Onsdag den 8.2.2017 varmede Lancer op for Hammerfall i Amager Bio, og Rockzeits hyperfeterede stjerneanmelder fik udover et interview med Pontus Normark fra Hammerfall også en snak med guitaristen Fredrik Keleman fra Lancer, blandt andet omkring det nyeste album “Mastery”, som selvsamme udsendte ikke havde givet den bedste anmeldelse.
Rockzeit: First of all, congratulations on the new album “Mastery”. How did the band meet, and why did you decide to play together?
Fredrik: To begin with it was Isak (Stenvall) who wanted to put together a coverband when we studied at the Academy, where we met. So to begin with we played a lot of cover songs from different power metal bands. We thought it was so fun that we needed to start writing our own songs. To begin with we played music typically inspired by Gamma Ray and Helloween etc. Through the years we have tried to develop our music into a more technical sound and put some heavier thrash metal influences into it and we always try to make our own sound.
Rockzeit: When I heard your album my thoughts were that you do sound a lot like bands like Helloween, Avantasia and Hammerfall etc. and I could not find a specific Lancer trademark in there. Personally I think that Isak Stenvall is one of most talented metal/rock singer around, but in terms of “Mastery” I do miss some focus on which direction you musically want to go.
Fredrik: We do not try to sound like different bands, but we do bring in influences from many of those bands obviously and we do write guitar riffs and vocal melodies that are inspired from that.
We just try to do our own thing and find our own sound.
Rockzeit: How will you describe your song writing processes?
Fredrik: It was quite different this time, as it before was Isak that used to write all the songs. He still writes all the lyrics, but this time we rehearsed much more than we used to do and we sat down all five of us and tried out different ideas and everyone could bring in their own ideas and influences. It was really a teamwork album this time.
Rockzeit: You have signed to one of the major rock/metal labels Nuclear Blast. Does that mean that you have more money and time to spend on a better recording etc.
Fredrik: You are right. A bigger label means more money, but even though we always take our time to make an album as perfect as possible. We also did that before we signed to Nuclear Blast.
Rockzeit: How will you describe the evolution from your start in 2012 and to the new album?
Fredrik: We are still working on creating out own specific songs, and every time we get review we always get compared to bands like Helloween and Hammerfall, but we are trying to achieve our own specific sound.
Rockzeit: As a new band you probably read a lot into reviews and what people write and say about you as a band etc. Is that a true fact?
Fredrik: Oh year, we do read everything and tend to take it very personally (laughing). I must admit than when I read a review I do take it very personally and angry as hell (laughing). But I do need to let it go, because there is really nothing you can do about it and there will always be people who think that you suck no matter what you do.
Rockzeit: There is also those people who just want to be negative just for the sake of it…
Fredrik: That is so true. Especially on YouTube where people can get really mean.
Rockzeit: How did you come up with the name Lancer?
Fredrik: It was an idea that Isak had. There are actually two stories behind the name. The true story and the alternative story.
Rockzeit: Interesting. I would like to hear both stories please (laughing).
Fredrik: The true story is that Isak walked through a parking lot and he saw this Mitsubishi car with the car model name Lancer. The alternative story is that people think that we took the name from a knight with a lance, which is typically power metal.
Rockzeit: I thought that the title “Freedom Eaters” was kind of silly. How did you come up with that?
Fredrik: It is about people who go to work every day and go home and eat and sleep in a never ending wheel where all their freedom is eaten away. It is basically about the world being a big cooperation that controls and take away the freedom of people.