Interview by Metal Hammer: “Royal Hunt – The Mission Never Ends”

Interviewed: January, 2026

Enjoy the original version of the interview with André Andersen by Fabio Magliano of Metal Hammer – in english.

Q: ‘The Mission’ has followed Royal Hunt through several eras. What does performing it live today say about who you are as a band in 2025?

It´s one of these songs that´s still fun to play and fans seems to enjoy quite a bit – especially at festivals… guess its the easily recognizable riff and the chorus which is rather immediate. It also worth mentioning that this line-up really delivers the goods here, giving this track a very personified touch.

Q: Watching the Posada Rock Festival performance, the connection with the crowd feels almost tangible. How has your relationship with live audiences evolved over the decades?

The longer the band exists the easier it becomes to connect with the audience : in the beginning you always have something to prove but your back catalog is quite limited and your reputation isn´t established enough… nowadays – after over 3 decades of existence, a strong line-up and a vast repertoire to choose tracks from – you´re connecting with people way, way faster.

Q: Royal Hunt has always balanced technical precision with emotional storytelling. Has your idea of what truly matters in a performance changed with time?

Not at all. All of us are pretty sufficient as musicians but no technical skills can save a song if there´s no story, no mood and no real passion involved – it just becomes a technical exercise, that´s all.

Q: You’ve navigated shifts in line-ups, trends, and the music industry itself. Looking back, what was the most defining crossroads in the band’s history?

Internet/filesharing was an enormous earthquake which changed the music world completely and – as it seems – forever.

Q: Progressive and power metal have both changed dramatically since the early ’90s. How do you see Royal Hunt’s role within today’s metal landscape?

I´m not sure if musically it changed all that much: today it´s just much more of everything. Our role is still the same: deliver a quality material while still maintaining the original style which is very much the essence of Royal Hunt. As for the mechanics of it: sure, MTV got exchanged with YouTube,, radio – with Spotify and playlists,  proper studios with laptops and such… yet a good song is still a good song, proper playing is still valid, so – the old rule still applies.

Q: ‘Behind the Curtain’ suggests revealing something hidden. What is something about Royal Hunt that fans still misunderstand or overlook?

The idea behind this EP is to kind of invite our fans “backstage”: here´s a new song we´ve been working on, check out a couple of live tracks which we performed last year, here´s us playing around with some acoustic stuff and even a new mix of an old track – why not? After the monumental release of “Dystopia Pt. 1 and Pt. 2” we felt it was time to kick back a little and invite our fans into our camp for an “informal chat”, if you will…actually, everybody´s still welcome to find even more great stuff at: royalhunt.com

Q: Longevity in metal often comes at a personal cost. What have you each had to sacrifice to keep this band alive for so long?

Everything comes with a certain price tag attached: in our case it´s being away from friends and family, missing out on some significant events occasionally. Lack of social/economical security/stability in our line of work is another issue, but it’s a given.

Q: Royal Hunt’s music often feels cinematic and grand. Outside of music, what forms of art or life experience have influenced your sense of drama and storytelling?

Musically it´s definitely the “large format” bands like Genesis, Pink Floyd, Kansas, Queen, Rush and such. Outside music its always been books – mostly historical material – but also dramatic works of Bradbury, Remark, McCarthy, Strugatskys and the likes. Movies obviously having an impact (the ones with epic soundtracks in particular) as well as multiple current events which can push your buttons for some reason… inspiration can be found literally everywhere.

Q: Performing festivals versus headline shows brings very different energies. What kind of environment brings out the best in Royal Hunt today?

Hard to tell as it varies… There´s an obvious difference from a technical point of view – we can´t use most of our stage production at the festival – but otherwise its basically the same, especially if we´re playing the full set (90 or so minutes) at the festival.

Q: The Posada Rock Festival crowd represents a new generation alongside long-time fans. How do you bridge that generational gap without rewriting your identity?

I think releasing new material on a regular basis yet raising the bar with each and every release while staying true to yourself (or at least trying hard to achieve that) is the key. I strongly believe that if you´re staying creative and the band´s performing to its best ability your old fans won´t leave and new fans will come.

Q:  Technology has radically changed how music is recorded, consumed, and shared. Has it brought you closer to listeners—or created more distance?

Both. Digital communication has definitely brought us closer to our devoted fans all over the world, as shown by the successful crowdfunding campaigns for each new release over the past 10 years. We are humbled and overwhelmed by the support we receive every time we announce that a new release is in the works. Check out the recent Royal Hunt Camp for “Behind the Curtain”.

On the other hand, the way of reaching new audiences has become very different. Yes, we can post on social media and upload videos and new music, but the level of connection is not the same as it was with airplay, live shows, and physical press. Listeners today are typically bombarded with posts and countless new releases, the attention span becomes shorter and shorter… and that is why we appreciate those who can still grind through Royal Hunt’s thick layered progressive pie when discovering the band on digital platforms.

Q:  ‘The Mission’ speaks of purpose and direction. Has the meaning of that “mission” changed for you personally over the years?

Not much. I´m a strong believer in “do what you really want to do, give it your best and hope for the best”.

Q:  Royal Hunt has always avoided chasing trends. Was that a conscious decision from the beginning, or something that became clear only in hindsight?

We had this collective idea (or concept, if you will) from the very first day: take the inspiration from all our favorite bands in classic rock, add some elements of prog and classical music and put it all together in a sophisticated yet accessible form with a unique sound/performance/production value which will make this band instantly recognizable.

Q:  When you look back at your earliest releases, what surprises you most about who you were then as musicians—and as people?

Honestly, I´m surprised we made it so far. You see: we’ve always been very hard to put in a box: rock? metal? prog? aor? neoclassical? And it all because we always had all of these elements in our music, so arriving at the scene with this specific style was quite difficult… yet the band soldiered on and it still amazes me.

Q: After decades on the road, what still excites you about stepping on stage, and what still scares you?

Hanging around and going on stage with this amazing bunch of people – my bandmates – excites me constantly… such a gang of incredibly talanted guys! Performing around the world and meeting our fans is still an amazing experience. Travelling can wear you down a bit, that´s true, but otherwise – its all great. Can’t think about anything to be scared of, really, but I do get nervous right before the show starts… yet it disappears quickly, mostly in a couple of minutes into the set.

Q: Many bands fade into nostalgia. What keeps Royal Hunt creatively alive rather than becoming a legacy act?

Having a desire to stay creative: working on new material, re-arranging every set list, looking for new ways to present your work, improving your performance… I don’t think its difficult if you´re an artist at heart and in this band – everybody´s like that and wants to move forward.

Q: How do you deal with moments when inspiration runs dry, and does experience make those moments easier—or harder?

Inspiration is everywhere: a book, a newspaper, a movie or simply a casual conversation you just happened to hear a bit of while walking down the street. Being surrounded by such talented people as the guys I´m playing with helps a lot with getting inspired too.

Q: The metal scene today is more global than ever. How has interacting with different cultures shaped your worldview beyond music?

It does expand your cultural horizon tremendously, it inspires you and gives you an understanding of an endless complexity of the world we´re living in today.

Q: If someone discovers Royal Hunt for the first time through this live video of ‘The Mission’, what do you hope they understand about the band’s past—and its future?

I hope they´ll appreciate the effort we put into this track in order to make it interesting yet accessible, the level of musicianship displayed by everyone on that stage and will sense the sheer excitement projected by the band and the audience alike. I also hope that it will make them curious enough to dig a bit deeper and discover our vast catalog and – who knows? – maybe come and see us perform next time.

In the meantime subscribe to our YouTube channel – there’s more music to come: https://www.youtube.com/user/royalhuntband