In a backstage chat at Tokyo Dome City Hall with Stefan Nilsson from Roppongi Rocks, Ian Haugland recently opened up about working with Candlemass and their bassist, Leif Edling, comparing their music to Black Sabbath’s.
Before joining Europe in 1984, Haugland was in a band called Trilogy, which he formed with Edling. Asked whether he would reunite with the bassist for another project in the future, the drummer replied:
“I would love to. I think Leif is a genius when it comes to that genre. He’s probably the most, the purest, the closest to the essence of bands like Black Sabbath and that genre of the metal scene. So, yeah, absolutely. He’s a genius in his own right.”
The Europe Member’s Experience With His Former Bandmate’s Group
Ian Haugland and Leif Edling’s collaboration didn’t end with Trilogy. They worked together on some unreleased tracks from Edling’s ‘Abstrakt Algebra II,’ which were later included in the 2006 reissue of Candlemass’ ‘Dactylis Glomerata.’
Haugland also filled in for a Candlemass show when their drummer was unavailable. Reflecting on this experience, he shared:
“I actually did a gig with Candlemass as well because the drummer was sick or whatever. It was just a club gig, and we had maybe one afternoon for me to learn all the songs, and I remember I had a hard time playing it so slow because it was like, ‘Yeah, slow down! It’s too fast!’ [Laughs]”
Commenting on the band’s music, the Europe drummer added:
“But it was great fun. And I remember we played at this club, and the people went totally f**king berserk, you know. They love the music, and it’s a great band. Hopefully, I will get the chance to do something more.”
As of now, while Europe’s Japanese tour continues, Candlemass is getting ready for new dates in Sweden and the US this March.