Interview With The Swedish Guitarist 'Roger Öjersson' from (Katatonia, Tiamat)

Roger Öjersson is one of the most talented guitarists in the current Metal music industry, currently. He shared experience with different bands since 1993 as: Vildsvin, and founded Kamchatka in 2001. In 2010, he joined the iconic Tiamat. In addition he joined the legendary Katatonia in 2016. To know more about his life, career & musical interest, JoScene had a wonderful chat with Öjersson.

-Firstly, Thank you Roger for accepting our invitation for this interview, I want to start with Katatonia, you recorded some solos of "The Fall of Hearts", tell us more about this experience?

The whole thing just kind of fell in my lap. A friend of mine told me the guys were looking for a guitarist, and being new to this scene I asked a mutual friend if it might be something for me. Met the guys over a dinner and the next thing I'm recording solos on the new album. I recorded some ideas in my own studio and sent them over, and then came down to Karl Daniel Lidéns studio, which luckily turned out to be located just around the corner from where I lived, and then i did the stuff you heared on the album.

-How much does your experience as Katatonia fan differ from your experience as Katatonia member?

Being previously oblivious to that scene I didn't know about Katatonia before joining, but I became a fan in capacity as member real quick.

-Moving to 'TIAMAT', How did you join the band?

Kind of the same story there as with Katatonia. Same mutual friend involved, but at this case he suggested they should contact me. I got a call from Lars asking if I wanted to join on a European tour, and I thought it would be great to get to play some hard rock for distinction, so I said yes, and here we are eight years later. Tiamat is like family.

-And Is there any news regarding Tiamat's new stuff?

There are things brewing in the cauldron. That is all I can share at this point.

-In your point of view, What are the main themes that Tiamat aims to deliver through its music?

Love is of course the first and foremost. Other than that I'd say lighting the end of the tunnel ablaze and creating a suitable ambience whilst heading towards the light.

-What does make Tiamat's music different from different Doom Metal bands?

Is it doom metal? Hehe, I wouldn't know, as I am still quite unfamiliar with the terminology of the metal scene. Tiamat, as opposed to a lot of the other stuff I've heard in these kinds of genres, is a positive force which promotes love and understanding.

-While writing music, what are your main musical influences?

It's impossible not to be affected, and find things that need processing, in all that one has been through and things one hopes or fears will come to pass, I guess. Otherwise I like to imagine how would i think if i had been someone else and write out of that persons perspective, like an actor for instance. If you mean what kind of music that inspires me it kind of boils down to anything with a soul. Things that are truly meant and that touches you and leaves a mark in one way or another. Genre is unimportant.

-What are your favorite gears?

I'm really happy with my Schecter Ultra guitars. Three splitable humbuckers, where of two Filtertrons and one Mad Dog, lockable Planet Waves tuners and a Bigsby on a 25,5 incher with a solid body the size of a jazz bass, leaves little to be desired. The Taurus amps fit me perfectly, too. The tube driven SH4HG is powerful enough for even the largest of festival stages, and in environments that don't require as much output I have an SH3, which though a transistor amp sounds very tubelike. Both same sized and small enough to fit on my pedalboard, and also with both, one footswitchable clean/crunch channel and one distortion channel, plus a really nice built in boost. Pedalwise, with Tiamat as opposed to Katatonia, I've gone all analog. The trend of minipedals we've seen lately suits me perfectly. As if you want to go analog but want to have all the options, you need a whole bunch of pedals. So far that market is led by the clone industry. My setup is tuner, wah-wah, silencer, fuzz, compressor, flanger, chorus, phaser, overdrive/distorsion and tremolo before the preamp, and attenuator, delay and reverb in the loop. The only one that is "full size" is my Ibanez Screaming Demon. If they all would have been full sized I wouldn't be able to carry it.

-I want to go back to your early career, What was the first release that attracted you to Metal music?

I'm a bit unsure of what classifies it as Metal. When I was a kid we called it hard rock. When I really got into music the first albums that I listened to over and over again were Iron Maiden's Killers, Motörhead's Iron, Thin Lizzy's Black Rose. The first two had a punk rock attitude to them -in my opinion- which attracted me. The third had a lot of folk music tones to it, which has also been important in shaping me as a musician.

-While checking your bio, I found out that you play different instruments, What are the closest instrument to your heart, and in your point of view, what is the hardest instrument to learn?

For me it has been important to know the instruments that have been part of the constellations I have been in to better understand the whole. Also to tone down the instrumentalist thinking that so many -especially guitarists- suffer from. My favorite main instruments are still my voice and my guitar.

-In 1995, you participated in recording the first album of Vildsvin, and Breath of Life not only in Guitars recording, but also Backing vocals, When did you discover the skills of your vocals, how do you practice?

I kind of just sing. The more you sing, the more you get control over your voice. I sing all the time at home. Even if just humming whilst doing the dishes or whatever, it makes a fundamental difference to use the voice a lot. Not only singing either, but also making weird voices and testing the boundaries of these vocal cords of ours.

-What are you favorite bands, and musicians in general?

If I was to name some of those who have really made an impact on me musically i'd say Shawn Smith, King Crimson, Son House, Michael Hedges, Chris Whitley and Thin Lizzy, just to name a few.

-How do you see the Metal music industry now?

At the same time as everything has become very much more compartmentalised genrewise, there is an openness towards all genres that I haven't experienced before. It used to be you were either this or that, now you can be this AND that.

-Of course, you are a professional guitarist/bassist, what is the most precious advice you want to deliver to the growing musicians?

If you have to do this, and I mean really really have to do this, you are under the same curse as I am, and that is all. Some of us HAVE TO do this. You will find adversity from all directions for what other people might call your "life choice". And if you're like me -HAVE TO do this- you must stand firm, or you will live a life in a different kind of misery. That being said, it is not an easy path to walk, so if you don't feel you really have to do this, save yourself the trouble.

-I know, as a musician, playing music is the main hobby, so what do you regularly spend your spare time?

I spend as much time as possible with my family. Other than that I explore other forms of art. Johan Edlund and I started the art group Der Fuchs Hinten Das Ohr Gruppe in Germany in 2011, and that really kicked my painting into gear again.

-Is there a certain band that you want to cooperate with as a musician?

Yes, but not really. I want to try everything and be a part of any collaboration that puts me outside of my comfort zone.

-Finally, Thank you again Roger for your warm cooperation with us, What are your upcoming plans?

First we've got some gigs coming up, as well as preproduction, with Tiamat, and then I'm off to Chile with the family for a while. I'll be back in time for 70000 Tons of Metal and some surrounding activities with Tiamat.

Thank you very much Roger for your time and we wish you the best in the future.

Roger Öjersson Official Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/rogerojerssonofficial/

Katatonia Official Page: https://www.facebook.com/katatonia/

Tiamat Official Page: https://www.facebook.com/tiamat/

Interview by: Rana Atef Edited by: Amgad M. Mohamed