'Swedish Death Metal' Book Expanded Edition Due In July

INSISION/TYRANT bassist Daniel Ekeroth's acclaimed history "Swedish Death Metal" will be available this July in revised and expanded edition from new U.S. publisher Bazillion Points.

The ultimate insider's account of the rise of the Scandinavian metal scene, the book boasts over 450 pages, over 500 images, and is based on candid interviews with members of NIHILIST, ENTOMBED, IN FLAMES, AT THE GATES, DISMEMBER, GRAVE, GROTESQUE, HYPOCRISY, UNLEASHED, MARDUK, MORBID, MOB 47, DERANGED, EDGE OF SANITY, NIRVANA 2002, LIERS IN WAIT, MERCILESS, CARNAGE, CARCASS, TREBLINKA, TIAMAT, OPETH, THE HAUNTED, along with many other central characters, including fanzine writers, radio hosts, and promoters.

According to a press release, "Swedish Death Metal" is "the improbable history of how a marginalized teen movement crawled from Sweden's small towns and suburbs, and found a lasting place on the world stage. Daniel Ekeroth captures the epic tale with enlightening detail, beginning with Sweden's violent loss of innocence in the 1980s, depicting metal's chokehold on the country during the 1990s, and illustrating the lasting legacy and in?uence in the turbulent 2000s of the Sunlight guitar tone, the 'Gothenburg Sound,' and countless other offshoots of Sweden's most lethal cultural export."

The book features original cover artwork by Nicke Andersson (NIHILIST, ENTOMBED, THE HELLACOPTERS),and an introduction by death metal pioneer Chris Reifert (AUTOPSY, ABSCESS, DEATH). The highly-regarded first edition has been out of print since earlier this year. In February 2007, "Swedish Death Metal" reached position No. 1 on the AdLibris sales charts in Sweden for the month of February for non-fiction books in a foreign language.

Reaction to "Swedish Death Metal" from Chris Reifert: "Read this book if you are willing to be subjected to the story behind the extreme face-melting, flesh-ripping, ear-slaying, gut-blasting phenomenon known as Swedish death metal!"

From Tomas Lindberg (GROTESQUE, AT THE GATES, DISFEAR): "Finally, the true story of Swedish death metal! This book brought me back to the good old days."

From Nicke Andersson: "Death metal ruled my adolescent years. The problem is I don't remember half of it. This tome of dark recollections is the chance to set things straight."

For more information, or to pre-order the book, go to this location.

Bazillion Points is "America's smallest but heaviest publishing house," started by author Ian Christe ("Sound of the Beast", "Everybody Wants Some: The Van Halen Saga", host of "Bloody Roots" on Sirius Hard Attack). Upcoming releases include titles by Andy McCoy (HANOI ROCKS),Albert Mudrian ("Choosing Death"),and Jeff Wagner (Metal Maniacs).

Classic Swedish death metal band GROTESQUE featuring ex-AT THE GATES/THE CROWN frontman Tomas Lindberg reunited for a special one-off performance on January 26, 2007 at Kaf 44 in Stockholm to celebrate the release of "Swedish Death Metal".

A three-and-a-half-minute video clip of GROTESQUE performing the song "Blood Runs from the Altar" at the Kaf 44 gig can be viewed below.