Hi Cedric and all the readers of Metal Temple.

I think the new album is a fantastic continuance of our first album, but with a more homogene feeling that is only natural as the band has been together for a longer time and has started to grow.

Everything? Well, I'm not sure I'll tell you everything because I started to play music as a kid and over the years it has been many bands and projects, some of them better forgotten. I started my musical education the way most Scandinavian kids did in the 70'ies, playing the recorder. I actually became a rather proficient fluteist, but by the time I reached my teens, the recorder was just too lame and not really useful for impressing girls so I started playing the drums instead. Metal music had already gotten a hold of me by then. I began as a Saxon fan (and still am), and soon after that I found Accept and "Fast as a shark" and my soul was sold to the genre later termed Power Metal. The first band I joined was a thrash metal band called Rion, as a singer (!). Other members of Rion later joined bands like Konkhra, Furious Trauma and Detest. My singing career (luckily for listeners) only lasted for 3 months. After that I was a drummer in several different bands playing various forms of metal, in various qualities. None of these bands made it far from the garages we rehearsed in. During my solo project period in 2005-2006 I was also the drummer of the black metal band Illnath. Right now, Seven Thorns takes all my time.

Yes, we have high hopes for 2014. A lot of things came together in 2013. "II" was finalized and a record deal signed. Previously, Erik Blomkvist was hired as singer, but he was never part of the band. We found our singer Gustav Blide in 2012 and during 2013 he has become an integrated member in the band. We played a lot of great shows together last year and his development, together with the band's, has been exponential. I really think we have lifted our live performance during 2013 and we hope to continue that development in 2014.

Actually, it is our second release and that is the reason for the title. "Glow of Dawn" was the album from my solo project 7Thorns. In retrospect, I should have chosen a different name for that project, but it seemed like a good idea at the time.

I think you are spot on. It is great to hear that our intentions can actually be heard on the record by others. All band members have some degree of classical music education, and we are very proud of our Scandinavian metal heritage.

Not as much of a method as we would like. Inspiration works in mysterious ways. Usually someone brings an idea, which Gabriel and/or Mik then works into a first complete draft. The fine tuning and arrangement is done by the whole band. We try different things out, and usually come to an agreement on what works pretty quickly. The majority of songs on the album were made this way, and were ready in good time for recording. However, not all of them… The days before we went into the studio, Gabriel discarded one of the planned songs and instead came with Queen of Swords. The idea for that song had been lying around for a couple of years, but it hadn't found its form. Now, in the eleventh hour, inspiration hit and the song was finished right before it was recorded.

Yes, we are very conscious of that. Seven Thorns is a power metal band. We all love spicing our songs with progressive stuff, but we do not want it to be the main flavor. The high technical level, however, we believe to be a good thing and we would never abstain from blatantly bragging with our solo skills, if we can get away with it.

Actually, the album was ready in early 2013, but it took a whole year to find a new record deal.

I agree with you, Gustav sounds great, but the vocals on the record are done by Erik Blomkvist, who is also a great singer. The vocals were recorded before Gustav joined the band, but he did join in time to do backing vocals on several of the songs.

It wasn't a split. Erik was never a member of the band. He is a free-lance singer and it didn't suit his plans to join Seven Thorns on a more permanent basis. To get to the next level, we wanted a permanent singer who could also join in the creative process.

Doing Mamma Mia was originally Gabriel's idea. We tried out many versions before we found the right format. It wasn't conceived as a marketing gimmick, but rather a tribute to a great melody. Also, it is a good way of getting the crowd energized in concerts, since almost everyone can, and do, sing along to it.

Gabriel is a big fan of both Symphony X and Rising Force. Mik and I are big German power metal fans. Thus, it is inevitable that we get influenced, but of course we try to avoid copying.

We have placed a lot of emphasis on this interaction after Asger, our keyboardist, joined the band in the middle of the recording of "Return to the Past". He and Gabriel have a similar musical background and some of these solo-interactions have been created as good natured battles between the two.

The metal scene in Denmark is regrettably very small and largely underground. It is a huge difference compared with the surrounding countries, Sweden, Germany, Norway and Finland that have all produced numerous great bands.

It has been our pleasure to work with the keyboardists from both Fate and Royal Hunt. Mikkel Henderson (Fate) made a guest performance on the "Return to the Past" album and André Andersen (Royal Hunt) plays a fantastic solo on the song "Eye of the Storm" on "II". I am sure we will see more Danish metal, but my guess, based on the bands around, is that it will come in one of the more brutal metal genres. For Seven Thorns, we hope to soon join the ranks of the bands you mention J

No, regrettably time does not allow that at present. However, who knows what the future might bring.

There are plans for touring Europe this year, but I cannot give you any details at present. However, it will be as support for a bigger band.

It seems as though the record companies have begun to find a solution. I think it is important that fans support the bands they listen to by legal down-loading. The money means a lot to a band working its way up.

We are working on the songs for a new album. This will be the first album with Gustav whose voice is different from Erik's, both in pitch and character. This influences the songs, and we would like to make the most of his capacities. Also, we look forward to playing a lot more gigs, some bigger festivals than previously, and playing some new countries we haven't gigged in before.

All of them! If I have to pick some it would be Eye of the Storm, Liberty and Queen of Swords.

Zero Illusions, Barfly, Lily and the Wicked Strings, Black Succubi and Forcentury

Last time I was in the record store I bought both Avantasia's "The Mystery of Time" and Gamma Ray's "Master of Confusion".

1. Eagle Fly Free, Helloween
2. The Cage, Sonata Arctica
3. Angel of Death, Slayer
4. Painkiller, Judas Priest
5. Fast as a Shark, Accept
6. Metal Church, Metal Church
7. Sign of the Southern Cross, Black Sabbath
8. Revelation, Gamma Ray
9. Flying high, Freedom Call
10. D.N.R., Testament

What is your favorite word? Eternity

What is your least favorite word? Oppression

What turns you on creatively, spiritually, or emotionally? Life, friends, opportunities

What turns you off? Intolerance

What is your favorite curse word? All of them

What sound or noise do you love? Running water

What sound or noise do you hate? Hip hop!

If not yourself , who would like to be ? Darwin

What profession would you not like to do? Accountant

Who would like to see on a new bank note ? Rob Halford

If you reincarnated as some other plant or animal , what would it be ? An eagle

If God exists, what you like to hear him say at the gates of Heaven ? Good! My replacement is here.

See you soon! Metal Is Your Destiny!