All about Sweden’s vibrant metal music scene, including artists, bands, and festivals.
On December 8th, 2019, one of our favourite Swedish metal bands, Zephyra, announced that it was the end of the road for them. The announcement on Facebook was an enormous blow to thousands of fans in Sweden and all over the world – and we are part of that community. While Zephyra takes a break (we want to believe it is a break) from the Swedish metal scene, we intend to keep the band’s spirit and that of metal music alive.
This website is a special dedication to Zephyra – a metal band that became known for its professional delivery and awesome stage presence. It’s a dedication to the sound of metal music in Sweden. The country is critical to the history of metal music and is incredibly influential on the genre the world over.
On this website, we scrutinise metal music in Sweden, including:
With a population of just over nine million, you wouldn’t expect Sweden to produce as many chart-topping bands as it has in the last couple of decades. Ok, most of the world may point to Abba as the country’s greatest contribution to the modern music scene, but metal bands from Sweden are influencing the genre too.
Every year, Sweden plays host to different music festivals. These range from pop music to our favourite metal tunes. Most festivals are held in the summer months when the days are long and warm. Metal festivals in Sweden offer the perfect meeting point for metalheads, no matter their gender or age.
Some of the biggest metal festivals in Sweden has multiple-day affairs that are dedicated to several forms of metal. These festivals feature several stages and usually lined up with tens of international and Swedish bands. Read on to find out how you can join some of the biggest metal parties of the year.
Scandinavian metal became a dominant heavy metal force in the 90s with a reputation for some of the most extreme black metal recorded. Swedish metal bands in the death subgenre favoured grinding, thick, and detuned riffs. In the early 1990s, various bands improved upon the basic metal blueprints using progressive instrumentals to add to the music’s core intensity.
The second wave of bands took over the Swedish scene with the “Gothenburg sound”. The sound has ultra-heavy, memorable riffs that combine with death-style vocals. Today, Swedish metal bands are inspiring intense fandom that easily stretches across the world. Want to find out more? Dive in and let us explore!
The complexity of heavy metal music. At the basic level, heavy metal fans crave sounds outside the mainstream. Plus, there is higher acceptance for the genre than in most other countries. Last, the Swedish government provides artists with plenty of support as grants that help during touring, for instance.
The melodic death metal (melodeath) is a death metal subgenre attributed to starting with Swedish metal bands. Melodeath borrows from traditional heavy metal and characterised by melodic guitar riffs. Swedish melodeath bands usually combine growling and harsh screaming with melodic singing, with an emphasis on one technique.
Death metal bands provide a more kinetic and primal performance compared to black metal bands. The latter bands have ghostier riffs, shrieked vocals, and a European flavour not available in death metal music. Death metal bands are about playing to the extreme of sound instead of emotion.
Sweden has long been a global music powerhouse, producing iconic artists like ABBA, Avicii, and Robyn. Today, however, the country’s music industry is experiencing a
As the metal scene continues to evolve and push boundaries, 2024 is shaping up to be a landmark year for metal festivals in Sweden and
Heavy metal is not just a genre; it’s a way of life. For professional metal musicians, their image is as crucial as their sound. The
Who are the top Swedish metal bands and artistes? The best metal festivals? Find out the answers to these and more questions here.
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