The Best Swedish Metal Bands
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913 votes
143 voters
Sweden has always been a breeding ground for metal bands. From straightforward doom metal to melodic death metal, the country has churned out a ridiculous number of the top acts in the genre and we've compiled them into this list of the very best Swedish metal bands. Starting in the 1990s, bands like Entombed, Dismember, and At the Gates propelled the Scandinavian country to the forefront of the genre.
On this list you'll find a mix of metal bands including extreme metal band Meshuggah, who were dubbed one of the ten most important hard rock and heavy metal bands by Rolling Stone, as well as prog metal band Opeth, who are still going strong after 30 years.
Vote up your favorite Swedish metal bands and be sure to check out our complete list of famous Swedish musicians.
Most divisive: Europe
Over 100 Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of The Best Swedish Metal Bands
- Photo: Metaweb (FB) / CC-BY-SA-2.0Opeth is a Swedish progressive metal band from Stockholm, formed in 1989. The group has been through several personnel changes, including the replacement of every single original member. Lead vocalist, guitarist and songwriter Mikael Åkerfeldt has remained Opeth's primary driving force since the departure of original vocalist David Isberg in 1992. Opeth has consistently incorporated progressive, folk, blues, classical, and jazz influences into its usually lengthy compositions, as well as strong influences from death metal, especially in their early works. Many songs include acoustic guitar passages and strong dynamic shifts, as well as both death growls and clean vocals. Opeth is also well known for their incorporation of Mellotrons in their work. Opeth rarely made live appearances supporting their first four albums; but since conducting their first world tour after the 2001 release of Blackwater Park, they have led several major world tours. Opeth has released 12 studio albums, three live DVDs, three live albums (two that are in conjunction with DVDs), and two boxsets. The band released its debut album Orchid in 1995. Although their eighth studio album, Ghost Reveries, was quite popular in the United States, Opeth did not experience major American commercial success until the 2008 release of their ninth studio album, Watershed, which peaked at No. 23 on the Billboard 200, and topped the Finnish albums chart in its first week of release. As of November 2009, Opeth has sold over 1.5 million copies of their albums and DVDs worldwide, including 300,000 collective SoundScans of their albums Blackwater Park, Damnation, and Deliverance in the United States.More Opeth
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- Photo: user uploaded imageBathory was a Swedish extreme metal band formed in Vällingby in 1983 and named after the infamous Hungarian countess, Elizabeth Báthory. The band's frontman and main songwriter was Quorthon. Bathory's first four albums were "the blueprint for Scandinavian black metal". The band departed from this style on their fifth album, Hammerheart, which is often cited as the first Viking metal album. Bathory continued in the Viking metal style throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, although the band returned to thrash metal with the albums Requiem and Octagon. Bathory ended when Quorthon died from heart failure in 2004.More Bathory
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- In Flames are a Swedish heavy metal band, which was formed by guitarist Jesper Strömblad in 1990 in Gothenburg, Sweden. At the Gates, Dark Tranquillity, Soilwork and In Flames are the only remaining bands responsible for developing the genres known as Swedish death metal and melodic death metal. During the band's early years, In Flames had a varying group of musicians recording with them, including many session musicians. By the release of Colony (1999) the group had established a stable lineup. Their sixth studio album Reroute to Remain (2002) showed the band moving toward a newer style of music that moved further away from melodic death metal and closer to alternative metal. This decision was criticized by fans of the group's heavier metal sound; however, it increased the band's mainstream audience and bolstered their album sales. As of 2008, In Flames had sold over 2 million records worldwide.Since the band's inception, In Flames have released thirteen studio albums, three EPs, and two live DVDs, their latest release being their thirteenth studio album I, the Mask in 2019. In Flames has been nominated for three Grammis Awards. They won two of these nominations; one for Soundtrack to Your Escape (2004) in the "Hard Rock/Metal of the Year" category, and one nomination for their following album Come Clarity (2006) in the same category.More In Flames
- Dig Deeper...The Best In Flames Songs of All Time
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- Photo: Century Media RecordsArch Enemy are a Swedish melodic death metal band, originally a supergroup from Halmstad, formed in 1995. Its members were in bands such as Carcass, Armageddon, Carnage, Mercyful Fate, Spiritual Beggars, The Agonist, Nevermore, and Eucharist. Arch Enemy was founded by Carcass guitarist Michael Amott along with Johan Liiva, who were both originally from the death metal band Carnage. The band has released ten studio albums, three live albums, three video albums and four EPs. The band was originally fronted by Johan Liiva, who was replaced by German vocalist Angela Gossow in 2000. Gossow left the band in March 2014 to become the group's manager and was replaced by Canadian vocalist Alissa White-Gluz.More Arch Enemy
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- Amon Amarth () is a Swedish melodic death metal band from Tumba, formed in 1992. The band takes its name from the Sindarin name of Mount Doom, a volcano in J. R. R. Tolkien′s Middle-earth. Their lyrics mostly deal with Viking mythology and history, and so they have been linked with viking metal, although the band themselves prefer to be referred to as melodic death metal. The band is composed of lead guitarist Olavi Mikkonen, vocalist Johan Hegg, bassist Ted Lundström, rhythm guitarist Johan Söderberg, and drummer Jocke Wallgren. Amon Amarth has released eleven studio albums, one compilation album, one EP, one video album, and ten music videos. Its first studio album, Once Sent from the Golden Hall, debuted in 1998. Five more studio releases followed, before the band saw its breakthrough with the 2008 album Twilight of the Thunder God, which debuted at No. 10 on the Swedish album charts and No. 50 on the US Billboard 200. Four more albums, Surtur Rising, Deceiver of the Gods, Jomsviking, and Berserker followed in 2011, 2013, 2016, and 2019 respectively.More Amon Amarth
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- Photo: Candlemass / YouTubeCandlemass is a Swedish epic doom metal band formed in 1984 in Stockholm, Sweden. After the breakup of his first band Nemesis, bassist Leif Edling started his own band under the name Candlemass with (session) vocalist Johan Längqvist, drummer Matz Ekström, guitarist Mats "Mappe" Bjorkman, and Klas Bergwall. The band had a defining influence on doom metal. Along with Pentagram, Saint Vitus, and Trouble, Candlemass has been referred to as one of the "big four of doom metal".After releasing five full-length albums and touring extensively throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, Candlemass disbanded in 1994 but reunited three years later. After breaking up again in 2002, Candlemass reformed in 2004 and has continued to record and perform.More Candlemass
- #191 of 262 onThe Greatest Heavy Metal Bands Of All Time
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- Dark Tranquillity is a Swedish melodic death metal band from Gothenburg. They are considered one of the pioneering acts of the Gothenburg metal scene, which also includes bands such as In Flames and At the Gates. Dark Tranquillity is regarded as the Gothenburg fathers in the film entitled Out of Nothing: A DT Documentary released by Century Media, which was filmed in Gothenburg, Sweden in April 2009.More Dark Tranquillity
- #213 of 262 onThe Greatest Heavy Metal Bands Of All Time
- #46 of 155 onThe Best Death Metal Bands
- #85 of 90 onThe 90+ Best Progressive Metal Bands, Ranked
- Photo: Metaweb (FB) / CC-BYDissection was a Swedish extreme metal band from Strömstad, formed in 1989 by guitarist, vocalist and main songwriter Jon Nödtveidt and bass guitarist Peter Palmdahl. Despite a number of lineup changes, Dissection released The Somberlain in 1993 and Storm of the Light's Bane in 1995, before splitting up in 1997 due to Nödtveidt's imprisonment for complicity in the murder of Josef Meddour. After his release, Nödtveidt reformed the band in 2004 with new members whom he felt could "stand behind and live up to the demands of Dissection's Satanic concept." They released their third and final full-length album Reinkaos in April 2006, before disbanding that June. Nödtveidt said he had "reached the limitations of music as a tool for expressing what I want to express, for myself and the handful of others that I care about." Two months later, Nödtveidt committed suicide with a gun inside a circle of lit candles in his apartment in Hässelby.Dissection released a number of live albums and EPs before its final dissolution, and played a central role in the development of Sweden's black metal and death metal scenes, particularly through the influence of the first two albums; it has sometimes been described as part of the Gothenburg scene.More Dissection
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- Meshuggah is a Swedish extreme metal band formed in 1985 in Umeå, Sweden. In 1985, guitarist Fredrik Thordendal formed a band named Metallien, and recorded a number of demo tapes, after which it disbanded. Thordendal continued playing under a different name with new band members. It was renamed in 1987 by lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Jens Kidman and took the name Meshuggah from the Yiddish word for "crazy," which Kidman found the word in an American street slang dictionary. Meshuggah has become known for its innovative musical style and complex, polymetered song structures and polyrhythms. The band was labeled as one of the ten most important hard rock and heavy metal bands by Rolling Stone and as the most important band in metal by Alternative Press. The band was an inspiration for the djent subgenre. in the late 2000s.More Meshuggah
- #79 of 262 onThe Greatest Heavy Metal Bands Of All Time
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- Photo: Metaweb (FB) / CC-BYAt the Gates is a Swedish death metal band from Gothenburg, a major progenitor of Gothenburg-style melodic death metal. The band was initially active from 1990 to 1996, reforming in 2007 for a tour between April and September 2008. In 2011, they reformed again and have since continued to perform. They released At War with Reality, their first album in 19 years, in late 2014.More At the Gates
- #144 of 262 onThe Greatest Heavy Metal Bands Of All Time
- #29 of 155 onThe Best Death Metal Bands
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- Photo: Metaweb (FB) / CC-BY-SA-2.511Entombed is a Swedish death metal band formed in 1987 under the name of Nihilist. Entombed began their career as an early pioneer of Scandinavian death metal which initially differed from its American counterpart by its distinct "buzzsaw" guitar tone. However, by the early 1990s their sound had broadened to include garage rock and other influences. This new style would eventually be described as death 'n' roll. Entombed has been influenced by bands such as Slayer, Exodus, Black Sabbath, Celtic Frost, Autopsy, Repulsion, Kiss, The Misfits, Motörhead, Discharge, Death and Testament. Along with Dismember, Grave and Unleashed, Entombed has been referred to as one of the "big four" of Swedish death metal.More Entombed
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- Photo: Metaweb (FB) / CC-BY-SA-2.0Dark Funeral is a Swedish black metal band from Stockholm, founded by guitarists Blackmoon and Lord Ahriman in 1993. They emerged during the second wave of black metal. Their lyrical themes have traditionally pertained to Satanism and anti-Christianity. Certain past and present members including Blackmoon, Ahriman, Caligula and Chaq Mol have each declared an affinity for Satanism, with Ahriman and Caligula notably being practitioners of LaVeyan Satanism. In their earlier years, their lyrical themes usually revolved specifically around depictions of Hell and Satan. After Emperor Magus Caligula joined the band, their lyrics came to focus more on blasphemy and anti-Christian rhetoric, although there have been several exceptions to this. The group have released six full-length albums and are one of the most prominent acts in the Swedish black metal scene.More Dark Funeral
- #1062 of 1,150 onThe Greatest Musical Artists Of All Time, Ranked
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- Photo: Metaweb (FB) / CC-BY-2.513
Marduk
Marduk is a Swedish black metal band. The group formed in 1990 in the city of Norrköping and released their first album in 1992. Their name is derived from the Babylonian god Marduk, patron deity of Babylon.More Marduk- #1033 of 1,150 onThe Greatest Musical Artists Of All Time, Ranked
- #219 of 262 onThe Greatest Heavy Metal Bands Of All Time
- #12 of 108 onThe Greatest Black Metal Bands
- Photo: Metaweb (FB) / CC-BY-SA-2.5Katatonia is a Swedish metal band formed in Stockholm in 1991 by Jonas Renkse and Anders Nyström. The early Katatonia albums, along with albums by bands such as My Dying Bride, Anathema and Paradise Lost, are sometimes considered forerunners of the death/doom genre.More Katatonia
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- Photo: Ghost / YouTube15Ghost, also formerly known as Ghost B.C. in the United States, are a Swedish rock band that was formed in Linköping in 2006. In 2010, they released a three-track demo followed by a 7-inch vinyl titled "Elizabeth", and later their debut full-length album Opus Eponymous. The song "Ritual" was chosen by Kerrang! as one of "The 50 Most Evil Songs Ever." The Grammis-nominated album was widely praised and significantly increased their popularity. Their second album and major label debut, Infestissumam, was released in 2013, debuted at number one in Sweden, and won the Grammis Award for Best Hard Rock/Metal Album. The band released their third studio album, Meliora, in 2015 to much critical acclaim and high record sales, reaching number one in their home country of Sweden, and number eight in the United States. Its lead single, "Cirice", earned them the 2016 Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance. The band released their fourth studio album, Prequelle, in 2018.
- Photo: Metaweb (FB) / CC-BY-SA-2.016
Soilwork
Soilwork is a Swedish melodic death metal band from Helsingborg. They are signed to Nuclear Blast. Formed in late 1995 by Björn Strid and Peter Wichers, originally under the name Inferior Breed, the band changed their name in late 1996 to Soilwork (meaning "working from the ground up"). - Photo: Metaweb (FB) / Public domain17Watain are a Swedish black metal band from Uppsala, formed in 1998. The band's name is taken from an early recording by the American black metal group Von. The band have become famous for their Theistic Satanist views and for their live shows which involve pyrotechnics, candles, Satanic rituals, animal carcasses, and blood. At a now-notorious live performance in Brooklyn in 2014, they doused audience members in animal blood, allegedly causing some members of the audience to vomit. This was picked up and publicized by TMZ, generating controversy around the incident. To date, they have released six full-length albums, as well as three live albums and a number of demos and EPs. Their most recent album Trident Wolf Eclipse was released on January 5, 2018 through Century Media Records. The band's core lineup has remained stable since their formation, consisting of Erik Danielsson, Pelle Forsberg, Håkan Jonsson, and Emil Svensson (aka E. Forcas, Jonsson's live drummer replacement) of Degial.
- Photo: Metaweb (FB) / Public domain18Europe is a Swedish rock band formed in Upplands Väsby in 1979, by vocalist Joey Tempest, guitarist John Norum, bassist Peter Olsson, and drummer Tony Reno. They got a major breakthrough in Sweden in 1982 by winning the televised competition "Rock-SM" (Swedish Rock Championships): it was the first time this competition was held, and Europe became a larger success than the competition itself. Since their formation, Europe has released eleven studio albums, three live albums, three compilations and twenty-four music videos. Europe rose to international fame in the 1980s with their third album, 1986's The Final Countdown, which has sold over 3 million copies in the United States and 15 million copies worldwide (including album and single). Europe have sold over 25 million records worldwide. The band has had two top 20 albums on the Billboard 200 chart (The Final Countdown and Out of This World) and three top 30 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 chart ("The Final Countdown", "Rock the Night" and "Carrie").Europe went on hiatus in 1992, reunited temporarily for a one-off performance in Stockholm on New Year's Eve 1999 and announced an official reunion in 2003. Since then the band has released six albums, Start from the Dark (2004), Secret Society (2006), Last Look at Eden (2009), Bag of Bones (2012), War of Kings (2015) and Walk the Earth (2017). Europe has achieved new attention in the US due to being featured in a GEICO Insurance cable television commercial campaign viewed for many months across the US in 2015–16. The band is mainly influenced by Whitesnake, Deep Purple, Rainbow, Led Zeppelin, Thin Lizzy, UFO and Michael Schenker Group.More Europe
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- Photo: Metaweb (FB) / CC-BY19Therion (formerly Blitzkrieg, Megatherion) is a Swedish symphonic metal band founded by Christofer Johnsson in 1987. Its name was inspired by the Celtic Frost album To Mega Therion. "To Mega Therion" is Greek for "The Great Beast" and was a title used by occultist Aleister Crowley. Originally a death metal band, Therion adjusted its musical style by adding orchestral elements, including choirs, classical musicians, and even a full orchestra at their concert performances. As a result, they are considered pioneers of the symphonic metal genre. Therion takes its themes for the lyrics from different mythologies and practices, including occultism, magic and ancient traditions and writings.More Therion
- #239 of 262 onThe Greatest Heavy Metal Bands Of All Time
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- 20Evergrey is a progressive metal band from Gothenburg, Sweden. The band was founded in 1995 and released its debut album, The Dark Discovery, in 1998. After a minor hiatus the band returns with its ninth album Hymns for the Broken on 26/30 September 2014.
