Is this article for real? O_O
Anyway, here's a better translation (with my notes in parenthesis):
Forshaga (a small swedish town)
The couple which loves hard rock.
(photo text)
PHOTO: LINN MALMÉN
The style of music reflects the personality. His mood is even and fits the monotonous death metal. She is more up and down and likes the melodious hard rock. "When she's really down she even listens to pop" says Thord about his wife Barbro.
Forshaga is the Mecka of hardrock in Värmland (one of the Swedish provinces). The Olssons are no exception. Even if Barbro, 66 years old, mostly likes Manowar and Sonata arctica, and Thord, 78 years old, likes Sepultura and In Flames, they could agree to go to the Judas Priest concert last Friday.
2005-03-04
Are you playing something? they usually shout to each other over the telephone when the hard rock is roaring in the background.
When Barbro is away Thord usually takes the chance to play his genre, the mangling (?) death metal.
That's real hard rock, says Thord who has just sneaked behind his wife and changed the CD to Monster Magnet and turned up the volume. Soon she has switched back to Manowar.
I keep doing this while he's not looking, says Barbro, moves her body and sings along with 'Violence and bloodshed'.
Listen now. It starts with a motor and rises in volume. Do you hear it, the throbbing? I think it's cool. I enjoy it. Look, I get goosebumps, says Barbro and points to her arm.
THEY HAVE GOTTEN RID OF all their LPs. That was how Barbro became a regular customer at Knastret (likely the name of some CD store). It was too much troubly trying to find what you wanted. About 200 CDs were left. And they steadily increase. Most of it is bought from Ginza (a swedish online CD store). Unfortunately, they have no friends to share their hobby with. They don't understand why people in their age would rather listen to accordion music (this is a lie but it gets the message across) than hard rock.
It's impossible to talk to other people about hard rock. Because of that you tend to feel overaged, says Thord.
Their choice of music meets no understanding with their acquaintances. Once they tried to get some visiting friends to listen to heavy electronical music with loud volume and the lights turned off. That didn't go very well. Barbo has also tried to play some chosen elegant parts from hard rock ballads.
No, they don't like it. They have preconceived notions, I think.
THE HARD ROCK FITS THE OLSSON'S antireligious views well. After a number of motorbikes and cars, engagement in Paris and trips to China, Mongolia, Sahara, Azerbaijan, Georgia and three journeys with the Transsibirian railway, it's been hard rock all the way since 30 years back.
I started listening to Iron Maiden in the 70ties. There was a guy at work who recorded them on a cassette for me. I liked it from the first time I heard it, says Barbro, who before retiring worked with apartment grants for Forshaga municipality.
Thord was employed as a storehouse worker at Zakrisdalsverken. Because of their dogs they haven't been to large concerts very often, but they go to the local hard rock festival DIST, arrangements in the People's House (might sound communist, but every little town has one of those), and of course the Judas Preist concert at Löfbergs Lila Arena.
Everybody was so nice. If you tripped slightly everybody came and asked if everything was allright. When we bought the tickets they asked if it was for our grandchildren. Oh, that's great! they exclaimed when we explained that they were for ourselves, said Thord.
Thord likes the In Flames, but I thought they were too loud. That he doesn't know English doesn't matter very much because at concerts they play so loud you can't hear what they sing anyway. You can listen to the lyrics at home instead, says Barbro.
What do you think of the lyrics and the symbolism with blood, skulls and violence?
They can worship Satan if they want to, says Thord.
I don't care. And I don't care how they look. That Rob Halford in Judas Priest is dressed in leather and metal, that's stage clothing. He can't just stand there ordinarily. I only think it's cool that they look dangerous. I just listen, says Barbro.
ANNIKA STRÖM.
Then there's descriptions of which bands they like.
A lot of the funny oldfashioned expressions are lost in translation.
