Gear Review: The Haunted Guitarist Ola Englund on His Randall Satan Signature Amplifier and Washburn Solar Signature Guitar

Clocking in at just over 44 minutes, :Swedish shredders The Haunted released their latest album, the 14-song Exit Wounds, on August 25, 2014. Loaded with exactly what you’d want to hear, and expect, from this band, with the new album the Swedish death metal scene has been seemingly totally rejuvenated. We wanted to delve further into the new album’s sound, so we chatted in brief with guitarist Ola Englund.

What one piece of gear do you use to obtain your signature sound?
Englund: My own Randall Satan signature amplifier as well as my Washburn Solar signature guitar.

What about it makes it so important to you?
Englund: The fact that I’ve been part of designing the piece of gear from the ground up, to make them fit my style of playing and my taste in sound and performance.

How was this gear used during the recording of your latest album?
Englund: We used the amp and guitars to record the album. Tue Madsen got a Randall Satan in his studio that he reamped the album with. I recorded the DI-signal at my home using my Solar guitars.

How do you recreate your album (guitar/vocal/bass) tones in your live set?
Englund: Using the same gear, keeping it as simple as I did for the album. We like having the real deal, screaming cabinets and burning valves/tubes on stage. It’s a part of The Haunted sounding as raw as we do.

What are the major pros and cons?
Englund: The fact that I don’t have to use racks of gear to make the gear sound good. I just bring my amp, cab, delay, tuner and noisegate and that’s it. It’s a very simple rig.

Do you have a backup for this gear? If so, what?
Englund: My backups are basically just one more of the same, doesn’t make sense to have a completely different amplifier or guitar as a backup. I want to be able to switch out the gear in question and have the exact same sound as I’m used to. I have never needed a spare amplifier head or guitar yet, but having a backup is always a good idea if you’re out touring.

How long have you had it, how do you use it, would you ever change it?
Englund: As of right now, I’ve definitely found my “grail”, I wouldn’t change it for the world. But who knows, people change and I change, so I might be looking for something else in a couple of years, who knows!

Give us your best “gear goes wrong” story.
Englund: I’ve had bad luck with wireless units. I haven’t had any problems during a The Haunted gig, but I had one when I played in Six Feet Under, my first big festival gig I played Wacken in Germany. In front of 55,000 people my wireless shut down right in the middle of “Hammer Smashed Face”. Since then I’ve used a cable every gig.

Check out the song “Eye Of The Storm”