The Swedish Music Scene Is One Of The Wealthiest And Most Influential In The World. With Its Rich Collection Of Talented Artists And Bands, It Continues To Produce A Wide Range Of Popular Music That’s Listened To In All Corners Of The Globe. This Post Lists 21 Swedish Bands You May Or May Not Have Heard About Before.
1. Opeth
David Isberg, the lead vocalist for the Swedish progressive metal/rock band Opeth, founded the group in 1990. They Are Known For Integrating Progressive And Folk Metal In Their Unique Style. 13 Studio Albums, 4 Live DVDs, 4 Live Albums (including three that coincide with DVDs), and 2 Boxsets have all been released by Opeth. Orchid, the Band’s debut album, was released in 1995.
2. Abba
Abba Is A Swedish Supergroup Formed In Stockholm In 1972 By Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, And Anni-Frid Lyngstad. They began to gain recognition abroad after winning the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest. Abba was Formed In 1972 When Four Swedish Musicians Met At The Stockholm 1st Music High School. They Signed With Polar Records, Who Sent Them To Hamburg, Germany, Where They Recorded Their First Album. They Released 17 Albums And Sold More Than 300 Million Records Worldwide, Making Them One Of The World’s Best-Selling Music Artists.
3. Meshuggah
Swedish progressive metal band Meshuggah originates from Ume. The word “Meshuggah” in Hebrew, which means “Crazy,” is the source of the name. Meshuggah, a 1987 formation, has eleven studio albums and two live DVDs to their credit. Lead vocalist Jens Kidman, guitarists Fredrik Thordendal and Marten Hagström, drummer Tomas Haake, and bassist Dick Lövgren make up the Band’s current lineup.
4. Bathory
Bathory Is A Swedish Black Metal Band Formed In 1983 By Guitarist Quorthon (Torbjörn Lindbohm). Along With Other Early Bands, Including Venom And Hellhammer, They Are Credited As One Of The Fathers Of Black Metal. Bathory Is Known For Its Fast, Technical Guitar Riffs And Fast Tempo Music. In 1989 Bathory Made Its First Appearance On The Us Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart At Number 191 With “Under The Sign Of The Black Mark”.
5. Amon Amarth
Amon Amarth is a 1992-founded Swedish melodic death metal band from Tumba. The Band’s name references Mount Doom, a made-up volcano from J. R. Tolkien’s Middle-Earth. Their Lyrics Mostly Deal With Viking Mythology And History, And So They Have Been Sometimes Erroneously Labeled “Viking Metal”, Although The Band Insists They Play Melodic Death Metal.
6. Ghost
A Swedish rock band called Ghost, formerly known as Ghost B.C. in the United States was founded in Linköping in 2006. In 2010, they released a three-track demo, then an “Elizabeth” 7-inch vinyl, and later their self-titled debut full-length album.
Ghost Is Known For Its Quirkiness On Stage. Seven of the group’s eight members, referred to as “Nameless Ghouls,” dress alike in mask-obscuring costumes.
7. Sabaton
Sabaton Was A Swedish Power Metal Band Formed In 1999. They Are Known For Their Lyrics, Which Are Entirely Written In Swedish, Which Has Led Some To Label Them As “Swedish Metal”. The Band’s Mascot Is A Sabaton, A Large Cavalry Sword. Most of their albums write about historical events, primarily wars and important battles. The “Big Four” Power Metal bands, including Helloween, Blind Guardian, and Dragonforce, has been referred to as including Sabaton.
8. Europe
In 1979, drummer Tony Reno, bassist Peter Olsson, guitarist John Norum, and frontman Joey Tempest formed the Swedish rock group Europe in Upplands Väsby. Start From The Dark, Secret Society, Last Look At Eden, Bag Of Bones, War Of Kings, and Walk The Earth are the six albums the Band has released.
9. Katatonia
Swedish heavy metal group Katatonia was founded in 1991 by Jonas Renkse and Anders Nyström in Stockholm. With this lineup, the Band released four additional albums: Last Fair Deal Gone Down, Viva Emptiness, The Great Cold Distance, and Night Are The New Day. Over time, the Band shifted away from its metal sound and added more progressive rock elements to its work.
10. Soilwork
Swedish Melodic Death Metal Band Soilwork Is From Helsingborg. The Band Started In Late 1995, When Björn “Speed” Strid And Peter Wichers, Members Of Two Metal Bands At The Time, Decided To Form A New Project Together. They Were Later Joined By Sven Karlsson (Also Known As “Svenness”) And Ola Flink (“Inferno”), Completing The Current Lineup.
11. Arch Enemy
Arch Enemy Is A Swedish Heavy Metal Band Formed In Umeå In 1995. Since 1997 The Band Has Released Four Studio Albums, One Compilation Album, Seven Eps, And One Live Album. The Band’s main lyrical themes are the Cthulhu Mythos and rebellious subjects like fascism, racism, and religious extremism.
12. Pain Of Salvation
Daniel Gildenlöw, the group’s primary songwriter, lyricist, guitarist, and vocalist, is the Band’s leader and fronts the Swedish progressive metal outfit Pain Of Salvation. The Beatles, Faith No More, Jeff Buckley, Jesus Christ Superstar, and other musical genres like jazz, classical music, and ethnic music are some of the influences on their music.
13. Candlemass
Swedish Doom Metal group Candlemass was founded in Stockholm in 1984 by drummer Matz Ekström and bassist Leif Edling. Doom metal is named after the Band’s debut album, Epicus Doomicus Metallicus, which helped define the genre. Along with Pentagram, Saint Vitus, and Trouble, Candlemass is one of the “Big Four of Doom Metal.”
14. In Flames
Glenn Ljungström and Jesper Stromblad, two guitarists from Göteborg, Sweden, formed the melodic death metal group In Flames in 1990. They Found Bass Player Johan Larsson And Vocalist Anders Fridén. The Band released ten studio albums, three E.P.s, one live album, and a single. Three Of Their Studio Albums Received Gold Certification In The United States.
15. Dark Tranquillity
Swedish Melodic Death Metal Band Dark Tranquillity, Originally Formed Under The Name “Darkness” In 1987 By Vocalist/Guitarist Mikael Stanne And Former Bassist Martin Henriksson. The Band Later Shortened Its Name To “Dark Tranquillity”. While Finding Great Success In Europe, They Also Enjoy An Established Following In The United States And Japan.
In Their Early Years, Dark Tranquillity’s Lyrical Themes Dealt With Personal Struggles And Complex Emotions.
16. Scar Symmetry
Swedish Melodic Death Metal band Scar Symmetry was founded in Avesta in 2004. The Band has six albums out and seven singles out. Their Musical Style Blends Progressive Metal With Power Metal And Neoclassical Elements, And Their Lyrics Often Deal With Philosophical And Religious Concepts. They Have A Nuclear Blast Records Contract Right Now.
17. Draconian
Swedish metal band Draconian was founded in Säffle in 1994. The Band Has Earned A Lot Of Success For Their Sound, Primarily Progressive Metal, With Death Metal Vocals And Black Metal Influences. The Band’s lineup has changed numerous times, almost entirely in 2000. The Demo Dark Oceans We Cry Was Recorded In 2002, The First Release To Feature Lisa Johansson’s Vocals. Both a CD and the Internet were made available with the demo. It Received Good Reviews, And The Band Signed A Long-Awaited Record Deal With Napalm Records.
18. Roxette
Roxette Is A Swedish Pop Duo Formed In 1986, Consisting Of Per Gessle And Marie Fredriksson. They had little success in Sweden after releasing their first album in 1986. The Album Was Later Released Internationally, Peaking At #2 In Norway And #3 In Australia — It Did Not Chart Well Outside These Countries, However.
19. Children Of Bodom
Children Of Bodom Is A Finnish Melodic Death Metal Band, Formed In 1993 In Espoo. They Quickly Gained Popularity With Their Blend Of Melodic Death Metal And Black Metal, Which Became Widely Imitated By Bands From Different Parts Of The World. The Band all published ten studio albums, two live albums, two E.P.s, two compilation albums, and one DVD. Are You Dead Yet was released in 2006 after The Reaper, the next album.
20. Bloodbath
Swedish death metal supergroup Bloodbath was founded in 1998 and is based in Stockholm. The Band Has Presented Their Performances At Wacken Open Air (2005) And Bloodstock Open Air On Five Full-Length Albums, Two Eps, And Two DVDs (2010). Martin Axenrot (Opeth), Anders Nyström (Katatonia), Jonas Renkse (also Katatonia), and Nick Holmes make up the group (Paradise Lost).
21. Entombed
Nihilist, a Swedish death metal band, was the original name of Entombed when it was founded in 1987. Entombed started as a pioneer of Scandinavian death metal, which at first set itself apart from its American counterpart by way of a distinctive “Buzzsaw” guitar tone. The group shares a similar aesthetic with Swedish death metal acts like Dismember, Carnage, Grave, and Unleashed.