Obituary

• Formed: 1985, Tampa, FL
• Genres: Rock
• Representative Albums: "The End Complete," "Anthology," "Slowly We Rot"
• Representative Songs: "Chopped in Half," "Slowly We Rot," "Internal Bleeding"





Biography

Possessed and Death may have brought death metal to life, but Obituary brought it to fruition. After releasing some demos as Xecutioner as far back as 1986, the five-man band debuted as Obituary on Roadrunner Records in 1989 with Slowly We Rot, and in a word, the album was landmark. The previous forays into what would quickly become tagged as death metal -- primarily by the above-mentioned bands, Possessed and Death, along with grindcore innovators Repulsion and Napalm Death -- were exercises in relentlessness.
These bands took the breakneck abandon of Slayer's Reign in Blood one step further, to the point of sheer, sometimes even ridiculous musical abandon. Obituary, on the other hand, varied their tempo considerably -- and did so at the absolute height of speed metal nonetheless. Yes, the band could play at breakneck speed, but within the same song, guitarists Allen West and Trevor Peres could slow the tempo down to dirge-like levels in a moment's notice, all the while keeping the music as heavy as hell thanks to down-tuned guitars and the snarling vocals of John Tardy. As a result, Slowly We Rot made quite a splash back in 1989, influencing an entire legion of death metal bands in Florida: Morbid Angel, Deicide, Malevolent Creation, Cannibal Corpse, and numerous others now forgotten among the thousands of international bands that followed. In a way, Slowly We Rot was the prototypical death metal album, establishing a template that would come to define the style (one that is distinct from grindcore or black metal, it should be pointed out). A few albums followed -- Cause of Death (1990) and The End Complete (1992) both also very influential -- but by the mid-'90s Obituary had run its course and the band splintered, reuniting now and then. Yet even as the bandmembers went their seperate ways (most notably West going on to much success as the guitarist of Six Feet Under), Obituary continued to stand tall as one of the definitive death metal bands, if not the definitive (a distinction that probably goes to Death, whose James Murphy actually was a bandmember for a while). Their latest, Xecutioners Return was released in August 2007 on the Candleight label.

History

Obituary is an American death metal band formed in 1985 in Tampa, Florida under the name Xecutioner and later renamed to Obituary. The band comprises vocalist John Tardy, drummer Donald Tardy, guitarists Trevor Peres and Ralph Santolla and bassist Frank Watkins. The band is a fundamental act in the development of death metal music and one of the most successful bands in its genre.



Founded as Xecutioner in Seffner, Florida during 1985, at the time the band was composed of John Tardy (vocals), Allen West (lead guitar), Trevor Peres (guitar), Jerome Grable (bass) & Donald Tardy (drums). They made their vinyl debut in 1987 with two tracks (Find The Arise & Like The Dead) on the Raging Death compilation. Not long after its release Grable was replaced with bassist Daniel Tucker. Shortly before the release of its first album the following year, "Slowly We Rot", they changed their name to Obituary. The band still remains an influential band of the Florida death metal movement that arose in the late 1980s. The 1990 release Cause of Death has been described as a seminal album in the genre, and vocalist John Tardy is recognized as one of the first vocalists to use an abnormally low growl (compared to the screechy growls used by predecessors Death and Possessed). Obituary is listed by Nielsen Soundscan as the fifth best-selling death metal band of all time and its albums have sold 368,184 copies; their 1992 release The End Complete has sold more than 103,378 copies in the United States alone.

After 1997's Back from the Dead album, the band had grown tired of touring, which led to the band disbanding. During the hiatus, Donald Tardy played in Andrew W.K.'s touring band (during W.K.'s appearance on Saturday Night Live Tardy wore an Obituary shirt). Allen West focused on his two projects, Lowbrow and Six Feet Under while not playing in Obituary. Trevor Peres formed Catastrophic in 2001, which released one album, The Cleansing, in that same year. Obituary reformed in 2003 and Catastrophic continued to exist alongside the reformed Obituary. A reunion album, Frozen in Time, was released in 2005. The band's first live DVD, Frozen Alive, was released in January 2007.

Obituary is currently signed with Candlelight Records for its Xecutioner's Return (2007) and an EP, Left to Die (2008). The band has finished recording their next album, Darkest Day, which was released on June 30, 2009. A concert DVD release was also announced for June 2009.

Obituary's guitarist, Allen West, was imprisoned for DUI (driving under the influence of alcohol) and released in January 2008. During his incarceration, Ralph Santolla served as West's replacement. It is uncertain whether or not West will be returning to the band.

Members



Current members

• John Tardy - vocals (1984–1997, 2003–present)
• Donald Tardy - drums (1984–1997, 2003–present)
• Trevor Peres - rhythm guitar (1984–1997, 2003–present)
• Frank Watkins - bass guitar (1989–1997, 2003–present)
• Ralph Santolla - lead guitar (2007–Present)

Former members

• Allen West - lead guitar (1984–1989, 1992–1997, 2003–2006)
• Jerome Grable - bass (1984-1988)
• James Murphy - lead guitar (1990)
• Daniel Tucker - bass guitar (1988–1989)

Discography

Studio albums

• Slowly We Rot (1989)
• Cause of Death (1990)
• The End Complete (1992)
• World Demise (1994)
• Back from the Dead (1997)
• Frozen in Time (2005)
• Xecutioner's Return (2007)
• Darkest Day (2009)

Live albums

Dead (1998)


Compilation albums

• Anthology (2001)
• The Best of Obituary (2008)

EPs

• Don't Care (1994)
• Left to Die (2008)

Video albums

• Frozen Alive (2006)
• Live Xecution in Bad Berka 2008 (2009)

http://www.obituary.cc/ Official page
http://www.myspace.com/obituary

Hades Almighty

• Genres: Rock
• Representative Albums: "Millenium Nocturne," "Pulse of Decay"



Biography

Norwegian black metal band Hades Almighty was formed in 1992 by Janto Garmanslund (vocals/bass/keyboards), Jørn Inge Tunsberg (guitar/keyboards), Stig Hagenes (guitar), and Remi (drums), and has since released a string of independent releases dedicated to the form's more primal, gothic and atavistic pursuits. These include 1994's ...Again Shall Be, 1996's Alone Walkyng EP, 1997's The Dawn of the Dying Sun, 1999's Millenium Nocturne, and 2001's The Pulse of Decay -- the last of which was recorded sans the recently departed Hagenes.

History:

Hades Almighty are a black metal band hailing from Bergen, Norway. They were formed in 1992, originally under the moniker Hades. They were forced to change their name to Hades Almighty in 1998, following complaints from an American band with a prior claim to the name.

Hades were formed in Bergen, Norway in 1992 by former Immortal guitarist Jørn Inge Tunsberg and ex-Dark drummer Remi; they were later joined by Janto Garmanslund on bass and second guitarist Wilhelm Nagel. Their first demo, Alone Walkyng, was recorded in June 1993 at Grieghallen and produced by Pytten; this demo was later to be re-released on CD through the Italian label Wounded Love in 1996. In 1993, Tunsberg was convicted, along with fellow black metal musician Varg Vikernes (of Burzum), for the burning of a Norwegian church in Åsane, which led to a prison sentence.[citation needed] Following the release of the demo, the band signed with Full Moon Productions and recorded their first album ,...Again Shall Be, again at Grieghallen, in June/July 1994. Around this time, they also replaced Nagel with Stig Hagenes on second guitar.

Hades recorded their second album Dawn of the Dying Sun at Grieghallen in 1996, which was released through Full Moon in 1997. The band supported the release of this album with extensive touring throughout Europe, as well as in Mexico and the USA.[1] In 1998 the band was forced to change their name from Hades to Hades Almighty, following complaints from an American act already with a prior claim to the name. Following the name-change, the band began working on their next album, as well as playing at the Wacken Open Air festival.

In September 1998 the band released entered Prolog Studios (Dortmund, Germany) to record Millenium Nocturne, released under license from Nuclear Blast through Hammerheart. They toured Europe to support of the album with Immortal and Benediction, and a separate spate of gigs in the Benelux region with Mayhem and Primordial. Their fourth album Pulse of Decay was released in 2001 through Psycho Bitch Records. Hades Almighty signed a management contract with Khaoz Productions in 2003, and a record deal with Dark Essence Records in 2004; the label re-released Pulse of Decay in 2004 with bonus tracks (including a cover of Manowar's "Each Dawn I Die") and a DVD section including the video for the band's own track "Submission Equals Suicide".

Members



Current line-up

• Jan Otto "Janto" Garmanslund (vocals/bass/keyboards)
• Jørn Inge Tunsberg (guitar/keyboards)
• Remi (drums / backing vocals)

Past members

• Wilhelm Nagel (guitar, 1993-1994)
• Stig Hagenes (guitar, 1994-1999)

Discography

As Hades

• Alone Walkyng (demo, 1993; re-released 1996 by Wounded Love)
• ...Again Shall Be (Full Moon Productions, 1994)
• Split with Katatonia (Mystic Production, 1996)
• Dawn of the Dying Sun (Full Moon Productions, 1997)

As Hades Almighty

• Millenium Nocturne (Hammerheart, 1999)
• The Pulse Of Decay (Psycho Bitch Records, 2001; re-released 2004 by Dark Essence)

http://www.hades-almighty.com/ Official Page
http://www.myspace.com/hadesalmightynorway

Bathory

• Formed: 1983, Sweden
• Genre(s): Black Metal
• Representative Albums: "Under the Sign: The Sign of the Black Mark," "Jubileum, Vol. 2," "Jubileum, Vol. 1"
• Representative Songs: "Enter the Eternal Fire," "Equimanthorn," "Dies Irae"




Biography

In a musical realm where scale of influence has little to do with commercial success, few originators of the extreme metal arts evoke as deep a sense of mystery, or incite such hushed, reverential tones of admiration, as Sweden's Bathory. Essentially a one-man operation helmed by the mysterious Quorthon, Bathory's development from the rawest form of embryonic black metal, to thrash, death, and back to its self-devised Viking-themed black metal, has mirrored and regularly defined the genre's very evolution. Indeed, along with Switzerland's Celtic Frost, Germany's Kreator, and Denmark's Mercyful Fate, they easily qualify as one the most important European extreme metal acts of the '80s and '90s. The Swedish-born multi-instrumentalist Quorthon (also known as Black Spade and/or Ace Shoot, although his real name, Thomas Forsberg, is still the subject of debate) formed Bathory in 1983 with sidemen Hanoi (bass) and Vans (drums). These two would soon be ejected, however, just as soon as they'd completed work on two of the best tracks heard on 1984's now infamous Scandinavian Metal Attack compilation.
Influenced by every form of speed metal known to man at the time (which, admittedly, wasn't much), Bathory soon staked a claim as Scandinavia's answer to Motörhead and Venom (from whose song "Countess Bathory" they attained their name). And, like Venom's early work, Bathory too were challenged by the downright primitive recording conditions of Heavenshore Studios (actually a converted car garage and storage space) -- limitations which inadvertently set the rough, uncompromising template that was later carefully scrutinized and accepted as gospel by generations of black metal-metal musicians. In fact, 1984's eponymous debut and its like-minded successor, 1985's The Return were so inaccessible, so unprecedented in their abrasive anti-commercialism, as to be ahead of their time, carving a niche all their own within this quickly developing subgenre. Interestingly, the additional curiosity that Bathory rarely performed live (and never, after 1985), and that these recording provided almost no information about its constituents (which, aside from main man Quorthon, briefly included various anonymous bassists and drummers going by the monikers Kothaar and Vvornth) only added to their cult-like mystique over time. Not even this promising start was enough to sustain Bathory's momentum within such limited stylistic boundaries, however, and, after exhausting the possibilities of rudimentary black metal with his first two efforts, Quorthon realized that a creative face-lift was necessary. Sure enough, over the course of their third and fourth albums, 1987's transitional Under the Sign: The Sign of the Black Mark and 1988's watershed Blood Fire Death, Bathory re-focused its interests -- away from rock & roll-based arrangements and towards a more purely European aesthetic.

Gradually incorporating symphonic elements drawn from classical music into its black and death metal base, by the time of Blood Fire Death Quorthon had abandoned most of the rote Satanic/Christian-bashing lyrics of yore, and embraced the pagan themes and Viking mythology of his ancestors. This anthemic approach culminated in what many consider to be Bathory's finest hour, 1990's landmark concept opus Hammerheart. Part quantum leap, part continuation of Blood Fire Death's sketches, the album in no way recalled Bathory's humble origins, and provided the archetype for 1991's nearly-as-revered Twilight of the Gods, to boot. Confirming the impact of this vision, these three works helped ignite a surge of patriotism through music for countless Scandinavian youths, who subsequently began celebrating their pre-Catholicism cultural heritage. Sadly, while commendable for encouraging a self-contained and highly inventive local scene (featuring Mayhem, Emperor, Darkthrone et al.), this movement also sowed the seeds for future acts of hateful vandalism (as ghoulish as they were absurd) and outright murder at the hands of a small extreme contingent. Ironically, Quorthon himself had by now grown weary of the stereotypes and artistic trappings of the revolution he'd helped galvanize. Feeling uninspired to write any new music in that vein, he abruptly announced Bathory's demise and spent the next two years compiling the Jubileum, Vol. 1, Vol. 2, and Vol. 3 collections. When his desire to compose finally did return, the music he came up with was so unlike anything ever released under the Bathory banner, that he chose to put out 1994's simply named Album under the Quorthon moniker instead. Filled with surprisingly straightforward alternative rock, the record nevertheless revitalized Quorthon's interest in heavy metal, and a new Bathory L.P, Requiem (released later that year), saw a return to the simple, brutal thrash metal of yesteryear.

Subsequent Bathory efforts gradually upped the ante once again, as longer songs and more complex death, black, and even industrial metal elements were cautiously added to the mix for 1995's Octagon. In turn, 1996's ultra-doomy, Conan the Barbarian-inspired Blood on Ice marked a return to the Viking metal style, and offered a retooled collection of previously abandoned sessions from seven years earlier. But, besides proving that this epic style was back in his plans, the album's greatest reward may have lain in the extensive liner notes penned by Quorthon. These not only explained the long overdue album's release, but also revealed a significant amount of information about Bathory's until then very murky history -- almost to the point of upsetting older fans' long-held theories and expectations of their hero, ironically enough. 1997's second Quorthon set, the double disc Purity of Essence, arrived next, and again served as a repository for non-Bathory-like ideas; and the third installment of the Jubileum 'best of' series arrived a year later to close yet another chapter, and signal another extended layoff. Inevitably, however, Quorthon resurrected Bathory once again in 2001; his new album Destroyer of Worlds inaugurating a new phase at first characterized by a more streamlined, rock-oriented approach, while striking a mature balance with the grand scope of works past. But those Viking inclinations were once again brought to the fore on the subsequent, twin-album project Nordland, part one of which was released in late 2002, and part two arriving in 2003. Unfortunately, this return to both the style and form of old glory would prove to be Bathory's swan song, when, with a number of as-yet-unreleased demos already under his belt, Thomas Forsberg -- the living black metal legend known as Quorthon -- was found dead in his Stockholm apartment on June 7, 2004, apparently a victim of heart failure. With his death, so dies Bathory, although there is no doubt that his career-long record label Black Mark (owned and operated by Quorthon's father) will eventually unveil any unreleased Bathory material which may still lie in their vaults.

History:

Bathory was a Swedish heavy metal band, formed by Quorthon in 1983. They are regarded as pioneers of both black metal and Viking metal. The band is named after the infamous Hungarian countess Elizabeth Báthory.

Early years (1980s)

Bathory was formed in Stockholm in 1983. Founder Quorthon, a seventeen-year-old guitarist, was joined by bassist Hanoi and drummer Vans. After various name changes (beginning with Nosferatu, then Natas, Mephisto, Elizabeth Bathory and Countess Bathory) they finally settled on Bathory. Their first recording deal came that same year, when Quorthon managed to secure the consent of Tyfon Grammofon's boss, who was the main man's father, to record two tracks for the compilation Scandinavian Metal Attack. The tracks which he recorded gained unexpected attention by fans. Soon afterward, Tyfon Grammofon contacted Quorthon and asked him to record a full-length album.

Although Venom's Black Metal, released in 1982, was the first record to coin the term, it was Bathory's early albums, featuring Satanic lyrics, low-fi production and an inhuman vocal style, that defined the genre. Many fans have speculated Venom was an influence on Bathory; however, Quorthon has said in an interview with Kick Ass magazine in 1985 he only heard of Venom after the first Bathory album was released. He also expressed dislike for many influential and popular heavy metal bands at the time, such as Iron Maiden and Judas Priest. He has also stated the band's early work was influenced primarily by Black Sabbath, Motörhead, and punk rock.
Bathory's self-titled debut album, and the subsequent releases The Return and Under the Sign of the Black Mark, are now regarded as major influences on the Norwegian bands which extended black metal's musical progression and popularity in the beginning of the 1990s.

The first signs of what was to follow appeared on what many fans[citation needed] consider to be Bathory's best album, Blood Fire Death, on which some of the tracks the pace had slowed down to allow for a more epic songwriting approach, said to be an influence on, or initiation of, the extreme metal sub-genre viking metal. The Viking theme was also first introduced on this album. However, most of the musical elements of black metal were still present.

Viking metal years (1990s, 2000s)

With the release of Hammerheart Bathory had changed style towards less aggressive, more epic and atmospheric music; the lyrics dealt with themes about Vikings and Norse mythology. Partially influenced by the American power metal band Manowar, Hammerheart was a landmark album that "formally introduced" to the metal world the "archetypical Viking metal album." The style of Hammerheart was further demonstrated on the subsequent Twilight of the Gods and Blood on Ice.


With Requiem, released in 1994, Bathory changed style once more, this time turning to retro-thrash in the vein of 1980s Bay area thrash bands. In recent years, many critics have seen Bathory's output as increasingly erratic, as the band returned again to Viking themes and, with the Nordland albums of 2002 and 2003, largely abandoned the retro-thrash sound of the mid-1990s in favour of the more popular, more epic style for which they are best known.

In June 2004, Quorthon was found dead in his home, apparently due to heart failure. He was known to suffer from heart problems in the past. On June 3, 2006, Black Mark Records released a box set in tribute to Quorthon containing three CDs of his favorite Bathory and Quorthon songs, a 176 page booklet, a DVD with his long-form video for "One Rode to Asa Bay", an interview and some rare promo footage, and a poster.

Several Bathory tribute albums have been compiled by black metal artists, one of which was entitled In Conspiracy with Satan: A Tribute to Bathory.

Discography

Studio albums

• Bathory (1984)
• The Return of Darkness and Evil (1985)
• Under the Sign of the Black Mark (1987)
• Blood Fire Death (1988)
• Hammerheart (1990)
• Twilight of the Gods (1991)
• Requiem (1994)
• Octagon (1995)
• Blood on Ice (1996)
• Destroyer of Worlds (2001)
• Nordland I (2002)
• Nordland II (2003)

Compilation albums

• Touch of Death (Black Mark Records, BMCD26) (1992)
• Jubileum Volume I (1992)
• Jubileum Volume II (1993)
• Jubileum Volume III (1998)
• Katalog (2003)
• In Memory of Quorthon (2006)

Music videos

• "One Rode to Asa Bay" (1990)

Members

Final line-up




• Quorthon (Ace Thomas Forsberg) - guitars, vocals, music and lyrics (1983-2004)

Former members

• Freddan (Fredrick Hanoi) - bass guitar (1983-1984)
• Jonas Åkerlund (Vans McBurger) - drums (1983-1984)
• Vvornth - drums (1989-1991)
• Kothaar - bass guitar (1989-1991)
• The Animal (Björn Kristensen) - vocals (early 1983)

http://www.bathory.nu/x1.htm Official page
http://www.myspace.com/bathoryofficial

Dark Tranquility

• Genre(s): Death Metal
• Representative Albums: "The Gallery," "Skydancer/Of Chaos and Eternal Night," "Haven"
• Representative Songs: "ThereIn," "Punish My Heaven," "Insanity's Crescendo"



Biography

Towards the end of the '90s, Scandinavian death metal -- or at least one branch of it -- began to evolve into a more accessible amalgamation of death-metal intensity, a bit of progressive-metal experimentation, and more traditional late-'70s/early-'80s British metal, with its catchy, groove-oriented riffs and twin-guitar lead lines. Although the style was hardly confined to one place, there was an especially fertile scene centered in the Swedish city of Gothenburg, and Dark Tranquillity was one of its most prominent practitioners. Formed in 1989, Dark Tranquillity honed their chops for a few years, and debuted on records in 1993 with the album Skydancer; their lineup consisted of vocalist Anders Freiden, guitarists Niklas Sundin and Mikael Stanne, bassist Martin Hendriksson, and drummer Anders Jivarp. The band shuffled its membership for the 1995 follow-up EP Of Chaos and Eternal Night; upon Freiden's departure, Stanne took over lead vocals, and was replaced on guitar by Fredrik Johansson. This lineup remained intact for the full-length The Gallery, issued later that year, which helped begin to build an international fan base. Follow-ups Enter Suicidal Angels (an EP) and the full-length The Mind's I appeared in 1997, marking a tightening of the group's sound into a more compact attack; in 1999, Dark Tranquillity departed the Osmose label in favor of a deal with Century Media, which was consummated with the release of the more gothic-flavored Projector later that year. Electronics manipulator Martin Brandstrom subsequently joined the group as an official member, and guitarist Johansson departed; bassist Hendriksson took over for him on guitar, and his spot was in turn filled by Michael Niklasson. Haven was released in mid-2000, continuing the less traditional approach of its predecessor.

History:

Dark Tranquillity is a melodic death metal band from Gothenburg, Sweden. They are one of the longest-standing bands from the original Gothenburg metal scene and one of the pioneers of the melodic death metal genre, along with In Flames and At the Gates.

Skydancer (1989-1994)

Dark Tranquillity was formed in 1989 by Mikael Stanne & Niklas Sundin who looked at their influences then decided to form their own Band, under the name Septic Broiler as a thrash metal band. Another reason for their formation was that they were bored so they decided to obtain the other three members Anders Fridén, Anders Jivarp & Martin Henriksson in which they all lived on the same street. Since its formation the band has had a fairly stable line-up. In 1990, the band recorded a demo cassette tape entitled Enfeebled Earth before they would change their name to Dark Tranquillity and change their musical style. It was followed by two more demos: Trail of Life Decayed (1991) and A Moonclad Reflection (1992) -- both of which were later remastered and re-released on Exposures - In Retrospect and Denial in 2004. In 1993, Skydancer was released, and Anders Fridén, Dark Tranquillity's original lead vocalist, left the band and later joined In Flames. Mikael Stanne, who formerly played rhythm guitar and provided backing vocals, then became the lead vocalist, and Fredrik Johansson was recruited to take over rhythm guitar duties.

The Gallery (1995-1996)

In 1995, Dark Tranquillity released The Gallery, considered a landmark in melodic death metal, which saw the band tightening their production details to a great extent, and showed that the new line-up was an essential change that furthered the band as a whole.

The Mind's I (1997-1998)

In 1997, The Mind's I was released, which saw a slight change in sound. Before the release of the band's 1999 album, Projector, Fredrik Johansson was asked to leave Dark Tranquillity due to his lack of devotion to the band. Martin Henriksson then switched from playing bass to guitar to replace Johansson, and the band added Mikael Niklasson on bass and Martin Brändström on keyboards and electronics. At this point the band also signed to Century Media Records. Until 2008, the band had remained stable in its line-up and its musical style; blending layers of rapid guitar lines with harmony-rich electronic keyboard washes and extremely precise rhythms underneath Stanne's abstract growled lyrics.

Projector (1999)

In 1999, Projector (later nominated for a Swedish Grammy Award) became the fourth output from the band, and saw a change in songwriting. While retaining growled vocals and their signature death metal sound, pianos, baritone soft vocals, and verse-chorus fashion song structures were now integral parts of Dark Tranquillity's sound.

Haven (2000-2001)

Year 2000 saw the release of Haven which saw the addition of slight electric keyboard sounds, but also abandoned most all of the clean vocals in favor of a slightly heavier sound.

Damage Done (2002-2004)

Dark Tranquillity released Damage Done, and was intended to be a step in a heavier direction, adding thicker guitar distortion, deep atmospheric keyboards, and abandoning soft vocals altogether.

Character (2005-2006)

Character was the seventh release from Dark Tranquillity, released in 2005, and was held in much critical praise. It featured the first music video released by Dark Tranquillity to feature the band itself, with the single "Lost to Apathy."

Fiction (2007-2009)

In 2007, Fiction was released, which in turn, saw a return of Mikeal Stanne's clean vocals, and the first female guest vocalist since Projector. Dark Tranquillity have recently toured with The Haunted, Into Eternity, and Scar Symmetry for the North America Metal For The Masses Tour. They returned to the U.S. during the Spring of 2008 with Arch Enemy. They have also toured the UK in early 2008 along with Omnium Gatherum. They are preparing for a live DVD to be released sometime in 2009. On the band's official website they announced that bass guitarist Mikael Niklasson left the band in August 2008 due to personal reasons with no hard feelings between him and the band. On September 19, the band found a new bassist in Dimension Zero guitarist Daniel Antonsson, who also was a guitarist for Soilwork. May 25, 2009, saw reissues of Projector, Haven & Damage Done.

We Are The Void (2009-Present)

In October 2009, Dark Tranquillity finished work on their 9th studio album, 'We Are The Void', scheduled for release in February 2010.

Members



Throughout their 20 years active Dark Tranquillity have had only three line-up changes and 4 of the original members are still in the band today, although only Niklas Sundin and Anders Jivarp have maintained their original roles as lead guitarist and drummer respectively.


Current members

Mikael Stanne vocals
Niklas Sundin guitar
Martin Henriksson guitar
Daniel Antonsson bass guitar
Anders Jivarp drums
Martin Brändström electronics, piano

Former members

Anders Fridén Vocals
Fredrik Johansson Guitar
Mikael Niklasson Bass Guitar
Session members
Robin Engström – drums (tour 2001)

Discography

Skydancer
The Gallery
The Mind's I
Projector
Haven
Damage Done
Character
Fiction
We Are The Void

http://www.darktranquillity.com/ - Official page

Entombed

• Formed: 1989, Stockholm, Sweden
• Genre(s): Death Metal
• Representative Albums: "Wolverine Blues," "Left Hand Path," "Morning Star"
• Representative Songs: "Stranger Aeons," "Wolverine Blues," "Crawl"



Biography

Scandinavian metal legends Entombed were at the forefront of the death metal uprising, releasing their influential debut, Left Hand Path, in 1990, just as the movement was beginning to proliferate internationally. By the time death metal had become a mass phenomenon in the mid-'90s, however, Entombed had begun experimenting with different approaches, sometimes to much acclaim (as in the case of Wolverine Blues) and occasionally to disregard (Same Difference). Nevertheless, it was the band's debut, Left Hand Path, that held up best over the years. Canonized as a death metal classic -- one of the earliest, in fact -- Left Hand Path's buzzsaw guitar riffs and varied tempos, in particular, differentiated Entombed from seminal Earache Records labelmates such as Napalm Death, Carcass, Terrorizer, and Morbid Angel, who, with their unrelentingly lightning-fast tempos and blastbeat drumming, were more in line with grindcore than death metal. Successive Entombed releases on Earache -- Crawl (EP, 1990), Stranger Aeons (EP, 1991), Clandestine (LP, 1991), Hollowman (EP, 1993), Wolverine Blues (LP, 1993) -- were well received on all counts; however, like many death metal bands of the time, Entombed had to endure a revolving door of bandmembership, most noticably in the songwriting department. To Ride, Shoot Straight and Speak the Truth (1997) marked a couple major changes for Entombed: it was the band's first since leaving Earache (a celebrated indie with major-label ties) and establishing their own label, Threeman Recordings, and it also was the band's last to feature talented drummer/songwriter Nicke Andersson, who chose to focus full-time on his other band, the Hellacopters, for which he sang and played guitar. Consequently, Entombed languished for a couple years, though Uprising (1999), the first in a series of potent back-to-basics albums to follow throughout the ensuing decade, signaled a return to form (i.e., "death & roll," as it was coined).

The roots of Entombed lie in the band Nihilist, which was formed in Stockholm, Sweden, in 1987 by drummer/guitarist Nicke Andersson, guitarist Alex Hellid, and guitarist/bassist Leif "Leffe" Cuzner (each was around 15 years old at the time, born in 1972-1973). Nihilist recorded a number of demos between 1988 and 1989 (i.e., Premature Autopsy, Only Shreds Remain, Drowned -- all of which were compiled, along with session recordings, and released by Threeman in 2005 as Nihilist [1987-1989]), and these recordings included additional members: vocalist Lars-Göran Petrov (aka L.G. Petrov), guitarist Ulf "Uffe" Cederlund, and bassist Johnny Hedlund. Of particular note, the Only Shreds Remain demo, recorded over the course of two days in December 1988 at Sunlight Studios in Stockholm with producer Tomas Skogsberg, was perhaps the first death metal recording from Scandinavia to circulate widely among the underground metal tape-trading network that at the time was comprised almost exclusively of British and American bands. While opening for the Lee Dorian-fronted lineup of Napalm Death in Stockholm, Nihilist gave one of their demo tapes to a representative of Earache Records. Impressed, the label later offered the band a recording contract. Meanwhile, bassist Johnny Hedlund left Nihilist after the Drowned demo in August 1989, subsequently forming Unleashed, another Scandinavian metal pioneer. Guitarist/bassist Leif Cuzner had previously left the band, for his parents moved his family to Canada.

Nihilist disbanded after Hedlund's departure; with little hesitation, however, the remaining members -- Andersson (drums), Hellid (guitar), Cederlund (guitar), and Petrov (vocals) -- then chose to re-form as Entombed. With bassist David Blomqvist taking the place of Hedlund, the rejuvenated band returned to Sunlight Studios and recorded the But Life Goes On demo on September 23, 1989, once again working with producer Tomas Skogsberg. Shortly thereafter, Entombed was back at Sunlight working with Skogsberg, this time on their debut album for Earache, Left Hand Path (1990), which was comprised largely of reworked Nihilist songs. Bassist Lars Rosenberg joined the lineup after the completion of the album, on which Andersson and Cederlund were co-credited with bass. Of greater consequence, vocalist Lars-Göran Petrov left the band. Entombed in turn recruited Orvar Säfström of the band Nirvana 2002 to sing on Crawl (1990), a three-song EP. However, when it came time to record Clandestine (1991), Entombed's second album, drummer Nicke Andersson assumed the vocal duties; he also wrote the bulk of the album, earning sole or co-credit for each song. For purposes of touring, the band recruited another vocalist, former Carnage bassist Johnny Dordevic. Yet by the time Entombed embarked on the Gods of Grind tour (a showcase of Earache bands also including Carcass, Cathedral, and Confessor) in fall 1991, Petrov had reclaimed his membership as the band's vocalist.

With Petrov back in the lineup, the high-profile Gods of Grind tour behind them, and two acclaimed albums to their name, Entombed went about working on their third album, Wolverine Blues (1993). Once again written largely by Andersson, Wolverine Blues proved a significant departure from Entombed's previous efforts. For one, the band scaled back the velocity of their music, from the breakneck tempo shifts of their prior material (à la death metal) to a crushing mid-tempo groove (à la Pantera circa Vulgar Display of Power). Secondly, the band adopted more traditional verse-chorus-verse songwriting structures with memorable hooks. Plus, the vocals were comprehensible. These changes clearly set Entombed apart from their death metal peers, but the absolutely brutal delivery of the music, especially the signature buzzsaw guitars and Petrov's menacing vocals (more yelling than growling), also set the band apart from the mainstream. Moreover, Earache had aligned itself with Columbia Records, a partnership that promising indie cred with major-label distribution. The six-track Hollowman EP (1993) was the first Entombed release to benefit from the Earache/Columbia partnership; featuring an instrumental version of "Wolverine Blues," the EP drummed up significant interest in the forthcoming album. Released in two versions, one a Marvel Comics promotion featuring Wolverine from X-Men, Wolverine Blues sharply divided fans upon its release. Death metal purists abhorred the stylistic change in direction, while other fans were pleased to see the band push forward creatively into fresh territory, especially now that a legion of similar-sounding death metal bands had arisen in the wake of Left Hand Path. Even to this day, fans remain divided over Wolverine Blues; without question, though, the greater accessibility of the music did attract a new wave of fans to Entombed, and the album is generally acknowledged as a high-water mark for the band, as it would become a regular benchmark for judging the quality of future releases.

Following the release of Wolverine Blues, Entombed toured Europe with Napalm Death and released the Out of Hand single. Bassist Lars Rosenburg then left the band in 1995; Jörgen Sandström, the former bassist/vocalist of Grave, filled his slot. Among other changes, Entombed secured new management, left Earache, and signed to EastWest. This new label deal didn't work out, unfortunately: Entombed recorded a new studio album, but the label didn't release it and ultimately dropped the band for business reasons. The label woes endured by Entombed ultimately motivated them to form their own label, Threeman Recordings, and procure distribution deals for various regions (for instance, Music for Nations in the U.S.). To Ride, Shoot Straight and Speak the Truth, the band's fourth full-length, was finally released in 1997; Earache concurrently released Entombed, a compilation of previously released non-LP material. To Ride, Shoot Straight and Speak the Truth was well received (for example, earning a second-place vote in European magazine Metal Hammer's best-of-1997 poll, as well as earning the band a slot opening for Machine Head on tour) and was fairly similar in style to Wolverine Blues, though noticeably rougher around the edges and a little less memorable in terms of songwriting.




Andersson, the band's drummer and primary songwriter, left Entombed at this juncture, choosing to dedicate himself full-time to his other band, the Hellacopters, which was considerably acclaimed at the time. Drummer Peter Stjärnvind was brought in almost immediately, for touring commitments remained, carrying on well into 1998 (including the band's first North American dates since the Gods of Grind tour in 1991). Upon the completion of touring, Entombed worked with producer Daniel Rey on Same Difference (1999); not only was it the band's first album without Andersson's songwriting, but it was their first without Tomas Skogsberg's production. Largely written by guitarist Uffe Cederlund, Same Difference was a clear departure for the band, taking them much further away from their death metal roots than Wolverine Blues had. Whereas Wolverine Blues had divided fans, Same Difference reunited them in disregard, if not outright disdain. Earache once again released a back-catalog item concurrently, in this case Monkey Puss: Live in London (1999), a CD/DVD recording of Entombed from the European leg of the Gods of Grind tour, circa March 1992. An EP of covers, Black Juju (1999), was also released around this time, as Entombed returned to the road, touring with Meshuggah and Skinlab, respectively.

To relief of many fans and the praise of critics, Uprising (1999) signaled a return to form for Entombed, who recorded and mixed the purposefully raw album with producer Nico Elgstrand over the course of only 18 days. A tour of Europe and Canada in support of Iron Maiden followed, along with solo dates. Deemed a classic in some corners, Morning Star (2001) was a similarly raw-sounding effort, though considerably more dynamic in terms of tempo and mood; some likened it to the work of prime-era Slayer. In commemoration of Entombed's 15th anniversary, Threeman compiled Sons of Satan Praise the Lord (2002), a double-disc covers collection that was wide-ranging in source material (from Venom to Bob Dylan). Also in 2002, Entombed performed a special concert at the Swedish Royal Opera House with the Royal Ballet Ensemble; the performance was recorded and later released as Unreal Estate (2004). Co-produced by the band with Per Gunnerfeldt, Inferno (2003) was also similar in sound to Uprising and Morning Star (i.e., raw), though it too had its own peculiarities: a comparison was drawn to stoner metal by some, while others likened the rough-hewn production unfavorably to that of Metallica's ill-fated St. Anger (2003). Stateside editions included a bonus EP, Averno, comprised of extra material from the Inferno sessions, along with a couple videos. Besides a lot of touring during this period, Entombed experienced another round of departures: bassist Jörgen Sandström left in January 2004, replaced by Nico Elgstrand; guitarist Uffe Cederlund left in September 2005, going unreplaced; and drummer Peter Stjärnvind left in 2006, replaced by Olle Dahlstedt.

Now a four-piece, Entombed released the five-song When in Sodom EP on June 6, 2006 (i.e., 6-6-6), and the Serpent Saints: The Ten Amendments LP in 2007. This pair of releases -- the first new material from Entombed in three years, and without the songwriting of Cederlund, who had written most of the band's songs following the departure of Andersson -- fortunately found the band revitalized and as brutal as ever. In general, Serpent Saints was reviewed in glowing terms, with many critics declaring it on a par with Uprising and Morning Star. Candlelight USA, the album's stateside distributor, marketed it as "Entombed's best work since Wolverine Blues!"

HISTORY:

Entombed is a Swedish death metal band which formed in 1987 under the name of Nihilist. Though Entombed began their career as an early pioneer of Scandinavian death metal, by the early 1990s their sound had broadened to include hardcore punk and other influences. This new style would eventually be described as death 'n' roll. Entombed have been influenced by bands such as Autopsy, Slayer, Kiss, The Misfits, Motörhead and Discharge.

Entombed's debut album was Left Hand Path, a cult favorite that established the band as a popular swedish death metal band. The follow-up, Clandestine, was just as popular These first two albums were unique in that they featured what was sometimes referred to as an "electric saw" guitar sound. On their debut, Left Hand Path, it was created using an Ibanez X-series with EMG pickups detuned five half notes, the Boss Heavy Metal distortion pedal cranked to 10 on al dials and a Peavey Studio Pro 40 amplifier. For the follow up, Clandestine similar equipment was used but with a Peavey Bandit instead

After the Gods of Grind tour, Entombed began changing their sound into a mix of hard rock and death metal often referred to as death 'n' roll Although this may have turned off many fans, it established their mainstream and critical reputation. Wolverine Blues and Hollowman are widely considered classics of early 1990s death metal, but were followed by problems with various record companies.
1998's Same Difference was the band's first album without drummer and founding member Nicke Andersson, who left the band to concentrate on The Hellacopters. He was replaced by Peter Stjärnvind. In 1999, Entombed released Uprising, which was very much a continuation of the death 'n' roll sound The follow-up, Morning Star returned to the style of Hollowman and Wolverine Blues

In 2001, the band worked with performance artists Carina Reich and Bogdan Szyberb, and the Royal Swedish Ballet. The production was entitled Unreal Estate.
They have since released 2003's album Inferno, a continuation of the death 'n' roll style that has become their trademark sound. 2006 saw the release of the When in Sodom EP on June 6 (or 06/06/06). The full-length Serpent Saints - The Ten Amendments followed on July 9th, 2007. This album is the group's first release with drummer Olle Dahlstedt (of Alpha Safari and ex-Misery Loves Co.), who replaced Stjärnvind in 2006, and also the first without Uffe Cederlund who is now part of Disfear.

Band members



• Lars Göran Petrov - vocals
• Nico Elgstrand - bass
• Alex Hellid - guitar
• Olle Dahlstedt - drums

Former members

• Jörgen Sandström - bass
• Zoran - bass
• Lars Rosenberg - bass
• Nicke Andersson - drums, vocals, bass
• Peter Stjärnvind - drums
• Johnny Dordevic - vocals
• David Blomqvist - guitars
• Uffe Cederlund - guitar, bass

Session and guest members

• Fred Estby - vocals
• Matti Kärki - vocals
• Orvar Säfström - vocals
• Peder Carlsson - harmonica
• Anders Lindström - guitar
• Daniel Rey - vocals
• Östen Warnebring - vocals

Discography

Studio albums

• Left Hand Path (1990)
• Clandestine (1991)
• Wolverine Blues (1993)
• DCLXVI: To Ride Shoot Straight and Speak the Truth (1997)
• Same Difference (1999)
• Uprising (2000)
• Morning Star (2002)
• Inferno (2003)
• Serpent Saints - The Ten Amendments (2007)

Live albums

• Monkey Puss (Live in London) (1999)
• Unreal Estate (2004)

Demos, compilations and EPs

• But Life Goes On (demo) (1989)
• Crawl (EP) (1990)
• Stranger Aeons (EP) (1991)
• Hollowman (EP) (1993)
• Out of Hand (EP) (1993)
• Full of Hell (promo) (1993)
• Contempt (promo) (1993)
• Night of the Vampire (split 7" w/ The New Bomb Turks) (1995)
• Entombed (compilation) (1997)
• Wreckage (EP) (1997)
• Black Juju (EP) (1998)
• Sons of Satan Praise the Lord (compilation) (2002)
• When in Sodom (EP) (2006)

http://www.entombed.org/ Official Page
http://www.myspace.com/serpentsaints

Gorefest

• Genre(s): Death Metal
• Representative Albums: "Soul Survivor," "False," "Erase"
• Representative Songs: "The Glorious Dead," "Freedom," "Dragon Man"



Biography

The leaders of Holland's death metal scene, Gorefest built a substantial underground following over the course of the '90s with a powerful, groove-based sound that often paralleled similar innovations by bands like Entombed and Sepultura. Founded by vocalist/bassist Jan-Chris De Koeyer and guitarist Frank Harthoorn in 1989, Gorefest issued their debut album Mindloss in 1991, with a drummer and second guitarist known only as Mark and Alex, respectively. Dissatisfied with the band's level of musicianship, De Koeyer and Harthoorn jettisoned the two and hired on drummer Ed Warby and guitarist Boudewijn Bonebakker. The move paid immediate dividends; signing to Nuclear Blast in 1992, the band issued False, not only a more consistent and technically accomplished record, but also a much more original one. While False slipped through the cracks in some death metal quarters, enough underground aficionados heaped praise on the record to build Gorefest's cult following. Next up was the live album The Eindhoven Insanity, recorded at the Dynamo metal festival in Holland; the proper follow-up, Erase, was released in 1994 and found the band moving subtly toward more traditional forms of metal, partly through its sure sense of groove. That approach crystallized on 1996's Soul Survivor, which combined death metal with the elegant power and accessibility of '70s British metal. With that, Gorefest's association with Nuclear Blast ended, and the band wound up on the German imprint Steamhammer/SPV. Chapter 13 was issued in Europe in 1998, and it continued Gorefest's interest in classic rock; however, just before the end of the year, the band announced its breakup. Chapter 13 was finally released in the U.S. in 2000.

History:

Gorefest was a Dutch band from the Zeeland region of the Netherlands which was founded in 1989 as a death metal outfit by De Koeyer, Harthoorn, van Schaik and Hoogendoorn.

Within two months of existence these four death metal enthusiasts recorded a death metal demo featuring one of the most low-pitched and cavernous voices ever heard in death metal. A Dutch independent label, Foundation 2000, signed them for one album. Before recording Mindloss they first released another demo in 1990, which also received positive feedback. As a supporting act for Carcass they travelled through Belgium and the Netherlands impressing the metal-scene also on stage. Colin Richardson was the producer of 1991's album Mindloss.

Before they toured with Revenant from New Jersey, guitarist Alex van Schaik was replaced by Boudewijn Bonebakker. Not satisfied with Foundation 2000, Gorefest signed a contract in 1992 with Nuclear Blast. Hoogendoorn was dismissed because of lack of interest and drummer Ed Warby (who came from melodic band called Elegy) took his place just two weeks before recording sessions of False which was also produced by Colin Richardson. The album sold relatively well in the Netherlands and Germany for a band of the genre. In the months to come they completed a European tour with Deicide and Atrocity, playing in Germany, Sweden, Spain, Czechoslovakia and England. In 1993 Gorefest played a show at the Dynamo Open Air at Eindhoven. The Eindhoven Insanity was released soon thereafter, featuring this performance. Also in 1993, they toured America as a supporting act for metal band Death.
Erase was recorded in 1994 with producer Pete Coleman and revealed a more mature Gorefest with a different attitude towards traditional death metal. As a result, public opinion towards Gorefest was divided. Erase ,however, proved to be a success as international sales went well through 1994 and 1995. The band reached a broader set of countries in the following tours.

Rupture with the past

In the Fear EP and Freedom single, Gorefest revealed new tracks showing that they wanted to drastically expand upon the musical changes they had applied in Erase (De Koeijer declared in some interviews that he even had thoughts about taking singing lessons). This would be confirmed in 1996 with a rockish Soul Survivor - a total departure from their roots even showing traces of pop - and a very similar Chapter 13 in 1998.
They even abandoned their heavy image and the graphics for these works were less extreme. Inexorably, fans turned their backs on them and the sales of the album was a relative fiasco, thus they split up in 1998.

Comeback

Gorefest reformed in 2004 and played various summer festivals in 2005. The band then came out with a new album, "La Muerte". They produced the album themselves, with mixing by Tue Madsen from Antfarm Studios.
“Rise To Ruin” is the next chapter in the history of Gorefest. "Rise To Ruin" was released on August 3 in Europe and August 28 in the US. The American release was licensed to Candlelight Records.
On the 15th of June 2009 the band announced that they were calling it quits again, stating that they felt they had gone as far with the band as they could.


Discography


Studio Albums

• Mindloss (1991)
• False (1992)
• Erase (1994)
• Soul Survivor (1996)
• Chapter 13 (1998)
• La Muerte (2005)
• Rise to Ruin (2007)

Eps And Singles

• Live Misery (1992)
• Fear (1994)
• Freedom (1996)

Compilations

• To Hell And Back A Goreography (2005)

Live Albums

• The Eindhoven Insanity (1994)

Members




• Jan Chris de Koeijer - vocals, bass guitar
• Frank Harthoorn - guitar
• Boudewijn Bonebakker - guitar
• Ed Warby - drums

Former members

• Marc Hoogendoorn - drums
• Alex van Schaik - guitar

http://www.gorefest.nl/ Official Page
http://www.myspace.com/gorefest

Meshuggah

• Genre(s): Experimental metal
• Representative Albums: "Destroy Erase Improve," "Nothing," "Chaosphere"
• Representative Songs: "Future Breed Machine," "Vanished," "Sickening"





Biography

Offering a complex form of metal that combined the sweeping adverturism of math rock, the oddball tempos of experimental jazz, and the stunning brutality of thrash metal, Meshuggah raised the bar for metal bands everywhere upon their debut. The roots of Swedish metal band Meshuggah were planted in 1985; originally named Metallien, the founding line-up included frontman Roger Olofsson, guitarists Peder Gustafsson and Fredrik Tordendahl, bassist Janne Wiklund and drummer Örjan Lundmark. After a few demos made the rounds, Metallien broke up and Fredrik Thordendal continued the band with a different lineup and a different name. The original lineup of Meshuggah also included vocalist Jens Kidman, guitarist Johan Sjögren, bassist Jörgen Lindmark and drummer Per Sjögren. A handful of demos followed before Kidman left the group to form a new outfit, Calipash, with guitarist Torbjörn Granström, bassist Peter Nordin and drummer Niclas Lundgren; the surviving members of Meshuggah soon disbanded, and when Granström left Calipash, Thordendal assumed guitar duties in the new band. Kidman and Thordendal then agreed to reclaim the Meshuggah name, and in 1989 the band released a three-song mini-LP; after signing to Nuclear Blast (and swapping Lundgren for new drummer Tomas Haake), they issued the full-length Contradictions Collapse in 1991. Second guitarist Mårten Hagström was recruited for 1993's None EP, followed two years later by Selfcaged; in the interim, however, the group was forced to maintain a low profile -- first Thordendal severed a finger in a carpentry accident, then Haake injured his hand in a mysterious grinder mishap. Destroy Erase Improve appeared later in 1995, and won over critics with their heady tempos and abstract approach. In 1997 Meshuggah returned with The True Human Design EP; that same year, Thordendal's side project, Special Defects, released their LP Sol Niger Within. Meshuggah reunited for 1998's Chaosphere, a thunderous album that was unbearably dense in its songwriting and scope. Several successful tours followed, and their incredible abilities were starting to get recognized by mainstream music magazines, especially those dedicated to particular instruments. Once they left the touring circuit, the band was surprisingly quiet, cooking up new material for a few years while on a rarities disc marked the time. But in the summer of 2002, they released Nothing, a masterpiece of atmosphere that added psychedelic touches to their ever tightening sound. Unique in almost every way, the album didn't make much of a mainstream impact but had metal fans banging their heads to 7/4 tempos and esoteric lyrics. A good word from Ozzy Osbourne's son Jack scored the band a spot on the annual Ozzfest tour, where they flourished on the second stage, often stealing the show with their original and savage math metal. After a brief break, Meshuggah released the I EP in 2004. Composed of a single epic track, the complex arrangements of I were just a hint of what was to follow. Their next album, Catch Thirty-Three, was released the following year and proved to be their most ambitious to date. 2006 saw the remastered re-release of Nothing with a bonus DVD. The same year, Meshuggah returned to the studio to record the album that would become obZen, their sixth, which was released in March of 2008 in advance of a world tour that began in the United States as the opening slot for Ministry's final jaunt before moving to Europe, Asia, and Australia as a headliner.


History

Meshuggah is a Swedish five-piece experimental metal band formed in 1987. Meshuggah's line-up has primarily consisted of founding members vocalist Jens Kidman and lead guitarist Fredrik Thordendal, drummer Tomas Haake, who joined in 1990, and rhythm guitarist Mårten Hagström, who joined in 1993. The band has gone through a number of bassists, but the position has been held by Dick Lövgren since 2004.
Meshuggah first attracted international attention with the 1995 release Destroy Erase Improve for its fusion of fast-tempo death metal, thrash metal and progressive metal. Since its 2002 album Nothing, Meshuggah has used eight-string guitars and downtuned, groovy riffs. Meshuggah has become known for innovative musical style, complex, polyrhythmic song structures and precise musicianship. It was labeled as one of the ten most important hard and heavy bands by Rolling Stone and as the most important band in metal by Alternative Press. Meshuggah has found little mainstream success as yet, but is a significant act in extreme underground music.
Nothing and the albums that followed have all charted on the Billboard 200. In 2006 and 2009, the band was nominated for a Swedish Grammy Award. Meshuggah's most commercially successful album, 2008's obZen, peaked at No. 59 and sold 11,400 copies in the first week and 50,000 copies six months after its release in the United States. Since its formation, Meshuggah has released six studio albums, five EPs and eight music videos. The band has performed in various international festivals, including Ozzfest and Download, and embarked on the obZen world tour in 2008.

Formation and Contradictions Collapse (1987–1994)

In 1985, guitarist Fredrik Thordendal formed a band in Umeå a college town in northern Sweden with a population of 105,000. The band, originally named Metallien, recorded a number of demo tapes, after which it disbanded. Thordendal, however, continued playing under a different name with new band members.

Meshuggah was formed in 1987 by vocalist and guitarist Jens Kidman, and took the name Meshuggah from the Yiddish word for "crazy". The band recorded several demos before Kidman left, which prompted the remaining members to disband. Kidman then formed a new band, Calipash, with guitarist Thordendal, bassist Peter Nordin and drummer Niclas Lundgren. Kidman, who also played guitar, and Thordendal decided to restore the name Meshuggah for the new band.

In 1989, Meshuggah released the self-titled, three-song EP Meshuggah, which is commonly known as Psykisk Testbild (a title that could be translated as "Psychological Test-Picture").This 12" (30 cm) vinyl EP had only 1,000 copies released, sold by local record store Garageland. The EP's back cover features the band members with cheese doodles on their faces.

After replacing drummer Niclas Lundgren with Tomas Haake in 1990, Meshuggah signed a contract with German heavy metal record label Nuclear Blast and recorded its debut full-length album, Contradictions Collapse. The LP, originally entitled (All this because of) Greed, was released in 1991. The album received positive reviews, but was not a commercial success. Soon after, Kidman decided to concentrate on vocals, and rhythm guitarist Mårten Hagström, who had already played in a band with Haake when they were in the sixth grade, was recruited. The new lineup recorded the EP None at Tonteknik Recordings in Umeå in 1994 for release later that year. A Japanese version was also released, including lyrics printed in Japanese.

During this period, Thordendal, who was working as a carpenter, severed the tip of his left middle finger, while Haake injured his hand in a grinder accident. As a result, the band was unable to perform for several months. Thordendal's fingertip was later reattached, and he went on to make a full recovery. The Selfcaged EP was recorded in April and May 1994, but its release was delayed to later in 1995 due to the accidents.


Destroy Erase Improve (1995–1997)

In January 1995, Meshuggah undertook a short European tour organized by its record label Nuclear Blast. Afterwards, the band returned to the studio to record the album Destroy Erase Improve at Soundfront Studios in Uppsala, with Daniel Bergstrand as a producer. Shortly thereafter, the band went on a European tour supporting Machine Head for two months. During the tour, Nordin became ill and experienced difficulties with his inner ear balance. Due to the resulting chronic dizziness and vertigo, Nordin was forced to leave the tour and travel to Sweden. Machine Head's bassist Adam Duce offered to cover his absence; however, Meshuggah decided to continue as a four-piece. Sometimes Thordendal played bass, while other times the band performed with two guitars. In this lineup, Hagström would use a pitch shifter to play his guitar at an octave lower than usual.

Destroy Erase Improve was released in July 1995, with positive response from critics for the "heady tempos and abstract approach". Kidman described the album cover: "The title fits the pictures we cut out and stole from reference books in the library."
In mid-1995, Meshuggah had a short tour with Swedish band Clawfinger in Scandinavia and Germany. Nordin had to leave the band because of his sickness and was replaced by bassist Gustaf Hielm during the tour. In late 1995, Meshuggah went on a month-long tour with Hypocrisy.

During 1996 and 1997, Thordendal worked on his solo album Sol Niger Within, which was released in March 1997 in Scandinavia and in April in Japan. He also hosted Mats/Morgan Band's debut. In 1997, Meshuggah recorded an unreleased demo, toured occasionally, and played a few concerts in its hometown. In May, Meshuggah moved to Stockholm to be closer to its management and the record industry in general.
The EP The True Human Design was recorded and released in late 1997. It contained one new song entitled "Sane", and one live and two alternate versions of Destroy Erase Improve's opening track "Future Breed Machine". Thordendal's solo album Sol Niger Within was simultaneously released in the United States, and Meshuggah started to plan its next album at the end of the year.

Chaosphere and Nothing (1998–2002)

Hielm officially joined the band in January 1998 after more than two years as a session member. Nuclear Blast re-released Contradictions Collapse with the addition of songs from the None EP. In May 1998, the title of the next album, Chaosphere, was reported and recording began. Immediately after recording the album, Meshuggah went on a short US tour, and the album was released later in November 1998. Shortly after the release, Meshuggah toured Scandinavia with Entombed.

In early 1999, Meshuggah joined Slayer on its U.S. tour After the new album and the live performances, Meshuggah was beginning to be recognized by mainstream music, guitar, drum and metal magazines. In mid-1999, Meshuggah performed in several Swedish concerts. The band started to write some new material but reported in mid-2000 that "songwriting isn't that dramatic, but we're getting there slowly". While fans were waiting for the next album, a collection of demos (from the Psykisk Testbild EP), remixes and unreleased songs from the Chaosphere sessions were released as the Rare Trax album. Hielm left the band in July 2001 for unclear reasons. Meshuggah joined Tool on a lengthy tour, playing for more than 100,000 people total.



In March 2002, Meshuggah recorded three-track demos with programmed drums in its home studio, which were based on Haake's sample Drumkit from Hell. The upcoming album was recorded in five to six weeks in May and was produced by the band at Dug-Out Studios in Uppsala and at its home studio in Stockholm. The last-minute decision to join 2002's Ozzfest tour forced the band to mix the album in two days and master it in one Meshuggah immediately went on another US tour after finishing the recording.

The album Nothing was released in August 2002, selling 6,525 copies during its first week in the US and reaching No. 165 on the Billboard 200. With this album, Meshuggah became the first band in the history of Nuclear Blast Records to crack the Billboard 200 and also became the first band signed to Nuclear Blast to be reviewed in Rolling Stone magazine. Meshuggah's previous two releases, 1998's Chaosphere and 1995's Destroy Erase Improve, have sold 38,773 and 30,712 copies to that date, respectively. The CD booklet of Nothing has no liner notes, lyrics, or credits, only a hint of one word: ingenting, which is Swedish for nothing. All of this information is available on the CD-ROM. At the end of 2002, the band went on another US tour with Tool and a headlining tour of its own.

I and Catch Thirtythree (2003–2006)

In 2003, Hagström hinted at the direction of the band's next album by saying,
"There's only one thing I really feel that is important. We've never measured our success in terms of sales, because we're quite an extreme band. It's more that people understand where we're coming from. I get more out of a fan coming up and saying that we've totally changed their way of looking on metal music, than having like 200 kids buy it. I mean, it would be nice for the money, but that's not why we're in it. So what I'd like to see is that we keep progressing. Keeping the core of what Meshuggah has always been, but exploring the bar, so to speak. Destroy Erase Improve was like exploring the dynamics of the band, Chaosphere was exploring the aggressiveness, the all-out side, and Nothing is more of a sinister, dark, pretty slow album, actually. So honestly, now I don't know where we're going. It might be a mix of all of them.

In February 2004, bassist Dick Lövgren joined Meshuggah. The band then recorded and released the I EP, which contains a single, 21-minute track, released on Fractured Transmitter Records. Meshuggah spent about six months in total on recording the EP. Catch Thirtythree, the only album on which programmed drums have been used, was released the following year in May 2005.Seven thousand copies of Catch Thirtythree were sold the first week, and it debuted at No. 170 on the Billboard 200 chart in June 2005. The video for the track "Shed" was released in June, and the previous album Nothing sold approximately 80,000 copies in the United States to that date, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Catch Thirtythree earned the band a Swedish Grammy nomination.

In December 2005, 10 years after inking its first record deal with the publishing company Warner/Chappell Music Scandinavia, Meshuggah extended its cooperation with the company. In November 2005, Haake said in an interview that the band was not content with the productions of Chaosphere and Nothing, because, being on tour, they had little time to devote to them.

obZen (2007–present)

Meshuggah returned to the studio to record obZen, which was released in March 2008.[1] The band spent almost a year on the album, its longest recording session yet. A significant portion of the year was spent learning to perform the songs they wrote; the recording itself took six months. obZen reached No. 59 on the Billboard 200 chart, selling 11,400 U.S. copies in its first week of release and 50,000 copies after six months. With obZen, Meshuggah received more media attention and attracted new fans. The release was followed by a world tour, which started in the U.S. and proceeded to Europe, Asia and Australia. In May 2008, Meshuggah published a music video for the song "Bleed", which was produced by Ian McFarland and was written, directed and edited by Mike Pecci and Ian McFarland. Killswitch Productions said: "It's extremely cool to work with a band who is willing to allow the music and imagery to speak for itself and who does not insist on themselves being the prominent focus of the video." In January 2009, the album was nominated for Swedish Grammy Award In February 2009, Haake announced that the band was planning a concert DVD and a studio album. In April, Meshuggah was forced to cancel its Scandinavian shows in early 2009, due to Haake's herniated disc in his lower back, which was causing problems with his right foot when playing. Haake later underwent a surgery and recovered for European summer festivals. In October, the release date of the concert DVD was set to be released on the February 5, 2010 in Europe and February, 9 in the U.S.

Musical style

Genre and typical traits

When describing Meshuggah's experimentation, stylistic variation and changes during its career, journalists have categorized its sound within several musical subgenres. Heavy metal subgenres avant-garde metal or experimental metal are umbrella terms that enable description of the career of the band in general. Extreme metal crosses both thrash metal (or post-thrash metal) and death metal (or technical death metal), which are at root of the sound of Meshuggah's music. The band is often labelled as math metal (for using elements of math rock) and progressive metal. The music of the band has also been described as grindcore, a fusion of extreme metal and hardcore punk. Meshuggah also incorporates elements of experimental jazz. Rockdetector uses the term hi-tech metal to describe their style. In its review of Nothing, Allmusic describes Meshuggah as "masterminds of cosmic calculus metal—call it Einstein metal if you want". Meshuggah creates a recognizable sonic imprint and distinct style
Trademarks and characteristics that define Meshuggah's sound and complex songwriting include polyrhythmic structure, odd riff cycles, complex "rotating" time signatures, rhythmic syncopation, rapid key and tempo changes and neo-jazz chromatics. Hagström notes that "it doesn’t really matter if something is hard to play or not. The thing is, what does it do to your mind when you listen to it? Where does it take you?" A trademark of Thordendal is free jazz-like soloing and lead guitar. He is also known for the usage of a "breath controller" device. Haake is known for his precise cross-rhythm drumming with "jazzlike cadence".The vocal style of Jens Kidman varies between hardcore-style shouts and "robotic" death metal vocals.

In a typical polyrhythm by Meshuggah, the guitars might play in odd meters such as 5/16 or 17/16, while drums play in normal 4/4. An example of Haake's dual rhythms is a 4/4 and 23/16 rhythm. He keeps the hi-hat and ride cymbal in simple 4/4 time but uses the snare and double bass drums for 23/16 rhythm. On "Rational Gaze" (from Nothing), Haake plays simple 4/4 time, hitting the snare on each third beat, for 16 bars. At the same time, the guitars and bass are playing the same quarter notes, albeit in a different time signature, and eventually both sides meet up again at the 64th beat. Hagström notes about the polyrhythms, "We’ve never really been into the odd time signatures we get accused of
using. Everything we do is based around a 4/4 core. It’s just that we arrange parts differently around that center to make it seem like something else is going on."
Early work, Destroy Erase Improve and Chaosphere

The early work of Meshuggah, influenced mainly by Metallica, is "simpler and more straightforward than their more recent material, but some of their more progressive elements are present in the form of time-changes and polyrhythmics, and Fredrik Thordendal's lead playing stands out". According to Allmusic, the debut album is a relatively immature, but original, release. Double bass drums and "angular" riffing also defined the early work of Meshuggah.

With the groundbreaking Destroy Erase Improve, Meshuggah showed accurate fusion of death metal, thrash metal, progressive metal and technical polyrhythmic math metal. Allmusic describes the style as "weaving hardcore-style shouts amongst deceptively (and deviously) simple staccato guitar riffs and insanely precise drumming—often with all three components acting in different time signatures". Thordendal adds the melodic element with his typical lead guitar and uses his "breath controller" device most famously on the opening track "Future Breed Machine"

Chaosphere incorporates typically fast,still tempo changing death metal. Allmusic compares the genre also with grindcore fathers Napalm Death. Rockdetector states: "Whilst fans reveled in the maze like meanderings, critics struggled to dissect and analyze, hailing Haake’s unconventional use of dual 4/4 and 23/16 rhythm, Kidman’s mechanical staccato bark and Thordendal’s liberal usage of avant-garde Jazz

Nothing, I and Catch Thirtythree

On Nothing, Meshuggah abandons the fast tempos of Chaosphere and concentrates on slow tempos, tuned down, low, drawn-out notes and deep grooves. The album was intended to be recorded using custom-made Nevborn eight-string guitars, but the prototypes were faulty so Thordendal and Hagström used detuned Ibanez seven-stringers instead. This technique, which involved keeping the instruments untuned during the sessions, created additional problems. When Ibanez provided Meshuggah with special eight-string guitars with two extra-low strings that worked properly after the initial release, the band re-recorded the guitar parts for Nothing and re-released it in 2006. Hagström notes that this allowed the band to go lower sonically and to attain bass sounds on guitars.

Catch Thirtythree is one 47-minute song divided into 13 sections.It is more mid-tempo guitar riff based, and a more straightforward and experimental full-length album than Chaosphere or Nothing. Nick Terry of Decibel Magazine describes the album as a four-movement symphony. Some songs still use Meshuggah's "familiar template combining harsh vocals and nightmarish melodies over coarse, mechanically advancing, oddball tempos", while others explore ambient sounds and quieter dynamics. The first part of Catch Thirtythree centers around two simple riffs. In the song "In Death - Is Death", the band uses a combination of noise and silence, which is in contrast with the atypical melodies on "Dehumanization". On "Mind's Mirrors", Meshuggah used electronics, programming and "robotic voices". "Shed" incorporates tribal percussion and whispered vocals.

obZen

With 2008's obZen, Meshuggah moved away from the experimentation of 2002's Nothing and 2005's Catch Thirtythree to return to the musical style of its previous albums, such as Contradictions Collapse, Destroy Erase Improve and Chaosphere, while still maintaining its focus on musical and technical innovation. The album loses some of the mathematical-like rhythmal quick changes of past releases and the melodic orchestration of Catch Thirty-Threeand uses "angular" riffs, mid-tempo and usual 4/4 beat.[ The album is generally considered to be a culmination of the band's previous work. Meshuggah decided to self-produce because it sought to retain artistic control over the recording and mixing process.

For obZen, Haake returned to the drum kit and impressed music journalists with his performance on the song "Bleed". In an interview for Gravemusic.com, Haake stated, "['Bleed'] was a big effort for me to learn, I had to find a totally new approach to playing the double bass drums to be able to do that stuff. I had never really done anything like that before like the fast bursts that go all the way through the song basically. So I actually spent as much time practicing that track alone as I did with all of the other tracks combined. It's kind of a big feat to change your approach like that and I'm glad we were able to nail it for the album. For a while though we didn't even know if it was going to make it to the album." Hagström also stated, "obZen is one of the most highly technical offerings the band has ever put to tape". Revolver magazine confirms this statement: "At first listen, obZen seems less challenging to the listener than some of the band’s other records, and most of the songs flow smoothly from one syncopated passage to the next. However, careful examination reveals that the material is some of the group’s most complicated"

Legacy and reception

Meshuggah has become known for its technical prowess and innovative musical style that evolves between each release and pushes heavy metal into new territory. Hagström comments: "We try never to repeat ourselves." Rockdetector stated about Destroy Erase Improve: "[T]he band...stripped Metal down to the bare essentials before completely rebuilding it in a totally abstract form". Official Meshuggah biography criticizes Chaosphere with: "Some fans felt that Meshuggah had left their dynamic and progressive elements behind; while others thought they were only progressing naturally and focusing on their original sound"and Nothing with: "[I]t displayed a very mature and convincing Meshuggah, now focusing on groove and sound...Meshuggah once again divided their fans into the 'ecstatic' and the 'slightly disappointed'". The music's complexity combined with aggression can make the music sound cacophonous;

the polyrhythms can make it sound like band members are playing different songs simultaneously. "Devin Townsend" Quotes them as "The best Fu**ing metal band on the planet, Devin is known for his projects and talents as a guitarist. Rolling Stone labeled Meshuggah as "one of the ten most important hard and heavy bands", and the Alternative Press named it the "most important band in metal." Meshuggah has been described as highly skilled, virtuoso or genius-bordering musicians with "incredible abilities recognized by mainstream music magazines, especially those dedicated to particular instruments". Tom Service from guardian.co.uk stated about Meshuggah: "There's as much rhythmic obsessiveness and intricacy in the relentless polyrhythms of Swedish metal maestros Meshuggah as there is in Reich or Ligeti – with the difference that Meshuggah use the supreme technical sophistication and overpowering volume of their 5-in-the-time-of-4 patterns to serve rather different expressive ends: Terminal Illusions as opposed to Different Trains". In 2007, Meshuggah earned an in-depth analysis by the academic journal Music Theory Spectrum. Meshuggah has found little mainstream success but is a significant act in extreme underground music and an influence for many modern metal bands.

Songwriting, recording and lyrics

Meshuggah's music is written by Thordendal, Hagström and Haake with assistance from Kidman. During songwriting, Hagström programs the drums, and records the guitar and bass via computer. He presents his idea to the other members as a finished work. Meshuggah typically adheres to Hagström's general idea and rarely changes the song afterwards. Hagström explains that each member has an idea of what the others are doing conceptually, and nobody thinks exclusively in terms of a particular instrument. Kidman does not play guitar in the band anymore, but he is involved in writing riffs.

Except for when Hagström needs a soloist, he and Thordendal rarely record together. Both play guitar and bass while composing. Haake says about his songwriting, "Sometimes I’ll sample guitar parts, cut them up, pitch-shift and tweak them until I’ve built the riffs I want, just for demoing purposes. But most of the time I’ll just present the drums, and explain my ideas for the rest of the song, sing some riffs."

Approximately once a year, Haake writes most of the band's lyrics, with the exception of finished tracks. His lyrical inspirations are derived from books and films. Although Meshuggah does not record concept albums, the band prefers strong conceptual underpinnings in the background.

Often esoteric and conceptual, Meshuggah's lyrics explore philosophic themes such as existentialism. Allmusic describes Destroy Erase Improve's lyrical focus as "the integration of machines with organisms as humanity's next logical evolutionary step PopMatters' review of Nothing singles out the lyrics from "Rational Gaze": "Our light-induced image of truth—filtered blank of its substance / As our eyes won’t adhere to intuitive lines / Everything examined. Separated, one thing at a time / The harder we stare the more complete the disintegration." Haake explains that Catch Thirtythree's cover, title and lyrics deal with "the paradoxes /negations /contradictions of life and death (as we see it in our finest moments of unrestrained metaphoric interpretation)".

The main theme of obZen is "human evil", according to Haake. The title is a play on the words "obscene" and "Zen"; in addition, "ob" means "anti" in Latin. Therefore, the title suggests that the human species has found harmony and balance in warfare and bloodshed. Revolver Magazine finds the lyrics of the title track from obZen representative of the entire album: "Salvation found in vomit and blood/Where depravation, lies, corruption/War and pain is god." However, Haake claims, "We don't dwell on hate and bad feelings as people. But with these songs, I think we really wanted to paint a picture lyrically that might be seen as a cautionary tale. We're going, ‘Heads up. Here's what some of the parts of being human are about, and this is what we can be at our worst.’ So it’s more about being aware of negative feelings than actually living them all the time

Members



Current members

• Jens Kidman – lead vocals (1987–present), rhythm guitar (1987–1991)
• Fredrik Thordendal – lead guitar, backing vocals (1987–present)
• Tomas Haake – drums, spoken word (1990–present)
• Mårten Hagström – rhythm guitar, backing vocals (1993–present)
• Dick Lövgren – bass guitar (2004–present)

Former members

• Niklas Lundgren – drums (1987–1990)
• Peter Nordin – bass guitar (1987–1995)
• Gustaf Hielm – bass guitar (1995–2001)

Discography


Main article: Meshuggah discography

• Contradictions Collapse (1991)
• Destroy Erase Improve (1995)
• Chaosphere (1998)
• Nothing (2002)
• Catch Thirtythree (2005)
• obZen (2008)

http://www.myspace.com/meshuggah
http://www.meshuggah.net/ Official Page

ACHERON

• Active: '90s, 2000s
• Genre(s): Death Meatl
• Instrument: Producer, Performer, Main Performer
• Representative Albums: "Lex Talionis/Satanic Victory," "Rebirth: Metamorphosing into Godhood," "Those Who Have Risen"





Biography

At first glance, Acheron seemed like your run-of-the-mill, early-'90s death metal band -- no different from hundreds of others ripening like so many oranges under the Florida sunshine. But a closer look quickly revealed the group's altogether more sinister mission, one that reflected the devil-worshipping ways of leader and guitarist Vincent Crowley, who, in his spare time, helmed a Satanic youth group named "the Order of the Evil Eye." Starting out in 1988, Crowley teamed up with his brother-in-darkness (and occasional electronic music composer) Peter Gilmore to disseminate his belief system using Acheron's brutal death metal music, which included a number of popular demos before the unleashing of their Rites of the Black Mass debut in 1991. Subsequent albums Satanic Victory (1993) and Lex Talionis (1995) followed in short order, each featuring a revolving cast of musicians supporting the core duo, and delivering competent, if hardly groundbreaking death/black metal. In fact, Crowley's anti-Christian views tended to gain him far more notoriety than his music, and around this time, he was appointed a priest in the Church of Satan by none other than its founder, the infamous Anton Szandor LaVey himself. Over the ensuing years, Crowley committed more time to debating local televangelists than writing music, so that Acheron's output was reduced to 1998's Those Who Have Risen, and 2003's Rebirth: Metamorphosing Into Godhood.

History:

Founded in 1988 by vocalist/bassist/songwriter Vincent Crowley (formerly of Nocturnus, and leader of the satanic youth group "Order of the Evil Eye"), Acheron's musical output is almost exclusively Satanic and anti-Christian in content. Early albums featured interludes by Peter H. Gilmore. Crowley was appointed a priest in the Church of Satan by its founder, Anton Szandor LaVey, and began spending a lot of his time debating local televangelists, limiting Acheron's output for a time. He later disassociated himself from the church to act independently.

In 2003, the band released an album of cover versions, Tribute to the Devil's Music, including songs originally recorded by Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Kreator, and Celtic Frost.

Lineup



• Vincent Crowley - bass, vocals (1988-present)
• Kyle Severn - drums (2002-present)
• Max Otworth - guitar (2006-present)

Former members

• Vincent Breeding - lead guitar (1992-1994)
• Michael Estes - lead guitar (1996-2003)
• Bill "Belial" Koblak - guitar (1988)
• Peter Slate - guitar (1991)
• Tony Blakk - guitar (1992-1994)
• Ben Meyer - guitar (1998)
• Adina Blase - keyboards (1998)
• John Scott - keyboards (1996-1998)
• James Strauss - drums (1991)
• Mike Browning - drums (1992-1994)
• Richard Christy - drums (1996)
• Tony Laureano - drums (1998)
• Jonathan Lee - drums (1998-1999)

Discography

• Messe Noir (Demo, 1989)
• Rites of the Black Mass (1991, re-released in 2006)
• Alla Xul (7", Demo, 1992)
• Rites of the Black Mass (Turbo, 1992)
• Hail Victory (CD, Metal Merchant, 1993)
• Satanic Victory (CD, Turbo, 1994)
• Lex Talionis (CD, Turbo, 1994; reissued as Lex Talionis: Satanic Victory, Blackened, 1997)
• Anti-God, Anti-Christ (CD, Moribund, 1996)
• Those Who Have Risen (CD, Full Moon Productions, 1998)
• Compendium Diablerie: The Demo Days (CD, Full Moon Productions, 2001)
• Xomaly (2002)
• Rebirth: Metamorphosing Into Godhood (CD, Black Lotus, 2003)
• Tribute to the Devil's Music (CD, Black Lotus, 2003)
• The Final Conflict : Last Days of God (CD, Displeased Records, 2009)

Official page: http://www.myspace.com/acheron666