Hi Adrian Thanks for doing this for us at Roarrock.

- Hi there thanks for having me appear on your site!!

If its ok I want to start way back at the beginning.

- That’s ok. It’s been a while now, i actually started in the summer of 1981 when my Dad got me my first kit. Me and my friend Tomas started our first band Berit’s Polisonger.

We had no clue what we were doing but soon got the help of our music teacher Thomas Brixmar. Thomas showed me what was important for a drummer to do in a band, like playing

in time, keeping the parts solid and simple and most important of all always do your best and never give up. Something i still keep as a value today.

We went through a few different lineups, music styles and names, the funniest being “Honky Tonk Punks” and “The black nuns”

Right back when you lived at home in Sweden you formed a band called Penance I don’t think you recorded much but I am wondering what you remember from then and do you have a personal recordings.

- Penance was formed late 87 or early 88, i can’t really recall. We wanted so badly to be a Thrash band and we did manage to write some really thrashy numbers “The Edge of Damnation”, “Visions of insanity” are

really the only titles i can remember. We were getting ready to go in the studio to record a demo tape but the whole thing fell apart between our guitarist disappearing with our rehearsal room rent and me moving to Stockholm

to do my army service. Somewhere there is a rehearsal tape. I have to try to find it.

Your brother Daniel said once that if it wasn’t for you he would not have taken up playing with this in mind it must be pretty amazing knowing that you both fill the drum thrones in some of the biggest metal bands on the planet.

- That might be true, i started a few years before him. He was at the time playing tennis and i remember that he was really good. My kit at home was in the cellar of my parents house and it was not sound proofed so I’m

guessing that there was no way out for him Our parents a pretty proud and i guess happy that all the noice emitting from the basement actually led to something.

Now I hope I get this the right way round, at 20 you joined At The Gates whilst at uni in Gothenburg what do you remember from those early days in the band.

- Thats right i moved to Gothenburg in the summer of 1990. Me and the singer from Penance went on a bus to this extreme music festival called Bergslags rocken.

The bus had some of the members of a band called Grotesque, i got introduced to the singer Thomas and he told me that they were looking for a drummer to form a new band.

This band became At the gates, i managed to get an audition which i passed. It was a really creative time, we always pushed ourselves to the max with what we were writing and playing.

When we were doing gigs initially i was playing at the very limit of what i could do technically and physically. This would be ok if you had a good day.

A bad day would equal… a lot of stopping and starting

At the Gates have almost legendary status in the world of metal that must make you feel pretty proud did you think at the start that the band had something special.

- As i said in the previous answer we were just trying to push ourself as musicians and songwriters. There was always a buzz around what we were doing but on a very small scale.

It was really when the band split up that people starting caring about the band.

After At the gates called it a day you and a couple of the guys formed The Haunted on a personal note I was really into this band, the embryonic ideas for The Haunted, did they come from residual At the Gates ideas or was it a complete new tack.

- Me and Jensen (Seance, Witchery) had been talking about doing a band together even before ATG split up. When i got the call that Anders and Jonas were leaving At the gates i got straight on the phone to

Jensen. The following day, The Haunted did it’s first rehearsal. It was only me and Jensen and some of the song ideas that he had been working on. Jonas joined on bass after a few rehearsals and a few months later on Anders

joined on the second guitar. I loved a lot of what were doing with the band but it was plagued by a punishing contract that made it very hard.

This period also saw you playing in Nifelheim any thoughts on that period prior to joining Cradle of Filth.

- Yes i was friends with the guys and they needed a drummer. I was more than willing to help out as i liked the brutality and rawness of their tunes.

It was really good fun. However i moved to England before the album was completed.

Now in 1999 you joined British band Cradle of Filth can you tell me what parts of this period stand out for you and why.

- Moving to another country is a really scary adventure. However my life in Gothenburg had come to a halt and the idea of playing with a ‘professional’ band and moving to a new country

all of a sudden seemed really appealing. It was a really intense period, there was always something happening, recordings, gigs, photo shoots, video shoots and repeat!

I enjoyed most of it but on a personal level we started drifting apart badly within the band and when that happens it’s no good.

However happy that i am to have moved on i am also happy for the time with them.

Ok recently you have been very busy working with Brujeria, At The Gates, Nemhain and Paradise lost, I guess this is very productive period for you are you enjoying being so busy

- Its been a pretty busy few years since leaving Cradle, at anyone time i have a lot of different songs memorised. At the moment about 75-90 songs :/

But i love the diversity of the different bands. I feel really fortunate to be able to do this!

Nemhain and band you’re in with your wife Amber, how is that all going now.

- Nemhain is working hard at completing our second album. We released a free download only EP last year prior to the Bloodstock festival.

The new tunes are sounding very promising and we’re all really excited to get it out and play some more shows.

I see you’re already confirmed to play Bloodstock with Paradise Lost, your becoming a regular at this festival how do you feel about going back to Catton Park

- I love playing at Bloodstock, it so well arranged compared to a lot of other European festivals!

It always ends in a crazy party which is nice!

This year with be my 4th gig at Bloodstock

Can you tell us what else 2012 has lined up for you.

- The new Paradise Lost album “Tragic Idol” is due to be released at the end of April through Century media records.

There will be some really intense touring to follow the release of the album.

Check out the free preview of the track “Crucify” here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5CUqLwPl1Q

Also more gigs with At the gates, Vallenfyre, Nemhain and Brujeria.

With some luck the new Nemhain album will be out this year

Ok Adrian that’s great thanks if you don’t mind I’d like to ask a few slightly less serious questions.

- Thanks no worries.

Now I know you have snakes and cats if you could have any other pet what would it be.

- A seagull

Leather or Denim

- Both

Beer or spirits

- Both

Chilli or Curry

- Both

Sunshine or snow

- Sunshine

Adrian thanks for taking the time and we wish you well.

Thanks for taking the time to do the interview with me!!

See you soon!