Satanic Surfers began in 1989 and rode that melodic wave until 2007. In 2014, the Swedish band remerged for some reunions, and surging into 2018, they have released a new album, Back From Hell, which dropped in April—on Friday the 13th—via Mondo Macabre Records. The heavy hooks and blazing drums push an engaging album. This is a fiercer, heavier Satanic Surfers.
Vocalist Rodrigo Alfaro reports that there was no plan to record a new album, but the band’s chemistry was undeniable, and the members’ other projects did not have the propulsion or cohesive bond apparent in Satanic Surfers. “After doing the reunion festival shows and touring areas we missed out [on] the first time around, we just figured it was either time to leave it at that or move forward with the band and do a new record,” he says. “I had already written some new material and started tracking some demos before the reunion. Even though this material wasn’t written with the purpose of using it for Satanic Surfers, once I presented the songs and we started rehearsing, everyone was totally into it.”
Having grabbed the mic again after his initial 14-year stint as the band’s vocalist, Back From Hell sees Alfaro addressing his own demons, including the pleasures and pains of being in a band (“Just another commodity for anyone to purchase / Sinking ship with no answers, no purpose,” he sings on “The Usurper”); drinking (“I don’t even like the taste / Just the way it helps me to forget,” on “Self-Medication”); and personal stagnation (“I can’t believe I’m still stuck here / And I just wasted another year,” on “Going Nowhere Fast”).
Musically, Back From Hell rips. The rhythm section of drummer Stefan Larsson and bassist Andy Dahlström attains mesmerizing speeds. The dual guitars of Magnus Blixtberg and Max Huddén attack with many weapons. They play off of each other, allowing some interesting song structures to manifest. They use speed and melody, chunky low-tuned riffs, and tons of time changes. Back From Hell touts dark skate punk with actual singing—this is not pop punk. There are gang vocals and harmonies sung by others beefing up the final material. The added scorching guitar leads and thrash parts distinguish the Satanic Surfers’ throne in the Netherworld.
The robust, full sound of Back From Hell was honed by satanic friend and engineer Tommy Tift, who played in the Swedish hardcore band Sista Sekunden. The album came together naturally, according to Alfaro. “All in all, recording was easy and smooth,” he says. “I’m not sure how long we spent in the studio, maybe three weeks in total. We used two different studios. We recorded drums in one place, then the rest a bit in each of the studios depending on availability and our personal schedules. We have never worked with an outside producer and never will.”
In an honest yet flippant tone, Alfaro reveals his opinion of Back From Hell compared to its predecessors. “I’d say the main difference with this album, in comparison with our previous ones, is that I am actually happy with the result,” he states. “It turned out pretty much the way I imagined it from when I started writing those riffs. Of course, I imagined I’d play drums and someone else would sing, but I am very pleased with Stefan’s drumming. I knew he would be the perfect fit for the Satanic Surfers.”
Obviously, the band have synchronized over the last few years, rendering them a tight web of punk rock. Alfaro agrees, “It’s been great. The current lineup feels perfect. We really enjoy each other’s company. We’ve all known each other from playing in various bands together before. There are no big egos sucking the energy out of the group. The welcoming we’ve received from the fans [and] friends out there has been amazing. We feel really privileged to be able to come back after all these years and people still bother to care about us and our music.”
As Alfaro and the current Surfers drop this lil devil, the band are fused and ready to fire in 2018. “It will be a lot of fun reading people’s reactions to the record,” Alfaro says. “We have some shorter tours during the rest of the year, a few festivals. I still have tons of new riffs and even complete songs, so we might be doing some recordings during the summer as well. Other than that, we’ll just see what comes our way and take it from there.”
Top photo by Christian Bindel
