Stockholm’s Templar are one of the newest bands carrying Sweden’s heavy metal legacy forward with conviction. Formed in 2022, they’ve quickly built momentum through their Black Knight demo, the Treacherous Beast EP, and now their 2025 single “Trident” – all leading toward their upcoming full‑length Conquering Swords. With a sound rooted in classic metal, a clear visual identity, and a love for mythic storytelling, Templar are stepping into a defining chapter. We caught up with the band to talk origins, evolution, and what awaits in 2026.

Interview

TheNwothm: For anyone discovering Templar for the first time, how would you introduce the band and the spirit behind what you do?

Templar: We play Heavy Metal in the classic style, inspired a lot by the Swedish Heavy Metal scene of the 80s. Our objective has never been to be derivative though, but to create our own style inspired by those bands. But anyone who likes Heavy Load or early Europe will definitely feel right at home with our music.

TheNwothm: Take us back to 2022. What sparked the decision to form Templar, and what convinced each of you that this was the right moment to start something new?

Templar: Until around 2021, I had a band with a bunch of friends from high school. None of the others were quite as motivated to play Heavy Metal as I was, so it never really got anywhere and we eventually disbanded. So I decided to take the best songs from there and start Templar. That’s what became the Black Knight demo. Bringing in Teddy felt like a natural choice since we’d been friends for a long time and he didn’t have a band at the time. Alvin and Adam, who played on the demo, didn’t last very long and left for various reasons. I knew of Isak from before as our old bands had played together, so he felt like a good choice. Plus, he’s an incredible singer, his vocals are what makes the whole Treacherous Beast EP in my opinion. I had jammed a little with Mille in a previous band, so he also felt like a pretty natural choice to bring in.

TheNwothm: You are based in Stockholm, Sweden. What parts of the city feel most connected to the band’s identity?

Templar: We have our rehearsal place in Fridhemsplan, and there’s a bar there called Teodoras which we often gather at and drink beer before and after rehearsal. Funnily enough only one of us actually live in the city, with the rest of us living outside of Stockholm.

TheNwothm: The Swedish heavy metal scene is thriving! Who are you personal favourite bands from the scene and who have you particularly enjoyed sharing a stage with?

Templar:  Century is the best current band in my opinion. They do everything right, their sound and image is just perfect. We’ve also played with them, we opened for them when they did their release show for their latest album. Very nice guys. Other than that Helvetets Port is also a favorite of mine.

TheNwothm: What do you think of the current state of the trad metal movement? And do you think it honours its routes or evolved too much?

Templar: For me Heavy Metal is a timeless genre, and I prefer to just call it Heavy Metal. To me “traditional” or “old-school” Heavy Metal implies that it is imitating something older, and that it is “set” in a certain period of time, if you get what I mean. You wouldn’t call a band playing jazz “old school jazz”, nor an orchestra playing classical music as “old school classical”. With that being said, I think there are a lot of good bands nowadays that play real Heavy Metal, some more “evolved” than others. I don’t think evolving is necessarily a bad thing, it really depends on what you do with it. Hällas is a great example of a band where they honor their roots but still sound very unique.

TheNwothm: You have a strong brand, with your image, your powerful name and great music. Do you believe it is important to sell yourself especially if you want to get far in music?

Templar: I think having an image draws people in. It is not a coincidence that KISS has become as big as they have, their image is instantly recognizable. It shows the listeners that we are not afraid to take ourselves seriously. We also live in an era where everything is supposed to have ironic undertones, and people seem to be afraid of earnest expression. We want to be something different than that. 

TheNwothm: Your themes revolve around mythology, fantasy and history. Are there particular Swedish myths or historical moments that have found their way into your writing?

Templar: I’ve been wanting to write about Norse mythology for a while but we have not really done it yet. When we’ve referenced mythology in our writing it has been more of Roman and Greek mythology, like with “Trident”.

TheNwothm: Thinking back, your first release was the 2023 demo Black Knight. What do you remember most vividly about creating that first recording?

Templar: What I remember best was the frustrating recording process. It was all done in my friend’s rehearsal space with only three microphones, with a sound card hooked up to a laptop. Definitely no professional work environment, haha.

TheNwothm: “Treacherous Beast” arrived later in 2024 as an EP. What story or atmosphere were you aiming to capture across those songs? And do you feel it was a natural evolution from your demo?

Templar: We changed a lot between the demo and “Treacherous Beast”, to the point where it almost sounds like a completely different band. And it almost is, as we replaced two band members and Teddy switched over to guitar from bass. The song lyrics are very classical fantasy storytelling. 

TheNwothm: “Trident” followed in 2025. What was the creative spark behind that single, and how did it come together in the studio? Is it a taster of your upcoming album or a standalone single?

Templar: “Trident” is going to be on the upcoming album, opening the B-side of the vinyl. The original song is actually from the 80s, as it’s originally by Mille’s dads old band, which was called Trident. They never released anything with that band, so we sort of inherited the song and did our own take on it.

TheNwothm: Your upcoming full length “Conquering Swords” is set for 2026. What can you share about the themes or ideas that shaped this record?

Templar: Like with the songs on “Treacherous Beast”, we like to tell stories with our songs, often very fantasy inspired. Sometimes it’s our own stories and sometimes it’s about a book or a movie. Overall often mystical and heroic themes. “Excalibur” for example is about the Arthurian legend.