The Norwegian super-group Sahg, featuring members of such extreme acts as Gorgoroth, Manngard and Audrey Horne, has been causing a real stir with the release their debut album "Sahg I". With it gaining very impressive reviews in the press, I caught up with Vocalist/Guitarist Olav Iversen to get his reaction on how things have been since the release, and to tell us a little more about the band.

Metal Mayhem: Could you give us a brief intro about yourself and the rest of the band?
Olav Iversen: Sahg is a four-piece band hailing from Bergen, Norway. The line-up as of today is: Olav Iversen – guitars and vocals, Thomas Tofthagen – guitars, King – bass, and we have got a new drummer now who has replaced Kvitrafn, called Tor Bjarne Bjelland.

MM: How and when did Sahg form?
OI: All founding members knew each other well years before forming Sahg. We have all played in other bands together up through the years, and were well acquainted musically, as well as personally. Being part of the same musical environment for many years, we also shared a lot of the same influences. The band was spoken of for many years, and we finally managed to get it together in the late summer of 2004. By that time we had a pretty clear idea about what musical direction we wanted to move in.

MM: You all come from different bands, all very varied in style. Would you say that has caused any problems or do you see this as an advantage? OI: I think that has been a great advantage. Basically, we all come from the same musical background since we were kids, but we have moved in different directions up through the years. That way, we share the same basic musical idea, and at the same time we add different flavours from each member's experience.

MM: Would you say that Sahg were a side project, or is it your main focus now?
OI: Sahg is definitely not a side project. Some of us have other bands that they prioritise equally with Sahg, while others consider Sahg their main priority. But the activity levels in our other bands go up and down, and in total, Sahg has been our main focus for some time now.

MM: Can you tell us a bit about the writing process, is it any one's sole responsibility or is it a collective effort between the band?
OI: All members have contributed to the song-writing. In most cases the songs spring out from a basic idea that one of us comes up with, and the band develops it and arranges it in the rehearsal room. In other cases, someone can present an almost finished song, where the rest of the band only contributes to the arrangement to some extent. One song on the album, ‘The Executioner Undead' was written on rehearsal, completely from scratch. It's great when you can create a real band effort like that, and we hope to work more like that in the future.

MM: Who or what are the bands influences?
OI: Our mutual centre of inspiration is definitely around the classic 70s heavy rock bands, and most of all, I guess, Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin. But, like I said, each of us has wandered off in our own different musical directions, and has brought some of that into Sahg. We also have a strong connection to a lot of 80s heavy metal, and at times I guess you can sense the black metal influence as well.

MM: You all have loyal fan bases from your other bands. Are there any worries that they may come expecting a similar sound and be disappointed?
OI: That doesn't concern us at all. We are into a lot of different music, and we trust most of our fans are as well.

MM: Coming onto your new album, "Sahg I". From what we've heard, it has received great reviews from pretty much everywhere and scored an impressive 9/10 here. Have you seen any of the feedback yet, and what are your feelings on this? OI: From what we have seen, the response from audience and media has been totally overwhelming. We have tried to keep track of reviews and such, and we truly can't believe what we have seen. It is most gratifying that so many people share the appreciation for this album, which we are so proud of ourselves.

MM: For those that are unfamiliar with Sahg, can you tell us what they can expect on the album?
OI: "Sahg I" is dark, monumental, heavy and atmospheric. I guess the 70's influences are the most obvious, but I think we have managed to add something new to it as well. I think each song has strong individual qualities, and the little acoustic parts add a good dynamic to the generally heavy sound. We have tried to re-create some of the spontaneous energy that you find on our favourite albums from the 70's and 80's. To capture that atmosphere, we recorded as much of the material as possible live.

MM: How pleased are you with the finished product? Is there anything you would like to change if you had the chance?
OI: The album has become everything we wanted from a debut album, and it is a very authentic manifest on where Sahg stands right now. In fact, we are incredibly pleased with the result, and the way it has turned out, we wouldn't want to change a thing. The fact that we have done almost everything on this album ourselves – song-writing, co-producing, and artwork – makes it even more gratifying when the result becomes so close to what we hoped for.

MM: You opted for a release via Regain Records. How did the deal arise and did the presence of Gorgoroth already on the label swing the decision?
OI: It was natural for us to approach Regain Records when we were looking for a record deal, since King had just signed there with Gorgoroth, and was very happy with the co-operation. Still, Regain wasn't the only record company we approached, but they responded very quickly and presented the best offer, so we didn't see any reason to wait around any longer. They had also built up a solid reputation as a serious and ambitious label within the metal genre, so the decision was pretty simple really.

MM: So what's next for Sahg, what would you like to achieve in the short and long term?
OI: Well, we have got quite a lot of touring coming up, and that is our main focus for the time being. We urge to come out and present the material to a live audience. Also, we are already writing new material for the next album, which we intend to start recording towards the end of the year and release next year.