Crusaders of the North: Rozario Charge Forward with a New Album

Crusaders of the North: Rozario Charge Forward with a New Album

Norway has long been known for its extreme metal exports, but Rozario is carving out their own path with a melodic, guitar‑driven sound that blends classic heavy metal spirit with modern fire. With their new album Northern Crusaders set for release on Pride & Joy Music, vocalist David Rosario and guitarist Stein Hjertholm are gearing up for their biggest year yet. From working with Wig Wam’s Trond Holter to expanding their live territory beyond Norway, the band is pushing forward with ambition, energy, and a deep love for the genre. I caught up with David and Stein to talk about the making of Northern Crusaders, their creative chemistry, their dreams of playing the U.S., and why the Norwegian metal scene is more diverse than many fans realize.

We’re here with two members of Rozario. Introduce yourselves and tell me what you do in the band.
David: My name is David, and I’m the vocalist of Rozario.
Stein: My name is Stein, and I’m the guitarist.

Where is the band based, and what is the music scene like there?
David: We’re based around Oslo and the surrounding areas. Our members come from different parts of Eastern Norway, but we rehearse close to where I live, just south of Oslo.

Stein: There are a lot of bands in Norway playing metal—many aspiring ones too—so the scene is really strong.

This is your second album on Pride & Joy Music. How did you end up signing with them initially?
Stein: When we finished recording the first album, we reached out to a few record companies. I have two friends who released albums through Pride & Joy, and they spoke very highly of Birgitt and the label. That was really the main reason we chose to sign with Pride & Joy.

Is there an overall story or concept behind the title Northern Crusaders?
David: The title came from this idea that we’re crusaders of rock—heading out into the world to spread our music. That’s the basic concept.

Stein: And since we come from up north, Northern Crusaders felt natural. It continues the northern theme we had on the last album. We’re proud of where we come from.

Let’s talk about a few songs on the album. The first single, “Fire and Ice,” also opens the record. Tell me about the inspiration behind it.
David: “Fire and Ice” is a very energetic track, and we wanted to kick off the album with something that gets people going. Lyrically, it’s about not giving up—just pushing forward all the way.

Stein: On the last album, we opened with the title track, “To The Gods We Swear,” which is more mid‑tempo. This time we wanted something different, something faster. And since “Fire and Ice” is a great song, it made sense to start the album with it.

You also have a new single out called “We Are One.” Tell me about that one.
Stein: “We Are One” was actually the first song we recorded for the album. The first version was done even before the debut album was released—about six months after we finished the sessions for that record. In Europe, we have the Eurovision Song Contest, and we wanted to try submitting a song for that. So we recorded “We Are One” and sent it in. But I guess it was too heavy for that contest, because we didn’t make it. The funny thing is, the song they chose ended up finishing last, so I’m pretty sure we would’ve done better than that.

I want to jump to the end of the album. Most people haven’t heard it yet, so let’s talk about the last two tracks, because they’re pretty cool. First up: “Haunted by the Past.” Tell me about that one.
Stein: When we were preparing for the album, the three songwriters—me, David, and our drummer Peppa—met up, and between us we had around 30 song sketches. While I was going through my ideas, this song suddenly popped up. I had actually forgotten about it, but it sounded cool, so I brought it to the meeting where we were choosing tracks. The others liked it too, so that’s how it ended up on the album.

And what is it you’re haunted by?
David: You reach a certain point in life where you don’t really see your future clearly anymore, and the only thing that keeps coming back to you is your past.

And then you close the album with a song called “Betrayed.” Tell me about that one.
David: “Betrayed” is about a very specific situation—when you’re promised something and it doesn’t turn out that way. Instead, you get backstabbed. It’s not a cool feeling. You’re betrayed, plain and simple.

Stein: That song has been with us for a long time. It’s one David has had for many years. We tried working on it for the last album, but even though the verses were great, we could never find the right chorus. So we didn’t finish it then. For this album, we picked it up again and finally completed it, and I think it turned out great. It’s a different kind of heavy, with a lot of guitars—which we love.

Every song on this album is solid and could easily be a single. One of the people who helped you out was Trond Holter of Wig Wam. How did he become involved in the recording process, and what was it like working with him?
Stein: For the first album, we actually had another plan and were getting ready to start recording. Then I saw the Wig Wam video for “Never Say Die,” which came out in 2021, I think. I heard it and thought, Wow, that sounds amazing. That same day they had a streamed concert online, and I knew the sound engineer. So I texted him and asked who produced the Wig Wam album. He told me it was Trond. I asked if Trond produced other artists, and he said yes—then gave me his number. The next day I called Trond, and a few weeks later we were in Trondheim starting the recording. He’s an amazing producer, songwriter, and guitarist. For me as a guitarist, it’s kind of scary being in the studio with him because he’s way better than me. So I really have to stay on my toes.

David, what was your experience working with him?
David: Trond Holter is the guitarist of Wig Wam, and even though Wig Wam had almost called it a day, Trond wanted to keep going—but heavier. So they’re still active. My experience with Trond is that he’s very comfortable to work with. He’s understanding, he knows what he’s doing, and he really knows metal music.

Not only did you work with Trond, but you also opened for Wig Wam recently. How did those shows go, and what were some highlights?
Stein: That was on the last tour, after the previous album. We opened for them at two gigs in northern Norway. It was great. One of the shows was actually in my hometown, so it was really cool to come back home and play a big venue with a lot of people. Sharing the stage with Wig Wam and Trond was a great experience. He’s very supportive of us.

David, what did you think?
David: I think Trond is almost like the sixth member of the band. Those gigs up north were amazing. Doing shows with Wig Wam is always fantastic, and we learned so much from the experience.

You have a show coming up at a venue called John Dee in Oslo. What are you looking forward to most about that show?
Stein: That’s the day the album is released, so it’s basically our release party. We’re really looking forward to it. We’ve been playing four songs from the new album live for a while, but at John Dee we’re going to play nine new songs. So we’re excited to finally show more of the new material to the audience. It’s going to be great.

Has Rozario ever played in the States, or is that something you’d like to do in the future?
David: We haven’t been to the States yet, but of course—who wouldn’t want to go to the States and play?

Well, we hope to see you here.
Stein: Say “go,” Ken, and we’ll come.

I live in Los Angeles and go to the Whisky a Go Go all the time. It’d be great to see you guys there.
Stein: I’ve been there, you know. That’s an epic, historic place.

Absolutely. Now, what did you guys do prior to Rozario? What bands or projects were you involved with?
David: I was in a band called Legacy. We wrote our own songs, and most of them were based on Greek mythology. Not many bands have done that—well, some have over the years—but Legacy was the last band I was in before Rozario.

Stein: They were more of a prog band. Really long songs with lots of different elements. Very cool band.

And Stein, what about you? Have you been in other bands?
Stein: Yeah, I’ve always played in different bands. I also had a solo career in the ’90s where I did my own material. David got to know me when I was playing in a Judas Priest tribute band. He came to a few of our shows—that’s how we met. Later he contacted me after coming to a club to hear some Judas Priest-style heavy metal, and that’s how things started between us.

And Stein, you mentioned you’ve been to the Whisky. What were you doing in Los Angeles? Did you live here or were you visiting?
Stein: I’ve been there twice. The first time was with a Norwegian rock ’n’ roll band called Turbonegro—I was their tour manager. They played at the House of Blues on Sunset, and afterward we went to both the Rainbow and the Whisky. Then in 2014, I produced some events in Las Vegas—I work as an event producer as well. When we finished there, a few friends and I drove to LA and stayed for a few days. We lived on the Strip and went to the clubs. These are legendary places. Ever since the early ’80s we’d heard about them and dreamed of going, so it was a big moment finally being there.

David, have you ever been to the Sunset Strip? Have you been out to LA?
David: Unfortunately, I haven’t. I’ve passed through Philadelphia, and my wife and I had our honeymoon on a cruise out of Fort Lauderdale. We went to the Bahamas, St. Martin, and St. Thomas. It was a wonderful trip.

Are you guys currently involved with any other bands or projects outside of Rozario?
Stein: No, this is the one and only for us.

You have a new album about to come out. What do you hope this new year brings for Rozario?
Stein: I hope it brings fame and fortune! [laughs] But seriously, with the last album we only played shows in Norway. Now we’re starting to get gigs in Sweden as well. So the hope for the new album—and for the new year—is to expand the territory where we play. Sweden, Germany, Finland, maybe England. And of course, a dream come true would be to come to the U.S. and play the Whisky a Go Go in LA. That would be amazing.

Do you have any messages for U.S. metal fans who are discovering you for the first time now?
David: Come and see us live, and I guarantee you’ll fall in love with our songs.

Stein: If they start with the new album, I’d suggest they go back and listen to the first one as well. And I’d also encourage them to check out some other Norwegian bands—there are a lot of great metal bands here. It’s a strong scene.

When people think of Norway, they often think of the black metal scene, but there’s all kinds of metal coming out of Norway.
Stein: Definitely. Black metal is special because it originated here, so it’s a unique part of our culture. But we’re not part of that scene. Norway also has a big metal scene in general, and a big prog scene too. And of course, black metal is huge as well.

In Conclusion

As Rozario prepare to unleash Northern Crusaders on the world, it’s clear the band is stepping into a new chapter with confidence, ambition, and a sharpened musical identity. Their passion for heavy metal is unmistakable, whether they’re talking about songwriting, touring, or their dreams of bringing their sound to stages far beyond Norway. With powerful new material, a growing international presence, and the support of a thriving Scandinavian metal scene, Rozario are poised to reach a wider audience than ever before. If Northern Crusaders is any indication, this is a band ready to conquer new territory—one stage at a time.

(Interview by Ken Morton)

Line-up: David Rosario (vocals), Stein Hjertholm (guitar), Taran Lister (guitar), Anders Halsan Engum (bass), Per Helge Bruvoll (drums)
 
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