Hi Exploders, are you ready for a questions & answers round with four cool Scandinavian rockers? Percy Mejhagen (voice and guitars), Robert Monegrim (guitars), Anders Sevebo (bass) and Robin Lagerqvist (drums), are ready to conquer us from their frozen Sweden. We couldn't help it anyway, considering such a monicker! Ladies and gentlemen, here you are CellOut!

Hi guys, we're very pleased to have you here on The Rock Explosion to ask something about you. How and when did you meet and decide to form the band? Tell us about your previous musical experiences: if i'm not wrong Anders was part of BackDraft.
Percy: I played in a Foo Fighters influenced band called The Shopliftingangels. We played live on a radio show and Robert heard it and contacted me and asked if i would be interested in helping him out on a few tracks. Of course I was, cause the music was banging! We found Anders through an ad and the same with Robin.
Anders: That´s right, I was in the first lineup of Backdraft (at that time named Morningwood). That was me on bass, Trizze on drums, Jonas on vocals, Rob and Snejken on guitars. I left the band when the musical direction was going from Sabbath kind of music to southern rock, southern rock and big beards wasn´t really my thing (laughs). We are still great friends, Infact Trizze and I are neighburs. It´s kind of sad that Jonas is no longer in the band because I thought he really was a big part of the Backdraft sound. The new stuff with Greg doesn´t sound that great.

Why did you choose CellOut as name of the band?
Percy: Well, the band name is an important thing and I came up with that name while boozing with some friends. Selling out is the worst thing a band can do and to spell it with a "C" makes it a lille more exciting! (Laughs)

I listened to your self titled EP and I thought that your sound is a mix between different metal styles with a good melodic attitude. In general, which bands of the past did influence you deeply, since the beginning of your career? Use your words to describe CellOut sound.
Percy: I´m very influenced by Deftones, you may not always hear it in my songs but I´ll try to have different or weird chord changes every now and then just to make the songs a little more interesting..
Anders: I don´t really write songs but bands that had influenced me and my playing are to many to mention but I give you a couple of bassplayers that I really like, Mike Starr (Alice In Chains), Hal Patino (King Diamond), Nikki Sixx (Crue, for attitude and beeing the ultimate rockstar)

Let's start a track by track about your 4 tracks EP. Describe your sound and content lyrics and songwriting approach to our readers.
Percy: I usually sit at home with my guitar and a shitty taperecorder and tape riffs and glue them together. Then I bring the song to Robert and we sit down and record it digitaly on his computer. Everything is live except the drums which are programed. "Superstar" is our first promo, so we knew that we wanted a aggresive yet catchy vibe to it. To us the chorus is the most importand thing in the song and it is very importand that it sticks, you know. Just whats right was basicly a full throttle kick ass song, and is nothing more, really! (laughs). "The Dirt Inside" is more of a melody based song, there is really no riff just cool chord changes and a totally awesome chorus. "So Damn Real" is our show closer, our fans love it and eventhough it is one of our oldest songs it is still kicking and fun to play. The closing song is a cool sounding tune and eventhough people say it's a ballad I would call it a metal tune draped in roses (laughs).

Who's in your opinion the superstar prototype for excellence? I want to know the reason why.
Anders: Ehh, We are! (laughs)

Which are your plans for the next future, do you want to give to us some anticipations? Did you receive some proposals from some labels?
Anders: We would love to get a support slot on a tour but it´s hard for an unsigned band. Some things are infact in the works but I can´t tell you right now because it´s not 100% sure so keep your fingers crossed. Yes we have been offered some proposals from record companies but we have turned them down because it didn´t feel like the right labels. We still looking for the right label that belive in us and want´s to give the band the support we need.

Now I want to know something about your gigs. In your opinion, which is the best and the worst concerts in your career? Can you tell us something about them?
Anders: Remember that CellOut has only existed less than a year as a band so there isn´t that many shows been done, that is there are not so many stories. But a highlight was when we played a club here in Stockholm on a Wednesday night. We didn´t expect anyone to show up but when we hit the stage the club was sold out, that was cool as fuck.

What do you usually do before going on stage? Do you have any particular usage or kind of spell against bad luck?
Anders: Nothing special like sacrifice a goat or anything like that. Just boring stuff like tuneing guitars and getting prepared for the show plus going to the toilet...

Which have been the the happiest and the saddest moments since the beginning of your music career? Never thought to give up?
Anders: Happiest, joining this band, this band fits me like a glove. Lowpoint, the band I was in before CellOut. Not musicwise or memberwise, just a very sad story that happened outside of the band that involded members in the band. I´m not going into what happened here, but the whole story is very sad.
I really was thinking of giving up music after that band but I´m relly happy I didn´t, CellOut saved me from retirement (smiles).

Which bands are you listening to recently? There's some cool Swedish band that you want mention to our readers?
Anders: I really listen alot to radio and can´t really say there is any specific bands that I´m listening to. I can give you a couple of my favorites at the moment, Slipknot, Papa Roach, Alice In Chains & Queensryche. Swedish bands worth checking out: Entombed, The Haunted, Misery Loves Co., Hellfuled. Demo bands: Source Of Ignition, AMP, Subcyde etc. Like you said there are quite a few great swedish band out there.

What do you think about the following old bands reunions:
Twisted Sister:
Anders: I don´t really know what to say about that, the people that I know that have seen them say it sucks. And why re-record "Stay Hungry"? I guess this reunion sucks.
Judas Priest with Rob Halford:
Anders: Great, I have waited for this for a loong time, Ripper did a great job but it wasn´t Priest without Rob!
Iggy Pop with The Stooges:
Anders: Don´t listen to them so...
Iron Maiden with Bruce Dickinson:
Anders: Blaze Bailey was a joke and still is. Maiden are, Bruce, Steve, Dave, Adrian & Nico. Btw, kick Janick out of the band now!
and obiouvsly... Duran Duran (laughs):
Anders: Great band (laughs)

Choose between these 2 options:
Making music for passion gaining money or making music for money and fame:
Anders: Passion what else? If you make some money that's great.
Taking back the Holy Metal Flames just for passion or just for money (maybe I'm thinking to Manowar...):
Anders: Manowar is a joke, aren´t they?
Metal can be a trend or when Metal becomes a trend it isn't Metal:
Anders: Who sets the trends? MTV? They don´t even play metal (sobs)
Testament or Slayer:
Anders: Slipknot
Alex Skolnik or Marty Friedman:
Anders: Marty Friedman
Metal pro Bush or Metal against Bush:
Anders: Doesn´t have to be metal, all artists against Bush are good.

Fave top five albums, fave books, fave movies and fav pornstar!
Anders: My top five album changes all the time, so I'll write down what I listen to now: Alice In Chains with "Dirt" and "Facelift"; Slipknot with "Iowa", Papa Roach with "Getting Away With Murder" and Meshuggah with "Destroy Erase Improve". Concerning books: I have to say I don´t usually read books, so that one is hard, I give you three ok? So: "The Dirt" (Motley Crue Biography); I Don´t Lie About Rock´n Roll (by former EMA Telstar, a swedish concert promotor and worker Tommy Ahlén about his work as a promotor. And finally "The Shawshank Redemption". Fav movies are "American Pie" 1 and 2, "Memento", "The Bourne Identity" and "Spinal Tap" (the movie). The hottest pornstars for me are: Hannah Harper, Angelica Bella, Tori Welles (back in the days), Jenna Jameson and Catalina Cruz.

What do you think about internet, exchanging of mp3 songs and the webzines? Are you pro or against them?
Anders: That´s a really hard question, personally I don´t download music but that just because I suck at computers (laughs). Seriously, I think it´s wounderful for unsigned bands to promote their own bands on internet but when you get signed you got to get payed somehow. Touring costs alot of money and you got a very small procent from the recordsales and it´s impossible to have a normal work on the side because the band takes alot of time. You gotta pay the bills somehow, so it´s a really hard question. I love webzines, they are usually done by harcore musicfans and they are great for unsigned & signed bands, so I give the webzines both thumbs up!

What is the craziest thing ever done in your life?
Anders: I really don´t know, hmmm, that´s a hard question!

Which is the greatest dream you would like to realize in your career?
Anders: To play the Olymic Stadium in Stockholm with CellOut.

Ok guys, the interview is over. Thanx for the cooperation and I give you permissions to write everything you want!
Anders: Thanks Bruno & The Rock Explosion for your interest in our band and to everyone reading this and supporting us, you guys means alot to us. Please check our website (www.celloutonline.com) for news and other CellOut info. While you're there please sign our guestbook and download some songs and buy a t-shirt!

Intervista realizzata da Bruno Rossi
Traduzione di Kendy K. from SNAKEBITE
Margherita Realmonte