Lars Palmqvist #Interview

Here I am again with Lars Palmqvist (Scar Symmetry, Dautha, PermaDeath). I had the pleasure to ask him some questions in a previous interview along with his vocal bandmate in Scar Symmetry, Roberth Karlsson (you can read it here ). But now, I contacted Lars for another kind of interview. He has released a solo album named “Path of Doom”, it’s a story about a man in the viking era, but well… who better than Lars himself to explain to our readers what this album is about?

Hi Lars, and thank you for agreeing to this interview. How are you doing?

Lars: Hi, I’m healthy and feeling good and life is fun.

It seems you’ve been busy lately with your own music, very different from your main band, Scar Symmetry. How did you come up with the idea of a solo album of Nordic Folk music? For me, it’s like listening to ancient storytelling. Can you tell our readers what the lyrics are about?

Lars: This year we have been to Japan, Australia, the USA and Finland with Scar Symmetry, but that was in spring. So then I thought when I had a little more time that I would do 10 songs about the Middle Ages/Viking age. The last time I did a “solo” album was in 2022, “Ten tales of the Old Wide West”, 10 songs about Cowboys and Native Americans. I started making the songs in May and had a goal to post the songs on Spotify on 12/24-24. I actually made all the songs on my lunch breaks at my day job. I can get melodies in my head quite easily so all the songs are made with an acoustic guitar and vocals recorded on my mobile phone at work. Then I’ve made all the songs on my computer in my home and I wrote almost all the lyrics on the bus to and from work. The lyrics are about a man who is badly injured and has lost his family. But through strength from the Gods and his woman in the afterlife, he finds the power to take revenge.

Do you count on any collaboration in your album, or are you in charge of everything? I mean vocals, instruments, lyrics, composition…

What folk instruments do you play on “Path of Doom”?

Lars: I have found some background sounds on Youtube that I have changed, but most of the sounds are recorded, but my synthesizer with sounds from the music program. Guitar and vocals are what I have physically recorded. Bendler from Zornheym did the God’s voice in the song “Times of Survival”. I record everything in the apartment (neighbors are kind) but would like to record with more “real instruments”, but this is smoother and sounds ok anyway. And almost everything you do today when you record in a “real studio” the sounds are changed and go through a computer anyway.

What was more challenging for you when you started with this album? Or was it something that came out fluidly?

Lars: The songs are basically quite simple with 2 or 3 chords as Nordic Folk music often is. So the hardest part has probably been not getting the songs too similar to each other. I did 13 songs from the beginning but 3 were too bad. And it has been hard to write on the mobile phone when the bus is turning 🙂

Besides being on Spotify, are you planning any physical format release of “Path of Doom”?

Lars: Maybe there is someone out there who would like to make a vinyl EP with 6 songs from this album. I only take 30% of the profit 🙂 That would be nice.

You did a photoshoot with Kim Vestbrant (a Swedish photographer who does amazing captures at Metal gigs, and also portraits) for the cover of the album, and also for the videos of your songs (can be found in your Youtube channel). How important is the visual part for you? Do you think that the images help to tell part of the story?

Lars: Kim is a fantastic photographer and a good person, we took these photos a few hundred meters from a cottage that I rent in the middle of the forest, there is no money or big production behind this, but we did it in an hour and it turned out better than I was thinking, thanks Kim 🙂

Which instrument do you think has the most beautiful sound when talking of Nordic Folk music?

Lars: Maybe nyckelharpa, meaning “keyed fiddle” or “key harp”, it’s a bowed chordophone from Sweden, my grandmother’s brother Sigurd made key harps, and when we got a cat earlier this year, we named it after him.

Do you think there is a connection between the person we are today and our ancestors?

Lars: Ehhh no 🙂

Maybe you have checked your ancestors… Do you know if you have viking blood running through your veins?

Lars: I don’t know, haven’t researched it.

Well, now let me try something new in my interview. Kind of a short q&a, just for fun. I ask you something, you answer with a few words or a short sentence. Ready?:

-Traditional cuisine or fast food? Traditional cuisine.

-Summer or winter solstice? Summer.

-Any bug you can’t stand or you have a phobia? No, I eat them all 🙂

-Are you a morning or an evening person? Both..

-Photos of you: colour, or black&white? Black & white.

-In terms of Metal, apart from Sweden: Norway or Finland? Finland.

-Your favorite Iron Maiden album? Hard question but for now… “Seventh Son of a Seventh Son”.

-Best vocal cover you did so far? Maybe “Anthem” from Chess (Tommy Körberg).

-You prefer to talk or to listen? It depends on how much alcohol I have consumed…Talk.

-In-person or virtual meetings? In-person.

-Which is your spirit animal? Black panther.

Many thanks for your time and your answers, Lars. Is there anything you want to add?

Lars: Thank you and Happy New Year, and now we hope for peace on Earth in 2025 🙂

Interview by Sílvia

Make sure to give “Path of Doom” one listen or ten, enjoy the power and emotion contained in Lars Palmqvist music and let your soul be fed by these tunes. You can also check Lars’ Youtube channel and enjoy his vocal covers. Support the underground.