My Top Five Swedish Hard Rock/metal Bands

     Sweden,like two other Scandinavian countries(Finland and Norway),is well known for the impressive number of metal bands which made a name for themselves outside its borders.This top includes the most played Swedish bands in my PC so far according to the statistics from last.fm,and it consists mostly of melodic metal,although other Swedish  bands which play heavier music(like Dark Tranquility)also appear in my play lists quite often.

      5.EUROPE

     Probably the best known Swedish rock band,Europe had a huge success in the 80s,when hard and glam rock were at the climax of their popularity,and I’m sure there are few people who haven’t heard their huge hit ‘The Final Countdown’,and other hits from the 80s like ‘Rock the Night’,'Carrie’ or ‘Open your Heart.However,the 90s brought the decline in popularity of the type of music they played in favor of alternative rock,and Europe took a long break;they returned in 2004 with an album whose title,’Start in the Dark’,symbolised the rebirth of a band which tried to create a modern sound without abandoning their classical rock roots,and these efforts led to the creation of two more studio albums and it looks like another one,their ninth,will appear in 2012.

     4.EVERGREY

  Progressive metal is represented in this chart by Evergrey,a band formed in Gothenburg in 19995 whose complex and yet melodic sound combined with dark and melancholic lyrics resulted in 8 studio albums,the last one,’Glorious Collision’,being released in 2011.Albums like ‘Solitude,Dominance,Tragedy’,'In Search of Truth’ or ‘The Inner Circle’are true masterpieces which prove the great artistry of this excellent band.

    3.SABATON

   Sabaton is a power metal band formed in 1999 whose lyrics deal almost exclusively with historical wars,and especially wityh stories from World War II;the themes of war inspired the guys in Sabaton in creating 6 studio albums,the last one being ‘Coat of Arms’(2010).This album,along with its great predecessors like ‘Primo Victoria’ or ‘The Art of War’ helped Sabaton become one of the most popular names in power metal nowadays,and as long as there are conflicts on Earth,there will be enough source of inspiration for Sabaton to create music that describes historical battles and heroic deeds.

   2.THERION

    Formed in 197,Therion started as a death metal band,but its sound evolved greatly turning Therion into a staple of the symphonic metal genre.Every new Therion creation has something new and surprising,and their mastery of combining metal with orchestras,choirs and all sorts of instruments is reflected in truly fantastic albums like ‘Theli,’Vovin’,'Secret of the Runes’ or ‘Sitra Ahra’.It’s hard to find anything better than Therion in symphonic metal.

   1.HAMMERFALL

    The most played Swedish band in my PC this year,Hammerfall also appeared in Gothenburg in 1993;it’s also one of the most popular power metal bands at the moment,although it’s also considered a traditional heavy metal band.No matter what the style may be called,it’s extremely powerful,melodic and epic songs,reflected in great albums like ‘Legacy of Kings’,'Renegade’ or ‘Crimson Thunder’ make Hammerfall a great band,even if it doesn’t sound like the most original band on the planet.