Former CANDLEMASS Singer MATS LEVÉN Launches SKYBLOOD, Signs With NAPALM RECORDS

January 31, 2019

After recording more than 50 albums, Mats Levén is one of today's most-sought-after vocalists in the hard rock and metal world. Now he teamed up with Napalm Records to release his very first solo album under the name SKYBLOOD.

From a first small tour with SWEDISH EROTICA in 1989 to TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA's massive U.S. tour in 2018, Mats has been delivering the goods around the globe with acts such as YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, THERION, CANDLEMASS, GUS G., TREAT, ADAGIO, KRUX, FIREWIND, AT VANCE and many more.

2019 marks the 30th year for Mats as a recording artist and Napalm Records is proud to release the legend's very first solo album this year.

Levén comments on the signing: "A few days after the split with CANDLEMASS in September 2018, I was contacted by Napalm Records regarding my solo material. The timing was perfect, and today I'm thrilled to announce our partnership and the release of SKYBLOOD in the fall of 2019! SKYBLOOD is who I am and where I'm at after 30 years in this weird business. A special thanks to Sebastian Münch at Napalm. Let's do this!"

Sebastian Münch, A&R at Napalm Records, states: "With absolute pleasure and honor, Napalm Records would like to announce the signing of Mats Levén's SKYBLOOD. Over the years, Mats's distinguished vocal works have created various masterpieces; in particular for CANDLEMASS, KRUX and THERION! The new songs from the SKYBLOOD debut sound amazing and we are looking forward to a very successful album release. Mats, welcome to the Napalm family!"

Among the guest musicians who are expected to appear on SKYBLOOD's debut album are Martin "Axe" Axenrot (BLOODBATH, OPETH, WITCHERY),Nalley Påhlsson (TREAT, THERION),Snowy Shaw (ex-KING DIAMOND) and Petter Karlsson (ex-THERION, DIABLO SWING ORCHESTRA).

Mats, who was in CANDLEMASS for six years, began his professional musical life with SWEDISH EROTICA from Gothenburg, Sweden in 1989. In 1990, Mats got an offer from TREAT and moved to Stockholm where he still lives with his wife and two kids.

After recording albums with ABSTRAKT ALGEBRA and AB/CD, Mats as approached by Yngwie Malmsteen to join the guitarist's band in 1997-98 and to lay down his vocal tracks on the "Facing The Animal" LP.

Over the past couple of decades, Levén has been involved with a number of different bands and projects, including SOUTHPAW, DOGFACE, ESSENCE OF SORROW, AT VANCE and KRUX.

In 2004, Mats supplied lead vocals for THERION's two albums "Sirius B" and "Lemuria". This led to some 150 shows with the band over the course of the next four years. THERION's 2007 album "Gothic Kabbalah" saw Mats co-writing six of the tracks, including the epic "Son Of The Staves Of Time". In 2010-2011, Mats toured with ADAGIO and FIREWIND before joining CANDLEMASS as the replacement for Robert Lowe.

Since 2016, Mats has been touring with rock theater sensation TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA, whose 20th-anniversary trek visited 65 cities across North America, for 100-plus performances, before concluding on December 30.

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