Holy Man Rising: Matti Alfonzetti and the Next Chapter of Black Blood Sthlm

Holy Man Rising: Matti Alfonzetti and the Next Chapter of Black Blood Sthlm

For more than three decades, Matti Alfonzetti has remained one of Sweden’s most respected rock vocalists, lending his unmistakable voice to a wide array of projects including Jagged Edge, Skintrade, Talisman, Impera, and a successful solo career. His powerful vocals, melodic sensibilities, and deep-rooted love for classic hard rock have made him a favorite among fans of both European and American rock music.

Now Alfonzetti is embarking on an exciting new chapter with Black Blood Sthlm, a band that combines seasoned musicianship with a fresh creative spark. With a new four-song EP featuring tracks such as “Holy Man,” “In the Wind,” “I Know You Believe,” and “Fallen Angel,” the group is poised to make its mark on the modern hard rock scene while remaining firmly connected to the classic influences that inspired them.

Highwire Daze recently caught up with Matti Alfonzetti to discuss the origins of Black Blood Sthlm, the stories behind the new songs, his long-standing songwriting partnership with guitarist Stefan Bergström, memories of Jagged Edge, Talisman, and Impera, and why he’s more excited than ever about the road ahead.

First of all, introduce yourself and tell me what you do in the band. How long has this project been together?
Matti Alfonzetti: Okay, so my name is Matti Alfonzetti, and I’m the singer of Black Blood Sthlm. We’ve been together for, well, it’s sort of hard to explain. The band’s been around for a couple of years, but we really came together as a band about six months ago when bass player Jarmo Lindell joined. Before that, it was more of a project, and we were still looking for band members.

Once he came in, everything clicked into place. So now we’re a proper band. The short answer is that we’ve been around for about two years.

Black Blood Sthlm is about to have an EP come out. I want to go track by track since there are only four songs. First of all, let’s talk about “In the Wind.” Tell me about that song and the inspiration behind it.
Matti: “In the Wind” was one of the first songs we wrote together. It was probably the first or second one. The thing about all of these songs is that I write them together with our guitar player, Stefan. We’ve been playing together for a long, long time. We had a band together back in the ’90s, so we know each other really well, both musically and personally.

He had this riff and sent it to me, because that’s what we do. We send ideas back and forth all the time. He sent me this guitar riff, and even though it was just a riff, it immediately sparked a story in my mind.

I saw people traveling through hardships and difficult times, not really knowing where they were going. It almost had a Holocaust-like atmosphere to it. That’s how the song came about.

I wrote the chorus on an acoustic guitar, and it probably took about five minutes. Sometimes it all just happens that quickly.

Let’s go to the next track, “I Know You Believe.” Tell me about that one.
Matti: “I Know You Believe” was actually written as a nod to Thin Lizzy, because Thin Lizzy is one of my favorite bands.

Originally, we even had a twin-guitar harmony section in the song, but we ended up taking it out because we felt it sounded a little too much like Thin Lizzy. Still, it’s definitely an homage to them.

It captures that storytelling style and the overall vibe of the ’70s and ’80s. That’s really what appealed to us when we were writing it.

Let’s move on to “Fallen Angel.” Tell me a little about that one.
Matti: Yeah, “Fallen Angel” is the ballad of the EP, I guess. It’s a power ballad with some really nice acoustic guitar parts opening the song. There’s also quite a long guitar solo, and half of it is played on acoustic guitar, which we thought was really cool because you don’t hear that very often in rock or hard rock music.

Again, Stefan is a brilliant guitar player. He actually wrote that section separately, and we decided to include it because everyone in the band thought it was a brilliant piece of music.

Lyrically, “Fallen Angel” is about lost love. It’s a classic power ballad, but it’s also a showcase for the musicianship in the band. Stefan and the rest of the guys really shine on that track.

It’s a chance for us to stretch out musically rather than simply writing a three-minute song.

Let’s go to “Holy Man,” which I believe is also a single. Tell me about that one.
Matti: Exactly. “Holy Man” is out right now as a single.

I wrote that song around a guitar riff I had been fooling around with for a couple of days. I started thinking about what it would sound like if it had been written in the late ’70s or early ’80s. My references were Deep Purple, Dio, Whitesnake, and bands like that.

Then the lyric “Holy Man” came to me. It’s sort of an ancient saga about a holy man who knows everything. People come to him for guidance and wisdom. He’s almost like an old wizard, if you will.

I think the structure of the song naturally lends itself to that sense of mystery and mystique. It’s also a great rock song with a big chorus that’s easy to sing along with.

I’m really pleased with how that one turned out.

Has Black Blood Sthlm played live yet? If so, how did the shows go?
Matti: We’ve actually only done one live show, believe it or not.

As I mentioned earlier, we’ve only really been together as a full band for about six months. We played a show in Stockholm at a rock venue called Encore, and it was a full house.

People were really curious about the band. They had heard that we were finally a complete lineup, and the musicians involved are fairly well known, so there was a lot of interest.

The gig went really well, but since then we’ve mostly focused on writing more songs. So apart from that one performance, we haven’t toured or played live very much yet.

We’re looking at getting out on the road, starting in Sweden around September or October, and then we’ll see where things go from there. Our goal is obviously to play live and tour wherever we can.

At the same time, we’re also working on a full album, so there’s plenty to keep us busy.

You’ve got a new EP coming out, so you definitely have a lot going on. I was also looking through your credits, and they’re incredibly impressive. I’d like to revisit some of them. When you look back at your time with Jagged Edge UK and the Trouble EP, what do you think about it now in retrospect?
Matti: Wow, that’s a long time ago.

For me, joining Jagged Edge and coming to London back in the late ’80s or early ’90s was a huge thing. I think it was around 1989 or 1990. Coming from Stockholm, it was an incredible opportunity.

I don’t know if you know the backstory, but the reason I came to London originally was to audition for a band called Western Front, which was fronted by Scott Gorham from Thin Lizzy.

That’s actually why I went to London in the first place. It didn’t work out, but I met the guys in Jagged Edge and ended up joining them instead.

The first thing we recorded together was the Trouble EP. For me, coming from Stockholm, which felt like a small place in comparison, everything happened very quickly. We had major management behind us, and it felt like everything was being served on a silver platter.

It was a really fun time in my life and a great experience.

You also appeared on several Impera albums. What was that experience like?
Matti: Well, Impera was more of a project for me. That’s really Johan Kihlberg’s baby, so to speak. He wanted me to sing on the first album, and it started from there.

I sang on one, two, maybe even three albums. I honestly can’t remember exactly how many. It’s always been more of a project-type situation, though. I love the songs and everything, but Johan is the mastermind behind Impera. I was, in a sense, “just the singer,” if you know what I mean.

But I really enjoy Impera’s music. I’ve never actually played live with them, for instance, so it’s always been more of a studio project for me.

You have four solo albums out, including a somewhat recent one called Shake My Blood. Let’s talk about that record.
Matti: Shake My Blood, yeah. That was my fourth, or maybe actually my fifth solo album. I can’t remember now, but I’ve released quite a few solo albums through the years.

Shake My Blood was really a pandemic album. During the coronavirus lockdowns, everything was shut down. I was sitting in my studio by myself, not touring, not doing anything. I just thought, “What the heck, I’ll write some songs.“

Before I knew it, I had written and recorded an entire album more or less by myself. I played most of the drums and a lot of the other instruments as well.

It was really an album that happened simply because I had the time. I wasn’t touring or occupied with anything else. Looking back, I really like that album because it stands apart from some of my other solo releases, which are generally a bit more AOR-oriented.

It was a great experience, and it was something I created almost entirely on my own.

What was it like working with Marcel Jacob in Talisman?
Matti: Wow, that’s even further back.

It was great. I loved Marcel. We actually grew up together and went to school together, so that’s how we knew each other. He was a musical genius and such a lovely guy as well.

As I recall it, I was never officially a member of Talisman, but Marcel called me one summer when Jeff Scott Soto wasn’t able to do a tour. This must have been around 1992 or 1993.

I was still living in London at the time, and Marcel called and asked, “Can you please do this summer tour with us? We don’t have a singer.”

Of course, I said yes. I did the tour and recorded a few songs as well. I think they were demos and never actually got released.

Marcel and I go way back. Like I said, we grew up together and went to school together. It’s a very sad thing that he passed away the way he did all those years ago.

Let’s come back to the present. You and Stefan have been working together for quite some time. You worked together in Skintrade, and now you’re doing this. What makes you and Stefan work so well together after all these years?
Matti: To me, it’s a combination of several things. First of all, we share the same musical references. We like a lot of the same music. Stefan grew up on ’70s hard rock, just like I did. But he also listens to a lot of soul music and blues, and so do I.

He knows me as a singer, and I know him as a guitar player, which allows us to connect really well creatively.

We’ve been writing songs together for nearly 30 years now. When Stefan writes something, he’s already thinking about how I’m going to sing it and how it’s going to sound. I do exactly the same thing when I write. If I’m writing on guitar, I already know what it’s going to sound like when Stefan plays it.

It’s almost like an old marriage. We know each other so well at this point that everything just falls into place naturally.

The funny thing is, it’s always worked for us. It always has.

Have any of your bands ever come out to the States to do shows?
Matti: Actually, no.

I know, it’s strange. We were supposed to come over with Jagged Edge many years ago, but it didn’t work out. There was also talk about Skintrade touring the States, but that never happened either.

I’ve played in the U.S., though. For a couple of years, I performed in an ABBA tribute band, and we toured throughout the States.

So I’ve been there and I’ve played some large shows, but never under my own name or with one of my own bands. That’s still something on my bucket list.

Well, ABBA has some amazing songs.
Matti: Oh, absolutely.

I really enjoyed those years playing ABBA songs because they’re brilliant songs. They’re absolutely beautiful pop songs. The songwriting is incredible.

Matti, are you currently involved with any other bands or projects outside of Black Blood Sthlm?
Matti: Not really.

I’ve almost made a conscious decision not to get involved in any other projects right now because I want Black Blood Sthlm to be a true band effort. I don’t want too many distractions pulling me in different directions.

There may be some things coming up next year, but for now my focus is entirely on Black Blood Sthlm.

The only thing I’ve done recently that you may not know about was a tour in May with, among others, Frank Ferrer, the former drummer for Guns N’ Roses.  And guitarist Conny Bloom from Electric Boys, plus bassist Johnny Griparic, who played with Slash. We also had keyboard player Bob Fridzema, who performs with Glenn Hughes.

We did about ten shows throughout Sweden playing cover songs, and it was an absolute blast. We had such a great time.

It was really a supergroup-type situation. We’re actually looking at doing a few more dates together, maybe in December or January, simply because we had so much fun.

Wow, that sounds cool as hell.
Matti: It really was. I’d played with Conny many times before, but I’d never played with Frank, Johnny, or Bob.

Everything came together naturally, and we were simply playing songs we love. We were doing Deep Purple, The Rolling Stones, and all kinds of classic material that we enjoy.

It was a fantastic experience.

Black Blood Sthlm has an EP coming out soon. Where would you like to see this project go next?
Matti: Personally, I’m dying to get out there and play live.

Black Blood Sthlm is built around live music and performance, and we’ve got a great group of musicians. It would be a shame not to get out in front of people and let them experience the band in person.

That’s really our main goal right now. We want to start playing shows, get out across Europe, and see where it takes us. If we have the opportunity to come to the States at some point, that would be absolutely amazing.

For now, though, we’re writing songs, recording, and preparing to get onstage as soon as possible.

In Conclusion

Whether reflecting on his early days in London with Jagged Edge, sharing memories of Marcel Jacob of Talisman, or discussing a musical partnership spanning nearly three decades with Stefan Bergström, Matti Alfonzetti speaks with the same passion and enthusiasm that have fueled his remarkable career from the very beginning. Yet despite an impressive résumé that spans multiple bands, acclaimed recordings, and international stages, his focus remains firmly fixed on the future.

With Black Blood Sthlm preparing to bring its classic hard rock sound to audiences far beyond Sweden, Alfonzetti is eager to do what he loves most: take the music to the stage and connect with fans face-to-face. Judging by the chemistry within the band and the strength of the material on the upcoming EP, the journey is only just beginning.

And as if that wasn’t enough, Alfonzetti’s momentum continues to build. It was recently announced that the Swedish rock icon will release his brand-new studio album, Going For The Kill, on December 11, 2026, via Frontiers Music Srl. Between the rise of Black Blood Sthlm and a highly anticipated new solo release on the horizon, Matti Alfonzetti continues to prove that some of rock’s most enduring voices never lose their fire. Whether on stage, in the studio, or leading the charge into yet another exciting chapter of his career, one thing remains clear: Matti Alfonzetti is still going for the kill.

(Interview by Ken Morton)

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