems there...

Honestly, Anders Tengner throws himself at every girl who shows up (A.T. 5th wheel under Heavy Load's heavily loaded wagon.)

Otherwise it's often a struggle, hard to sleep, crappy food, in many places there are no showers and the lodges are as small as wardrobes. But we almost always draw full houses.

tH: What do you want with your music?

S: Glorify violence and show that drugs are delicious. (Styrbjörn's recurring comments about drugs are a sneer at all those who think that everyone with long hair shoots everything they can into their veins. ed. note.)

No kidding aside, it's different for different members, I want to give my listeners power, strength and morale.

tH: What do you think about other styles of music?

S: Disco is the worst thing I can think of, imagine a happy Negro in white gloves dancing and singing "Oh baby", Reggae is too damn good, but something better. Synth is music made by machines, for machines. Pop and 50s rock can be listened to, it's kind of roots that's what it's about. I respect jazz, but I can't listen to it. The blues are also roots, I've listened to a lot of blues before, but there are so many "feel sorry for yourself" lyrics and there aren't that many drums.

tH: Eddie's songs are a bit different from the other Heavy Load songs...?

A: That's because he writes them... Eddie listens to a bit different music than the rest of us.

NATIONAL ROMANTIC

tH: Why was there such a long gap between “Full speed at high level” and “Metal Conquest”?

S: The record company we recorded our first album with went bankrupt. We had recorded exactly two songs before it was over. After that, our bassist and our guitarist (backing guitarist) quit. His name was Leif Liljegren and he is weak and deceitful. He now plays in a Swedish version of The Boys, they have been the band for Noice, among other things. He quit just before a tour, he thought it was too hard to play in Heavy Load. And the bassist quit at the same time.

tH: Isn't it expensive to record an LP, how did you get the money?

S: We had to borrow from people who believed in us, including a bank. We showed the album to the bank manager (i.e. “Metal Conquest”) and he said; “Hm, hm, national romantic cover, this looks good”. Then when we wanted to release the album abroad, we talked to the Chamber of Commerce. We talked about having the album licensed abroad, and they said; "No, no, you absolutely shouldn't do that, it should be pressed up here and exported", (The positive trade balance and so on and so forth... ed. note)

tH: The next album?

S: Yes, we're writing songs, we're going to try to get a "hit" this time, the rest will be rubbish.

tH: What does the word brutal mean to you?

S: It's something positive, comes from sweet violence.

tH: Can it be sweet, do you like being beaten?

S: No, but you can't be so selfish, you have to do something for your fellow human beings too!

We've also made a video, recorded live, it took three days to make and will be available for purchase or rental in stores.

tH: How come you made it?

A: To suck out the fans and make as much money as possible! Well, but we hope to get it shown on TV, we've been half promised to have it on "Öresound" if it turned out well.

Then we sell a lot of records on import, and foreign fans never get to see us live and it's actually good.

It certainly is, and we at The Hammer wish the flagship of Swedish hard rock good luck on its further voyages around the world.

P.S. "Death or Glory" has been reviewed by the English rock magazine Sounds and they have given it 3 ½ stars and recommended it to those who like really heavy Heavy Metal.

Front cover of The Hammer #2