The Swedish doom group Skogskult are this week’s featured Meet The Band artist. Drummer Alexander Söderlund introduces us to Skogskult, whose self-titled debut album is out now.
Chad Bowar: Give us a brief history of Skogskult.
Alexander Söderlund: Skogskult started in 2022 as a side project for all of us. We already had other bands and projects that were higher priority back then, and Skogskult was mainly an excuse to meet once a week and jam for fun. We had played together in different constellations before, but this time we really dialed in when we noticed how much we all liked what we were writing and how much fun we were having. Over time the project grew. We started playing more shows and got in touch with our good friend Max, who expressed interest in producing and releasing our music on his label, Bonebag Records. That pushed us to polish and contextualize the songs, bring in our awesome lead singer Simon, and finish this soon-to-be-released record with Max’s guidance.
Describe the songwriting process for your self-titled album.
We always start with a good riff. If someone in the band has an idea, we just jam it, feel it out, and work from there. After finding a few parts through jamming, we try to ground it a bit more and add variations, flavour, and transitions. The lyrics are written based on the mental imagery the song gives us when it’s starting to feel close to finished.
What will be your strongest memory of the recording of the album?
Before we recorded the album, Simon wasn’t in the band. We had written and recorded vocal parts ourselves, but we weren’t totally satisfied with them. So, we decided to bring in a dedicated vocalist. Having Simon join us and seeing how that shaped the band, both after the recording and in live performances have been a great experience. Working with Max was also a highlight, he’s a super cool and very sonically knowledgeable producer.
What was the biggest challenge in its creation?
Overall, things went smoothly. The biggest challenge was taking the leap and adding Simon as a new member. In the end it turned out to be only positive, and we couldn’t be happier to have him with us.
How would you characterize its style/sound?
We like to characterize ourselves as a stoner doom band, and this record as a stoner doom record, because that label fits our sound best. It’s thick, low guitars and bass playing a fat riff over and over while the drums bash away on big cymbals, filling up the soundscape. At the same time, we add more minimalistic parts and use different vocal styles and phrasing to keep the music dynamic and interesting.
What lyrical topics do you cover?
On this album we mainly focus on Nordic folklore, with a few outliers. We feel that occult lyrical content fits the sound of the instrumentals and helps paint the mental pictures we envision when we listen to the music.
Why was it important to you that the lyrics are in Swedish?
Because it’s our language. Even though all of us are perfectly capable English speakers, we don’t want to compromise the meaning of the lyrics just to appeal to a wider audience. We do this mainly for ourselves and want the overall expression to be as close to our vision as possible. That means not losing meaning in translation and not missing out on the unique expression of the Swedish language.
How did you come to sign with Bonebag Records?
We know Max from the scene, and with Umeå having a relatively small doom scene, we were bound to connect sooner or later. He is a true doom enjoyer, and so are we. The collaboration came naturally from Max seeing us play and liking our sound, and from us wanting someone to record and produce our material.
What are your goals and expectations for the album?
We want the album to reach the people it resonates with. We want to find listeners who like the same kind of music we do and nerd out about music with them. We also want to contribute to the scene we all love, and hopefully people will like the record as much as we do.
What has been your most memorable Skogskult live show?
We played a local festival here in Sweden called Tobacka Metal Fest. It was a great turnout and people seemed really into it. But it’s hard to pick just one. We have a blast playing both smaller and bigger stages, we just enjoy playing.
What are your upcoming show/tour plans?
We’re having our release show here in Umeå on December 5, and on December 6 we’re going to Luleå to play. Then, come spring after the album release, we’re gearing up to play more shows around Sweden, and hopefully in other countries if the opportunity arises.
You filmed a few videos for the album. Which was your favorite shoot?
The video for “Turs” was fun to shoot. Setting everything up and trying to build the vibe we were going for was a very fun and creative experience.
What are some of your non-musical interests and hobbies?
Music is everyone’s primary hobby, but we all have different quirks. One thing we all share is being outside in nature, whether it’s hiking or just observing the vastness of it all. We’re also into nerdy stuff like folklore, tabletop games, and computer games.
How’s the metal scene in Umea?
Considering the size of the city, it’s a very lively scene. We have a relatively big extreme metal scene and a big yearly festival that reflects that. The hardcore and punk scene is still going strong. The doom scene is slowly growing, but the number of doom-centred gigs in Umeå has increased in the last couple of years, and it doesn’t feel like it’s slowing down.
(interview published December 7, 2026)
