It was the year 1990, Jesper decided to take leave of the band Ceremonial Oath, that he was currently in, together with Anders Fridén and Anders Iwers (Tiamat)
He wanted to make music in a different direction, and he teamed up with Johan Larsson and Glenn Ljungström to form IN FLAMES. The gang made a demo and shipped it off to Wrong Again records in order to get a record-deal, which they did. The owner of the company enjoyed the music so much that he immediately gave them a deal over the phone, as they rang him up one night. The next day, they sat down and wrote the album Lunar Strain, which was released some time later, and became a big underground success. They had some "in and out members" , and borrowed some from different bands. People that have been a part of IN FLAMES since the beginning, are Mikael Stanne and Anders Jivarp (Dark Tranquillity), Anders Iwers (Tiamat), Henke Forss (Dawn), Daniel Erlandsson (Eucharist, Arch Enemy), and a few more. The band then released a mini-CD called Subterranean, that became the "breaker" for IN FLAMES, in terms of getting out off the underground scene, that is, and led them to get a license deal with German company Nuclear Blast for the next record, and they have been there since then. After some time, the boys were getting tired of constantly borrowing people in order to make a record, or do a decent live show, and they asked Anders Fridén and Björn Gelotte to join the band, on vocals and drums, and they accepted. IN FLAMES were for the first time a band with a real line up.
They recorded and released yet another record . The Jester Race, which became a huge success, worldwide, and the band started to get some fantastic attention all over Europe, and in Japan, where they were licensed to Toy´s Factory. They went on a festival tour together with Samael, Grip inc. And Kreator - this was the first big thing that happened to them, but definitely not the last. Some gigs here and there over the next year, led to both Johan and Glenn feeling that they had to make a choice where their priorities were , and sadly, they choose not be a part of IN FLAMES any more. They both announced, unexpectedly after the recording of Whoracle, that they were leaving, and Björn, Jesper and Anders were left with a finished record and half a band.
Luckily they were good friends with Peter Iwers and Niklas Engelin, who both happened to play bass and guitar, and they filled in at the end of the recordings, to do a mini-tour with Dimmu Borgir. This worked out fine and the two gentlemen were asked to stay in the band permanently, and so they did. Together the group continued onto a successful tour in Europeand an amazing week in Japan, where they did their first two shows. Japan welcomed the Swedes with warm arms, and they had an amazing experience. As they return to Sweden, Niklas leaves the band, due to some different opinions, and the fact that he wanted to focus on Gardenian, his other band. This is the biggest turning point for IN FLAMES, as they decide to switch Björn from drums to guitar, (being a guitar player originally), and recruit Daniel Svensson ( Sacrilige) on Drums. This works out wonderful, and they record COLONY, the biggest success so far.
The Colonization takes them around the world, to Europe, USA and Japan, and this tour is an amazing experience for IN FLAMES, that finally receives the attention they´ve been waiting for. As they play full houses almost everywhere, the party goes on for a few months, and the response is excellent all over the world.
In August of 2000, after a few years of successful touring , the release of Clayman is a fact, after spending 3 months in the studio. This record spins off really well, and the sales are overwhelming and it knocks out the previous record sales in a few months.
After doing festivals with Dream Theater, Slipknot, Testament, Methods of mayhem, etc, a world tour was to expect. In Flames aimed for Japan and Europe, which was squeezed in between 2 American tours. This was the same round as last year, only this time bigger places, more people and more material. In Japan, Jesper received an award from BURRN! As the number 1 songwriter of the year. The tours were a huge success once again. Peter Iwers did not join them on all of these tours as he had a new arrival back home, that he stayed home with instead, a baby girl, but he joined in for the Scandinavian and Japan dates, and was temporarily replaced by Dick Löwgren from Armageddon for the other tours. In the year 2000, approximately 150 shows were performed by In Flames , and then a well deserved vacation was taken by the members. 2001, Peter is back and the band does a few single shows in Sweden, including a headline gig in Gothenburg, which was featured in 4 television channels, and aired live on the radio.
Charts this year were very high, including #4 in Japan, both group and record, # 3 in Canada´s greatest metal mag- Brave words and Bloody Knuckles, # 1 in Metal Maniacs, and # 17 on the official Swedish charts, to name a few.
A video is shot for Only for the Weak, and the band went on a mini tour in Europe, where they played 13 shows in front of 20 000 people, needless to say, it was a huge success.
Next: summer festivals, including Wacken Open Air, Rock Machina to name a few, then the release of a live album : The Tokyo Showdown, in August, before heading over to the US for another tour.
What next? well, another record was made, this time at a new location with a new producer: Dug-Out studios with Daniel Bergstrand. The band wanted to go elsewhere and try on a different studio and producer. Reroute To Remain was produced, and the the result was amazing. More touring, headline spins, support spins were done. Including raveling with the likes of Slipknot, Mudvayne, Soulfly and Slayer, that gave them the possibility to share their music with a different audience! Two headline spins in the US, one in Europe, festivals, including replacing Linkin park at Sweden's biggest festival: Hultsfred.
The day after that show they were offered to do a support slot for Metallica in Madrid, which was a huge success, playing in front of 30.000 people, making it the biggest show so far , that was not a festival.
The making of soundtrack to your escape started in may 2003 when they rented a small house in Denmark to do pre-production. The idea to do this came very natural as they had started working like this on the last record, but this time they wanted to go even further away from Sweden, to prevent any kinds of distractions. The result was 11 songs, and then two more followed as they went into another recording process, although this time they moved all their gear and Daniel Bergstrands studio equipment into a larger house in Denmark to do the recording ina much more relaxed atmosphere. Only the druns where recorded at Dug-Out as the previous record, but the producers were the same: Daniel Bergstrand and Örjan Örnkloo.. which brings us up to date, where a large tour is on it´s way, taking the band once again all over the world, trying to spread the In Flames word around !
Soundtrack to Your Escape increased the band's popularity considerably, selling 100,000 copies in the United States and yielding a #2 single on the Swedish charts with "The Quiet Place". The ensuing world tour saw the band make their first trip to Australia, where they played to mostly sold out crowds. Afterwards, In Flames toured with bands such as Judas Priest, Mötley Crüe, and Motörhead. In Flames also played on the main stage during Ozzfest 2005.
In 2005, In Flames recorded and self-produced their eighth studio album, Come Clarity, in Dug-Out studio. That same year, In Flames released Used and Abused: In Live We Trust, a box set consisting of material filmed and recorded throughout various live performances during 2004. Also in 2005, In Flames decided to sign with an additional record label so future releases could have better distribution in North America. In 2006, Come Clarity was released in North America through Ferret Music and elsewhere through Nuclear Blast. It became the band's first #1 album on the Swedish charts. That same year, In Flames toured with Sepultura, co-headlined a U.S. tour with Lacuna Coil, toured on The Unholy Alliance tour, was one of the headliners on the Sounds of the Underground tour, and played on the main stage at Download Festival.
In Flames finished recording their ninth studio album in October 2007 in their own studio, IF Studios, located in Gothenburg, Sweden; originally Studio Fredman. Alongside the recording sessions, the band released studio diaries documenting the recording process.
In 2007, the band played in Dubai for the annual Dubai Desert Rock Festival. In Flames also played at Bloodstock Open Air festival in August 2007.
In Flames were featured on the Gigantour 3 North American tour with Megadeth, Children of Bodom, Job for a Cowboy, and High on Fire.
On April 4th, 2008, In Flames released their 9th studio album, A Sense of Purpose. The first single from the new album is titled "The Mirror's Truth" which was released in Europe on March 7, 2008.
2 Arch Enemy
With a band name meaning chief attacker, principle opponent, and eminent hostile foe, ARCH ENEMY's blatant philosophy of insurgence is exactly what propels them out of the masses of convention and into the frontline of a movement that dares to defy imposed limitations on musical creativity.
Throughout his career, former Carcass guitarist and ARCH ENEMY founding member Michael Amott has never been concerned with conformity. In 1996, his pursuit to merge melody with aggression and technicality led him to collaborate with brother Christopher Amott, drummer Daniel Erlandsson, and vocalist Johan Liiva. Without even circulating a demo, they teamed up with the celebrated producer Fredrik Nordström and delivered ARCH ENEMY's debut, Black Earth - an album that is still hailed as a milestone in Swedish death metal. Michael Amott and Fredrik Nordström co-produced 1998's Stigmata, which pushed the band to new heights with its technical execution. Welcoming Mercyful Fate bassist Sharlee D'Angelo into the ranks for 1999's Amott/Nordström-produced Burning Bridges, ARCH ENEMY's now undeniable musical pedigree delivered an intricate and devastating album. Despite a North American tour with Nevermore, European tours with In Flames, Children Of Bodom, and Dark Tranquillity, three Japanese tours, performances at The Dynamo Festival, a co-headlining appearance in Santiago, Chile with Hammerfall, and sharing a bill with Cradle Of Filth in London, Michael Amott felt there was still more territory to cover, as all high-achievers are wont to believe.
In a completely unexpected turn of events, Angela Gossow - a completely unknown vocalist from Germany - replaced Johan Liiva in 2001 and delivered a staggering debut performance on the Wages Of Sin album (produced by Fredrik Nordström and mixed by Andy Sneap), marking the first time a band of this caliber and ferocity was fronted by a woman. The reception given to Gossow by the sold-out crowd at her worldwide debut in Los Angeles in March 2002 was nothing short of overwhelming. The album was bathed in unending universal praise from daily newspapers, front cover press in worldwide national magazines with Wages Of Sin proudly claiming stake in end-of-the-year "Best Of..." lists, while the metal underground showcased a faithful display of allegiance to the new line-up. Metal Maniacs hailed the album as a "relentless, eclectic and wholly charged album to keep even those with the shortest musical attention spans entertained." Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles insisted the album "requires a double-take, as Angela's gurgling undertow sticks needles in your eardrums while your eyes can't believe where it's coming from." Metal Edge declared Angela Gossow to be "one of the most promising talents in years." North America's Alternative Press quickly identified ARCH ENEMY as one of the five bands who exemplify "the sound of things to come" in 2002. This claim would soon prove itself prophetic during the band's performances at Japan's Beast Feast, the Milwaukee Metalfest, the New England Metal & Hardcore Festival, a North American tour supporting Nile, their own headlining North American tour, and six sold-out dates in Japan.
Fueled by their success and teaming up with producer English producer extraordinaire Andy Sneap for Anthems Of Rebellion, ARCH ENEMY unveils yet another stratum of their impressive musical depth, the obvious being Gossow's talents of enunciation, which truly rank with the accomplishments of Death's Chuck Schuldiner and Carcass's Jeff Walker. Filled with the trademarked tandem guitar work of the Amott Brothers and the flawless D'Angelo/Erlandsson rhythm section that has earned the band staunch recognition, "Tear Down The Walls/Silent Wars" is the articulation of awakening, a mandate for change; "We Will Rise" is a call to consciousness, a declaration of war against everything mediocre force-fed to us by society; "Leader Of The Rats" is a reminder of the much-needed cynicism that can keep everyday life in perspective; and finally, "Despicable Heroes" is a scathing critique of the hypocrisy of those appointed to leadership who abuse the loyalty of their followers.
3 Dark Tranquillity
Back in the early '90s Sweden's DARK TRANQUILLITY were laying the foundations for a style of metal that they could call their own. Having identified the limitations within the strict and rigid framework of the downtrodden death metal genre, DARK TRANQUILLITY began experimenting with and incorporating advanced melodic patterns and non-linear song structures into their intense, aggressive and accomplished music. Last year's Projector showcased DARK TRANQUILLITY's ability to expand their musical borders and constantly challenge their listeners: That diverse and introspective album brought home euphoric reviews and even got the band nominated in the Hard Rock category in the Swedish Grammy awards. 2000 brings yet another new opus from DT, perhaps even more ripened than its predecessor, the monstrous and challenging Haven.
Formed in 1989, DARK TRANQUILLITY have had a huge influence on the European underground scene, pioneering the now-archetypal style that journalists and fans have dubbed the "Gothenburg sound" (alluding to their native town in Sweden of course). This term is characterized with dueling guitar harmonies and complex song structures combined with an intense aural assault rooted in the '80s thrash tradition, although with a more melodic approach. Within the first several years DT released three full-length recordings and two EPs (the first two on Spinefarm and the next three on Osmose) and became one of the most heralded and talked-about bands in the entire Scandinavian metal movement. Their third full-length The Mind's I and its preceding EP Enter Suicidal Angels displayed the expected DARK TRANQUILLITY trademarks and characteristics, however the songs began to get shorter and more compressed, focusing on energy and vitality while still retaining the accurate sense of melody that have graced the band's past material. In early 1999 the band signed a deal with Century Media Records, who released the band's 1999 album Projector to the entire world. Projector was the band's most dynamic work to date, seething with technical power while representing more progression for the group in terms of creative maturity and approach. Mikael Stanne's voice was more effective and identifying than ever, while the playing of guitarists Niklas Sundin (who actually writes lyrics for fellow Swedes In Flames) and Fredrik Johansson amazed even the most selective of metal fan. The core elements of DARK TRANQUILLITY (who are rounded out with bassist Martin Henriksson and drummer Anders Jivarp) were very present, while newer influences and approaches were also integrated, resulting in an album that was as modern as it was impacting, and as aspiring as it was identifiable. Their European tour with In Flames, Children Of Bodom and label mates Arch Enemy did not only fulfill the dreams of every true Gothenburg-sound disciple, but turned out to be a triumphant advance for lovers of intelligent, extreme music that dares to embrace melody. Soon it was followed by two successful shows in the land of the rising sun with Soilwork, filling the overflow of Japanese crowds with rabid enthusiasm.
Spurred by their numerous, fresh impressions from the road, DARK TRANQUILLITY felt the need to explore some new musical territories (being adventurous as always) with Haven, but on the other hand also go back to some of their harsher roots. The songs are solid and immediate, and the more laid-back sonics of Projector are replaced by an expressive and more direct approach. Tracks like "Fabric" and "Emptier Still" show a modern, contemporary side of the band, while the likes of "Feast Of Burden" is without any doubt classic DARK TRANQUILLITY material. Haven is the first recording featuring new members Martin Brandstrom and Michael Nicklasson, further adding to their revitalized spirit and ongoing innovation that flows throughout this album, and which surely ranks as another very special and precious piece of metallic art. DARK TRANQUILLITY are metal virtuosity, and their songs couldn't be any more injecting and refreshing as they are now.
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