ERIK "LEGION" HAGSTEDT

DEVIAN

He is definitely one of the most charismatic figures on the contemporary metal scene. You probably know him very well from MARDUK when he spent a few years of his crazy life. Some time ago he founded a new band called DEVIAN which is a new, rising force of death black metal scene. Without a daily dose of metal he probably wouldn't be alive. Let me introduce you to the Erik "Legion" Hagstedt and 10 monuments that changed his life, FOREVER.

I. IRON MAIDEN - "Piece of Mind"
First album I ever bought and it blew my minds to shreds. I had heard "The Number of the Beast" already, we always sneaked into my friends big brothers room and went through his vinyls. My familys economy was shit and the deal was "If you want something then save up for it". So I did, felt like forever all my allowance went into the piggy bank. I finally had my 65 swedish crowns and "Piece..." was just being released. Best money I´ve ever spent in my life.


II. SLAYER - "Reign in Blood"
Another huge awakening. My 12 year old brain couldn´t even fathom what kind of guys were playing this stuff. From the opening falsetto scream Slayer made a whole generation of bands fucking wimps in my eyes. The album that was responsible for my no turning back and quest for brutal music.




III. BATHORY - "Under the Sign of the Black Mark"
I´d started junior high and was a huge worshipper of thrash metal, especially Slayer, when I got to know Rob who just up til now was handling the bass duties in Devian. We were talking metal and I was of course my usual SLAAAAAAAAAAYER self when he would tell me, "Hey look man, there is another band you should really check out, they´re Swedish and called Bathory". At first I didn´t even understand what was going on on that album but as it grew on me it had an impact with a blacker understanding of the world that lasts til this day. Based upon all this Rob and I founded our first Black Metal band Black Goat in -91, shit did we suck, when we tried to go fast our drummer couldn´t use the kick drum..we couldn´t play but at least we always rehearsed after midnight haha! I learnt how to do Black Metal vocals imitating Quorthon.

IV / V. MORBID ANGEL - "Altars of Madness"/ DEICIDE - "Deicide"
Death metal was the new thing and Morbid Angel and Deicide were the gods. I picked up Morbid first and everything was insanely awesome, from the way they looked and sounded to the lyrics and artworks. I bought Deicide because I heard they didn´t wanna fly since it would get them too close to God haha and the catchiness and all out malice stuck on me like a patch. The one album that has inspired the most ferocious drunken shouting in public and scrawlings on churchdoors amongst the gang I hung out with in my teens.

VI. MAYHEM - "De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas"
The foundation!! I´ve never been so obsessed with an album. I tapetraded rehearsals with the Dead/Euronymous/Necrobutcher/Hellhammer line up after reading stuff in some old zines and when the CBR compilation showed up with "Freezing Moon" and "Carnage" on it I thought my head was going to explode. Since then it was up the Black Metal!! And a loooong wait til the album finally was released. I knew all the lyrics by heart and when I was over hanging out with the guys watching them rehearse when they reunited Necro asked me if I knew any lyrics since Maniac was not in town. I replied "All of em" and we did "Funeral Fog" together. It was a dream come true to play with the legends!!

VII. DANZIG - "Lucifuge"
Totally fucking fantastic, especially getting to know Glenn years later to discover his persona, which made the records even better. Dark rock music never got better than this.






VIII. MARYLIN MANSON - "Antichrist Superstar"
Up until then I was oblivious of all the machine like music but I thought MM was such an interesting provoking character that I checked out his music and thought it was great, which opened up for Nine Inch Nails, Ministry and all other kinds of stuff I think is awesome today.





IX. KENT - "Du och Jag Döden"
It´s really a pop album, or alternative rock. A couple of Swedes painting the world in black and romaticing doom. A great example of that the our scene up here that is regarded as such a glued-on-too-tough-for-ones-own-good image really is a Metal conception of our culture and heritage, where nastiness lives in the darkness and anxiety, beauty and depression are normal stuff life is made out of.



X. TORI AMOS - "Anything"
I´m a sucker for beautiful female voices in general, but Tori is such a genius that I´ll put her here. Plus points for posing as a leather dominatrix with a sword on her old glam rock album to haha!







CV
Real Name: Erik Hagstedt
Stage Name: Legion
Function: vocals
Associated: DEVIAN, MARDUK, OPHTHALAMIA