Evergrey, the Swedish lords of melancholy, true to their appointment with their fans, return in a few days with their 15th full-length album titled “Architects of a New Weave.” We had the opportunity and pleasure to speak with Johan Niemann, the band’s bassist, about the album as well as Evergrey’s overall journey over all these years (watch the interview here!!).

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Metalwar: So, hello my fellow Metalheads. Welcome to Metalwar and our YouTube channel. My name is Kostas Boudoukos and today I have the honor and privilege to talk Tof speaking with Johan Niemann, bass player of Evergrey. Welcome Johan and thank you for your time.

Johan Niemann: Thank you, thank you for having me.

Metalwar: First of all, congratulations on your upcoming 15th studio album, “Architects of a New Weave”. I received the promo yesterday and had the chance to listen to the album. I really enjoyed it. So, to begin, I’d like to ask about the creative process behind this record. What happened during those two years between “Theories of Emptiness” and “Architects of a New Weave”, and what do you think are the biggest differences between the two albums?

J.N: Well, the biggest difference compared to Theories of Emptiness was that Jonas Ekdal was heavily involved in that album — not only on drums, but also in the co-production, arrangements, and overall creative process. Since he left the band, he obviously wasn’t part of this record, so a lot of those responsibilities ended up falling on me this time around.

I spent a lot of time with Tom, meeting several times a week, going through the songs, listening to ideas, and working on arrangements and details together. Vikram Shankar was also very involved in that process, so overall it became a really strong collaborative effort.

In the end, it was a very good experience and a great collaboration between all of us.

Metalwar: You mentioned in previous interviews that choosing the singles for this album was incredibly difficult because every song felt strong enough to stand on its own. In the end, you released “Architects of a New Wave,” “The World Is on Fire,” and “Leaving the Emptiness.” What made those songs stand out compared to the rest of the album?

J.N.: Honestly, I can’t really tell. it was really difficult to choose the singles for this album because we approached the songwriting process differently this time.

Tom wanted us to focus on the choruses first. The idea was that if we could come up with ten really strong choruses, then we could build the songs around them — which makes sense, because the chorus is usually the emotional and melodic centerpiece of a song.

So once the album was finished, we genuinely felt that every song had the potential to be a single. In the end, we simply voted on it, but even then we couldn’t fully agree on which tracks should represent the album first.

To be honest, I wasn’t completely sure about releasing “Leaving the Emptiness” as a single, but it turned out to be the right decision because people really connected with that song immediately. So I was happy to be proven wrong.

At the end of the day, we just trusted the democratic process within the band and went with the songs that felt right collectively.

Metalwar: Reading the lyrics of your new songs, I realized that you use the phrase “where chaos meets order” in a couple of songs, if I’m not mistaken. Is it something that defines the theme of this album? And in general, what is the lyrical approach for “Architects of a New Wave”?

J.N.: Well, if there is one central theme running through the album, it’s probably the idea of finding your own path in life and learning to become the captain of your own ship — or, in other words, the architect of your own life.

The album is really about finding the strength to confront your problems, your fears, or your inner demons, whatever form they may take. It’s also about realizing that, in the end, nobody else can truly do that work for you. You have to face those struggles yourself and find your own way forward.

Metalwar: One of my favorite songs from this album is “A Burning Flame” in which you collaborate with Mikael Stanne from Dark Tranquility. How did this collaboration happen and what does his really unique vocal contribution bring to the standard EVERGREY atmosphere?

J.N.: We absolutely loved the CEMETERY SKYLINE album (“Nordic Gothic”) — and we still do. I honestly think it’s one of the best releases of the last few years. Mikael did a fantastic job on that record, and when we started discussing the possibility of having a guest vocalist on one of the songs, he immediately came to mind.

What interested us most wasn’t necessarily the heavier side of his voice. I think the obvious choice would have been to ask him to do growls on a heavier section, because that’s what people would naturally expect from Mikael Stanne in a guest appearance.

But instead, we wanted to capture more of the atmosphere and emotional tone he brings in CEMETERY SKYLINE — that darker, melodic, emotional vibe. And I think he absolutely nailed it on the song.

Mikael is an incredible artist, but also an extremely busy person, so we were really happy that we managed to find a few days in his schedule to make the collaboration happen.

Metalwar: Regarding that, your collaboration with Mikael, I mean, I must say that it is amazing how tight and supportive with each other are the bands and the artists from the Gothenburg area. How important do you think that this solidarity in general is for metal bands?

J.N.: Yeah, I think it’s extremely important for bands and artists to support one another and lift each other up instead of constantly competing against each other.

I believe that, as musicians get older and spend more years in the scene, they start to realize how valuable that sense of community really is. When you’re younger — maybe 15, 16, 17 years old and starting your first band — you naturally want to prove that you’re the best. You want to outplay everyone and show what you can do. That mindset is very common when you’re young.

But after a while, you understand that none of that really matters in the long run. What matters is the camaraderie — the brotherhood and sisterhood within the scene — because everyone benefits when people support each other.

That’s one of the great things about the metal community. We get to know other bands through festivals, tours, and shared experiences. A few years ago, we toured with DARK TRANQUILLITY for a couple of weeks during the summer, and it was an amazing experience. Sharing a bus with those guys was incredible.

And honestly, moments like that only happen when people stop seeing each other as rivals and start treating each other with respect and support.

Metalwar: EVERGREY has been shaping the progressive/melancholic metal scene for over 30 years. Looking back at your early days, like “The Dark Discovery” era, you used a more raw, visceral approach to grief and darkness. Today, with “Architects Of A New Weave”, the music feels more urgent and transformative. Do you find that as we grow older, our relationship with sadness changes from “wallowing in it” to “trying to break free from it”?

J.N.: Yeah, I think that’s a very fair observation, and age probably has a lot to do with it. As you get older, you inevitably go through difficult experiences — loss, disappointment, grief, all kinds of struggles. And after living through enough of those moments, you slowly begin to understand that, no matter how painful something may feel at the time, it’s usually not the end of the world. Life continues somehow.

When you’re younger, everything feels much more intense because many experiences are happening for the first time. Every problem feels overwhelming and impossible to escape from.

But with age comes perspective. You realize that pain eventually passes in one way or another, and that changes your relationship with sadness. It becomes less about simply drowning in those emotions and more about accepting them, learning from them, and moving forward.

Metalwar: In the title of the album, you use the word “architects”. That implies probably a conscious effort to build or redesign a reality, I guess, our reality. If you could look at our current situation as a society, what is the number one thing you think that humans are failing to “weave” correctly in their social or emotional reality or connections?

J.N.: Yeah, I think greed is one of the biggest problems in society today.

And I don’t necessarily mean on an individual level — although that exists too — but more on a larger scale, with governments, corporations, and people in positions of power. So often, the focus is purely on making more money and gaining more control, no matter who gets hurt or left behind in the process.

The problem is that this mentality eventually trickles down into everyday society. When people constantly see huge corporations or powerful institutions doing questionable things without consequences, it can slowly make us lose our sense of compassion and humanity toward one another.

It creates this feeling that nobody is truly accountable anymore, and that ordinary people are powerless to change anything. And when people start believing they have no power, they retreat into their own lives and stop trying to make a difference — and that’s probably one of the saddest parts of it all.

Metalwar: I believe that the type of music you play (melancholic, atmospheric, dark) must have a certain depth. And the bass is crucial in giving this depth. How do you see your role in shaping this atmosphere in an EVERGREY song?

J.N.: I see my role as a kind of bridge between the rhythmic power of the drums and the harmonic layers of the guitars. My main goal is to be as solid and supportive as possible, especially because, in the end, the vocals are usually the centerpiece of the music.

At the same time, though, I genuinely love playing bass and I enjoy listening to bass players who take creative chances. I appreciate memorable bass parts — whether it’s something technically complex or just a simple but effective rhythm or recurring melodic figure that adds character to a song.

So for me, it’s always about finding the right balance: creating a bass sound and performance that supports the entire arrangement while also adding depth and atmosphere. I try to shape the bass tone in a way that helps the drums and guitars blend together naturally and feel more connected as a whole.

I’m definitely lucky in that sense because I play in a band where the other guys actually appreciate the bass and understand its importance in the music.

That gives me a lot of creative freedom to experiment and play the way I want, which is something I really value as a musician. Not every bass player gets that opportunity, especially in metal bands, so I’m grateful that EVERGREY gives me the space to contribute creatively and shape the atmosphere of the songs in my own way.

Metalwar: Can you name a few bass players that you admire, older or younger.

J.N.: Oh, there are so many bass players I admire. Of course, Steve Harris is one of the biggest influences — he’s absolutely masterful as a bass player. Another musician who I think deserves more recognition is Eddie Jackson from QUEENSRYCHE. He always came up with really tasteful and memorable bass lines, and his bass tone has always been fantastic. I’ve always loved his playing.

And then there’s a whole new generation of musicians out there now. I see so many incredible players on YouTube and Instagram all the time — it’s honestly insane how talented some of them are. Sometimes it’s almost depressing, but mostly it’s inspiring.

One guy I really enjoy is Henrik Linder from DIRTY LOOPS. They’re not a metal band at all, but he’s an unbelievable bass player.

There’s also a very young bassist named Ellen — I think she’s only around 13 or 14 years old — and she’s already incredibly talented. As far as I know, she mostly posts videos online rather than playing in a band, but she’s seriously impressive.

It’s great to see so much talent out there today. Young musicians have endless opportunities now, whether they want to join bands, become solo artists, or build their own audience online.

Metalwar: Your albums, even before your time, as we said earlier, deal with difficult topics in general, like suicide or death, mourning, even child abuse. Where does the artist, you in particular, draw the line between using music as personal therapy and carrying the heavy emotional burden and weight of hundreds of fans who find comfort in this music, in this darkness?

J.N.: Yeah, I think that can be a very fine line sometimes.

At the end of the day, we don’t really write music for anyone other than ourselves. Of course, we know that fans connect deeply with the music and especially with Tom’s lyrics, but the songwriting always begins from a very honest and personal place.

One of Tom’s greatest strengths as a lyricist is the way he expresses emotions and experiences in a very universal way. People can read his lyrics and recognize something real in them — something they’ve personally experienced themselves.

He doesn’t write about fantasy or imaginary situations. He writes about real emotions, real struggles, grief, loss, fear, and the kinds of things people genuinely go through in life. That honesty is probably why so many listeners connect so strongly with EVERGREY’s music.

At the same time, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with music that serves a different purpose. Some artists create fantasy worlds, epic stories, dragons, warriors — and that has value too. Maybe it’s less about therapy and more about escapism or entertainment, but that’s equally important in its own way.

There’s room for all kinds of music, and that’s one of the beautiful things about art. Different people need different emotional outlets, and music can provide all of them.

Metalwar: This June, you are hitting the stage as special guests for the legendary IRON MAIDEN for their “Run For Your Lives” world tour. How does it feel to share the stage with such an amazing and such huge heavy metal band? And especially now that you’re about to release your new album? I think the timing couldn’t be better for you.

J.N.: It really is perfect. Honestly, calling it a huge honor almost feels like an understatement.

We’re incredibly grateful and humbled to have the opportunity to share the stage with a band like IRON MAIDEN — a band we’ve listened to and admired since we were kids, and still do to this day.

It truly feels like one of those “dream come true” moments. I know it sounds a bit cliché, but that’s exactly what it is.

And what makes it even more surreal is that, when I was younger, I wouldn’t even have dared to dream about something like this. Opening for IRON MAIDEN felt completely impossible — like something that only happened to other people.

And now it’s actually happening. It’s honestly mind-blowing.

Metalwar: What are your plans for promoting “Architects of a New Wave”? Is Greece in your future plans?

J.N.: I really hope we’ll be back in Greece soon.

This summer is already very busy for us. In June, we’ll be doing several festival appearances, some headline shows, and of course the dates with IRON MAIDEN. We also have a few shows opening for DECAPITATED, which should be a really interesting combination.

Later in the year, we’ll head to the United States for a tour with HAMMERFALL, and we WERE also planning to finally make it to Australia after that, but that tour had to be postponed.

As for Europe, I think the plan is to begin a new tour cycle before the end of the year — maybe starting with Scandinavia during the winter and then hopefully expanding into the rest of Europe around February next year.

And honestly, it’s always great for us to play in Greece. Greek audiences are fantastic. I remember one of the last shows there — I think it might have been in Thessaloniki — where it was raining so heavily that the venue roof was leaking and there were literally pools of water inside the venue.

It was definitely a memorable experience.

Metalwar: One last question. You are opening for IRON MAIDEN, DECAPITATED and HAMMERFALL. Bands from different genres of metal. Heavy Metal, Power Metal, Death Metal. I mean, these are not the obvious duos. I really love this diversity. But how did all these collaborations happen?

J.N.: The shows with DECAPITATED happened pretty naturally, actually.

We share the same booking agent, and since we were already going to be on the road for the IRON MAIDEN shows and the summer festivals, we asked them to help us find additional dates in between. Touring internationally is extremely expensive these days, especially with flights and logistics, so it makes more sense for everyone to fly in once, stay on the road for the whole month, and make the most out of the tour schedule.

So those extra shows help us stay active while we’re already out there, and of course they also help financially because touring has become incredibly costly.

The same thing happened with the HAMMERFALL tour. We’re already going to the United States for the ProgPower Festival in Atlanta, which I think is the first date, and since getting visas for the U.S. is unbelievably expensive, we thought it would make sense to build a full tour around that trip.

That tour with DECAPITATED happened to fit perfectly into the timing, and since we already know the guys and get along really well with them, it felt like a great opportunity.

It should be a lot of fun.

Metalwar: That would be all Johan. Thank you so much for your time and the opportunity! Before we close, would you like to leave a message for the Greek metalheads watching us?

J.N.: Yeah, absolutely. We really hope you’ll check out the new album when it’s released, and most importantly, we hope you’ll enjoy it.

And hopefully we’ll be able to return to Greece during our upcoming European tour, maybe sometime next year. We always love coming to Greece — the crowds are amazing, the response is always fantastic, and we genuinely enjoy spending time there.

We’re really looking forward to coming back and hanging out with all of you again.

Interview: Kostas Boudoukos

Question Editing: Kostas Boudoukos, Joanna Gonas