Iron Meets (Pure) Steel
Ludvika, Sweden is a historical mining town that takes pride in their past generations hard work and dedication. The newly formed Heavy Metal band IronBourne pays homage to that history with their namesake and with the song “Varsel” from their upcoming self-titled debut album. I had the chance to speak with singer Torbjörn Andersson about all things IronBourne.
Metal Express Radio: If I knew absolutely nothing about IronBourne, how would you describe the band’s music to me?
Torbjörn Andersson: The sound of the band have its roots in the Hard Rock and Heavy Metal of the eighties, mainly. We have different influences in the band but we all love the sound and music from heroes like: Saxon, Dio, Manowar, Thin Lizzy etc. I think that our music is a mixture of the sound from that era. We like good riffs and melodies.
MER: When did Ironbourne form and how did it come together?
TA: Drummer Stefan Viktorsson, bassist Lars Andersson, and guitarist Olof Geijer played together in a band called Mace and after their split in 2007, they decided to continue jamming and writing music. The guys had songs and riffs already written when Jonas Windle and I joined. We continued to polish the songs and had a full length ready in 2019. That would be the year of the formation of IronBourne.
MER: What inspired the band name?
TA: Stefan came up with the name a couple of years ago and it honors the heritage of the proud people that gave their lives to the hard work in the iron ore mines. Sweden and Bergslagen (area where we live in) have had a mining tradition since hundreds of years back. The stories from the miners are absolutely amazing. Imagine entering the gates of the mountain into the pitch black darkness with only a pickaxe and a torch.
Many died or got severe injuries in the mines. The workers were also very superstitious. For instance they had to knock on the mountain three times before entering the mine and prepare the ancient lady “gruvfrun” for their arrival. If they did not knock before entering, they could get injured or even killed by this “ghost, gruvfrun”.
MER: Your self-titled debut album is set to be released on March 26, 2021 though Pure Steel Records. Can you talk about meanings behind the songs….
“Dreamer” – The song is about not appreciating what you have here and now, always striving to gain more success, more money etc. You simply dream away your life.
“Elusive Reality” – The song is about healthy and successful people complaining about nothing, basically, when others struggle to get through the day.
“Varsel” – This is the only song from the album with Swedish lyrics. The song is aligned with what we want to be and tell as a band, and what the band name stands for. Here we are in the old mines in Sweden telling a story about the hard work, the pitch black days, and the fear of the supernatural beings that the people believed ruled the mines.
“Twilight of Gods” – Our forefathers, the Vikings, believed in the Nordic mythology and this song is about ‘Ragnarök’ the Armageddon. The final battle of the gods that would end the world.
“Too Late” – This song discusses the pain that a person faces when the time for forgiveness is over. Loved ones that died and friends and relatives that did not sort things out when they were alive.
“Covenant” – There’s plenty of stories about people who sold their souls to the Devil to gain some kind of strength or advantages in life and this song is about that.
“Hit the Wall” – When you struggle to stay at the top in different areas in life you sometimes find yourself back against the wall, and there’s no way back. You panic and go crazy and that is a situation that eventually might end your life.
“Runaway” – This song is about a person that tries to achieve something in life but no one believes it is possible. You want to run away from life, the people, the world, and eventually decide to ‘fly’ away…
“Year of Judgement” – A rather personal text that describes the hell that previous years gave me. Deaths in the family and people suffering from sickness etc. It felt like the year of judgement.
MER: Are you planning to release any music videos?
TA: Yes, we have a video to the song “Varsel” and it will be released in a couple of weeks
MER: What is the story behind the album’s cover?
TA: As I mentioned, the miners were very superstitious and the raven that is pictured on the front cover has a story as well. If the workers saw a raven cross their path when walking to the mine, that was a sign of bad luck and that something terrible would take place in the mines that day.
MER: How did your record deal with Pure Steel Records come about?
TA: After the recording of the album, Olof sent out the song “The Dreamer” to labels, magazines etc. all over the world and Pure Steel Records was one of them. They liked the song and offered us a deal.
MER: With IronBourne being a new band, have you had the chance to play together live yet?
TA: We have played a couple of shows and did a festival before Covid hit us all. Hopefully we can get out and play again soon.
MER: Your guitarist Jonas Windle is the front man of a Thin Lizzy tribute band, Feel Dizzy. I’ve always found Thin Lizzy to be overrated, but they appear to be very popular in Europe. Are you a fan of Thin Lizzy? If so, which album is your favorite?
TA: We are all fans of Thin Lizzy in the band. They are and have been a huge source of inspiration for many bands around the world. Favorite albums are Renegade and Thunder and Lightning.
Ironbourne is
Torbjörn Andersson – Vocals
Olof Geijer – Guitar
Jonas Windle – Guitar
Lars Andersson – Bass
Stefan Viktorsson – Drums
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