Few bands in today’s horror punk scene embody both the genre’s theatrical roots and heartfelt sincerity quite like Left Hand Black. Hailing from the small Swedish island of Hönö, these longtime friends have spent the past six years evolving their sound—blending macabre themes with punk energy, rock ’n’ roll swagger, and just the right dose of humor.

Their latest album, Death Can’t Keep Us Apart, feels like a defining statement: a melodic, menacing, and emotionally rich collection of songs that showcases just how far the band has come. We caught up with the band to talk about the new record, working with Nim Vind and Per Stålberg, and what it’s like writing horror punk in a small island community where everyone already knows your secrets…

“Death Can’t Keep Us Apart” feels like a deeply emotional and thematic centerpiece of the new album. What inspired the title track, and how did Nim Vind’s involvement shape the final version?

Originally, the album was just going to be called Left Hand Black 3—a little nod to Danzig 3, which makes sense since Danzig has been a huge influence on us from the start. But everything changed when we reached out to Frank Walls, an artist from Hawaii, and asked if he’d be interested in creating the album cover. He was totally up for it, so we gave him free rein and sent him all the tracks to listen to for inspiration.

When we got the finished artwork back, it just hit me—the image was divided into four parts, and I immediately thought Death Can’t Keep Us Apart would be the perfect title. It really spoke to who we are as a band. The four sections of the painting felt like they represented each of us—inseparable. We’ve grown up together and been friends for over 40 years now. That’s something pretty special, and the title just captured that unbreakable bond.

As for Nim Vind—he’s actually a fan of Left Hand Black, and we had talked for a while about having him guest on a track. So, we sent him Death Can’t Keep Us Apart, explained the overall vibe, and just let him do his thing. We didn’t want to direct him too much, because his natural creativity is exactly what we wanted. He’s absolutely brilliant when it comes to melodies and songwriting, and we were blown away by what he brought to the track.

You’ve described this album as a natural evolution of our sound, while still staying true to what makes Left Hand Black Left Hand Black.

There were definitely certain things we knew we wanted to preserve—especially the core horror punk spirit that’s been there since day one. But at the same time, we didn’t want to repeat ourselves or just make the same record again.

To give a little background on the band: Left Hand Black was formed in 2019 when Hans and Jonathan—who previously played together in the horror punk band The Dead Next Door (active between 2005–2015)—started talking with Johan and Anton, who were playing together in Overdrive Solution at the time. Hans had a bunch of songs lying around, so we thought, why not try something new together? That’s how LHB came to life.

We all live on a small island called Hönö just off the coast of Gothenburg, and since there aren’t a lot of musicians out here, we’ve crossed paths musically over the years. It kind of came naturally. What’s interesting is that we all come from very different musical backgrounds—everything from pop to extreme metal—and that really shows in the way our songs come together.

Our first record, Left Hand Black, was very much classic horror punk in the style of the Misfits (Graves-era). But on the second album, Lower Than Satan, we started experimenting a bit more—adding influences from bands like Ramones and Bad Religion to broaden the sound.

With Death Can’t Keep Us Apart, we wanted to keep that melodic, horror-themed vibe we’re known for, but push the production and songwriting a little more in the direction of American punk rock—especially that early-to-mid-’90s sound.

So yeah, we’re still firmly rooted in horror punk, but we like to describe our sound as horror-inspired punk/rock with elements of hard rock and even pop, haha. And if you listen to the new album, you’ll hear what we mean. We’re definitely proud to be part of the horror punk world, but we also want to appeal to fans of regular punk and rock too—which we think we’re managing to do.

We’ve grown tighter as a band and better as songwriters over these six years together. The lyrics, as always, deal with death, monsters, werewolves, zombies—and a bit of romance mixed in, of course. It’s all part of the fun. At the end of the day, we do this because we genuinely love it. It’s the most fun hobby you could possibly have.

The lyrics are written by Thomas Karlsson, the former drummer from The Dead Next Door, together with Hans, our vocalist. That collaboration has worked really well for us and brings an extra layer to the songs.

Recording at Welfare Sounds and working with producers like Per Stålberg and Kalle Lilja definitely had a big impact on our sound.

We’re pretty old-school in how we work—we don’t do pre-productions or home recordings. All our songs are written together in the rehearsal room, and we usually just record rough versions on a phone to keep track of ideas.

Per actually discovered us when we played at Thomas Karlsson’s 40th birthday party. That night, we were basically a Misfits cover band put together just for the occasion—but we also threw in a couple of our new original songs. He saw something in what we were doing and already had a clear idea in his head of how we should sound. He encouraged us to come into Welfare Sounds and record properly, and that’s really where everything started for Left Hand Black.

Since we don’t have any studio equipment in our rehearsal space, our process is pretty raw: we write a bunch of songs, record them quickly on a phone, then head into the studio to bring everything to life. That’s where Per and Kalle come in. Working with them at Welfare has been a dream. They’re not just incredibly talented producers and musicians—they’re genuinely amazing people. The vibe in the studio is always inspiring, and we trust them completely.

Honestly, we owe a lot of our sound to them. They take what we do and help elevate it without ever making it feel forced or over-produced. It’s still 100% us—just tighter, louder, and more alive.

With song titles like “Doomed Romance on a Summer Night” and “Why Do I Kill Everything I Love,” the album seems to explore themes of love, loss, and destruction. Was there a personal or collective emotional journey that drove the writing of this record?

Well, our singer and main songwriter Hans Hagström is a bit of a hopeless romantic—at least that’s what he claims, haha. He’s got a wildly vivid imagination, though I’m not entirely sure how emotionally deep he really is. What we do know is that he has a soft spot for ’80s power ballads, and that’s where the idea for “Doomed Romance” came from. It’s horror punk, sure, but with a dramatic, almost cinematic edge—like a tragic love story set under a blood-red moon.

As for “Why Do I Kill Everything I Love,” that one originally started out as a concept for a male–female duet. But when we got into the studio, Per Stålberg (our producer) asked if he could try laying down the vocals himself—and the result was just amazing. It felt so natural and haunting that we decided to keep his version. We think it ended up being the perfect closing track for the vinyl version of the album. The CD version, of course, has a bonus track—but this one really felt like the emotional bookend to the whole record.

Horror punk as a genre often walks a fine line between theatricality and sincerity. How do you balance the macabre aesthetic with emotionally genuine storytelling in your songwriting?

To be honest, we don’t really overthink it—it just turns out the way it turns out. That’s actually one of the best things about horror punk: you can pretty much write any kind of music, and once you throw in a macabre or twisted lyric, it instantly becomes something else. It transforms the whole vibe.

There’s a lot of laughing, loud amps, and plenty of beers involved when we’re in the rehearsal room writing songs. That’s when the best stuff comes out—when we’re just having fun and doing it together as a band. It has to be enjoyable; otherwise, what’s the point?

Sure, the themes are dark—monsters, death, doomed love, all that good stuff—but there’s a lot of tongue-in-cheek in there too. It’s sex, drugs, and rock ’n’ roll… just with more zombies. And hey, we’re getting a bit older now, so maybe a bit less of the “sex and drugs” part—but the rock ’n’ roll is still going strong, haha.

Maybe that’s actually what sets us apart from a lot of other horror punk bands—we don’t take ourselves too seriously. We love the darkness, but we’re not afraid to laugh in it.

Considering Ozzy Osbourne’s recent passing—one of the most iconic figures in horror and rock—how has his legacy influenced Left Hand Black, and does his passing mark a shift in how the next generation of horror-inspired music will develop?

Ozzy is, without a doubt, a huge icon. Even though his music doesn’t directly reflect our sound, he was a big part of our upbringing and the music that shaped us as kids. His presence has always been felt in horror rock, and he will never be forgotten for what he accomplished. He was a true hero, and his influence will continue to echo through the genre for years to come.

I still think the Misfits and Danzig are the biggest influences that will continue to shape the horror bands of the future. No matter how the genre evolves, their impact is just too strong to ignore—they set the blueprint for what horror punk is, and I don’t see that changing anytime soon.

If the band were forced to face “Octopussy From Outer Space” in a Battle of the Bands scenario who would distract the creature, who would go for the tentacles, and what song would you play to save humanity?

Well, in an epic battle of that magnitude, Jonathan and Johan would be the ones distracting the beast Johan by showing off his massive collection of basses, and Jonathan by telling the story of his entire life. Anton, being the youngest and most fit, would take on the tentacles. Hans, being the oldest and laziest, would probably just sit back with a beer and a cigarette and watch the chaos unfold. And of course, humanity could only be saved by playing “Angelfuck” by the Misfits.

Left Hand Black may sing about monsters, death, and the end of the world—but what shines through in everything they do is life. Real friendship, real passion, and a sound that refuses to stay buried.

With Death Can’t Keep Us Apart, they’ve delivered an album that’s equal parts bloody and beautiful—where horror punk grows up a little without losing its fangs. It’s raw, melodic, theatrical, and personal. And above all, it’s fun.

If you’re a longtime horror punk fan or just someone who likes their rock with a little more bite, this record—and this band—deserve a spot on your radar.

So light a candle, turn up the volume, and remember: death may not keep them apart, but it definitely brought them together.

Categories: Interviews, Left Hand Black, Music

Tags: interview, Left Hand Black