In Sweden keeping the fires burning and the steel hot is a five piece that know how to bring the metal! Helvetets Port is another fine example of some of the best Swedish heavy metal out there and we were lucky enough to catch them for an interview!
THE NWOTHM: For those who do not know who you are, can you tell us your band name, who is in the band and where you are from?
We are Helvetets Port which is Swedish for Hell’s Gate. The band consists of Witchfinder (vocals), O. Thunder (drums), K. Lightning (guitars), Virgin Killer (guitars) and Earthquake (bass).
THE NWOTHM: How did the band form and is there any interesting story surrounding its formation?
H.P: It started out as a one man project in 2001 after my two man project (Brute Force) had fizzled out. I kept the few songs we had and eventually presented them to O. Thunder in 2003 and we decided to turn this thing into a band. We found a bassist (actually initially guitarist) in Inquisitor and we remained a trio until 2007 when K. Lightning joined. Becoming a five piece band didn’t happen until 2015 when Virgin Killer joined on guitar instead of me, as I had injured my arm. We then decided to go on in that particular constellation. In 2018 Inquisitor was replaced by Earthquake on bass.
One funny story about the formation was when we were going to meet up with Inquisitor for the very first time after him joining. Us having a bit of … gallows humor we thought about greeting him as he got off the train with his guitar case on his back, and push him over – him not being able to maintain balance partially due to the guitar case dragging him down – and say: “Did you really think so, huh?” Of course we didn’t do it but we told him about it, and we all laughed about it for years to come. Our jokes often seem to revolve around meeting maximum niceness with maximum nastiness, something you can freely joke about when being actually nice guys.
THE NWOTHM: Since the bands formation what big milestones have you achieved?
H.P: Apart from releasing records, I would say that what I am most proud of and most glad for having left for posterity, are the music videos for Lightning Rod Avenger and Ruled with an Iron Hand. I think a well made music video is basically the most significant and fun thing one can do as a band.
THE NWOTHM: Can you tell us any fun/ interesting facts about the members of the band?
H.P: After me and O. Thunder the subsequent band members have all been people who he knew, so it hasn’t been a case of us finding members through the Internet, which is perhaps unusual in this millennium. On the other hand we all live far apart (hence the slowness of our actions sometimes). It’s a band comprised of the right people for what we stand for. It takes a particular kind of person to be in Helvetets Port.
THE NWOTHM: What bands and artists have influenced you and helped you to carve your sound?
I will list what particular areas the bands have influenced after I mention their names. Even though some of the things they have influenced aren’t key parts to our music, it has been done once or twice. In the very beginning the main influences were Gotham City (tonality) and Heavy Load (striving to have strong dramatic verses), and Gotham City has remained a constant major influence. Other bands include Tyrant from Gloucester, UK (medieval touch), Tyrant from Mansfield, UK (medieval touch), Kim Sixx (relations/ratio between riffs and guitar doodles and their very feeling), Rising (ending a song with an unexpected part), Witch Cross (general inspiration when it comes to an 80s feeling), Tokyo Blade (E minor neon lights feeling), Overkill from Winnenden, Germany (uncompromisingness), Witchkiller (genre trueness), Jonah Quizz (sound), Nightmare (melancholy) etc.
THE NWOTHM: Can you tell us about your most recent release(s) and any background information to the music? How did the songs come about?
Our latest album, From Life … to Death from 2019 was many years in the making. We hadn’t released anything since 2010 and had been on a hiatus for a couple of years, but there had not been any shortage of song ideas. So with that album it became no less than 14 songs in the form of a double LP. The songs were written or conceived from as far back as 2001 up until a couple of years before the release. We wanted the music on that album to be a bit more epic, melancholic and shifting than our previous output.
THE NWOTHM: What shows have you got coming up for 2023? Any major performances you would like to highlight?
No, we don’t have any shows booked for 2023. We have been busy recording an upcoming album and with our geographical locations it’s difficult to do both at the same time unfortunately.
THE NWOTHM: What do you hope to achieve this year?
H.P: We hope to finish the album work and start making a new music video. I don’t really know the current waiting time for the vinyl pressing, hopefully it’s not as extreme as it has been the past few years. And hopefully start preparing for future shows with new material.
THE NWOTHM: Where can people check you out on social media and buy your music/merch?
H.P: I wish I could point to a mail order catalogue or a physical fan club, but alas, we have succumbed to the times and we exist on facebook at facebook.com/helvetetsport and @helvetetsport on Instagram. We also have a channel on Youtube: youtube.com/@HelvetetsPort
THE NWOTHM: is there any thing else you would like to mention?
H.P: Since this page is for NWOTHM, your readers might appreciate a video documentary that we were featured in which covers that movement:
NEW WAVE OF METAL • A Heavy Metal Documentary (NWOTHM)
Thanks again for your time and all the very best for 2023!
H.P: Thank you. Loose metal flows forward with the times, hardened metal stands still and firm!
@helvetetsport @highrollerrecords #helvetetsport #highrollerrecords
The Nwothm 
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