As a music journalist, I have always been on the lookout for interviews with bands and / or vocalists that are important to me, both for their style and their vocal register. So, I contacted with Eddie Guz, a renowned and well-known Norwegian singer who I met when Chrome Division came out and followed them for years. After accepting my invitation to answer some questions for my VNMATW portal, here you have what he told us.
Enjoy it!
Eddie Guz (2024)
K: First of all, thanks you so much to take a few minutes to answer these questions for my site VALENCIA’N’METAL AROUND THE WORLD.
How you began in music? Did you start with an instrument or was singing your first choice?
Eddie Guz: I started to play guitar when I was about 14 years old. Started to wright my own material at once. Well I must admit that the song back than was a bit different, haha.
K: Your voice register is very personal. In fact, I have rarely heard someone with a vocal tonality as ‘50s – ‘60s Rock as yours. Could RockaBilly be one of your influences? And if so, who are your greatest references?
E.G.: We always in The Carburetors sayed that we are the meeting between Lemmy and Chuck Berry. So that pretty much sums it up.
K: And is this type of purely Old School Rock ‘N’ Roll practiced a lot in Norway or is it the ‘Rare Flower’ of the scene?
E.D.: No but there is a few. So I would say it’s a pretty Rare Flower.
K.: Many of the readers, might know you as the frontman of Chrome Division. Did the original idea of the band come entirely from Shagrath? How did he contact you?
Chrome Division (2019)
E.G.: He contacted me and asked if I wanted to do one song. Chrome Division was never ment to be a band but just a project. But as soon as me and Shagrath started to work together we found something special and only after a few weeks we already on our way to an album.
K.: Chrome Division offered a very dirty sound within Rock, with a lot of weight in the instruments and a very seductive hooligan tonality as we can listened through your studio albums since your overwhelming debut ‘Doomsday Rock n’ Roll’ (2006), ‘Booze, Broads and Beelzebub’ (2008), ‘3rd. Knockout’ (2011) until ‘Infernal Rock Eternal’ (2014). In 2018 you released ‘One Last Ride’, which closed the band’s career by now. It is really the last band’s album?
E.G.: To be honest I was out of the band when they started to talk about the last album. So when me and Shagrath went out for a beer he told me they wear going to make the last album, I asked him right a way if I could sing one song on the album. Just a cuple of days later he called me and ask if I wanted to do the whole album. Everything will come to a natural end.
K.: So, it would be mean that it is not the final yet… You were the lead vocal in the first two albums and in the fifth one, but in the third and fourth records, it was Pål Mathisien (Susperia, Minas Tirith) who sang. Why was there this lapse?
E.G.: I was out of the band…
K.: You are in two bands currently. The first is The Carburetors, a band which celebrated their twentieth anniversary on stage last year. Were you there from the beginning? Did you get to be in Chrome Division and The Carburetors at the same time?
E.G.: Yes. The Carburetors was always my main band and yes, I did both band at the same time. Like I will now on the 24. May when I will play will all 3 bands on one night only…
The Carburetors (pic by Skare_photography. 2023)
K.: Just by seeing the photos and listening to your songs, it is obvious that you prefer a very American sound but in my point of view, less dirty than Chrome Division. What are the main influences in The Carburetors?
E.G.: We have a lot of old Kiss, AC/DC, Judas Priest and Motörhead.
K.: The Carburetors’ debut album ‘Pain is Temporary, Glory is Forever’ came out in 2004. The next one ‘Rock’n’Roll Forever’ was in 2006 but it wasn’t until 2015 when ‘Laughing in the Face of Death’ was released. Last year you edited your new album ‘Drinking from the Skulls of our Enemies’. What topics do you usually talk about?
E.G.: Rock n Roll. Cars and girls.
K.: The most important thing for a rocker, haha. Do you have new material already in preparation?
E.G.: Yes. The Carburetors are on our way with a new album. And even more: Chrome Division we are working on some stuff and for The Cult of Destiny I have written finish the 3rd album. And I’m finishing up these days my next Solo album (Dark Sessions) too.
K.: Yes, I have a lot of work wright now! Ok, the other band are you in is The Cult of Destiny active since 2019. Which style do you practice here? Are these band made up of well-known musicians from the Norwegian scene?
E.G.: Yes, it is almost Chrome Division and The Carburetors members with bass player from Wyruz (NdR: a Death /Thrash Metal band in active since 2002 from Hammar)
K.: The Cult of Destiny have two studio albums released: your self-titled debut in 2020 and the second ‘Enemies of State’ in 2022. As you said before, you have finished writing for the third album, is it finished yet?
E.G.: The next one is written, but not recorded it will be called Revolutions.
The Cult Of Destiny (2022)
K.: As you advanced before, next May 24th at the Rockefeller in Oslo, you have prepared a very special event in which you will sing with the three bands: Chrome Division, The Carburetors and The Cult Of Destiny. How did this great idea come about?
E.G.: Well, must guys don’t like to admit that they are getting older, but I embrace every age and wanted a big party. So I called up everyone one by one and asked them if they would do this for me. And they said ‘yes’, haha.
K.: You’ve also told me that you’re working on your own solo material. Do you explore different parts of yourself as a singer or the fact of practicing different styles in The Carburetors and in The Cult of Destiny it is enough for you?
E.G.: Yes, I have my solo stuff Dark Sessions where I get a lot darker and deeper. The songs are about are darkest times in our life. I leave you the links here:
https://www.youtube.com/@Guz1002
K.: And finally, a part of this awesome live show the next May 24th, do you have more upcoming dates or summer festivals?
E.G.: The Carburetors are doing some festivals in Europe and a small tour in September. Solo, I will do a Christmas tour (‘Dark Christmas’) so stay tuned.
K.: We will be .Thanks you so much.
EDDIE GUZ on RRSS
https://www.instagram.com/eddie_guz_/
Spotify
Youtube
https://www.youtube.com/@Guz1002
CHROME DIVISION on RRSS
https://www.facebook.com/chromedivision
https://www.instagram.com/chromedivision/
Youtube
https://www.youtube.com/@chromedivision
THE CARBURETORS on RRSS
https://www.instagram.com/thecarburetors/
Official Site
https://www.facebook.com/thecarburetorsffrr/#!/pages/The-Carburetors/189039724468685
THE CULT OF DESTINY on RRSS
https://www.facebook.com/thecultofdestiny
https://www.instagram.com/thecultofdestiny/
Spotify
All the pics wthiout credits taken from their official RRSS