In Episode 432 of Signals From Mars, Victor welcomes Ulf “Uffe” Pettersson, vocalist of Swedish thrashers Mezzrow, to discuss the band’s powerful new album Embrace The Awakening. Uffe reflects on Sweden’s enduring metal culture, the impact of recent losses in the community—especially Thomas Lindberg of At The Gates—and how Mezzrow rediscovered their spark decades after disbanding.

Uffe explains how the band reunited in 2021 after finding an old recording they’d made with their late former guitarist. This led to recruiting guitarist Magnus Söderman and producer/guitarist Ronny Bjarnström, helping Mezzrow evolve while remaining rooted in Bay Area–influenced thrash. The band focused on making a concise, high-quality album, selecting eight of twelve written tracks for maximum impact. They avoided keyboards this time to create a more live, energetic thrash feel, while still blending in subtle influences from jazz, prog, and black metal.

Victor and Uffe discuss how the new songs fit alongside Mezzrow classics like “Frozen Soul,” how the band approaches setlist balance, and why intimate festivals such as Muskelrock remain personal favorites. Uffe also reacts to press comparisons to modern Testament and Coroner, a compliment he embraces proudly—especially after sharing a stage with Coroner in Bulgaria.

Mezzrow keeps fans updated through active social media, and the best way to support the band is by purchasing merch directly from their official shop.

🎙️ Patron Shout-outs

Steven Sailer, Steve Hoeker, Jeremy Weltman, Mike Jones, Brad Dahl, Mark Strigl, Gabriel Ruiz, Chris Vaglio, Metal Dan, Johan Ederström, Ed Ferguson, Anthony Mackey, Toni Espin, Sean Richmond.

Connect with Mezzrow:

Website: http://www.mezzrow.black/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mezzrowswedishthrash/

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