Pod of Rock- Special - AMON AMARTH - Johan Hegg über Odins dunkle Seite und den Preis des Erfolgs

00:00:00: Hi friends of Monomath and EMP out there today.

00:00:04: We have a very special guest, his name is Johan Heck!

00:00:11: How's it going in Sweden?

00:00:16: I'm feeling better now

00:00:21: than on tour.

00:00:26: Of course we are here to talk about, well not of course but... We're here and want you talking a new album which is called The Allfather Awakens.

00:00:35: Which actually your thirteenth album.

00:00:39: can you believe it?

00:00:41: No!

00:00:43: It wasn't too long ago that I had the count.

00:00:48: Hang on how many albums this was.

00:00:50: I thought it's like ten or something.

00:00:53: That's weird Cause I know it's more than ten when i think about, but it was like thirteen and felt a lot of albums actually.

00:01:03: Yeah well coming to the title why is Odin awakening at this point in your career?

00:01:09: what made you focus on him or dedicate his whole album after twenty years?

00:01:15: It kind already started when we recorded The Great Evening Army Because I had some lyrical ideas around Odin and i actually used one of them, which is like odin on zeol.

00:01:36: But I had Some other Lyrical Ideas that I didn't explore for That album but I knew there they were things.

00:01:42: I wanted to talk about really And I have this idea of Odin Like because I think he's a very interesting character.

00:01:55: So my approach was to look at him more from the perspective of The God Of Wisdom and all these things that he is, That's not like...the god-of war.

00:02:11: Because originally Odin wasn't a god-o-war.

00:02:14: To you it was the god-a-war And then Odin kind of adopted his attributes.

00:02:23: I had this idea going into writing my own in this sense.

00:02:28: And then I did a podcast, have this podcast that i do called exploring the Viking Age where I talk to archaeologists historians and enthusiast actors musicians about the Viking age.

00:02:43: basically right?

00:02:45: So I did uh a podcast together with Neil Price who is perhaps the most distinguished archaeologist and professor there is in, well the Viking Age basically.

00:02:58: And he had a really interesting thing to say.

00:03:00: is that considering how violent the Vikings were and of what...how violent society was In which the Vikings lived It's Interesting That The Chief God, the Top God Of Their Pantheon Is Actually A God-Of-The-Mind.

00:03:21: He's Right!

00:03:23: it is fascinating because Odin More than anything, Odin wants knowledge and wisdom.

00:03:31: He'll go to any lengths to get it.

00:03:34: he will sacrifice his eye... ...he will sacrifice himself.. ..he will deceive murder and seduce To Get It And is constantly worried that he doesn't have enough knowledge in wisdom.

00:03:52: So he's very anxious about the two at times all almost depressed You know, so he's a very interesting character.

00:04:02: But what also fascinates me about Odin is that... He's not a benevolent God you know?

00:04:08: If you wouldn't meet him as a person in the street it wouldn't be a nice guy.

00:04:17: I think you would be wise to walk the other way!

00:04:22: You shouldn't trust him too much.

00:04:23: and A very fascinating aspect of Odin as a character.

00:04:30: In a way, he's almost like a sociopath but not a full blown sociopath because it does have... He worries about himself his kin.. ..he worries about mankind and the universe.

00:04:44: to preserve it To save from Reineröck.

00:04:48: So a lot with things that he does is to prevent Reinerök from happening at the end of world.

00:04:57: So he's a very complex character and as far as God goes, He definitely is not all-knowing.

00:05:08: And all powerful!

00:05:12: I think in that aspect... ...he's very human as well.

00:05:18: That's what fascinates me about Odin as a character

00:05:24: As your notion of him changed over the last twenty years because I mean, you're twenty years older now.

00:05:29: Maybe You have different views on things.

00:05:33: Now

00:05:34: it's hard to say i've always had this idea Of Odin mainly Because obviously in The poetic Edda you Have the half a mall which is odins wisdom too.

00:05:45: Humanity basically right Like rules of life rule rules of conduct.

00:05:51: so For me, there's always been a philosophical aspect that I kind of wanted to explore but i never really got around to it.

00:06:02: And i think...i don't know maybe..I wasn't ready to do it.

00:06:07: so maybe you're right?

00:06:08: Maybe its something about getting a little bit older or maybe was just the right time now....i dont' know.

00:06:15: I think he already answered this since you've written him for more than thirty years.

00:06:20: if actually meeting for beer tonight.

00:06:23: What's the one question you'd ask him, but maybe he wouldn't even go for a drink with them?

00:06:27: I think if... If you went to drink with Odin and really have had to be on your guard

00:06:38: that something i would rather associate it with Loki.

00:06:42: Yeah exactly!

00:06:43: I mean obviously Loki definitely is mischievous in stuff like mythology.

00:06:49: But what Odin?

00:06:52: You won't know what he wants from you.

00:06:56: Okay,

00:06:58: not even after ten beers?

00:07:00: Probably not.

00:07:01: no as I said He will lie to sieve Even murder To get what he once like.

00:07:11: if you read the mythology That's who we is.

00:07:16: having said that though like times your question.

00:07:18: I don't know it.

00:07:20: It's hard to imagine that because I don't see Odin as a person, really.

00:07:26: He is... ...a character in empathology That carries alot of what it means to be human i guess

00:07:39: Or maybe the other way around.

00:07:41: seeing his wisdom and all What would he think about the history of Amon Amath?

00:07:47: Would you have something to say?

00:07:52: Well done.

00:07:53: Thank you!

00:07:55: Yeah, it would be very scary to ask him what he thinks about Amon Amarth... I'd rather ask him something along the way of like What's-what's the deal with The Einherrier?

00:08:10: Why do we separate like two half of them To your hole and a half of then to Freyja's hole?

00:08:17: I

00:08:17: don't know.

00:08:21: So the album begins with Yellowhorn, which is the name of a horn that Heimdall blows right before Ragnarök is happening.

00:08:31: Was it deliberate statement to place this song at the very beginning?

00:08:34: Like Oman Amath's way saying beware there something wrong in the world.

00:08:40: Ragnarek is upon us

00:08:43: A little bit but as far as I understand the horn Odin drinks from when he... travels to Meme as well.

00:08:53: That's the horn that he drinks from, which is kind of interesting because like you have to plug it up I guess.

00:09:00: but yeah...I mean i think the reason why we put it As The Opening Track Is More Practical Than That.

00:09:11: Uh..i Think We All Felt.

00:09:12: It Was Like This Like A Really Strong Opener Basically Musically

00:09:18: Fair Enough

00:09:20: Yeah.

00:09:21: So I would say that's more the reason why, but maybe it is just a lucky coincidence.

00:09:31: And

00:09:34: also on the character of Quasir gets his own song and I must admit i hadn't heard him before!

00:09:44: In a way, you are like the Bards or Viking poets of old.

00:09:53: You preserve stories like this and pass them on to other generations... Okay!

00:09:58: You can look it all up in Wikipedia but do we see yourself as preservers?

00:10:06: Of these old lore, of those old stories?

00:10:11: Not really no.

00:10:14: I mean that these stories everywhere in books and...

00:10:20: Yeah, some books.

00:10:21: But you bring them to the next stage?

00:10:24: For me I think they make for really cool metal lyrics.

00:10:32: but i think that this story about Kvassar is actually.

00:10:36: it's one of those tales which on the surface are super brutal.

00:10:47: It's one of those tales that follows a pattern, most folklore tales have.

00:10:54: But it is also the tale which involves Odin in this specific way because when Kvassari was born from the spit of the gods and the Vauna Gods or the Asa Gods after they make a truce, the Spit-and-Cup and Kvasseri were born And he becomes the wisest person in world.

00:11:16: He travels to like, the universe and counts those people... ...and gives advice.. ..And then it comes across two dwarves Galar & Fjallar.

00:11:26: They decide to kill him.

00:11:29: So they murder Kvassir from his blood.

00:11:33: they make The meat of poetry Or the meat of wisdom.

00:11:40: Obviously Odin wants this meat.

00:11:43: It's a story.

00:11:44: how Odin finally gets it, you know.

00:11:47: It was a tricky story to bring to life in just one song because he had so many aspects to it... Because first of all they have Fjallarangala killing Kvasir and then you have the giant Sutun capturing the dwarves after they killed his family And They plead with him not to kill them.

00:12:14: and they give him the mead.

00:12:18: And he brings it into his mountain home, then Odin learns about this... ...and he wants to get in there but its almost impossible.

00:12:27: So doing that he murders nine people.

00:12:33: I'm not gonna tell you whole story But he murders Nine People.

00:12:37: He deceives Sutting's brother To drill a hole so that he can transform into snake go in to the mountain hall and then Once inside Sutton's daughter is set to guard of mead an Odin seduces her And then he steals them.

00:12:59: meet any transform team into legal and flies back home.

00:13:04: Okay, it's complicated.

00:13:06: It's very complicated.

00:13:07: But if like that's what I'm saying this is a really like super complicated condense it into like just this four-minute song.

00:13:16: It was a challenge!

00:13:20: By the way, that's actually my favorite song on the album... ...it is really awesome!

00:13:27: It's good I liked it too yeah.. ..it has different approach from us i think.

00:13:34: As is Upav

00:13:37: Yeah?

00:13:38: I suppose you have had to talk alot about that already.

00:13:42: That Song

00:13:43: Quite a few times, yeah.

00:13:45: I mean how nervous were you before actually releasing it?

00:13:49: Because as we all know not very Amon Amarth-like up to now!

00:14:00: Not very nervous i would say...I think We knew right away that there was going be one of the singles.

00:14:08: Yeah

00:14:08: because we had to make this single because it's just so different, but also like a great song.

00:14:19: I think its'a great song!

00:14:21: But then came the idea to make this is first release of The Album and we were really going for with that.

00:14:33: This Is Gonna Be Awesome Because It's gonna catch a lot attention obviously.

00:14:37: So We Thought Was Great management and label kind of chickened out a little bit because they felt like if we make this the official album announced release song people are getting fucking freakout.

00:14:55: I guess you were right, but it is so we did like compromise We released it And then two weeks later released geller horn and announce the album as well.

00:15:07: i must say actually im surprised how I expected more controversy than we got.

00:15:14: There were a bunch of people who hated it, obviously but the majority of feedback has been positive.

00:15:23: so... For me i love this song and even though its no distorted guitarist or anything ...I think it's metal as fuck!

00:15:34: So..i think is great song.

00:15:37: Yeah Me too It's it's different, but it still a monomouth.

00:15:41: So

00:15:42: I

00:15:44: mean A lot of a lot of your songs deal with dying well Fighting on or sacrificing yourself for something greater as the meaning of those ideas change.

00:15:55: For you know that during your fifties rather than in your twenties

00:15:59: maybe Maybe i think i Think i was more preoccupied With honor and stuff like that before.

00:16:11: And now it's more an introvert look, where dying well doesn't necessarily... I mean even though you're right, dying in battle with sword and hand alright cool but thats not the society we live in

00:16:29: Not yet.

00:16:30: So what does this mean?

00:16:31: Like if you look at die with a war cry for instance.

00:16:39: On the surface this song is about Odin, like his thought going into that final battle of Reinhardt.

00:16:49: Where he knows... He's facing these tremendous odds and he knows that he will die.

00:16:57: but it goes anyway.

00:16:59: And I think my idea here is no matter what you do in life You have to put your whole heart behind it.

00:17:07: Win or lose?

00:17:09: If you gave it your best shot, You can be happy even if didn't work out.

00:17:15: Things like that ideas are important but I'd rather write the song like that explaining than writing a song saying give-it-your-best-shot.

00:17:30: It's more fun plus also when we deal with metaphors and use stories to relay a message.

00:17:42: I think it's more relatable to people and People can find their own meaning in stuff as well, you know?

00:17:49: A good example we did Fate of Norns.

00:17:52: the song Fate Of Norns Which is very personal story for me always going through really tough time.

00:17:59: so i wrote this song.

00:18:02: On the surface its about father bearing his son.

00:18:09: We were playing at Graspop metal meeting a few years later and this guy from Iceland wrote us on the forum somewhere.

00:18:18: And he said like, I hope you play to song.

00:18:20: it's my favorite song.

00:18:22: It got me through losing my own son At age of six...it really helped me Through that period time in my life.

00:18:34: Like i just want hear that song.

00:18:37: For me, that's not what song is about but it is for him.

00:18:41: You know I mean if i would have written a song About my troubles you Know?

00:18:47: I think It Would Be Would Have Been boring.

00:18:49: first of all you know Nothing Near Losing A child and And uh...I Think in In That Aspect like Using Metaphores Is Much More Powerful.

00:19:02: Yeah as Get Your Point.

00:19:05: yeah well Odin Sacrifices an Eye for Wisdom

00:19:08: Mm-hmm,

00:19:09: which is a pretty brutal metaphor for the idea that gaining something valuable always costs you.

00:19:15: Something.

00:19:16: but What has amonamath success cost?

00:19:21: You

00:19:23: Wow I mean It's hard to explain how much he sacrificed over the year to get where we are For almost twenty years from was twenty years.

00:19:39: every vacation we had, like all the holidays went to touring or recording.

00:19:54: All that evening is a weekend you spend in rehearsal room working on new songs and rehearsing for doing shows.

00:20:06: Touring in vans across United States driving ourselves sleeping in shitty hotels and eating crap food like every day.

00:20:19: I mean, there's so much stuff that you sacrificed for to achieve what we have achieved And once you start becoming bigger You have to make different sacrifices because they tore more.

00:20:36: So...I don't have kids but i have a wife and I am away from her for almost six months in a year, you know?

00:20:47: And some of the guys have kids.

00:20:49: They're going to be away form their families... ...for long period of time.

00:20:54: but it's more than that.

00:20:56: You know It is like But its'a lifestyle.

00:21:00: then you kind-of have sacrifice other things.

00:21:03: In a way if you want to become professional athlete what do you sacrifice?

00:21:09: Well you have to sacrifice evening.

00:21:10: go out drinking with your buddies because you have training in the next day.

00:21:15: At least, you can do that!

00:21:17: Yeah exactly but... You know what I'm saying?

00:21:21: Everything is worth doing and everything has something down-the road to achieve.

00:21:32: it's worth sacrificing.

00:21:35: Having said this though we've been very fortunate.

00:21:38: obviously It was a tough business.

00:21:41: A lot of people sacrifice the way we do.

00:21:46: A lot of people do this, a lot of put all their time and effort in order money into career music And won't succeed.

00:22:00: It is difficult.

00:22:01: You know you have to be...you need some luck as well But I also am a firm believer in creating your own luck.

00:22:10: Sometimes what's needed for an aspiring musician to sacrifice his ego We had.

00:22:16: we've had several times where we felt that we were a bigger band than we actually work and Once you start thinking then You will be humble really quick.

00:22:32: But Then, that's fine.

00:22:33: You know as long as you take the lesson And Take it step back is all right All Right?

00:22:39: We weren't that big?

00:22:41: alright Let's go back in keep working.

00:22:44: see what I can do from there.

00:22:46: Speaking of being humbled, you write about these great warriors and gods in enormous battles.

00:22:52: But what is the least heroic thing about your everyday life?

00:22:58: Like mowing the lawn or doing the dishes...

00:23:02: Yeah yeah that sounds right!

00:23:06: Do sometimes wonder oh man what kind of viking am I...?

00:23:12: The Vikings must have known boredom as well every day stuff so It's not always the big stories.

00:23:18: Yeah, I think boredom is awesome!

00:23:22: We don't have enough boredom in our lives right now.

00:23:25: we should have more boredom In our life.

00:23:27: Boredomist...is a mother of creativity.

00:23:31: yeah i do dishes..i cook food im all along i walk to dog pick up the poop i do normal stuff you know?

00:23:43: Im not that different.

00:23:45: I have an everyday life, basically.

00:23:47: You know it's sure... ...I don't have to go the office or factory in the morning but i work at home and do stuff every day.

00:23:57: if I don't work with Almond & Marth or Grimmfrost.. ..i work on The House Or In The Art And I Don't Mind It!

00:24:10: I enjoy doing that.

00:24:14: Like just the other day, I was chopping wood for a good period of time.

00:24:21: You know it's something really nice about doing stuff like that.

00:24:26: Thank you very much Johan!

00:24:27: For this great talk and for The Great Album!

00:24:32: Thank YOU!

00:24:33: Glad to enjoy it.