As rock music continued to grow globally in the 60s, more metal bands from Sweden started to pop up. The same was seen around Europe with countries like Finland and Britain. Unlike American metal bands, Swedish bands were influenced by punk rock, specifically the hardcore punk scene.
Some of the Early Swedish Metal Bands
In 1983, a band called Bathory was formed. The band, which was named after the Hungarian countess Elizabeth Bathory, was considered the pioneer of Viking metal. Moreover, the group became the primary influence of extreme metal in Sweden. This led to the emergence of a number of metal bands around the 90s in Gothenburg and Stockholm.
There were two metal scenes with groups such as Entombed, Carnage, Dismember, Morbid, Unleashed and Nihilist. Later on, Swedish and Finnish metal groups came up with their own riffs based on an infusion of a number of styles to later form progressive rock. The Swedish metal scene has undoubtedly influenced other bands outside Sweden.
Swedish Influence
Swedish death metal bands have had one of the biggest impacts on the genre than they would have imagined. With a population as low as theirs, it is quite remarkable the impact they have had on the international community. With legends such as Candlemass, Meshuggah, Opeth and Katatonia, Sweden will always be remembered for its contribution.