Carnal Forge

Biography

Carnal Forge are a Swedish thrash metal band with melodic death metal influences. They are named after a song on Carcass's album Heartwork.

History

Jari Kuusisto and Stefan Westerberg formed Carnal Forge in Sala in 1997 as a side project to their band In Thy Dreams. They released their debut album, Who's Gonna Burn×Who's Gonna Burn22 September 1998 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Who's Gonna Burn2:542Sweet Bride2:203Twisted3:344Godzilla Is Coming Thru3:025The Other Side3:446Part Animal... Part Machine2:267Born to Hate2:138Evilizer2:259Maggotman3:1810Confuzzed3:12 (War Music), in 1998, then signed with Century Media Records in 2000 and recorded Firedemon (2000) and Please... Die! (2001).
In 2000, guitarist Johan Magnusson left and bassist Petri Kuusisto replaced him. Lars Lindén replaced Petri on bass and debuted at the 2000 Decibel Festival in Bengtsfors, Sweden, and at the Wacken Open Air Festival in Wacken, Germany. Around that time, the toured Europe with The Haunted and Nile. The More You Suffer (2003) and Aren't You Dead Yet? (2004) were released before vocalist Jonas Kjellgren's departure prior to the band's European tour with Pro-Pain. Singer Jens C. Mortensen joined the band in a matter of days.
In addition to Europe, the band toured the USA and Japan, and played a number of festivals, including the Sweden Rock Festival, Metal Meltdown (USA), Fury Fest, Pressure Festival (Germany), Kaltenbach Open Air (Austria) Summer Breeze Open Air, and Fuck the Commerce (Germany). They released the 2004 DVD "Destroy Live" of concerts in New York City, Kraków, and Tokyo. In January 2007, the band signed to Candlelight Records and released the album Testify for My Victims×Testify for My Victims21 May 2007 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Testify for My Victims4:032Burning Eden4:153Numb (The Dead)2:524Godsend God's End4:535End Game4:136Questions Pertaining the Ownership of My Mind4:147Freedom by Mutilation3:488Subhuman3:499No Longer Bleeding4:1710Biological Waste Matter3:3511Lost Legion3:0112Ante Mori5:16 later that year. Owe Lingvall, who the band had worked with before on previous music videos, directed the videos for "Burning Eden" and "Numb (The Dead)," both of which were filmed in Umeå, Sweden.
In November 2007, Mortensen and Jari left the band because they were "fed up with the music industry;" other Carnal Forge members were grappling with personal problems too. Dino Medanhodzic (guitar) of Construcdead and Peter Tuthill (vocals) of Soulbreach were brought in to replace them. In September 2009, they released their next album's first single, "Blood War×Blood War2010 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Blood War5:02," and filmed the music video the next month. It was edited by Tuthill and mixed by Medanhodzic, then released the following summer. Not long after, in January 2010, Westerberg left the band and was replaced by Chris Barkensjö. In 2011, Lindén announced the band would be taking an indefinite hiatus for personal reasons and because they "weren't having much fun anymore." They reunited in 2013; Mortensen and Jari returned and Lawrence Dinamarca joined on drums. They released a single, "When All Else Fails×When All Else Fails2014 · EPSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1Chemical Disincorporation3:302Bleed for Me5:21," in 2014. Mortensen became a father and withdrew from the band again in 2015 while recording their next album. He was replaced by Tommie Wahlberg. In 2018, after a 12-year hiatus, Carnal Forge released Gun to Mouth Salvation, its seventh album, with ViciSolum Production. Jari departed again in January 2022.

Current members

Petri Kuusisto – lead guitar (2000–2010, 2013–present); rhythm guitar (2022–present), bass (2000, 2025–present)
Tommie Wahlberg – vocals (2018–present)

Former members

Stefan Westerberg – drums (1997–2010)
Jari Kuusisto – rhythm guitar (1997–2008, 2013–2022)
Jonas Kjellgren – vocals (1997–2004)
Johan Magnusson – guitars (1997–2000)
Dennis Vestman – bass (1997–2000)
Lars Lindén – bass (2001–2010, 2013–2025; his death)
Jens C. Mortensen – vocals (2004–2007, 2013–2018)
Peter Tuthill – vocals (2008–2010)
Dino Medanhodzic – guitar (2008–2010)
Chris Barkensjö – drums (2010)
Lawrence Dinamarca – drums (2013–2023)