Interview with TAIWAZ

    Taiwaz, Classic Heavy Metal all the way

The Band: Taiwaz
Country: Sweden
The Person: Robert Johansson, guitar of Taiwaz
https://electricassaultrecords.bandcamp.com/album/i-am-all

Interview by Vpower

Hi guys! What I bring you here today is a very interesting interview with Robert, the guitar in the band, from Taiwaz, a band born in the 80's that is more alive then ever, you just need to listen to their new album, I Am All, released this year, to feel the power of Heavy Metal through your veins, one of those works I cannot stop playing. So, let's get started!


According to the Metal Archives, you have been active, or the band was created, since 1986, but it is not until 2015 that we can finally listen to the first album of the band. Please, tell us a little about the history of the band and how it has come to need so many years to get its first work released.

 Taiwaz started 1986 by me, Robert (guitar), Urban bass/vocal and Bjorn(guitar) and after a while Cristian joined us on Drums. We ended round 1991, or should I say took a break, and started again in late 2012.

I (Robert)had some beers with Gottfrid (bass player in In solitude) and my daughter played our demo cassette tape from 1988 for him and he asked me why I didn`t convert it to mp3 and put it out on internet so people could listening to it, so I did. And after a few more beers I started to search for the others in Taiwaz on the internet and asked them if they were interested to play some tones again and everyone said, FUCK YEAH, so here we are.

I see, the power of beer & Metal lol. Ok, being serious, anyway, it seems that your sound has been growing along all these years, because what Taiwaz offers here, let me tell you, is an awesome Heavy Metal effort, very possibly we are in front of one the albums of the year. What has been the reaction to the album? How do you feel about it?

Thank you, Yeah the sound is growing all the time, but we will always try to keep the Taiwaz feeling and sound. The reactions has been overwhelmed, we are really greatful and proud of it.

You are four guys in the band right now, isn’t it? Tell us about the roles inside the band.

Yes, we are four in the band, Bjorn (guitar) left the band 2014, and Daniel, guitar (former Noctum/Krusus) started.

Me and Daniel doing mostly all of the riffs, (me and Bjorn before he quit) but we always put it together with the others.

Urban is the main lyricswriter.

Apart of classic Heavy Metal, I find also some spicy elements as a sound that reminds us from the NWOBHM, for instance in the very first song ‘I am all’, or some Doom vibe like in ‘Play with the devil’, with atmospheres ala Black Sabbath. How did you get to that sound?

Haha, I can`t really answer the question, it`s just the way we play. Of course we have influence from bands like Black sabbath, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden and a lot of other bands from the 70/80th

You got a style with its roots firmly sunk in the 80’s, but you don’t sound like a revival band, as hundreds nowadays, what do you think is the key point for that?

I really don`t now, we just play what´s we think is good and hopfully some others also likes it.

Many bands that release an album for the first time do it by themselves, because they are small and do not have the force to sign a contract with a Label, or maybe because with the Internet they can get to a bigger audience than ever before, by their own effort. This is not your case, as you have signed by Electric Assault Records, are you happy with it? How did you get it?

We are really greatful that Electric Assault Records wanted to release the Lp. We got in contact with Henry at E.A.R through Gottfrid (In Solitude).

Well, there is a forced question, after so many years and just one release, what are your plans for the future? You are satisfied with this goal and will hang your boots, or you expect to continue working for a new album now that you are on fire?

We are more into it than ever. We are now working on new songs and will record it later this year, and realese it as soon as possible.

Fucking great! What about touring? Any dates around Spain, give us some good news, please, lol? Have you been to Spain before?

Ofcourse we will go on tour again, but nothing is set yet. We have never played in Spain, but give us an opportunity and we will.

A typical question: you have been around for so meany years now, so, what do you think about the Metal in the 21st century and how the Metal was back in the 80’s?

Now days there`s so many different styles and names of metal than I can understand. Back in the days it was just Hard Rock. (fuck, I sounds old haha)

Very true, too many names. If some day you were to become a rock star you would still be delivering great fucking Heavy Metal albums like this or you would sleep safe and quite releasing something more commercial? In other words, why you have chosen to be an underground Metal band instead something more... well... of massive consume, with more potential for business and easy money?

We will always stick to the Taiwaz sound, we want it to sound as simply and clean as possible, and if we earns some money for it, that would be a bonus.

The underground scen is a great place to be on, dedicated fans and dedicated people to work with.

Cheers for that, yeah! Well, thank you very much for your attention. If you would like to tell something to the Spanish fans, and all those who read this site, please feel free to do it

Muchas gracias! For listening to us and hope to see you all soon/TAIWAZ

Gracias a Taiwaz (thank you, Taiwaz), See you on the road!.