INTERVIEW: With Kiss saying goodbye, Johan Kihlberg is saying hello
Photo: Johan Kihlberg’s Impera opens for Kiss in Sweden, and now fans can enjoy that opening set on a new album from Metalville Records. Photo courtesy of the band / Provided by Metalville with permission.
Johan Kihlberg, the creative force behind Johan Kihlberg’s Impera, is a tried-and-true Kiss fan, someone who rocks and rolls all night, and parties every day. His band has a unique connection to the makeup rockers. They reached out to the legendary band and attempted to secure a slot on their End of the Road tour as an opening act. Amazingly, that dream came true, only to be dashed by the global pandemic. But all was not lost because Kiss rescheduled its concert in Gothenburg, Sweden, and tasked Impera with the opening duties.
That fateful date came in June 2022, and now fans can relive the set with the new album Scandinavium Alive, available from Metalville Records. On the recording, listeners can hear Lars Chriss from Lion’s Share on lead guitar; Mats Vassfjord on bass; Magnus Ulfstedt (ex-Eclipse) on drums; Jonny Lindkvist (Nocturnal Rites) as singer; and Kihlberg as second guitarist, according to press notes. Most of their tunes are pulled from the Spirit of Alchemy album, with a few choice selections from Age of Discovery.
Recently Hollywood Soapbox exchanged emails with Kihlberg, whose connection to Kiss goes back decades. He has been a fan since the mid-1970s, and he knew the band members in the 1980s and 1990s when Kihlberg worked at Polygram Records. He once headed their Swedish fan club, and he shared the stage with Vinnie Vincent and Bruce Kulick. He even published a fan book: Kiss Klassified. And now, with Kiss saying goodbye for good on Saturday, Dec. 2 in New York City, Kihlberg has the chance to look back at his love for this legendary rock group.
Questions and answers have been slightly edited for style.
What can fans expect from Johan Kihlberg´s Impera’s new live album?
I decided early to film and record this once-in-a-lifetime event, so I hired the best in the business when it comes to front-of-house sound, monitors, lights, filming and crew. And the final result is awesome. It took about a year to mix and edit the video, and when everything was done, I sent it to our record company, Metalville Records in Germany, who right away wanted to release it as a CD/DVD double digipack set. I think our fans will really love it; it really captures that magical night perfectly, and the sound is amazing. We will also release a limited 300 version on vinyl.
What was it like opening for Kiss in 2022?
That was a milestone for sure. It was a magical night with lots of friends attending. I arrived early to check out the stage and meet some of the Kiss guys and their crew whom I know. During our soundcheck it began to sink in what was going to happen, and I’m glad that this took place at this time in my life when I was 55 years old and not at 25. I felt so relaxed and at ease. When our intro began, and I walked up the stairs to the stage, I felt totally calm and at the same time high on adrenaline. Through the show I just enjoyed every minute, no nerves, nothing. The first person I met backstage after the show was Paul Stanley who wanted to know how the show went, and I said, “It went perfect.” And he replied, “I’m so glad for you.” It felt awesome to hear that from Paul.
When did your love of Kiss begin?
I’ve been a Kiss fan since 1975 when I heard Kiss Alive for the first time, and they have been a big influence on my music when it comes to songwriting, image, performance. And I used them as a template when I started Johan Kihlberg’s Impera, and I still do. I’ve got a lot of input from Gene and Paul through the years on what to do to get the band moving forward. It also helps a lot that all the guys in the band are Kiss fans, too, so it feels that we all have the same goal.
What was the reason you started Johan Kihlberg´s Impera?
I’ve been working as a freelance drummer for over 30 years, playing drums with members and former members from Kiss, Thin Lizzy, Mötley Crue, Rainbow, etc., and in 2010, I decided to put together my own band. I’ve been writing songs for as long as I can remember, usually for other artists, so I decided to finally use my songwriting skills in my own band.
What’s the future for the band?
I’m writing songs for the next Impera album (our seventh) as we speak, and like our last album Spirit of Alchemy, this is also gonna be a heavy metal album, with some surprises. The lineup this time is the same people that were on stage with me in Gothenburg last year. Lars Chriss lead guitar, Jonny Lindkvist vocals, Magnus Ulfstedt drums, Mats Vassfjord bass, and me on guitars and keyboards. Besides Impera, I work on several different projects, but right now I have a few weeks left to score the original motion picture Black Hills (the third movie I’ve written the music for) and write more Impera songs.
What’s the best piece of Kiss memorabilia that you own?
I have worked for Kiss via their record company Polygram Records (now Universal Music) in the ’80s and ’90s, and I was also the president for Kiss Army Sweden. When Kiss played two sold-out shows in Stockholm, Sweden, in ’99 the rep from Universal Music asked if I could present the Kiss members with their double gold awards for their album Psycho Circus, which I did. What I didn’t know was that I also got an award that evening so that award is my one-of-a-kind best piece of Kiss memorabilia.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Johan Kihlberg’s Impera’s new album is Scandinavium Alive, now available from Metalville Records. Click here for more information.
