From Sweden, with extreme metal, we present Sarcator. The band got their official start in 2018, when they found their own rehearsal space after playing as a cover band. Since around 2014, they have never looked back. Based about an hour outside of Gothenburg, they have been lone wolves in the local metal scene but have found new friends and family beyond their area. While they have been promoted as a “young” band since the very beginning, with ages ranging from 14-20 at the start, they may be youthful at heart but are old-timers in the industry. Now, they are releasing their third album.

“It’s actually been quite a while since we wrote and recorded it,” shares vocalist and guitarist Mateo Tervonen. “We’re just very, very happy to get it out. Things are boiling again because every time you send in an album, you can forget it for a while.”

Luckily, we don’t have to wait at all. “Swarming Angels & Flies” is out now via Century Media Records. It follows “Alkahest,’ released in 2022 via Black Lion Records, and their P3 Gold Award Nominated best rock annd metal 2020 self-titled album, distributed by Redefining Darkness Records. Along with Tervonen, Sarcator includes: Felix Lindkvist (Bass), Leo Buchalle (Guitar), and Jesper Rosén (Drums). The dream has been steadily moving forward and now, after making a major name for themselves and working with some great labels and teams, they eventually teamed up with powerhouse Century Media to deliver something truly special. 

“It was a very big difference for us at the beginning,” admits Tervonen. “Everybody knows Century Media, they’re one of the biggest names in metal and have done some very respectable releases. For us, it was a very cool thing; when they showed interest when we started to have our meetings and we saw that they take this seriously, and we also take it very seriously, it was a good match.”

At the helm of the producer’s seat is none other than Tervonen’s father, Marko Tervonen, of Studio-MT, in Trollhätten, Sweden. Although they may be a little biased, they are very happy with the process of working with him and wouldn’t think of changing a thing, the end result has been good on every record. It all seems to boil down to consistent, hard, work. 

“We write all the time,” says Tervonen. “We [have] a sort of religious thing of going to the rehearsal room every Saturday, basically, and just writing. It’s a lot of inspiration and we feel we can write pretty much all the time. Since the studio session is just after that, it was just starting the new process of writing for this album.”

All that hard work paid off as they got to embark on their debut tour in July 2024, supporting Hellripper and Cloak. It’s one thing to be your first tour, but a whole other beast supporting an influential hero in Hellripper. The experience was paramount for the group and the inspiration was overflowing as the year moved on. From the first songs when starting the writing process for “Swarming Angels & Flies,” they started to see a frame of the album and they knew they were on the right path. Everything became very natural from there on out. 

“We like to work with emotions,” delves Tervonen. “As a human being, you have different emotions and every song serves its own emotion. You have these very aggressive songs that have been the most aggressive we’ve ever touched on before, but then you also have a sweet spot for them. When we slow things down and focus more on traditional rock with ‘The Deep Ends’ and ‘Where the Void Begins,’ I think it shows pretty good songwriting, which is a focus for us. We wanted it to flow naturally.”

Sarcator is now looking to the future. With the newest era unfolding, two release show parties are scheduled in Oslo and Stockholm, which is inaugural for them as they haven’t celebrated their albums before. Now, the fun starts. Tervonen is looking forward to what 2025 has to offer and hopes it’s going to be a busy year for the band. 

“Looking at the next year, we have some stuff that hasn’t been announced yet, but we’re looking forward to. We love playing live, so that will be fun. Long term, the next writing phase has already started. It’s fun because when you devote so much into this and start to see the rewards, it’s a very great feeling.”