With the release of their astounding full length debut the ‘Infamy And The Breed’, new kids on the block Zonaria – from the famed northern Swedish town of Umea – have raised the bar even further in setting the standard in extreme melodic death metal. Shan Siva discovers what it must be like to be a child prodigy!

I can't believe you guys were only 15 when you started this band – the quality is astounding so congratulations on this superb album. Tell me, how did you become such good musicians?
Simon Berglund (Vocals/Guitars): ah, thanx a lot! Well we practice a lot, maybe too much. I tend to hate many bands so I just don’t do whatever they are doing ha ha! No, we take the writing and practicing very seriously and take the time to perfect the songs.

Did your parents play a big part on your musical development and how did you fit in your training with things like school?
No, they didn’t put me in music classes and stuff. I just fell for guitar playing at the age of nine and then I started taking lessons on my own. I was never a real guitar geek, I was more of a composer. I totally gave up my high school work to concentrate on heavy music.

How easy was it for you to play gigs - full grown men find it nervous so for teenagers it must be terrifying?
We always got great feedback on our early gigs so the spirit has always been high. We tend to complain more about the gig conditions than walk around being nervous. And when we enter the stage we start off in full throttle. We enjoy playing with all bands for the most part, old or young and everyone seems to appreciate us also!

Did you find it a problem to be taken seriously and shown respect by an industry that is notorious for exploiting people - especially young people?
No, I mean we were discovered pretty much right away by labels so we have always thought of ourselves as kinda good. I think a lot of younger bands are taken a bit tongue and cheek though, so we were pretty lucky! But our music speaks for everything!

How did you handle going into the studio for the first time - was it difficult and was there a lot to learn?
When we entered the studio for the ‘INFAMY AND THE BREED’ recording we had everything done and ready for recording. We didn’t experience any down periods or pressure during that time. Everything went pretty smoothly and of course having Per Nilsson (Scar Symmetry) and Jonas Kjellgren (Scar Symmetry) there helped out when we needed help!

Who have been your greatest influences?
Bands like Hypocrisy, Dimmu Borgir, Strapping Young Lad. Those are the biggest, but we feel as though the world around us is an equally big influence, we try to play like Zonaria!

How did you come to the attention of Pivotal Alliance - did you prefer a US label to a European one?
We never actually had a European one. The ones that were going to release our single pretty much fucked it up. But then Alexi from Pivotal Recordings contacted Emil and it all started. The label pretty much is worldwide even though they are based in the US.

Can you tell us a bit about the new album and some of the songs , and perhaps the inspirations behind them?
The title ‘INFAMY AND THE BREED’ means that mankind is equal to deceit and cruelty. The lyrics are mainly about the human race and world politics. The first single ‘THE ARMAGEDDON ANTHEM’ is about a guy who wants to take over the world with politics and then he destroys it. It is an interpretation of the world today.

Your career so far has taken off in leaps and bounds so where do you see the next step for Zonaria?
On tour. We want to tour as much as possible and spread the word and have a great time. Then after that its time for the second cd.

10. Lastly (actually I should have asked this question first but I forgot cos its real late right now ha ha) - what does the band name 'Zonaria' mean and why did you form the band - after all, aren't there enough bands out there...?
Well, Zonaria was formed a very long time ago and in the beginning we just played covers and stuff. Then we started to get more serious and the band hasn’t quit yet. Zonaria is to do with Greek mythology, it means like wasteland…..

Ok Simon , good luck – and don’t stay up too late!