Although this Stockholm based Swedish retro Heavy Metal band was formed only recently, as a result of a conversation between Peter Stjärnvind (veteran of the Swedish Metal scene, with a history in the bands Face Down, Entombed, Unanimated, Regurgitate, Nifelheim, Merciless, Damnation, Born Of Fire, and currently still also active with Pest, Murder Squad and Krux) and Joseph Tholl
Ach, Raven...! Truth be told, when I found out this was among my to-do job, I was initially not too enthused. I'd come across albums by the band when they were first around, and not only got myself their first recordings (1981 debut album Rock Until You Drop, 1982's Wiped Out, 1983's All For One – with the 12-inch EP Break The Chain that was culled from it – and 1984's Stay Hard), but also a couple of their later albums (1988's Nothing Exceeds Like Excess and 1991's Architect Of Fear).
Edenbridge is a group that I haven’t really been following so far, and that seems to have been a mistake from my part. Their music is bordering between true gothic metal, and bombastic more opera-like music. They do bring us rock, but with an ethereal edge to it. In no small way does the voice of their vocalist Sabine Edelsbacher help to create this atmosphere. She has a smooth, almost angelical voice, yet also powerfull.
Chimaira was founded during 1998 by Mark Hunter and Jason Hager The pair contacted friends and recruited Jason Genaro and Andrew Ermlick to complete the band’s line-up. But after a few a few practice sessions that didn’t work out so great, the four decided that the band needed a “thicker” guitar sound and searched a second guitarist, witch they found in Rob Arnold.
