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

Yes No

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

Yes No

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

Yes No

The hard-drinking British death metal band Benediction formed during the late 1980s; originally comprised of vocalist Barney Greenaway, guitarists Peter Rewinski and Darren Brookes, bassist Paul Adams and drummer Ian Treacy, they made their LP debut in 1990 with Subconscious Terror. By 1992's Grand Leveller, Greenaway had left the band, later... [+] Read More

Yes No

Not wanting to take the traditional methods of generic death metal that everyone's heard a million times since Napalm Death's "Scum, " Germany's Darkseed take a more unconventional song writing method that aims more towards the gothic experimental route. Showing off this talent on their first two demo's "Sharing The Grave" (1992) and "Darksome... [+] Read More

Yes No

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

Yes No

Gothenburg, Sweden-based death metal outfit Dissection was formed in 1989 by singer/guitarist Jon Nödtveidt and bassist Peter Palmdahl; with the addition of drummer Ole Öhman the following spring, the group recorded its first demo, "The Grief Prophecy." Following the 1991 Corpsegrinder single, "Into Infinite Obscurity," Dissection recorded a... [+] Read More

Yes No

Gothenburg, Sweden-based death metal outfit Dissection was formed in 1989 by singer/guitarist Jon Nödtveidt and bassist Peter Palmdahl; with the addition of drummer Ole Öhman the following spring, the group recorded its first demo, "The Grief Prophecy." Following the 1991 Corpsegrinder single, "Into Infinite Obscurity," Dissection recorded a... [+] Read More

Yes No

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

Yes No

Formed in early 1995 in Vorede, Germany, Night in Gales were part of a new breed of death metal bands who combined the music's chaotic intensity and abrasive vocals with classic, structured metal riffs and a surprising sense of melody. The band recorded its first demo, Sylphlike, a few months after forming, and on its merits scored a worldwide... [+] Read More

Yes No

The Finnish heavy metal band Sentenced released its debut album, Shadows of the Past, in the early '90s on a small French label; dissatisfied with their somewhat commonplace black-metal sound, they hired bassist/vocalist Taneli Jarva to provide more originality for 1992's North From Here. The record was more melodic and technically competent and... [+] Read More

Yes No

For bands that matter, the formula of their sound often rests with one or more key founding members. In the case of Sweden's internationally acclaimed band THE HAUNTED which was spawned in the mid-‘90s, songwriter/guitarist Anders Björler and lyricist/vocalist Peter Dolving were seminal architects. This is further proven by the long anticipated... [+] Read More

Yes No