Daniel Ekeroth on Gothenburg-style Swedish Death Metal

[Elidhan]

It's great to see someone give Dissection the credit they deserved. I never was a huge fan of their satanic theme, but I'll always be a fan of their music.

I've been listening to Storm of the Light's Bane for years (decades ?) and this album will never get old.

[cmc47834]

whats that song in the end? im still new to melodic types of music

[lulzter]

gotta love youtube music purists who call all genres they dont like shit, despite teh fact that they probably just fap over the same shit year in year out

[DarkLordNagash]

Storm Of The Light's Bane... BEST. ALBUM. EVER.

[kornino]

Well In Flames were great as much as At the gates and Dissection. Now they changed kind of music (but they always use their "melodies") but they were great too. They are great now too. I've seen them live and they kicked asses.

[idangle6]

gothenburg created the modern metalcore sound and not the other way around i hate when people tell me that gothenburg bands are metalcore bothers me

[vincentjurg]

@idangle6 I hate metalcore, and I don't think DT, At The Gates and In Flames never has that intention when they created that great sound. So weird that there is NO band that actually makes 90's-styled gothenburg metal. Does anybody have any tips? If not, I might wanna go and make it myself.

[gman1280]

@vincentjurg

The Absence kinda do

[vincentjurg]

@gman1280 Thanks. I'll check it out!

[eraser979]

Grotesque and Ceremonial Oath were pioneers of Gothenburg style Swedish death metal. Ekeroth have a few mistakes in his theory.

[MindKillSwe]

@eraser979 They don't really sound that typical Gothenburg-ish.

[Hellthrasher]

To understand real Swedish Dethmetal - Carnage - 'Dark Recollections'



[Hellbrigade88]

death metal sucks these days. its all been done before....and its depressing as fuck

[mkmoloch]

They need a book on the NYDM scene. My favorite out of the three largest scenes. Tri-State 1st, then Scandinavian and Floridian 2nd.

[fuckingmaracas]

The two best metal albums from Gothenburg are At The Gates' The Red in the Sky is Ours and Sacramentum's Far Away From the Sun. Ignore the likes of In Flames.

[daviderebus]

why does his face shine? jajaja

[Hverglemer]

Agreed. They were increddibly unuique. Especially Dissection, best band that ever lived!

[gazzolli]

i capelli tinti sono molto brutti.

[OmegaDarkful]

@gazzolli Anche lui non è che sia un bell'uomo comunque, anzi!

[gazzolli]

@OmegaDarkful hai ragione ahahahahahahahaahahahahahah!

[eraser979]

what about ceremonial oath they were formed before at the gates and dissection

[Arasys1]

I really don't understand how he came up with a comment like this at the end of his book :" They tried to do something similar to ATG with "dubious" results...To me this is of the more unexciting Swedish Death metal-linked bands". We all know ATG and Dissection were the first.I believe DT follows Gothenburg's traditional guitar riffage with contemporary elements which is making them a unique band. Some of his comments are truly unjust. where's Stromblad on the list "Cast of Central Characters"?

[OmegaDarkful]

@Arasys1 You would understand it better if you knew better the idiot who wrote the book! One who claims himself to be an expert of music and feels in the right to talk shit about bands he is jealous of!

Guys, dont waste money on shit like that cause its only opinions from one side in it! Met this dude years ago in Sweden and he is only alot of shit talk bout bands and people he knows beside being a total drunk pissbag who spends his time sleepin on sidewalks!

[Arasys1]

@OmegaDarkful I agree, at least bands we know such as Dark Tranquillity, In Flames and many other bands can't be criticized from a such closed perspective. For example from which reference one can say DT is NOT a metal band ? Or how can one say In Flame's songs are too "mathematical" ? , imagine Jesper sitting down and calculating all those songs, he would play with a perfect technique yet dude can't even sweep pick. You know what I mean ? Some bands are openly insulted based on bullshit.

[OmegaDarkful]

@Arasys1 Sure! And also i dont see on which bases he speaks of IF and DT as "imitations" of Dissection and At the gates since In Flames plays a kind of music that aint really the Dark Tranquillity one and for sure aint anything to do with Dissection and ATG music at all! How is it possible to generalize in such horrible and idiotic way!? So according to him, following this ideas chain, even all bands who came after Maiden and Metallica are shit cause they were first and all others were

[OmegaDarkful]

@Arasys1 just imitating with "dubious results"? I actually consider Jesper as a great musician cause he "invented" something, didnt try to copy anybody! Maiden kinda riffs with death/black metal voice on. Probably the only band that have done that before them was Sentenced with Amok album but again, one cant compare all time bands and styles trying to find at all costs who copied who!!!

When i met this dude he was playing with a shitty band called Dellamorte

[OmegaDarkful]

@Arasys1 that, according to him, was one of the most famous and well known bands in Sweden! That gives you an idea of whom we are talking of! he just wrote a book out of insults and oneself opinions, a mistery to me on how people can take this seriously! Im surprised he didnt put himself on the cast of central characters! Or maybe he did and i dont remember!

[Arasys1]

@OmegaDarkful "When i met this dude he was playing with a shitty band called Dellamorte, that, according to him, was one of the most famous .. " That explains everything then, lets call it jealousy mixed with conservatism towards old school Death Metal. I am glad this guy did not write a book about Finnish bands, I wonder what he has to say about Mors Principium Est and Sentenced after seeing all that bullshit about many bands in Sweden. At least I am glad he did not bitch about Peter Tagtgren.

[OmegaDarkful]

@Arasys1 "IF" he knows those bands probably he would go delirium saying something like "theyre just a pale imitations of true swedish death metal bla bla" and the "finnes arent hardcore metal heads as swedes" (this he told me!) Indeed what ive been always thinking since then and in his case old school death metal means somebody who would like to play death metal but aint really able to do so! Take his Insision for example... great name, great band but live version they are a joke.

[OmegaDarkful]

@Arasys1 with the singer losing his voice after 3 songs and him falling between amplifiers puking on himself. Now they can even fool somebody saying "ahhh the true rnr spirit" to me is just childish and unrespectful towards an audience that actually spent money in order to watch a gig! All of this to say that aint possible to take seriously declarations from that person. With Tagtgren and Hipocrisy actually i have my opinion on why he didnt talk shit... Tagtgren owns a rec studio n is a producer

[OmegaDarkful]

@Arasys1 of bands, so... too riskful to dance even on that minefield!

[MelinusMargos]

Dissection>At the gates

[georock123]

Daniel sounds like a Greek guy at my school.

That makes no sense.

[OmegaDarkful]

@georock123 are you sure he was greek and not drunk?

[deliciouscake114]

Dude, I just bought Dismember's Indecent and Obscene album and it's the best Swedish death metal I've ever heard...

[0007123451]

I <3 Swe Death.

[keeler123]

I love the jonas brothers.

[keeler123]

I love the jonas brothers

[nnex2]

Listen to Sepultura's song Necromancer

[Tombking2]

Daniel is wrong, in my opinion, FI something, Dismember and Entombed are the most copied Death metal bands ever, soundwise.

[benjahTrum]

melodic death FTW!

[AntiHero1996]

At The Gates, Dissection, Dismember, Entombed-The Big 4 of Swedish Death Metal

[DeathMetal6907]

@AntiHero1996 dissection is black metal not death metal

[AntiHero1996]

@DeathMetal6907 That's your opinion, I'd really say they were interchangeably black/death metal. If you ask me they helped bridge the rather large gap between black and death metal.

[NihilView]

@DeathMetal6907 IMO the Somberlain has early gothenburg melodic death with black metal influences check out son of morning -live in koln 1997 sounds like some at the gates riffs, but for me SOTLB is melodic black with some thrash parts in Nights blood ,Retribution.

Last work -Reinkaos is gothenburg melodic death with black metal-occult lyrics

[xDIStructorx]

@SIGN666

entombeds guitarist recorded two guitars on the LHP album and i think that they used the hm pedal for the fat crunchy death metal riffs and the ds pedal for the death metal melodys stuff and the solos.

and i also think that it may not sound that good because entombed used to tune their guitars even lower (they had b tuning) on that album.

and also entombed recorded their songs with downtuned basses of course so if you combine bass and guitar you should get the real superfat sound !!!!!

[blashyrhkRAAA]

heres a tip, fuck up the wires connecting from the amp to the instrument, fuck them up good, then kick your amp in. if this does not provide the desired results... BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

[soulofshiver]

Melodic Death Metal > Metalcore

[blashyrhkRAAA]

Festering shit pile > Metalcore

Dicksoup > Metalcore

Anus stew > Metalcore

Everything > Metalcore

[ShimmySystem]

@soulofshiver Yes, fuck metalcore. All they do is copy melodic death metal, but replace the death metal elements with hardcore elements.

[ICJ3X]

@soulofshiver

Metalcore> Dumbed down Melodic Death Metal with hardcore breakdowns = Shit

[grubigin]

@soulofshiver Hardcore Melodic Death Metal = Metalcore

[0xYurix0]

@soulofshiver Metalcore tries to play Melodic Death Metal but they FAIL

they can't make their own styles so they fake At the Gates and stuff..

I HATE METALCORE

[karleinararne]

@soulofshiver i would rather call it deathcore than metalcore :/

[SlitetSystem]

@soulofshiver That´s just so fucking wrong.

[puremetal95]

@soulofshiver Metalcore should be destroyed and wiped off the surface of earth

[ShimmySystem]

Nothing beats 90's Melodic Death Metal.

[Draclord35]

Late 80's early 90's swedish death metal is darker, faster and... well... better !

[MartyrOfMetal]

@Draclord35 At the Gates is pretty damn good, and they don't contain nearly as much melody as the other Gothenburg bands, I consider them pretty much straight death metal with hints of melody.

[Draclord35]

@MartyrOfMetal Yeah, you're right and that's why I think At The Gates is an excellent band. In Flames WAS a great band too for its heavy metal part, but that's a bit too far from the "real" swedish death metal. Anyway, I've checked the first album from Miasmal (a band from Gothenburg, playing 100% old-school swedish death metal) and it is excellent ! Probably the best "new old-school" swedish death metal release I've heard so far.

[Icantfeeeeeelit]

@Draclord35 you fucking prick, In flames is a bit to far from the "real" swedish death metal?

dickface, In flames was one of the bands that grounded the whole Melodic death metal scene so gtfo.. gothenburg metal ftw

[Draclord35]

@Icantfeeeeeelit Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge fan of TJR/Whoracle/Colony and I think that's probably the best albums melodic death metal have to offer... BUT, I don't see melodic death metal as "real" swedish death metal. Just have growling vocals isn't sufficient. When I say "swedish death metal" I mean "Dismember, Entombed, Nihilist, Unleashed, Grave, Nirvana 2002, Interment etc", otherwise I say "melodic death metal".

[jiminey6969]

@Icantfeeeeeelit Funny way of spelling At the Gates, there. In Flames isn't even death metal.

[Rodneymaster]

Swedish Death Metal... Hell yeah

[JimZehMetalDude]

whats the melody in the end? is it in a song?

[UncannyJerry]

Entombed- Left Hand Path....they also stole it from the movie Phantasm

[bpet19]

anyone know where i can get one of those hm-2 boss pedals?

[splashfootmonkey]

Got mine from Ebay for about 55 USD. That was some years ago before the new rising of swedish death metal, so maybe they are more expensive and sought after now. I think they stopped being manufactured in the first half of 90's so second hand is the place to go.

[Bpet18]

shit i checked on ebay and saw some but how trustworthy do you think they are

[splashfootmonkey]

You never know before you receive it and plug it in =) If the seller has good feedback and one pays with paypal at least I wouldn't be worried about getting ripped off.

[Valgrindar]

eBay usually isn't that risky, but if you're really worried you can check out guitar shops in your area that sell used gear. If you're in the northeast, you'll probably be able to get one at Daddy's Junky Music, which is where I got mine. If not, pretty much any big-name used guitar outlet will probably have one. I don't know so much about the smaller name outlets, though.

[isair81]

It's true what he says, even tho there are Melodic Death Metal bands that come up with some amazing stuff. Nothing truly beats At The Gates and Dissection, they might be as good, but never better, imo.

[grotesquelydeformed]

At The Gates' first two albums are excellent, no doubt. I just hate the constant praise for Slaughter of the Soul. Horrible album.

[arntoreinwindir]

Agreed 100%

[enemyofgod]

Lets not forget about Hypocrisy, those guys are Legends.

[jinko17]

that is the truest thing I've ever heard anyone say about anything. At The Gates will never be matched or surpassed.

[evilallie1]

Gothenburg Schmothenberg the best Metal from Sweden now days is from the Stockholm and North Areas.!

[creepsomber]

Hell yeah! The Gothenburg sound is and has always been too polished in my opinion. The Stockholm sound is just pure fucking power.

[creepsomber]

Dismember are the KINGS of all Swedish dm.

[Jabulon666]

Entombed are already crown for that so....

[creepsomber]

You're being sarcastic, right? Entombed could not hold a candle to Dismember under ANY circumstance. Entombed had to great albums, "Left Hand Path", and "Clandestine", and then it was downhill from there. Dismember have over 2 decades (!!!) of AMAZING albums. Their newest one is a fucking relentless hurricane of death metal which Entombed could never, ever hope to match. They've even abandoned the chainsaw guitar tone, which Dismember always did better anyway.

[creepsomber]

Sorry, typo. Entombed had "TWO" great albums.....

[Jabulon666]

Hey read the book! I don't agree with you or the book, I prefer Bloodbath over both bands!

[creepsomber]

Bloodbath are amazing to be sure, but if they had written songs like "Dreaming In Red", "Bred For War", "Life: Another Shape Of Sorrow", "Bleed For Me", "Europa Burns", had the grinding chainsaw buzz of Dismember's guitars, or the sick glurt of Karki's twisted voice, I'd give them the crown. I will be buying the book very soon though, quite excited to read it.

[Cannibalblast]

It doesn't matter what you say, man. "Left Hand Path" crushes all opposition.

But on the other hand, I would say that "Like An Everflowing Stream" is almost as good.

Note to everyone: this is my personal opinion.

[creepsomber]

Then you're an inexperienced listener. The qualities that separate "good" music from "bad" or substandard music is NOT subjective. That is a whole other exercise in tedium, but suffice to say, after two decades of listening and creating music, I've got a good bead on what separates the two. But you start out by saying, "It doesn't matter what you say", and then you finish by saying "this is my personal opinion"--lol, which is it? Yes, LHP is godly....

[impropagation666]

I love Michael Amott. My favorite guitarist. The fact that he's covered all of my favorite types of music, whether he's playing on Dark Recollections, Burning Bridges, or Ad Astra, he's done it all. Sweden fucking rules when it comes to music!

[DevastationMetalSwe]

Dismember and Entombed are my favorites! I think the Stockholm sound is better than the Gothenburg one ... But that's just my opinion.

[DisposableSlayer666]

I listen bands like At the Gates, Marduk, Bathory, Dismember & Entombed but I like In Flames too ;]

[sibley380599]

In Flames & Dark Tranquilty are the best no matter what.

[Dadianooo]

In 1991.. no..., in 1991 .

lol

[nizamskok]

The somberlain is a good example.

[FarbrorRG]

He speaks so much with passion!

[JakXIII]

DISSECTION IS BLACK METAL

[Zakkpaulo]

their demos sound more death metal than black metal, and Marduk too

[klawfulevil]

Reading the excellent book now. What is the best follow up to Entombed's LHP?

Bought that when it came out and would now like to explore other luminaries of this scene. Is there anything that comes close to LHP?

[BazillionPoints]

Check out DISMEMBER's Like an Ever Flowing Stream

[pungentcorpse1]

@BazillionPoints like an ever flowing stream is one of the greatest death metal albums ever made it goes up their with grave - into the grave hypocrisy - penetrailia death - scream bloody gore and gorefest - false.

[witchinghour666]

clandestine?

[Squeglee]

Try Carnage-Dark Recollections mate

[Spoontown]

I'd say Like an Ever Flowing Stream, Clandestine sounds a bit different then LHP, and Grave and Unleashed a bit different from it as well, all solid albums/bands of course though.

[27sevenSToFo]

@klawfulevil A great followup to LHP is Entombed's next album, Clandestine. Fucken excellent album aswell... But yeah, as BazillionPoints wrote, Dismember's first album is awesome aswell, I also like "Massive Killing Capacity".

[witchinghour666]

@klawfulevil Carnage is more or less entombed check it out

[deathlightning92]

@witchinghour666 More like Dismember to my ears. Both Dismember and Carnage featured Matti Karki after all.

[witchinghour666]

@deathlightning92 fair point

[GrimNightmare12]

@klawfulevil Id say get Clandestine, Wolverine Blues, or Serpent Saints.

[MoraleDestroyer]

@klawfulevil Carnage's "Dak Recollections" is your thing!

[Dinosaur761]

@klawfulevil Grave "Into the grave" was pretty good too

[sicbutsweet]

a fine read! makes you feel like you were there too!

[waratthewarfield]

with out a doubt dissection was the best melodic band of all times and the greatest band from sweden...simply amazing

[momaxoximomilolianon]

nope, in flames and arch enemy is

[waratthewarfield]

in flames and arch enemy is for little poser boys and girls...in melodic metal ,dissection was the real thing, along with dismember and at the gates :) ...in swedish bands in general, dissection, entombed, at the gates,dismember,grave , hypocrisy, marduk , dark funeral etc all own archs and in flames pussy.

[arrestedshrimp]

you think i listen and love arch enemy because i think there swedish death metal? are you fucking kidding me? i listen to them because they make great music not because some tard said they were swedish death metal and know im like "omg swedish death metal"

[waratthewarfield]

BATHORYYY probably the most important band to come out of sweden, there influence on blackmetal was massive. fuck these new hiper melodic/radio freindly sellout bands.

[waratthewarfield]

dissection is melodic blackmetal thats the way i see it :D at the gates and dissection fuckin woned all the bands after are gay or posers.

[Gorgorothi]

i dont think that necrophagist is way better than at the gates coz you cannot compare those 2 bands! at the gates did it many years before and necrophagist is just a new band that does simply a nother kind of death metal, more technical n stuff. at the gates is one of the best swedish death metal bands ever so it makes no sense to compare those bands with each other!!

[unreal987]

PPPPPFFFFFFFSSsss

[KineticLeather]

Don't underrate Entombed. They had a major impact in America. Alex Hellid is a monster guitarist!

[angrymetalhead]

necrophagist are way better than at the gates

[ShimmySystem]

Hell yeah At The Gates

[speedfreak18ish]

AT THE GATES ARE THE GODFATHERS

[parasiticlord]

carnage

[DrWalain]

Visa röven!

[ConfineOfShadows]

he is right

[nizamscock]

Dawn right!

At the gates! DAWG

[ProvokedAccurser]

I agree At The Gates is best out of Gothenburg

[Deathrottencat]

@ProvokedAccurser Along with Immersed in Blood!

[GhastlordOvTheurgy]

I want both the book and the movie!