All fans of gothic/symphonic power metal should keep the name Shatterheart in mind. This new band, formed two years ago in Gothenburg, Sweden, has so far released only one 3-track EP, yet their sound and style have made a strong impression on everyone who has had the chance to hear “Ground Turns to Dust”. Enthused by Shatterheart’s songs, Myth of Rock sat down for a chat with Johan Bergman (guitars) — and you can read all the questions and answers below!
by Dimitris Zacharopoulos
How did the idea of forming Shatterheart first come about in Gothenburg back in 2023?
Hi, Johan from Shatterheart here. At first, I just composed some songs as a side project or maybe solo project. I just wanted to do something new and different. After I wrote a couple of songs I begun to think about creating a new band. Me and Olle (drums) were talking about it for some time, so I showed him a couple of demos. At first we took it kinda slow. It wasn’t for about a year later when Alicke joined us, that things were ready to get to the next level.
What was the process like for finding the final line-up in 2024?
It felt like relief.. sort of! We had worked in silence for about a year but when Alicke, who I’ve known for many years, joined we finally had a voice on our demos. After that Jonathan and Daniel kinda just showed up at the right time.
Ηow do you usually approach writing music?
Funny thing is, I never seem to remember how I write my songs. At first it feels like totally impossible to write a song, but all of a sudden I have songs for a whole album! It’s always the same. But it’s more or less, that I all of a sudden get a melody or a riff in my head and then hopefully I can write it down and start working on it from there. That’s the hardest point since there is always riffs, melodies and drum beats going on in my head.
What inspired the name “Shatterheart”?
I actually got inspired by my favorite game series Final Fantasy!
Sweden has a huge tradition in melodic and symphonic metal. How do you feel being part of that heritage?
I actually don’t think about that much. The funny thing is that we’re inspired by bands like Nightwish and Within Temptation and so on, so we kinda stand out from the Swedish ”sound”. Hopefully it can make us stand out.
Can you tell us more about the concept or themes behind your debut EP “Ground Turns to Dust”?
The concept/theme and the lyrics are about feelings, mostly dark, like betrayal, sadness, and how the main character experiences those feelings. The songs are story-telling. But that is many times combined with fighting, hope and not giving up.
How did it feel to record at the legendary Studio Fredman?
We haven’t record our debut album there. Just mixing and mastering. But even though it was just the mixing process it felt amazing. We all have grown up with Fredrik Nordströms albums, so I was a bit starstrucked to be honest!
What was the biggest challenge in creating the EP?
The challenge was that we started everything from scratch. Writing songs for a different genre and finding a new band was more difficult than I remembered.
“A Shattered Heart” was chosen as your first single. Why that track?
It really wasn’t a clear choice. I think we just wanted to start with a sort of ”hit”.
How was the experience of filming the video for “A Shattered Heart”?
It’s always much work creating a music video. This was the most convenient video though. At least for me. We were at a theatre stage so everything was already kind of set up. We just had to rig up the stage set and start shooting!
How would you describe the balance between symphonic and power metal in your music?
In my opinion we’re a Symphonic Metal band. Though it’s closely connected to Power Metal, we as a band are much more Symphonic than Power.
Who are some of your biggest musical influences as a band?
It’s mainly bands as Nightwish, Within Temptation but also game soundtracks and other non-symphonic bands.
What do you want listeners to feel when they hear “Ground Turns to Dust”?
It’s up to each individual. That’s the amazing part with art or music. Once you release the artwork or music, it’s up to the person who gets access to it to feel what they are supposed to feel!
How do you see your music evolving in the full-length debut album?
I’ll keep it short – that,you will see when the album is released!
Have you already tested some of these songs live on stage? If so, how did the audience react?
Not yet. We’re excited to do so and we have a couple of shows booked!
What has been the most exciting moment for the band so far?
The band has evolved out of an idea, so just by playing the songs together is exciting. And of course mixing at Studio Fredman!
And what has been the most difficult moment since starting the band?
I think the whole thing with social media, keeping up, gaining followers is the challenge right now since we are a brand new band. But we are working on it!
If you could tour with any band right now, who would it be and why?
Oh, there’s so many bands! Iron Maiden would be a dream come true and more. But to keep it a bit more realistic – Visions of Atlantis would be awesome! At least for me, I discovered them not so long ago and they have become a new inspiration for me.
What do you dream of achieving with this band in the next five years?
Just creating epic music and be able to play at festivals around the world.
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