Interview | Niklas ‘Viper’ Stalvind of WOLF
Swedish metal rock band Wolf, formed in 1995 and to this day, the band has had only one goal: to make kick-ass, honest, grab-you-in-the-nuts heavy metal! After releasing their debut album, ‘Wolf‘ back in 2000, the band toured relentlessly and destroyed the major festivals, gaining them more and more followers and success. In 2002, the album ‘Black Wings‘ saw the light of day and songs like ‘Venom’ and ‘Genocide’ quickly became live favorites, and still are to this day. After touring with the likes of Saxon, Nocturnal Rites, Edguy and many more, Wolf set out to write and record the album that would set them apart from others in their genre by developing their own sound even further towards metallic excellence.
Evil Star
The album, ‘Evil Star‘, was released in 2004 and with the help of the title track, along with the video for ‘Wolf’s Blood’ (see video below) the band grabbed the attention of metal media and die-hard heavy metal fans around the world. Wolf became a rising star purely by their tenacity and love for their music. Not to mention the brilliance of their musical talent. The success of ‘Evil Star‘ brought the band to the USA for the second time in their career.
In 2005, Wolf’s success gained the interest of Century Media Records who released the 2006 album ‘The Black Flame’. In support of this new effort, Wolf hit the road with the likes of The Haunted, Trivium and Municipal Waste among others, as well as conquered such festivals as Sweden Rock Festival (which was recorded and aired by Swedish national radio), Bang Your Head, Bloodstock UK, Headbanger’s Open Air and more.
Wolf
The video for the track ‘I Will Kill Again’ achieved regular rotation on many TV stations; at least after director Owe Lingvall had created a censored version because the original had way too much blood! Songs like ‘The Bite’, ‘Steel-Winged Savage Reaper’ and ‘At the Graveyard’ also received heavy rotation on radio shows such as Bruce Dickinson’s Friday Rock Show, Total Rock Radio UK, P3 Rock Sweden, numerous US shows and many more.
Line-up changes caused a slight set back for the band in late 2007, but after recruiting Anders ‘Tornado’ Modd on bass and Richard ‘Raptor’ Holmgren on drums alongside members Johannes ‘Axe’ Axeman on guitar and backing vocals & Niklas ‘Viper’ Stålvind on guitar and lead vocals, the band’s desire for pure metal exploded with refueled energy and they started writing new songs and playing live again. “The energy we get from playing live is indescribable. We give 666% every time and we leave nothing to wish for. We hate watching bands that stand still and have no connection to the audience” says the band.
Ravenous
Their latest album ‘Ravenous‘ was recorded with highly acclaimed producer Roy Z. Roy, known for his work with Judas Priest, Bruce Dickinson, Helloween, Halford, Malmsteen and many more. The band immediately knew that he was the man for the job. “The recording was a delight as we knew Roy is a fan of Wolf and also such a kick ass producer/musician that he managed to bring out the be(a)st in us”, comments the band. Having Hank Shermann (Force of Evil, Mercyful Fate) and Marc Boals (ex-Malmsteen) make guest appearances on the album really adds to the flavor of what is a delicious buffet filled with true heavy metal carnage. The album cover was done by long-time Wolf cover artist Thomas Holm.
I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Niklas Stalvind on my show The Rockphiles to find out a little bit more about WOLF and what makes them such an amazing metal band. To hear my interview with Niklas click the play button below.
Click The Play Button Below To Listen
Click Here To Download The Interview
Current Members:
Niklas ‘Viper’ Stålvind – Vocals/Guitar
Johannes ‘Axe’ Axeman – Guitar/Backing Vocals
Anders ‘Tornado’ Modd – Bass Guitar
Richard ‘Raptor’ Holmgren – Drums
Studio Albums:
Wolf
Black Wings
Evil Star
The Black Flame
Ravenous
Check out their official website here or their myspace page here.
10 Responses to “Interview | Niklas ‘Viper’ Stalvind of WOLF”
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Hey Ian,
I couldn’t agree more. WOLF is one of my current favorite bands that everyone who loves kick ass metal should hear. Thanks for the comment, glad you enjoyed the interview. I can’t wait for their next record.
Hey mate, that interview with Wolf was absolutely brilliant. I can’t believe that these guys still have to work full time. C’mon everyone, this music is to the 21st Century what Maiden and Priest were to the 20th. Wolf are a fantastic band with a unique sound.
Wolf are an amazing band, who I have had the pleasure to interview 3 times now and even danced on stage wearing a Wolf mask in Nottingham UK. These guys should be huge and if it were the 80’s they would be. We at metalgodstv.com love them!!!!
Mike,
Thanks for a small peek into what it’s like to hang (no hangover pun intended) with an awesome band like WOLF. Somehow we need to get them to the U.S. Are their any millionaire Metalheads out there listening?
Thanks ST for the great interview with Nik. Not only are they a great band but great guys as well. I’ve had the pleasure (or is that pain, in the way of hangovers) to perform and hang with the guys a few times. They are true fans of metal and their music strengthens that belief. Love the site and you made a regular visitor. Keep the torch burning and all the best.
Thanks for the listen Lorn. You are right, Niklas is a real class act and a genuine human being. And he writes incredible kick ass metal music. We need a WOLF tour in the U.S.
Thanks so much for the interview! Great job, man. Wolf are incredible! One of the best bands out there doing traditional metal, and just one of the best bands period. I own all their albums. Niklas Stalvind comes off as a great guy in the interviews I’ve heard, a real fan of metal himself and a true believer. Wolf’s songs are the kind of songs you remember. They know what they are doing. Long Live WOLF!!! WOLF FUCKING RULE!
Wolf rule.
Thanks for listening to the interview Jo Speed, I love WOLF also, they are an amazing Heavy Metal band.
Excellent interview – LOVE Wolf!!!!