intervzonezero

ZONE ZERO

TOBBEN STENBERG

During the early eighties many young bands were willing to do just about anything to get their songs on vinyl. Many times it turned out not to be worth the sacrifice.

This is the story about the scam-label Pang Records and the band Zone Zero – who became one of their many victims.

In the beginning of the 1980s, rehearsal rooms in Sweden began to swirm with heavy metal bands. All shared the same dream, of the big breakthrough. The first step on the road to stardom is obviously to record an album and many bands were willing to do whatever it took to get there. Obviously a great opportunity for people with doubtful intentions to make some money.

- We read an ad from this Lars E Carlsson. He was looking for bands, so we sent a tape. Everything sounded so great when he called. We would sign a contract and record an album, but start with a single, tells Tobben Stenberg, guitar player in Zone Zero.

Lars E Carlsson was the head of Pang Records and Zone Zero was the band that was to be perhaps the most legandary to be caught by the scam-label.

Zone Zero was formed in Gagnef, Dalarna, Sweden in 1980, at the beginning of the NWOBHM movement. They were travelling around their regions, gigging where they could. However, it was clear already from the beginning that Zone Zero was a band that took heavy metal seriously.

- We rehearsed four days a week and put a lot of money into it. We got our own tour bus and smoke machine. We were living for the music.

So, in 1982 came the phonecall from Lars E Carlsson. The band went to Stockholm to record the single that was supposed to be the jump start of the glorius career that Pang Records promised. But as soon as they arrived at the studio, they sensed that something was not right.

- We were supposed to finish everything in eight hours. From arriving at the door to mixing. In eight hours you finish perhaps one song – without mixing!

But they hadn’t come all the way for nothing. The five youngsters geared up and played their asses off. The songs ”Win or Die” and ”Evil Dream” were recorded and became the single that got the title ”Heavy Metal” (talk about an effective title!).

Heavy Metal!

The band had to pay for the studio costs themselves. Something perfectly normal, according to Pang Records. Shortly thereafter, the band members received 100 singles each, to sell on their own. There, although the band did not know it yet, the commitment of Pang Records ended.

The single shows a band with a fetish for the epic and melancholic, and great potential, although the recording is somewhat primitive. The band felt that it was a rush work and didn’t exactly work hard to sell the singles.

During 1982 and '83 Pang Records was pumping out singles. The procedure was always the same: Young bands travelled to Stockholm, made a recording they payed for themselves, and then came 500 singles in the mail. Then nothing.

Today the heavy metal singles on Pang Records are sought after collector’s items. The Zone Zero single is far from the most expensive, as there seems to be comparatively many copies in circulation, but instead one of the more legandary – and without any doubt the best.

After the release of the single Zone Zero for a time continued to hope for help from Pang Records. The single was to be sold in stores and the band should be promoted.

- We kept in touch for a while and he said ”In time, in time”, but the time never came. We got pretty bitter after a while. But everything sounded so big and when talking about recording albums, we gladly walked right into the trap.

Zone Zero

In 1983 the story came to an end for Pang Records. A major music magazine in Sweden had a feature on the label, and warned all bands against contact with them. Thus, Pang Records had pressed their last 7”.

Around the same time Zone Zero recorded six songs on tape in their rehearsal room. The tape was supposed to be used as a demo, but that never happened. The tape has however found its way out to the collectors and shows five talented musicians and six songs packed with epicness, thundering riffs and beautiful guitar harmonies.

This evil dream is going senseless!

Shortly thereafter, Zone Zero disbanded. Military service and education spread the members all over the country and subsequently it was not possible to hold the band together. But the members meet from time to time even today, and sometimes they even gear up for a moment of metal, just like back in the days.

- We met this spring, had some beers and recorded a new song. We are friends for life. Every single time we meet it’s like we parted yesterday, says Tobben Stenberg.

By/Per-Ola Nilsson

(2004)