Exclusive Interview:   Iris von FOCUSION ermöglichte uns ein Interview mit Tom S. Eglund, dem Außnahmesänger der schwedischen Außnahmeband EVERGREY. Ihr im Januar erschienenes Album "SOLITUDE - DOMINANCE - TRAGEDY" (HALL OF SERMON) bekam so gute Kritiken und dadurch sind Tom und Co. wirklich sehr gefragt zur Zeit, daß wir schon eine Weile auf Tom´s Antworten auf unsere via Mail gestellten Fragen warten mußten. Aber hier sind sie nun, ungekürzt und orginal in englischer Sprache:

GW: Tom, first of all I want to give you congratulations for an album, that kicks my ass für the first moment even I am not a pure metalfan. "SOLITUDE - DOMINANCE - TRAGEDY" is not the first EVERGREY album. Please tell me, how does it all began with the band.

Tom: Well we started out back in 1995 and we recorded our first demo and immediately got a record deal which later on was followed by a lot of problems and after the involvement with lawyers in order to get us of that contract BLACK SUN RECORDS released our debut album "THE DARK DISCOVERY" we immediately after that release started to write more songs for our now recently released album "S.D.T." which is being relesed by HALL OF SERMON and right now everything is going fantastic we are doing a lot of interviews and are getting amazing reviews and hopefully we ar egoing out on a few tours.

GW: First "THE DARK DISCOVERY" and also "SOLITUDE - DOMINANCE - TRAGEDY" was released by GOTHENBURG NOISEWORKS. Now you signed up at Tilo Wolffs label HALL OF SERMON, which have no real metalband since now. Why this changes to a allmost gothic label?

Tom: Well basically it all was because Tilo Wolff told us that he really loved the album and that was the reason we signed for him since all the other labels never told us likewise but were only in it for the money EVERGREY might generate and as far as HALL OF SERMON being a label with almost only Gothic bands I find it only exiting to see what this label might do for us , I mean they have already done a fantastic promotional job for us so we just have to wait and see the end result in a couple of months

GW: "SOLITUDE - DOMINANCE - TRAGEDY" is for shure not just another metalalbum from another metalband from Sweden. It is most vary in styles an stratified in emotions. How would youself define your music?

Tom: We just call it metal but other people like to call it Power/prog metal but I dont really like labeling music. We play metal with a lot of different influences and that makes us reach out to almost any category of metal and hard-rock people. Since we have no boundaries and do not limit ourself to do just a certain way of metal. Rather we try do make music theat we ourselves would like to listen to and I think that is the way to go about things in order to make it the most honest music possible.

GW: Who is writing the songs? Is it teamwork?

Tom: Yes it is most definately a team effort I mean even though I write most of the lyrics and make the vocal harmonies it is only when we all come together that it becomes EVERGREY , before that it is only my personal ideas and feelings.

GW: Which other musicians has influenced your songwriting?

Tom: No musicians have really affected us in our songwriting however we gather influences from everything that surronds us. The music we did listen do when we were kids were bands like Iron Maiden, Queensryche, Helloween, Yngwie Malmsteen and stuff like that so I guess that in one way or another would have influenced us .

GW: Again the album was produced together with Andy LaRocque (KING DIAMOND). How does this cooperation began?

Tom: Well Andy was there when we recorded our first demo in his studio he was the one who´got us the first record-deal to begin with and after that we recorded our first album with him so it only felt natural to keep recording with him and today me and him are friends and therfor the work of each album becomes easier and easier.

GW: Tom, the lyrics you wrote are telling dark themes. Just stories or is this a kind of lifeexperience or your philosophy?

Tom: No philosophy I just tell my story since they all are about something that either happened to me or someone close to me and I am really thrilled that people listen and make their own onterpretations of my lyrics and hopefully somehow realise that they are not alone.

GW: Are you concerned with occult things or something like that?

Tom: I am very much but I was more invloved in the practical ways of magic and occultism when I was younger but today I have not that much time to concentrate on these subjects so it tends to be only a lot of reading.

GW: What does the 5th of May 2000 means on the CD-inlay?

Tom: It is about the planetary conjunction on this day seven of the planets will align and that could be very dangerous for earth since we know that the Moon only affects the tides and coming of night and day here on earth now we have seven planets pulling and struggling with poor old earth so I guess we just have to wait and see what happens.

GW: After finishing "SOLITUDE - DOMINANCE - TRAGEDY" your former bass player David Nojd have left the band. Michael Hakansson (EMBRACED) has taken his part and with him joined keyboarder Sven Karlson the band. Would it be more keyboards in coming songs?

Tom: I think so. I mean it is most natural that that is the way it will become since we are now having a real keyboard player, and he is a real musician who is highly educated at a school here in Sweden.

GW: Can we see EVERGREY live on german stages in the next time?

Tom: Yes it appears so since we are most likely going on tour with Crimson Glory and Kamelot and we love to come and play for the german audience since this really is the capitol for metal.

GW: How do you planing the future of EVERGREY?

Tom: Well hopefully a lot of touring and after that some summer-festivals then we have to concentrate on wríting songs for a new album since we are set to start the recordings in November

GW: I thank you very much for your kind words, Tom. Do you like to say something to your german fans?

Tom: Stay Dark Stay Grey. Bleesed are you all!