Spiritual Beggars Interview with Michael Amott: How Per Wiberg’s Moustache Can Really Make all the Difference When Returning to Zero
Posted in Features on November 17th, 2010 by JJ KoczanReleased at the end of August via InsideOut Music (Trooper Entertainment in Japan), Return to Zero is the first Spiritual Beggars record in five years, and the first to be released since the departure of vocalist JB Christoffersson, who split with the long-running and influential Swedish rockers to focus his attention on his main outfit, the always-epic Grand Magus.
Spiritual Beggars are no strangers to balancing between other bands. Guitarist and founder Michael Amott has seen more of his attention over the years go toward melodic death metal stalwarts Arch Enemy, in which he plays with Beggars bassist Sharlee D’Angelo (he’s the terrifying one in the press shots), drummer Ludwig Witt is formerly of Firebird and keyboardist Per Wiberg‘s paying gig these days is with prog-death giants Opeth. So, Spiritual Beggars, while always fun, isn’t what you’d call a full-time occupation. Hence the five-year split between Return to Zero and 2005’s Demons.
But when it was announced Christoffersson was departing from the band, one had to wonder whether Spiritual Beggars could continue at all. Christoffersson hadn’t been their first frontman (that would be Christian “Spice” Sjöstrand, also of The Mushroom River Band and currently Spice and the RJ Band), but his presence was undeniably part of what made 2002’s On Fire and Demons the catalog highlights they were. Fortunately, Firewind singer Apollo Papathanasio joined the ranks and work on Return to Zero began in earnest.
I wanted to discuss with Amott — also a former member of grindcore pioneers Carcass — how it felt to go back to Spiritual Beggars after so much time to make this album and, most of all, what it was like to work with Per Wiberg‘s moustache, which, as you can see in the press shots included with the interview, is fucking awesome. He was a good sport and happy to share, as you can plainly see below.
Full Q&A is after the jump. Please enjoy.