Sweden. What does a layman imagine when he hears the name of this Scandinavian country. Vikings, hockey players, Karl XII, Carlson, Ikea and the Nobel Prize. Intellectuals will recall the “demonic” director Ingmar Bergman. But, first of all, Sweden is known as one of the world “rock capitals” along with Finland, Britain and Germany. Swedish rock groups will be discussed in this article.
Swedish "Europe"
The career of the Swedish rock band Europe did not start as smoothly as in others. In 1978, in Stockholm, musicians rhythm guitarist Joey Tempest, solo guitarist John Norum, bassist Peter Olsson and drummer Tony Renault founded Force. But they could not start a career, as the recording studios refused to record them, citing the fact that the musicians have a defiant style and sing in English instead of Swedish. Unable to withstand all this, Olsson leaves the group in order to return back three months later. Officially, the band's career began in 1982, when it, under the name Europe, won the Rock-SM competition and received a contract with Hot Records. Europe recorded the debut album of the same name in 1983, and, in total, the discography of the collective has 10 albums.
The most famous of them is, released in 1986, "The Final Countdown". The day after the release, Europeans woke up world famous. The song of the same name became a world hit, having hit the top ten in 12 charts, received 4 certifications. The group gained particular popularity in Japan, becoming one of the most striking "icons" of Japanese rock. Subsequent albums of the group also occupied the leading positions in the charts, and released in 1991, "Prisoners in Paradise" became "gold" in Sweden. Europe has become the idols of millions of people around the world. But the popularity did not prevent the group from breaking up in 1993, although officially this was declared a break.
Association of Europe
In 1999, the group teamed up briefly for a concert in Stockholm. Apparently, then the team members decided to resume their careers, which was officially announced in 2003. The group changed its style from glam metal to hard rock and in 2004 released a new disc "Start from the Dark", which became the group's second debut. It is interesting that on the day of the album's release - September 22, solo guitarist John Norum became a father. In 2015, the tenth studio album "War of Kings" was released, finishing second in the Swedish charts.
Long song "Kaipa"
In 1974, keyboardist Hans Lundin, already experienced in the music scene, together with his friends - guitarist Royne Stolt, bassist Thomas Erickson and drummer Ingemar Bergman (not to be confused with the director) founded his own band Kaipa. In 1975, their debut album of the same name was released, which came to the taste of both critics and viewers. In total, Kaipa released 11 albums. In the early 80s, due to internal showdowns, the group began to rapidly change its composition, releasing only 2 albums in 20 years, which, however, were not noticed by the audience. In 2000, the revival of the group begins, by 2017, Kaipa released 8 albums. Recently released their album "Children of the Sounds", which will appeal to both fans of the group and all lovers of rock music of the 70s.
Swedish "Ark"
In 1991, in the small town of Vöksi in southern Sweden, 14-year-old Ola Salo, together with his friends Mikael Jepson and Lars Lunberg, decided to establish their own group. In 1997, Martin Axen joined them, in 1999, Sylvester Schlegel. In 2000, the new rock band The Ark (translated from English as "Ark") released its first album. The group is distinguished by very provocative texts, especially early ones. In 2007, The Ark with the song "The Working King" took first place at the Melodifestivalen festival, which is the Eurovision qualifying round. At the international competition, the group took only 18th place. In 2010, the musicians announced their breakup, giving a farewell concert in 2011.
Do you want the blues? Eat the pill
The story of the Swedish blues-rock band Blues Pills, which is translated from English as “Blues Pills”, began in 2011, when the brothers Zach Anderson and Corey Berry founded a new group, in which they called vocalist Ellis Larsson. The group was especially noted for having gone on tour before the release of their debut album, released in 2015. Blues Pills music is filled with the true spirit of 60s music and will find fans both among connoisseurs and beginners alike. Great music for a great time. Blues Pills currently has only two albums, but they are worth the time you spend listening to them.
Swedish power metal plate
How is a plate boot (part of medieval armor) related to Swedish rock? The answer will be given by the Swedish rock band Sabaton, founded in 1999 in the town of Falun. Composition: keyboardist Joachim Broden, rhythm guitarist Ricard Sunden, solo guitarist Oscar Montelius, bassist Par Sundstrom and drummer Richard Larsson.
In the early 2000s, the band released their first album "Fist for Fight" via Abyss Records, which included the band's first demos. But the release of the album was delayed, and the team with the new drummer Daniel Mullback began to prepare a real album. Work on "Metalizer" was quickly completed, but the label showed no interest in him, and the release date of the record was always postponed. Suggestions rained down on Sabaton, however this time the group first recorded the album, and only then began negotiations.
In 2005, in the spring of the same year, on the Black Lodge label, the first official album of the Swedish rock band called "Primo Victoria" was released, which from Latin translates as "first victory".
Symbolism, in general, is inherent in Sabaton. This is the first of the Swedish rock bands to fully devote their songs to military topics. The group’s audience is growing steadily from album to album, the most successful of which was the “Art of War” released in 2008, the name and concept of which the musicians took from the book of Chinese general and military theorist Sun Tzu. Sabaton held their first tour in support of the release of the new album, and the album received many positive reviews.
Sabaton's discography currently has 8 albums. The latest album, The Last Stand, was released on August 19, 2016. All lovers of Swedish rock music and fans of Swedish rock bands are strongly encouraged to listen.