AN NCS INTERVIEW: JOHAN LANGQUIST – THE CASTLE

(We present Comrade Aleks‘ interview of Johan Langquist, vocalist of Candlemass and mastermind of the solo project Johan Langquist – The Castle, whose debut album, accompanied by talented allies and digitally released last year, will receive physical releases on June 27th of this year via I Hate Records.)

It’s hard to imagine what the landscape of the world doom scene would be like if the Swedish band Candlemass hadn’t recorded the legendary Epicus Doomicus Metallicus in 1986. This and the following two albums became a source of inspiration and an unattainable quality mark for many bands who worked on the doom path for a long time.

Although Johan Langqvist, who left Candlemass immediately after recording the debut, was only a guest vocalist, this did not stop fans from dreaming about his return for many years, and dreams came true in 2018 when the band reunited in almost “the same” line-up. Who would have thought that today, against the backdrop of Candlemass’s 40th anniversary and the release of their new EP, the news about the release of Johan’s first solo album would be lost? We’ll correct this omission.

 

 

Hi Johan! Thanks for a chance to discuss your solo album, it’s an honour. Did this release attract as much attention as you expected already?

I have not promoted it at all so my expectations have been very low so far. The main reason why I did this is just to get some of the songs I’ve written through the years out in public.

 

How long did you bear the idea of a solo project? Didn’t these ideas work in Candlemass? Or was it rather a strategic decision to not mix both bands? 

To release my own songs has been a goal of mine for a very long time. Leif is the main writer of the Candlemass songs and that’s the way it should be.

 

The press-release states that “Johan Langquist – The Castle” shouldn’t be seen as a solo project and that you aim to shape a full line-up. Have you already found proper musicians to join you on stage and in the studio?

I have got a full line-up except for keyboards for the moment. We all are parts of other bands so if/when we find the time we’d love to do a couple of shows in the future.

 

Was it a challenge to start The Castle from scratch? How easy was it to orchestrate the recording sessions with all the guest musicians and so on?

Me and Erik [Henriksson] finished all the songs on our own and when we were done we started to think about a full band. We invited the others to listen and then later also to put their touch to it. Emelie (Erik’s girlfriend), she was in from the beginning.

 

 

You recorded the album with a few guests, and as far as I know, only Fredrik Isaksson (bass) has quite a rich background in metal. How did you get in touch with him? And how did you find the others?

We have played at the same events a couple of times and when he heard about my project he said he liked the songs and was interested in being a part of it. Unfortunately he didn’t have the time to put his bass to all the songs this time but hopefully on the next one. Stafen is the drumtech of Candlemass and Hammerfall.

 

What was the most difficult part for you during the work on these songs? Did you meet any technical difficulties or something?

It’s the parts coming after you’ve finished all the recordings. The db’s up or down, eq and stuff, but we’ve learned a lot along the way and I’m so happy for what Erik manage to do with the mix.

 

Well, the album’s artwork is very… laconic. Why did you stop on such a simple design?

I didn’t have the money for a professional so I did everything myself and therefore I had to keep it simple. Erik liked it and I like it so we decided to keep it the way it is.

 

 

You have a huge background in Candlemass, and I believe that some people may have expected from you something similar. And yet The Castle tends to more classic heavy rock tunes with doomy vibes. Is this way more comfortable and natural for you nowadays?

I love what we are doing in Candlemass and the songs Leif has written, but when I’m writing alone or with Erik this is what comes out. Music is amazing and can be done in so many ways.

 

How do you see the difference of your attitude, your philosophy, behind The Castle and Candlemass?

To me it’s  similar in a way, the energy, the heavy guitars, beautiful parts. I just do what I like and what makes me happy.

 

Your lyrics sound very natural and personal, and it fits the feeling of these songs well. But I’d like to stop on the song “Revolution”. Was it inspired by real events or is it a kind of reflection of the feeling that we are “doomed”?

The song is about the frustration a lot of people feel these days. The uncertainty a lot of young people feel about the future, the lack of genuine good leaders. Yes absolutely, we’re not doomed. Still there are so many wonderful people out there.

 

By the way, speaking about doom: Do you remember when you learned for the first time that Candlemass was a doom metal band?

There are so many genres these days and to me it’s all hard rock, heavy metal, slow or fast. But I must admit doom suits the music.

 

 

What’s the current situation in the Candlemass camp? You just released the Black Star EP, so will you support it with a series of gigs or something?

We’ve just started up the gigs of the summer.

 

Does this EP serve as a harbinger of something bigger? May we expect a full-length from this side?

That’s a question for Leif but I don’t think a man who’s been writing songs for a lifetime all of a sudden stops doing that.

 

You covered Pentagram’s “Forever My Queen” for this EP. Do you remember how you learnt about this band? What do you find appealing or unique in their songs?

I was not that familiar with Pentagram but I’ve realized they’ve made great impressions on a lot people around the world and that deserves respect.

 

It’s said that you’re already thinking over the idea of Johan Langquist – The Castle’s second album. How serious are you regarding this idea?

I’m working on it during my spare time so yes there will be more.

 

And what are your ambitions regarding live shows? Do you feel it’s worth the efforts?

We’ll try to find some time during this fall to rehearse and hopefully we will be able to do a couple of shows later on.

 

Thanks for the interview Johan! I wish you all the best on your way with The Castle and Candlemass as well. Any final words for our readers?

Never give up!