Sweden has long been a hotbed for heavy metal, and few bands embody the spirit of the scene quite like Viral. Hailing from the city of Linköping—a place that’s already left a major mark on the global metal map—Viral have been forging their path since 2012 with a powerful blend of traditional heavy metal, razor-sharp riffs, and a deep love for storytelling. With roots grounded in the old-school, yet eyes set firmly on the horizon, their sound is both a tribute and a statement of intent.

In this exclusive interview with The NWOTHM, the members of Viral take us through their journey—from humble beginnings and early demos to their upcoming concept-driven album. Along the way, we get a peek behind the curtain at the stories, gear, inspirations, and the tightly-knit community that drives them forward.

Interview

TheNwothm: Hey there Viral how are you doing? Please can you introduce the band and where you are from?

Viral: Thank you, we are doing pretty well. It’s always fun times working towards a release. A lot of work, but fun work!

We are a heavy metal band from Sweden. Our roots are mainly traditional heavy metal and we are all about the riffs and the melodies. We do not shy away from our influences and inspirations but rather display them proudly. Some of us do come from heavier musical backgrounds, so we try to mix that in as well in interesting ways.

We also love storytelling and have a big love for the metal community. The metal community is the most warm, welcoming happy bunch of people even in the most wild mosh pits. That’s why metal is never going to fade away.

TheNwothm:How did you guys originally come together as a band back in 2012?

Viral: From the beginning Albin (Vocalist) and Larri (Guitarist) were trying to just find like minded people to jam and basically learn to play as a band. Through a local web ad they found Marcus who likewise was trying to find someone to jam with. From there chemistry was found between us and we started to write our own songs (with a bit of trial and error). 

Viral: At this point in time none of us were much experienced writing music or playing music as a band. After a couple of years and playing a few shows locally in our hometown we snatched up both Christian (bass player) and Linus (drummer) in 2017 and that’s when we started to work harder towards our debut Album. Both of those guys are a creative force and also had more experience with previous projects.

TheNwothm: The name Viral is pretty striking—what’s the story behind choosing it?

Viral: It’s actually pretty funny how things turned out. We know that we wanted a short and memorable band name that could become a pointy logo that screams heavy metal. The name was chosen some time before the term “viral video” was ever a thing. Little did we know it would become a word like it has now. It also felt a bit weird releasing a self titled album in 2021 in the midst of a worldwide pandemic called Viral. But that was our reference back in 2012 when it was chosen. Viral, something that spreads like a virus. A bit sinister, like heavy metal should be! It leaves room for interpretation, as it doesn’t define itself to a specific premise.

TheNwothm: Being based in Linköping, Sweden, how has your hometown or Swedish culture shaped your music or identity as a band?

Viral: Sweden has a lot going for it when it comes to musical culture. We can only speculate just as many have done before us. But we do know easy access to rehearsal spaces and the cold seasons have a lot to do with it. We did start our journey in the same time frame as a lot of other great acts that sure inspired us. We love to see the success of other local bands such as Enforcer, Ambush, Screamer to name a few. Of course Ghost as well (also from Linköping) who is now among the biggest in the world.

TheNwothm: Sweden has a rich metal scene—what’s it like being a part of that legacy?

Viral: It’s lovely! We do love to attend shows ourselves and meet up with other bands playing shows together in Sweden. Almost always there’s a really nice sense of brotherhood/sisterhood and support between bands. It makes us really proud being a part of the legacy! We’re just trying to have as much fun as we can doing it!

TheNwothm: Let’s talk about your music releases. Your journey started with the 2016 Viral demo—what do you remember most about making that?

Viral: Mostly that it was a learning experience. We really didn’t know how exactly to go about it or what you usually do when recording. The recording lacked experience and know-how, but it did come from the heart and was the first step to something greater. It wasn’t recorded anywhere fancy, it wasn’t very well-produced, but it was a humble beginning and we all have to start somewhere.

TheNwothm: Did you already have an idea about the direction you wanted to take your sound at that time?

Viral: We knew what kind of music we wanted to celebrate. We wanted to sound like we came straight out of the 80’s but with a slightly clearer production. The NWOBHM-movement has produced some of the most amazing songs there are out there, but it is not uncommon for the production to be rough. 

We still aim to bring back the slightly polished yet still raw sound from the 80s now. This time with a more diverse set of influences and more mature songwriting.

TheNwothm: Then came your 2021 self-titled full-length album—what did you want to achieve or explore with that record?

Viral: I would say that the debut album is the collection of songs that had accumulated for many years. It was all our best riffs, solos, fills and bass runs we had planned out for us. The album was us, a group of fun-loving metalheads, learning how to do an album for the first time and to make our vision a reality. We do still love it, it’s where we came from and it’s a beautiful thing to see the evolution that is Viral right in front of us today. 

What we did explore with the debut album is how important song order and pacing is in an album. What keeps you as a listener staying for the next song. We learned that there’s still a dedicated audience out there that enjoys the same things we do. We figured out how hard producing and distributing music can be as we did it all ourselves, and what we needed to take it to the next level. 

TheNwothm: Can you tell us about the writing and recording process and what tracks are your favourites?

Viral: A large portion of the debut album was written pretty early in Viral’s history and mainly by Larri. As the jams in the beginning went on, riffs from other members were added and slowly formed what is our first record. Viral has never been about covers, it has been all about creating from the get go. The creative part and playing live is the best part of playing in a band. The recording of our debut album was done mostly in rehearsal spaces over quite a period of time which made the process a bit painful. Probably mostly because more time was spent micing the guitar cabs properly than actually recording the album. It came together in the end though!

Machine was the first song written and it is still a classic for us and a favourite in that way. It was basically done even before the project started in 2012. Scarred is also one of the favs since it sets a good tempo for the record and we have started many shows with that song. It also incorporates the thrash-nerve we like to add from time to time to get things going. 

TheNwothm: How do you feel it progressed from the EP?

Viral: If you are referring to the demos from 2016 it was mostly a change in the mindset of creating an album as a complete entity, to establish a sound to evolve from. We also realised it was time to get some experienced hands involved with the recording. This is when we first got in touch with Niels Nielsen helping us with the mix and master of the debut record. Niels is now busy touring with In Flames and MCC in between studio sessions. 

The collaboration with Niels continues with the new album as well. Drums, rhythm guitars, bass are all recorded live in a studio with him. He has also done mixing and mastering on this one. 

TheNwothm: Outside of music, what do you guys enjoy doing when you’re not rehearsing or on stage?

Viral:

Marcus: Writing new riffs! Does that count as rehearsing? I like to carve wooden figures. Although an amateur I try to keep my hands busy creating stuff in one way or another. It keeps my mind sane. A lot of time is spent with family too.

Christian: Books, books, and more books! Primarily sociological books and all kinds of novels. Apart from that, I also record death and black metal as a side project, under the name “The Breaching Experiment”. 

Larri: Is writing new riffs already taken? Rats! Well then, I do enjoy tending to shows and festivals. I also love video gaming, and I’d say retro video games have been a great inspiration of mine musically speaking. I like to work out and to study the natural sciences, philosophy and psychology.

Linus: At home I’m a real cat dad, enjoying cooking and collecting vinyls. I’m also busy drumming in Mindless Sinner. 

Albin: A lot of time is spent with family and singing in different projects. Right now I’m a part of a choir performing an arrangement of We will rock you set up in large arenas across Sweden. I’m also arranging a festival every summer focused on rock/metal. 

TheNwothm: If each of you could collaborate with one artist (alive or dead), who would it be and why?

Viral:

Marcus: Gary Holt, I would first like to have a guitar tone workshop and then create the most sinister riffs. Other than that he seems to just be a fun dude to be around. 

Christian: Entombed, definitely. And Mayhem would be awesome to play with! Also, just peeking into the Motown studio in its heyday would be fun. 

Larri: It is easy to pick out of the big ones – Metallica, Megadeth, Saxon, Iron Maiden… all of the classics. But I find great joy in exploring the current NWOTHM-scene, and would consider myself an eager explorer. So I would like to honor our current metalhead champions – Paladin, Steelwing, Traveler, Gygax, Blackslash, Witchtower, Pounder, Trotoar, Malison, Skull Fist, Sin Starlett, Doctor Smoke… the list goes on. I couldn’t possibly choose just one because they are just too damn good.

TheNwothm: You have recently put out a new song called “Lilith” from your upcoming studio album? What can you tell us about the song?

Viral: The song is part of a larger concept album that tells a complete story. This particular track recounts the crew’s chilling hearsay about Lilith, the night demon, descending from the heavens through a howling storm. It leaves room for speculation: is Lilith merely a myth, a case of sleep paralysis, or is the crew truly possessed, haunted, and hunted by this unforgiving entity? We aim to convey the weight and horror as the crew presses on through a hostile and unforgiving environment. Our drummer, Linus, was the lead writer on this track and the riffs, along with the 80s references, are both abundant and unmistakable.

TheNwothm: Before the record is released are you planning on releasing any other songs as singles?

Viral: Yes! A total of 3 songs will be released as singles. “The Sage” is a melodic homage to rough and real heavy metal. It’s a bit faster and has a lot of cool transitions in its journey. Lastly, we will release “Oceans” which can come across as a bit unusual for a single. It is a quite long, epic, groovy, dark and melodic song that concludes the tale of The Merchant. The song also features guest vocals from a local hero of ours (and the metal community). It is a surprising track in many ways and we’re really excited to get these songs out there!

TheNwothm: Speaking about the new album what teasers can you give to fans? 

Viral: As a whole it’s a bit darker than the previous album. It’s still classic Viral but with a more diverse selection of songs and grooves. It has a little bit more of everything, and we have cleaned things up quite significantly. We have really captured our energy by live studio recording, and this time the album has a complete story to tell for the one who is willing to listen.

TheNwothm: What kind of themes both musically and lyrically will you be exploring on the record?

Viral: The upcoming album will entail 

TheNwothm: What’s your go-to gear on stage or in the studio? Any favourite guitars, amps, or pedals you swear by?

Viral: We love amps. For guitar amps we use Marshalls JVM 410H and JVM205H both live and in the studio. You just can’t go wrong with those in any metal context. Marcus main guitar is a modded Gibson Flying V. Larri has a custom strat shape with Lundgren pickups as his main guitar. We do have a bunch of pedals too but it’s more a necessary evil sometimes. 

TheNwothm: Any upcoming tour plans—either in Sweden or abroad?

Viral: We’ll have to come back on this as plans are still in the works! We will play a release show in our hometown Linköping close to the release. 

TheNwothm: Is there a dream venue or festival you’d love to play one day?

Viral: Wacken! We do love well arranged smaller festivals in remote places as well though. Often created by people who do it for the love of music! Our Vocalist Albin arranges one of his own, deep in the Swedish forest called SkogsRårocken.