Interview - Nalle Pahlsson (Therion, Royal Mess): "Music is expressions and feelings" 
Autor: Carlos Caco Garcia | Publicado: 2017-03-08T15:06:00-08:00









Perhaps for some the name NALLE PAHLSSON may not sound familiar, but for a fan of Hard Rock and connoisseur of the Swedish scene, will certainly link the name to bands like Treat, Last Autumn's Dream, Easy Action, Vindictiv, and most recently Luciferian Light Orchestra and , Of course, THERION, band that Nalle is member since 2008. &nbsp;(Acesse a versão em português)

With great experience and ability that goes beyond a great bass player, and after so many services provided in albums of dozens of bands and artists, whether as official member, guest or musician hired, In 2011 Nalle decided to work on his solo project, where he would put into practice his ability as a composer, lead singer and multi-instrumentalist, with the sonority focused on bands that inspired him since he was a boy, simply music coming from his soul and heart, ROYAL MESS was released in 2015 by the Australian label MelodicRock Records.


We had a talk with Nalle to bring you some of the work of this important and talented Swedish musician, where he tells us about his beginning in music, the passion for Rock and Roll, a summary of his history as a musician, the works he was part of, the Entry into the Therion, the Royal Mess and more!


RtM: Nalle, the people who follows your
work, knows that you're always involved in various projects, so tell me, do you
have any idea how many albums you've recorded, either as a member or a guest?

Nalle: I actually have no idea........ ? I
have to check it some day...... (laughs!)



RtM: And how did you get started in
music? Who were the people who encouraged you at the beginning?

Nalle: It was my big brother Benny who was
10 years older than me who got me into the world of rock music. He´s the
foundation for a very big part of my musical background. He had the albums with
the cool bands and artists and I listened to his records very much as a kid. He
also had a guitar that I learned to play by myself.


RtM: And the first bands that caught your
attention?

Nalle: From the very start it was Jimi
Hendrix and The Rolling Stones. A bit later on there were Deep Purple, Led
Zeppelin and Black Sabbath...... then The Sweet, KISS, Alice Cooper, Status
Quo, David Bowie just to mention a few......In the late 70´s I also got in to
more progressive stuff such as U.K. Genesis, Rush, Kansas etc....






RtM: You're a huge fan and a collector of
Kiss, and logically it's one of your favorite bands.

Nalle: Yes, KISS is absolutely one of my
biggest favourites, but it has of course very much to do with their image and
all of that. They were living cartoons ! They were like Superman or Spiderman –
but they were real! I discovered them when I was 11 or 12 years old. If you
would have asked me or any other young boy at that time what they wanted to
become, he would probably have said “A RockStar or a Super Hero” - KISS were
both ! They were a little boy´s dream – and it was also about the mystique.
Nobody knew what they looked like or who they were for about 10 years !



RtM: Specifically about Kiss, which items
do you like best in your collection? Do you have any idea what the rarest item
would be?

Nalle: I would say my autographed concert
book from Stockholm, Sweden 1976 !



RtM: What did you think of the latest
Kiss studio albums? As a fan you expect them to release new material yet? Some
fans do not like Tommy and Eric&nbsp; wearing
the classic masks. Are you a radical fan type or more open minded?

Nalle: I think “Sonic Boom” is a really
good album. “Monster” I wasn´t very happy with. And I have to be honest; Even
if I´m a fan of the classic line-up – The band sounds better today with Tommy
Thayer and Eric Singer. But for me – KISS will always be about&nbsp; Gene, Paul, Peter &amp; Ace ! But Tommy
Thayer actually sounds more like Ace Frehley than Ace Frehley sounds like
himself today ! KISS is more like “A Show” you go to watch. And to me it´s
ok ! If Tommy and Eric uses the original members make-up...? - So let it be it
! I don´t care ! Bring on the show ! :-)




Malcolm Young with an AB/CD T-Shirt

RtM: Coming back to your career, what was
your first professional band? I remember AB/CD, a tribute band to AC / DC, which
had a relative success there in Sweden.

Nalle: AB/CD was formed by me and some childhood friends in the end of 1983, and we still play now and then. We have actually sold more records than many other hardrock bands from the period of the early and mid 90´s.



RtM: You've also made and are part of
well-known traditional bands like Treat and Vindictiv, tell us a little bit
about your collaboration in these two great bands, especially Treat, which is
loved by Hard Rock fans from around the world.

Nalle: I became a professional as freelance
musician and played with very many different swedish and danish artists from
1983-2004 actually. It wasn´t until 2005 with TREAT that I really joined “a
real band”, and in 2008 I joined THERION.

With Vindictiv I have recorded 4
albums....but I´m not part of the band anymore.....
I´m a big fan of Göran Edman who sang on the 2 first albums of VINDICTIV.

I was a member of &nbsp;TREAT from
2005-2012 and actually, the album “Coup De Grace” that we recorded is a great
statement for me as a bassplayer. Still today I get mails and people are coming
up to me telling how much they love that album and that my bassplaying is so
good on it – and that makes me happy ! :-) I really like that type of melodic
hardrock.


RtM: Sweden, by the way, is recognized
and respected as a major producer of excellent Metal and Rock bands, but mainly
of Hard Rock, cited by many publications and journalists. Tell us a little bit
about this "phenomenon", and why do you think that there are so many
great bands of the style in your country?

Nalle: I really don´t know......? I guess
we got very much influenced by brittish and american rock and pop music in the
1960´s, -70´s and -80´s....and swedish people are usually very organized and
focused. Swedish people are also in some ways seen as a bit boring and
strict.....and maybe that´s the way it is ? – but maybe we get very much of our
feelings out from the music..... (?) Music is really about expressing yourself.
And it seems we know how to do it.



RtM: Of recent releases, we have the Last
Autumn’s Dream’s album, in which the band pays homage to several classics, such
as Sweet and Kiss. Tell us a little more about this release, and how you were
choosing the songs. I bet Kiss was a vote of your own!

Nalle: We´ve had a few covers on earlier
albums of L.A.D. And we actually had been thinking of to record a full cover
album...... and when it came to the point that we noticed we would have too
little time for original material this time, it was a good opportunity to do
it. And we´ve actually got VERY good reactions from everywhere so far ! Many of
the songs are so anonymous that people in the end will believe these are our
own songs :-D. We choose the songs together and Jamie told me to pick a KISS
song. And it became “All the way” from the album “Hotter Than Hell” !




"Deep down I´m a very simple guy who just loves simple and powerful music."

RtM: Gathering of Kings is also a new
project that you are involved in, and soon will be released by Melodic Rock
Records. Tell us a little more about this project, wich have many great
musicians. I have great expectations!!

Nalle: So far we´ve only recorded 2 songs,
but it seems like we´re gonna record the rest of the album in march-april.
Hopefully it will be released before this year is over.



RtM: Upon your entry on Therion, tell us
how the invitation was, and I believe that as a musician it should be very
gratifying, because the band has a very personal and original sound, and
certainly was and remains a challenge for you as a musician.

Nalle: Thomas Vikström who was an old
colleague of mine (now a dear friend) recommended me and Johan Kullberg when
Petter Karlsson and Johan Niemann quit. We just went to a rehearsal place here
in Stockholm and tried a few songs out. One of them was “The Blood of Kingu”
and one more that I can´t remember. We just played the songs through and then
Christofer Johnsson said “It sounds good – Just like it use to and the way it
should do” (something like that) – So, then the thing was clear. We became
members of the new Therion line-up. At that time I had no idea that Therion was
so popular in South America. I got totally shocked when we got to the first gig
in Mexico City.


RtM: I see you feel really good about
Therion, as Christopher always says, is a family, and he's always looked for
people who have a great relationship, not only internally, but also with the
fans.

Nalle: Yes, to me music should be about
friendship and having fun together, and that is the way it is in Therion. We
feel comfortable with each other and we feel a deep respect for the fans!
Without the fans you´re nothing but “another band”...




"To me music should be about friendship and having fun together, and that is the way it is in Therion."&nbsp;

RtM: Therion is finalizing the recordings
of their Rock Opera, and you also recorded parts of the guitars, and sure the
bass. Tell me a little about the records, how are your expectations around this
album.

Nalle: I´m actually VERY excited to hear
the final result! When I recorded the bass and rhythm guitars there were not very
much vocals recorded yet, so I really don´t know how it will sound...... There
were also very much other instruments missing...... I´m just wondering about it
being so long......3,5 hours ! It´s going totally against everything in this
“fast going world” we´re living in today......Will the fans have the strength
and will to really get into it ? We´ll see......



RtM: In 2015 you finally, after being
part of so many bands and collaborating with so many people, released your solo
album, Royal Mess. Tell us a little bit how you felt about this step in your
career?

Nalle: It was something I´ve had in my mind
for many years and I felt it had to be done! And I´m really pleased with the
result. It contains so much of the music I grew up with, and that still today
is there deep in my heart and soul. Deep down I´m a very simple guy who just
loves simple and powerful music. It also felt good for me to show people I´m
nor only the bassplayer, but also a guitar player, singer, producer and
songwriter.



RtM: And how surged the idea or the
need&nbsp; to launch a solo? Had not you felt
this need before?

Nalle: I guess every musician has that
dream. To make your own record and show others what you´re able to do and to
prove to yourself that you can do it ! It´s of course also very much of an “ego
thing”.




"Royal Mess contains so much of the music I grew up with, and that still today is there deep in my heart and soul."

RtM: You can also showcase your ability
as a vocalist (receiving many compliments for this experience as lead singer),
and multi-instrumentalist, showing much more who Nalle is as a musician and
composer, and that your vein is actually Hard Rock,&nbsp; such as Melodic Rock, Sleaze and AOR.

Nalle: I´m very happy to have received all
of these good reviews from all over the world. I´m so thankful that I have got
so much back from both listeners and journalists! And yes – I agree; I see
myself as a true rocker ! :-)



RtM: The fact of knowing and
collaborating with many artists, I also believe, made it possible to have many
special guests. Tell us a bit about how you organized the recordings and
production of the album, having several guests to "distribute" on the
songs.

Nalle: My plan was to bring in friends and
colleagues from the music business that I´ve played live with or had recorded
with – or that I just had some relation to in music business. I managed to get
around 25 guests aboard! Everybody that I asked were willing to join! Most of
the guitar players recorded their solos in their own studios and then sent the
files over to me after we had some talk on the phone. There are still many
friends that I want to have on my recordings – so now I´m planning the follower
to my first Royal Mess album !



RtM: About the sound, besides the Hard
Rock that has this characteristic of Swedish bands, I felt a lot of influence
from Kiss, something quite obvious as your influence! There is no way! I would
like you to tell us more about your inspirations in the composition of the
album.

Nalle: I actually never thought about where
the inspiration came from for the songs.....? I don´t think you can hear
anything that is some kind of Rip-Off or something like that....but sure, I´m
inspired by KISS.......and I guess you can also hear some influences from AC/DC
in “Gold Digger”.... The stuff that sounds a bit more american I guess I´ve got
from my inspiration from the bands Journey, Foreigner and ToTo that I love very
much.




&nbsp;"I failed a couple of times, but in the end I confessed that I really had a drinking problem and I decided for myself to start a new life without alcohol."

RtM: In some lyrics you approached your
personal drama, which was the fight against alcohol, which fortunately you won.
Could you tell us a bit about it, and what advice or encouragement would you
give to people or families who suffer with this type of problem?

Nalle: People are telling me that I´m
strong to keep away from the alcohol and so on..... but I would like to say
that it´s more of a decision! I failed a couple of times, but in the end I
confessed that I really had a drinking problem and I decided for myself to
start a new life without alcohol. I´ve been sticking to that decision now for
almost 6 years – and I feel better than ever!&nbsp;

Today I actually pretty often
feel ashamed of how much swedish people drink...... Alcohol is like religion
here. You can´t have fun, you can´t be yourself, you can´t have a good time
without drinking – and it´s being announced on FaceBook all the time. Drinking
alcohol is the highlight of the week – getting drunk, feeling free and happy –
C´mon be yourself – have a drink! I know all of it – Cause I´ve been like that
myself ! Today I know better! We are actually quite many musicians here in
Sweden who has totally quit drinking.



RtM: Talking about some of the songs,
"Aces High" is a great opening, referring to the Hard Rock of the
80's. I'd like you to tell us more about it.

Nalle: Well......... For this one I only
had the music and the title......the words for the chorus I played around with
for some time......then I showed it to my co-writer Anders Lundquist, and he
came up with the story behind the title. I think it turned out to be really
good – It´s an energic and happy song !



RtM: "Mr. Freedom" follows a
more Sleaze side, with groove, and "The Pieces of my Heart" is a
Power Ballad, something that could not miss in an album of the style! I would
like you to comment a bit more about these two songs.

Nalle: "Mr Freedom" is a bit KISS-influenced
in the chorus I guess..... The lyrics I wrote about how I escaped my
ex-girlfriend who was really bad for me......and it´s also about how I got free
from the drinking. My heavy drinking started when I was together with her. I don´t
want to blame her for everything, but she was a big part of my situation back
then..... I wanted to get numb and escape reality......

“The Pieces of My Heart” has a touch
of american oriented rock in the chorus..... The verses I have no idea where I
got them from..... ? I think it´s a pretty original ballad.....The lyrics are
more about revenge than feeling sorrow and sadness after being left by your
love you held so dear – until she betrayed you......






RtM: Talking about more two of my
favorites, in "See you in My Dreams" we can feel a very emotional
load, and I would like you to comment the lyrics.

Nalle: The song is a 100% written to my
brother Benny who committed suicide back in 1986 whereas the song also was
written. Yes, the song is 30 years old ! Some bands and artists recorded it at
that time. The record companies loved it.....but for some reason it was never
released. But now – it is out there ! Unfortunately, just a couple of weeks
ago, also one of the guys who wrote the full lyrics for the song died – Nestor
Geli – a great and nice guy.



RtM: And "From Rise to Fall" is
another very captivating Hard Rock, which, like some other tracks from the
album, immediately referred me to Kiss, especially in the chorus and backing
vocals! Very good!

Nalle: To me “From Rise To Fall” sounds
very much Def Leppard! But sure – KISS as well! That´s ok with me! - I like
it too!



RtM: There are many great Hard Rock/Rock and Roll songs! "Hell City", "To Hell and Back".....We could talk about every song! The album is great! Finishing on the Royal Mess, after
this first solo experience, do you intend to release a new work soon? How
were the results and the repercussion?

Nalle: The
record company says they are ready anytime for another Royal Mess álbum só I´m
working on it! CD:s aren´t selling very much today, but the reviews have been
very good, so I´m very happy about it!




"To me it´s absolutely uninteresting how fast you are or how much technique you need to play this and that.&nbsp;Music is expressions and feelings.&nbsp;"

RtM: A compliment that I would like to
give to your work, is that you are one of those musicians who always puts a lot
of feeling in the compositions, always looking to make a significant
contribution, and in their solo album, we can feel this feeling and footprint a
lot. One thing that seems to me missing in many young bands and musicians
nowadays, as we see many "superproductions" and also a very large
number of groups sounding very similar and unimaginative. Do you believe that
this is due to the fact that there is a lot of concern about sounding perfect,
and forgetting to think about the composition itself?

Nalle: Thanks for your kind words ! :-)
First of all I think you should “play music and play songs” in the second place
you play your instrument, if you see what I mean ? I don´t care about me being
the bassplayer – the instrument is only a tool I use to express music. There
are too much virtuosos out there. To me it´s absolutely uninteresting how fast
you are or how much technique you need to play this and that. If you´re like
that, you may as well be into sports! Music is expressions and feelings. And
many youngsters may be a bit too much into what they believe is a rock´n´roll
lifestyle (?) Maybe they´re more thinking of to be a “cool rockstar” than to
really perform (?) But what do I know....AND – some tend to forget that playing
in a band is really a teamwork and NOT about yourself being a soloist. It´s
about listening more to the others in the band than listening to yourself
actually.




Treat: "Coup the Grace" promo pic

RtM: And if you have to do a “Time Line”
of your career, what the ten more important albums wich you have recorded? Just
a little “game” to fans and people who are knowing, or wants to know more of
your work.

<!--[if !supportLists]-->1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
<!--[endif]-->“Royal Mess” - Nalle Påhlsson´s Royal Mess

<!--[if !supportLists]-->2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
<!--[endif]-->“Coup De Grace” - TREAT

<!--[if !supportLists]-->3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
<!--[endif]-->“That Makes One” - EASY ACTION

<!--[if !supportLists]-->4.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
<!--[endif]-->“Vindictiv"
– VINDICTIV

<!--[if !supportLists]-->5.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
<!--[endif]-->“Virus”- Randy Piper´s ANIMAL

<!--[if !supportLists]-->6.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
<!--[endif]-->“In Disguise” - L.A.D.

<!--[if !supportLists]-->7.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;"<!--[endif]-->Sitra Ahra" – THERION

<!--[if !supportLists]-->8.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
<!--[endif]-->“The Rock´n´Roll Devil – AB/CD

<!--[if !supportLists]-->9.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
<!--[endif]-->“Pure”
- CHRIS LANEY

<!--[if !supportLists]-->10.&nbsp; &nbsp;"<!--[endif]-->Luciferian Light Orchestra"– Luciferian Light Orchestra






RtM: Nalle, thanks so much for your
attention, we hope to see you soon here in South America!

Nalle: Thanks to you as well Carlos !

Nice talking to you !

:-)



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