Wow, I think you have a lot to say, not only about the new record but also about the new line-up. How did it come to these changes?
It all started with Mike leaving the band. We had to configure our positions and look for new guys, all for the better I must admit.
How did it come that Dan Swanö plays guitar (not drums) and furthermore, how did it come that Axe plays drums? Didn’t Dan feel like playing drums, however, I cannot imagine because he is a really good drummer, too?! 
Yes he’s a good drummer indeed, but you really can’t compare him to Axe. This guy is a real freak behind the kit and in the mind. He had 12 songs not only to nail, but also to learn. Before he came down the studio he’d only heard 3 songs. Believe it or not, but he managed to learn and record all the 12 songs on 2 bloody days!!! The result is on the album and speaks for itself. Axe is clearly one of the most talented musicians I’ve ever met and one of metal’s top of the line drummers.
Why is it Axe who plays drums, did you also have some rehearsals with other guys/drummers or friends?
We were actually thinking of using Nick Barker, which had just left Dimmu Borgir, but it didn’t work out. We also had some other cards to play with, but they were all from abroad and just as we were gonna talk to some, Dan got recommended by a colleague of his at a record store about a dude being up for it called Axe. Based on his credits, we went for a lucky shot and it turned out to be a homerun.
How did it come that you chose Peter (voc.) because I think that he is also very busy concerning other projects and his own bands? So I think that it wasn’t very easy to let him join the band? 
Dan and Peter had been talking about doing some stuff together for a long time. Dan told Peter we were doing another Bloodbath album and explained that our previous singer, Mike left a huge void and it would take a beast to fill it. A death metal lord was what we were looking for! I guess Peter found that challenging. He did an effort that surpassed my expectations and hopefully, his own too. Compared to Mike, he got a similar auditable voice (that is very important for Bloodbath) that reaches a guttural low, but also apart from Mike, an extreme high and everything in between.
What is your opinion about the new record (Nightmares made flesh) – until it will finally be released?
It’s a very fresh cut of blood! More modern than before, more varied. We’ve taken a long step from the “joke” that emphasized the band in the beginning. The sound is heavy and raw and pro combined. I’m excited about people’s reactions.
My (personal) opinion is that it completely different from the debut (Resurrected...). I also think that you didn’t pay attention to the great school character like you did on the first record. I mean that one could feel the RETRO-SOUND much more on the first album than on the new one. Do you agree with me? 
Yeah, sure. You know, as we got more space to move in, more talent to play with, this came natural. You can’t create a tribute retro sound album over and over. It got to stop before it becomes a parody instead of a tribute. This time we felt it was more vital and important to let Bloodbath itself show what we’re about, our capacity as 3 different composers with our own styles and desires and 2 new talented musicians showing what elite death metal efforts are about.
Can you describe some differences between the first and the second album?
First album: Retro death metal production aka the Sunlight sound, more primitive, lack of blast beats and fast double bass drums, lack of guitar solos, extreme powerful but monotone vocals, great cover artwork etc
New album: Modern production with edges of retro, more varied, blast beats, fast double bass drums, guitar solos, varied vocals etc
What could you say about the lyrics of “Nightmares made flesh”? Explain some songs?
It’s the usual stuff appearing in death metal, but with some original twists. Speaking for my own songs… ‘Outnumbering the Day’ talks about a disaster situation on earth leading to its doomsday, ‘Draped in Disease’ is about an bacterial entity that is born underground from the filth of man and will become their demise, ‘Year of the Cadaver Race’ is about all slain animals on earth coming back to take revenge on humanity and ‘Cancer of the Soul’ is about the loathe for the church and people of Christ for the sickness they plant in you called religion.
Who was responsible for the artwork; it looks like the „Breeding death EP“? Did you have the ideas for that, is there a reference to the songs/lyrics?
We gave away all the lyrics to a girl called Agni Kaster in the US. She made all the artwork based on the visions she got from the references of the lyrics.
Where do you record the new album, which studio and who was the producer? How was the recording session (fun, stress, boring, chaos or the same shit like every day in the other bands, what is different on the recording session as in you own band like Katatonia?) 
We recorded it at a place called Fascincation Street (formerly Studio Kuling). Jens Bogren, the owner was the co-producing it with us. Dan recorded most of his stuff at The Room (his own studio in his apartment). The recordings were fun and intense. Good times...
Now you already have proved that it isn’t only a matter of a “just for fun” project (band) but also a band one can reckon on in future?! What about a big tour in Europe...?
Yes, how about that?!? Make sure you let every festival organiser know you want Bloodbath on stage, so go vote. If that happens I’m sure a tour is realistic as well.
Did you already present your “baby” to Mikael? What does Mikael Åkerfeldt think about the new record?
When he saw the member pic of the new line-up, he felt weird, which I think is normal. It’s like seeing a pic with your ex-girlfriend together with her new guy; it’s just weird because you know you were at one certain moment in time supposed to have been on that pic… I think he likes this album more than RTC. Mike was never too devoted to “take 100 steps back” as he said, he’s more into modern and innovative death.
What about your other bands now? What´s up concerning Katatonia? And by the way what about October Tide?
October Tide is dead since many years... and finally so is Diabolical Masquerade as well.... Katatonia is busier than ever. We did a lot of gigs this year, really focusing on promoting our last album, an aspect we have heavily neglected in the past. We’ll be entering the studio real soon to produce our 7:th album. 2005 will be a busy, busy year.
Last but not least:
Say some words to our readers….:
Thanks for your support!!! Hopefully we can meet you all out there with Bloodbath in 2005…. METAL!!!
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