Bödel is a relatively new band from Västergötland and now they have just released their debut LP Dödsbringaren. A wonderful creation in the spirit of crust punk. An interview is clearly in order and this took place at the end of January 2026.

Tell me the rather short story of Bödel?

-Lets go! Masken reviewed an album with chørnobyl where Leya was involved and liked her voice. They were something he was looking for that sparked the urge to play again. So he contacted me and asked if I could ask if she wanted to join. Then we talked from time to time and he landed on the fact that they were easy to have with me too. We have occasionally talked over the years about how fun they would be to play together. So I jumped on the train too. Masken had had the same discussion with Henke Bromander. So Masken more or less told Henke that you're in a band now. You play bass. We pushed on with the songwriting pretty fast actually to quickly get some music out. Which took a turn and the band got a good response actually.

How did you get such a young girl as Leya with you old men ?

-Hahaha, yes, she's my kid then. So they are a big part I would think. We get some extra quality time and something to share in life, which is perhaps a privilege few have?

Leya's voice surprises when you see this girl, was it a journey to get her voice or was it there from the beginning?

-Leya has been a guest on recordings with both Deny, Mähälium and chørnobyl then. Over the years, she has heard much harder music at home. But the voice itself has been there from the very first moment. She screams at "vres" as we say in schlätta. Push until the lungs burst.

You have been in a lot of other groups before many of you, tell us? Also tell us about each member, age and groups next to Bödel if you have it?

-Leya, 20 years old this summer. Recorded EP with chørnobyl.

Henke, turns 50 this year! He plays actively with Pastoratet, The Liptones, Vänsternäven and also VÄS a little now then.

Arvid 48 years old. I play actively with Deny, The Crown and Mähälium.

Micke, 41 years young. Plays in The Crown, but has a past in Impious and Adept. Also toured with Imminence last year.

Where is the group based?

-Yes, that question is complicated. But we have tried to rehearse every other time in Tidaholm and every other time in Mariestad. But now that Micke is with us who lives in Gothenburg, we kind of don't rehearse at all. Maybe a rehearsal before the gig. Where it will be smoothest then! But we don't have a rehearsal room, but borrow ourselves in the Deny rehearsal or the Pastoratet rehearsal!

To release an LP now, is it a dream come true? Did you think so when you started the group?

-No, we haven't had any big ambitions with this band more than to have fun and do what we want. But it's clear. There is always something special about releasing an LP. So for my own part, it's incredibly fun to release an LP with Leya and the other guys then! We haven't thought much about making an LP otherwise. Instead, they have taken a little as they come. Until Charlie thought otherwise!

You release it on Flyktsoda/Cimex records, was that an obvious choice?

-If I had been allowed to choose the label freely it is a no-brainer to let them go. Incredibly good boys. Heroes in my book. So yes. The choice was obvious. If they wanted to. And they wanted to!

You release it on CD also on another label or how is it and there you get all the songs you have released so far or how is it?

-Yes exactly. There is a guy (Josefsson) from home (Mariestad). Another enthusiast who arranged gigs back in the days and ravaged. He helps us with most things. He wanted to print a CD and did it. But he also thought it was reasonable to include the first recording on it. So I guess they became some kind of compilation CD

When you play live, do you do any covers or do you play any songs from your other bands?

-We only play our own. They are something in my head that always chafes over me playing covers. So for my own part, it has never been relevant. If they weren't for some kind of tribute gig then. Single gigs. But no, Bödel has never played covers live!

That no other band seems to have been called Bödel before, was it a bit surprising?

-Yes, isn't it? They started up a thrash metal band a few months after us, but they changed their name. We looked around a lot actually. Because we thought it was completely unreasonable that no band was called Bödel actually!

Were there any other names on the agenda when you were deciding on the name of the group?

-Yes. We had a bunch of names actually. But nothing that was exactly great, that stuck. But Bödel probably felt right for everyone right away. I like short band names. I think they stick better. Then there is a story behind the name for us. For those of you who read Maskens reviews, you know that he is totally merciless in them. We bands in Mariestad call him "The Executioner from Labbås" (cordially). That made the name feel even more right!

Your lyrics are short but still touching in some way, who writes the lyrics?

-So far everyone has written lyrics actually (except Micke then). Masken has written some lyrics for the new album as well. Personally, I like short texts. Henke writes elaborate texts a little further down. Leya somewhere in between. Masken is somewhere there too. We write lyrics about things that we are affected by, things we are angry about. Or things we observe and reflect on. Society at large.

Tell us a little about the following songs

-Ängel af död

Now it's the bassist Henke here then:) I wanted to do a heavy grinding song to get some variation on the fulllength but I thought that both Masken and Arvid would reject it. But no! So then I made an equally heavy lyric about suicide and that it was sung from the angel of death's point of view. When I finished it, I almost thought it was a bit too heavy. It reminded me of a friend who tragically chose to go that route. But you shouldn't be afraid to write about heavy topics either, I think. It almost became a little beautiful in a painful way maybe.

-Skarprättare Jansson

Skarprättare Jansson is a historical text about Jonas Falk who took the blame for a murder in the 1800s, not far from where I grew up. He was beheaded by an executioner named Janson with an axe and is buried at the execution site at Hökensås outside Tidaholm where I live. In popular parlance, this place is called Falk's grave and is a mythical place as there are always fresh flowers there that no one knows who puts there. I thought it was a bit of a fun executioner theme to make text on and out with a little local connection!

-Nio års träning i likgiltighet

A text Masken have written. About the school system. That it doesn't suit everyone. There is not so much room for people who are a little different or want something different with life.

To have political lyrics, is it a matter of course when you play this type of music?

-In some way, everything in life is politics. So if you write about injustices in society, they become politics. So I think it's probably a matter of course. It is probably only Per Gessle who has managed to write completely apolitical music. Hahaha

Who is the best lyricist in the world?

-Per Gessle. Or maybe Nick Cave. Very difficult question, but still reasonable question. I like Hårda Tider very much. I don't think I have a straight answer. There are so many good writers in many different genres.

Who is the Bringer of Death in this world(Dödsbringaren) Putin, Trump ????

-Oh. Yes. I thought about the oligarchs when I wrote that text. Religious leaders. I would think that those in power are the right answer. They sit and whine in some sandbox and then send our children out to take care of the dirty work.

How else do you think it is to live in Sweden with our "wonderful" government, SD etc etc?

-Society is cold. Polarized. Focuses on "me". Feels like the right-wing think tanks have done "a good job" unfortunately. Which is fucking annoying. Many people are having a very tough time today. There are a lot of things I would like to change. The class divisions are completely out of the woods. There are a lot of things that are just going to hell and small glimpses of sun. But they are there if you look. At least for me.

What do you think about the election this autumn? Will there be any change in governance? Is it important to vote or is there no point?

-Yes, those are "the learned ones" (read me and Lundberg)! But I vote. Then damn if they make that much difference. But they can hardly get worse if we get a shift (famous last words) hahaha But I really hope we get rid of Jimmy and the gang as well. A lot away.

Ten favorite records of all time?

-Appetite for destruction-GNR

Med is i magen- Asta Kask

Nevermind the bollocks-Sex Pistols

Everyday slaughter-Disfear

Live-Daniel Norgren

Vengeance-Tragedy

Nevermind-Nirvana

We are the undead-The Coffinshakers

Respect, protect, reconnect-Scatha

Under Ytan-Cosa Nostra

The first record you bought or got?

-Appetite for destruction. I count it as the first. Not like the cassette "Macken" or the Brothers Lionheart LP hahaha

The album that changed your life?

-Oh. It is difficult. Would like to say Everyday slaughter with Disfear which got me sold on crustpunk. But the way there went via Nevermind the bollocks and then Med is i Magen.

Last album you bought?

-Anti Cimex-Scandinavian Jawbreaker (documentary edition)

The album you're ashamed of?

-You are down and sniffing in the "shame hill" that is??? Hahaha. Oh, a difficult question. Cleared out things like that. But should not be some Absolute Music or some shit you bought in middle school Hahaha

The album that makes Bödel sound like it does?

-Hard to define as we are two who write music. But for me, Everyday Slaughter! Also a little Cimex I think.

The album that always has to be on the tour bus or before you go on stage?

-We have had this question before. Which almost ended in a fight. But then we came to ABBA. Tipping for a best of there hahahaha

The album that you would have liked to have played on?

-Nevermind the bollocks! That would have been tough!

Do you buy a lot of records these days?

-I try to buy records and/or merch when I'm at the gig, directly from the bands. To support the bands, the driving forces behind the labels.

How do you listen to music yourself, is it CD, vinyl, cassette, digital or how do you listen?

-I mostly listen digitally or to the radio (in the car). But I also listen to vinyl sometimes at home.

What does punk mean to you, is it just a word, a style of music or a lifestyle?

-That changes constantly. And has changed over the years. When I was younger, it was more important to have a mohawk, Dr. Martens and studs. Now it's probably more of the DIY spirit, to help each other with things, that we do things ourselves, because no one else is going to do them for you. But it has become a lifestyle too, of course.

You play hardcore, which is the group that you are most often compared to?

-I think people compare us a little bit with other schlätta-bands. Wolfbrigade and Anti Cimex. Yes, you in Gothenburg claim that it is a Gothenburg band. But we at Schlätta know how they are doing on that part. Hahahaha

Have you got any really weird reviews with this band or anything else you have been in? Do you get sad if you get a bad review or do you just laugh at it (I don't play myself so I don't know)?

-Deny that I play in was totally sawed once. I don't remember which zine/blog/page they were, but anyway we were the worst metal band he'd ever heard! And we agreed! For being metal, they are extremely bad! So we posted it of course!! No, I don't get sad. People think differently. Better an honest review with us being cash-strapped than a friend review with a fake back-thump! If one is consistent like Maskens, for example, they are gold. He saws in a good way. If you also know what the Masken likes and doesn't like, the same as him, you buy the opposite. Everything he critizise.

Futureplans for the band?

-We want to go out and play on the record. Then the schedule is pretty tight for me and Micke in 2026. But hope we get some really good gigs with Bödel!

For yourself?

 -As I wrote in the question before. 2026 will be a busy year with mine and Micke's hard rock band. So this year's vacation days will go to gigs.

Words of wisdom?

-Support organizers, go to gigs. Support bands, buy merch. Support enthusiasts, buy records and fanzines.

Something to add?

-Thank you for the interview and all the work you put into Skrutt! People like you keep the scene alive!