VEONITY Interview

Genre: Power Metal

Country: Sweden

Questions by: Nick Parastatidis

Answers by: Samuel Lundström (Guitars)

Site: Homepage

1. Hello. How are you? I think that you are preparing the release of your third studio album. When will it be released and which are your expectations from it?

Hey Nick! Everything is going as expected round here. We have some busy days ahead of us now until the album is released the 27th of November but all in all we are very excited to release this album. We have been working on it for quite a time and to be honest, we think it’s our best album so far and we believe that our fans will be more than satisfied this time.

2. The band started its career in 2013 and already has 3 full length albums. I want to know what motivated you to form a metal band, which the difficulties that you had to surpass were and which were the moments that define you and crafted the band’s character?

Since the first time I heard power metal (it must have been mid 1990) I have always had a vision to play in my own power metal band. Luckily Anders and Kristoffer and Joel had the same idea. We all played in various bands previously and have known each other since we were teenagers but in 2013 we decided that we should unite and form the band. Before forming the band I lived in Africa for some years and I remember that I one night got an SMS from Anders. The message only read: “When are you coming home? I have written some magical songs”. A few months later I moved back to Vänersborg where we all come from and we started the band.

3. How did you come up with the name VEONITY and what does it mean to you?

We knew that having a unique and strong band name is very important especially today when there are millions of metal bands. We wanted to have a “one-word-name”, a name that you could easily find when searching the internet and a name that ended with a “Y”. Because “Y” is the coolest letter ha ha. We decided to use a made up word and we took “eternity” and “vision” and merged them together. At first it turned out to be VINETY which was, uh well, not exactly what we wanted. So we went with VEONITY.

4. “Legend of the Starborn” will be your third full length album. So I would like to know how it will sound and which the new elements that you will introduce with it to your music are.

Our previous records “Gladiator’s Tale” and “Into the Void” are two very different albums. While our first album was more straightforward power metal “Into the Void” was a bit more progressive. With “Legend of the Starborn” we wanted to combine the best out of these two albums and merge them into something new. In a way, our sound is tending to be heavier and more aggressive but at the same time faster and happier. This might sound strange but I believe that this mixture is what makes VEONITY’s music stand out.

5. The title of the album makes me think that it will be a concept album. So, if it is so can you give us some hints about the story you will narrate through your music and lyrics?

“Legend of the Starborn” is a sequel to our previous record “Into the Void” which revolved around a man who ventures into space to populate a new world. In “Legend of the Starborn” he is sent back in time by mythical creatures called ”Warriors of Time” to save the Vikings, and the world, from an Alien race.

6. When you compose your music do you have the anxiety of creating original music or do you just create based on your instincts and emotions?

Well, the power of metal flows through our veins so I would say that it is almost an addictive need to write music. Maybe you can call that instinct ha ha. Of course, when writing music you want to create original music in some ways but we have always put quality songs above originality. Our music is not known to be original and full of new ideas but then again, we are not trying to write that kind of music. We mostly focus our songs on a really strong melody because in the end, people will only remember the melody.

7. You like to write mostly about fantasy and science fiction themes. Some critics accuse these kinds of stories as not having to offer anything to people and only make them escape from their real life and

Story-telling has always been a great part throughout human history. Since the dawn of time we have been telling each other stories. Story-telling has also been a way to teach our children about right and wrong, about morality and how we should behave in society. I think we all need to escape reality some time in order to find solutions to our real life problems.

8. Do you embed in your lyrics personal thoughts and experiences?

As I said earlier, story-telling is not just about telling the story from start to end. In order to create a story you always need to add, how can I say, a personal touch. Some of our songs are really personal to us and I believe that if you listen carefully to our stories you can also find parallel stories regarding “ordinary life experiences”.

9. In our days we witness an over productivity of metal releases almost every day. Do you think this is a problem? What does it need for a band to stand out from so many releases that bombard the fans every day?

We live in a new technological era which has made it easier for everyone to record and distribute their music. This however, has not made it easier to be heard. As you say, there are a lot of bands on the market today and finding your way to the top is hard. But in some ways I don’t think it is any different from what you needed to do 30 years ago. Then, as well as now, you needed to have a clear vision of you music, strong songs, good musicians and you need to be driven.

Metal fans are the best. Once you win their hearts they will be faithful forever but this also means that you have to invest time, lots of time. I am not talking years, but decades. If a band is willing to invest a decade in their band I really think most will succeed

10. Since you write about fantasy and science fiction stories mostly, can you tell me some movies or books that have influenced you? Any new books or movies that you can suggest?

Well, I think it doesn’t come as a shock that we love sci-fi and fantasy ha ha. I love watching movies and reading books. The problem is that the more you read and watch, the harder it is to tell someone what is really good. But if you need at least a hint on where to find good fantasy books I can say that Robin Hobb is an amazing writer.

11. Are there plans for a live show? Is there a chance to visit Greece?

What would a band be if there were no plans for live shows? Right now we are working on some really interesting stuff but of course, it is not official yet. We really want to play in Greece so let’s say that we are doing all we can to get there.

12. Thanks for your time answering my questions. I wish you all the best. The epilogue of this interview belongs to you…

Thanks Nick, it’s been cool talking to you. Keep spreading the word of the new era of power metal.