EMQ’s With Chaos Eternal

EMQ’s With Chaos Eternal

Hi Everyone! Welcome to another EMQs interview, this time with Swedish Melodic Death Metal band, Chaos Eternal. Huge thanks to their Guitarist, Johan Ahlqvist, for taking part. 

What is your name, what do you play, and can you tell us a little bit about the history of the band?

My name is Johan Ahlqvist, I play Guitar, bass and I sing. The band started 2014 when I decided to start a one-man band to explore music from different perspectives. Released four EP’s that year on Spotify and had a break due to mental health and some other projects. Then 2020 I released the self-titled album. I was in a real shitty place then and it shows in both the heavy music and dark lyrics. Since then, I have released a whole bunch of things.

How did you come up with your band name?

I have always had a deep connection with chaos. My life has been chaotic from the start and will probably be so until the abrupt end of it. So, Chaos Eternal represents that but also the fact that the band won’t stay in a single genre.

What Country/Region are you from and what is the Metal/Rock scene like there?

I’m from Sweden and we have a very much alive Metal / Rock scene here. You may have heard of some local bands such as Ghost, The Halo Effect, In Flames, Opeth, Amon Amarth, Meshuggah and so on.

What is your latest release?

The latest releases are “The Journey Pt. 1: Through The Maze” and “The Journey Pt. 2: Higher And Higher”. Both can be found on Spotify and many other platforms!

Who have been your greatest influences?

Devin Townsend, Ace Frehley, Mark Morton, Willie Adler, Mårten Hagström and Fredrik Thordendal

What first got you into music?

I was lucky enough that my mother was friends with the girlfriend of Klas Bohlin (Svarta Sanningar, Beseech, ex Fantastic people, ex Depressive Art) and he offered to teach me the guitar. I said yes immediately and off I went! That was at age twelve. Before that I had gotten into some heavier music and he showed me a whole bunch of more music and I raided the library of their CDs with the most-evil covers.

If you could collaborate with a current band or musician who would it be?

I would love to collaborate with either Devin Townsend or Svarta Sanningar. To name one extremely unlikely and one that could actually happen, with some luck and offerings to the dark gods.

If you could play any festival in the world, which would you choose and why?

Wacken would be cool! Seems like a really cool place to be!

What’s the weirdest gift you have ever received from a fan?

I got a handwritten / painted letter with the words “I love you, I want to kill you” written over and over. I can’t remember what was painted around all that anymore. I was kind of psyched to have a stalker.

If you had one message for your fans, what would it be?

Discover what you want and set out to get it! If you fail that’s fine, in the end nothing really matters. But since we are here, we should do things that makes us feel good, as long as those things do not encroach on another’s being in a negative way.

If you could bring one rock star back from the dead, who would it be?

I would love to hang with Dimebag Darrell!

What do you enjoy the most about being a musician? And what do you hate?

I couldn’t live without my creative output. It is what makes me stay somewhat sane. If there is something I hate about it, it’s the fact that it is so damn expensive and really tough to reach an audience.

If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?

I want the physical releases to be as popular as they were at their height. It would make it a lot easier to make a living from music.

Name one of your all-time favourite albums?

Right now, I am all in on “Devin Townsend – Lightwork”.

What’s best? Vinyl, Cassettes, CD’s or Downloads?

All of the above! I own all of them. It depends on what it is and which situation it is.

What’s the best gig that you have played to date?

I have only played live once when I was 15 at my school. I had a broken leg and sat in the back of the “venue” thinking we wouldn’t play since I was injured and we had rehearsed one time. But I was called to the stage, we had no drummer so one was picked from the audience and we proceeded to perform a Hardcore / Metal cover of Nirvana – Something in the way and it went well actually!

If you weren’t a musician, what else would you be doing?

I would pursue being a writer since I need creative output. I am writing a novel right now based on the concept of one of Chaos Eternals first Eps, The Donut King. I am quite a bit in on that project, but it’s been on pause for a while. I need some focus and feel that I can take some time of the music side of things.

Which five people would you invite to a dinner party?

Erik Danielsson (Watain), Devin Townsend, Dave Grohl (ex-Nirvana, Foo Fighters), Necrobutcher (Mayhem) and Ihsahn (Emperor and solo).

What’s next for the band?

Right now, I am working on finishing the last two albums of the The Journey concept suite. Those will release next year in April / May.

What Social Media/Website links do you use to get your music out to people?

www.facebook.com/chaosEternalBand/ 
www.chaoseternalswe.bandcamp.com/ 
www.youtube.com/@chaoseternal 

Jaffa Cakes! Are they a cake or a biscuit?

I don’t think I tried one! But it looks like a thick biscuit!

Thank you for your time. Is there anything else that you would like to add?

Thanks for the opportunity! Check out the new albums on Spotify and if you like them there is a whole bunch of stuff on my Bandcamp page!

Disclaimer: This interview is solely the property of Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.