1. If I can say it, Devian were weld together by Legion, am I right? But the original band's name was Elizium. What made you to change the name to Devian? Who came with this idea?

Legion: Yes, Devian was originally my brainchild but nothing happened until Emil joined ship and then we immediately got Joinus too, that was back in the Elizium days. Elizium felt pretty good when Emil pitched it but apart from us realizing the generic feel it had to it the music took a turn to the more brutal and it didn´t really stick comfortably anymore. So we went through numerous ideas, the hottest one being Ninewinged Serpent until we all could agree on Devian, taken from an old lyric I had laying around that turned out to be shit. But the name, from Devious, like a hellspawn, felt really good so we settled for it.

2. Album, which showed your musical face, is outstanding! You scored very great reviews from almost everywhere, but I´m more interested if you are satisfied with the album? Yes, I know, this is unusual (haha) question, but from my view of look – you are skilled musicians and this can made some differences in your global opinion about debut..

Tomas: I'm very pleased with the album; even though I got in the band just briefly everything was finished. For me the album represent something more and greater then just a debut album for a new band, its great start for something big. For the first time in my life I'm in a band were all the members having the same goal with the band. Everyone is doing 120% for the band. And even more important, the next album that we're working on now will be even better because we are now a rehearsing that are trading ideas and so forth.

Legion: I think for the time and place the band was in, with members sprawled out over different countries writing in home studios etc we did good and I´m proud of the album and can´t wait to see which songs are gonna grow live and what influence that will have on the next album. But just like Tomas said - the new songs completely blow the first ones out of the water and it really feels like a safe bet to say You aint seen nothing yet...

3. Connected question… How would you describe your album? In which aspects do you think that it is superior and if there are some parts which are dropping behind?

Tomas: I think it's a lot of energy and joy in the playing of the album. I guess it's a Death thrashed routed journey that crash in a realm of black metal or something like that – and don't forget the nice folk melodies topped with Swedish melancholy and a lot of attitude that will beat the shit out of the listener!

Legion: I love the energy of the whole thing, also the dynamics in the playlist and the muscle in the music, like Blabbermouth wrote "beat the listener to a bloody pulp" hahaha! It´s refreshing to me since we have so many more levels to explore than we ever had in Marduk. Some songs feel a bit long while some feels dead on.


4. If I should describe your music, I would say that you put together the best aspects of extreme metal regardless if it is black, death, thrash or heavy metal. Aspect of these styles are distributed on the songs in various ratios. Were you composing together?

Legion: Yes, most song structures and riffs came from me and Emil but we´ve always wanted to build a strong team and that´s how we create too. We slice up eachothers ideas til we feel that we are "there" and even if some feelings might be hurt dissecting eachothers stuff it doesn´t hurt for too long haha! I don´t really care if the whole lot of the band reject something I feel is great as long as the finished song kick ass.

5. Did it happen that someone wanted to have more black metal in material and someone wanted more heavy metal?

Legion: Yes, the blend of sounds is a constant struggle and I think in the tension is where the musical brilliance lays. We all come from different background and if someone gets to dominate a song too much it´s gonna turn out more like this or that, but at the end of the day it usually feels pretty together.

6. If I would listen to "Ninewinged Serpent" without knowing who did it, I would find out that the band comes from Scandinavia. Well, I don't know what makes me to guess it like that. Where do you think that this Scandinavian cold atmosphere inheres?

Tomas: Once again the Swedish melancholy, hehe… Instead of talking about things I guess the Scandinavian people keep all the things and thoughts to themselves. Some people express themselves through various forms of art and others simply commit suicide, welcome to Scandinavia hahaha.

Legion: And also the fact that Christianity didn´t really stick up here. A lot of things that are frowned upon in most societies is just like chewing your cereals to us up here. Scandinavians has a thing for dark and obscure things, a lot of anxiety and pain in the folklore and culture up here that translates very well into this kind of music.

7. Despite the fact, that you are combining so aggressive genres, you still manage to compose really strong melodies which are mostly Heavy metal based. Did you find some inspiration in certain Heavy metal bands? I don't think, you are some Manowar's, but some of your riffs provoke my mind into this statement…

Tomas: when it comes to heavy metal inspiration I think we more look to Judas Priest and Iron Maiden than Manowar.

Legion: No haha not Manowar. I like some of their early stuff but Heavy Metal to me was always more about bands like Maiden, Priest and Mercyful Fate.


8. When the band started taking shape, B. War was rumored to be also in the band. What happened that he is not in the band anymore?

Legion: Yes, it´s a shame that we couldn´t make it work since I love the guy to death and a better metal bassplayer is a rare find let me tell you. He currently lives in Texas doing the family thing full on and didn´t want to go on the road, plus when the band became such serious business that I moved back to Sweden and everyone started to have their lives revolving around the band of course he missed out and he wanted us to succeed more than that. A class act.

9. Most of you plays in other bands and as we know, time is merciless. Do you manage to get together and rehearse? (I suppose that yes, but how frequently?) How is it with timetables, rehearsals and gigs?

Tomas: Devian is our main band; everything else is secondary to Devian. Since we are living in two different cities, we are more effective when we rehearsal. When we meet we can do killer sessions for like 12 hours of merciless rehearsing sessions for 2-3 days. Soon I will come and join the other guys in the band in Jönköping then we will start rehearsing 2-3 times a week like any other band.

10. When I recall Marduk´s live performances, I see Legion armed with chains and spikes raging on the podium. Tour is near and I´m really curious if you are preparing some special props and how will the performance look like. Can we expect some extreme bestial performance or even some glimpse of war painting?

Legion: Paint feels like a thing of the past, we wanted a fresh start so we´ll leave it. But Clive Barkerish outfits and full on Metal Onslaught is of course a given one! Some stuff for the stage aswell but being in the support slot of course limits our ideas a lot.

11. Live performances are mostly about atmosphere and emotions. All of you are experienced musicians but I wonder if you still feel that interesting strain in the heart, when you see fans enjoying your show and applauding?

Tomas: The feedback from the audience always gives me an adrenaline rush; it doesn't matter if it's 20 people or 2000 people. And the best gig so far with Devian was at the NamRock Festival in Belgium. I'm already looking forward to play in Belgium again on the Vader-tour!

Legion: The hours on stage is usually what makes it all worthwhile. I love the attention, I love to entertain and interact with the crowd going nuts with fellow metalheads. It´s my true element.


12. Legion = Marduk, no one can delete this. Many people takes Erik as a black metalhead, is his view upon the music and black metal somehow inclined to some specific genre or he doesn't cling to a specific genre?

Legion: I love Black Metal and the Black Metal scene is still my home, and it´s a great home. Nowadays I can appreciate other music too as to earlier when I only listened to a select few BM bands and nothing more because they fuelled all feelings I needed to feel at the time. But I´m still BM to the bone and will always be the bringer of those elements no matter what.

13. You are touring with Vader (and not just with them). A band which means a lot for me, so I´m interested how you get to this…? Are you in some friendly relation with them or it was just a coincidence?

Legion: When we got the offer we really wanted to do it so bad that Century Media helped us making it happen. I love Vader and have numerous good times together with them under my belt. It´s gonna be a mad one!

14. Again I´m thinking about Vader and this time in connection with yours album cover art. It looks like it was done by the same person who makes cover art for Vader, but I´m wrong am I?

Legion: It was made by Seth Siro Anton of Septic Flesh and his wicked ideas and brilliant art has graced many album covers...

15. My questions are on the end so I can just hope that you weren´t bored by them. Now If you want to send a word to Czech fans, go on… See you 5.6 in Zlin or 6.6 in Prague! Worship what must be worshipped!

Tomas: I have wanted to go to Prague for so long, and this spring I will come there and do the thing I like most, play some heavy music. See you all in Zlin and Prague; be prepared for massive violence on stage!

Legion: Hail Satan you crazy bastards!!