The Stratospheric Sounds of Volster

The Stratospheric Sounds of Volster

Swedish melodic hard rock band Volster has returned with Arise, featuring songs that are absolutely stratospheric in scope.  Available November 13th through the almighty ROAR! Rock Of Angels Records, Arise by Volster is certain to enrapture fans of classic acts such as Whitesnake and Montrose.  Highwire Daze recently interviewed vocalist / guitarist Ulf Andersson to find out more about the amazing Volster and their inspiring Arising magnum opus.  Read on…

Introduce yourself, tell me what you do in VOLSTER, and how long the band has been together.
Hi! I’m Ulf and I’m the singer and guitarist in the band. We started the band about 7 years ago.

Where is the band based out of and what is your local music scene like there?
Volster is based in the town of Skövde. In the surroundings of Skövde the music scene includes bands in various genres such as NWOBHM, Classic Rock and Classic Metal.

How did you wind up signing with ROAR! Rock Of Angels Records?
We had friends in another band who was signed with ROAR so we contacted ROAR and were happy to find that they were interested in working with us.

Is there any overall story or concept behind the Arise album title?
Well, it’s taken from one of the songs on the album and the concept is to never stop aiming for whatever you reach for. It’s time to arise!

Select any two songs from Arise and what inspired the lyrics?
The title track Arise is inspired by the thought that it’s never too late to realize your dreams. Sign Of The Times is inspired by the state of the world today where you have to decipher the media to find the truth behind all lies and fake news.

Who did the cover art for Arise and how much input did you have on it?
The cover art for Arise was made by Rob Hakemo (https://www.mipic.co/store/hakemo/). We had a discussion about what we wanted and then gave Rob free rein.

What has it been like to release new music right in the middle of a pandemic and so much social unrest in the world?
We took the opportunity to focus on songwriting and to build up our back catalog with a second album. Aside from that we miss playing live, of course.

How does Arise compare with the previous album Perfect Storm?
On Arise we’ve tried to develop our songwriting with expanding genres to include more of progressive and AOR elements along with the melodic rock that is the core of Volster.

Any future lives shows on the horizon for VOLSTER?
Unfortunately not.

If VOLSTER could open up for any band either now or from the past, who would it be and why?
I would say any famous band that has a big audience that our music would attract. For example Whitesnake, Def Leppard or Alter Bridge.

When you look back on your work in Masquerade, what do you think of it now in retrospect?
I was one of the founding members of Masquerade but the band and I went separate ways before they released any albums. For me it was a learning experience about what it takes to be a band and it’s not always that easy.

Are you involved with any other bands or projects outside of VOLSTER?
No, not at the moment.

What’s up next for VOLSTER?
As the live scene still isn’t active we will start writing songs for our third album. Then we will also try out some new members for future live gigs.

Any final words of wisdom?
Stay safe and take care and hopefully we will be able to play somewhere near in the future! Thank you so much for your interest in our band!

VOLSTER IS:
Ulf Andersson – Vocals, Guitars
Henrik Lundberg – Bass

(Interview by Ken Morton)

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