There is power in a name, as ancient wisdom claims. And sometimes a prophecy. It was a moment of rare foresight when guitarist Esa Holopainen came up with a name for his new band: Amorphis. Derived from “amorphous” (without determinate form, shapeless), the choice would subsequently prove more apt than anyone could have imagined at the time. It... [+] Read More

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There is power in a name, as ancient wisdom claims. And sometimes a prophecy. It was a moment of rare foresight when guitarist Esa Holopainen came up with a name for his new band: Amorphis. Derived from “amorphous” (without determinate form, shapeless), the choice would subsequently prove more apt than anyone could have imagined at the time. It... [+] Read More

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One of the more melodic death metal bands to expand beyond Sweden and spread their sound across the world alongside peers such as Entombed, At the Gates played a significant role in the death metal genre before breaking up in 1996, leading to the formation of the Haunted. The group's first line-up -- Tomas Lindberg (vocals), Anders Bjorler... [+] Read More

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One of the more melodic death metal bands to expand beyond Sweden and spread their sound across the world alongside peers such as Entombed, At the Gates played a significant role in the death metal genre before breaking up in 1996, leading to the formation of the Haunted. The group's first line-up -- Tomas Lindberg (vocals), Anders Bjorler... [+] Read More

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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... [+] Read More

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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... [+] Read More

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These Virginia-based death metalers started out in 1985 recording and circulating demos, slowly building their reputation. In 1988, original bassist Rob Sterzel was killed in a hit-and-run accident and replaced by Les Snyder. Together with guitarists Mark Adams and Mike Smith and drummer/vocalist King Fowley, Deceased became the first band to be... [+] Read More

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Vocalist and guitarist Dan Swano was the creative force behind the Swedish death metal band Edge of Sanity, which also included guitarists Dread and Sami Nerberg, along with bassist Anders Lundberg and drummer Benny Larsson. Edge of Sanity's recordings include their debut Nothing But Death Remains, Unorthodox, The Spectral Sorrows, Until... [+] Read More

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After leaving Ceremonial Oath to form In Flames, founding member and guitarist Jesper Strömblad saw this project as a way of expressing his songwriting creativity rather than being stuck in the background. With the added influences of Iron Maiden and Black Sabbath, along with his own touch of aggressive metal that overwhelmed his home country of... [+] Read More

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After leaving Ceremonial Oath to form In Flames, founding member and guitarist Jesper Strömblad saw this project as a way of expressing his songwriting creativity rather than being stuck in the background. With the added influences of Iron Maiden and Black Sabbath, along with his own touch of aggressive metal that overwhelmed his home country of... [+] Read More

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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... [+] Read More

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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... [+] Read More

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