Sweden

Moving on to Sweden, I should probably start with some more death metal. I’m sure only purists can tell the difference between Swedish & Norwegian death metal. I’m not enough of a follower of the genre to know the difference beyond what I would normally be aware of from two different bands. 

Dismember had a slightly tumultuous beginning. They originally began in 1988 in Stockholm as Dismemberizer with David Blomqvist, Robert Sennebäck, & Fred Estby. They recorded two demos, "Dismembered" in 1988 & "Last Blasphemies" in 1989. Then the band split up, with Blomqvist & Estby joining Carnage. That band ceased when Michael Amott left to join Carcass. The remaining Carnage members Estby, Matti Kärki, & Blomqvist decided to reform, this time as Dismember. In 1991 Sennebäck returned to the band. They began writing & recording new material & that same year released their debut, Like an Ever Flowing Stream. The album was an early example of Swedish death metal. Death metal fans worldwide hold this album as one their favorites. It is considered a death metal masterpiece. The song "Skin Her Alive" prompted an obscenity  charge in the United Kingdom but the band successfully defended themselves.

In 2007,  Fred Estby left the band "after long and careful consideration", citing the demands of touring & the needs of his family as key reasons for his leaving. On October 16 2011 they announced that they had disbanded.

Since Karmageddon records owns the rights to the album, it wasn't re-issued as a Digipack disc in 2005 like the rest of Dismember’s album (with the exception of Where Ironcrosses Grow). On October 16 2011 they announced that they had disbanded.

On Like an Ever Flowing Stream Dismember are (as listed in the credits): Matti Kärki – vocals; Robert Sennebäck – guitar; David Blomqvist – guitar; Richard Diamon – bass; & Fred Estby – drums. Truth be told, however, Nicke Andersson, at the time the drummer for Entombed played all the lead guitars except for the guitar solo on "Override of the Overture" which is played by David Blomqvist.

 Dismember – Like an EverFlowing Stream, Nuclear Blast America IMP. NBA 6018/ 2, 1991. 

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Tracklist:

Override of the Overture

Soon to Be Dead

Bleed for Me

& So is Life

Dismembered

Skin Her Alive

Sickening Art

In Death's Sleep

Deathevocation

Defective Decay

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Although we are still visiting Scandanavia, I decided to escape from the mythic Nordic forest primeval, travel south, cozy up to a nice warm fire & slip into a comfy sweater. A cardigan, that is…

The Cardigans are a Swedish band formed by Peter Svensson & Magnus Sveningsson, both heavy metal musicians, in 1992 in Jönköping, Sweden. They enlisted drummer Bengt Lagerberg, keyboardist Lars-Olof Johansson & lead singer Nina Persson. The band's musical style has varied greatly from album to album. Their debut album Emmerdale (1994) featured their early indie leanings. It gave them a solid base in Sweden & it enjoyed some success abroad, especially in Japan, but it wasn’t until their sophomore release, Life, that they really had more international & critical success, selling more than a million copies & achieving platinum status in Japan.

This is from the Minty Fresh US re-release. It is on two CDs with the second CD containing four tracks from The Cardigans Life album that were not included on its US release.

On Emmerdale, The Cardigans are: Nina Persson – vocals; Peter Svensson – guitar, bass, percussion, piano, vocals, bells, & vibraphone; Magnus Sveningsson – bass; Lars-Olof Johansson – acoustic guitar & piano; & Bengt Lagerberg – drums, percussion, bassoon, & recorder.

 The Cardigans – Emmerdale2xCD, Minty Fresh MF 32, 1999.

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Tracklist:

Sick & Tired

Black Letter Day

In the Afternoon

Over the Water

After All...

Cloudy Sky

Our Space

Rise & Shine

Celia Inside

Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (Black Sabbath cover)

Seems Hard

Last Song

US Re-Release Bonus CD 2

Pikebubbles

Travelling with Charley

Sunday Circus Song

Closing Time

Enjoy, but were not Finnish yet,
NØ