Since their formation in Sweden in 2017, Electric Hydra have carved a distinctive path through a raw and powerful Heavy Rock sound, rooted in Classic Hard Rock traditions while infused with a modern, Heavy-driven attitude and a strong retro spirit. After gaining attention with their self-titled debut in 2020 and navigating lineup changes and the long hiatus imposed by the global pandemic, the band now return with renewed focus and intensity. Their upcoming album “From The Fallen,” anticipated by the single “It’s All Just Dirt,” represents a statement of resilience, evolution and artistic maturity. We spoke with Electric Hydra to explore their origins, influences, creative process, and their vision for the future of Heavy Rock.
Looking back at the band’s formation in 2017, what were the musical ideas and personal motivations that brought Electric Hydra together?
I honestly didn’t have any plans at all to start a band. It wasn’t something I was actively aiming for, but by pure coincidence I started getting inquiries from different directions around the same time. One thing led to another, and suddenly the idea of Electric Hydra began to take shape. None of us knew each other beforehand, but when I first met Sanne it immediately felt right. Our energies were very similar, and there was a natural connection that made everything feel easy and unforced. From my side, my musical influences have always leaned toward the heavier end of the spectrum, with Black Sabbath as a clear foundation and reference point. I´m also into bands like Killing Joke, Trouble and Down. That shared sense of heaviness and instinct is really what brought everything together, turning something completely
unplanned into a band that felt genuine from the very beginning, says bassist Ellinor Andersson.
Sweden has a long and influential tradition in Heavy Music. How did your local scene and national heritage shape your early sound and mindset as a band?
We’ve all, more or less, played in different bands before, and a lot of that background comes from punk and a strong DIY mindset, which we’re really grateful for. That experience taught us how to rely on ourselves, how to make things happen without waiting for permission, and how important energy and honesty are in music. As for the national heritage, of course we’re proud to come from Sweden, a country with such a rich history of great heavy music. It’s hard not to be influenced by that legacy, even if it happens subconsciously.
The name Electric Hydra suggests power, multiplicity and mythological strength. How did you choose it, and how does it reflect the band’s identity today?
For some strange reason, I knew I wanted a band name with the letter y in it, Ellinor says. Pylon was an option for a brief moment, but then the name Electric Hydra came up. We liked how it sounded, but also how it immediately sparked visual ideas, it felt like a name that could translate into cool, striking merch that matched the band’s aesthetic. At the same time, the image of a multi-headed mythological monster carried a real sense of power and unity, something bigger than just one individual and it still reflect who we are today as a band: several different personalities and energies coming together to form one heavy, electric force.
Your music blends Heavy Rock with strong classic hard rock and retro influences. Which artists, albums or eras have been most important in shaping your sound?
We all listen to and draw inspiration from a wide range of bands, from Turbonegro and Judas Priest to Kyuss and Cult of Luna. On the surface those artists might come from quite different corners of heavy music, but what ties them together for us is that they’re heavy and riff-driven. That common thread of weight, groove, and strong riffs is what naturally finds its way into our own sound, blending classic hard rock foundations with a heavier, more modern edge.
There’s a clear balance in your music between massive riffs, groove and memorable vocal lines. How does a typical Electric Hydra song take shape during the writing process?
A typical Electric Hydra song usually starts with Dennis and Emil, since they write pretty much all of the material. The rest of us might come in with a riff, or more often just an idea or a certain feeling for a song, and then they take that seed and really develop it further. Sometimes it’s almost like a wish or a reference point rather than a finished piece. Let the Chaos Unfold is a good example, it is built around the groove from 1000 Lies. Under a Sky Full of Fading Stars came about in a similar way, where Down’s Nothing in Return was a clear source of inspiration. From there, Emil shape the riff, structure and dynamics together with the rest of us until it fully becomes an Electric Hydra song, balancing heaviness, groove, and strong vocal lines.
Compared to your early material, do you feel your approach to arrangements and dynamics has become more refined over time?
Absolutely, it has definitely evolved, but we also hope to push it even further with new material. This record is a mix of both older and newer songs, so it reflects different stages of our development as a band. Ahead, we really see a lot of
potential, especially in Emil’s seemingly endless riff catalog. Exploring those ideas and seeing where they can take us next feels exciting, and it’s something we’re very much looking forward to.
“From The Fallen” arrives after a long and complex period for the band. How much of that journey — personal or collective — is reflected in the album’s concept and mood?
Very, very much, I would say, Sanne recalls. The album carries a lot of darkness, anger, and frustration, but also sorrow and, at times, even a sense of indifference. There have been so many obstacles along the way. Because of Covid, we never really got the chance to do a proper release show for the previous album, nor were we able to tour and play it live the way we had planned. On top of that, there were several lineup changes that affected us in different ways. At one point we practically had a whole album ready, but when the shit hit the fan, we were forced to reassess everything and start over from scratch. We struggled to find that flow again and to get the songwriting moving. In that sense, From The Fallen is a victory on so many levels, just getting this album out into the world feels like a huge achievement for us.
Sonically, how does “From The Fallen” differ from your self-titled debut? Was there a clear vision you wanted to achieve going into this record?
We had a very clear idea of wanting the record to sound harder, heavier, and dirtier, and we really feel we managed to achieve that. Compared to our self-titled debut, this album leans more into rawness and weight, with less polish and more
grit. On the previous record, our former guitarist Jonathan sang lead on a couple of tracks, which we really liked. This time around, it’s Emil stepping into that role, and we absolutely love what he brings, even though it’s a completely different vocal style. It adds another dimension to the band’s sound and helps set From The Fallen apart sonically, says Ellinor.
“It’s All Just Dirt” was chosen as the lead single. What makes this track representative of the album as a whole?
The heaviness of the song is a big part of why it represents the album, but ironically it was actually the idea of how we could put a video together that made us choose it as the lead single, sanne says. Sometimes practical things end up
steering the decision more than you’d expect, haha. Still, the track captures the weight and attitude of From The Fallen really well, so in the end it felt like the right choice.
The album features guest musicians such as Per Wiberg. How did these collaborations come together, and what did they bring to the overall sound?
We’d run into Per at festivals over the years and ended up talking quite a bit, and since we’re big fans of Spiritual Beggars, it just felt right to ask if he’d be up for guesting on a few tracks, Ellinor says. Having him on the record brought that little extra something we really love. For example, Prayers of Fire becomes so much groovier with Per on it, and Under a Sky Full of Fading Stars honestly wouldn’t be the same without his contribution.
Dennis handled recording, mixing and mastering internally. How important was it for you to keep full control over the production process this time?
Well, it was probably more about being on a budget, haha. You have to remember that we almost had to throw away an entire album that we’d already put a lot time and money into recording. Having Dennis in the band is such an incredible asset, without him, we’d probably just be a wet stain on the bedsheet, haha. Jokes aside, being able to handle recording, mixing, and mastering internally gave us control, flexibility, and the chance to keep pushing until it felt right, without
stressing over studio time or costs besides our own time and sweat.
Lyrically, the album seems to touch on themes of downfall, resilience and confrontation. Are there recurring ideas or narratives that connect the songs?
As we touched on earlier, the album carries a lot of darkness, anger, and frustration, but also sorrow and, at times, even a sense of indifference. Some of the lyrics reflect my own emotional state, and they often lean toward the darker and more frustrated side, Sanne says. While there isn’t a strict storyline running through the record, those feelings recur throughout the songs and tie them together, creating a shared emotional landscape that connects the themes across the album.
The official video for “It’s All Just Dirt” has a strong visual impact. What was the core idea behind the video, and how does it complement the song’s meaning?
The core idea behind the video actually came out of necessity. Emil got sick right around the time we were supposed to shoot it, so we had to rethink everything, and that’s how the green screen idea came about. The big question was how to even make something like that exciting. We knew we wanted a dark atmosphere, and Sanne came up with the makeup on the spot. From there, we basically just improvised and let the visuals grow organically.
How important is the visual dimension — artwork, videos, imagery — in expressing Electric Hydra’s identity beyond the music itself?
We definitely think the visual side is important. Artwork, videos, and imagery all become part of the same whole, helping to create a sense of professionalism and a shared identity. It’s about presenting a unified feeling of what Electric Hydra is and wants to be, not just through the music but through everything surrounding it, says Sanne.
Electric Hydra have built a reputation for intense and energetic live performances. How do your songs transform once they hit the stage?
Somehow they always tend to go a bit faster when we play them live, and that’s something we’re very aware of, especially with the heavier tracks. If we’re not careful and let the tempo run away with us, they can end up sounding pretty awful, haha. At the same time, that natural push in speed comes from the energy of the moment, the crowd, and the physical intensity of playing together on stage. Live, the songs become more raw and urgent, and our job is really to balance that adrenaline with control so the heaviness, groove, and power still come through the way they’re meant to, says Emil.
Do you have live activities or touring plans lined up to support “From The Fallen”? What can fans expect from the upcoming shows?
Absolutely, playing live is something we’re truly passionate about. Being on stage is a huge part of who we are as a band. In January we’ll be opening for the Norwegian band Spidergawd on their Sweden-dates, which we’re really excited about, and beyond that we already have around ten shows and festivals lined up that will be announced gradually. One of the big highlights this summer will be Doomopolis in Malmö, Sweden, where we’ll be sharing the stage with High On Fire, which honestly feels surreal in the best possible way, Sanne says.
We’re also hoping to get the chance to open for some seriously ripping bands on future European tours. Since we’re still handling all the booking ourselves, it takes time and a lot of work to make the right things happen, but that also makes every show feel even more rewarding. Fans can expect intense, loud, and sweaty gigs where we give everything we have, because that’s what live music is all about for us, Dennis fills in.
Can you share a memorable live experience — whether chaotic, challenging or unforgettable — that helped shape the band?
One of the most memorable experiences for us happened just recently, in September, at the sold-out Majestic Mountain Label Night. The Stockholm-crowd was absolutely incredible, and the energy in the room was on another level. At one
point both me and Emil ended up out in the audience, fully in the middle of the chaos! Sanne recalls.
A unforgettable memory goes back to when we were opening for Unida in Gothenburg. A couple of songs into the set, the power suddenly went out. Of course, we’d love to say it was because we were playing so loud that we blew the system, but the truth is it was Emil accidentally knocking over a beer and causing a short circuit, haha, says Adi.
Another moment that really stuck with me was when we played at Motala Stadspark and received a lot of praise from Ryan Roxie, Alice Cooper’s guitarist. That was a huge moment of pride, getting recognition from someone who, together with their band, has genuinely inspired you is incredibly exciting and means a lot. It feels like a real validation of what you’re doing, Ellinor says. Moments like that give you an extra boost of confidence and motivation to keep pushing forward as a band.
How do you view the current Heavy Rock scene in Sweden and Europe? Do you feel it’s a fertile environment for bands with a classic-rooted yet Heavy Sound like yours?
Yes, we definitely think so. The heavy rock scene in Sweden and across Europe feels alive and here’s always a strong appreciation for riffs, groove, and authenticity, and audiences seem genuinely hungry for that kind of music. That said, we also feel that the Norwegian scene is even more on fire at the moment, Sanne continues. It’s really bubbling with exciting bands like Håndgemeng, whom we truly love and have shared the stage with a few times, as well as Slomosa or Spidergawd, and not least Gluecifer’s comeback after what must be like more than 20 years. That energy spilling over from Norway is inspiring!
On a broader scale, where do you see modern Heavy Rock heading, and how do Electric Hydra position themselves within that evolving landscape?
I want to believe that heavy rock bands will only push harder going forward, as a reaction and a backlash against the wave of AI-generated bands and songs and all the easily digestible, one-dimensional music being produced. There’s something human, imperfect, and raw in heavy rock that simply can’t be replaced, and I think that will become even more important with time. I hope Electric Hydra will position ourselves by putting live shows first, where seeing, feeling, interacting with, and actually meeting the audience will always matter more to us than all the bot streams in the world. The moment when people truly connect face to face and feel the adrenaline, the sweat and the spit, in the same room, is and will always be the most important thing, Ellinor says.
With “From The Fallen,” Electric Hydra emerge stronger, heavier and more focused than ever, channeling years of experience into a record that balances classic roots with contemporary power. As they prepare to bring these new songs to the stage, the band stand as a compelling example of how Heavy Rock can remain vital, relevant and deeply
expressive in today’s musical landscape.
Pre-Order “From The Fallen” here: https://www.majesticmountainrecords.com/products/electric-hydra-from-the-fallen-pre-order
Lineup:
Sanne Karlsson / Vocals
Ellinor Andersson / Bass
Dennis Åhman / Drums
Peter Söderberg / Guitar