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AMON AMARTH’s JOHAN HEGG: ‘It’s Always Been A Team Effort For Our Band’

Manos Spanos
Anthony Toto of Pop-Break.com recently conducted an interview with vocalist Johan Hegg of Swedish death metallers AMON AMARTH. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below. Pop-Break.com: On "Deceiver Of The Gods", the sound is heavily focused on melody with guitar leads and musical passages reminiscent of bands like IRON MAIDEN. You guys weren't afraid to wear your influences on your sleeve this time around. Johan Hegg: We always were influenced by a lot of bands before us but they were just never put into the albums or music before. On this album, we weren't really afraid of showing those influences so that's why you could notice it more. I think we managed to use those influences and make it onto our own but with a new twist. Pop-Break.com: One thing I appreciate about your band is the usage of imagery in your music; your lyrical content paints a picture of the stories you are trying to convey. The lyrics on your albums read like novels. Johan Hegg: Yeah, I mean, that's the way we always worked when it comes to writing lyrics. It's nothing really new and it's just the way we have done it throughout the years. Pop-Break.com: Bringing up IRON MAIDEN again, you look at different IRON MAIDEN album covers and Eddie's [IRON MAIDEN's mascot] presence draws in listeners from a visual standpoint. In a similar sense, your albums "Twilight Of The Thunder God", "Sulfur Rising" or "Deceiver Of The Gods", the covers have such an incredible mystique. What is the importance of having a great album cover? What does it mean for you in terms of showcasing your music? Johan Hegg: For us, especially growing up in the Eighties with IRON MAIDEN album covers and stuff like that, we loved those types of album covers; all of them. The album covers are definitely important for us. We want them to be powerful, majestic, epic, and all those themes to fit the music. That's why we wanted to do that with our album covers. We wanted the covers to properly sit in front or our albums and CDs. That's because of where come from as music fans ourselves. Pop-Break.com: Consistency in writing and performing has played a huge role in keeping this band alive and growing in terms of popularity. This lineup of the band has been together since 1998; could describe the chemistry of working with the same group of musicians for such a long time? Johan Hegg: Yeah, I mean, it's hard to describe why it works and why it doesn't work for some other bands because obviously, I have only been in this band. Laughs] I have no other reference really. We're just five guys with the same kind of goals, determination, and love of music. Obviously, that helps. I think the fact that we share everything equally; workload and money-wise as well. It's always been a team effort for our band and I think that's very important. Pop-Break.com: Being from Sweden, what is your take on AT THE GATES recording a new album? Johan Hegg: I think it's awesome and I'm really curious to see how that comes out. I listened to them a few weeks ago and they are still a big influence on my band. I'm very excited. I think it's the right move for them if they want to continue doing this reunion. They need to put something out there. I have feeling that it is going to be something spectacular because I don't think they would release anything less than what they would be satisfied with themselves. I'm really looking forward to hearing what they come up with. Read the
03 min read

THE HAUNTED: ‘My Enemy’ Video Released

Manos Spanos
"My Enemy", the new video from Swedish metallers THE HAUNTED, can be seen below. The clip for the relentless, 58-second track features rehearsal-room footage. THE HAUNTED released a new three-song single, "Eye Of The Storm", on January 20 in Europe and January 21 in North America via Century Media Records. "Eye Of The Storm" was made available as limited-edition seven-inch EP (1,000 copies split as follows: 500 on black vinyl, 300 on red vinyl and 200 on white vinyl) and as digital single, featuring the new songs "Eye Of The Storm", "Infiltrator" and "My Enemy". "Eye Of The Storm" track listing: 01. Eye Of The Storm 02. Infiltrator 03. My Enemy The single marks the recording debut of THE HAUNTED's new lineup, which was announced last summer, featuring founding members Patrik Jensen (guitar) and Jonas Björler (bass), returning members Marco Aro (vocals) and Adrian Erlandsson (drums), as well as new guitarist Ola Englund. Commented THE HAUNTED's founding member and guitarist Patrik Jensen: "We are sure fans have been anxious to know what the band sounds like today after all the turmoil and old members leaving and new members joining. "We feel that these three songs represent the band perfectly. "We are currently working on the new album, an album that will be filled to the brim with what we know to be THE HAUNTED. "THE HAUNTED is back." THE HAUNTED's 2014 lineup: * Patrik Jensen - Guitar * Ola Englund (SIX FEET UNDER, FEARED) - Guitar * Marco Aro (THE RESISTANCE, FACE DOWN) - Vocals * Jonas Björler - Bass * Adrian Erlandsson (AT THE GATES, PARADISE LOST) - Drums THE HAUNTED will embark on a tour of Scandinavia this spring, beginning with a show in Gothenburg, Sweden on March 28. Says the band: "The reception of the three new songs from our newly released EP 'Eye Of The Storm' at 70000 Tons Of Metal was amazing, so expect them to be played, together with a truckload of other hard-hitters. "We can't wait to get back out there playing shows again, and we'll make sure it has been worth your while sticking around for us through thick and thin. See you all somewhere along the road!" THE HAUNTED's founding member and guitarist Patrik Jensen stated about the band's new lineup: "THE HAUNTED went through some difficult times last year. Losing three band members is a pretty huge blow to any band. Jonas and I agreed immediately that we wanted to continue with the band, but we wanted to take our time and not rush into anything. "Some of you might recognize a few faces, some of you might not. Adrian Erlandsson is back on drums and Marco Aro is back on vocals. Adrian you might know from playing on our first album and Marco sang on 'The Haunted Made Me Do It', 'Live Rounds In Tokyo' and 'One Kill Wonder'. On guitar we also have Ola Englund bringing some pretty heavy chops to the band." Vocalist Marco Aro (ex-FACE DOWN, also in THE RESISTANCE) was previously involved with THE HAUNTED for three acclaimed releases between 1999 and 2003 as well as for several worldwide touring campaigns. Drummer Adrian Erlandsson (also in AT THE GATES and PARADISE LOST) belonged to the original lineup of THE HAUNTED together the Björler twins after the demise of their previous legendary group, AT THE GATES. Together with Jensen, they launched THE HAUNTED's self-titled debut in 1998, an album which has been widely considered as the kick-start for a new era in the thrash metal movement and which, despite its initial underground status, climbed to be a massively inspirational record for a whole new generation of musicians and bands in the following decade. Guitarist Ola Englund is a highly talented young player from Sweden, who has recently been active as touring and recording member of U.S. death metal institution SIX FEET UNDER.
04 min read

THE HAUNTED’s New Lineup Performs Live For First Time; Video Available

Manos Spanos
The new lineup of Swedish metallers THE HAUNTED made its live debut during the 2014 edition of "The World's Biggest Heavy Metal Cruise" — 70000 Tons Of Metal — which sailed January 27 to January 31 from Miami, Florida to Costa Maya, Mexico and back. Fan-filmed video footage of THE HAUNTED's performances aboard the cruise can be seen below. THE HAUNTED released a new three-song single, "Eye Of The Storm", on January 20 in Europe and January 21 in North America via Century Media Records. "Eye Of The Storm" was made available as limited-edition seven-inch EP (1,000 copies split as follows: 500 on black vinyl, 300 on red vinyl and 200 on white vinyl) and as digital single, featuring the new songs "Eye Of The Storm", "Infiltrator" and "My Enemy". "Eye Of The Storm" track listing: 01. Eye Of The Storm 02. Infiltrator 03. My Enemy The single marks the recording debut of THE HAUNTED's new lineup, which was announced last summer, featuring founding members Patrik Jensen (guitar) and Jonas Björler (bass), returning members Marco Aro (vocals) and Adrian Erlandsson (drums), as well as new guitarist Ola Englund. Commented THE HAUNTED's founding member and guitarist Patrik Jensen: "There aren't superlatives enough to describe how much the band has longed for these three songs to be released. "We are sure fans have been anxious to know what the band sounds like today after all the turmoil and old members leaving and new members joining. "We feel that these three songs represent the band perfectly. "We are currently working on the new album, an album that will be filled to the brim with what we know to be THE HAUNTED. "We'll start doing gigs this spring and we'll do festivals all over the place this summer. "Get in touch with the festivals you visit (and behave like an animal at) and tell them to get us on the bill! "THE HAUNTED is back. "Play it loud. No. Louder." THE HAUNTED's 2014 lineup: * Patrik Jensen - Guitar * Ola Englund (SIX FEET UNDER, FEARED) - Guitar * Marco Aro (THE RESISTANCE, FACE DOWN) - Vocals * Jonas Björler - Bass * Adrian Erlandsson (AT THE GATES, PARADISE LOST) - Drums THE HAUNTED's founding member and guitarist Patrik Jensen stated about the band's new lineup: "THE HAUNTED went through some difficult times last year. Losing three band members is a pretty huge blow to any band. Jonas and I agreed immediately that we wanted to continue with the band, but we wanted to take our time and not rush into anything. "Some of you might recognize a few faces, some of you might not. Adrian Erlandsson is back on drums and Marco Aro is back on vocals. Adrian you might know from playing on our first album and Marco sang on 'The Haunted Made Me Do It', 'Live Rounds In Tokyo' and 'One Kill Wonder'. On guitar we also have Ola Englund bringing some pretty heavy chops to the band. "We're all VERY excited about having THE HAUNTED back in working shape again and we can't wait to get back out on the road to play for our very patient and faithful fans again. A new album is also already in the works and if you are familiar with the individual band members of this new lineup, you can be assured that the new material will grab you by the throat from the get-go!" Vocalist Marco Aro (ex-FACE DOWN, also in THE RESISTANCE) was previously involved with THE HAUNTED for three acclaimed releases between 1999 and 2003 as well as for several worldwide touring campaigns. Drummer Adrian Erlandsson (also in AT THE GATES and PARADISE LOST) belonged to the original lineup of THE HAUNTED together the Björler twins after the demise of their previous legendary group, AT THE GATES. Together with Jensen, they launched THE HAUNTED's self-titled debut in 1998, an album which has been widely considered as the kick-start for a new era in the thrash metal movement and which, despite its initial underground status, climbed to be a massively inspirational record for a whole new generation of musicians and bands in the following decade. Guitarist Ola Englund is a highly talented young player from Sweden, who has recently been active as touring and recording member of U.S. death metal institution SIX FEET UNDER.
05 min read

THE HAUNTED: New Song ‘Eye Of The Storm’ Available For Streaming

Manos Spanos
Swedish metallers THE HAUNTED will release a new three-song single, "Eye Of The Storm", on January 20 in Europe and January 21 in North America via Century Media Records. The single’s cover artwork can be seen below. "Eye Of The Storm" will be made available as limited-edition seven-inch EP (1,000 copies split as follows: 500 on black vinyl, 300 on red vinyl and 200 on white vinyl) and as digital single, featuring the new songs "Eye Of The Storm", "Infiltrator" and "My Enemy". "Eye Of The Storm" track listing: 01. Eye Of The Storm 02. Infiltrator 03. My Enemy The "Eye Of The Storm" title track can be streamed in the YouTube clip below. The single marks the recording debut of THE HAUNTED's new lineup, which was announced last summer, featuring founding members Patrik Jensen (guitar) and Jonas Björler (bass), returning members Marco Aro (vocals) and Adrian Erlandsson (drums), as well as new guitarist Ola Englund. Commented THE HAUNTED's founding member and guitarist Patrik Jensen: "There aren't superlatives enough to describe how much the band has longed for these three songs to be released. "We are sure fans have been anxious to know what the band sounds like today after all the turmoil and old members leaving and new members joining. "We feel that these three songs represent the band perfectly. "We are currently working on the new album, an album that will be filled to the brim with what we know to be THE HAUNTED. "We'll start doing gigs this spring and we'll do festivals all over the place this summer. "Get in touch with the festivals you visit (and behave like an animal at) and tell them to get us on the bill! "THE HAUNTED is back. "Play it loud. No. Louder." The new lineup of THE HAUNTED will make its live debut during the 2014 edition of "The World's Biggest Heavy Metal Cruise" — 70000 Tons Of Metal — which will sail January 27 to January 31 from Miami, Florida to Costa Maya, Mexico and back. THE HAUNTED's 2014 lineup: * Patrik Jensen - Guitar * Ola Englund (SIX FEET UNDER, FEARED) - Guitar * Marco Aro (THE RESISTANCE, FACE DOWN) - Vocals * Jonas Björler - Bass * Adrian Erlandsson (AT THE GATES, PARADISE LOST) - Drums THE HAUNTED's founding member and guitarist Patrik Jensen stated about the band's new lineup: "THE HAUNTED went through some difficult times last year. Losing three band members is a pretty huge blow to any band. Jonas and I agreed immediately that we wanted to continue with the band, but we wanted to take our time and not rush into anything. "Some of you might recognize a few faces, some of you might not. Adrian Erlandsson is back on drums and Marco Aro is back on vocals. Adrian you might know from playing on our first album and Marco sang on 'The Haunted Made Me Do It', 'Live Rounds In Tokyo' and 'One Kill Wonder'. On guitar we also have Ola Englund bringing some pretty heavy chops to the band. "We're all VERY excited about having THE HAUNTED back in working shape again and we can't wait to get back out on the road to play for our very patient and faithful fans again. A new album is also already in the works and if you are familiar with the individual band members of this new lineup, you can be assured that the new material will grab you by the throat from the get-go!" Vocalist Marco Aro (ex-FACE DOWN, also in THE RESISTANCE) was previously involved with THE HAUNTED for three acclaimed releases between 1999 and 2003 as well as for several worldwide touring campaigns. Drummer Adrian Erlandsson (also in AT THE GATES and PARADISE LOST) belonged to the original lineup of THE HAUNTED together the Björler twins after the demise of their previous legendary group, AT THE GATES. Together with Jensen, they launched THE HAUNTED's self-titled debut in 1998, an album which has been widely considered as the kick-start for a new era in the thrash metal movement and which, despite its initial underground status, climbed to be a massively inspirational record for a whole new generation of musicians and bands in the following decade. Guitarist Ola Englund is a highly talented young player from Sweden, who has recently been active as touring and recording member of U.S. death metal institution SIX FEET UNDER.
04 min read

THE HAUNTED To Release ‘Eye Of The Storm’ Single

Manos Spanos
Swedish metallers THE HAUNTED will release a new three-song single, "Eye Of The Storm", on January 20 in Europe and January 21 in North America via Century Media Records. The single’s cover artwork can be seen below. "Eye Of The Storm" will be made available as limited-edition seven-inch EP (1,000 copies split as follows: 500 on black vinyl, 300 on red vinyl and 200 on white vinyl) and as digital single, featuring the new songs "Eye Of The Storm", "Infiltrator" and "My Enemy". You can pre-order the seven-inch single (in black or red vinyl versions) as well as the band's back catalogue for special reduced prices from CM Distro in Europe. The single marks the recording debut of THE HAUNTED's new lineup, which was announced last summer, featuring founding members Patrik Jensen (guitar) and Jonas Björler (bass), returning members Marco Aro (vocals) and Adrian Erlandsson (drums), as well as new guitarist Ola Englund. Commented THE HAUNTED's founding member and guitarist Patrik Jensen: "There aren't superlatives enough to describe how much the band has longed for these three songs to be released. "We are sure fans have been anxious to know what the band sounds like today after all the turmoil and old members leaving and new members joining. "We feel that these three songs represent the band perfectly. "We are currently working on the new album, an album that will be filled to the brim with what we know to be THE HAUNTED. "We'll start doing gigs this spring and we'll do festivals all over the place this summer. "Get in touch with the festivals you visit (and behave like an animal at) and tell them to get us on the bill! "THE HAUNTED is back. "Play it loud. No. Louder." The new lineup of THE HAUNTED will make its live debut during the 2014 edition of "The World's Biggest Heavy Metal Cruise" — 70000 Tons Of Metal — which will sail January 27 to January 31 from Miami, Florida to Costa Maya, Mexico and back. THE HAUNTED's 2014 lineup: * Patrik Jensen - Guitar * Ola Englund (SIX FEET UNDER, FEARED) - Guitar * Marco Aro (THE RESISTANCE, FACE DOWN) - Vocals * Jonas Björler - Bass * Adrian Erlandsson (AT THE GATES, PARADISE LOST) - Drums THE HAUNTED's founding member and guitarist Patrik Jensen stated about the band's new lineup: "THE HAUNTED went through some difficult times last year. Losing three band members is a pretty huge blow to any band. Jonas and I agreed immediately that we wanted to continue with the band, but we wanted to take our time and not rush into anything. "Some of you might recognize a few faces, some of you might not. Adrian Erlandsson is back on drums and Marco Aro is back on vocals. Adrian you might know from playing on our first album and Marco sang on 'The Haunted Made Me Do It', 'Live Rounds In Tokyo' and 'One Kill Wonder'. On guitar we also have Ola Englund bringing some pretty heavy chops to the band. "We're all VERY excited about having THE HAUNTED back in working shape again and we can't wait to get back out on the road to play for our very patient and faithful fans again. A new album is also already in the works and if you are familiar with the individual band members of this new lineup, you can be assured that the new material will grab you by the throat from the get-go!" Vocalist Marco Aro (ex-FACE DOWN, also in THE RESISTANCE) was previously involved with THE HAUNTED for three acclaimed releases between 1999 and 2003 as well as for several worldwide touring campaigns. Drummer Adrian Erlandsson (also in AT THE GATES and PARADISE LOST) belonged to the original lineup of THE HAUNTED together the Björler twins after the demise of their previous legendary group, AT THE GATES. Together with Jensen, they launched THE HAUNTED's self-titled debut in 1998, an album which has been widely considered as the kick-start for a new era in the thrash metal movement and which, despite its initial underground status, climbed to be a massively inspirational record for a whole new generation of musicians and bands in the following decade. Guitarist Ola Englund is a highly talented young player from Sweden, who has recently been active as touring and recording member of U.S. death metal institution SIX FEET UNDER.
04 min read

Video: AMON AMARTH, ENTOMBED Singers Join VOMITORY On Stage At Farewell Show

Manos Spanos
Johan Hegg (AMON AMARTH), Lars Göran Petrov (ENTOMBED) and Tomas Lindberg (AT THE GATES, THE GREAT DECEIVER, LOCKUP, DISFEAR, THE CROWN) joined Swedish death metallers VOMITORY on stage at the band's last-ever show on December 27, 2013 at Metal Clüb / Nöjesfabriken in Karlstad, Sweden. Fan-filmed video footage of the concert can be seen below. VOMITORY announced its decision to disband in February 2013, explaining in a statement: "After 24 years, eight albums and hundreds of live shows across 30 countries, we have finally come to the end of the road. We in the band — Tobias, Urban, Erik and Peter — have made the collective decision to end VOMITORY by the end of 2013. It has been a blast on all accounts, but all good things come to to an end, and for VOMITORY, it is now." VOMITORY's eighth full-length album, "Opus Mortis VIII", was released in 2011 via Metal Blade Records. The CD was recorded at Leon Music Studios outside Karlstad, Sweden with producer Rikard Löfgren. VOMITORY was: Erik Rundqvist - Bass/Vocals
01 min read

THE HAUNTED’s New Lineup To Perform Live For First Time At 70000 TONS OF METAL

Manos Spanos
The new lineup of Swedish metallers THE HAUNTED will make its live debut during the 2014 edition of "The World's Biggest Heavy Metal Cruise" — 70000 Tons Of Metal — which will sail January 27 to January 31 from Miami, Florida to Costa Maya, Mexico and back. THE HAUNTED is finally back in the spotlight after almost a year without public activity and restructuring behind closed doors, following a major switch of lineups around fall of 2012. THE HAUNTED's 2013 lineup: * Patrik Jensen - Guitar * Ola Englund (SIX FEET UNDER, FEARED) - Guitar * Marco Aro (THE RESISTANCE, FACE DOWN) - Vocals * Jonas Björler - Bass * Adrian Erlandsson (AT THE GATES, PARADISE LOST) - Drums THE HAUNTED's founding member and guitarist Patrik Jensen stated about the band's new lineup: "THE HAUNTED went through some difficult times last year. Losing three band members is a pretty huge blow to any band. Jonas and I agreed immediately that we wanted to continue with the band, but we wanted to take our time and not rush into anything. "Some of you might recognize a few faces, some of you might not. Adrian Erlandsson is back on drums and Marco Aro is back on vocals. Adrian you might know from playing on our first album and Marco sang on 'The Haunted Made Me Do It', 'Live Rounds In Tokyo' and 'One Kill Wonder'. On guitar we also have Ola Englund bringing some pretty heavy chops to the band. "We're all VERY excited about having THE HAUNTED back in working shape again and we can't wait to get back out on the road to play for our very patient and faithful fans again. A new album is also already in the works and if you are familiar with the individual band members of this new lineup, you can be assured that the new material will grab you by the throat from the get-go!"
03 min read

AEON Guitarist Quits, Says He ‘Can’t Afford’ To Stay In The Band

Manos Spanos
Guitarist Daniel Dlimi has announced his departure from Swedish death metal overlords AEON. He says in a statement: "It's with a heavy heart that I finally have decided to call it quits. "Why?!? I simply can't afford doing this no more. To tour with a band in our size, you actually lose money on each and every tour. For us, the expenses is always higher then the income, and if that wasn't enough, I also need to take time of from my daytime job which means absolutely no income at all during the period of a tour plus the extra expenses I get from the tour that does not get covered by the tour income. "You see where this is going? "We have done four tours this year alone and each one of them has made us lose money. I have actually NEVER done a single tour and made a single dime in the end of the day. I am actually paying money to do shows for you guys. And the saddest thing about this is that the industry expects you to do so. Something must be seriously fucked up when, for example, the driver, the sound guy, the merch guy, the tour manager etc makes more money on a tour compared to bands on the bill that is not headlining?!? "The one thing I love doing the most with my band is actually being on stage performing for you guys. But my passion for the music simply won't pay my bills. And as we all know, the record industry is suffering as hell and the record sales are lower then ever. So the only way to grow your band bigger is to do new albums and tour like hell… If you are lucky enough, one day you will be at a level where you actually get paid for you job, And like I said, I can't afford doing all the tours required to maybe one day be a big enough name to do headline tours and actually make money out of it. Neither do I see an option to stay with AEON and only record albums since the reward for me with doing an album is to actually perform the songs on stage. And if I can't do that, there is simply no point for me to go on. "So with this being said, I am now leaving the world as a 'professional' musician. Because you are considered to be a professional musician if you have released four albums worldwide and toured Europe, U.S., and Japan, right?!? It's ironic in many ways… It's pure charity. "A big thanks from me to all the fans that has been supporting us through the years, Metal Blade Records for being a super professional label and not least, all the crazy and awesome guys in all the bands we have had the honor to toured with. Cheers!!!!" AEON released its fourth studio offering, "Aeons Black", on November 20, 2012 via Metal Blade Records. The mammoth 15-track effort was recorded at Empire Studio in Östersund, Sweden, engineered, mixed and mastered by Ronnie Björnström (Garageland Studios) and featuring cover art by Kristian "Necrolord" Wåhlin (BATHORY, AT THE GATES,DISSECTION, EMPEROR).
03 min read

THE HAUNTED: ‘Trespass’ Guitar Playthrough Video

Manos Spanos
A playthrough video of the song "Trespass" featuring THE HAUNTEDguitarists Patrik Jensen and Ola Englund can be seen below. THE HAUNTED recently returned to the spotlight after almost a year without public activity and restructuring behind closed doors, following a major switch of lineups around fall of 2012. THE HAUNTED's 2013 lineup (from left to right in photo below): * Patrik Jensen - Guitar * Ola Englund (SIX FEET UNDER, FEARED) - Guitar * Marco Aro (THE RESISTANCE, FACE DOWN) - Vocals * Jonas Björler - Bass * Adrian Erlandsson (AT THE GATES, PARADISE LOST) - Drums A video introduction to the new lineup with interviews and fresh rehearsal room footage can be seen below. THE HAUNTED's founding member and guitarist Patrik Jensen checked in to comment on the recent developments as follows: "THE HAUNTED went through some difficult times
03 min read

THE HAUNTED Prepares To Announce New Lineup; Teaser Images Posted Online

Manos Spanos
Swedish metallers THE HAUNTED are teasing their fans on Facebook with photos of the bandmembers' silhouettes (see below) as they prepare to announce their new lineup. Although there has been no official confirmation, THE HAUNTED's latest incarnation appears to include the return of drummer Adrian Erlandsson(also of AT THE GATES and PARADISE LOST) and singer Marco Aro (also of THE RESISTANCE). They are joined by original THE HAUNTED membersPatrik Jensen (guitar) and Jonas Björler (bass) alongside the band's newest addition, guitarist Ola Englund (SIX FEET UNDER, FEARED). Vocalist Peter Dolving, guitarist Anders Björler and drummer Per Møller Jensen left THE HAUNTED last year and are pursuing separate new projects.
01 min read