INTERVIEW: METALITE IN CONVERSATION WITH EDWIN PREMBERG

Interview by Cecilia Pattison-Levi

Step into the world of tomorrow with “pixels dancing to “cosmic noise” on Metalite’s new album, ‘Discovery’. The Swedish modern power metal band take a sonic journey into a future musical world where melodic heavy rock is transmitted into the stars and space as guitar solos blast out on the solar winds. The album, ‘Discovery’, is ambitious in its narrative, but down to earth, as it’s driven, not by gimmicks, but by lyrical narratives with Erica Ohlsson’s fantastic vocals, brilliant guitar solos, terrific instrumentation and complex programming.

“I have always been able to match melodies to harder sounds,” explained Edwin Premberg. “Metal is such a great vehicle for telling stories. It can also hold other types of music like Europop and dance music. It can be a way in music to explore ideas and other worlds.”

And that is what the band, Metalite, are doing. The band was founded by guitarist Edwin Premberg (guitarist/ backing and additional vocals/programming) in 2015. The band also comprises of Erica Ohlsson (vocals), Robert Örnesved (guitarist), Robert Majd (bassist) andErik Junttila Johansson (drummer). Metalite quickly gained recognition after their debut album, ‘Heroes In Time’, was released for creating a fresh and modern approach to melodic metal. The band has continuously pushed the boundaries by forging their own signature sound where futuristic synth soundscapes collide with soaring vocals, electrifying rock melodies and high-octane guitar riffs.

“We start with ideas – small seeds of stories that grow,” Edwin Premberg said as he described the songwriting process. “It takes about half a year to get the ideas together. We have band discussions about the songs and then the lyrics are tested. The instruments are recorded. Then, I do my part with programming – effects, breaks and drops. Then, it goes front and back as we work it out. In the end, we have 12 songs and an album ready.”

Across those 12 songs on ‘Discovery’, the album explores the themes of love, human evolution, technology, survival, liberation and utopian hopes. The Earth, and humanity, have been shaped by disaster in ‘In Case Of Emergency’ and are required to find a new home. The songs of human hope in ‘Cyberspace’ and ‘Triforce’ are digital fever dreams about cosmic exploration as “the old world is fading.”

“The songs are based on what is really happening,” stated Edwin Premberg. “We are going out into the universe looking for new planets, new worlds, and hope. I am a gamer and I love those stories and those science fiction worlds.”

But it’s not all hope. The dystopian view of the future not being perfect is covered in ‘Captive In The Past’, which reflects on humanity’s ability to destroy its own home and the struggle to escape the shadows of a dying Earth. The songs such as ‘Into The Maze’, ‘Echoes Of You’ and the fabulous ‘Neon Rain’ channel those “fallen” and ‘haunted” nightmarish atmospheres with their tension-filled darkness and futuristic imagery.

The emotional heart of the album is centred on ‘Our Time Has Come’, which captures the album’s triumphant spirit, envisioning humanity rebuilding itself among the stars after catastrophe and collapse. The hope is envisaged in a “girl from another world” in ‘Supremacy Of One’ and ‘Starchild’, where a mysterious female person “a beacon of the free”, who brings hope to fractured worlds with “magic” and “an open heart”, with “power and grace” as she “makes the whole world new”, a recurring motif of love and kindness being “a guiding light” through the “endless night” narrative in ‘Discovery’.

Metalite celebrate that unity and the unstoppable force of heavy metal itself on tracks like ‘The Metal Elite’ and ‘Wings Of Fire’, empowering “enjoy the ride” songs.

“It was important for us to have a positive message,” mused Edwin Premberg. “Heavy metal is a positive force. The song ‘Wings Of Fire’ was written by our bass player Robert Majd. It is a really good song. I like it.”

The songs on ‘Discovery’ will have the band and fans reaching “for the sky” with those killer melodies and songs destined to become massive singalongs. ‘Discovery’ is an album of clever juxtapositions in ideas, music and delivery: it’s a unique soundscape of melodic metal. Heavy metal, “but not as we know it.”

Metalite release ‘Discovery’ on 25 September 2026 through Perception Records: A Division Of Reigning Phoenix Music.