Metalite’s Next Chapter: Edwin Premberg Discusses Discovery, Sci-Fi Storytelling, and a Decade of Melodic Metal

Metalite’s Next Chapter: Edwin Premberg Discusses Discovery, Sci-Fi Storytelling, and a Decade of Melodic Metal

Sweden’s Metalite has spent the last decade carving out a distinct place within the melodic metal scene, combining infectious hooks, futuristic themes, and powerful performances into a sound all their own. Since the release of their debut album Heroes in Time in 2017, the band has steadily evolved, embracing ever more ambitious concepts while building a loyal international fanbase along the way.

Now, Metalite returns with Discovery, the highly anticipated follow-up to their first full-fledged concept album, Expedition One. Continuing the story of humanity’s journey into the stars, Discovery finds the band exploring new worlds both musically and lyrically while remaining true to the uplifting energy and memorable songwriting that fans have come to expect.

Highwire Daze recently caught up with Metalite founder and guitarist Edwin Premberg to discuss the new album, standout tracks including “Cyberspace,” “Echoes of You,” and “Starchild,” the band’s love of science fiction and video games, their recent cover songs, and the possibility of finally bringing Metalite’s energetic live show to the United States.

We’re here with Edwin from Metalite. First of all, let’s go right into the album. Is there any overall story or concept behind the title Discovery?
Yes. It’s the sequel to Expedition One, which was our first concept album. Now the story continues with Discovery. We’ve just landed on a new planet, and we’re discovering new things there.

Did you ever have a chance to play Expedition One live in its entirety?
Not entirely, but we released some singles from that album, and I think we’ve played all of them live at least once.

I was listening to Discovery and thought it would be a great album to play in its entirety.
Yeah, that’s a cool idea. Of course, let’s make it happen!

Let’s talk about some of the songs. “Our Time Has Come” – is there any overall story or concept behind that song?
“Our Time Has Come” begins our journey on the new planet. It’s still the year 2055, and we’ve arrived at the planet. It’s the first song on the album. The second song takes place in 2058, three years later, when we start discovering a lot of things on this new world.

So I’d say “Our Time Has Come” is the beginning of the new album and the new storyline.

“Echoes of You” was recently released as a single. Tell me a little about that one.
It’s a ballad about a really powerful love story. The girl is reminding herself of the love she had back on Earth. It’s a big, powerful ballad, but it’s also inspired by real stories. So it’s a mix between the storyline and real life.

One song that just stayed in my head after I heard it was “Cyberspace.” Tell me about that one.
It’s a cool song with a lot of energy. It’s a classic Metalite song. We travel through bits and bytes and all the digital worlds that I like writing stories about. “Cyberspace” has strong harmonies, strong melodies, and everything that represents the Metalite sound.

I think it’s one of my favorites on the album.

And then “Starchild.” Give me a little background on that one.
“Starchild” is a key song for this album. We made a video for it that was directed by Ted Lindén, and we’re really happy with how it turned out. It’s very high quality.

We wanted this song to receive a lot of attention, which is one reason we made a video for it. It’s a really great song, and it also represents the Metalite sound and energy.

I always like to go to the end of the album and see what’s going on there, so let’s talk about “Triforce.”
I guess you already know that “Triforce” is a reference to The Legend of Zelda, a fantastic game series that influenced me a lot when I was a kid.

This song isn’t really tied to the album’s storyline. It’s more of a tribute to one of the greatest video game franchises ever made.

You have a new drummer, Erik Junttila Johansson. Tell me about Erik, his background, and how he became involved with Metalite.
Erik had been playing in metal bands before. Our former drummer, Joel, was friends with him. Joel had been filling in for us, and when we started looking for a new drummer, he recommended Erik.

We contacted him, and it turned out he was the perfect fit for Metalite. His drumming is powerful, he’s very fast, and he can play a lot of different styles. We asked him to join, and he said yes. It was a perfect match for the band.

I interviewed Robert Majd (Metalite, Captain Black Beard, Nighthawk, Weapon, Fans of the Dark) a few years ago, and he’s involved in so many bands. How did he wind up in Metalite, and have Metalite and any of his other bands ever played together on the same bill?
Robert has been with the band since the very beginning. When I formed Metalite, I already had a record deal, but I didn’t have a full lineup yet. Emma, our first singer, and I needed to find members.

I was searching around Facebook and looking at mutual friends. Then I saw Robert’s profile picture and thought, “Yeah, that’s a good one.” So I guess he got the job because of his Facebook profile picture.

He’s a really good friend of mine now, and we have a lot of fun when we’re playing live. It turned out to be a very good choice.

Has Metalite ever played here in the States, or is that something you’d like to do?
We haven’t played there yet, but of course we’d love to. Touring is very expensive these days, and I think the economics are what hold us back right now.

But we’re always looking at opportunities and would love to play there someday, maybe on one of the metal cruises like 70,000 Tons of Metal. That would be awesome.

When you look back at that very first album, Heroes in Time, from 2017, what do you think of it now in retrospect?
The themes that interested me back then, like sci-fi and technology, are still there today. The songs are also great. I think the band’s production quality has developed significantly over the years and reached a higher level.

But there are still a lot of great songs on that album. “Afterlife” remains one of my favorites, and fans still love it when we play it live. That’s a song that will probably never leave our setlist.

I really like the material on that album, and maybe someday we can do a reissue with newly recorded versions featuring Erica. That would be really great.

And then there’s the Stratovarius cover of “Hunting High and Low.” Has anyone from Stratovarius heard it or commented on it?
I don’t know. I haven’t heard any comments from the band or anyone associated with them. But we always tag them on Facebook and Instagram, so I would guess that someone from the Stratovarius camp has heard it, at least.

Are you currently involved with any other bands or projects outside of Metalite?
No, I would say no. Of course, I spend a lot of time producing, working in the studio, writing songs, and developing different projects, but there aren’t any other bands involved at the moment.

Star Wars or Star Trek: which do you prefer, and why?
I have to say Star Wars. When I was younger, I always thought Star Trek was kind of a cheap copy of Star Wars. So, yes, I’d definitely choose Star Wars.

What are some of your other favorite science fiction movies?
One major influence for me is Ready Player One. When it was released, it really made an impression on me. I also love older classics like Back to the Future Part I and Part II. Those are really great movies.

I’d also mention The Maze Runner, because it influenced the song “Into the Maze” on the new album.

The band started in 2015, which means you’re celebrating your tenth anniversary. What goes through your mind knowing you’ve been doing this for ten years and counting?
I’m really happy that I’ve had the opportunity to do this. I still can’t believe how much Metalite has grown since we started.

The streaming numbers keep increasing, the YouTube views keep growing, and we’ve had the chance to play bigger festivals and larger stages. It’s been fantastic to watch the band develop.

The relationships within the band have also grown stronger. We’re really good friends, and I couldn’t have imagined all of this when we started. It feels great to say that ten years later, we’re stronger than ever.

And with the new album coming out, what’s next for Metalite?
We have a release party scheduled in Stockholm at the beginning of November. We’re also going on a Mediterranean metal cruise around the same time.

Beyond that, we’re planning a European tour in early 2027 to support the new album and play these new songs live. I’m also looking forward to the upcoming festival season.

Do you have any messages for Metalite fans here in the States?
We know we have a lot of fans in the United States, and we’re doing our best to come over and play for you.

We’re eager to do whatever it takes to make it happen, and we really hope we’ll have the opportunity to play there and meet all of our fans in person.

In Conclusion

With Discovery, Metalite continues its journey into uncharted territory, expanding upon the futuristic universe first introduced on Expedition One while delivering the infectious melodies and uplifting energy that have become hallmarks of the band’s sound. As Metalite celebrates ten years of growth, friendship, and musical evolution, the future appears brighter than ever for the Swedish melodic metal outfit.

A huge thank you to Edwin Premberg for taking the time to discuss Discovery, the band’s past, present, and future, and the possibility of eventually bringing Metalite’s energetic live show to American audiences. Until then, fans can dive into Discovery and join Metalite on their latest adventure through the stars.

(Interview by Ken Morton)

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