2Ton Predator
Wywiad przeprowadził Tomasz Osuch
Well, it seems that we will always have tons of various kinds of music from Sweden. From the most brutal forms, the various hybrid metal groups to the most melodic bands. Swedish 2Ton Predator with their recent album entitled "Demon Dealer" is like such a hybrid and I personally call this stuff death / thrash /groovecore. I recommend this album to you because this band will satisfy you immediately and any details that you wish to know are in this interview with band’s drummer - Matte.I listen to your newest album "Demon Dealer" from some time and I would like to sincerely say that you guys did a really cool album! How often do you hear the opinions like that?
"Well my friend, on this new album we´ve made we get to hear it quite often, the respone have been VERY good so far!!"
Great… The first song on this album - "Slowly Slaughtered" was just like a serious fucking hit straight into my face and a killer beginning of this album! That's my favourite song, which is yours? Can you imagine any better song for the opening?
"No this is the perfect opener for this album although we had some problems to decide at the beginning. Personally I think there are no specific song that I like the most so it´s hard for me to put one song before another."
Who is the "Demon Dealer"? What does this title mean?
"This is about a guy who´s life almost turned to shit because of drugs."
I was surprised a little bit by the theme and the symbolism on your new album. Just look at the cover with the pentagram, words such as 'six, six, six', 'demons' and the titles e.g. "Transparent Venom Addiction" or "Hell Is Where You Headed". Until this day I did not realize that 2Ton Predator is interested in these things. Where did the idea for this come from?
"Well it’s nothing we just ‘came’ up with, it’s how we have developed over the years… the music is much faster and darker now and we wanted the cover to look the way the music sounded. So therefore we used those symbols and stuff. Another thing to add is that none of us enjoys the way of Christianity, but we are not Satanist in any way……We just think occultism and the darker side is way more fascinating."
I personally think that "Demon Dealer" can be described as an american - swedish album. I mean that I can hear in your music some elements characteristic for bands like Pantera or Crowbar (and the few others from U.S). But on the other side, we hear a little bit of the Swedish death metal style - At The Gates, maybe a little bit of The Haunted. What was your inspiration this time?
"The inspiration this time was to make a hell of an intense and hard album, we didn’t look at other bands and thought ‘this is how we want to sound like’. We tried to do our own shit here, and if u and others can hear inspiration from aboved mention bands …fine. We have heard we are Pantera clones for many years now and I don’t care anymore, I think we have found ‘our’ own style on "Demon Dealer"."
"Demon Dealer" was recorded at the Antfarm Studio together with Tue Madsen, the producer. This album sounds very fresh and really hard, just a killer groove!!! Are you satisfied with the results?
"Yes, everyone in the band are very satisified with the outcome of "Demon Dealer", consider we recorded the damn thing in just 2 weeks, it’s pretty fuckin´ amazing if u ask me… hahaha.
Tue Madsen is KING and we will continue to work with him as long as we releases albums!!"
Those who have known you for a while can probably hardly believe that a few years ago you played music which was closer to what Alice In Chains did. What was your first contact with music, the band? Was Wedge your first ever band that you played in?
"All of us played in other bands before we formed WEDGE, I played in a death metal band for instance. And yes we started out as a harder version of Alice In Chains but as u can hear our stuff is getting harder and heavier on each release we are givin´ so watch out for the next one because that one will fuckin´ ripp!!!"
It is said that Wedge broke up… but you decided only to change the band’s name, why?
"Wedge never broke up, we just changed name to 2Ton Predator just because there were other bands named WEDGE. It’s the exact same members in 2Ton Predator since the day we started out as WEDGE and that is like a little bit over 10 years from now….."
I heard that there is a band Wedge in the United States. Do you know their music?
"I know and I’ve never heard their music."
I read somewhere that your vocalist was in prison. Why did Mogge spent 8 months in prison?
"Yes Mogge had to do some time about 4 years ago. He was convicted for beating up a guy really bad……"
Ok… Together with change of band's name your music changed as well. At the same time you signed with Diehard Records and "Demon Dealer" is your third album released on this label. Are you satisfied with their job for 2Ton Predator?
"No we are not very happy these days because nothing happens, the seem to be satisefied by just releasing the album and then just sit on their ass waiting for stuff to happened. I think we will try to look after other offers in the future……"
It's not such an easy thing to see 2Ton Predator live and I don't mean just Poland but other countries as well. Are you going to change this situation? What are 2Ton Predator live-plans? It seems that so far the most successful event for 2Ton Predator was the tour with Cathedral and Entombed.
"Yes it’s the only big tour we have done…..! We have no booking agency at the moment so its hard to get gigs outside Sweden. But we are working on a few things who might turn out cool, we just have to wait and see…….."
All of your albums are different. On every album you are creating better music which is becoming more and more interesting. That's my point of view. This is also why it's hard too say what kind of metal music you play. Will you stay for some time with the "Demon Dealer" style on the future releases or are you going to develop your music further?.
"It will most certainly sound like 2Ton Predator but I think it will sound different from the other releases we have done!! But I can asure you that it will be HEAVY!!!!"
Do you have any idea what the fourth full-length album is going to be like?
"As I said, it’s going to be heavy, but we will still have lots of fast parts!!!"
Your guitarist Petter Freed, known as a Mazza, is also a musician in The Project Hate. Do you like this band? Are there any other bands that the members of 2Ton Predator play in? I know that also you are the member of other band…
"Yes, The Project Hate is alright, I also play in another band called Genocide SS wich have recently relesed a cd on Relapse Records!! Check it out!! It’s fast fuckin punk/crust/rock!! The other 2Ton Predator members are featured in some small projects but nothing is released or even has a name yet…."
One of the tracks is entitled "Ready To Die". Lots of people are afraid of death and the fact that your life will end can be horrifying? Are you afraid of that?
"Well yes, I don’t wanna die…..atleast not yet .I have many things I would like to accomplish before I hit the grave….the fourth 2ton record included!!"
You have a very big and very diverse scene in Sweden. What is the best Swedish band for you? For me... for sure At The Gates and Hypocrisy!
"The best Swedish band for me is…………..2Ton Predator!!!!!!!!!!!"
Thanx for the interview Matte! Finish this intie as you wish!
"Thanx Tomasz for the intie, and for the readers I would like to tell them to check out 2Ton Predator’s latest masterpiece!!! Be sure to visit 2Ton´s home on the web and look out for the Predator’s live because it will happen!!!
www.2TONPREDATOR.com
