In a new interview with Rockpages.gr, Heavy Load founding member/drummer Styrbjörn Wahlquist  and guitarist Eddy Malm discuss the bands's beginnings, how Eddy joined the band, releasing a new album, how late Thin Lizzy frontman Phil Lynott recorded with them and their legacy. Watch below.

In the beginning of the band, they had to fund their first album themselves because the record companies told them hard rock is dead:

Styrbjörn Wahlquist: "When we started Heavy Load in 1978 before Eddy joined we were to record Full Speed At High Level we talked with several record labels and they said that hard rock is dead. The only thing working now and in the future is punk and disco so… forget about it guys! We said, 'No, we know that there is an audience out there', so Ragnar and I decided to finance our other first album ourselves because nobody else wanted to."

How Eddy Malm joined Heavy Load after seeing a poster:

Eddy Malm: "I was working in a music store in the city and one day when I was leaving the store I saw a poster on the window and this was the backside of the first album. The truck with all the stuff falling out of it…"

Styrbjörn Wahlquist: "And pictures of me…"

Eddie Malm: "And it looked kind of amazing actually and the sign said “we are looking for a guitar player please call this number”… And I figured wow this is kind of interesting and I love the picture so I called them we set up a meeting I came down we played a little and well I got the job!"

About Heavy Load's "new" album with rarities and older material recorded in the past:

Styrbjörn Wahlquist: "We're negotiating within several companies about releasing old unreleased songs. Me and my brother in 1985 when Eddie left we continued on a new album and we worked on it now and them for 15 years… so, we have quite a lot of songs. You can say that we have a totally new album almost ready."

How Phil Lynott of Thin Lizzy recorded the bass on "Free" when he was touring with his solo band in Sweden and visited Heavy Load in the studio:

Styrbjörn Wahlquist: "Well, he came down to the studio… he was touring in Sweden with his solo band. Mark Stanway from Magnum, John Shykes on guitar, the drummer of Thin Lizzy on drums… we had mutual friends they talked and we were recording so he came down slightly intoxicated! He listened to our song 'Free' and he liked it very much. But, he said 'great song, but it lacks bass!' And we said, because our bass player was on holiday in Norway, could you play it? And he said 'sure, yeah! But, not know I'm too drunk!' So, he came down a few days later and recorded it and we had a very good time. We partied until early in the morning."

About the band's legacy and influence:

Eddie Malm: "It could be the myth… it could be the fact that we made the music way back in time… we haven't really followed up it and so the the music stays the same and the myth is very special. So, I think maybe that is influential to a lot of people today."

Styrbjörn Wahlquist: "I think that we really wanted to do our own thing you know… We tried new things in a way and a new way to do things and we experimented quite a lot. If that turns out to be successful it may be a template for other than other bands as well. So, it's fantastic. I'm totally in awe at the fact that other bands like our music and feel that they are influenced by it."