Unleashed signs with Nuclear Blast

Long-running Swedish death metal act Unleashed has signed with Nuclear Blast.

ex-Terra Firma members form new band, seeking label

Guitarist Freddie Eugene (ex-Unleashed, Loud Pipes, Terra Firma, etc.) has a new stoner metal act together with fellow ex-Terra Firma bassist Izmo Ledderfejs called Atlantic Tide and they are currently seeking a label. Listen to two demo tracks at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/atlantictide

Various Artists
Swedish Death Metal
Index Verlag

At first I bemoaned the fact that this collection was only coming out as a 3-CD set and not on vinyl, but the truth of the matter is that three 60+ minute CDs would necessitate a massive LP boxset. As if the mountain of licensing paperwork I'm sure this collection entailed wasn't enough, I can only imagine the intimidating pricetag that would add to it. No, the format this collection really should have been released as is cassette tape -- that's how this music was first distributed, that's how it was listened to. Bands aspired to vinyl, but the era of the demo tape defined the early Swedish death metal scene and that's where a lot of this source material originated. The heavyweights are all here: Nihilist, Entombed, At the Gates, Unleashed, Dismember, Grave, etc.; even if Earache and Black Mark would not relinquish rights for landmarks such as Entombed's "Left hand path" or Bathory's "Under the sign of the black mark" without a hefty fee, at least we can still hear many of the demos. Many other less prominent, but by no means less worthy acts are represented as well: Merciless, Liers in Wait, Evocation, Nirvana 2002... all painstakingly collected by the corresponding book's author Daniel Ekeroth, who also provides liner notes for each track. As a single-session listening experience, it's near-overkill, but as a historical document and learning aid it is invaluable. Of course, the tracklist isn't perfect and Daniel's prejudice towards Gothenburg's melodic metal scene is evident, but I see no valid reason to complain. The entire project is a labor of love and we are lucky it exists at all. Daniel's respect and dedication for the genre trumps any benefit deeper pockets (or broader minds) could afford and for that he has my deepest admiration.
- Avi Roig

Sirius playlist week #13

Here's the playlist for this week's radio show Sirius XMU:

01. The Late Call - Put your lights on
02. TALK 1
03. Fever Ray - When I grow up (Håkan Lidbo remix)
04. Maskinen - Alla som inte dansar
05. Isolation Years - Albino child
06. TALK 2
07. Pixie Carnation - When did the lights go out
08. Unleashed - Dead forever
09. Lack - Soot, smoke & ash
10. TALK 3
11. Small - Comic girl
12. Peter Bjorn and John - It don't move me
13. Masquer - I think I'll lose my mind
14. Ironville - Roses
15. TALK 4
16. Parasite - Nightwinds
17. Aerial - Kallisti
18. The Crystal Caravan - Tombstone eyes
19. TALK 5
20. Hello Saferide - Arjeplog

Reminder: my show airs every week on Sundays and Mondays at 11pm ET on Sirius XMU. That's channel 26 on Sirius, 43 on XM and 831 for DirecTV subscribers.

Westword talks to Swedish viking metal legends Unleashed: http://www.westword.com/2008-09-25/music/unleashed/

MP3: Unleashed - Before the creation of time

I'm not gonna lie, I was first drawn to Unleashed by the awesomeness that is their logo. Brutal, yet totally legible with a super-prominent upside-down cross. In a word: awesome. I came across the album "Where no life dwells" while browsing the CD racks and was instantly sold. As for the music, I didn't immediately appreciate their plodding, simplistic death-metal style on first listen, but it's grown on me over the years. Unlike other Swedish contemporaries, there's barely any guitar harmonies, the technically is kept at a minimum and the recording is clean and bare-bones (much thanks to esteemed producer Waldemar Sorychta). Instead, the emphasis is on groove and gloom. That's what makes them so damn heavy! That also means you really don't need more than one Unleashed album in your collection, but who cares -- they have an instantly recognizable sound that's all their own, a sound that's undeniably classic. Remember the mantra: keep it simple, stupid! Of those contemporaries from back in the early 90s, very few have aged nearly as well.

Unleashed - Before the creation of time

DigitalMetal interviews pioneering Swedish death-metal act Unleashed: http://www.digitalmetal.com/interviews.asp?iID=7808

Swedish death-metal legends Dismember, Entombed, Grave and Unleashed will team up for a European tour together in November. Dates and details soon.

Global Domination interviews Anders from Unleashed: http://www.statikmajik.com/gd/interviews/unleashed.php

Long-running Swedish death-metallers Unleashed will be filming their performance at the upcoming With Full Force festival in Leipzig, Germany on July 1 for a DVD, tentatively due out sometime next year.

Souldevourer is the name of a new old-school Swedish death-metal band founded by ex-Dismember/Unleashed guitarist Robert Sennebäck. Joining him on the new project are fellow scene veterans Ola Lindgren (Grave, guitar) and Joakim Sterner (Necrophobic, drums). More info: http://www.souldevourer.se/

The first set of bands confirmed for next year's 2000 Decibel Festival in Bengtsfors, Sweden are Face Down, Grave, Loud N Nasty, The Storyteller and Unleashed.

Century Media has set September 7 as the US release date for new albums from lengendary Swedish deathmetal acts Grave and Unleashed.

Check out the brand new Unleashed track "Winterland": http://www.centurymedia.de/century/mainarea/audio.aspx?id=unleashed__winterland.rm
The track comes from the band's new album "Sworn Allegiance", due out July 26 on Century Media.

Unleashed's new album will be called "Sworn Allegiance". It comes out on July 26 via Century Media Records.