swedish metal

Sorcerer- In the Shadow of the Inverted Cross (Metal Blade)

Another band from the 80's has reunited to let their music see the light of day.

If I didn’t know any better, I could swear that I have some kind of guardian angel that looks after me (no one's ever called me that before - Ed).

At the Gates, Rotten Sound @ Nosturi (Helsinki), 22 Nov 2014

At War with Reality live. Who could pass up this opportunity? Well, not me. Especially with the chance to watch some of it through the lens. At the Gates showed in their recent Helsinki gig that no matter how long a great band takes between albums, that what you get live will have as much raw passion as the original crowd favourites. The night was accented by Rotten Sound's aggressively brilliant opening set.

At the Gates, Rotten Sound - Nosturi, Helsinki, 22/11/14

This year, At the Gates released their first new album in nineteen years. Hearing it performed live, in my new home of Helsinki, was something I was not going to miss. Opening up a night of excellent music, friends and memories were Vaasa's intensely brilliant Rotten Sound.

The first band I ever wrote about for Metal as Fuck was At the Gates. I’d won a ticket to see them in Melbourne through a competition the magazine was holding.

Nummirock - Day One, June 19th 2014, Nummijärvi, Kauhajoki, Finland

Nummirock is held over the crucial Finnish Juhannas holiday. Metalheads from all over head to the serene lakeside venue to set up camp and cry havoc for the long weekend. It's bugs, beer and bonfires. It's sauna with new friends, sauna with old friends and naked drunks wandering the campsites. It's moshpits, metal and most importantly, it's Midsummer. The opening evening was filled with Deals Death (SWE), Profane Omen (FIN), Speedtrap (FIN) and Kaunis Kuolematon (FIN).

Watain with In Solitude - Nosturi, Helsinki, 21/01/14

Watain brought their occult ritual to Helsinki last January, joined by fellow Swedes In Solitude. We were there to try to catch some of the heady black metal in pictures.

Necrophobic- Womb of Lilithu (Season of Mist)

One extra large order of blackened death metal...
Release Date: 
25 Oct 2013 (All day)

One of the biggest challenges in any band's recording career is coming up with a follow up to a successful record.

Verminous- Curse of the Antichrist (Blood Harvest)

A quick shot of death metal fury...
Release Date: 
9 Aug 2013 (All day)

Verminous are a Swedish death metal band that formed over 10 years ago, in 2002, yet only have two full length releases to their name; 2003's Impious Sacrilege <

Björn Strid of Soilwork takes no compromises on The Living Infinite

Björn Strid explains the return of Scandinavian melancholy and the massive challenge of recording a double album with the ninth studio album from Soilwork, The Living Infinite ahead of their Australian tour this October.

When I connect through to Björn "Speed" Strid, I find out he has

Tiamat - The Scarred People (Napalm Records)

The Scarred People offers up an unnatural selection of Tiamat's gothic travails from their storied history. But are they left victims of their groundbreaking success?

Cast your mind back to 1994.

Vintersorg - Orkan (Napalm Records)

Here's yet another great offering from the land of Sweden. Don't let the "folk" metal classification throw you off. Orkan is a pure progressive metal album with loads of surprises.
Release Date: 
29 Jun 2012 (All day)

Vintersorg is Andreas Hedlund. Vintersorg is from Sweden. Orkan is all in the Swedish language.