Peter Tagtgren – Producer/Vocals and guitars for Hypocrisy

1. Things going well for this tour? Better than the last time you were her with Dimmu Borgir?

PETER: O yeah things are going much better for this tour. Not that the Dimmu tour was bad but people are just more aware of us now, we play for 40 minutes which is more time than last time. We will come back and do a headlining tour in the States maybe later in the year.

2. Do you like working in the studio and producing/engineering music instead of touring?

PETER: Well I like the comforts of being in the studio because I'm close to my family and home. But its also cool to go on tour and be on stage so I guess I enjoy both equally. I also really like working with bands in the studio, so being both in the studio and on the road have its benefits and fulfill something for me creatively. Writing and recording music for Hypocrisy is as important as my studio work.

3. Can you compare older Hypocrisy to what the band has evolved into on the new cd “Virus”?

PETER: As long as I'm writing the stuff for Hypocrisy I think it will always have my trademark qualities that it had even when the band started in 1992. But I think the music has become more melodic then what it was, I always want to keep the essence of it to be grounded in heaviness and aggressiveness even with the slower songs. But with each album I try to incorporate more melodic guitars.

4. Have you ever consider doing something different with your voice on a Hypocrisy album?

PETER: I think I vary it here and there on certain album. I vary between the low growls to a mid range and high screams. Now a days I use all of them.

5. Do you like being part of a package tour of this kind with all extreme bands? Do you find the Death/Black bands are becoming more successful in the States then in Europe ?

PETER: Yeah I think each band brings their own thing to the table and I like being part of this kind of package. We have also been on tour with Soilwork which is cleaner sounding band you can say. Maybe in a way these more extreme sounds are better here but it depends where you go. When we toured with Dimmu we had areas like Seattle that was a real dead spot on the tour and then we came back with Cannibal Corpse and it was packed. It also depends on the day of the week, most people don't come out as much during the week.

6. Have you been offered or are you interested in playing Ozzfest?

PETER: I don't pay to play.

7. How was it working with Dimmu Borgir again on the rerecording of “Stormblast”?

PETER: It was great to work with them again. I wasn't really a fan of the original recording of “Stormblast” either and glad to rework it for them. I had worked with the guys on “Darkness Enthrone Triumphant” and “Spiritual Black Dimensions”, and we wanted to recapture that sound we got for those two. We didn't want to change the original arrangements just improve on the overall sound and production. There is also a plan to hopefully work with them on the new album if schedules allow.

8. Have you ever considered rerecording any of the Hypocrisy albums?

PETER: I would like to do “Fourth Dimension”. People like the album but I think it has a shitty sound.

9. Anything you would like to do with Hypocrisy's music that you have not yet done?

PETER: Maybe take the music a little more extreme as well as more epic. Still want to keep the melodic parts.

10. What does the rest of 2006 have in store?

PETER: We are going to hit Australia and South America and then come back to the States later around September. I will also record another Pain album.