METALITE, AGONIZE THE SERPENT, DEATH BY HORSE, HEXED, MASS WORSHIP, BROWSING COLLECTION, ELDEN and HONEYBURST – so named this year’s NEMIS band at Sweden Rock Festival.
For the 15th consecutive year, Sweden Rock – together with Studiefrämjandet – presents the eight Swedish “up and coming bands” who are given the opportunity to show off to the fantastic festival audience.
So NEMIS stands for New Music In Sweden, and the 2020 start field offers everything from 70s inspired rock and melodic metal to hybrids between punk and hard rock and brutal metal.
NEMIS band at Sweden Rock Festival 2020:
Metalite
Stockholm Metalite plays refractory melodic metal with influences from the early 00’s trance sound. Members have credentials from bands such as Captain Black Beard, Imber and Castillion. The band has two albums in the back, Heroes in Time (2017) and Biomechanicals (2019), the latter debut for current singer Erica Ohlsson and both produced by legendary Jacob Hansen.
Agonize The Serpent
Agonize The Serpent from Falkenberg plays energetic metalcore with roots in both melodic death metal and punk. Since its inception in 2015, they have released the EP Under a Serpent’s Oath (2016) and the album Pray for a Plague (2018). The band’s recordings have also resonated internationally and live they have got to show their front foot together with bands like The Unguided, Corroded and Little Sister.
Death By Horse
Skånska Death By Horse goes for refractory punk and was formed in 2015. The debut album This Too Shall Pass was digitally released in 2016 and was a great success, followed by a physical release in 2018. In 2019 came the follower Reality Hits Hard which became an even bigger favourite in both audiences and critics. The band also has several European tours in the back with Agnostic Front and Teenage Bottlerocket, among others.
Hexed
Hexed from Uppsala plays dark and melodic metal with progressive elements and male growl singing as a complement to excellent lead singer Tina Gunnarsson. The band was formed in 2015 and have not been on the batside: they have in turn released three singles, one EP, and the debut album Netherworld (2018). They have also gained a reputation as a good live band and album number two is already underway.
Mass Worship
Mass Worship from Stockholm plays dark and brutal metal, whose dirty old school sound with deathcrust elements is combined with influences from modern metal. The band was formed as late as 2018 by members with many years of experience from stage and studio, and the debut album Mass Worship which was released in October 2019 has already got the underground to sour interest.
Browsing Collection
Browsing Collection from Skövde plays a swinging hybrid of punk and metal and has gained a lot since its inception in 2008. A number of awards and assignments for TV, international touring and a whole six-disc releases, including the current album Cyber Space Buffet. The band has been widely praised for both live and studio acts and are also involved in the annual representation promotion music colleague Sweden Rock Collo.
Elden
Elden from Karlstad stands for heavy riffs, nice choruses and turns inspired by Mastodon, Baroness, The Sword and the 70s and 80s. They were formed in 2012 and the EP Atlas came in 2015. The fire took its sound seriously on the debut album Death & Fear, which also won great appreciation. In January 2020 came their first record for Fuzzorama Records: Nostromo, based on the darkness, infinity and cold of space.
HoneyBurst
Honeyburst from Halmstad was formed in 2017 as a power trio but is now a quartet with Hammond organ. Their sound is, perhaps not entirely surprising, influenced by the early ’70s and names such as Beck Bogert & Appice, Deep Purple, ZZ Top and Black Sabbath. The debut album Space and Time was released in September 2019 and it is a work in which swing and positive atmosphere are honours.
Sweden Rock is Scandinavia’s largest hard rock festival. Every year, visitors from 60 countries are attracted to Sölvesborg, where they are offered 90 concerts in a mix of classic rock, hard rock, southern state rock and metal. Sweden Rock is known for maintaining a high level of service, and the friendly atmosphere has become one of the festival’s main signature. In addition to the annual festival, Sweden Rock now has a magazine, drinks and lifestyle products gathered under its brand.
SWEDEN ROCK: OFFICIAL FESTIVAL WEBSITE / FACEBOOK
SWEDEN ROCK 2020 Coverage: Sweden Rock 2020
SWEDEN ROCK 2019: Sweden Rock 2019.
