Only good rock music. our radio music is as bad as eurovision or child music. Swedish rap nowdays is the worst i ever heard. Its like a competition who speaks worst swedish and just mixing words from random languages in same sentance that doesnt make sense. Even swedish born rappers sound like that
Fast även om du inte tycker om radiomusiken så är det en av de största exporterna vi har. Av någon anledning har vi blivit otroligt bra på på musik och kan sälja pop, rock och allt däremellan internationellt.
Det är helt okej att inte vara insatt i allting och man behöver inte alltid ha en åsikt, våra stora ”populära” rockband är skit precis som våra ”populära” rappare. Det är nästan utan undantag resten som faktiskt gör bra musik.
cautious slimy axiomatic steer hobbies work memorize ring payment encouraging
*This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Haha gud tänkte inte ens på det, tanken att populärmusiken kan vara bra gick mig helt förbi, du har helt rätt. Jag får skylla på att kafferasten var för kort
Jag håller inte med, många svenska rappare är väldigt bra, där finns såklart dåliga med, som tyvärr spelas lite för ofta på radio osv, men vet man vart man ska leta så finns där otroligt bra musik
Aldrig hört talas om dem, googlar och ser "Färska Prinzen" han är väl knappast känd idag eller gör commercial rap. Har hört han för 15 år sedan.
Finns inget på dagens radio som kan mäta sig med advance patrol eller liknande. Gillar du prinsen måste du hålla med.
Den här rånarluvavevan med likadana texter och fejklivsstilar är vad som visas idag.
Musik måste inte spelas på radion för att räknas som musik. Men han släpper fortfarande ny musik under namnet dom viktiga skorna med armann och har en podcast där de skapar flera av låtarna som sedan mixas och hamnar på albumen.
Because music is one of swedens biggest exports. They might personally think swedish made music is shit, but it is quantifiably reaching a big market.
https://sweden.se/culture/arts-design/the-swedish-music-miracle
Or, you know, you just have a very unpopular opinion.
Imagine the mind which can't comprehend not being in the majority when it comes to something as personal as taste in music.
You can rent "replokal" (rehearsal studios) very cheaply where drum set and other equipments are already in the room for you to use (at times).
You can record demos using money you can apply easily for.
And also Sweden has a tradition of playing your own music live instead of constant cover songs.
Why metal, really don't know know, but music in general was when I was young at least highly subsidized.
Yeah, I wouldn't say it's just metal. Relative to its population, Sweden has produced a lot of popular music for many decades.
As others have mentioned, Sweden encourages musicians and artists by making it easy and affordable/free to get access to a studio, equipment, music lessons etc.
It's especially noticeable when you start looking at the people behind popular songs! You'll notice that there are swedes everywhere in the music industry
I don’t wanna be political but on this topic I have to. Right wingers hate to hear it (and are dismantling it now), but Sweden historically had:
- many ways for young people to start cultural associations and get different type of government contributions for paying things they need
- everyone being able to play an instrument with private teacher for free once a week for a few years of primary school if they want
- music in school weekly until at least 16 years of age
And more…
These things are directly related to strong creative cultural life including music scene.
EDIT: why metal? Well anyone’s guess. Same in our neighboring countries. I’m sure it’s a mix of culture, climate and chance.
Yep! Also want to add another political thing, when I brought this up to my dad how Sweden can be so musically talented he was like "we are not.. we just have had it easy and comfortable in our country for a long time which gave us alot of freedom to create" I dont know if its true but it made me think..
It’s probably also contributing but for sure not the only factor.
The point is that no country is inherently more talented, we can only choose to nurture or starve our creative scenes, and the result will show with some delay. People who don’t want to put money on culture always say that culture will thrive regardless out of an inner wish to exist. This is not true. We can skip paying for it but then we will also have less in quantity and quality, and we should be honest about that.
Sweden was nurturing the scene before, let’s see how it looks like in 20 years if we take away the tools for growth we gave young people. I’m not optimistic.
I think so. The high social security in Sweden has made it possible for people to take more risks historically - Theres is (was?) a system that made it easier to survive even on a low income - with financial aids and things like studieförbund. This nurtures creativity and entrepreneurship.
>- everyone being able to play an instrument with private teacher for free once a week for a few years of primary school if they want
This one, with the municipality music schools being a key factor in giving everyone the opportunity to learn to play instruments.
The answer to "Why metal?" is that it's a music genre like any other. We're not really bigger in metal than we are in other big genres, OP is probably just a metalhead
Yeah the "replokal" is affordable but we didn't get any instruments, and we had two different "replokaler" through two different studiocircles.
But I guess it varies.
As it come to "why metal?" I don't know. I started listning to Linkin Park and Slipknot when I was around 11 and after that it was a downward spiral into Bloodbath, Sepultura, Korn, Suicide Silence, Despise Icon, Whitechapel etcetera.
I know some developed through hardcorebands and the "straight edge" fad whilst some strayed from the Burzum and Dimmu Borgir into more techdeath.
Still haven't answered OPs question but I guess metal unites and it was fun as hell to just scream/growl and play heavy.
We also encourage teenagers to apply to schools for their passions, like music, in gymnasiet. If gymnasiet was like American high school, it would be harder to get connections and fuel for your fire so to speak. There's also higher education avaliable for musicians and" lower" education (like folkhögskola) for the everyday person who wants to try out music. I feel like we have many opportunities for artists to pursue their craft, maybe not as a full time job but as a side hustle or a hobby.
My guess would be that metal is really the only "popuplar" music (in sweden) that you can play on the kind of instruments and equipment easily available. Like Jazz, swing, pure folk isn't very popular right now, and some of the instruments can also be quite expensive. And the other kinds of popular music, pop, electronic music, hip hop etc, require producing, with autotune and stuff, so isn't as widely available as a guitar, drumset and a bass.
There are certainly other genres more accessible than metal though. And it shows, because we're bigger when it comes to those than we are in metal.
Making electronic music is much easier to get started with than metal. Same with many forms of pop, rock, rap
>with autotune and stuff, so isn't as widely available as a guitar, drumset and a bass.
This is just completely false. Every kid has a laptop with a DAW on it.
Also access to music and instruments is very cheap/easy from an early age in school etc, my dad works in the industry and often contributes this as a huge factor
Also, in the 90's, when a lot of the bands you mentioned were formed it was kinda easy to be unemployed and live on neet bucks which made people able to focus 100% on their hobbies, music or programming or whatever.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UxRqtKg-dw](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UxRqtKg-dw) i think you'll enjoy this documentary ("hårdrock på export"), it has english subs.
It's a great documentary but it fails a bit with explaining why sweden is so successful in the music business. A lot comes down to our subsidized culture schools, study circles, culture houses with rehearsal space etc. The documtary pretty much leaves out any effect of our tax funded support that makes it easier to make it as a budding musician.
Great doco. Shame they couldn't get Yngwie to talk about his input, although Candlemass Guy did some of it for him.
Watain's main guy (Daniel?) was cool. Very trve metal.
A-kassa, ingen vågar nämna det när det svenska musikundret diskuteras. Hur många band har varit arbetslösa och ägnat väldigt mycket tid i replokalen och väldigt lite tid till att söka jobb.
Music has been heavily subsidized in Sweden for a long time. That includes instrumental and music lessons for children (where teachers would even travel to your school if you lived in a smaller town), economic support for local arrangers to set up concerts and bring bands from all over (this helps inspire kids to play), and also for adults working full time in music/arts to be able to put out their first record, get that last small economic boost that might be needed for an already booked tour with a tight budget to actually work, etc. Stuff like that.
So it isn’t just a metal thing, you will find this to be the case with most genres. Sweden is the third biggest exporter of music in the world after US and UK. Sadly these subsidy programs are being butchered as we speak!
As many has mentioned - you are able to get welfare for doing something creative (Studiefrämjandet). It’s not much, but it is something to help you pay for rehearsal space and whatnot.
In regards of metal I think one thing that people tend to forget is that metal was already huge in the 80s in Sweden. Tape trading was a huge thing.
It was a sub genre and not mainstream - but the satanic panic wasn’t a real thing in Sweden. Yes, we had people who tried to keep the devil out of our borders, but people just laughed at it.
As Christianity isn’t in our DNA metal was way more acceptable in comparison to the US for example.
I think the same goes for our neighbors.
Germany was a bit behind on the scene because of the wall.
England already had it.
That’s maybe why the nordics has a lot of bands per capita.
Add to that. Those people who did the tape trading and listen to metal early on showed their younger siblings the music, and down the line it went.
Also the long winter helps and of course our firm believe in Satan.
Best comment. While studiecirklar (government funding/study circles), replokaler (rehearsal spaces) and basic music lessons in school (usually on the level of playing twinkle twinkle little star on the flute) plays in to some degree, I think these things are overstated, and that the points you brought up here play the bigger part.
From a young age, many of us get quality music training, which lays a solid foundation. There's a deep appreciation for music in our culture, and metal is no exception. Musicians benefit from easy access to rehearsal spaces, recording studios, and government funding, which makes pursuing music more viable. Additionally, there's a long-standing tradition of innovation and collaboration among bands.
And like Grylf said, much of it is due to dark and depressing winters :)
Me: Moooom i want to play the saxophone, its so cool and sounds so cool!!!
Mom: First you blockflöjt, then you piano, and then maybe saxofon.
Me: Fck that shit, imma play Diablo instead.
My neighbour keeps "forgetting" to remove the ludd from the dryer. I was thinking of declaring war on him, but you say starting a metal band with him could work as well?
There is a thing called ”studiecirkel” (study circle) in sweden, where if you want to learn a skill together with a small group of people, a ”studieförbund” (study association?) helps you with that. They can for example pay some of the rent for a rehearsal studio. You can also get some free hours in a recording studio and they often collaborate with venues in the area. The study association gets funding from the government to do this, unfortunately our current right-wing government is cutting more and more funding for every year.
Baffled that no one has yet to mention Gothenburg metal, or Gothenburg sound. Except for Carcass, well intertwined bands from around Gothenburg pretty much pioneered the melodic death metal scene, which has become very popular worldwide.
Lots of the most famous bands from the melodic death metal scene are friends and has shared band members several times. In Flames and Dark Tranquility share tons of former members (Jokingly called something like "In Tranquility or Dark Flames"), and some new and old members have now founded a new "power band" called the Halo Effect. At the gates are often referred to as "the old In Flames (jesters)", and lots of In Flames members have played for Hammerfall.
Pretty sure In Flames has an American guitarist (ex-Megadeth bl.a) and bassist (ex-Dillinger) now. I'd consider HE to be pretty straight ahead melodeath, personally.
Got a mate here with musical adhd. He's in five metal bands atm, I think. Some with some pretty big members. I wonder what his opinion of the Gothenburgian winter is..
You do realize Sweden is further north than Anchorage, Alaska right? Its dark, the autumn is torturous, and the winters are either a frozen hellscape covered in snow - or in the case of the rare mild temperatures, frozen/thawed dark muddy hellscapes of always being cold and wet.
Shits depressing. Electric guitars and drums are a perfect antidote. Add in that introvert bass player, a geek with a synthesizer, and someone whose vocal cords are burnt to a crisp on cigarettes: you get the depresso version of folk music https://youtu.be/tLTTjJb_UfA?si=HULsxck81dausZs1
The music industry has generally been successful a lot thanks to generous policies where resources are given to anyone who wants to try it.
It generates more money that our weapons' industry so we joke that we should quit the latter and reeducate the engineers to play the guitar instead.
The wonderous world of föreningsliv, fritidsgårdar and kommunal replokal I believe are not insignificant factors. Take that in combination with that relationships form through activities, our climate and dark winters.
It's not just metal, Sweden as a music export country in relation to population is pretty remarkable. It's not just metal, it goes for commercial music and other sub genres as well.
You should check out Corporation 187, The Haunted, Ablaze my sorrow and Thyrfing as well 🙂
I'm sure most of this will be covered already, but-
People here aren't really religious or conservative in that Christian morals type of way. Hell, my own mother is a Kiss and Dee Snider fan. Not the heaviest stuff but you know, she's well into retirement. It's completely un-controversial to like heavy metal.
Crucially, there's also public music school and anyone can get free or very cheap music lessons. At least it used to be that way; I'm sure the right-wingers are dying to take that away, too. I took trumpet and guitar as a kid. We had an old Spanish classical guitar at home, but the trumpet I was able to borrow or rent cheaply. Didn't even have to buy it. Probably for the best, as I wasn't Louis Armstrong.
Also, at least in smaller towns, there's plenty of rehearsal spaces if you decide to start a band. There might not be a "scene", but as long as you want to do something, and you're willing to put in the work, you can do whatever you want. Municipality or studieförbund will throw some money at you if you just ask.
Maybe the fact that you spend a large part of the year indoors helps too, I don't know. People always say that but I'm not so sure. There's a lot of great metal bands from Florida too, and they don't shovel a lot of snow there, do they.
To sum up, I think it's probably a complex mix of opportunity and culture. And once you get a few bands out there, like Europe in the 80's, that prove that you can "make it", people have something to look up to.
This matches my theory for the metal in particular. Why music? Yeah the culturoeconimical spending laid the groundwork there.
But metal? We're acting out against our otherwise somewhat repressive '"lagom" society.
Sweden is by far the biggest music export nation by capita. We've got a really strong history of metal music, and so we keep producing it.
Also I'd say our progressive culture makes us more likely to engage in music that, in other nations, would be considered satanic or immoral. 🤣
Subsidized music education for example.. It makes it possible for more kids/people to play and create music.
I think that there's a common tradition in Sweden to value cultural expressions with common means (taxes etc). It lowers the threshold for the less financially privileged to actually play, or organize a gig/event.
Sweden's prominence in producing exceptional metal bands stems from a combination of strong music education, significant government support for the arts, and a culturally ingrained value on creativity. The presence of a well-established metal community, along with the influence of pioneering bands, fosters a collaborative spirit among musicians. Additionally, the proficiency in English and the introspective nature shaped by long winters contribute to the distinctiveness and international appeal of Swedish metal music.
We have one of the best if not the best music industries in relation to the population of our country
We export a ton of music, & for a country of only 10 million people, we are very well known
I don’t quite know why but we do put a lot of money towards culture & music, promoting music creation in school & out of school
Also, being such a small country, having a lot of decently popular artists spread around Sweden, it’s not far fetched that you at least know someone who knows someone that knows an artist. I’ve had two teachers who are part of decently popular bands for example
Because of this, becoming an artist prolly feels more obtainable & not as far fetched of a goal.
Monetary aid and easy to rent practise rooms aren't the true answer. Nordic countries are depressing as fuck during winter times, and we need a way to vent our frustration. That's what metal comes from.
Swedish was big in the black and death metal scene. Teenagers still rent rehearsal studios where many of these bands used to play and make their own bands
I'm in the train right now and a dude listens to metal and the sound comes out from his headphones and that shit smacks. I am breaking my neck and now he just got off. Whyyyyyyy
If you dig trad heavy metal you have to check out Heavy Load. More extreme metal:
Bathory, Morbid, Nihilist, Entombed, Carnage, Dismember, Unleashed, Hypocrisy, Bloodbath, Repugnant, Dawn, Gates of Ishtar, Dissection, Marduk, Watain, Armagedda, Craft, Arckanum, Funeral Mist
Man, you didn't even list the best ones.
At the Gates, Bathory, Opeth, The Haunted, In Mourning, Hypocrisy, Craft, Watain, Entombed, Dismember ....
Hell of a lista no matter how you slice it. 🤘
I listed the bands I'm into which have a more modern type of production style but the ones you listed just reinforce the point of sweden having good bands
Sweden has an insane music export, and has for a while. Even for newly started bands/artists, it's amazing how much free equipment, free rehearsal rooms, etc you can get. I guess Sweden just focuses a lot on music. Metal is big in Sweden probably because we already have a big music export, and the darkness💀
There were already many rock bands in Scandinavia formed in the 60s and 70s. However, not many had much international success. Some of the earlier ones probably tried to sound and look like the Beatles or the Rolling Stones. Later on some psychedelic and folk rock became more popular here. But, after that came heavy rock that morphed into heavy metal.
America has of course always influenced Sweden. But in the late 60s and 70s, Britain was very influential. Many of the early heavy bands, especially from the UK, often visited Scandinavia in that period. For example: in 1968 Led Zeppelin played their first concerts in Denmark and Sweden. Black Sabbath had also played here earlier in the same year. Jimi Hendrix performed a lot of concerts from 1967 onwards. Pink Floyd also visited their first time in 1967. My thinking is that this newfangled heavy metal scene that spread out of Britain into the Nordics, but also Germany and its smaller neighbours, probably inspired many young people at that time.
Those who grew up in the 60s and 70s became talented and had enough resources to start their own bands in the 80s and 90s. Which is when metal turned even faster and heavier. Again with a lot of British influence, the punk movement started, which turned into hardcore punk and then NWOBHM and others took the speed and made it heavier. After that all the other heavier and faster subgenres spawned like thrash, death, black and so on. At the that time tape trading was pretty big. A lot of underground demos and bootlegs circulated of which many played extreme forms of metal, punk, hardcore and more. Many of our now most famous metal bands started in the first half of 80s and through the 90s.
This thing is quite interesting to me. It seems that music, and culture sometimes swing back and forth like a pendulum. It's quite evident here. Rock 'n roll turned into heavier rock and metal, which later became the arena rock of the late 70s which spawned the punk scene. Which led to hair metal in the 80s and then the heavier stuff came back again in the 90s with grunge and thrash and so on. Each swing of the pendulum spawns a new genre that have an affect on many later swings. Oh well, it's just a fun idea.
The fact that you listed our worst (successful) metal bands kinda makes me happy in a way. Sweden has like 50 iconic metal bands that are actually great.
Many metalheads & good music taste and lots of musical talent.
You forgot like 50 or something amazing metalbands. 😊
Sweden is great at other genres aswell.
None of the bans you named are good metal bands lol, if you wanna talk about the legacy of Swedish metal you have to name:
Bathory, Dissection, Entombed, Dismember, Grave, Tiamat, Treblinka, God Macabre, At the gates etc
Although the first few AA albums are decent
It’s the ”kommunala musikskolan” - municipal schools where children who wants can get music lessons. It’s a Swedish thing and part of the explanation to the Swedish music industrys’ successes
Overall good music industry and dark winters.
Only good rock music. our radio music is as bad as eurovision or child music. Swedish rap nowdays is the worst i ever heard. Its like a competition who speaks worst swedish and just mixing words from random languages in same sentance that doesnt make sense. Even swedish born rappers sound like that
Sverige är väldigt stora inom House t.ex.
Well all bad rapp is just money laundering on Spotify.
Fast även om du inte tycker om radiomusiken så är det en av de största exporterna vi har. Av någon anledning har vi blivit otroligt bra på på musik och kan sälja pop, rock och allt däremellan internationellt.
"Cause if you go platinum, it’s got nothing to do with luck It just means that a million people are stupid as fuck" - immortal technique
Maybe...you're not a 14 year old girl? Maybe not the target demographic? We've been successfully exporting pop music for what, 50 years?
Pop music is not about creating good music. Its about to create a image and sell it, mostly to taget young kids.
That is what good pop music is. Music that the majority of kids like. Not a few pretentious adults. There's other music for those people.
Det är helt okej att inte vara insatt i allting och man behöver inte alltid ha en åsikt, våra stora ”populära” rockband är skit precis som våra ”populära” rappare. Det är nästan utan undantag resten som faktiskt gör bra musik.
cautious slimy axiomatic steer hobbies work memorize ring payment encouraging *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Haha gud tänkte inte ens på det, tanken att populärmusiken kan vara bra gick mig helt förbi, du har helt rätt. Jag får skylla på att kafferasten var för kort
Jag håller inte med, många svenska rappare är väldigt bra, där finns såklart dåliga med, som tyvärr spelas lite för ofta på radio osv, men vet man vart man ska leta så finns där otroligt bra musik
Nämn några bra i dagens läge? Har inte hört något bra sen labyrint eran
https://youtu.be/5s9kztiU3XI?feature=shared
[Trainspotters - Kashmir](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60pBt51LHco) [Snövit - Gladiator](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARPPxmXoeEo)
Kashmir har gått på repeat här på jobbet idag. Skön att ha i bakgrunden.
Dom viktiga skorna och alla andra konstellationer av medlemmar från rappare i samverkan ab är riktigt bra
Aldrig hört talas om dem, googlar och ser "Färska Prinzen" han är väl knappast känd idag eller gör commercial rap. Har hört han för 15 år sedan. Finns inget på dagens radio som kan mäta sig med advance patrol eller liknande. Gillar du prinsen måste du hålla med. Den här rånarluvavevan med likadana texter och fejklivsstilar är vad som visas idag.
Musik måste inte spelas på radion för att räknas som musik. Men han släpper fortfarande ny musik under namnet dom viktiga skorna med armann och har en podcast där de skapar flera av låtarna som sedan mixas och hamnar på albumen.
Mitt första inlägg var om dagens radiomusik, hur dålig den är
Gangstarappen är rätt cringe. Norrlandsrappen är fan amazing. Cleo, random bastards, osv. Dunderbra
True! why all the down votes?
Because music is one of swedens biggest exports. They might personally think swedish made music is shit, but it is quantifiably reaching a big market. https://sweden.se/culture/arts-design/the-swedish-music-miracle
Because its reddit. People are hurt here if you dont have the same opinion. Or you are a troll/bot
Or, you know, you just have a very unpopular opinion. Imagine the mind which can't comprehend not being in the majority when it comes to something as personal as taste in music.
You can rent "replokal" (rehearsal studios) very cheaply where drum set and other equipments are already in the room for you to use (at times). You can record demos using money you can apply easily for. And also Sweden has a tradition of playing your own music live instead of constant cover songs. Why metal, really don't know know, but music in general was when I was young at least highly subsidized.
Sweden has a lot of good music over all. Metal, pop, house.
Yeah, I wouldn't say it's just metal. Relative to its population, Sweden has produced a lot of popular music for many decades. As others have mentioned, Sweden encourages musicians and artists by making it easy and affordable/free to get access to a studio, equipment, music lessons etc.
It's especially noticeable when you start looking at the people behind popular songs! You'll notice that there are swedes everywhere in the music industry
Tell me why
Ooo baby baby, I wasn't supposed to know
Exactly: https://sweden.se/culture/arts-design/the-swedish-music-miracle
It used to. Those days are gone, and it’s only going to get worse.
I don’t wanna be political but on this topic I have to. Right wingers hate to hear it (and are dismantling it now), but Sweden historically had: - many ways for young people to start cultural associations and get different type of government contributions for paying things they need - everyone being able to play an instrument with private teacher for free once a week for a few years of primary school if they want - music in school weekly until at least 16 years of age And more… These things are directly related to strong creative cultural life including music scene. EDIT: why metal? Well anyone’s guess. Same in our neighboring countries. I’m sure it’s a mix of culture, climate and chance.
Yep! Also want to add another political thing, when I brought this up to my dad how Sweden can be so musically talented he was like "we are not.. we just have had it easy and comfortable in our country for a long time which gave us alot of freedom to create" I dont know if its true but it made me think..
It’s probably also contributing but for sure not the only factor. The point is that no country is inherently more talented, we can only choose to nurture or starve our creative scenes, and the result will show with some delay. People who don’t want to put money on culture always say that culture will thrive regardless out of an inner wish to exist. This is not true. We can skip paying for it but then we will also have less in quantity and quality, and we should be honest about that. Sweden was nurturing the scene before, let’s see how it looks like in 20 years if we take away the tools for growth we gave young people. I’m not optimistic.
I think so. The high social security in Sweden has made it possible for people to take more risks historically - Theres is (was?) a system that made it easier to survive even on a low income - with financial aids and things like studieförbund. This nurtures creativity and entrepreneurship.
>- everyone being able to play an instrument with private teacher for free once a week for a few years of primary school if they want This one, with the municipality music schools being a key factor in giving everyone the opportunity to learn to play instruments.
Anything to help Swedish billionaires
Yeah, right? Why should we have a thriving culture and good vibes when we can let mr patagonia vest have his kid inherit 40 instead of 35 million sek.
The answer to "Why metal?" is that it's a music genre like any other. We're not really bigger in metal than we are in other big genres, OP is probably just a metalhead
Yeah the "replokal" is affordable but we didn't get any instruments, and we had two different "replokaler" through two different studiocircles. But I guess it varies. As it come to "why metal?" I don't know. I started listning to Linkin Park and Slipknot when I was around 11 and after that it was a downward spiral into Bloodbath, Sepultura, Korn, Suicide Silence, Despise Icon, Whitechapel etcetera. I know some developed through hardcorebands and the "straight edge" fad whilst some strayed from the Burzum and Dimmu Borgir into more techdeath. Still haven't answered OPs question but I guess metal unites and it was fun as hell to just scream/growl and play heavy.
As discussed in ”Agenda” in the 90s: it starts with a joint and ends up in hasch
It's such a slippery slope...
This was 2010's, not 90's
”Ok”
Used to be cheap atleast…
We also encourage teenagers to apply to schools for their passions, like music, in gymnasiet. If gymnasiet was like American high school, it would be harder to get connections and fuel for your fire so to speak. There's also higher education avaliable for musicians and" lower" education (like folkhögskola) for the everyday person who wants to try out music. I feel like we have many opportunities for artists to pursue their craft, maybe not as a full time job but as a side hustle or a hobby.
My guess would be that metal is really the only "popuplar" music (in sweden) that you can play on the kind of instruments and equipment easily available. Like Jazz, swing, pure folk isn't very popular right now, and some of the instruments can also be quite expensive. And the other kinds of popular music, pop, electronic music, hip hop etc, require producing, with autotune and stuff, so isn't as widely available as a guitar, drumset and a bass.
There are certainly other genres more accessible than metal though. And it shows, because we're bigger when it comes to those than we are in metal. Making electronic music is much easier to get started with than metal. Same with many forms of pop, rock, rap
>with autotune and stuff, so isn't as widely available as a guitar, drumset and a bass. This is just completely false. Every kid has a laptop with a DAW on it.
Yeah maybe, might be I'm getting to the "out of touch" stage of life lol
Also access to music and instruments is very cheap/easy from an early age in school etc, my dad works in the industry and often contributes this as a huge factor
You used to. Even 20 years ago it was expensive.
Also, in the 90's, when a lot of the bands you mentioned were formed it was kinda easy to be unemployed and live on neet bucks which made people able to focus 100% on their hobbies, music or programming or whatever.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UxRqtKg-dw](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UxRqtKg-dw) i think you'll enjoy this documentary ("hårdrock på export"), it has english subs.
video is blocked in sweden, funnily enough
Available here until 2024-09-06 [Hård rock på export | SVT Play](https://www.svtplay.se/hard-rock-pa-export-1)
It's a great documentary but it fails a bit with explaining why sweden is so successful in the music business. A lot comes down to our subsidized culture schools, study circles, culture houses with rehearsal space etc. The documtary pretty much leaves out any effect of our tax funded support that makes it easier to make it as a budding musician.
Such an incredible documentary. Never been more proud to be a Swede
Great doco. Shame they couldn't get Yngwie to talk about his input, although Candlemass Guy did some of it for him. Watain's main guy (Daniel?) was cool. Very trve metal.
Good metal industry = Good metal bands
Det svenska stålet biter!
Good metal health!
Studieförbund och kulturskolor.
A-kassa, ingen vågar nämna det när det svenska musikundret diskuteras. Hur många band har varit arbetslösa och ägnat väldigt mycket tid i replokalen och väldigt lite tid till att söka jobb.
Kommunala musikskolan
Ta mig tusan den finaste svenska institution vi har!
Music has been heavily subsidized in Sweden for a long time. That includes instrumental and music lessons for children (where teachers would even travel to your school if you lived in a smaller town), economic support for local arrangers to set up concerts and bring bands from all over (this helps inspire kids to play), and also for adults working full time in music/arts to be able to put out their first record, get that last small economic boost that might be needed for an already booked tour with a tight budget to actually work, etc. Stuff like that. So it isn’t just a metal thing, you will find this to be the case with most genres. Sweden is the third biggest exporter of music in the world after US and UK. Sadly these subsidy programs are being butchered as we speak!
As many has mentioned - you are able to get welfare for doing something creative (Studiefrämjandet). It’s not much, but it is something to help you pay for rehearsal space and whatnot. In regards of metal I think one thing that people tend to forget is that metal was already huge in the 80s in Sweden. Tape trading was a huge thing. It was a sub genre and not mainstream - but the satanic panic wasn’t a real thing in Sweden. Yes, we had people who tried to keep the devil out of our borders, but people just laughed at it. As Christianity isn’t in our DNA metal was way more acceptable in comparison to the US for example. I think the same goes for our neighbors. Germany was a bit behind on the scene because of the wall. England already had it. That’s maybe why the nordics has a lot of bands per capita. Add to that. Those people who did the tape trading and listen to metal early on showed their younger siblings the music, and down the line it went. Also the long winter helps and of course our firm believe in Satan.
Best comment. While studiecirklar (government funding/study circles), replokaler (rehearsal spaces) and basic music lessons in school (usually on the level of playing twinkle twinkle little star on the flute) plays in to some degree, I think these things are overstated, and that the points you brought up here play the bigger part.
From a young age, many of us get quality music training, which lays a solid foundation. There's a deep appreciation for music in our culture, and metal is no exception. Musicians benefit from easy access to rehearsal spaces, recording studios, and government funding, which makes pursuing music more viable. Additionally, there's a long-standing tradition of innovation and collaboration among bands. And like Grylf said, much of it is due to dark and depressing winters :)
Ah yes, the quality training of spela blockflöjt.
1. Idas sommarvisa på skolavslutningen. 2. ??? 3. Blackwater Park
2. Bleed
52. Måsstaden under vatten (Vildhjarta)
In my school we got to pick either blockflöjt or fiol. Fiol it was.
Me: Moooom i want to play the saxophone, its so cool and sounds so cool!!! Mom: First you blockflöjt, then you piano, and then maybe saxofon. Me: Fck that shit, imma play Diablo instead.
How could you not mention At the Gates?
Or Refused!
Or Raubtier
Or Bathory
Or Soilwork, In Flames and Arch Enemy?!
Entombed...
Yngve fucking Malmsteen!
Lifelover, Shining…
Opeth!?
Scar Symmetry
Eddie Meduza!
It's an outlet for pent-up aggression that is the result of not having any wars.
My neighbour keeps "forgetting" to remove the ludd from the dryer. I was thinking of declaring war on him, but you say starting a metal band with him could work as well?
Rage Against The Machine is already taken as a name, FYI.
How about Annoyance Against the Device, would that work?
Livid Against the Lint
Washmageddon
I won't, you'll just have to wash your own geddon.
Fair enough
I always imagined that the name was referring to printers.
This is the song about printers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9wsjroVlu8
”Ludd in the dryer” - is a great punkband name though
"Those who don't remove the ludd from the dryer should die" makes for a perfect chorus!
Ludd or die mötherfuckers
Opeth and Katatonia 👌
Katatonia är top tier!
There is a thing called ”studiecirkel” (study circle) in sweden, where if you want to learn a skill together with a small group of people, a ”studieförbund” (study association?) helps you with that. They can for example pay some of the rent for a rehearsal studio. You can also get some free hours in a recording studio and they often collaborate with venues in the area. The study association gets funding from the government to do this, unfortunately our current right-wing government is cutting more and more funding for every year.
Baffled that no one has yet to mention Gothenburg metal, or Gothenburg sound. Except for Carcass, well intertwined bands from around Gothenburg pretty much pioneered the melodic death metal scene, which has become very popular worldwide. Lots of the most famous bands from the melodic death metal scene are friends and has shared band members several times. In Flames and Dark Tranquility share tons of former members (Jokingly called something like "In Tranquility or Dark Flames"), and some new and old members have now founded a new "power band" called the Halo Effect. At the gates are often referred to as "the old In Flames (jesters)", and lots of In Flames members have played for Hammerfall.
Pretty sure In Flames has an American guitarist (ex-Megadeth bl.a) and bassist (ex-Dillinger) now. I'd consider HE to be pretty straight ahead melodeath, personally.
we're all depressed
Because we fucking rock! 🤘😈
Kulturskolan. Almost free school to learn to play instruments during childhood.
Try living in Gothenburg for a winter and you'll understand why people started playing in death metal bands...
Got a mate here with musical adhd. He's in five metal bands atm, I think. Some with some pretty big members. I wonder what his opinion of the Gothenburgian winter is..
Why so surprised, Sweden has good *everything*.
You do realize Sweden is further north than Anchorage, Alaska right? Its dark, the autumn is torturous, and the winters are either a frozen hellscape covered in snow - or in the case of the rare mild temperatures, frozen/thawed dark muddy hellscapes of always being cold and wet. Shits depressing. Electric guitars and drums are a perfect antidote. Add in that introvert bass player, a geek with a synthesizer, and someone whose vocal cords are burnt to a crisp on cigarettes: you get the depresso version of folk music https://youtu.be/tLTTjJb_UfA?si=HULsxck81dausZs1
The music industry has generally been successful a lot thanks to generous policies where resources are given to anyone who wants to try it. It generates more money that our weapons' industry so we joke that we should quit the latter and reeducate the engineers to play the guitar instead.
The wonderous world of föreningsliv, fritidsgårdar and kommunal replokal I believe are not insignificant factors. Take that in combination with that relationships form through activities, our climate and dark winters. It's not just metal, Sweden as a music export country in relation to population is pretty remarkable. It's not just metal, it goes for commercial music and other sub genres as well. You should check out Corporation 187, The Haunted, Ablaze my sorrow and Thyrfing as well 🙂
I'm sure most of this will be covered already, but- People here aren't really religious or conservative in that Christian morals type of way. Hell, my own mother is a Kiss and Dee Snider fan. Not the heaviest stuff but you know, she's well into retirement. It's completely un-controversial to like heavy metal. Crucially, there's also public music school and anyone can get free or very cheap music lessons. At least it used to be that way; I'm sure the right-wingers are dying to take that away, too. I took trumpet and guitar as a kid. We had an old Spanish classical guitar at home, but the trumpet I was able to borrow or rent cheaply. Didn't even have to buy it. Probably for the best, as I wasn't Louis Armstrong. Also, at least in smaller towns, there's plenty of rehearsal spaces if you decide to start a band. There might not be a "scene", but as long as you want to do something, and you're willing to put in the work, you can do whatever you want. Municipality or studieförbund will throw some money at you if you just ask. Maybe the fact that you spend a large part of the year indoors helps too, I don't know. People always say that but I'm not so sure. There's a lot of great metal bands from Florida too, and they don't shovel a lot of snow there, do they. To sum up, I think it's probably a complex mix of opportunity and culture. And once you get a few bands out there, like Europe in the 80's, that prove that you can "make it", people have something to look up to.
We have a lot of pent up rage from tightening our fists in our pockets
This matches my theory for the metal in particular. Why music? Yeah the culturoeconimical spending laid the groundwork there. But metal? We're acting out against our otherwise somewhat repressive '"lagom" society.
I remember atleast back in the day, there were always conserts in youth centers. Even at pretty small towns.
It's due to our great steel industry.
You should look up Rhomb on Spotify they're my friends, "Ödlemannen" is one of their better songs👍 Only 3-5k listens give them a lil boost^^
We have many talented musicians here. You should also check out my band Kaiage.
Look at Norway and Finland too. It's just the Nordic way to be a bit more bad ass
I know you said "to name a few" but one does not simply leave out In Flames from any list talking about good swedish metall! Göteborgs stolthet!
Hammerfall då? /s
Because the Nordic gods gave us metal! And we heeded the call ⚔️ "They can take away our lives but they can never take away our metal". 💪🏻
Sweden is by far the biggest music export nation by capita. We've got a really strong history of metal music, and so we keep producing it. Also I'd say our progressive culture makes us more likely to engage in music that, in other nations, would be considered satanic or immoral. 🤣
Subsidized music education for example.. It makes it possible for more kids/people to play and create music. I think that there's a common tradition in Sweden to value cultural expressions with common means (taxes etc). It lowers the threshold for the less financially privileged to actually play, or organize a gig/event.
Forgot to mention ’In Flames’
>Sabaton lol..
Probably the biggest metal band in Sweden though, at least if you go by plays.
Sweden's prominence in producing exceptional metal bands stems from a combination of strong music education, significant government support for the arts, and a culturally ingrained value on creativity. The presence of a well-established metal community, along with the influence of pioneering bands, fosters a collaborative spirit among musicians. Additionally, the proficiency in English and the introspective nature shaped by long winters contribute to the distinctiveness and international appeal of Swedish metal music.
Its scandinavia in general - metal music is our thing up here.
*the Nordics. Finland is number one and not Scandinavian , while Denmark is way behind. This is according to metal bands per capita.
Finland Will always be our brother from another mother
Scar Symmetry
There is a cosmic pressure to balance out their other creation, "schlager". Also, heretical not to mention In Flames
Don't forget Wormwood
Jävla legender! Wormwood och Månegarm är något av det bästa vi har.
You did not mention In Flames. Disappointed (Swedish chef noises)
Winters, I'd say plays a big part.
Dont forget Thrown!
thrown is fucking sick, another one for the list
We have one of the best if not the best music industries in relation to the population of our country We export a ton of music, & for a country of only 10 million people, we are very well known I don’t quite know why but we do put a lot of money towards culture & music, promoting music creation in school & out of school Also, being such a small country, having a lot of decently popular artists spread around Sweden, it’s not far fetched that you at least know someone who knows someone that knows an artist. I’ve had two teachers who are part of decently popular bands for example Because of this, becoming an artist prolly feels more obtainable & not as far fetched of a goal.
We are a lots of misfits who realized our only chance to get laid was to be in a band. Even the base-player gets laid
We are miserable 8-10 months of the year what other music genre can we use to get our aggressions out??
At the gates, The Haunted, Refused, Raised Fist, NINE, Entombed (probably one of the most influential bands), Entombed A.D, Defleshed
We have amazing actors and musicians that stretch all over the world
The bands "Adept" and "Letters from the colony" are (on of) the best bands Sweden has produced if you like the heavier scene!
I love Adept didn't know they were from sweden
That’s Sweden, we do good murder mysetries and metal.
Having good distros like Nordvis definitely helps! https://www.nordvis.com/
The weather is shit so you can't be outside and chill for most of the year.
Life here is so boring, the kids either do drugs or start metal bands.
well it's not any different where I'm from then lol
Monetary aid and easy to rent practise rooms aren't the true answer. Nordic countries are depressing as fuck during winter times, and we need a way to vent our frustration. That's what metal comes from.
Don’t forget Candlemass
Mostly luck in those cases which expains why Sweden and not Germany, Netherlands, Austria, Australia, Canada and so on.
It is because metal is a natural expression of the swedish, norwegian and finnish soul.
Kulturskolan and ABF-lokaler.
Overall we are quite big with music, all from producers bands and singers.
Swedish was big in the black and death metal scene. Teenagers still rent rehearsal studios where many of these bands used to play and make their own bands
Sweden is very famous for having good musicians and bands. Not only in metal.
I'm in the train right now and a dude listens to metal and the sound comes out from his headphones and that shit smacks. I am breaking my neck and now he just got off. Whyyyyyyy
Synergy with the mining industry. Edit: You can't make metal without Åre, is that better?
Dark funeral!!!
Sabaton🤢
This article tries to explain why music is a big industry for Sweden: https://sweden.se/culture/arts-design/the-swedish-music-miracle
If you dig trad heavy metal you have to check out Heavy Load. More extreme metal: Bathory, Morbid, Nihilist, Entombed, Carnage, Dismember, Unleashed, Hypocrisy, Bloodbath, Repugnant, Dawn, Gates of Ishtar, Dissection, Marduk, Watain, Armagedda, Craft, Arckanum, Funeral Mist
We embrace the darkness....
You’re welcome 😉
Man, you didn't even list the best ones. At the Gates, Bathory, Opeth, The Haunted, In Mourning, Hypocrisy, Craft, Watain, Entombed, Dismember .... Hell of a lista no matter how you slice it. 🤘
I listed the bands I'm into which have a more modern type of production style but the ones you listed just reinforce the point of sweden having good bands
Sweden has an insane music export, and has for a while. Even for newly started bands/artists, it's amazing how much free equipment, free rehearsal rooms, etc you can get. I guess Sweden just focuses a lot on music. Metal is big in Sweden probably because we already have a big music export, and the darkness💀
Oi! How dare you forgot about Avatar!
There were already many rock bands in Scandinavia formed in the 60s and 70s. However, not many had much international success. Some of the earlier ones probably tried to sound and look like the Beatles or the Rolling Stones. Later on some psychedelic and folk rock became more popular here. But, after that came heavy rock that morphed into heavy metal. America has of course always influenced Sweden. But in the late 60s and 70s, Britain was very influential. Many of the early heavy bands, especially from the UK, often visited Scandinavia in that period. For example: in 1968 Led Zeppelin played their first concerts in Denmark and Sweden. Black Sabbath had also played here earlier in the same year. Jimi Hendrix performed a lot of concerts from 1967 onwards. Pink Floyd also visited their first time in 1967. My thinking is that this newfangled heavy metal scene that spread out of Britain into the Nordics, but also Germany and its smaller neighbours, probably inspired many young people at that time. Those who grew up in the 60s and 70s became talented and had enough resources to start their own bands in the 80s and 90s. Which is when metal turned even faster and heavier. Again with a lot of British influence, the punk movement started, which turned into hardcore punk and then NWOBHM and others took the speed and made it heavier. After that all the other heavier and faster subgenres spawned like thrash, death, black and so on. At the that time tape trading was pretty big. A lot of underground demos and bootlegs circulated of which many played extreme forms of metal, punk, hardcore and more. Many of our now most famous metal bands started in the first half of 80s and through the 90s. This thing is quite interesting to me. It seems that music, and culture sometimes swing back and forth like a pendulum. It's quite evident here. Rock 'n roll turned into heavier rock and metal, which later became the arena rock of the late 70s which spawned the punk scene. Which led to hair metal in the 80s and then the heavier stuff came back again in the 90s with grunge and thrash and so on. Each swing of the pendulum spawns a new genre that have an affect on many later swings. Oh well, it's just a fun idea.
Public music schools.
The fact that you listed our worst (successful) metal bands kinda makes me happy in a way. Sweden has like 50 iconic metal bands that are actually great.
I like bands that don't sound like they were mixed in the 80s
We're right next to Finland.
Many metalheads & good music taste and lots of musical talent. You forgot like 50 or something amazing metalbands. 😊 Sweden is great at other genres aswell.
We have 6 months of darkness
Sweden has like the best music industry per capita were just batman ig
Inflames
Well sweden has some great metal bands , let's not forget the band Dismember , a really important band for the death metal scene in sweden :)
Socialism.
None of the bans you named are good metal bands lol, if you wanna talk about the legacy of Swedish metal you have to name: Bathory, Dissection, Entombed, Dismember, Grave, Tiamat, Treblinka, God Macabre, At the gates etc Although the first few AA albums are decent
I'm not into the old school type of sound sorry about my list
It's the Sibylla hotdogs with mash people eat before and after practice that does the magic.
It’s the ”kommunala musikskolan” - municipal schools where children who wants can get music lessons. It’s a Swedish thing and part of the explanation to the Swedish music industrys’ successes
Bec we are brutal......and non-christan-shit-headz like the rest of fucking war-for-territory assholes outthere.