Unleashed (band)

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Unleashed
Unleashed With Full Force 2018 18.jpg
Unleashed live at With Full Force 2018
Background information
Origin Stockholm, Sweden
Genres Death metal
Years active1989–present
Labels Century Media, Steamhammer, Nuclear Blast, Napalm Records
MembersJohnny Hedlund
Fredrik Folkare
Tomas Olsson
Anders Schultz
Past membersRobert Sennebäck
Fredrik Lindgren
Website unleashed.se

Unleashed is a Swedish death metal band that was formed in 1989 by Johnny Hedlund in Stockholm. Common lyrical themes found in the band's music include Viking culture, recollection of a pre-Christian world, and Norse folklore. A number of their recent songs also contain references to J. R. R. Tolkien. Unleashed (along with Dismember, Entombed and Grave) is considered one of the "big four" of Swedish death metal. [1] [2]

Contents

History

Unleashed was founded in 1989 by vocalist and bassist Johnny Hedlund. Unleashed recorded demos "Revenge" and "Utter Dark", which got them a record deal with the German label Century Media Records. In 1991, the band released their debut studio album, Where No Life Dwells , and toured with Morbid Angel in Europe and the US.

In 1992, Unleashed released their second studio album, Shadows in the Deep , including a cover version of Venom's "Countess Bathory". Their next studio albums were Across the Open Sea in 1993 and Victory in 1995, the latter being the last album which guitarist Fredrik Lindgren played on. Lindgren began to focus strongly on playing punk rock, so Unleashed replaced him with Fredrik Folkare, who played guitar on the fifth Unleashed studio album Warrior in 1997.

Bassist/vocalist Johnny Hedlund, founder of the band Unleashed JonnhyHedlund.jpg
Bassist/vocalist Johnny Hedlund, founder of the band

The band went on hiatus after 7–8 years of recording and touring. They were concentrating on life outside the music business, their musical side projects, and studying. After a reissue of the band's classics in 2002, the band released a new album called Hell's Unleashed in the same year, and they began to tour once again. This was also the same year Hedlund had come under scrutiny because of allegations that he was a Nazi sympathizer. Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters initially had intended to approach Hedlund, hoping he would contribute lead vocals to one of the songs for his Probot metal project, but the album producer, Matt Sweeney, discouraged him from doing so because of the rumors of Hedlund's alleged sympathies. [3] Hedlund quickly branded these accusations as false and stated, Unleashed praises nature, beast and man. Man....regardless of background, place of birth or color of the skin. [4] [5]

In 2004, Unleashed released their seventh studio album, Sworn Allegiance . In October 2006, the band released their eighth studio album, Midvinterblot . Unleashed toured Europe in November 2006 as part of the Masters of Death tour, with Grave, Dismember, and Entombed. On February and March 2007, they headlined a North American tour with Krisiun and Belphegor. June 2008 saw the release of their ninth studio album entitled Hammer Battalion .

On 24 July 2009, Unleashed signed a contract with German label Nuclear Blast Records for the release of their tenth album entitled As Yggdrasil Trembles . In the press statement the band said, "We are very much looking forward to this new cooperation! The recording of the album is scheduled for October/November this year." [6]

In summer 2010, Unleashed was part of the Summer Breeze Open Air and the With Full Force heavy metal festivals in Germany. [7] The band's 11th studio album Odalheim was released also on Nuclear Blast Records in April 2012, and their twelfth record Dawn of the Nine was released 24 April 2015. In early 2018, it was announced that Unleashed had signed to prominent Austrian label Napalm Records, through whom they released their next album entitled The Hunt for White Christ later that year. In February 2021, the band announced that they were working on their 14th studio album. The resulting No Sign of Life was released in the fall of 2021.

Members

Current members [8]

Former members

Timeline

Unleashed (band)

Discography

Studio albums

EPs and singles

Live albums

Compilation albums

Boxed sets

Related Research Articles

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<i>Where No Life Dwells</i> 1991 studio album by Unleashed

Where No Life Dwells is the debut album by the Swedish death metal band Unleashed. It was released in 1991 by Century Media Records, and was produced by Waldemar Sorychta, who would go on to produce more Century Media acts such as Lacuna Coil.

Terra Firma is a Swedish stoner metal band which was formed by Fredrik Lindgren after leaving Unleashed and with Lord Chritus a.k.a. Christian Lindersson, who used to sing in the Swedish band Count Raven and Los Angeles based band Saint Vitus. Terra Firma would later break up and Fredrik would start a new band called Harms Way. Terra Firma also featured the band members Izmo Hedlund on Drums and Nico Moosebeach on bass who would later move onto Entombed. The band recorded 2 full length albums, a couple of vinyl singles and appeared on a couple of compilation CDs and split 7-inch vinyl. Terra Firma played some gigs in Sweden and did some European tours with band such as Atomic Bitchwax, Cathedral, Orange Goblin, Dozer, Masters of Reality, Blackshine, Dismember, Murder Squad, Entombed and Mammoth Volume.

<i>Hammer Battalion</i> 2008 studio album by Unleashed

Hammer Battalion is the ninth studio album by the Swedish death metal band Unleashed. It was recorded at Fredrik Folkare's recording studio in Sweden and released on June 9, 2008, by Steamhammer. A music video was shot for Black Horizon, and it debuted on MTV Headbangers blog.

<i>Across the Open Sea</i> 1993 studio album by Unleashed

Across the Open Sea is the third studio album by the Swedish death metal band, Unleashed. It was released in 1993 on Century Media Records. It was produced by the band itself.

<i>Victory</i> (Unleashed album) 1995 studio album by Unleashed

Victory is the fourth studio album by the Swedish death metal band Unleashed. It was released in 1995 on Century Media Records.

<i>Warrior</i> (Unleashed album) 1997 studio album by Unleashed

Warrior is the fifth studio album by the Swedish death metal band, Unleashed. It was released in 1997 on Century Media Records.

<i>Hells Unleashed</i> 2002 studio album by Unleashed

Hell's Unleashed is the sixth studio album by the Swedish death metal band, Unleashed. It was released in 2002 on Century Media Records, after a five-year break from recording.

<i>Sworn Allegiance</i> 2004 studio album by Unleashed

Sworn Allegiance is the seventh studio album by the Swedish death metal band, Unleashed. It was released in 2004 on Century Media Records, their last recording for the label.

<i>As Yggdrasil Trembles</i> 2010 studio album by Unleashed

As Yggdrasil Trembles is the tenth studio album by the Swedish death metal band Unleashed. It was released on March 19, 2010 by Nuclear Blast Records.

<i>Odalheim</i> 2012 studio album by Unleashed

Odalheim is the 11th studio album by the Swedish death metal band Unleashed. It was released on 24 April 2012 by Nuclear Blast Records.

<i>Dawn of the Nine</i> 2015 studio album by Unleashed

Dawn of the Nine is the 12th studio album by the Swedish death metal band Unleashed. It was released on 27 April 2015 by Nuclear Blast Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Firespawn</span> Swedish death metal band

Firespawn is a Swedish death metal band from Stockholm, formed in 2012 by Alex Impaler of Necrophobic, Lars-Göran Petrov and Victor Brandt, both of Entombed A.D. Originally called Fireborn, the group "wanted to play faster and harder death metal than in our other bands". The later addition of guitarist Fredrik Folkare of Unleashed and Necrophobic and drummer Matte Modin of Defleshed, completed the band's line-up.

<i>The Hunt for White Christ</i> 2018 studio album by Unleashed

The Hunt for White Christ is the 13th studio album by Swedish death metal band Unleashed, released on October 26, 2018 via Napalm.

<i>No Sign of Life</i> 2021 studio album by Unleashed

No Sign of Life is the 14th studio album by the Swedish death metal band Unleashed. It was released by the music label Napalm Records on 12 October 2021.

References

  1. ↑ "METAL RULES". 9 January 2017. Archived from the original on 9 January 2017. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
  2. ↑ "Grave Sign With Century Media". Terrorizer.com. 7 July 2011. Retrieved 22 March 2020.
  3. ↑ "DAVE GROHL NIRVANA 'Ripped Off' UNLEASHED Song". blabbermouth.net. 8 June 2005. Archived from the original on 16 January 2008. Retrieved 2 October 2007.
  4. ↑ "Unleashed Biography". Metalstorm.ee. Retrieved 2 October 2007.
  5. ↑ "UNLEASHED: We Are Not Nazi Sympathizers!". BLABBERMOUTH.NET. 23 October 2002. Retrieved 1 August 2017.
  6. ↑ "UNLEASHED Signs With NUCLEAR BLAST RECORDS - July 24, 2009". Archived from the original on 13 September 2012.
  7. ↑ "1349, REBELLION Confirmed For Germany's SUMMER BREEZE Festival". Blabbermouth.net. 17 December 2009. Archived from the original on 6 June 2011. Retrieved 24 March 2010.
  8. ↑ (2021), Unleashed Biography, http://metalriot.com/news/unleashed, retrieved March 27. 2021
  9. ↑ "Unleashed Announces Title, Album Concept - in Metal News". Metalunderground.com. 15 August 2011. Retrieved 22 March 2020.
  10. ↑ "Dawn Of The Nine by UNLEASHED - info and shop at Nuclear Blast - Nuclear Blast". Nuclearblast.de. Retrieved 22 March 2020.
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