Since the Messiah of Confusion album released in 1996 its been over 2
years now since the raven fans heard anything what are you up to?

Well,we had some real serious fight with our former"so called
recordcompany",and it has taken one hell of a time to get rid of those
assholes.So that is the reason why we havent been able to come up with
anything for that long.But that all seem to change now.Since March this
year we have been working in a studio and cutting some new stuff and we
are now finishing the last details before releasing it.It is first of
all ment to be sent to various record-companies to pump up some
interest.It is also ment to be sold to any Count Raven fans out
there.There is going to be two different releases.One for the
recordcompanies that will include four new written songs.The other for
the fans will include the same four tracks+ a bonus track.The tracks
will be:Scream(new version),The Poltergeist,For Anyone,A Lifetime+bonus
track The Sabbath Thing.Also we are writing music for an American
horror-movie called:I Am Vengeance.Now that is really exiting.We have
always said that the next step is to write film-music,and now the dream
has come true,it seems.

Talking about the new 4 track demo that you have made, at this stage I
havent heard it yet but what sort of musical direction have you taken
this demo compare to your last CD?

Always a step further it seems ha.ha.It is weird,cos it always like
that.I have always said that it is like a journey that never ends.

Lets go way back in your career to the band Stormwarning, for the
hardcore fans of Count Raven could you please fill us in recordings you
did and the following you had?

You are going back to the "holy vinyl era" I can see.Hmm.Well we didnt
get any record-deal in those days because we were "singing in
Swedish".Funny really, because ever since there is thousands of bands
doing that AND getting a record-deal.I guess we were ahead of time,so to
speak.Well we only appear on two collection albums called "Förortsrock
and "Rockhemmet".We did a couple of demos and my favourite is still the
one that should have been our first full lengh album simply called
Stormwarning.Unfortunately it never made it that far.Sad because it
includes 10 really good songs.Wilbur and me have had many discussions
about releasing it for documentary reasons and off course nostalgic
reasons.The following for Storwarning was great.We had the approach to
play to anyone and anywhere.(Except in a swimmingpool at Västertorps
youthplace.)It really was a circus sometimes.But it was great times.I
still miss them.We has a great following in Sweden.We toured constantly
in those days.We all had regular jobs,but still we built up our own P.A.
system,lights,contacts e.t.c.and off we went.It just proves that anybody
can do it really.

Talking about the demos you did in 1989 Count Raven and Indugnus Famulus
with them you created quite a big buzz in the underground, got great
reviews in different zines along with various radio airplaying looking
back on them on the recording point of view  any good memories from the
studio time you had at that stage in your career?

Well I think that the first demo is the best.It has more of the magic
that mostly surrounds Count Raven music.The other one is also good,but
it lacks a bit of that magic simply because we suddenly was rushed into
making another one fast because of the good rewiews that we got from the
first.But both recordings went smooth and the harmony among the boys
were really good.We wanted the future and we wanted it NOW!

One of the demos made its way to the UK mag Metal Forces where you got
your first breakthrough, were you suprised at that time with the
incredible response you recieved all over the place?

Off course we were.Jesus!I still remember it.We suddenly went from
grown up men to children.I guess it is a common reaction when you
suddenly have a possible FUTURE!

With your first album Stormwarning that got released 1990 you finally
made it over to europe to tour with US gods Saint Vitus (R.I.P) how was
the reaction from the audience to Count Raven and please tell us any
good memories from that tour?

That was a wierd tour man.We started the tour in Holland in Haarlem
and Deventer.And from the very start we knew something was going on.The
owners of the clubs told us that they had never seen anything like this
before.They told us the audiences were always hostile to supporting
acts,but not to us!??We immediately got confidence and the rest of the
tour were going well.We noticed that we slowly got a big following that
followed us around the entire tour.They were always there.It was
great!If it had´nt been for them we never would have survived,because
the rest around the tour was really miserable.The recordcompany really
left us to the wolves.We had to run away from hotel bills several times
for instance.That was not the only thing we had to do.There was great
turmoil within the band as well.Because the constant fightings with
Christian long before the tour,the rest of the bandmembers had already
decided that he had to go immediately after the tour was finished.Witch
he did.This didnt exactly help out the situation.Also some of the
bandmembers HAD to stay at all the clubs and drink up the entire
boosesupply that they had.That meant that we left the place at 6 in the
morning and had two hours sleep then up again at 8.00.How can you work
in this condition?I had to use drugs just to to keep on going and I
really hated them for that.I never got any sleep,and when I complained
they just laughed.I really wanted to leave after that.I honestly want to
forget that tour.I was too stoned to remember.Bastards.

2 years later you released Destruction of the void an album still today
stand the test of time, was it any difference in the recordings of that
album compare to the first album?

Oh yes!We finally got rid of "Mr pain in the ass"himself,so the new
recording went really smooth.Everybody was kind of "new born" again.The
songs were also much better we all think.Both from the musical aspect as
well as the lyrical.The different tempochanges were also there,that
lacks on the first album.

On Destruction.. it was the first time beside the bonus track on the
Stormwarning CD that the fans could hear your incredible vocal sound
that I feel as a long time listener you have developed strongly in the
last years, have you reached the peak now in your vocalsound or can you
develop even more do you feel?

I dont think that you ever can reach your peak.As long as you are
alive inside your spirit will always flow.

Early 1993 you made it over to Europe once again this time with
Stillborn. It was first time as Headliners did this tour felt more
relaxed to do and please fill us in any good memories of that tour?

That tour was awesome really!The funny thing about it was that we all
thought from the beginning that it would be a disaster simply because
Stillborn was another Swedish band,and to everybody who is not familiar
with Swedish customs in this field,the simple rule is that every swede
looks suspicously on each other and refuse to exept one another,and even
worse,there has always been a war between people from
Gothenburg(Stillborns hometown)and Stockholm(Count Ravens hometown),just
like football fanatics between two different cities.You got the
picture!Well in this case it couldn´t have been proven more wrong.The
atmophere was absolute fantastic.We had the time of our life really.We
were always making jokes to each other.We had this competition game all
the time that one of us should be first at every new venue.Top speed all
the time on the highways,and every time we passed each other we gave
each other the FINGER!It was great!I myself fell in love(no not like
that!)with thir bass player who had this really wierd since of humour.He
always harassed everyone,both people he knew and everyone else as
well.He began the tour by licking the ear of one of the guys from our
recordcompany,telling him that this is what every German recordcomany
does.I loved it!The tour was traditionally ended by the two of our
bassplayers tie everyone to their beds and breaking the door to their
room and setting fire to it and making HOT DOGS on the fire INSIDE the
room.Its true.

Same year you released the highly critical acclaimed album High on
Infinity, an album like the 2 previous releases is a milestone in Heavy
rock. You experimented a lot on that album both vocally and musically
please fill us on the studiotime you had and the amount of work you laid
down in the production?

This one was just as the previous album created in a great
atmophere.Everyone was in a great mood.It took a longer time to do,but
we didn´t want to rush it.It seems that that choice was wise,cos that
album where the one that really got things rolling.We did all the
rocksongs first and after they were finished and everyone had gone home
I was all alone in the studio doing the orchestral stuff like Cosmos,Ode
to Rebecca and The Dance.You should have seen the other peoples jaws
drop down when they heard it.What the hell is this?Its mad.Its great!!

With High on infinity you finally stepped over the line to a more
broader audience, with excellent reviews all over the place a lot of
media attention in the mags and radio you did a video for In honour that
got into a Rock hard compilation, a short tour followed again looking
back on that period it must have been frustrating as a band after doing
a incredible album nothing exciting happened, right?

 Yeah it really was man.This was the period when we realised that
something was really wrong.EVERYBODY was writing good stuff about us in
the press,and still that didnt seem to  reach our company.Thay kept on
going that we should still keep a low profile and we did not agree.
They kept on with bullshit like:I´ts not the right time,your not big
enough,the sales are okay,so maybe next year e.t.c.The truth is we were
ripped off REALLY BAD.They were no real company at all.They just signed
up lots off bands just to have enough money to pay their rent for their
apartments and have an excuse not to work.

In 1994 you finally got back into the spotlight this time in the UK for
again a short tour looking back on the gigs you did there did you felt
that this tour along with the Vitus tour the most important so far in
your career and touring with the likes of Solstice and Year Zero it must
have been quite a experience, please fill us in about that tour and any
good memories you may have?

Well the UK  tour wasn´t the same succsess as the Vitus tour.I t
was a combination of things that involved this.The most important factor
was that the tour was in August when everybody in Britain has their
holiday.Also that we were booked in strange venues like a bingo palour
for elderly men in Tonapandy in Wales,A gym in Stone,a country and
westernclub in Hereford,a Discoteque in BasiclyAjoke,sorry,
Basingstoke!But okay,I guess the tour was okay in some places,and as for
the personal level,I must say that this tour was the best so far when it
comes to the relationship with each other.We had a really close
experience of the famous British sick humour,that I even have with me
home on video.

After that tour you finally got to play at the big Popkomm fest in
Germany, I have the liveshow from there and it sounds like its magic in
the air, it must have felt incredible to play a show like this right?

 Yeah it really felt like a homecoming after the somewhat
"cold"British tour.That concert really blew me away,It was the first
time that I took a stagedive myself.I always dreamt of that.Imagine the
feeling when you throw yourself into the crowd and they "carry"you
around for a while and the back to the stage.Awesome feeling.We were
really lucky that night because all the fuses went off before we went on
stage.It took an hour for them to repair everything,and when it finally
was our time to go on stage they were really HOT!

In 1996 you came back with the album Messiah of confusion, after so many
fights with the label previous to that album how much inspiration did
you have in the studio to make that album, and do you feel you
progressed in the songwriting of that album compare to the earlier
albums?

Unfortunately we didnt have any inspiration at all.Craphound records
only confirmed the SAME DAY we went into the studio that the money for
the recordings was transfered.Imagine the people in the studio,waiting
for a confirmation and our embarrasment in front of them.Thank GOD it
was the final recording made for"The Satanic German Crapdogs Without Any
Braincells Left And Most Definitely Doomed To BURN IN HELL FOR ALL
ETERNITY!!!!".Oddly enough I think that the songs came out really
good.My favourite record has always been the "Destruction"album,and I
think that this one follows in its footsteps.
Also the recording were seriously infected by internal problems within
the band.Wilbur had had an imaginary affair with a witch from Germany
and had his mind all set for a tour because he was in love.When I(Dan)
couldnt be on the tour because of a court case that came up that had to
do with my handicapped childs right towards the state and that would
eventually change my entire future he went nuts and started to
  slag me off in the press calling me a liar e.t.c.I was so deeply hurt
that I left the band directly after the recording was finished.

In my opinion you are one of greatest songwriters that has arrived in
the Swedish heavy rock scene over the years, what is your inspiration
and motivation to write the way you do?

My total inspiration IS to bring out the TRUTH to people,since
everything that we have been taught in school,church,by
science,politicians,gouverments,media,history,e.t.c. has been NOTHING
BUT LIES!THE TRUTH IS REALLY OUT THERE!!!

Talking about the liveshows you have done over the years could you
please fill us in one bad and one good stage moment you have had in your
career?

Well there have been so many good live shows that it is hard to pick
just a few,but I guess some favourites are at Stuttgart on the "High
tour" with Alien Boys was one of them.Hawkwind had been on the same
stage the day before,so I kissed the ground where Dave Brock had
stand,and it was almost a religious experience to stand at the same spot
where he had and play and sing myself.This must have helped,because the
audience went nuts.Also Berlin was awesome.I have a bootleg tape from
that gig,and you can really hear the atmosphere.Another good gig was on
the "Destruction tour" with Stillborn in Zurich,Switzerland.Really good
crowd.Well there were several bad stage moments on the "Storwarning
tour" simply because Christian refused to sing in the right key in many
of our songs!!??

Finally looking back in the last 9 years you have been going on the
following you have created and the inspiration you have had on the
younger heavy rock acts of today, what is your opinion about all the
response you have recieved so far in your career?

Funny question really,because I have always said:Oh no,look at this
old farts making comments about the younger ones.And now I have to do
the same.Well what can I say except that we all are "out of this
world"happy and proud to have inspired so many new groups.It really is
something that I never believed earlier in my life that it would ever
happen.I think it is great that you take inspiration from someone else
and later take off on your own.Positive thing really.

By Gabriel Lilliehook