Loudside.com had the chance to sit down with Robin and Roland of Sweden's newest melodic metal export Sonic Syndicate, during their First U.S. Tour supporting Amon Amarth. Here's what Robin and Roland had to say about their first experience touring in America, how things have moved really fast from getting signed to playing festivals, and what Sonic Syndicate has planned for the somewhat distant and not so distant future........

Loudside.com: So tell me, how this tour has been going for you guys so far?

Robin: It's been going really good. Like, since this is the first tour in America....so we don't expect that much from this tour, or that everyone will know us, but it's going pretty well, and it's almost over.

Roland: Yeah, I think it's actually really good. I didn't really have any expectations of it, and this is the first time and you never know what you're gonna get...

Robin: This tour is also more of a death metal tour, so we're not really playing in front of our fans so to speak, because we're more commercial in a way. But yeah, it's going good.

Loudside.com: Yeah, I know that typically the opening band on any tour has it the hardest. But you guys have had a pretty good crowd response so far?

Roland: Yeah, we have. Especially on the West Coast, and New York. It's been really good there.

Loudside.com: Cool. Now as you've stated this is your first Stateside tour.....how do you guys like touring here so far?

Robin: It's really cool. It's been our dream since we started this band was to tour the U.S., so it's really cool and fun to be here. And we'll be back in May touring again, so yeah....

Roland: It's a BIG Country! (laughing). Hours and Hours of traveling, but it's worth it. I mean, you have to start somewhere, so yeah....we're enjoying it.

Loudside.com: Since the release of the album, you guys have had the chance to do some pretty amazing tours with Megadeth overseas....

Roland: No, actually we only did one show.....

Loudside.com: Ok, well one show...and you also did the Eastpak Antidote. How were those experiences for you guys?

Robin: Megadeth was the first show in Germany. So just because of that, we were pretty nervous, like to go out of your own country and play in front of new fans....

Roland: Yeah, it was a big stage, alot of people, and Megadeth fans.....

Robin: They're pretty hardcore into Megadeth, so we were a bit afraid, or rather nervous about how it was gonna turn out, but it was really good actually. So yeah, the experience, right from the start as soon as we signed with Nuclear Blast everything happened right away. We got alot of super great opening act spots and stuff. But the Eastpak tour really did it for us.  I think if we hadn't done that one, I don't know if we would be here today. It was a real good experience touring with Soilwork and those guys. It taught us alot of new stuff, and it was a really good tour for us because we actually fit in with that music, with Soilwork, Caliban, and Dark Tranquillity. So it was perfect for us.

Loudside.com: And do you know how that worked out? I mean, did they specifically pick you guys as the opening act?

Robin: Actually, I don't know how it came about. It was our booking agent that did it but....

Roland: Do you think maybe we were good?

(laughter all around)

Loudside.com: I mean, maybe because Chimaira dropped off, and that put Soilwork in the headlining slot, and so it was mostly a Nuclear Blast line up?

Roland: Yeah, Nuclear Blast pushed us really hard in Europe. So I think that has alot to do with it.

Loudside.com: Ok, now you guys had one release prior to 'Only Inhuman',  called 'Eden Fire'. After you guys recorded that, were you still signed when Nuclear Blast picked you guys up?

Robin:  No, we only signed for one album with Pivotal Rockordings, just to see what would happen. Like we wanted to release an album, and that was perfect for us. We wanted to release an album, and see if another label would pick us up afterward, and they did.

Roland: Actually we were the winners of a contest. I don't know if you're aware of it, there were 1,500 other bands in this contest.......and......How the fuck did we do it?? (laughing)

Roland: We were recording like 3 songs and we heard about this contest.....

Robin: Our manager got us into it or something. And we heard about this contest. So we went into the studio and recorded like 3 songs, cause they wanted a demo from us, so we sent in the demo just to see what would happen. We really didn't expect anything from it. Maybe we wouldn't hear from them. And then they called us up like several weeks later and it became real. Like we signed with them, and then everything just started to happen so fast....

Roland: It was just weird. It was just like boom! Suddenly we were on Eastpak tour....

Robin: Yeah, I think directly after we signed with them, we were doing MTV shows in Sweden and stuff like that. We got that Megadeth show....

Roland: We got alot of big festivals in Europe, like Wacken, With Full Force, Up From The Ground. Like all the big stages, that was pretty weird. Actually Wacken, that was really weird. Never been out touring....it was like 12 in the morning, but still the metalkids were there, like 20 something thousand...and we still didn't have that much experience. And then you're just standing there like, 'What the fuck is happening', ya know? That was amazing! Totally amazing!

Loudside.com: That was a pretty big experience to have right away huh?

Roland: That is like.....you normally tour first, and THEN you come to Wacken and do that show. We did the opposite. (laughing)

Loudside.com: (laughing) Ok, now as far as Eden Fire goes, you didn't change too much from that one to the new one, but I did notice on the messageboards, some of your fans did feel that you guys went alot more commercial this time around. How do you feel about that?

Robin: I actually feel like we changed alot from that album....

Roland: For example, on the first record, I wasn't in the band. I was like.....just a guest on two, no three songs.

Robin: I think the best way to explain the new album is that it's way harder, way more metal, but in the same sense, way more commercial than the first album.

Roland: I think it was a natural way for us to progress in our music. And I think that's a normal thing for bands. You can't stand there and do the same thing over and over, because that's not interesting. Not only for yourself, but also for the fans. So we always have to try to develop new styles and things to make it interesting. I don't know what we're gonna sound like on the next one, but it's definitely going to be different.

Loudside.com: And how come you guys got rid of the female vocals?

Robin: I can personally say that I really don't like female vocals in metal. Except for Nightwish. But I don't know really.....I mean, we already have two singers, we don't need another one. So that also became an issue.

Loudside.com: So basically just whatever worked for each song?

Roland: Yeah, like I said, just the natural way things progressed. But you never know, maybe we'll do it again......

Loudside.com: Ok, now what was it like for you guys working with Jonas from Scar Symmetry?

Robin: It was the funniest thing ever.

Roland: He's just like a.....big cookie monster. He's weird in a funny way. I felt when I did the vocals, everything felt natural to work with him. He was supportive of all my ideas, and he had some cool ideas too. And everything else just fit together.

Robin: We got a paper, a list of producers from Nuclear Blast basically saying this is who should produce your stuff, and who you should work with. And we just picked Jonas, because we knew that he played in Scar Symmetry and we liked him alot, so we went ahead and tried it out, and that was probably the best producer we could have. He definitely did a great job, and everything worked perfectly with him.

Roland: I was there like one week, to do the vocals, and everything just clicked from the first day. And that is very important in choosing a producer. I mean, we didn't know it was gonna be like that, but it was, so we were really happy about that. And he's also like the funniest guy ever! There's a video clip on his myspace, and it's the best description or the best way to see how he really is.

Loudside.com: Cool. Now from that list they gave you, did you guys consider anyone else?

Robin: We were choosing between Jonas and and another guy. Umm, he has done Katatonia, for example.....Millencolin.....and alot of Swedish pop. But there was everything from Kelly Clarkson producers to more metal producers.

Loudside.com: Ok.......(laughing). Now so far you guys have done 2 videos off the new album, and the bonus dvd has live footage from one or rather some of the festivals you guys did. Now for me, in my experience, that's alot for a newer band, to have 2 videos right off the top. Are there more videos planned for this album?

Roland: Probably not. I don't see us doing another video on this album.

Robin: I think it's too late to still keep the video promotion going. Or maybe not, but you never know....

Roland: Yeah, it's just too late. This year is almost over, and we go into the studio and start recording our next album in March. So there's no time, and we're on tour until we go into the studio. So no more videos.

Loudside.com: Ok. Now on the issue of downloading, your album was leaked online quite a while before it was actually released. How do you feel about that and illegal downloads?

Robin: I downloaded the album. (laughing)

Roland: What the fuck!?! (laughing)

Robin: I never got a real copy of the album. (laughing) How's that for supporting my own band? No, umm, I don't know. I guess if people downloaded our album, I'd be pissed off.....

Roland: I don't know, I have two ways of looking at that. First of all, if you download it, we don't make any money. And the other way, as the music business is today, cd prices are so high, especially in Europe it's really expensive to buy music. And everything is turning to mp3 and going onto iPods and stuff like that, ya know. And everything is so easy to download......and sometimes that makes the band bigger. Because some of those kids that download the album end up coming to our shows....... And hopefully buy a fuckin t-shirt!! (laughing) I just hope that someday in the future you can't download a t-shirt. Because then we'll be fucked! (laughing). I guess it's both good and bad for any band. That's the best way to say it.

Loudside.com: So you think it's good for smaller bands then?

Roland: Yeah, it's perfect for smaller bands, especially with sites like Myspace, which is free as well. That's a perfect way to become bigger, working that page. It feels like today, you really don't have to have a record label. You can have success in a band without one. For example, Enter Shikari, they became huge with Myspace and still didnt have a record label, and they toured all over America and Europe, doing headlining dates at festivals and shit. And they still don't have a record label.

Roland: So I can say like for all the record labels and all the companies that read this, 'It's NOT OK TO DOWNLOAD MOTHERFUCKERS!" (laughing)

Loudside.com: (laughing) Ok.....now I know you have the 'Darkness Over Xmas' tour coming up, and like you said, you'll be back in the states next year with Nightwish. Do you have any tours lined up other than that, and is there any chance of landing a spot on a U.S. Summer festival?

Robin: Yeah, we actually have one tour coming up. We're gonna do a headlining tour in Europe and Sweden. And Hopefully a U.S. summer festival....I mean....how should I say this......even if the festivals are in America, everyone in Europe still knows about those festivals. So even if there's not a show there, we still have good promotion for it. Like you can see it online, on YouTube or where ever.

Roland: Hopefully we will land on a Summer Festival, but at this point, I don't know. There's nothing booked, except for the Nightwish tour. But we definitely want to come back again.

Loudside.com: And is there any specific festival you guys would want to do?

Robin: Umm, Taste of Chaos. That's a touring festival that I hope we would get.....ummm, Ozzfest! Hopefully we'll get on Ozzfest.

Loudside.com: Even if it's free again?

Roland: Oh yeah, of course! It's good promotion......

Robin: We talked alot about money, but actually we don't care. (laughing)

Roland: No!! I would even buy my own beer if we could tour on that Festival! But yeah, hopefully we make it.......even if it's free!