There are few artists in extreme metal as revered as Rogga Johansson, his multitude of projects seem to know no bounds as this latest venture sees him team up with equally legendary Felix Stass (Crematory) plus a cohort of exceptional musicians for something a little bit different to the gauntlet of purist death metal acts you are accustomed to from the Swede. Indeed Stass has the hallmarks of death metal but within the songs there is depth and character as those songs swing from warming blood engorged deathliness to cooler more glacial emotive realms tinged with a slight Gothic edging. With the band releasing their sophomore album ‘Songs Of Flesh And Decay’ I caught up with Rogga to see how this project arose and for a take on the Rogga world where he reveals what he has in the pipeline and some surprising news. Read on and find out.

AN: ‘Songs Of Flesh And Decay’ is a terrific album, you must be very pleased with how it has turned out?

Rogga: Thank you very much! Yes we are very happy about indeed. I think we made it just how we wanted it to, dirty but still very listenable and catchy.

AN: What would you say has improved or changed with this album compared to the debut?

Rogga: The production is rawer but powerful, this time there’s a real drummer too which makes a great difference. And the songs are harder, but still keeping the melodic feel from the first album.

AN: You have collaborated with lots of artists previously, how did the collaboration between Rogga and Felix come about?

Rogga: We met at a Paganizer gig in Germany actually. Felix was there and after the show we started talking and after that we kept in contact, and a year or so later he did some guest vocals on a Megascavenger song for me. That turned out so cool that we decided to work more together. 

AN: What prompted this collaboration and what benefits has it brought that you maybe didn’t have previously?

Rogga: As I said before it started as him guesting on a song, but then we thought it’d be fun to do more stuff. For me it’s just great to work with Felix as it’s great fun, and I think we collaborate very well and make killer stuff together.

AN: With that in mind how does Stass differ from your other bands?

Rogga: It differed more before. The first album was dark and melodic, a bit more Gothic maybe, but this time Felix wanted to go full Swedish death metal, and so we did. So these days it doesn’t differ musically very much from many of my other projects, but this indeed had Felix vocals which is naturally the main thing that differs.

AN: Who currently makes up the line-up for Stass?

Rogga: Felix and me, and Kjetil Lynghaug on lead guitars and Thomas Ohlsson on drums.

AN: Who contributes to the writing process in both music and lyrical terms? Is it a collaboration or sole responsibilities by certain band members?

Rogga: Well I write the music, me and Felix collaborate on the lyrics. Naturally the other guys writes their own solos and arranges drums as they like, I don’t tell them how to do their stuff as they are excellent musicians both of them.

AN: The first album had clean vocals but not this latest album? Was there a reason why you haven’t included them? Would you consider adopting them for different band maybe on the dark metal genre?

Rogga: I loved the cleaner vocals Felix did on the first album, but this time they didn’t fit in the concept. In the future I’d like to do something maybe with Felix only doing the cleaner stuff instead, as I think STASS will keep getting harder and harder if Felix can decide haha!

AN: What are your favourite songs from the album and why? Likewise the same question to the other band members if time allows.

Rogga: I think Felix fave song is ‘Hatchet Lover’ ha ha! He was very pleased with that song when the albums was done. I think he loves ‘Dreams Of Rotting Flesh’ too, as he choose that one when we decided to make a simple video which will be coming in a while. Personally, I like them all in their own way really, but ‘Dreams Of Rotting Flesh’ is very catchy indeed.

AN: How did you go about the recording process considering the difficulties in meeting up at the moment? What kind of issues came about because of this, if any, and how did you tackle them?

Rogga: Well, we worked very easy, I recorded guitars and bass, and then Kjetil did solos at my place, Thomas recorded at his place to clicktrack and Felix later visited a studio in Germany for the vocals, and then all was mixed and mastered by Håkan Stuvemark of Wombbath at his Studio Nostalgia.

AN: Can you tell us what the album is about lyrically? What themes have you chosen for it? Do you look to what is happening in the world for inspiration not just for this band but others you’re involved in?

Rogga: Indeed, I can ha ha, it’s just pre-fun death metal lyrics this time. We didn’t want anything serious in a way that it would be about politics or the world happenings. It’s basic lyrics as death metal needs I think, nothing that will be very much making you smarter.

AN: Rogga, you have a multitude of bands you have currently or have had previously, what prompts you to create a new band?

Rogga: I call them projects as I really just have one real band, Paganizer, that does gigs and tours and stuff like that. I like to do music, it’s as simple as that I guess.

AN: What are you and the other band members influenced or inspired by both musically and lyrically?

Rogga: I think basic death metal, it’s a great genre and very fun to do. I can’t answer for the other guys but it’s just fun and easy and comes naturally, and we like it.

AN:  What motivates you to constantly release new albums at the rate you do? Do you have a strategy you follow for the writing process or is it a more relaxed just seeing where it goes?

Rogga: I don’t know, I just like to write music really. And then I’m happy if any labels wanna release it, it’s as simple as that I think.

AN: All of your projects/bands offer something different to the others to some degree. At what point does your creativity decide that a new band needs to be formed for the output of that song writing instead relating it to an already established band you’re in?

Thanx for saying that ha ha. I often hear the opposite, that all my stuff sounds the same. I don’t care though as I just do it as I like it. Basically, sure, many of them sound the same, but I like to write music, and I can’t really release 10 Paganizer albums each year so then it’s easier to do it as a project, and I love to collaborate with people too and then often it becomes a new project.

AN: Have you ever thought about writing a biography about your music career so far as I’m sure you would have plenty to say?

Rogga: Not really, I don’t think I’m very interesting ha ha. A guy in Germany though is making a book about me actually. I guess it’ll be a combination of my stories, words from other people that know me and also lots of pictures. If and when it comes out I don’t know, but if it does I’d be very honoured. It feels weird to have a book being done about yourself really.

AN: Have you got any other releases in the pipeline for acts you’re involved in?

Rogga: Too many ha ha. Eye of purgatory, Ribspreader, Hatchet, Rogga Johansson, Dead Sun, Paganizer, To Descend, Necrogod, Mutation, Mysticist, Evangelicum, Putrevore, Johansson & Speckmann and a few more I think…

AN: What kind of vision do you have for Stass in the future? If gigs return properly will we see Stass on tour at all?

Rogga: As for gigs I don’t know, if everyone wants to and we can get together, sure. Musically we are actually already working on the next album, and so far it seems it will be even harder than the new one. A bit less melodies and a bit more aggression this time actually.

AN: I do like the artwork you have on your releases do you use a certain artist or does it depend on the band/album in question?

Rogga: This new album has Juajo Catsellano who is together with Dan Seagrave my fave artists. So I’m very happy about that, and I think the artwork he did for us is really epic and mighty, and it fits the music just awesome.

AN: Linking to that do you have vision or theme you submit that the artist works from?

Rogga: Usually we just give the artist the title of the album, and they can do what they like. Most of the time it comes out great.

AN: Out of all the bands you have Rogga which would you say relates the most significantly to you personally? Or maybe has had the most impact?

Rogga: Paganizer I would say, as it started in ´94 as Terminal Grip before we changed name. And it’s been my real band and we’ve done so much stuff through the years. I also have a soft spot for Dead Sun which I started in ´97, and the last ten years have started to release albums with. It’s my more Gothic melodic thing I guess, and it’s a nice thing to do also. The first album was comprised of old demo material but the last few have been all new stuff, and it’s very nice to work on this music.

AN: I read that you have dabbled in industrial music in the past. Has that phase passed or will we see a resurgence from you in this style? Would you consider writing albums in other styles outside of Death metal? If so which intrigues the most and why?

Rogga: In the early 90s I did, and actually my band EVANGELICUMs demo from ´95 was released last year together with new songs, the album is called ‘Necroholistic Dreams’. That was a huge thing for me to get to release the old songs and start the project up again after decades, and now a new album will be out this year. So finally after 30 years my industrial side is getting into releasing albums. I’ve listened to the music all these decades but I didn’t think that I would ever get to release my old music, so this is awesome for me indeed. As for other music styles I don’t think I’m very good ha ha, but I have written a heavy metal album actually, me and the guys from Furnace did, and Teddy from Loch Vostok and a few other guests are on vocals, so hopefully we can get that released. I don’t know if I should say but one of the guests on the album is actually Blaze Bayley. How fucken cool is that?

AN: Is there anybody you would particularly like to collaborate with that you have not done previously and why?

Rogga: I’ve always said Chris Barnes, but recently I talked to him finally about it and it turned out that he would indeed do it, but he wanted let’s say very very very very much money for it ha ha. So that thing won’t happen.

AN: Many thanks for answering my multitude of questions, it is much appreciated and good luck with Stass and all your future endeavours.

Rogga: Thanx!

Songs Of Flesh And Decay is out now via Emanzipation Productions

https://www.facebook.com/stassband

https://emanzipation.bandcamp.com/album/songs-of-flesh-and-decay

Interview Martin Harris